英语听力精选进阶版 6413（在线收听）

As the old saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention. A tragic event in India – the gang rape of a young woman – led engineering students to develop a bra that can deliver a 3800kv electric shock to any would-be attacker.

Manisha Mohan, from the SRM University in Chennaiher, says that it can also send a text message to the local police station with the GPS coordinates of the victim's location.

The bra is fitted with a pressure sensor connected to an electric circuit. But layers of fabric and precise calibration ensure that the device won't harm the wearer nor be triggered by a friendly hug.

On the other side of the world, the possibilities offered by wearable technology are inspiring a University of Colorado PhD student to design a dress that will help deaf people by recognising vibrations.

Halley Profita, who was interviewed by BBC’s Fiona Graham, points out that people with disabilities avoid using some products, such as hearing aids, because they call attention to them. She says: "We look at developing products that are both aesthetic and functional."

Her creation, called Flutter, is still at the research stage. Ms Profita hopes to start testing it out on people later this year. She wants the system to be foolproof.

Some designers aim to have people expressing themselves more through their garments. A California-based start-up called Machina wants people not only to look good but also to sound good. It is using skilled Mexican artisans to handcraft a jacket that makes music.

Linda Franco is one of Machina's founders. She says that her inspiration came from seeing a musician make music just by using his computer and explains: "We wanted to bring the act of performance back to life by having the musician use his body as an interface."

Embedded in the fabric are electronic components which can detect the position of the wearer's fingers and track the movement of their arms, a joystick and four push buttons.

Experiments with the hardware are promising, but how comfortable people will be interacting with their clothes is still to be seen. How ready are you to actually wear your computer?

Quiz 测验

1. How can Manisha Mohan's invention prevent rape?

By delivering an electric shock to the would-be attacker and informing the police of the location of the victim.

2. What will make the special bra harmless to the wearer?

Layers of fabric and precise calibration.

3. Is this statement true or false? Ms Profita's dress is foolproof.

False. Ms Profita wants to test the garment on people to make sure it is easy to use and effective.

4. What inspired Linda Franco to produce a jacket that makes music?

The sight of a man playing music through his computer at a concert.

5. Which expression means ''pleasing to the eye''?

Aesthetic.

Glossary 词汇表

an invention 发明，创造

engineering 工程学的

an electric shock 电击

a text message 一条短信

the GPS coordinates 全球定位系统坐标

a sensor 一个传感器

an electric circuit 一个电路

calibration 精确测量

a device 一个装置、设备

vibrations 震动

aesthetic 美的

functional 实用的

to be foolproof 万无一失的，容易操作的

an artisan 一名手工艺者、工匠

an interface 一个交界面

to embed 嵌入、插入

an electronic component 一个电子零件

a joystick 一个操纵杆

a push button 一个按钮

hardware 硬件