Elon Musk, a US tech mogul(大亨), founder of SpaceX and co-founder of electric car maker Tesla, has been working on this technology. On Aug 28, Musk gave a livestream(直播) demonstration of the chip which was implanted into the head of a pig named Gertrude.
The chip, developed by Musk’s company Neuralink, is the size of a coin. But don’t let its size fool you. The tiny chip has over 3,000 electrodes (电极) attached to flexible threads, which can monitor about 1,000 neurons (神经元). It collects neural signals from an area of the brain, and then transmits those signals wirelessly to nearby computers, according to MSN. In the livestream, Gertrude could be seen walking around her pen sniffing (嗅) the ground while a monitor showed her brain activity.
Though the technology is still in its early stage, it is encouraging for humans. “This technology would solve a lot of brain/spine injuries and is ultimately (最终) essential for AI symbiosis (共生), which allows the human brain to mix with an artificial intelligence.” Musk said in previous interviews.
When the device can be applied to humans, its main goal will be to help those who have mobility(行动) issues, such as those suffering from paralysis(瘫痪). Musk hopes this technology could also be used to help those with hearing and eyesight issues and one day lead to a cure for epilepsy(癫痫).
Although such a device could, in principle, repair those problems, putting it into practice is by no means a piece of cake. Currently, the device can transmit signals from about 500 neurons in the pig’s brain. Compared to 80 billion neurons in a human brain, this number is tiny. And to cover the whole human brain also means the electrodes have to be much smaller. Also, implanting the chip into the brain poses a potential danger. There is a risk of the immune system attacking this foreign body.
Right now, the hope of controlling the brain via controlling a few neurons seems overly optimistic. “There are many technological challenges to overcome before Neuralink can put its devices to the purposes,” Yuan Lanfeng, an associate professor of China, told China Daily.
1.What do we know about Elon Musk’s microchip according to the first three paragraphs?A.It is able to collect wireless signals. | B.It was inspired by sci-fi movie plots. |
C.It has no more than 1,000 electrodes. | D.It is tiny in size but powerful in function. |
A.To develop a cure for epilepsy. |
B.To monitor animals, brain activity. |
C.To help people who have mobility issues. |
D.To contribute to the research in AI technologies. |
A.Potential problems in applying the chip to humans. |
B.Key differences between pigs’ and humans’ brains. |
C.How the immune system is the major obstacle to the implant. |
D.The amount of time and money implanting the chip could cost. |
A.Excited. | B.Cautious. | C.Optimistic. | D.Worried. |
Watching the latest Hollywood movie in a great cinema brings about a lot of excitement. Here are the best movie theaters in the world.
Prasad—Hyderabad, India
Can you think of anything better than a movie viewed on a screen measuring 97×117 feet? Prasad has the answer. It has been screening movies since 2003. Every day, it gets round 1,500 inquiries (咨询) on its phone booking system.
Castro Theater—San Francisco, United States
Back during the 20s, movie palaces with huge reception halls and video halls were put up for the pleasure of customers. This theater, with a cathedral façade (立面), is one of the last from that period.
Cine de Chef—Seoul, South Korea
Want to go out for dinner and a movie? Here you get to do both. And the food is not just the typical popcorn and soda, but a real meal made up of French and Italian cuisine (菜肴).
Secret Cinema—Worldwide
Secret Cinema is a group based in London that holds monthly screenings of a movie. You have to sign up for it, and they will tell you where and when to go for the movie. Hired actors will then act out the scenes from the film.
1.What makes Prasad well-known?A.Its long history. | B.Its large-sized screen. |
C.Its special decoration. | D.Its phone booking system. |
A.Prasad | B.Castro Theater. | C.Cine de Chef. | D.Secret Cinema. |
A.To advertise. | B.To educate. | C.To persuade. | D.To introduce. |
Adam is a freshman at senior high school.
First, he had to choose the suitable courses.
He had to choose extra-curricular activities, too. To his
He knows he’ll have to study
China’s famous museums include ancient buildings and world class modern museums with big collections. They are excellent places for sightseeing and learning about China.
Sanxingdui Museum
The museum is on the path less beaten by tourists, but it makes one of the top museums for the 3,400-year-old artworks. If you’re an ancient history fan, this place will attract you. If you love art, its style will surprise you a lot.
The Palace Museum
The museum is one of the largest old buildings kept in the country with a history of 600 years old. Built at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty between 1406 and 1420, it was the home of 24 rulers and their courts. It is one of the finest buildings in China and a good place to study Chinese history.
The Shanghai Museum
The big modern museum is popular with foreign tourists. It is probably the most modern museum with the focus on creative art displays about the history of the whole area. Located in People’s Square, the museum is most famous for its huge collection of china.
The Shaanxi History Museum
Since 14 historical dynasties founded their capitals and developed in Shaanxi Province, the museum may have the oldest treasure of all the museums in China. The artworks show the greatness of the museum, and the displays are modern and well laid out.
1.What do we know about the Palace Museum?A.The museum is one of the oldest buildings in China. |
B.The museum was built at the end of the Ming Dynasty. |
C.The museum was the home of 26 rulers and their courts. |
D.The museum is a good place to learn Chinese history. |
A.Sanxingdui Museum. | B.The Palace Museum. |
C.The Shanghai Museum. | D.The Shaanxi History Museum. |
A.A person who is fond of music. | B.A person who is into Chinese culture. |
C.A person who has passion for movies. | D.A person who is interested in sports. |
It was Mother’s Day morning last year. My son, a five-year-old boy
At the front of the supermarket a charity group was selling some beautiful
Instead I gave the flower to the woman’s husband
The man then gave his wife the flower,telling her who it was from. Although badly hurt,the old lady looked up at Tenyson with thanks in her eyes and gave him a little smile.
Last summer holiday, Aunt Emily took us to a safari park (野生动物园), not far from Liverpool.
I was very happy to go as I had never been to a safari park before. It’s a very interesting park, full of wild animals running freely.
When we got there, we bought our tickets and drove into the park. We were very excited at the thought of going to see the lions. But to get to the lions’ place we had to go through the monkeys’ land first. And that was an unforgettable experience because they climbed all over the car, ate apples and bananas, and threw all kinds of things at us. They seemed very unfriendly.
Anyway, we went on our way to the lions’ place where we had to lock ourselves in the car as we knew lions could be dangerous. A lion came up very close to us. Then it was on the bonnet (车盖). It looked calm but we felt terrified. Aunt Emily, who isn’t very brave, started to call for help. The kids started crying. Only my brother, George, stayed cool. I sounded the horn (喇叭) but nobody heard us.
In the end a guard arrived in his car, and the lion just got off our car and started smelling the guard’s hand as if nothing was the matter.
1.Which animal did the author want to see the most?A.The lions. | B.The elephants. | C.The monkeys. | D.All of them. |
A.Because the monkeys might steal things. | B.Because they were afraid of being robbed. |
C.Because the lions might be dangerous. | D.Because something was wrong with the car. |
A.Excited. | B.Bored. | C.Interested | D.Scared |
A.Aunt Emily. | B.George. | C.The guard. | D.The author. |
In the long history of about 5,000 years, numerous Chinese traditional festivals were celebrated in memory of gods or some significant days, some of which are passed down from generation to generation and people always practice special traditional activities in each festival.
Qingming Festival
Qingming Festival is on the 15th day after Spring Equinox, round April 4 or April 5 every year.
Double Ninth Festival
Winter Solstice(冬至)
Winter Solstice is on around December 22 or 23 of solar calendar each year. From Winter Solstice on, the daytime will be longer and longer.
In China, this festival is in late January or early February, the last day of the Lunar year. People celebrate it by having a family reunion dinner, setting off fireworks and staying up late. Breaking the dishes and bowls is a thing all the people scare, but if you did it, you have to say: “sui sui ping an”.
A.New Year’s Eve |
B.Spring Festival |
C.People will go to worship their ancestors. |
D.People always visit their friends and relatives. |
E.That day people in different regions eat different food. |
F.It is a pun(双关语), meaning you will be healthy every year. |
G.It is celebrated on Sept. 9th of the Lunar Calendar, around October. |
Cruising along the long country road in my car, I was singing at the top of my lungs to help pass the time. It was just before midnight and I was making the two-hour journey to see my then-boyfriend, Richard, who lived two hours apart.
Around 20 minutes in, I was driving down a straight stretch of road, when my steering wheel started jerking from side to side and the car shook violently. The wind is strong here, I thought. But when my car suddenly pulled to the other side of the road, the reality of what was happening dawned on me. I was in the middle of an earthquake!
Situated between a mountain on one side and power lines on the other, I was far too scared to stop in case they came crashing down on top of me. Instead, I decided the safest option was to keep driving slowly. But, as the ground continued to shake beneath me, I grew more frightened by the second.
When it finally stopped, I found a safe place to pull over and check my mobile for reception. But there was nothing. Shaken, I was desperate to make my way to the nearest town to find service as quickly as possible.
Traveling at around 100km/h, I noticed a strange shadow on the road ahead. As I got closer, I realized the bridge in front of me had been removed from the road and had risen around 30 centimeters from the ground. I hit the brakes, but there was no way I could slow down in time. Crashing straight into the raised road, my car broke down finally.
Pain tore through my neck and body. I got out and ran to safety on the other side of the road and screamed for help. But, alone in the dead of night, there was no one around to hear me. Thankfully, around 15 minutes later, I saw two headlights in the distance.
1.Why was the author driving on the country road?A.To pass the time. | B.To meet her boyfriend. |
C.To break up with Richard. | D.To escape from a natural disaster. |
A.before the wind became strong |
B.after the steering wheel started jerking |
C.as soon as the car started to shake violently |
D.when her car pulled to the other side of the road |
A.Because she was too panic to apply the brake. |
B.Because she tried to get out of the high-risk area. |
C.Because she wanted to contact the outside world for help. |
D.Because she was desperate to find service as soon as possible. |
A.She was rescued by others before long. | B.She had to repair her car on her own. |
C.She waited in the dark for help but in vain. | D.She warned other drivers of the raised road. |