The Netherlands on Monday introduced its first-ever " intelligent bicycle , fitted with electronic devices to help bring clown the high accident rate among elderly cyclists in the bicycle-mad country.

Developed for the government by the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) , the intelligent bicycle, runs on electricity.A commercial-available bicycle is expected to be on the market in the next two years and should sell for between 1, 700 to 3, 200 euros per bicycle.

The devices on the bike are linked through an onboard computer with a vibrating (震动的) warning system fitted in the bicycle's saddle and handlebars to warn cyclists of the coming danger.

The saddle vibrates when other cyclists approach from behind, while, the handlebars do the same when barriers appear ahead.

" Accidents often happen when cyclists look behind them or get a fright when they are passed at high speed," said Maurice Kwakkernaat, one of TNO's research scientists involved in the project."The onboard system technology has already been at work in the car industry," he said.

'' More and more elderly people are using a bicycle, not only for short distances, but also for longer distances," Dutch Environment and Infrastructure Minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen told AFP."This type of bicycle is truly needed in the Netherlands because it will help us bring down the number of elderly people who are injured every year and allow them to continue to enjoy cycling," she said.

In the Netherlands, bicycles outnumber the population of 17 million by at least one million and there are some 25,000 km of bicycle path in the country.Those statistics are set to grow as more and more people take to two-wheeled transport, leading to an increased risk of injury.

Last year, 184 cyclists died in the country, of which 124, or 67% , were older than 65, according to the Central Statistics Office.The year before, 200 cyclists died, the majority of victims also being elderly.

The current model weighs 25 kilograms but researchers are working on making the onboard systems smaller.

1.The intelligent bicycle is aimed to ______.

A.protect the environment

B.help reduce traffic pressure

C.popularize the use of bicycles

D.improve safety for elderly cyclists

2.Which part of the intelligent bicycle will vibrate when other cyclists approach it from behind?

A.The saddle.

B.The wheels.

C.The handlebars.

D.The onboard computer.

3.We can learn from the passage that ______.

A.the elderly ride bicycles wherever they go

B.the elderly are planning to give up cycling

C.the number of elderly cyclists is decreasing

D.the accident rate among elderly cyclists is high

4.Which is the best title for the passage?

A.A Test Bicycle

B.Elderly Cyclists

C.A Smart Bicycle

D.A Bicycle-mad Country

Ever walked to the shops only to find, once there, you’ve completely forgotten what you went for? Or struggled to remember the name of an old friend? For years we’ve accepted that a forgetful brain is as much a part of ageing as wrinkles and grey hair.But now a new book suggests that we’ve got it all wrong.

According to The Secret Life of the Grown-up Brain, by science writer Barbara Strauch, when it comes to the important things, our brains actually get better with age.In fact, she argues that some studies have found that our brain hits its peak between our 40s and 60s—much later than previously thought.

Furthermore, rather than losing many brain cells as we age, we retain them, and even produce new ones well into middle age.For years it’s been assumed that brain, much like the body, declines with age.But the longest, largest study into what happens to people as they age suggests otherwise.

This continuing research has followed 6,000 people since 1956, testing them every seven years.It has found that on average, participants performed better on cognitive(认知的) tests in their 40s and 50s than they had done in their 20s.Specifically, older people did better on tests of vocabulary, verbal memory (how many words you can remember) and problem solving.

Where they performed less well was number ability and perceptual speed—how fast you can push a button when ordered.However, with more complex tasks such as problem-solving and language, we are at our best at middle age and beyond.In short, researchers are now coming up with scientific proof that we do get wiser with age.

Neuroscientists are also finding that we are happier with ageing.A recent US study found older people were much better at controlling and balancing their emotions.It is thought that when we’re younger we need to focus more on the negative aspects of life in order to learn about the possible dangers in the world, but as we get older we’ve learned our lessons and are sub-consciously aware that we have less time left in life: therefore, it becomes more important for us to be happy.

1.Barbara Strauch probably agrees that ______.

A.the young are better at handling important things

B.people’s brains work best between their 40s and 60s

C.ageing leads to the decline of the function of the brain

D.wrinkles and grey hair are the only symbols of ageing

2.The continuing research has found older people perform better on _____ .

A.vocabulary tests

B.number ability

C.perceptual speed

D.body balance

3.People are happier with age because ______.

A.they learn to value the time left

B.they know how to share feelings

C.they cannot focus on negative aspects

D.they do not realize the possible dangers

4.What is the main idea of the passage?

A.People get wiser with age.

B.People get more forgetful with age.

C.People get happier with age.

D.People get more self-aware with age.

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Method 2 will publish soon…

1.What is the author’s purpose of writing this passage?

A. To tell an interesting story.

B. To introduce a surprising way to earn money.

C. To solve a puzzling problem.

D. To present an exciting research.

2.You can earn money by ________.

A. chatting online

B. advertising some products

C. clicking on advertisements

D. choosing green ticks or “x”s

3.The underlined word “accumulated” can be replaced by “________”.

A. wasted. B. spent.

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