Belle wore a cap glued to her head. Under it were four plastic connectors, which fed arrays of microwires-each wire finer than the finest sewing thread- into different regions of Belle's motor cortex (脑皮层), tile brain tissue that plans movements and sends instructions. Each of the 100 microwires lay beside a single motor neuron (神经元). When a neuron produced an electrical discharge, the adjacent microwire would capture the current and send it up through a small wiring bundle that ran from Belle's cap to a box of electronics on a table next to the booth. The box, in turn, was linked to two computers, one next door and the other half a country away.
After months of hard work, we were about to test the idea that we could reliably
translate the raw electrical activity in a living being's brain-Belle's mere thoughts-into signals that could direct the actions of a robot. We had assembled a multijointed robot arm in this room, away from Belle's view, which she would control for the first time. As soon as Belle's brain sensed a lit spot on the panel, electronics in the box running two real-time mathematical models would rapidly analyze the tiny action potentials produced by her brain cells. Our lab computer would convert the electrical patterns into instructions that would direct the robot arm. Six hundred miles north, in Cambridge, Mass, a different computer would produce the same actions in another robot arm built by Mandayam A. Srinivasan. If we had done everything correctly, the two robot arms would behave as Belle's arm did, at exactly the same time.
Finally the moment came. We randomly switched on lights in front of Belle, and she immediately moved her joystick back and forth to correspond to them. Our robot arm moved similarly to Belle's real arm. So did Sriniwlsan's. Belle and the robots moved in synchrony (同步), like dancers choreographed (设计舞蹈动作) by the electrical impulses sparking in Belle's mind.
In the two years since that day, our labs and several others have advanced neuroscience, computer science and microelectronics to create ways for rats, monkeys and eventually humans to control mechanical and electronic machines purely by "thinking through," or imagining, the motions. Our immediate goal is to help a person who has been unable to move by a neurological (神经的) disorder or spinal cord (脊髓) injury, but whose motor codex is spared, to operate a wheelchair or a robotic limb.
第41题:Belle would be fed some fruit juice if she
A. grasped the joystick.
B. moved the joystick to the side of the light.
C. sat quietly in a special chair.
D. watched lights on a display panel.
第二篇 A New Immigration Bill
The US Senate is considering a new immigration bill.It will value the economic promise of immigrants over family ties when considering US residency and citizenship The legislation,which was proposed by President Bush and a group of senators contains a?point system.The proposal aims to increase the number of immigrants with graduate degrees,earnings or job skills
The proposed point system would use a 100-point scale.According to a draft of the law,merit applicants could earn up to 47 points for things like occupation,or years of work for a US firm.They could earn up to 28 points for their education,15 points for
English and US civics(公民学),and 1 0 points for family ties.The system has stirred up debate.Critics on the left say it opposes family unity and American values.Critics on the right complain that it does not reflect the needs of high-tech employersThe current kinship(血缘关系)?based system puts pressure on the US,as it attracts OW—skill workers who consume more public devices than they pay back in taxes.It allows a variety of uneducated people in from Mexico and Central America The immigration bill would allow, eight. years to clear the current backlog(积压)of application for a permanent resident card,or green card.After that,only the children and spouses(配偶)of legal immigrants would be able to apply for family visas.Adult children,siblings(兄弟姐妹),parents,and other relatives would have to apply in the general queue(排队).Under the proposal,immigrants from Asian countries would likely fare well(很有利).For instance,over half of recent immigrants from China and India have a bachelor’s(学士的)or higher degree.Immigrants from Latin American countries would likely face more difficulties.
Immigration point systems have been in use in Canada,Australia and New Zealand for years.The UK adopted a similar approach in 2001.One thing that Canada and other nations have discovered is that their system needs to fit the needs of their economy.Too often they find that they attract highly-educated people who end up finding work that doesn't use their skills.Some end up driving a taxi.
36. One of the reasons for proposing the point system is
A. to give priority to immigrants from China.
B. to protect the US from terrorist attacks.
C. to increase population.
D. to attract skilled immigrants.