A
(2019·杭州模拟)Experts believe that the best time to teach kids language skills is when they are babies.Most time the task is easily accomplished with parents reading or talking to their babies.However, in some cases that is not possible due to busy work schedules or when kids are born deaf.Now, an adorable blueeyed robot, a human avatar, and some hightech neuroscience may be able to assist parents with this important developmental task.
The Robot AVatar thermalEnhanced system, or RAVE, is the brainchild of a team of researchers led by LauraAnn Petitto, an educational neuroscientist, at Washington, D．C.'s Gallaudet University.The learning process begins when the robot's camera,
which is focused on the baby's face, detects tiny changes in his/her body temperature.This, combined with the baby's facial expression, causes the robot to turn its head and guide the baby's attention to a computer screen, on which a human avatar starts to communicate with the baby, much like a parent would.For example, if the baby points towards the screen, the avatar might respond, “Are you pointing to me？” and follow that up with a nursery rhyme, fairy tale, or some essential social communication, all in American Sign Language (ASL)．The “conversation” continues until the kid loses interest.
The researchers, who have been testing the system for three years, found that babies as young as 6 to 8 months old began to move their hands in a rhythm similar to ASL after interacting with RAVE for just a few minutes.Petitto says natural language, whether communicated through speech or sign, activates the same parts of the brain and believes the rhythmic motions prove the babies are learning the essential elements of communication.
What sets this technique apart from other methods, such as showing educational videos or television shows, is its interactive nature and realtime response to the baby's actions.The researchers say that while it is too early to determine the system's longterm influence on baby communication, the initial response has been very encouraging.Next, they plan to introduce an avatar that can both sign and speak to babies.
语篇解读：本文是一篇科普说明文。文章主要介绍了一种可以帮助父母教婴儿学习语言的系统，以及该系统的工作原理、效果评价和研究人员对这种技术的前景展望。
1．What can the RAVE system help parents do?
A．Improve babies' health condition.
B．Take good care of babies.
C．Develop babies' language skills.
D．Keep babies company.
解析：选C 细节理解题。根据第一段第一句可知，专家认为教孩子语言技能的最佳时间是孩子的婴儿时期；结合第一段最后一句以及第二段第一句可知， RAVE系统可以帮助父母完成教婴儿学习语言的任务，故C项正确。
2．What does Paragraph 2 mainly talk about?
A．How babies learn ASL effectively.
B．How parents educate their babies.
C．How robots talk and read to babies.
D．How the RAVE system works.
解析：选D 段落大意题。根据第二段第二、第三句“The learning process ...much like a parent would.”可知，机器人的摄像头可以检测到婴儿细微的体温变化并与婴儿的面部表情相结合，使机器人转动头部，引导婴儿注意电脑屏幕，在电脑屏幕上，一个人类的形象开始与婴儿交流，就像父母一样；结合全段内容可知，该段主要介绍了RAVE系统的工作原理，故D项正确。
3．What indicates babies are learning with the help of the RAVE system?
A．Interest in videos and TV shows.
B．Changes in their body temperature.
C．Improvement in their natural language.
D．Hand movements in a rhythm like ASL.
解析：选D 细节理解题。根据第三段中的“babies as young ...a few minutes”可知，在和这种系统交流互动之后，婴儿就会开始以类似于ASL的节奏晃动他们的手，故D项正确。
4．What do the researchers think of the RAVE system?
A．Promising. B．Impractical.
C．Satisfactory. D．Disappointing.
解析：选A 观点态度题。根据最后一段中的第二、第三句“The researchers say ...can both sign and speak to babies.”可知，尽管对这种系统培养婴儿交流技能的长期影响进行评价为时过早，但是其初期的表现令人鼓舞。研究人员将在下一步推出可以用手语和口语与婴儿交流的形象。据此可知，研究人员对这种系统的发展是充满着希望的，A项意为“有前途的，有希望的”，符合语境，故A项正确。
