A
Slowly but surely, we’re moving closer and closer to 5G world. From smart-home security to self-driving cars, all the Internet-connected devices in your life will be able to talk to each other at lightning-fast speeds with reduced delay. Objectively speaking, the fastest 4G download speeds in the U. S. top out at an average of 19. 42 Mbps. But by comparison 5G promises gigabit (千兆) speeds.
“5G is one of those signs, along with artificial intelligence, of this coming data age, ” said Steve Koenig, senior director of market research for the Consumer Technology Association. “The self-driving vehicle is a great emblem of this data age, and that is to say, it is a sign of time, because with one single task, driving, you have massive amounts of data coming from the vehicle itself, and a variety of sensors are collecting a lot of information to model its environment as it moves. It’s pulling in data from other vehicles about road conditions down the lane. It could be weather information, but also connected infrastructure (基础设施) construction. There’s lots of data behind that task, which is why we need high speed.
Augmented reality glasses and virtual headset haven’t yet broken the mainstream, but tech companies are joyfully betting that these devices will eventually replace our smartphones. With 5G, that could actually happen. This is notable because companies such as Apple are reportedly developing AR glasses to assist—or perhaps even replace—smartphones.
Ericsson stated at February’s Mobile World Congress how smart glasses could become faster and lighter with a 5G connection, because instead of being weighed down with components, the glasses could rely on hardware for processing power.
But don’t get too excited. There’s still a lot of work to be done in the meantime including various trials to make sure the radios play nicely with hardware and infrastructure construction so 5G isn’t concentrated only in big cities.
【文章大意】本文是一篇说明文。文章讲述是, 我们离5G世界越来越近了。
1. What does the author want to stress in Paragraph 1?
A. The lightning-fast speed of 5G.
B. The expectation of 5G world.
C. The difference between 4G and 5G.
D. The Internet-connected devices in our life.
【解析】选A。段落大意题。根据第一段at lightning-fast speeds with reduced delay和by comparison 5G promises gigabit speeds可知, 作者在第一段想强调5G速度快。故选A。
2. What does the underlined word “emblem” in Paragraph 2 mean?
A. Exhibition. B. Success.
C. Symbol. D. Explanation.
【解析】选C。词义猜测题。根据第二段中and that is to say, it is a sign of time“也就是说, 这是时间的标志, ”可知, 画线词的意思是“标志, 象征”。故选C。
3. We can infer from the text that ________.
A. 5G world won’t come without AR glasses
B. 5G helps to create the artificial intelligence vehicle
C. Apple company is developing AR glasses worldwide
D. Tech companies will face the fact that smartphones may be replaced
【解析】选D。推理判断题。根据第三段中This is notable because companies such as Apple are reportedly developing AR glasses to assist—or perhaps even replace—smartphones. 可知苹果(Apple)等公司正在发展AR眼镜, 以帮助甚至取代智能手机。我们可以从文中推断, 科技公司将面临智能手机可能被取代的事实。故选D。
4. What will the author probably tell us next?
A. How to fully expand 5G coverage.
B. Smart glasses will become faster and lighter.
C. Why 5G isn’t concentrated in big cities.
D. The importance of infrastructure construction.
【解析】选A。推理判断题。根据最后一段But don’t get too excited. There’s still a lot of work to be done in the meantime, including various trials to make sure the radios play nicely with hardware and infrastructure construction so 5G isn’t concentrated only in big cities. “但是不要太激动。与此同时, 仍有很多工作要做, 包括各种试验, 以确保无线电能很好地配合硬件和基础设施建设, 这样5G就不会只集中在大城市。”可知, 作者接下来可能会告诉我们“如何全面扩大5G覆盖。”故选A。
【知识拓展】佳词积累
1. massive adj. 巨大的
2. virtual adj. 虚拟的
3. notable adj. 显著的
4. component n. 组成成分
长难句分析
There’s still a lot of work to be done in the meantime, including various trials to make sure the radios play nicely with hardware and infrastructure construction so 5G isn’t concentrated only in big cities.
分析: 本句是一个复合句。to make sure. . . 作目的状语, 其中sure后面是宾语从句, so“为的是”, 引导目的状语从句。
译文: 与此同时, 仍有很多工作要做, 包括各种试验, 以确保无线电能很好地配合硬件和基础设施建设, 这样5G就不会只集中在大城市。
