MBA英语阅读理解练习十四

Some of today's most cutting-edge technology is now being used to help students with special needs. No longer just the province of games for “video needs," virtual reality has come into its own as a tool for special education teachers and therapists. As such, it is used for assessment, teaching, and practice, according to Skip Rizzo, research assistant/professor at the University of Southern California.
For example, virtual reality has been used effectively to assess students' depth perception, with the results being quite different from those obtained from traditional paper and pencil tests. It is also used to help students gain transition skills: Students with autism or developmental delay can visit a virtual supermarket, take public transportation, cross the street, or organize his or her day. Students in wheelchairs can learn how to navigate buildings. And the beauty is, these students can make any number of mistakes without endangering themselves.
In fact, one of the biggest virtues of virtual reality is that it allows students to learn in a safe environment, and this holds true for students with behavior disorders. After a student has learned an appropriate behavior or way of controlling his or her anger, the student is put in progressively more difficult virtual social situations where he or she can practice the new technique. And it is expected that future teachers will be exposed to virtual classes, complete with “difficult students” to help them master behavior management techniques.
Virtual reality even allows us to tailor the world to meet a child's needs. Let's say we're teaching a child to cross the street by paying attention to traffic signs. Educators have found that it is often difficult for the child to locate the traffic sign in a busy environment. With virtual reality, we can blow up the “walk sign" so the student knows what it looks like. Then we gradually begin shrinking the sign and adding other environmental elements. Once the student has mastered this virtually, he or she transfers the knowledge to the real world. In the end, this is the most important function of virtual reality programs for special students.

1. In Line 2, Par. 1, the word “province” means  .
[A] technology  [B] domain  [C] basis  [D] region
2. Virtual reality can help future teachers learn  .
[A] how to assess students' skill levels   [B] how to respond to individual student's needs
[C] how to deal with students who misbehave  [D] how to run an orderly classroom
3. This text mainly deals with  .
[A] The importance of using virtual reality in special education
[B] The applications of virtual reality for special students
[C] The advantages of virtual reality over conventional special education methods
[D] The potential role of virtual reality in special education
4. Which group does the author NOT suggest might benefit from virtual reality applications to education?
[A] students with mental illness   [B] students with behavioral disorders
[C] students with physical handicaps  [D] students with developmental problems
5. According to the text, what is the ultimate purpose of virtual reality in education?
[A] to give special students a chance to experience life in the outside world
[B] to train teachers to work with students with special needs
[C] to allow special students to learn life-skills in a safe environment
[D] to prepare special students to transition into mainstream society

答案:
    1.答案为〔B〕，属于词义推断题。province一词最常见的意义是“省”，其次意为“范围、领域”。显然，放入province的上下文中，第一个意思不合适（一省的游戏），应该取第二个意思（游戏的地盘/范围）。四个选项中只有〔B〕 domain（范围）符合句意。一般来讲，对熟词的考查，取其常用意义的选项往往是干扰项，如本题的选项D。
2.答案为〔C〕，属于信息归纳题。题目中的关键词future teachers出现在原文第三段最后一句：未来的教师有望接触有“难对付的学生”的虚拟课堂，以掌握行为管理技巧。由此可知，只有选项C的内容与此相符。其他选项A、B的内容在文中未提到，D正好与此句内容相反，故可排除。
3.答案为〔B〕，属于主旨思想题。本题考查全文的中心思想。文章第一句指出“现在人们正在使用一些当代最前沿的技术帮助有特殊需要的学生”。紧接者指出这种技术就是虚拟现实。接下来的段落进一步补充说明虚拟现实技术对这些学生的帮助。第二段举例说明了虚拟现实的种种用途；第三段讲述了虚拟现实的各种好处；最后一段介绍了虚拟现实的进一步应用：它甚至还能让我们改变周围的世界以满足孩子的需求。由此可看出全文都围绕着虚拟现实对有特殊需要的学生的应用这一主题。因此，选项B正确。其他选项A、C、D分别是文章第一、三、四段的中心，不能概括全文。
4.答案为〔A〕，属于事实细节题。题目问：把虚拟现实应用到教育中去会使很多学生受益，其中那些学生作者在文中未提到。选项B在文章第三段第一句中直接提到。选项C出现在第二段第三句，其中students in wheelchairs（做轮椅的学生）亦即C项中physical handicap（身体有残疾的学生）的同义表达。选项D在第二段第二句中提到，其中developmental delay意为“发育迟缓”。因此，只有选项A文中未提到，恰是本题的答案。
5.答案为〔D〕，属于事实细节题。题目中的关键词ultimate purpose其实是原文最后一句中 the most important function的同义替换，这是出题人常用的出题技巧。但要回答此题还需要了解本句中this的指代内容。联系上一句内容可知：一旦学生确实掌握了这一虚拟世界的法则，他或她就会将之用于现实世界，而这也是虚拟现实课程对于有特殊需要的学生来说最重要的功能所在。由此可知，选项D正确：虚拟现实运用到教育中的最根本的目的是为这些有特殊需要的学生进入现实主流社会做准备。其他选项都不是虚拟现实教育的主要目的。

参考译文
    现在人们正在使用一些当代最前沿的技术帮助有特殊需要的学生。虚拟现实不再只是“图像迷”游戏的地盘，它已经声誉鹊起，开始流行，成为从事特殊教育的教师和治疗师们使用的工具。南加利福尼亚大学的教授兼研究助理斯基普·里佐说，虚拟现实就其本身而言,可以用来进行评估、教学、练习等活动。
    例如，虚拟现实已经用于对学生的纵深觉察能力进行评估，而且效果显著，通过该方法取得的结果与用传统的纸笔测试得到的结果截然不同。虚拟现实还用来帮学生掌握向普通人生活过渡的技巧：患孤独症的学生或发展迟滞的学生可以去虚拟超市、乘坐公交汽车、过马路、或者安排自己一天的活动。坐轮椅的学生能学会如何在建筑群里穿行。最妙的是，学生们无论犯多少错误都不会威胁到自身的安全。
    事实上，虚拟现实最大的好处在于它使学生在安全的环境中学习，而这一点对于那些行为失调的学生同样适合。学生学会某种适当的行为举止或者学会控制自己的情绪之后，就会置身于难度越来越大的虚拟社交场合，练习自己学会的新技巧。在未来，教师有望接触有“难对付的学生”的虚拟课堂，通过这种方式掌握行为管理技巧。
    虚拟现实甚至还能让我们改变周围的世界以满足孩子的需求。比如，我们教孩子过马路时要注意看交通信号灯。教育者们发现，孩子通常很难在乱糟糟的环境下找到交通信号灯；但是借助于虚拟现实我们可以放大“行走信号”，让学生知道它是什么样子，然后逐渐将其缩小并添加周围的景物。一旦学生确实掌握了这一虚拟世界的法则，他或她就会将之用于现实世界，而这也是虚拟现实课程对于有特殊需要的学生来说最重要的功能所在。