A 13-year-old American has made a cheap machine that can help blind people read.
The blind can read by using Braille – a system of small bumps (隆起物) that the blind touch to read the letters. The machine that makes these small bumps usually costs at least $2,000. It is called Braille writer. The American schoolboy, Shubham Banerjee, made a new Braille writer from a Lego tool that lets people create robots. Banerjee has called his new machine the Braigo – a combination (组合) of the words Braille and Lego. It costs just $ 350. It works by changing electronic text into Braille and then printing it using a computer or mobile machine.
Banerjee designed (设计) his Braigo last year for a school science exhibition. Since then, he has caught the interest of Silicon Valley in the USA. The big technology company Intel spent money on Banerjee’s machine last November, but they did not say how much money they put in. Banerjee also got $35, 000 from his father to help him start the project. His father works as a computer engineer (工程师) at Intel. He spoke about why he gave so much money to his son, saying:”We as parents started to be interested more, thinking that he’s on to something and this invention has to continue.” Banerjee told the AP News: “My dream would probably be having most of the blind people…using my Braigo.”
1.What is Braile in Line 2?
A. A system of bumps to help the blind read.
B. The name of a new invention.
C. A very cheap machine.
D. A Lego robot.
2.How much will one save if he buys a Braigo instead of a usual Braille writer?
A. Over $2,000. B. Less than $350.
C. Exactly $35,000. D. At least $1,650.
3.What does the Braigo change into Braille?
A. Photocopies. B. Voices.
C. Electronic text. D. Computer languages.
4.Why did Banerjee design his invention?
A. He did it as a hobby.
B. Intel told him to do it.
C. He did it for a school science project.
D. He wanted to get money from his father.
5.Banerjee’s parents wanted him to continue to _______.
A. catch Intel’s interest B. work on his invention
C. be a computer engineer D. use the new Braille writer
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从各题所给的A、B、C项中选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Bert Manson, 82, slowly opened his eyes and turned to face the clock on the bedside table. It was 8:23 a.m. He felt ____. The time was nothing to him. He had nothing to do all day. He lay on the bed, ________ to the cars on the highway and the shouts of the children running to school.
After a while, Bert ______ got out of bed and asked himself the same questions as he did every morning: Would he fall today? If so, would anyone come? How long would he _______? Would he die? He looked out of the window into the street below. “And who would ______?”he spoke quietly.
After Bert’s wife died a year ago, his son and daughter said they would visit once a week. But the last time was months ago. On the phone, they always had a(n) ________: too busy at work; the children are _______; bad weather; no time. Nobody seemed to have any time…except for Bert. He ________ his granddaughters. He loved it when Mandy and Ruth came to visit. They brought him candy and _______.
He walked to a chair near the bedroom door ________. He rested for a moment before continuing in small steps to the bathroom.
1.A. pleased B. sad C. surprised
2.A. listening B. pointing C. shouting
3.A. happily B. quickly C. carefully
4.A. hide B. wait C. follow
5.A. care B. decide C. forget
6.A. chance B. accident C. reason
7.A. excited B. perfect C. sick
8.A. introduced B. missed C. refused
9.A. hope B. trouble C. fear
10.A. in time B. in pain C. in person
Most students don’t know ________ when their phones are taken away.
A. what can they do
B. how they could communicate
C. who they can play with
It wasn’t ________ match, but at least we won!
A. the most interesting
B. more interesting
C. interesting
I don’t understand why more girls ________ to do housework than boys in today’s society.
A. asked B. were asked C. are asked
Times magazine says that smart Lego has become one of ________ favorite toys.
A. child B. children C. children’s
