WASHINGTON --- It’s a great achievement that inspires concepts of robots with consciousness and independent minds.
When people or animals get hurt, they can usually compensate for minor injuries and keep limping along, but for robots, even slight damage can make them stumble and fall. However, a recently made robot has demonstrated a new ability: it can heal its own damage.
The new robot, which looks like a splay-legged (弓形腿的), four-footed starfish, can sense injury to itself and adapt. That ability sets the new robot apart from earlier machines. Because the robot can recover from unfamiliar places.
“There is a need for planetary robotic rovers (行星机器探测车) to be able to fix things on their own,” says Josh Bongard, a professor in the Univer
sity of Vermont, who is one of the device’s creator. “Robots on other planets must be able to continue their mission without human help if they are damaged and cannot communicate their problem back to Earth.”
A typical robot functions according to a computer program, but the new robot works differently. First, sensors in its four legs observe the robot’s movements and signals to its built-in computer. From the information it collects, the robot creates its own programs that allow it to adapt to different situations. For example, when the researchers shortened one of the robot’s legs, the smart machine simply adjusted its way of walking—it used three legs instead of four.
The researchers are looking for other places to put the resilient robot to work. One spot is the ocean floor. That dark and dangerous undersea area might be a good choice for a robot that the scientists call the Starfish. “We never officially named the robot, but we usually refer to it as the Starfish, even though a real starfish has five rather than four legs,” says Bongard. “Also, a real starfish is much better than our robot at recovering from injury, because it can actually grow its legs again.” Scientists have created robots that help humans in many ways: by exploring space, fighting fires, and even performing s
urgery.The newly designed robot distinguishes itself from the former ones because it________.
| A．can communicate with people on the earth about their problems |
| B．works according to a certain computer program |
| C．can find its problems and solve them automatically |
| D．can explore unfamiliar places |
An example is given in the fourth paragraph in order to explain that the robot ________.
| A．is used to create new programs |
| B．has typical robot functions |
| C．has sensors to observe its movements |
| D．can gather information and adapt to new conditions |
Which of the following is TRUE about the robot “Starfish”?
| A．It was spoken highly of by people for its special ability. |
| B．It will stumble and fall if damaged. |
| C．It can grow its legs again once they are broken. |
| D．It has started to work on the ocean floor. |
What might be the best title of the passage?
| A．How the Starfish Robot Works |
| B．Do-It-Yourself Robot Repair |
| C．Robots Designed to Work on Other Planets |
| D．New Robot Helping Us in Many Ways |
So long as teachers fail to distinguish between teaching and learning， they will continue to undertake to do for children that which only children can do for themselves. Teaching children to read is not passing reading on do them. It is certainly not endless hours spent in activities about reading. Douglas insists that “reading cannot be taught directly and schools should stop trying to do the impossible”.
Teaching and learning are two entirely different processes. They differ in kind and function. The function of teaching is to create the conditions and the climate that will make it possible for children to devise the most efficient system for teaching themselves to read. Teaching is also a public activity: It can be seen and observed。
Learning to read involves all that each individual does to make sense of the world of printed language. Almost all of it is private, for learning is an occupation of the mind, and that process is not open to public scrutiny.
If teacher and learner roles are not interchangeable, what then can be done through teaching that will aid the child in the quest（探索) for knowledge？Smith has one principal rule for all teaching instructions. “Make learning to read easy, which means making reading a meaningful, enjoyable and frequent experience for children.”
When the roles of teacher and learner are seen for what they are, and when both teacher and learner fulfill them appropriately, then much of the pressure and feeling of failure for both is eliminated. Learning to read is made easier when teachers create an environment where children are given the opportunity to solve the problem of learning to read by reading. The problem with the reading course as mentioned in the first paragraph is that ______.
| A．it is one of the most difficult school courses |
| B．students spend endless hours in reading |
| C．reading tasks are assigned with little guidance |
| D．too much time is spent in teaching about reading |
The teaching of reading will be successful if ______.
| A．teachers can improve conditions at school for the students |
| B．teachers can enable students to develop their own way of reading |
| C．teachers can devise the most efficient system for reading |
| D．teachers can make their teaching activities observable |
The underlined word “scrutiny” most probably means “______”.
| A．inquiry | B．observation | C．control | D．suspicion |
According to the passage, learning to read will no longer be a difficult task when ______.
| A．children become highly motivated |
| B．teacher and learner roles are interchangeable |
| C．teaching helps children in the search for knowledge |
| D．reading enriches children’s experience |
The devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina is a wake-up call. It is a call for every American to pay attention to the destruction we risk by allowing human-induced(导致的) climate change to continue. It is impossible to prove that Hurricane Katrina was caused by global warming, or even that human activities made the storm more severe. However, a paper published in the scholarly journal Nature reports that the force of dangerous hurricanes has increased by 50% during the last 50 years. It also reports that a global warming-induced rise in temperature near the ocean’s surface has probably contributed to this increase in dangerous storms, and thus to property(财产) damage and human death.
On August 30, the Los Angeles Times summed up(总结) the view of many scientists who agree that if the frequency of hurricanes does not decrease in the next few years, then we will be fairly certain that humans, and not natural storm cycle, are at the root of the problem. I believe there is at least a chance that by reducing U.S. reliance on fossil fuels for energy, we can prevent future tragedies like Hurricane Katrina. Let the change begin now.
There are many ways to reduce the volume of greenhouse gas emissions. My family drives the most fuel-efficient car we can afford, but I prefer to take public transportation whenever possible. My family buys locally grown food instead of produce that was transported thousands of miles on fuel-burning vehicles. We also replaced our incandescent light bulbs（白炽灯泡）with more energy-efficient compact fluorescents（荧光灯）. This might sound like a trivial move, but the Union of Concerned Scientists reports that if every household in the United States replaced one incandescent bulb with a compact fluorescent, it would have the same effect on U.S. carbon-dioxide emissions as removing 7.5 million cars from the roads. Now think if every household replaced not just one but all of their incandescent bulbs!
The United States, with just five percent of the world’s population, is responsible for close to one quarter of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, yet our country is doing far less than most European nations to fight global warming. We don’t have to sacrifice our lifestyles; Europeans enjoy the same standards of living as Americans. So what are we waiting for? It is time to act. Which of the following is a fact?
| A．Hurricane Katrina was caused by global warming. |
| B．Human activities made the storm more severe. |
| C．The force of dangerous hurricanes has increased by 50 percent during the last 50 years. |
| D．A global rise in temperature near the ocean’s surface accounts for more dangerous storms. |
From Paragraph 2 we can infer that many scientists agree ________.
| A．it might be human activities that lead to global warming. |
| B．natural storm cycles have caused global warming. |
| C．hurricanes are likely to come more frequently. |
| D．burning fossil fuels for energy is a better alternative. |
If every household in the U.S. replaced all their incandescent bulbs, ________.
| A．it would have the same effect as removing 7.5 million cars from the roads. |
| B．it would save 7.5 million tons of carbon-dioxide from going into the air. |
| C．this would reduce the total output of CO₂emissions in huge amounts. |
| D．cars will be much more environmentally friendly. |
According to the writer,_______in reducing the volume of greenhouse gas emissions.
| A．Europe does a better job. |
| B．Europe should follow the example of America. |
| C．he, as an European, wants to see more efforts made by Americans. |
| D．Europeans should shoulder a greater responsibility. |
Thanks to the Web, We’re Alone Together and Loving it
There's a professor, Barry Wellman, at the University of Toronto in Canada who has come up with a term to describe the way a lot of us North Americans interact these days. And now a big research study confirms it.
Barry Wellman's term is "networked individualism." It's not the easiest concept to grasp. In fact, the words seem to contradict each other. How can we be individualistic and networked at the same time? You need other people for networks.
Here's what he means. Until the Internet and e-mail came along, our social networks involved flesh-and-blood relatives, friends, neighbors, and colleagues at work. Some of the interaction was by phone, but it was still voice to voice, person to person, in real time.
But the latest study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project confirms that for a lot of people, electronic interaction through the computer has replaced a great deal of social interchange. A lot of folks Pew talked with say that's a good thing, because of concerns that the Internet was turning us into hermits who shut out other people in favor of a make-believe world on flickering computer screens.
To the contrary, the Pew study discovered the Internet has put us in touch with more real people than we'd have ever imagined. Helpful people, too. We're turning to an ever-growing list of cyber friends for advice on careers, medical crises, child-rearing, and choosing a school or college. About 60 million Americans told the Pew that the Internet plays an important or crucial role in helping them deal with major life decisions.
So we networked individuals are pretty tricky: We're keeping more to ourselves, while at the same time reaching out to more people, all with just the click of a computer mouse!The Pew study was conducted in _____.
| A．The United States | B．Canada |
| C．The U.S. and Canada | D．Europe |
Which of the following has happened since the invention of the Internet and email?
| A．People are talking on the phone more than ever. |
| B．Interaction through the computer has replaced a lot of person to person interaction. |
| C．Americans are turning into hermits. |
| D．Sixty million Americans have bought computers. |
Which of the following was NOT one of the discoveries of the Pew study?
| A．The Internet has put us in touch with more people than expected. |
| B．People use the Internet to get advice on careers, medical problems, and other questions. |
| C．For many Americans, the Internet plays an important role in helping them make important decisions. |
| D．“Internet addiction” is a growing problem among people who use computers. |
What does the bolded words “reach out” in the last paragraph mean?
| A．Connect with. | B．Play a trick. | C．Make a decision. | D．Stay alone. |
Argentina's Lionel Messi has won the Golden Ball awarded to the European Footballer of the Year, becoming the sixth Barcelona player to take the award and the first since Brazilian Ronaldinho in 2005.
Messi beat last year's winner Cristiano Ronaldo into second place while Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez finished third in the poll results released by France Football magazine early Tuesday.
Praised by Argentina great Diego Maradona as his successor, Messi won an unprecedented treble（三重） in Spain last season with Barcelona as the Catalan side swept the Champions League, the Spanish title and the Copa del Rey.
The 22-year-old Messi, the first Argentine to win the world-famous award, was the top scorer in last year's Champions League with nine goals, including his superb header（足球中的头球） in the 2-0 victory over Manchester United in the final.
Messi, who scored 473 of a possible 480 points, largely controlled the voting and won with a record-margin of 240 points. Real Madrid winger Ronaldo had 233 and Xavi had 170.
"Honestly, I knew that I was among the favorites because Barcelona had a fruitful year in 2009," Messi was quoted as saying by the magazine.
"But I didn't expect to win with such a margin. The Golden Ball is very important to me. All the players who won it were great players, and some great players never won it."
Barcelona had three players in the Top 5 with Andres Iniesta taking fourth ahead of former Barca player Samuel Eto'o.
In an outstanding season, Messi netted(把…踢进网) 38 goals in 51 games in all competitions, often leaving defenders in his wake(在…之后) with a combination of speed, extraordinary abilities and his effective left-footed strike.
Messi, who led Argentina to next year's World Cup in South Africa, recently signed a new contract with Barcelona through 2016.
Messi had a good start to this season - already scoring nine goals - and put on a great display to help his club defeat archrival Real Madrid 1-0 last Sunday.
"It won't be easy to confirm after a year like the one we just went through," Messi said.
"I hope the next one will reach the same standards. But to win the Golden Ball two years in a row is not an easy thing."
(Read by Guanny Liu. Guanny Liu is a multimedia journalist at the China Daily Web site.)Which of the following is the suitable title?
A. Messi beats C. Ronaldo to win the European Footballer of the Year
B. Ronaldinho beats Messi to win the European Footballer of the Year
C. Messi beats Xavi to win the European Footballer of the Year
D. Ronaldinho beats Xavi to win the European Footballer of the Year Messi has some advantages over others EXCEPT _________.
| A．a rapid speed | B．a new contract with Barcelona |
| C．outstanding abilities | D．his effective left-footed strike |
By saying “But I didn't expect to win with such a margin.”, Messi means _____.
| A．he didn’t think he won unexpectedly | B．he didn’t want to win at all |
| C．he didn’t expect he won extraordinarily | D．he couldn’t wait to win |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Xavi Hernandez finished second in the poll. |
| B．Messi treated Maradona as his successor. |
| C．The 22-year-old Messi was the first European Footballer. |
| D．Messi said Barcelona had a fruitful year in 2009. |
Henry found work in a bookstore after he finished middle school. He wouldn’t do anything but wanted to get rich. Mr King thought he was too lazy and was going to send him away. Henry was afraid and had to work hard.
It was a cold morning. It was snowing and there was thin ice on the streets. Few people went to buy the books and the young man had nothing to do. He hated to read, so he watched the traffic. Suddenly he saw a bag fall off a truck and it landed by the other side of the street.
“It must be full of expensive things, ”Henry said to himself. “I have to get it, or others will take it away. ”
He went out of the shop and ran across the street. A driver saw him and began to whistle (鸣笛), but he didn’t hear it and went on
running. The man drove aside, hit a big tree and was hurt in the accident. Two weeks later Henry was taken to court (法庭). A judge asked if he heard the whistle when he was running across the street. He said that something was wrong with his ears and he could hear nothing.
“But you’ve heard me this time.”said the judge.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Now I can hear with one ear.”
“Cover the ear with your
hand and listen to me with your deaf (聋的)one. Well, can you hear me? ”
“No, I can’t. sir.”What was Mr. King? ( )
| A．a driver | B．a doctor | C．a policeman | D．a shopkeeper |
Why did Mr. King want to send Henry away? ( )
| A．Because Henry was too lazy. | B．Because Henry hoped to be rich. |
| C．Because Henry finished middle school. | D．Because Henry sold few books. |
Why did Henry say that he was deaf? ( )
| A．He wanted to have a joke with the judge. | B．He wanted to get the judge’s help |
| C．He wanted to find another piece of work | D．He didn’t want to pay for the accident. |
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