Monitoring the mood of a pet dog could be used as an early warning sign that an elderly owner is struggling to cope, a new report has claimed.

Researchers placed movement sensors (探测器)on dogs to track their behaviour and identified 17 distinct activities, including chewing, barking, sitting and dig?ging.

This allowed them to map the normal behaviour of a healthy, happy dog, which means any changes can be monitored and could indicate an issue with its owner.

Nils Hammerla, part of the team from Newcastle University, said, "Humans and dogs have lived together in close relationships for thousands of years, which has led to strong emotional and social mutual bonds.

"A dog's physical and emotional dependence on its owner means that its well-being is likely to reflect that of its owner. Any changes such as the dog being walked less often, perhaps not being fed regularly, or simply-demonstrating 'unhappy , behaviour could be an early indicator for families that an older relative needs help. This is the first system of its kind which allows us to re?motely monitor a dog's behaviour in its natural setting.,,

The team of academics, who presented their findings at the 2013 UbiComp conference in Zurich, created a hi-tech, waterproof(防水的)dog collar for the study.

Dr Cas Ladha, who led the study, said, "A lot of our research is focused on developing intelligent systems that can help older people to live independently for lon?ger. But developing a system that reassures family and carers that an older relative is well without intruding on (侵犯)the individual's privacy is difficult. This is just the first step but the idea behind this research is that it would allow us to support people without the need for cameras."

A range of dogs was used for the study, as the team needed to map distinct behaviour that correlated between different breeds.

1. From the text , we know that Nils Hammerla .

A.    led the study and identified 17 activities of dogs

B.    thinks some activities of dogs can reflect senior owners' health

C.    studied the relationship between humans and ani?mals

D.    developed a hi-tech, waterproof dog collar

 

2. The underlined word " reassure  in Paragraph 7probably means "  

A, protect       B. comfort

C.  warn       D. recognize


3.    Which of the following is an advantage of the intelli?gent system mentioned in the text?

A.    It can indicate that people aren't well.

B.    It can identify different activities of dogs.

C.    It monitors an elderly owner without disturbing his privacy.

D.    It lets people see the dog's behaviour clearly.


4.    Which of the following could be the best title for the text?

A.    Dogs' mood can be an indicator of owners' health

B.    Strong bonds between dogs and their senior owners

C.    Signs that your older relative needs help

D.    A special way of taking care of the old

Metro Pocket Guide MetroraiK地铁)

Each passenger needs a fare-card to enter and go out. Up to two children under age five may travel free with a paying customer.

Fare-card machines are in every station. Bring small bills because there are no change machines in the station and fare-card machines only provide up to $ 5 in change.

Get one of unlimited Metrorail rides with a One Day Pass. Buy it from a fare-card machine in metro stations. Use it after 9:30 am until closing on weekdays, and all day on weekends and holidays.

Hours of Service

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Last train times vary. To avoid missing the last train, please check the last train times posted in the sta?tion.

Metrobus

When paying with exact change, the fare is $ 1. 35. When paying with a SmarTrip? card, the fare is $ 1. 25. Fares for the senior/disabled customers

Senior citizens 65 and older and disabled customers may ride for half the regular fare. On Metrorail and Metrobus, use a senior/disabled fare-card or SmarTrip? card. For more information about buying senior/disa?bled fare-cards, fare-card or SmarTrip cards and passes, please visit MetroOpenDoors. com or call 202-637-7000 and 202-637-8000.

Senior citizens and disabled customers can get free guide on how to use proper Metrobus and Metrorail services by calling 202-962-1100.

Travel tips

Avoid riding during weekday rush periods~before 9:30 am and between 4 and 6 pm.

If you lose something on a bus or train or in a sta?tion, please call Lost & Found at 202-962-1195.

1.What should you know about fare-card machines?

A.They start selling tickets at 9:30 am.

B.They are connected to change machines.

 C.They offer special service to the elderly.

D.They make change for no more than $ 5.

 2.At what time does Metrorail stop service on Satur?day?

A. At midnight.         B.  At 3 am.

C.  At 5 am.             D.  At 7 pm.

 3. What is good about a SmarTrip? card?

 A.It is convenient for old people.

 B.It saves money for its users.

C.It can be bought at any time.

D.It is sold on the Internet.

4.  Which number should you call if you lose something on the Metro?

 A. 202-962-1195.

B. 202-962-1100.

C. 202-637-7000.

D. 202-637-8000,

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