As we all know, robots are playing an important role in our daily life at present. Now South Korean schoolchildren see robot teachers in the classroom at an elementary school in Seoul. Robot teachers – who never get angry or make sarcastic (讽刺) re
marks--- have been a hit with pupils during a pilot project in some South Korean schools, a government report said Thursday.
Elementary school children responded favourably to the robotic teachers, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy said, citing a survey by educational researchers.
English-teaching robots were sent to three provincial schools for eight weeks starting in late December.
And programmable electronic devices looking like robots, which teach math, science and art, were used in 10 Seoul schools for five weeks from November.
The researchers found that the English-teaching robots helped raise interest in the language and boosted the con
fidence of students.
“Tele-presence (远程呈现)” robots are controlled remotely by an English teacher and are equipped with a microphone and video camera. Autonomous units use voice-recognition software to interact with children .
The government has expressed interest in robots to give rural school children more learning opportunities.
“The machines spurr
ed creativity and had a positive influence on the attitude of students,” a ministry official told Yonhap news agency.
Officials in charge of the project are working to improve the quality of robot teaching and iron out glitches （小故障）before any decision to expand (扩大) their use.What’s the writer’s purpose of writing the passage?
| A．To show South Korean schoolchildren don’t like their teachers |
| B．To prove robot teachers are better than real teachers. |
| C．To tell us the government will forbid using robot teachers in the future. |
| D．To show us a piece of news about robot teachers. |
According to the passage, the schoolchildren’s attitude to the robot teacher is _____ .
| A．bored | B．interested | C．negative | D．disappointed |
The underlined word “spurred” can be replaced by “______”.
| A．encouraged | B．prevented | C．damaged | D．cut |
The number of accidents involving pedestrians (行人) wearing headphones is on the rise , a report suggests, causing fresh warning from road safety groups in Britain .
A US-based study found a total of 116 reports of death or injury to pedestrians wearing headphones between 2004 and 2011 , jumping from 16 in 2005 to 47 in 2011 .
Most victims were men (68%) and under the age of 30 (67%) , with around one in ten of all cases (9%) under the age of 18 .Some 89% of the cases occurred in urban areas and more than half (55%) of the victims were struck by trains .
Eighty-one of the 116 accidents (70%) resulted in the person’s death--- even though a warning was sounded in around a third of the cases .
The study concluded , “ The use of headphone may be a safety risk to pedestrians , especially in environments with moving vehicles（cars） . Further research is needed to determine if and how headphone use threatens pedestrian safety .” British road safety groups warned pedestrians to be careful.
Floor Lieshout , director of Youth For Road Safety , said, “ This study shows once more the importance of using all of our senses while we are near traffic . It is important that we find an attractive way to make youth learn about the risks of wearing headphones in traffic .”
Andrew Howard , who is the head of road safety at the Automobile Association , added that some pedestrians can be “so focused in their own little world they forget the world going on around them”.That can include headphone wearers , Howard said, but also people talking on phones.
However , Howard said that more researches needed to be done.
Earlier studies have shown that people wearing headphones or talking on phones can suffer “inattentional blindness” which makes them isolated (孤立) from the world around them .
Ian Harvey , at the charity Civic Voice , said that “ to defeat isolation and to help build a civic(文明的) society , people need to interact(交往) with each other .
He said , “ A basis for any civilized society is communication--- Surfing the web , listening to MP3s , reading blogs or sending e-mail is not interacting with a person; it’s interacting with a machine.
“If people feel socially isolated , they need to have more face-to-face interactions with other human beings and in time , will begin to feel happier and more connected to the world and place they live in .”What does the text mainly discuss ?
| A．Recent research on the risks to pedestrians |
| B．Safety problems caused by wearing headphones. |
| C．The advantages and disadvantages of headphones |
| D．Traffic accidents in the United States |
We can learn from the Us-bases study that _________ .
| A．most victims died in the accidents |
| B．most accidents were caused by cars |
| C．most accidents happened in the countryside |
| D．most victims are under eighteen |
Howard will probably agree that ____________ .
| A．it is safe if you wear headphones in a proper way |
| B．people wearing headphones are more likely to go blind |
| C．most people wear headphones because of loneliness |
| D．it is dangerous to talk on phones while walking |
What Lan Harvey said shows the importance of ___________ .
| A．beating isolation | B．communication between people |
| C．building a civilized society | D．new technologies |
A portable lung which could help those with breathing problems lead a normal life is being developed by scientists.
The Swansea University scientists say it could take many years before the device(装置) , the size of a spectacle box (眼镜盒) , is available . Lung patients , who have seen how it would work , have welcomed the research.
Its research suggests that one person in every seven in the UK is affected by lung disease---- this equates to approximately 8 million people. As of 6 March 2009, 217 people were on the waiting list for a lung transplant（移植） according to figures by NHS Blood and Transplant .
Now scientists in Swansea are developing a portable artificial lung which could transform (改观) the lives of patients . Researchers claim that in the long term the device could offer an alternative to lung transplant , giving hope to those who suffer from conditions such as emphysema(肺气肿) and cystic fibrosis.
The device mimics the function of a lung---by getting oxygen into and carbon dioxide out of the blood stream . Professor Bill Johns came up with the idea after his son died of Cystic Fibrosis . It is important that we make something that will help people , who instead of being confined (局限) to a wheelchair with an oxygen bottle , can actually walk around and do things for themselves , he said.
Although the research has been welcomed by leading charities(慈善) , caution has also been voiced over the length of time it will take before a portable lung will become available .
“We have to stress that this is several years away from being used , even in a trial stage,” said Chris Mulholland , head of the British Lung Foundation.
Patient Elizabeth Spence from Swansea has been refused the double lung transplant she needs but remains hopeful that one day the new device could save her . “ My body will reject the lungs , so this possibly could be an answer--- another way of getting new lungs without actually having the transplant,” she said.Which of the following about the portable lung would the author agree?
| A．It can help a lot in lung transplants |
| B．It was once on display |
| C．It works differently from the normal one in the body |
| D．It’s just like an oxygen bottle. |
It seems as if _______ really matters before the portable lung is put into use.
| A．support | B．money | C．time | D．trial |
What’s the author’s attitude towards the portable lung ?
| A．Negative. | B．Doubtful. | C．Curious. | D．Objective. |
Which edition can you probably find the passage ?
| A．Science. | B．Culture. | C．Economy. | D．Education. |
The booking notes of the play “ the Age of Innocence” .
Price: $ 10
BOOKING:
There are four ways to book seats for performance :
---In person
The Box Office is open from Monday to Saturday , 10 a.m. --- 8 p.m.
---By telephone _
Ring 01324976 to reserve your tickets or to pay by credit card (Visa , MasterCard and Amex accepted )
---By post
Simply complete the booking form and return it to Global Theatre Box Office .
---On line
Complete the on-line booking form at www.Satanfiedtheatre.com
DISCOUNTS:
Saver : $ 2 of any seat booked any time in advance for performances from Monday to Thursday . Savers are available for children who are below the age of 16 years old , over 60s and full-time students.
Supersaver: half-price seats are available for people with disabilities and one companion . It is advisable to book in advance . There is a maximum of eight wheelchair spaces available and one wheelchair space will be held until an hour before the show .
Standby: best available seats are on sale for $ 6 from one hour before the performance for people eligible (suitable ) for Saver and Supersaver discounts and thirty minutes before for all other customers .
Group Bookings : there is a ten percent discount for parties of twelve or more .
School : school parties of ten or more can book $ 6 standby tickets in advance and will get every tenth ticket free .
Please note : we are unable to exchange tickets or refund (退还) money unless a performance is cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances .If you want to book a ticket , you CANNOT ___________.
| A．use the Internet |
| B．go to the Box Office on Sundays |
| C．ring the booking number and pay for the tickets by credit card |
| D．complete a booking form and post it to the Box Office |
According to the notes , who can get $ 2 off ?
| A．A 55-year-old woman |
| B．An 18-year-old teenager |
| C．A 20-year-old full-time college student |
| D．The people who book the tickets on Fridays |
If you make a group booking for a group of 16 adults , how much should you pay ?
| A．$ 120 | B．$ 126 | C．$ 144 | D．$ 150 |
From the passage we can know all the following are true EXCEPT that ___________.
| A．there are only 8 wheelchair spaces in the theatre |
| B．a group of 12 persons can get 10 percent discount |
| C．the audience can’t refund money if the performance is on show |
| D．a school party of 15 students should pay $ 90 for the standby tickets |
What is it that makes a house a home ? A home is a place of companionship with people in it who love each other , who are harmonious and closer inside with one another than they are outside with those in the workplace or with classmates at school . A home is a place of companionship that it’s difficult to leave. In a home there is love , sharing and appreciation , and the members help each other .
I have seen families on the street. But if they live , sleep , talk , and eat together , they are a family, even if they are poorly off. You don’t need a roof to make a home. The truly homeless are some of the rich people who build multi-million-dollar houses and are too busy to live in them . The truly homeless are those who have turned their home into a hotel lobby . The parents work. The children do wrong . They don’t talk and eat together every day . They rarely see each other . The truly homeless people are those with babysitters , caretakers , gardeners and maids. Parents are unaware , too busy making money outside the home that they don’t live in . This is another way of looking at the rich and the homeless . Who is to be pitied ?
Control of the computer and the Internet is also important to make a house into a home. If the computer is on all the time , the house turns into an office, even if everyone is at home . Many homes these days are just offices. Human communication has stopped . The computer eats up the time that one should be giving to others within the home . Using the computer moderately gives us time for gentleness , play and communication , not with a screen , but with a human being.The purpose of the first paragraph is to _____________ .
| A．tell us that where there is home there is love |
| B．tell us what people think home is |
| C．show the author’s concept of home |
| D．tell people how to have a happy home |
The underlined word those in the second paragraph refers to _____________ .
| A．people who build multi-million-dollar houses |
| B．people who have lost their family members |
| C．people who don’t spend time with the family |
| D．homeless families living on the street in America |
Which statement is Not True according to the passage ?
| A．A home is a place where you are willing to stay . |
| B．Even the poorest person can have a happy home . |
| C．Computers and the Internet are important for a happy family. |
| D．Sometimes it’s the rich that should be pitied . |
Which of the following may serve as the best title of the passage ?
| A．How to make a house a home | B．What makes a house a home |
| C．Who are homeless , the poor | D．What’s a home for |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
One of Britain’s bravest women told yesterday how she helped to catch suspected police killer David Bieber --- and was thanked with flowers by the police. It was also said that she could be in line for a share of up to ￡30,000 reward money .
Vicki Brown , 30 , played a very important role in ending the nationwide manhunt . Vicki , who has worked at the Royal Hotel for four years , told of her terrible experience when she had to steal into Bieber’s bedroom and to watch him secretly. Then she waited alone for three hours while armed police prepared to storm the building.
She said : “ I was very nervous . But when I opened the hotel door and saw 20 armed policemen lined up in the car park I was so glad they were there.”
The alarm had been raised because Vicki became suspicious of the guest who checked in at 8 pm the day before New Year’s Eve with little luggage and wearing sunglasses and a hat pulled down over his face. She said : “ He didn’t seem to want to talk too much and make any eye contact.” Vicki, the only employee on duty , called her boss Margaret , 64 , and husband Stan McKale, 65 , who phoned the police at 11 pm.
Officers from Northumbria Police called Vicki at the hotel in Dunston , Gateshead , at about 11:30 pm to make sure that this was the wanted man . Then they kept in touch by phoning Vicki every 15 minutes.
“ It was about ten to two in the morning when the phone went again and a policeman said ‘ Would you go and make yourself known to the armed officers outside ?’ My heart missed a beat .”
Vicki quietly showed eight armed officers through passages and staircases to the top floor room and handed over the key.
“ I realized that my bedroom window overlooks that part of the hotel , so I went to watch . I could not see into the man’s room , but I could see the passage . The police kept shouting at the man to come out with his hands showing . Then suddenly he must have come out because they shouted for him to lie down while he was handcuffed(带上手铐).”Vicki became suspicious of David Bieber because ____________ .
| A．he looked very strange |
| B．the police called her |
| C．he came to the hotel with little luggage |
| D．he came to the hotel the day before New Year’s Eve |
Vicki’s heart missed a beat because __________ .
| A．the phone went again |
| B．she could be famous |
| C．she saw 20 policemen in the car park |
| D．she would lead the policemen to catch the man |
David Bieber was most probably handcuffed in ____________.
| A．Vicki’s bedroom | B．the street | C．the passage | D．the yard |
How long did the whole event probably last from the moment Bieber came to the hotel to the arrival of some armed officers ?
| A．About 6. | B．About 8. | C．About 11. | D．About 14 |
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