Now they've built a prototype (樣品). It can measure where a ball lands, how fast the ball's going, where it's headed and the angle it was traveling. The table can do that because its special wood surface forms the top layer (層) of a novel self-powered sensor. The data it acquires could guide players to perform better.

Importantly, the new smart table won't need a battery to detect the ball. When a ball hits the wood, it sets off a chain of events that can both produce a small electric current(電流) and record measurements of the ball's behavior.

What makes the new game table truly unique is its use of wood as one of the layers because wood can produce electricity by rubbing against it. But Wang's group realized they couldn't rely on wood that comes directly from a tree. It's too hard and too easily broken. They needed a kind of wood that could bend. So they boiled the wood in chemicals for seven hours. Then they dipped the wood in boiling water. Once it came out of the boiling baths, the wood bent easily.

The scientists then cut the treated wood into small squares. Each measured just 1.8 inches on a side. Those squares became the top layer. Beneath this wood, they added a layer of metal to conduct electricity. They attached that layer to a metal wire. Then, instead of using a table-tennis ball, they hit the surface with a type of hard plastic. When it registered an electric current, they moved on to building a test table.

“It is amazing. To me, self-powered sensors of wood is the first move toward using energy harvesting and sensing in sports," said Askar, an engineer in Canada. And it need not end with table tennis, he added.

【1】What can we know about Wang's invention?

A.Its battery lasts very long.B.It sells well in the market.

C.It can accelerate the ball's speed.D.It can judge the ball's direction.

【2】Why did Wang use wood surface?

A.It is easy to get.B.It can produce electricity.

C.It is hard enough.D.It is environmentally friendly.

【3】What was the wood like after being treated?

A.It bent easily.B.It shrunk greatly.

C.It broke easily.D.It became harder.

【4】What can be inferred from Askar's words?

A.Sports meets will end with a table tennis match.

B.The technology will be used in other sports.

C.Table tennis isn't the first to use self-powered sensors.

D.The table tennis ball will be self-powered in the future.

1. Travel and the Zika virus

If you have a ticket for travel to a country affected by the Zika virus (as listed on the CDC website) and have concerns, please contact the United Customer Contact Center with any questions or changes to your reservation. Customers advised to avoid the affected regions based on CDC guidance may change their destination or travel date without a fee or may choose to receive a refund if their tickets were booked before February 28, 2019. The new travel date must be within the validity of the ticket. Additional charges may apply if there is a difference in fare for the new travel route.

2. Longer lines at security checkpoints

Procedural changes at TSA checkpoints throughout the United States may result in longer lines at security checkpoints. Please plan accordingly and allow for extra time at the airport. The TSA advises arriving at the airport two hours before your flight for US travel and three hours before for international travel. To save time at security, we encourage you to visit www.tsa.gov.com and apply for tsa pre-check.

3. Notice for flights departing the European Union, Norway and Switzerland

EU Regulation 261/2004 requires air lines to provide the following notice: if you are not allowed to board or if your flight is canceled or delayed for at least two hours, ask at the check-in counter or boarding gate for the form, stating your rights, particularly about compensation and assistance.

4. How to protect yourself

Travelers to regions affected by Zika can take precautions to prevent contracting the disease by protecting themselves against mosquitos. The CDC recommends visitors to areas with Zika wear long-sleeved clothing, apply mosquito repellant, and use a mosquito net at night.

【1】Travelers don’t have to pay additional fees when they want to ________.

A.rearrange their travel date at any time

B.cancel their flights booked before February

C.apply for a refund for tickets booked in March

D.choose a longer and more expensive route to a new destination

【2】What do we know from Notice 2?

A.Pre-check can be done online to save time for travelers.

B.Security checkpoints are not available during this period.

C.It usually takes longer time to go through the security check in the US.

D.Security check of International flights is stricter than that of the US ones.

【3】Compensation can be asked for when ________.

A.passengers refuse to board the plane

B.passengers miss their flight due to traffic jam

C.passengers’ flight is delayed at least two hours

D.passengers forget to state their right in the form

【4】Which is the effective method to protect yourself against Zika?

A.Wearing long-sleeved shirts only during the flight.

B.Protecting the mosquitos with the disease

C.Avoiding the smell of mosquito repellant.

D.Setting a mosquito net before going to sleep.

A.whicheverB.whereverC.whateverD.however

A.oneB.thisC.itD.that

【1】What kind of camera does the man want?

A.A TV camera.

B.A video camera.

C.A movie camera.

【2】Which function is the man most interested in?

A.Underwater filming.

B.A large memory.

C.Auto-focus.

【3】How much would the man pay for the second camera?

A.950 euros.

B.650 euros.

C.470 euros.

—________ I never go traveling without a book.

A.You are joking.B.I don’t think so.C.That’s true.D.Don’t mention it.

A.effectiveB.expensiveC.miserableD.suspicious

Music can be just what you need 【1】 you’re feeling down. The right song can make you smile and feel like getting up and dancing. It can also calm you down when you’re worried. Besides changing 【2】 you feel, music may help your brain work better. Why does music have these powers? It may be because people’s bodies have 【3】 (nature) rhythms, such as a heartbeat and pulse.

In the USA the high school graduation ceremony is of great 【1】 (important). 12th grade students, or seniors, who are about 17 or 18 years old, look forward to 【2】 (attend) this event. The graduation ceremony itself takes place at the end of May or beginning of June, which usually 【3】 (include) music, awards, and a guest speaker.

While many other former NBA players would be busy padding their own pockets, he has taken the opposite approach: creating a charity to help underprivileged youth in the U. S. The Tarik Black Foundation aims to inspire kids and prepare them to become successful adults. The organization is based in Memphis , where Tarik Black grew up and play ed college basketball.

Sure, they offer a basketball summer camp, but they also train teenagers how to put on a tie and perform well at a job interview.“ We take them to apartment buildings and teach them about what you should look for in purchasing an apartment," he tells me.“We take them out to nice dinners and teach them table manners.

They organized an art show in Los Angeles where the teenagers got dressed formally and learned how to

socialize with others. In Houston, they partnered with the National Tennis Association for a charity event.

“My mother would drive me around Memphis and show me people who are growing up in circumstances that don't have opportunities. She would always tell me, 'If you ever get a chance to give back to these people , then you must," he says, leaning back into the chair.

The family moved to Israel in the summer of 2018 , when Black signed with Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israel's best basketball powerhouse. And the Maccabi Tel Aviv season will end just in time for him to return to Memphis to . conduct his summer camps in July, 2019.

It's still up in the air if Black will be coming back for a second season in Tel Aviv. But he's not worried.“Honestly, the doors are open for us to seek after anything we want if you keep a big picture in mind.”

【1】What does the underlined word“padding" in paragraph 2 mean?

A.Hiding.B.Checking.

C.Filling.D.Choosing.

【2】What can the youth learn in the Tarik Black Foundation?

A.Sales skills.B.Cooking skills.

C.Social skills.D.Building skills.

【3】Which word can be used to describe Tarik Black?

A.Confident.B.Humorous.

C.Honest.D.Modest.

【4】What can be the best title for the text?

A.An NBA Player Is Coming Back

B.Black Signed with Maccabi Tel Aviv

C.Personal Likes Matters More to a Star

D.The Basketball Star Gives back to U.S Youth