Scientists are placing robotic dogs in the homes of lonely old people to test whether they can improve the quality of life for humans. Alan Beck, an expert(专家) in human-animal relationship, and Nancy Edwards, a professor of nursing, are leading the animal-assisted study on the effect of robotic dogs on old people’s depression (沮丧) , physical activity, and life satisfaction.
In the study, the robot, called AIBO, is placed for six weeks in the houses of some old people who live alone. Before placing AIBO in the home, scientists will collect baseline data(数据) for six weeks. These old people will keep a diary to note their feelings and activity before and after AIBO. Then, the scientists will review the data to test if it has produced any changes in the life of its owner.
“I talk to him all the time, and he responds to my voice,” says a seventy-year-old lady. “When I’m watching TV, he’ll stay in my arms until he wants down. He has his own mind.”
The AIBOs respond to certain orders. The scientists say they have some advantages over live dogs, especially for old people. Often the elderly are disabled and cannot care for an animal by walking it or playing with it. A robotic dog removes exercise and feeding concerns.
“At the beginning, it was believed that no one would relate(与……相关) to the robotic dog, because it was metal and not furry.” Beck says. “Hopefully, down the road, these robotic pets could become a more-valuable health helper. They will record their masters’ blood pressure, oxygen levels or heart rhythms(心律). AIBOs may even one day have games that can help stimulate(刺激) older people’s minds.”The purpose of Beck and Edwards’ study is to _____________.
| A．understand human-animal relationship |
| B．make lonely old people’s life better |
| C．find the causes of old people’s loneliness |
| D．improve the animal-assisted research |
In the research, the old people are asked to _____________.
| A．note the activities of AIBOs |
| B．keep AIBOs at home for 12 weeks |
| C．record their feelings and activity |
| D．study the collected information |
What does the underlined word “removes” mean?
| A．moves again | B．is movable | C．doesn’t need | D．need |
What is the better point of AIBO than live dogs?
| A．It is easier to keep at home. |
| B．It can help the disabled people. |
| C．It responds to all the human orders. |
| D．It can watch TV with its owner. |
The writer seems to suggest that the future robotic dogs may__________.
| A．cure certain diseases | B．keep old people active |
| C．change people’s ideas | D．look more like real dogs |
The centerpiece of curling(冰壶)is the curling stone. Kays of Scotland has been making curling stones since 1851, when William Kay and his sons Andrew and Thomas set up a workshop in Mauchline, Ayrshire, in southwest Scotland. Kays is still owned by the relatives of the founder, and today it is the only curling stone maker left in Scotland.
Used in a highly competitive sport, the curling stones are made to exact standards. First, stones are sliced and then into round “cheeses”. Finally, the cheeses are shaped and polished into curling stones in a series of steps.
Each stone must weigh 44 pounds. Each must have a maximum diameter (直径) of 36 inches. Polishing is done by hand on a wheel using water, diamond-talcum power, and felt. Finishing the stone’s “running edge” is done entirely by hand with a special kind of paper and a digital measure and magnifying glass (放大镜). Lastly, a handle(把手) is fitted into holes on the top of the stone. Stones are computer-matched into pairs. Sixteen stones----8 pairs----are needed for a game, and since curling game field usually have 6 lanes, each game field needs 96 matched stones!
Kays is a small company, employing less than ten skilled workers. Master craftsman and co-owner James Wyllie is skilled at all phases of curling stone making and is also an enthusiastic curler, as well as active member of Mauchline’s Burns Club, which meets regularly to honor well-known Mauchline residents.What is true about Kays?
| A．It is a family business. |
| B．It’s a brand(牌子) of curling stones. |
| C．It’s a place in Scotland. |
| D．It’s the name of a curling stone dealer(业者). |
How many curling stones are needed for two games happening at the same time?
| A．8 | B．16 | C．32 | D．96 |
What does the underlined word “sliced” mean in Chinese in the second paragraph?
| A．切割 | B．镶嵌 | C．移开 | D．固定 |
Which of the following statements is NOT RIGHT according to the passage?
| A．Kays of Scotland has been curling stone maker for more than 150 years. |
| B．The weight of each curling stone must be 44 pounds. |
| C．We use a special machine to polish the curling stone. |
| D．The workers in Kays are all experienced. |
What’s the passage mainly about?
| A．The history of curling. |
| B．How to make a curling stone. |
| C．The rules of curling. |
| D．How to become a curling stone maker. |
When people want to know about the weather, they usually go to their radios, TVs, newspapers, or to the Internet. However, you can also find many weather signs among wildlife, because of their highly developed senses. Drops in air pressure produce an effect on small animals in many ways. Mice and deer are good weather indicators. People who spend a lot of time outdoors have observed that, before a storm, field mice come out of their holes and run around. Deer leave high ground and come down from the mountains.
Birds are especially good weather indicators because they also show the effect of a pressure drop in many ways. For example, some birds become irritable(暴躁) and quarrelsome and will fight over a piece of bread. Other birds chirp and sing just before a storm. It seems they know they won’t get another chance for an hour or two. Birds also look for safe places before a storm. You will sometimes see birds settling in trees or gathering together on a wire close to a building. Pre-storm low pressure make the air so thin that birds have difficulty flying.
It is unusual to see many birds flying overhead in the summertime, rather than during the periods in the spring or autumn. Watch for other weather signs if you see this. If they fly in the wrong direction, they may be flying ahead of a storm.
By paying closer attention to some important signs in nature, we can become better prepared for any kind of weather.The word “indicators” in paragraph 1 probably means .
| A．maps | B．services | C．signs | D．stations |
How can birds sense the coming of a storm?
| A．By feeling a drop in air temperature. |
| B．By noticing the change of wind directions. |
| C．By feeling a drop in air pressure. |
| D．By noticing the movements of other animals. |
The best title for the text would be .
| A．Signs of a Storm | B．Drops in Air Pressure |
| C．Animals’ Sharp Senses | D．Nature’s Weather Signs |
| Hans Bethe The late German-American physicist Hans Bethe once described himself as “the H-bomb’s midwife（接生婆）”. He left Nazi Germany in 1933, after which he helped develop the first atomic bomb（原子弹）, won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1967 for his contribution to the theory of nuclear reactions（核反应）and advised controls over nuclear weapons（武器）for the peaceful use of the nuclear energy. |
| Francis Crick The late Francis Crick, one of Britain’s most famous scientists, won the Nobel Prize in Physiology（生理学）or Medicine in 1962. He is best known for his discovery with James Watson and Maurice Wilkins, the double helix structure（双螺旋结构）of the DNA, though he also made important contributions in other fields. He died in 2004. |
| Peter Hall Sir Peter Hall’s life in the theatre has seen him running the Arts Theatre, founding the Royal Shakespeare Company when he was only 29, and directing the National Theatre. He also directed Akenfielf for London Weekend Television and runs the Peter Hall Company, which has 40 productions worldwide to its name. |
The above information is about _________.
| A．famous physicists | B．great people |
| C．great directors | D．Nobel Prize winners |
Francis Crick won the Nobel Prize before ________ years of his death.
| A．32 | B．24 | C．42 | D．45 |
Mrs. Thompson came to the 5th grade class and noticed that Teddy was always alone. Also, he did badly in his studies．When she reviewed Teddy’s past records，she find he was a good child at first，but he began to change when his mother got ill. Finally he lost interest in school after his mother’s death.
Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and felt sorry for him．She felt even worse when her students brought her beautifully-covered Christmas presents．His presents were covered with some old paper. Some children laughed when she found a bracelet(手镯)with some of the stones missing, and a bottle with a little perfume(香水). But she said how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some perfume on her hand．Teddy stayed after school for a long time just to say，“Mrs. Thompson，today you smelled just like my mom used to.”After the child left，she cried for quite a long time.
On that very day，she taught not only knowledge but also children. As she worked with Teddy，his mind seemed to come alive. By the end of the year，Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class.
A year later，Teddy left school. She found a note under her door，from Teddy，saying that she was the best teacher he ever had in his life. After that, these words were repeated in each of his letters to her.
Then after he finished college, Teddy wrote telling her that he had met a pretty girl and was going to get married. He explained that his father was dead，and that he wondered if Mrs. Thompson might sit at the wedding in the place for the mother of the groom(新郎).
Of course，Mrs. Thompson did. She wore the bracelet and the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together．
They hugged(拥抱)each other，and Teddy whispered in Mrs. Thompson’s ear，“Thank you，Mrs. Thompson，for making me feel important，and showing me that I could make a difference．”
Mrs. Thompson，with tears in her eyes，whispered back，“Teddy，it’s not like that. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn’t know how to teach until I met you.”What made Teddy change before Mrs. Thompson came?
| A．His mother’s illness and death. | B．His classmates’’ laughing at him. |
| C．His past records by his teachers. | D．His interest in some other things. |
Teddy left a note for Mrs. Thompson when he left school mainly to say _______.
| A．sorry | B．hello | C．thanks | D．goodbye |
What kind of person was Mrs. Thompson?
| A．Wise and humorous. | B．Kind and helpful. |
| C．Selfish and impatient. | D．Strict and stubborn． |
We can learn from the passage that _______.
| A．Mrs. Thompson became Teddy’s mother at last. |
| B．Mrs. Thompson didn’t know how to teach all her life. |
| C．Teddy didn’t finish college before he got married. |
| D．Mrs. Thompson and Teddy each made a difference. |
It is common to believe that learning just takes place in school, but much of human learning happens outside the classroom, even from birth and people continue to learn throughout their lives.
Even before they enter school, young children learn to walk, to talk, and to use their hands to use toys, food, and other objects. They use all of their senses to learn about the sights, sounds, tastes, and smells in their environments. They learn how to communicate with their parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, and other people important to their world. When they enter school, children learn subjects like reading, writing, and maths. They also continue to learn a lot outside the classroom. They learn which behaviors are likely to be rewarded and which are likely to be punished. They learn social skills for communicating with other children. After they finish school, people must learn to deal with many changes that affect their lives, such as getting married, raising children, and finding and keeping a job.
Because learning continues throughout our lives and affects almost everything we do, the study of learning is important in many different fields. Teachers need to understand the best ways to educate children. Scientists, social workers and other human service workers need to understand how certain experiences change people’s behaviors.
Learning is closely related (相关的) to memory, which is the storage of information in the brain (大脑). Scientists who study memory are interested in how the brain stores knowledge, where this storage takes place, and how the brain later offers knowledge when we need it. However, scientists who study learning are more interested in behavior and how behavior changes as a result of a person’s experiences. The underlined word “siblings” in Paragraph 2 probably means _________.
| A．teachers | B．classmates | C．doctors | D．brothers or sisters |
When do children begin to know to behave well according to the passage?
| A．After they go into society. | B．Before they enter school. |
| C．When they are at school. | D．Before they are born. |
Which of the following is WRONG according to the passage?
| A．As a matter of fact, learning begins at a person’s birth and last the whole life. |
| B．Teachers need to understand the best ways to educate their students. |
| C．People need to understand how certain experiences change their behaviors. |
| D．Social workers need to study how experiences affect people’s thoughts. |
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