This could be the perfect gift for the partner, who embarrasses you on the dance floor. Smart socks, which can teach to dance, may be the answer for anyone with two left feet.

The socks have been developed as a running tool to help runners improve their skills. Thanks to the socks, users can accurately record not only how far and fast they run but also how well. It means the user maximizes their performance, and reduces damage to body and prevents hurt. The hi-tech socks are made of special fibers that watch the movements of your feet. They look, feel and can be washed like normal clothes.

Sensors (传感器) record each movement and send it by an ankle transmitter (脚踝发射器) to a smart phone. Then a “virtual coach” application shows the information and can tell the user what they are doing wrong, and help to improve skill in any task with feet.

The socks should be useful to athletes and weekend joggers. “People think running is so easy and of course everybody can do it but not necessarily safely and well,” Dr Davide Vigano said. A recent study showed that between 60 and 80 percent of runners got hurt per year. This is pretty much more than any other human activity. Researchers say the technology can also be developed to teach people how to dance, play sports such golf, or even to help to teach women to walk better in high heels.

Mr. Vigano said, “People could all benefit from the idea. We have had interest from all sorts of sports, like skiing, football, cycling and golf. Anything where you have to use your feet can use it. It could even be put in high heels to help women walk in them safely.”

Socks are just the start, and the technology could be used in gloves, hats and boots. The socks, anklet and software package, are expected to be sold for around £120, which will go on sale in March.

1.What does the underlined part “anyone with two left feet” refer to?

A. People who are disabled. B. People who are interested in dancing.

C. People who invented the socks. D. People who are not good at dancing.

2.What’s special about fibers that the socks are made of?

A. They feel much softer than normal clothes.

B. They can monitor the movement of feet.

C. They are expensive to produce.

D. They act as a smart phone for users.

3.Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the socks?

A. They can improve the skill of running.

B. They can help women walk better in high heels.

C. They can teach people to dance well.

D. They can be worn for days without washing.

4.According to Dr Vigano, _________.

A. everyone can make good use of the smart socks

B. users can run as fast as they like with the socks

C. 60 to 80 percent of runners would like to buy the smart socks

D. no runners will get hurt, thanks to the socks

Cleaning your plate may not help feed hungry children today, but the timeworn advice of mothers everywhere may help reduce food waste from the farm to the fork, help the environment and make it easier to feed the world’s growing population.

Hard data still being collected, but experts in Chicago said about 30% to 50% of the food produced in the world goes uneaten. The average American throws away 33 pounds of food each month—about $40 worth, which means each person throws away almost 400 pounds of food. The US Department of Agriculture says that 23% of eggs and an even higher percentage of produce ends up in the trash.

“We forget we have all these fresh fruits and vegetables, and at the end of the week we have to throw them away”, said Esther Gove, a mother of three young children in South Berwick, Maine. “Now, I don’t buy as much fresh produce as I used to.”

But the effect of food waste arrives far beyond the kitchen. Agriculture is the world’s largest user of water, a big consumer of energy and major emitter of greenhouse gases during production. Experts say reducing waste is a simple way to cut stress on the environment and can ease pressure on farmers, who will be called on to feed an expected 9 billion people around the world in 2050, compared with nearly 7 billion today.

No matter how sustainable (可持续的) farming is, if the food’s not getting eaten, it’s not sustainable and it’s not a good use of our resources. In richer nations, fruit and vegetables end up in the trash because they aren’t pretty enough to meet companies’ standards, have gone bad in a home refrigerator or aren’t eaten at a restaurant. In developing countries, much food spoils before it gets to market due to poor roads and lack of refrigeration. High food prices are another reason, since some people can’t afford the food that’s produced.

1.From the first paragraph, we know that cleaning your plate ________.

A. is you mother’s best advice for you

B. can solve certain problems for the world

C. can help feed hungry children all over the world

D. helps meet the growing population’s needs

2.The underlined word “emitter” in Paragraph 4 means ________.

A. user B. finder C. protector D. producer

3.What is a sustainable and convenient way for a customer in a restaurant?

A. Ordering enough and packing the leftovers.

B. Ordering more than he or she can eat.

C. Ordering less and feeling hungry after leaving.

D. Ordering more and leaving the untouched alone.

4.Which of the following topics will follow the text?

A. More examples of food waste. B. Ways to reduce food waste.

C. Experts’ idea on the environment. D. Advice for food with high prices.

You use her as a shoulder to cry on. She texts you back with casual jokes. But she, Xiaoice, is only a virtual chatbot.

Xiaoice, Microsoft’s latest artificial intelligence robot, was briefly released in 2014, and returned to WeChat in 2015, where she became a big hit. Millions of young Chinese now exchange messages with her daily, The New York Times reported. On WeChat, Xiaoice is an official account. After following it, users can start text-based conversations with Xiaoice.

“Her incredible learning ability was why people loved to talk with Xiaoice,” Liu Jinchang, a researcher at High-tech Research and Development Center under the Ministry of Science and Technology, told China Daily. Apart from her ability to identify photos and send emojis (表情符号) in conversations, Xiaoice gains 45 percent of her knowledge from interacting with users, China Daily reported.

Chatbot programs first appeared in the mid-1960s in the US. Driven by top tech companies, they are becoming smarter and more common. For instance, IBM’s latest artificial intelligence program served as an academic consultant at Australia’s Deakin University, answering students’ questions about course schedules and financial aid. Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa have been used as voice assistants who can read news, play music and even make jokes for their users.

These programs are expected to move beyond smartphones, into televisions, cars and living rooms. The New York Times pointed out. However, it may take decades before scientists develop a “Samantha”, the advanced chatbot seen in the fiction film Her. In the film, Samantha sparks a romantic relationship with her user played by US actor Joaquin Phoenix. Many viewers were enthusiastic about this fantasy of virtual soul mates.

1.What does the underlined part in Paragraph Two mean?

A. She became a best seller. B. She became very powerful.

C. She became a money maker. D. She became very popular.

2.Which of the following can Xiaoice do?

A. Do housework. B. Spread messages.

C. Identify various photos. D. Read news to its users.

3.Which company’s chatbot program can act as an academic consultant?

A. Microsoft. B. IBM. C. Apple. D. Amazon.

4.What can be learned from the last paragraph?

A. Chatbots mainly run on smartphones now.

B. It’ll take decades to apply chatbots to cars.

C. Samantha is played by a US actor in the film.

D. The film Her doesn’t interest many audience.

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