1、托福-2 及答案解析(总分：105.52，做题时间：90 分钟)一、BREADING/B(总题数：5，分数：28.50)BReading Section Directions/BIn this section you will read five passages and answer reading comprehension questions about each passage. Most questions are worth one point, but the last question in each set is worth more than one point. The
2、directions indicate how many points you may receive.You will have 60 minutes to read all of the passages and answer the questions. Some passages include a word or phrase that is underlined in blue. Click on the word or phrase to see a definition or an explanation.When you want to move on to the next
3、 question, click on Next. You can skip questions and go back to them later as long as there is time remaining. If you want to return to previous questions, click on Back. You can click on Review at any time and the review screen will show you which question you have answered and which you have not.
4、From this review screen, you may go directly to any question you have already seen in the reading section.When you are ready to continue, click on the Continue icon.BSet 1/BB Science Fiction? Not Any More/BScience fiction has often been the source of inspiration for new technologies. The exoskeleton
5、s and head-mounted displays featured in the film “Aliens“, for example, spawned a number of militaryfunded projects to try to create similar technologies. Automatic sliding doors might never have become popular had they not appeared on the television series “Star Trek“. And the popularity of flip-to
6、p or “clamshell“ mobile phones may stem from the desire to look like Captain Kirk flipping open his communicator on the same program.Now it seems that “Star Trek“ has done it again. This month, American soldiers in Iraq will begin trials of a device inspired by the “comm badge“ featured in “Star Tre
7、k: The Next Generation“. Like crew members of the starship Enterprise, soldiers will be able to talk to other members of their unit just by tapping and then speaking into a small badge worn on the chest. What sets the comm badge apart from a mere walkie-talkie, and appeals to “Star Trek“ fans, is th
8、e systems apparent intelligence. It works out who you are calling from spoken commands, and connects you instantly.The system, developed by Vocera Communications of Cupertino, California, uses a combination of Wi-Fi wireless networking and Voice-overInternet Protocol (VoIP) technologies to link up t
9、he badges via a central server, akin to a switchboard. The badges are already being used in 80 large institutions, most of them hospitals, to replace overhead paging systems, says Brent Lang, Voceras vice-president.Like its science-fiction counterpart, the badge is designed so that all functions can
10、 be carded out by pressing a single button. On pressing it, the caller gives a command and specifies the name of a person or group of people, such as “call Dr. Smith“ or “locate the nearest anesthesiologist“. Voice-recognition software interprets the commands and locates the appropriate person or gr
11、oup, based on whichever Wi-Fi base-station they are closest to. The person receiving the call then hears an audible alert stating the name of the caller and, if he or she wishes to take the call, responds by tapping the badge and starting to speak.That highlights a key difference between the “Star T
12、rek“ comm badge and the real-life version: Voceras implementation allows people to reject incoming calls, rather than having the voice of the caller patched through automatically. But even the most purist fans can forgive Vocera for deviating from the script in this way, says David Batchelor, an ast
13、rophysicist and “Star Trek“ enthusiast at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. For there are, he notes, some curious aspects to the behavior of the comm badges in “Star Trek“. （分数：5.52）(1).According to the passage, through which of the following, new technologies are often the r
14、esults of the inspirations?（分数：0.46）A.science fiction.B.personalized ring tones.C.“Star Trek“ fans.D.Vocera badges.(2).The word inspiration in the passage is closest in meaning to（分数：0.46）A.stimulation.B.transform.C.activate.D.energy.(3).It can be inferred from the paragraph 2 which of the following
15、 is right?（分数：0.46）A.“Comm badge“ is a communicator that only exist in science fiction.B.“Comm badge“ is widely used in Iraq for war purposes.C.“Comm badge“ is an intelligent new device of voice-driven wireless communication.D.“Comm badge“ is a mere walkietalkie that appeals to “Star Trek“ fans.(4).
16、The word intelligence in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to（分数：0.46）A.faculty.B.news.C.information.D.command.(5).According to paragraph 4, the word it refers to（分数：0.46）A.a person.B.a single button.C.science-fiction.D.the badge.(6).Which of the following statements is INCORRECT about the voice bad
17、ges?（分数：0.46）A.All functions can be carded out by pressing a single button.B.The device is able to retrieve stored information.C.The system can identify spoken commands and make connections instantly.D.The badges have taken the place of the paging system in some large institutions.(7).Which of the f
18、ollowing is true about the vocera badge is different from the fictional version.（分数：0.46）A.It is able to predict the future.B.It allows people to reject incoming calls.C.It works out who you are calling from spoken commands.D.Its very easy to use.(8).Which of the following features of the Vocera sys
19、tem are not mentioned in the passage?（分数：0.46）A.It can forward calls to mobile phones.B.It can be trained to understand users with strong accents.C.It can have wireless access to the internet.D.It can be used to photograph at night.(9).Which of the following would be not very likely to use the new c
20、ommunicating technology of the Vocera?（分数：0.46）A.Hospitals.B.Army.C.Schools.D.Hotels.(10).According to the passage, Why is Voceras system particularly suitable for hospitals?（分数：0.46）A.Improves efficiency.B.Save money.C.Improve quality.D.Is useful.(11).Look at the four squares that indicate where th
21、e following sentence could be added to the passage. In particular, the fictional badge seems to be able to predict the future. Where would the sentence best fit?（分数：0.46）A.Square .B.Square .C.Square .D.Square ._BSet 2/BB Gadgets with a Sporting Chance/BConsumer electronics: New sports equipment, fro
22、m tennis rackets to running shoes, uses processing power to enhance performance. Is that fair? Why should aspiring athletes stand on the sidelines when a spot of electronic assistance can put them in the middle of the game? That is the question many sports-equipment makers are asking as they sense a
23、n opportunity to boost their sales with high-tech products. You could call it the revenge of the nerds: a new wave of microchip-equipped sporting goods promises to enhance the performance of novices and non-sporting types alike-and could even make difficult sports easier.Take cross-country skiing. V
24、ictor Petrenko, an engineer at Dartmouth Colleges Ice Research Lab in New Hampshire, has invented some smart ski-brakes that, he believes, will increase the popularity of cross-country skiing by making the sport less challenging for beginners. The brakes, currently being tested by a ski manufacturer
25、 in the Alps, offer the necessary friction for a bigger “kick-off force“ and make the skis less likely to slide backwards in their trucks. To make this happen, an electric current from the bottom of the skis pulses through the ice, melting a thin layer of snow that instantly refreezes and acts as a
26、sort of glue.This is not the only form of smart ski to hit the slopes. Atomic, a leading ski-maker based in Austria, plans to introduce a system later this year that runs a diagnostic safety check to ensure that the ski binding is properly closed, with the result being shown on a tiny built-in liqui
27、d-crystal display. Meanwhile, tennis equipment manufacturers are hoping that innovation will bring new zip to their business as well. They certainly need to do something: according to Sport ScanInfo, a market-research firm based in Florida, sales of tennis rackets in America fell 12.5% during the fi
28、rst half of 2004 compared with the first half of 2003.With the ball clearly in their court, researchers at Head, a maker of sporting equipment, have devised a product that should appeal to players suffering from tennis elbow. A chip inside the racket controls piezo-electric fibres, which convert mec
29、hanical energy from the balls impact into electrical potential energy. This energy is then used to generate a counter-force in the piezo-electric fibres that causes a dampening effect. All of this, the firm says, translates into less stress on the elbow. Head claims that residual vibrations in the r
30、acket are dampened twice as fast as in conventional rackets, reducing the shock experienced by the players arm by more than 50%.No doubt purists will object that this is simply not cricket. Rule-makers in many sports are now being forced to consider the implications of equipment that promises to aug
31、ment athletes performance with electronic muscle. The International Tennis Federation, that body is responsible for setting the rules of the game, has specified in its most recent guidelines that “no energy source that in any way changes or affects the playing characteristics of a racket may be buil
32、t into or attached to a racket“.Yet despite such wording, the guideline does not actually eliminate the use of Heads smart rackets, because there is no external energy source-the damping effect relies solely on energy from the balls impact. Though high-tech equipment may cause controversy on the cou
33、rt, tennis clubs have to adhere to the guidelines set for the sport, explains Stuart Miller, the ITFs technical manager. And if the rules allow self-generated forces to modify a rackets response, so be it.Different sports have encountered different technologies, though the future will undoubtedly br
34、ing more overlap. In golf, gadgets that pinpoint the location of the green using the Global Positioning System (GPS), The rule-making body of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, which oversees the game in all countries except America and its dependencies, currently prohibits the use of d
35、istance-measuring devices. （分数：5.52）(1).The word novices in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to（分数：0.46）A.beginner.B.nerd.C.sales.D.listener.(2).According to paragraph 1, which of the following are microchipequipped sporting products not expected to achieve?（分数：0.46）A.Turning aspiring athletes into
36、 top players.B.Enhancing the performances of novices and non-sporting types alike.C.Increasing the popularity of difficult sports.D.Helping to boost the sales.(3).In Paragraph 2, The word their in the passage refers to（分数：0.46）A.brakes.B.skis.C.ski manufacturer.D.kick-off force.(4).Why is the produc
37、t of Head likely to appeal to players who suffer from tennis elbow?（分数：0.46）A.Because it can reduce the shock experienced by the players arm by more than 50%.B.Because it can achieve a gradual damping effect.C.Because it promises to improve athletes performances with electronic muscle.D.Because resi
38、dual vibrations in the racket are stronger than in conventional rackets.(5).What is the purpose of the most recent guidelines made by the ITF?（分数：0.46）A.To eliminate the use of smart rackets.B.To stop the development of high tech equipment.C.To encourage fair competition.D.To encourage the use of sm
39、art rackets.(6).Why is the trend towards high-tech assistance not limited to sports with a reputation according to the passage?（分数：0.46）A.Expensive gear.B.Cheap gear.C.Predominant factor.D.Electronic enhancement.(7).According to paragraph 6, which of the following is the reason that the damping effe
40、ct relies solely on energy for Heads rackets?（分数：0.46）A.The balls impact.B.Battery-powered sensor.C.Foot position.D.The surface conditions.(8).According to the passage, which of the following do the tennis equipment makers hope the innovation will affect their business?（分数：0.46）A.have good investmen
41、t to their business.B.bring new zip to their business.C.have good future to their business.D.bring new profit to their business.(9).The word devise in paragraph 7 is closest in meaning to（分数：0.46）A.contrive.B.give.C.toss.D.throw.(10).Why the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews prohibits the u
42、se of distance measuring device in paragraph 7?（分数：0.46）A.Because high-tech fails to enhance players performances.B.Because they think the players skill should be the decisive factor.C.Because golfers have relied too much on the Global Positioning System.D.Because those devices dont work very well i
43、n tournaments.(11).Look at the four squares that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage. For example, face challenges from the games standards-setting institutions. Where would the sentence best fit? Click on a square to add the sentence to the passage.（分数：0.46）A.Square
44、.B.Square .C.Square .D.Square ._BSet 3/BB The Evolution of the Photofit/BSecurity technology: A new type of computerised photofit system takes a novel evolutionary approach to generating images of suspects. If you have ever tried to describe someones face in detail, you will understand why the “phot
45、ofit“ composite images used by the police look so dodgy. In recent years, computerised “E-Fit“ systems have helped improve the accuracy of these images by allowing witnesses to choose from a wider range of facial features. But researchers at the University of Stirling in Scotland found that, despite
46、 these improvements, people still have a hard time constructing recognisable faces-especially if there is a delay of moreThe problem is that people tend to recoguise faces as whole entities, rather than as separate features. So picking from a range of eyes, noses and mouths is not necessarily the mo
47、st suitable approach, says Charlie Frowd, a psychologist at the University of Stifling. Next year, however, British police are expected to begin trials of a new computerised system, called EvoFIT, developed by Dr. Frowd and his colleague Peter Hancock. It uses an evolutionary approach, known as a ge
48、netic algorithm, to “evolve“ faces rather than piece them together.“The process is entirely non-verbal and takes a fraction of the normal time,“ claims Dr. Frowd. A witness is shown an array of 60 different faces with random features. Having studied them closely, the witness is asked to choose the s
49、ix images that most closely resemble the person they are trying to describe. These six are then used to generate another set of 60, by switching featurees between some of the images and by making random changes to others. The witness is then asked to repeat the task, whereupon a new batch of faces is generated
