Computers have many uses today.Computers can solve difficult problems and control complex machines.Many people use small computers called calulators to add,subtract,multiply,and divitde numbers qutckiy.Scientists use largecomputers to solve many problems at the same time.You canplay games with computers,and some computers can help youlearn languages.The Kurzweil Reading Machine is a specialkind of computer.It can read books for blind people.

  The Kurzweil machine consists of three components:ascanner(扫描仪),a computer,and a voice synthesize(语音合成仪).These three parts are like your eyes,your brain,and your voice.The scanner is the“eye”of the machine.It scans,or looks at the words on the page of a book and changes theminto digital signals.These digital signals then go to the cornputer.the“brain”of the machine.The computer analyzes the signals and recognizes the words.The computer sends information abont the words to the voice synthesizer.The voice synthesizer makes the sounds of the words.

  To use the machine,a blid person simply opens the book and puts it face down on the scanner(like a photocopy machine).The machine“read”the words on the page.When one page is finished,the blind person turns the page and puts the book on the scanner again.The Kurzweil machine can read in a normal voice or in a special fast voice.It can read words with small letters,large letters,or italics.

  Blind people like the Kurzweil machine because they can read anything with it:newspapers,magazines,books,even typed letters.Many libraries now have Kurzweil machines for blind people to use.The Kurzweil machine can also help bad sighted children learn to read.

  Can the Kurzweil Reading Machine help you to read in English?The computer can analyze the grammar of sentences and the voice svnthesizer can make the sounds of the words.However,the machine cannot explain the meanings of thewords.To use the machine,you must know the meanings ofthe words and sentenoes first.

(1)

Which part of machine is like your eyes ________

[  ]

A.

The computer.

B.

The scanner.

C.

The voice synthesizer.

D.

The photocopy machine.

(2)

How does the Kurzweil machine read ________

[  ]

A.

In a normal voice.

B.

In a low voice.

C.

In a fast voice.

D.

In a normal voice or a fast voice.

(3)

Why do blind people like the Kurzweil machine

[  ]

A.

They can“read”anything with it.

B.

It is a computer.

C.

It helps children learn to read.

D.

It can explain the meanings of the words.

(4)

“These parts are like your eyes,your brain,and your voice.”With your voice you can ________

[  ]

A.

analyze sentenees

B.

make digital signals

C.

recognize words

D.

make the sounds of the words

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