A blind baby is doubly handicapped. Not only is it unable to see, but because it cannot receive the visual stimulus from its env

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问题     A blind baby is doubly handicapped. Not only is it unable to see, but because it cannot receive the visual stimulus from its environment that a sighted child does, it is likely to be slow in intellectual development. Now the ten-month old son of Dr. and Mrs. Dennis Daughters is the subject of an unusual psychological experiment designed to prevent a lag in the learning process. With the aid of a sonar-type electronic that he wears on his head, infant Dennis is learning to identify the people and objects in the world around him by means of echoes.
    The device is a refinement of the "Sonicguide", an instrument produced by Telesensory Systems, Inc., of Palo Alto, Calif., and used by blind adults in addition to a sane or guide dog. As adapted for Dennis, it consists of a battery-powered system about the size of a half dollar that is on a headgear. A transmitter emits an ultrasonic pulse that creates an 80 degree cone of sound at 6 feet. Echoes from objects within the cone are perceived as sounds that vary in pitch and volume with the size and distance of the object.
    The closer an object is, the lower the pitch, and the larger the object, the louder the signal. Hard surfaces produce a sharp ping, while soft ones send back signals with a slightly fuzzy quality. An object slightly to the right of Denny’s sends back a louder sound to his right ear than to the left. Thus, by simply moving his head right and left and up and down, he can not only locate an object but also get some notion of its shape and size, thanks to the varying qualities of sounds reaching his ears as the cone of ultrasound passes its edges. Dennis likes to use the device to play a kind of peek-a-boo with his mother. Standing on her knee and facing her directly, he receives a strong signal in both ears. By turning his head away, he makes her seem to disappear. "From the first time he wore it," says Mrs. Daughters, "it was like a light going on in his head."
    What remains to be determined is how well the device will help Dennis cope with his surroundings as he begins to walk and venture further into his environment. Meanwhile, Telesensory, Inc. is working on the development of sonar device with somewhat the same sensitivity as Dennis’s for use by school-age children.
What can we learn about infant Dennis’ device?

选项 A、Its prototype was designed for blind adults.
B、Its battery is as small as a half-dollar coin.
C、It is functionally similar to a sane and guide dog.
D、It has been improved by Telesensory Systems, Inc.

答案A

解析 第2段首句中的refinement表明Dennis用的声纳定位仪是改良自Sonicguide,也就是说Sonicguide是Dennis的声纳定位仪的原型,而根据该句对其功能的描述可以确定A为本题答案。第2段第2句表明the size of a half dollar是包含电池在内的整个声纳定位仪的尺寸,而非电池的尺寸,因此B不正确;第2段首句句末的in addition to…表明Sonicguide与导盲犬的关系,但是作者并没有在任何方面对比Dennis的声纳定位仪与导盲犬,C没有原文依据;末段末句中的is working on表明对Dennis的声纳定位仪的改良还在进行当中,因此D不正确。
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