if the atmosphere is humid, that rate is lower; if it is dry, the rate is higher. Finally, the antenna broadcasts this information to the radio receiver on a mobile phone.
In this way, plants can tell farmers if they are thirsty. “We can literally ‘listen’ to the moisture of the plant, using our mobile FM radio with a $3.4 sensor,” Bletsas says. “Two of these sensors for every acre on any given farm might change the way we conduct agriculture and ‘understand’ plants.” He notes that more sensors may be needed for the best possible results. Such real-time information could enable better control of air and soil moisture.
Why go through all this trouble and not just use already common wireless technology, such as Bluetooth? “Not only is our technique less complex, as we are just borrowing signals in the environment,” Bletsas says, but “a Bluetooth-based sensor costs about $25. Our final aim is to launch sensors onto the market costing less than $1.”
“Bletsas and his team are completely changing the way of environmental sensing using very simple equipment and surprisingly little power,” says Alexandros Dimakis, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, who was not involved in the research. “Their work could be a transformational Internet of Things technology for agriculture and for monitoring the environment.”
Bletsas and his colleagues have already applied for a patent for their innovative technology in America.
42. The radio network created by Greek researchers _________. A. consumes much energy B. can be put in a smartphone C uses simple technology at low cost D. broadcasts radio programs to plants
43. What does the underlined word “modulated” in Paragraph 3 mean? A. Monitored. C. Measured.
B. Adjusted. D. Connected.
44. What is Alexandros Dimakis’ attitude to the “radio network”? A. Positive. C. Neutral.
45. What is the purpose of the passage?
B. Critical. D. Doubtful.
A. To discuss methods of studying plants. B. To assess the efficiency of Internet of plants. C. To stress the importance of keeping soil’s moisture. D. To introduce a new way of measuring plants’ water use. 【答案】42. C 43. B 44. A 45. D 【解析】
这是一篇说明文。希腊的一个研究小组最近发明了一种将柠檬变成非常小的\电台\的方法，它可以向智能手机播报有关树木水分含量的信息。现在其构成还比较复杂，没有使用已经常见的无线技术，是因为开发者考虑了市场售价因素。这一发明使用非常简单的设备和小功率来彻底改变环境传感方式，他们是农业和监测环境的物联网技术。 【42题详解】
细节理解题。第五段：“Not only is our technique less complex, as we are just borrowing signals in the environment,” Bletsas says, but “a Bluetooth-based sensor costs about $25. Our final aim is to launch sensors onto the market costing less than $1.”，我们的技术不仅不太复杂，因为我们只是在环境中借用信号，而且\基于蓝牙的传感器的成本约为 25 美元。我们的最终目标是将售价低于 1 美元的传感器投放到市场上。所以这项发明是技术简单，成本低，选项C切题，故选C。
【43题详解】
词义猜测题。画线词在非限性定语从句中作谓语，它的主语是transistor：晶体管收音机，也就是这个动词是对晶体管收音机操作的意思，整句话是：晶体管收音机由湿度传感器来modulated。选项B：调节，调整，切题，故选B。 【44题详解】
推理判断题。倒数第二段：““Bletsas and his team are completely changing the way of environmental sensing using very simple equipment and surprisingly little power,” says Alexandros Dimakis, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, who was not involved in the research. “Their work could be a transformational Internet of Things technology for agriculture and for monitoring the environment.””，Alexandros Dimakis虽然没有参与这一发明，但他的评价是：这一发明使用非常简单的设备和小功率来彻底改变环境传感方式，他们是农业和监测环境的物联网技术。可以看出他对这一发明是持支持和赞扬的态度的，选项A是赞同的; 拥护的，切题，故选A。
【45题详解】
主旨大意题。文章一开始：“a team of researchers in Greece recently found a way to turn lemons into very small “radio stations” that can broadcast information about their trees’ moisture content to a smartphone……”，就点明了本篇文章的主旨，介绍一项发明：将柠檬变成非常小的\电台\，它可以向智能手机播报有关树木水分含量的信息，选项D：介绍一种测量植物用水的新方法。切题，故选D。
第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，共10分）
根据短文内容，从短文后的七个选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Surveillance (监视) is a fact of life. Your boss is monitoring your performance at work. Supermarkets are collecting data on your grocery shopping. ___46___
In a few months, European Union law-makers are due to approve proposals that will make driver assistance systems mandatory (强制的) in cars within three years. All new models of car will come with black boxes (event data recorders), intelligent speed assistance, lane-keeping assistance and more besides.
A large number of technologies will soon be monitoring a driver’s every move. Are we prepared for devices that watch how we drive and try to help us do it better?
___47___ In a report published in April 2018, it found that the suite of changes could save at least 7,300 lives by 2030, and reduce the number of serious injuries from car crashes by 38,900. “We can have the same kind of impact as when safety belts were first introduced,” says Oliver Carsten, who studies transport safety at the University of Leeds, UK.
___48___ The black box is the most controversial (有争议的) tech because of fears that the tech encourages surveillance. It would be easy to worry about being watched in your car. But the EU rules say the system is only checked in the event of an accident to help with insurance claims and police investigation. The point is to provide for a fair allocation (分配) of responsibility when a crash occurs. Some people choose to have a black box because it can reduce their individual insurance premium (保险费). ____49____ What’s more, the data collected in human-driven cars will help train automated driving systems to the point that they could be ready for large-scale deployment in the future.
___50___ Drivers should think of it as an extra layer of protection, rather than the vehicle trying to take over driving from you.
A. Now there is a new field: the automobile.
B. There is concern about these technologies, however.
C. The tech is reducing costs because it’s reducing the number of crashes. D. Safety isn't much discussed, principally because cars are already very safe.
E. While the EU is taking the boldest steps, these technologies aren't far behind in other parts of the world.
F. As a result, what may at first glance seem like a surveillance technology is actually a benefit for society.
G. The European Commission says that introducing these advanced driver assistance systems will make driving safer.
【答案】46. A 47. G 48. B 49. C 50. F 【解析】
这是一篇记叙文。几个月后，欧盟立法者将批准在三年内强制在汽车里安装驾驶员辅助系统的提案，所有新车型的汽车将配备黑匣子（事件数据记录器），智能速度辅助，车道保持辅助等。这些辅助系统能够减少伤害，降低事故，但也引起了争议。 【46题详解】
设空句为第一段的末句，这一段第一句是段落主旨句，接着作者举了例子，来说明监视是生活中实际的存在，选项A是生活中存在监视的一个新地方——汽车，下文就是关于汽车里安装驾驶辅助系统的内容，选项A既是第一段内容的承上，又是对第二段的启下，选项A切题，故选A。 【47题详解】
设空句为这一段的首句，是这段的主旨句，下文介绍了驾驶员辅助系统能够减少伤害、降低事故的数量，它就像是我们现在使用的安全带。选项G：欧盟委员会表示，引入这些先进的驾驶员辅助系统将使驾驶更安全。所以，选项G切题，故选G。 【48题详解】
设空句为这一段的句首，是这段的主旨句，下文：“The black box is the most controversial (有争议的) tech because of fears that the tech encourages surveillance.”，写了驾驶员辅助系统引起的争议，对这种监视有不同的声音，选项B：然而，人们对这些技术感到担忧。However的使用提示与上段所写内容有转折的逻辑关系，选项B引出本段内容切题，故选B。 【49题详解】
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