All American dollar bills（纸币）weigh the same, they’re the same size, and they’re made of the same material. “There are no physical marks for those with vision（视力）loss, who need an effective means of knowing how much it is, a $1 or a $100?” explains Vencer Cotton, director of technology and training at the Columbia Lighthouse for the Bind in Washington D.C.
NOW there is something that comes pretty close. Meet the iBill, a piece of plastic about the size of a large cigarette lighter. Equipped with one AAA battery, a couple of buttons and a speaker, the iBill is designed to be simple. A narrow opening allows for a U..S. Bill to be placed inside and upon scanning, it will say the amount the bill is worth. However, even though the iBill can do that job for you, it doesn’t mean it’ll tell you if a bill is real or even how much you have.
Created by Orbit Research, it will be the first money reader distributed by the U.S.Bureau of engraving and Printing (BEP). THE BUREAU WILL SOON BE SHIPPING iBills, free of charge, across the country. “It is my No. 1 choice,” Cotton says of the iBill, especially when it comes to sorting money as fast as possible.”
There are actually a bunch of apps（应用程序）that can do what the iBill ca, made convenient by the iPhone’s voiceover functions. In particular, EyeNote was also developed by the U.S. BEP to help distinguish bills. Another app, called LookTel, offers recognition for a large number of countries’ bills and VisionHunt distinguishes different kinds of bills and offers many tools to the blind. “But a lot of blind people can’t afford an iPhone,” says Shawn Callaway, president of the National Federation of the Blind of Washington D.C.
1.The iBill was invented to .
A. pay for things at certain shops
B. help children sort out their money
C. help the blind recognize their money
D. tell whether a dollar bill is real or not
2.What can we learn about the iBill?
A. It is unbreakable.
B. It can’t calculate.
C. It can light a cigarette.
D. It costs a lot of money.
3.Compared with other apps, the iBill .
A. is much easier for poor people to accept
B. offers more useful functions to the blind
C. is the only one developed by the U.S. BEP
D. can tell the differences between many foreign bills
4.What is the purpose of this text?
A. To encourage people to help the blind.
B. To talk about American dollar bills.
C. To ask people to buy the iBill.
D. To introduce a hi-tech tool.
While I was teaching in China, I became interested in acupuncture（针灸）. It was after returning from China and witnessing how successful it had been that I reached the decision to become an acupuncturist myself. I was lucky to discover that the town where I lived had a famous college of traditional acupuncture.
Alternative medicine such as acupuncture is particularly important for me because I firmly believe that it works on the level of body, mind and spirit. This is very different from Western medicine which is supposed to work only on the body. When a person is ill, it is believed that there’s something in their life that is putting their energy levels out of balance. What alternative therapies（疗法）try do to is kelp to gradually push that energy back into balance. The result is that any disease present might naturally disappear as it cannot survive when energies are balanced.
I’ve treated a wide range of people for various conditions, for example people suffering from stress and anxiety. To acquire a qualification in acupuncture, I took a course that lasted three years. I had to go to the college about one weekend in three. I also had a large amount of homework and practical work to do, which I did two or three evenings a week. This involved locating pints on different people. As you can imagine, this isn’t straightforward as people are of different sizes and have differently shaped bodies.
In the future I hope to set up an alternative health clinic which will involve myself as an acupuncturist but perhaps other people as well. I’d like to work with people who provide treatments such as rubbing（按摩）and pressing people’s feet in a special way to help them relax and feel well. I’d like to set it up somewhere in the countryside, where people could feel free from the stress of life.
1.The author decides to learn acupuncture .
A. when he was teaching in China
B. when he was studying in college
C. after he came back to his mother country
D. after he discovered an acupuncture school
2.What does the author think of acupuncture?
A. It prevents disease.
B. It treats people as a whole.
C. It has an immediate effect.
D. It helps improve people’s lives.
3.The acupuncture course the author took was .
A. time-consuming and challenging
B. learner-centered and effective
C. difficult but interesting
D. painful but helpful
4.What do the underlined words “other people” in the last paragraph refer to?
A. Other acupuncturists.
B. Other alternative therapists.
C. Other doctors who use Western medicine.
D. Other people who want to escape fro stress.
Things to Do in London
For things to see and do, visitors to London have endless options. Whether you’re visiting for several days or just wanting a taste of this great city, here’s how to make the most of your time.
The London’s Eye
The London’s Eye is a 135-metre-high observation wheel. Opened in 2000, it immediately became one of the city’s most recognisable landmarks（地标）. Thirty-two capsules, each holding up to 25 people, take a gentle half-hour round trip. On a clear day, the Eye affords a unique 40-kilometre view, which sweeps over the capital in all directions.
Location: South Bank of the River Thames
The British Museum
The British Museum was established in 1753 to house the collections of the physician Sir Hans Sloane (1660-1753), who also helped create the Chelsea Physic Garden. Sloane’s collections have been added to by gifts and purchases from all over the world. Robert Smirke designed the main part of the building, but the architectural highlight（亮点）is Norman Foster’s Great Court, with the world-famous Reading Room at its centre.
Location: Great Russel Street
Houses of Parliament（国会）
For over 500 years the Palace of Westminster has been the seat of the two Houses of Parliament. The building was designed by architect Sir Charles Barry. Westminster Hall is the only surviving part of the original Palace of Westminster, dating back to 1097.
Location: Westminster
The national Gallery
In 1824 the British government was persuaded to buy 38 major paintings, and these became the start of a national collection. Today, it has a collection of some 2,300 Western European paintings. The mian gallery building was designed by William Wilkins and finally opened in 1838.
Location: Trafalgar Square
1.We know from the text that Sir Hans Sloane .
A. designed the Chelsea Physic Garden
B. loved to read in the British Museum’s Great Court
C. contributed to the foundation of the British Museum
D. bought many collections after the British Museum opened
2.If you want to enjoy an overall view of London, you may go to .
A. South Bank of the River Thames
B. Great Russell Street
C. Trafalgar Square
D. Westminster
3.Which of the following has the longest history?
A. The London Eye.
B. The British Museum.
C. The National Gallery.
D. Houses of parliament.
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文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
My classmate, Hanks, have been sick in hospital for a week. Yesterday our class
decided send him some flowers and asked me to buy the flowers. I have had a hard time get them since then. I went to town immediate after class yesterday afternoon only to found the flower shop there already closed. So I returned with nothing. I called it many times at this morning. But the line was always busy. While I finally got through at noon, a lady said she was a new hand and could not tell me the prices. Luckily, I have classes this afternoon, but I am about to go to town again. I must get the flowers for Hanks today.
1.The work calls for great imagination and __________ ( 耐心 ).
2.It is bad _________( 礼貌 )to stare at other people.
3.I find that I don’t ________ (消化 ) meat easily.
4.She decided to call her ex-boyfriend out of __________( 好奇心 ).
5.Hurry up! Our time is ________ （有限的）.
6.I shall never forget the _________ ( 美丽 ) of that lake in my hometown.
7.It is _______ ( 明显的 )that he knew nothing about the accident.
8.I will never ________ ( 宽恕 ) you for what you said to me last night.
9.All Americans held their __________( 呼吸 ) to see who would win the election.
10.I am not quite sure about the use of some English ________ ( 短语 ).
