It doesn’t matter when or how much a person sleeps, but everyone needs some rest to stay alive. That’s what all doctors thought, until they heard about Al Herpin. Al Herpin, it was said, never slept. Could this be true? The doctors decided to see this strange man themselves.
Al Herpin was 90 years old when the doctors came to his home in New Jersey. They thought for sure that he got some sleep of some kind. So they stayed with him and watched every movement he made. But they were surprised. Though they watched him hour after hour and day after day. They never saw Herpin sleeping. In fact, he did not even own a bed. He never needed one.
The only rest that Herpin sometimes got was sitting in a comfortable chair and reading newspapers. The doctors were puzzled by this strange continuous sleeplessness. They found only one answer that might explain his condition. Herpin remembered some talk about his mother having been injured several days before he was born. But that was all. Was this the real reason? No one could be sure. Herpin died at the age of 94.. The main idea of this passage is that _______.
| A．large numbers of people do not need sleep. |
| B．a person was found who actually didn’t need any sleep. |
| C．everyone needs some sleep to stay alive. |
| D．people can live longer by trying not to sleep. |
The doctors came to visit Herpin, expecting to _______.
| A．find that his sleeplessness was not really true. |
| B．cure him of his sleeplessness |
| C．find a way to free people from the need of sleeping. |
| D．find out why some old people didn’t need any sleep. |
After watching him closely, the doctors came to believe that Al Herpin _______.
| A．was too old to need any sleep. |
| B．often slept in a chair. |
| C．needed no sleep at all. |
| D．needed some kind of sleep. |
One reason that might explain Herpin’s sleeplessness was _______.
| A．that he hadn’t got a bed. |
| B．that he had gradually got tired of the sleeping habit. |
| C．his mother’s injury before he was born. |
| D．his magnificent physical condition. |
Pigs are always considered dirty animals because they roll in mud．But in fact they prefer being quite clean．They cover themselves with mud to help stay cool．During cooler weather, they prefer to stay clean．So do elephants, who also cover themselves in dust or mud to keep cool．When they find a place with clean water they will take a bath，using their long noses to give themselves—or each other—a nice shower
Some animals use dust to get clean．Chinchillas (南美洲栗鼠) have very fine fur． They don’t like to take water baths because water is not warm enough for them．So, instead, they roll around in fine dust．The dust helps to keep their fur and skin dry．This protects them from disease
Usually, a small bird is a light meal for a crocodile．But when a crocodile wants its teeth cleaned．it lies on the ground with its mouth open．The crocodile bird goes in and picks out any parasites(寄生虫)between the crocodile’s teeth or under its tongue．The crocodile gets its mouth cleaned，and the crocodile bird gets dinner．
You wouldn’t think fish would need baths．But some undersea parasites live under the fish’s skin．“Cleaner” fish，like the wrasse(隆头鱼)，help take them away．The wrasse stands on its head and dances to signal a big fish that it is ready to go into the cleaning business．The big fish will stop moving and open its mouth wide so the wrasse can swim inside and pick out parasites and bits of food．The passage is mainly about how animals __________．
| A．stay clean | B．help each other | C．get their food | D．take baths |
What can we learn from the first paragraph about pigs?
| A．They can help each other take baths． |
| B．They are dirtier during cooler weather． |
| C．They prefer taking baths to rolling in mud． |
| D．They like to stay cool and clean． |
Chinchillas use dust to get clean for the following reasons EXCEPT that ________．
| A．dust can dry their fur and skin | B．They are not good at swimming |
| C．Water is too cold for them | D．Dust is good for their health |
From Paragraphs 3 and 4，we can know that __________．
| A．Some animals can get clean from others’ help |
| B．Most animals are friendly to each other |
| C．Small animals couldn’t get food from big ones |
| D．All of the animals prefer to stay clean |
Over the last six years I have learned what patience is. Growing up I did not have this virtue（优点）and it is a very important virtue to have. Now I can see that if you are patient you will almost always get what you want if you are supposed to have it. I gained patience when I lost my freedom. I knew that I would eventually get it back in time.
I was locked up in prison for a period of six years because at 19 years old I was playing with a handgun and I accidentally shot and killed my friend. The first couple of years was the hardest.I was always stressed out about everything.Time was dragging by because I was always paying attention to it.While I was locked up，Tom who I talked to helped put this virtue in me.He told me that it was possible that he would never make it home but that being patient and believing that one day he would was what had made him feel better.After a while I realized why he said a lot of things to me.Once I stopped paying attention to the days and just kept in mind that I would get freedom，it seemed that my time passed quickly.
Now I am home and can see that patience paid off for me. I now use this virtue in my daily activities. I know that sometimes life gets hard and that it will pay in the end to stay patient and not to get discouraged. So if you are having a hard time in life，be patient and it will eventually work out one way or another.We can learn from the passage that the writer ______.
| A．got patience in prison |
| B．always wants to know what patience is |
| C．began to teach others how to be patient |
| D．is a successful man now through failure |
The writer was put in prison because he ______.
| A．sold handguns |
| B．stole a handgun |
| C．played handguns with friends |
| D．killed his friend accidentally with a handgun |
During the first few years when he was in prison the writer ______.
| A．made a couple of good friends |
| B．thought time passed too slowly |
| C．felt his life was full of unexpected things |
| D．was very nervous and frightened |
In the writer's opinion people will get a good result at last if they ______.
| A．try their best to help others |
| B．turn to others for help |
| C．keep patient and don't lose heart |
| D．set different goals and keep them up |
I grew up in Jamaica Plain. My best friend Rose and I used to dream about raising a family of our own someday and living next door to one another.
Our dream remained alive through school and beyond. Rose was my maid of honor when I married Dick. Later, Dick was stationed in Alaska and we moved. Rose was sad to see me leave, but wished me the best of luck. We remained in touch for a few years before we lost track.
I thought of her several times over the years. All of my children now have families of their own, and Dick passed away a few years ago. Basically, a lifetime has passed. Then one day, near my 80th birthday, I received a phone call “Hi Natalie, it’s Rose,” the voice on the other end said, “ I don’t know if you remember me, but we used to be best friends in Jamaica Plain when we were kids.”
We have spent hours on the phone catching up. Even after 52 years of separation our personalities and interests are still extremely similar. We both share a passion for several hobbies that we each picked up independently several years after we lost touch with one another. It almost feels like we are picking up right where we left off.
Her husband died a few years ago as well, but she mailed me several photographs of her family that were taken over the years. It’s so crazy, just looking at the photos and listening to her description of her family reminds me of my own: a reasonably large, healthy family. Part of me feels like we led fairly similar lives.
I don’t think the similarities between our two lives are a coincidence either. I think it shows that we didn’t just call each other best friend; we truly were best friends and even now we can be best friends again. Real friends have two things in common: a compatible(相容的)personality and a strong-willed character. The compatible personality is what starts the connection between two people. A strong-willed character at both ends is what maintains the connection. If those two ingredients are present in a friendship, the friendship is for real, It can pass the tests of time and long distance between one another and will never disappearFrom the passage we may know that the author .
| A．lived next door to Rose in her childhood |
| B．was Rose’s maid of honor when she was married |
| C．lost touch of Rose since she moved to Alaska |
| D．missed her friend although they lost contact |
After 52 years of separation, they .
| A．had a lot to talk on the phone |
| B．sent each other photographs of their family |
| C．they lived the same life |
| D．developed different personalities and hobbies |
The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 6 refers to .
| A．Rose’s description |
| B．coincidence |
| C．best friend |
| D．the similarities between our two lives |
The author thinks that .
| A．the similarities between their lives are coincident |
| B．although they’re not best friends, they have much in commom. |
| C．they both have a compatible personality and a strong-willed character |
| D．only those who have similar characters can be real friends |
My grandfather came from Hungary and was the only one in his family who settled down in the United States. The rest of his family remained in Europe. When World War I broke out, he seemed to have become another man, downhearted. Such obvious change was not born out of concern for his welfare, but out of fear: if his only son, my uncle, had to go to war, it would be cousin fighting against cousin.
One day in 1918, my Uncle Milton received his draft notice. My grandparents were very upset. But my mother, at the age of 10, felt on top of the world about her soldier brother going off to war. Realizing how he was regarded by his little sister and all of her friends, my uncle bought them all service pins, which meant that they had a loved one in the service. All the little girls were delighted.
The moment came when my uncle and the other soldiers, without any training but all in uniforms, boarded the train. The band played and the crowd cheered. Although no one noticed. I’m sure my grandmother had a tear in her eye for the only son. The train slowly pulled out, but not about a thousand yards when it suddenly paused. Everyone stared in wonder as the train slowly returned to the station. There was a dead silence before the doors opened and the men started to step out. Someone shouted, “The war is over!” For a moment, nobody moved, but then the people heard someone bark orders at the soldiers. The men lined up in two lines, walked down the steps, and with the band playing, marched down the street, as returning heroes, to be welcomed home. My mother said it was a great day, but she was just a little disappointed that it didn’t last a tiny bit longer.What the grandfather was most worried about was ______.
| A．the spread of the world war |
| B．the safety of his two cousins |
| C．a drop in his living standards |
| D．his relatives killing each other |
The underlined phrase “draft notice” means “______”.
| A．order for army service | B．train ticket for Europe |
| C．letter of rejection | D．note of warning |
What did the “service pins” （in Para. 2） stand for in the eyes of the little girls?
| A．Strength. | B．Courage. | C．Victory. | D．Honor. |
Which of the following words can best describe the ending of the story?
| A．Disappointing. | B．Unexpected. | C．Uncertain. | D．Inspiring. |
Which of the following statements is True according to the passage?
| A．The grandfather felt downhearted because he was afraid of receiving a draft notice. |
| B．The train was traveling fast to the front when the news came that the war was over. |
| C．None of the soldiers who got on the train for the front line had been trained in advance. |
| D．Most people including the mother were disappointed that the war didn’t last a bit longer. |
Robots industry is developing so rapidly that there is no denying that we may one day find ourselves surrounded by robots.
The humanoid (human like) robots with two legs such as Honda Motor Co. Ltd’s ASIMO would likely have an easier time climbing up stairs inside homes than a robot that moves on wheels, developers say.
But it will be some time before such devices make their way into people’s homes.
“They may look smart, but they are still quite stupid,” Shimoyama said. “I don’t think they will ever be as smart as humans.”
While safety is an obvious concern, robots also need to be sensitive to people’s needs.
Researchers at Fujitsu Frontech Ltd and Fujitsu Laboratories responsible for developing “Enon”, a guide and patrol (巡逻) robot designed for use in shopping malls and corporate facilities (公共场所), are working on this.
Enon, which has a humanoid upper body but no legs, is equipped with a touch screen on its chest and space in its stomach to carry loads weighting up to 10 kg.
In guide mode, it will check a newcomer and approach the person with a nod and a greeting: “Are you a visitor? Hello.”
Visitors requiring directions can point to icons (图标) displayed on Enon’s chest screen. If the restroom icon is pressed, the screen will display a map that shows the way.
The robot will then face and point in the direction of the restroom, although it won’t actually walk the visitor there.
Enon is now in use at four locations in Japan, including a shopping mall near Tokyo. The main goal is to make it more helpful for the elderly.
“People who work in the transportation sector often ask whether we can build a robot that will find elderly people who look lost in train stations, and ask them if they are all right,” said Toshihido Marita, director of Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd’s autonomous system laboratory. “Actually that is hard to do, very hard,” he said. The advantage of Honda Motor Co. Ltd’s ASIMO is that _________.
| A．it can do any housework for us |
| B．it can talk with patients or old people |
| C．it can climb up stairs as humans |
| D．it can walk smoothly with its wheels |
According to Shimoyama, robots _________.
| A．can be made to do everything humans do |
| B．will be made as smart as humans in the future |
| C．will remain as stupid as before |
| D．can never compete with humans in intelligence |
Most important of all, a robot should be made _________ at present.
| A．safe and elegant | B．safe and functional |
| C．elegant and cheap | D．sensitive and cheap |
Which of the following statements about “Enon” is NOT true?
| A．It can be used as a guide in hospitals. |
| B．It can help shoppers carry goods selected. |
| C．It can be used to welcome guests in restaurants. |
| D．It can be used to stop thieves in malls. |
Enon is mainly designed to help _________.
| A．old people | B．mall owners | C．tourists or newcomers | D．shoppers |
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