Robots that can chat，find misplaced glasses，draw aeroplanes and play with your children are attracting thousands of visitors during an expo in Tokyo as Japan adapts to changes in society．
Robots，such as the sound．sensitive Chapit，answer simple questions and even joke with people to help them fight loneliness and stay alert in old age．
Japan has one of the world’s fastest-ageing societies and the government predicts that by 2050 the proportion of people over 65 will reach 40 percent．”Many older people in Japan live alone and have no one to talk to，”said Kazuya Kitamura representative of the expo organizer．“Communication robots accompany people and don’t mind listening to the same stories over and over again．”
Matsumoto’s“Personal Mobility Robot，”equipped with four cameras and a sensor to recognize the user's centre of gravity, is designed to help elderly move around without pressing buttons．using joysticks(操纵杆)or rotating wheels as in traditional wheelchairs．
The robot can also help find misplaced glasses by identifying them with a sensor．
Other robots，such as the award-winning“DiGRO”can support busy parents who have little time to play with their children．The robot can use the Internet to find a simple image and then draw pictures，keeping children company while parents work．
While Chapit，a relatively simple robot，managed to attract a corporate partner many researchers，such as Kiyoshi Matsumoto，a professor at the University of Tokyo，struggle to attract sponsors for more expensive projects．
“We have developed a robot that can assist many people，but we still haven’t found a sponsor,”said Matsumoto，who added that the cost of the machine，if mass-produced，would be comparable to that of a car．”In the current economic environment there are few companies willing to invest in such a costly project，”he said．It can be inferred from the text that_______．
| A．many children lack love from parents |
| B．robots helpful to the old will be in great demand |
| C．robots are the most useful to children |
| D．robots do better than people in healthcare |
It is difficult to find sponsors for robots because______.
| A．Japan is suffering economy depression |
| B．the robots are of poor design |
| C．the production of robots costs a lot |
| D．the future market is worrying |
What is the author’s attitude towards the robots referred to?
| A．Unsatisfied． | B．Doubtful． |
| C．Favorable． | D．Regretful． |
Sir,
Just over six months ago, I saw an advertisement in the Morning Mail for a set of the complete works of William Shakespeare. Your company, Cosmo books Ltd., offered this set (eight books of plays and two books of poetry) at what was claimed to be a ‘remarkable’ price: fifteen pounds and fifty pence, including postage and packing. I had wanted a set of Shakespeare’s plays and poems for some time, and these books, in red imitation leather, looked particularly attractive; so I sent for them.
Two weeks later, the books arrived, together with a set of the complete works of Charles Dickens which I had not ordered. So I returned the Dickens books to you, with a cheque for fifteen pounds and fifty pence for the works of Shakespeare. Two more weeks passed. Then there arrived on my door step a second set of the works of Shakespeare, the same set of novels by Dickens and a six book set of the plays of Moliere, in French. Since I do not read French, these were of no use to me at all. However, I could not afford to post all these books back to you, so I wrote to you at the end of August of last year, instructing you to come and collect all the books that I did not want, and asking you not to send any other books until further notice.
You did not reply to that letter. Instead you sent me a bill for forty two pounds, and a set of the plays of Schiller, in German. Since then, a new set of books has arrived every two weeks, the works of Goethe, the poems of Milton, the plays of Strindberg; I hardly know what I have. The books are still all in their boxes, in the garage, and my car has to stand in the rain outside.
I have no room for any more books, and even if I read from now until the Last Judgment, I should not finish reading all the books that you have sent me.
Please send no more books, send no more bills, send no more angry letters demanding payment. Just send one large lorry and take all the books away, leaving me only with the one set of the complete works of Shakespeare for which I have paid.
Yours faithfully,
SIMON WALKERSimon Walker wrote the letter to ________
| A．urge for the final solution to the problem with the unwanted books |
| B．complain about getting books he didn’t want. |
| C．advise readers not to order books from Cosmo Books Ltd.. |
| D．show his anger to Cosmo Books Ltd... |
The advertisement that Mr. Walker saw in the Morning Mail was for ________
| A．unlimited number of Cosmo Books. |
| B．fifteen pounds and fifty pence |
| C．a set of 10 books of the works of Shakespeare. |
| D．a book containing all the plays and poems of Shakespeare. |
Mr. Walker answered the advertisement because ________
| A．he claimed that the books were being offered at a remarkable price |
| B．he wanted a set of Shakespeare’s works which was a good bargain. |
| C．he had ordered the set and had been waiting for them to come for some time. |
| D．the set he already had was not particularly attractive. |
The Donkey Mobile Library
It is a bright morning in the Ethiopian countryside. Yohannes walks beside a pair of donkeys that are pulling a two-wheeled cart. They arrive at the agricultural town of Awassa where Yohannes opens the sides of the cart to display, not the usual vegetables or tools, but children’s books. This is the Donkey Mobile Library, the first of its kind in Ethiopia and one of only a few in the world.
Yohannes was born in Ethiopia, North Africa, but trained to be a librarian in the USA and returned to Ethiopia years ago. The cart is full of picture books donated by American libraries, teachers and school children.
Yohannes arranges small painted benches in the shade of the trees, and suddenly Ethiopian children come shouting and racing down every road and path. It’s mobile library day! They circle the bookshelves with great excitement. Until the Donkey Mobile Library began its regular two-monthly visits, many of these children had never seen a book.
“Without books, education is very dull, like food without salt. You can survive but you can’t really come alive,” says Yohannes. “The ability to read is the basis for greater productivity, better health and longer life. Even though the children lack material goods, with books they can imagine a world of possibilities.”
Yohannes first worked in the children’s section of the main library in America. Surrounded by books he had never seen before, he realized how joyful and imaginative children’s literature is. He says, “I always thought of Ethiopia. But how could I bring children’s books to my home country when it had almost no libraries to keep the books in?”
He contacted Jane Kurtz, a writer born in America but brought up in Ethiopia, and together they created the Donkey Mobile Library. The children say that the Library has given them ideas about what they might do in the future. A child called Dareje wants to be a scientist and find a cure for life-threatening diseases. An eleven year-old girl, Fikerte, wants to do research about the moon and discover new facts about outer space. Tamrat, aged 10, comes every time.
“What brings you back here time and time again?” the librarian asks him.
“The stories,” Tamrat replies instantly. How do the children feel when they see the Donkey Mobile Library?
| A．Excited. | B．Surprised. | C．Interested. | D．Curious |
We can conclude from the passage that .
| A．Ethiopian children have no idea about their future |
| B．Yohannes and Kurtz share similar life experiences |
| C．most books in the Donkey Mobile Library were bought in America |
| D．donkey carts in Awassa usually carry vegetables and tools |
According to the passage, the Donkey Mobile Library .
| A．visits the countryside every day | B．was created by Yohannes himself |
| C．benefits Ethiopian children a lot | D．was the first of its kind in the world |
Where is the passage most likely to have been taken from?
| A．A book review.. | B．A news report | C．A historical story. | D．An advertisement. |
Hilary Smith belonged to a good family．But by the age of twenty, he had spent all the money the good old family had．He then had some trouble with the bank and was put in prison．He escaped from the prison and ran to Australia without delay.
Hilary did not like Australia. What he could do seemed to be one of two things: die or work．Then he remembered that he was not alone in the world．He had an aunt．
She was his father's only sister, but his father used to say she brought no glory to the family．Hilary, of course, tried to discover what she had done．It seemed that she had failed to marry a nobleman．Instead, she had chosen a husband who was connected with "trade"．Of course as soon as she became "Mrs Parks" ,her brother considered her dead．Later on, Mr Parks died and left her a lot of money; but that did not bring her back to life in her brother's opinion．
Hilary discovered his aunt's address．Fortunately she remained faithful and honest to him even after she fell ill．So Hilary's star shone again, and soon he moved into her house and lived as comfortably as a sailor who had just reached harbour．He had only about a six pence in his pocket．
One thing was soon clear: his aunt was seriously ill, and nothing could cure her illness．Hilary was very worried．Fate had found a home for him, and was now going to throw him out of it．There was only one thing that could save him: her will．
"Will?" she said, "yes, I have made one．That was when I was a girl and had not much money．I left all my money to some religious people．"
"Didn't you make another will when you were married?" Hilary asked．
His aunt shook her head．"No," she said in a low voice, "There was no need．When I finally had a lot of money I found I had no relations．"
On the next day he went to the public library and examined a book of law．It told him what he already believed．When a woman is married, an earlier will lose its value．A new will must be made．If no new will is made, the money goes to the nearest relation．Hilary knew that he was his aunt's only relation．His future was safe．
After a few months had passed, Hilary's problems became serious．He badly needed money．He had expensive tastes, and owed a lot of money to shopkeepers．They trusted him because his aunt was rich; but the debt was terrible．
Unfortunately his aunt did not want to discuss money matters at all．In the end they had a quarrel about the small amount of ten pounds．Hilary was not very angry．He began to wonder about a new problem．Was it kind to want his aunt to live．any longer? Was it not better for her to die now? While he was considering what to do, his aunt told him that she was going to send for her lawyer．So she was going to make a new will, Hilary thought．She might leave all her money to someone else．Soon he reached a clear decision．He must do a great kindness to the poor old woman.
One night when the old servant who had been nursing his aunt went off, he doubled the amount of some medicine．The total amount was too great and it could just put her to sleep forever．
"Thank you," his aunt took the glass from his hand with a grateful look．"I want more than anything to sleep, and never to wake up again．Is that what you wish, Hilary? Don't blame me if I have some doubts about what you intended to do.Sick people get these ideas, you know．One thing I ought to explain to you．Mr Parks never married me．He already had a wife and couldn't marry again．That made your foolish father very angry with me．．．Well, if I am alive tomorrow I shall make another will in your favour．If I die tonight, you'll get nothing．．．No, Hilary, don't try to take the glass away．If you do that, I shall know and I don't want to know．Goodnight, Hilary．"
Then, very carefully, she raised the glass to her mouth and drank．From the story ,we learn that Hilary's aunt was ______．
| A．bad-tempered and lonely | B．kind-hearted and wise |
| C．careless about money | D．cruel to her nephew |
Why did Hilary's father consider his aunt dead?
| A．Because they lost contact with each other after her marriage． |
| B．Because she married a businessman with a wife against his will． |
| C．Because she broke away from the family for a better life． |
| D．Because he thought she was a shame to the family |
The underlined sentence "He must do a great kindness to the poor old woman" in paragraph 11 suggests that Hilary Smith ______．
| A．was determined to put his aunt's life to an end |
| B．decided to do his aunt a favor to call in a lawyer |
| C．made up his mind to take good care of his aunt |
| D．would help his aunt to donate all her money to religious people |
Which of the following is the focus of the story?
| A．Hilary's aunt's money． | B．Hilary Smith's debts． |
| C．The intended murder． | D．Hilary's aunt's marriage． |
According to the law book,_____．
| A．Hilary's aunt is not allowed to make a new will． |
| B．the money will go to Hilary after his aunt dies without a new will． |
| C．Hilary's aunt must leave the money to the religious people after she dies． |
| D．Hilary must look after his aunt till her death because he is the only relation． |
Which detail from the story is the climax（高潮）of the story?
| A．Hilary escaped from the prison． |
| B．Hilary quarelled with is aunt about ten pounds． |
| C．Hilary's aunt drank the medicine her nephew prepared for her． |
| D．Hilary's aunt made a will to leave all her money to someone else． |
Without most people realizing it, there has been a revolution in office work over the last ten years. Before that time, large computers were only used by large, rich companies that could afford the investment. With the advancement of technology, small computers have come onto the market, which are capable of doing the work that used to be done by much larger and expensive computers, so now most smaller companies can use them
The main development in small computers has been in the field of word processors（处理器）, or WPS as they are often called. 60% of British offices are now estimated to have a word processor and this percentage is growing fast.
There are many advantages in using a word processor for both secretary and manager. The secretary is freed from a lot of daily work, such as re-typing letters and storing papers. He or she can use this time to do other more interesting work for the boss. From a manager’s point of view, secretarial time is being made better use of and money can be saved by doing daily jobs automatically outside office hours.
But is it all good? If a lot of daily secretarial work can be done automatically, surely this will mean that fewer secretaries will be needed. Another worry is the increasing medical problems related to work with visual display units（显示器）. The case of a slow loss of sight among people using word processors seems to have risen greatly. It is also feared that if a woman works at a VDU for long hours, the unborn child in her body might be killed. Safety screens to put over a VDU have been invented but few companies in England bother to buy them.
Whatever the arguments for and against word processor, they are a key feature of this revolution in office practice.Ten years ago, smaller companies did not use large computers because_________.
| A．these companies had not enough money to buy such expensive computers |
| B．these computers could not do the work that small computers can do today |
| C．these computers did not come onto the market |
| D．these companies did not need to use this new technology |
According to the writer, the main feature of the revolution in office work over the last ten years is __________.
| A．the saving of time and money |
| B．the use of computers in small companies |
| C．the wide use of word processors |
| D．the decreasing number of secretaries |
It is implied in the passage that with the use of word processors _________.
| A．some secretaries will lose their jobs |
| B．daily jobs can be done automatically outside office hours |
| C．medical problems related to work with a VDU have increased greatly |
| D．the British companies will make less money |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．There are both advantages and disadvantages in using a word processor. |
| B．The British companies care much for the health of the people using word processors. |
| C．The technology in the field of computers has been greatly advanced over the last ten years. |
| D．Using word processors, secretaries can get more time to do more interesting work for their bosses. |
It can be concluded from the passage that ________.
| A．safety screens are of poor quality |
| B．working at a VDU for a long time is good for one’s health |
| C．more and more British offices will use word processors |
| D．British companies will need fewer and fewer managers |
From the health point of view we are living in an amazing age．We are free from many of the most dangerous diseases．A large number of once deadly illnesses can now be cured by modem medicine．It is almost certain that one day medicines will be found for the most stubborn remaining diseases, The expectation of life has increased greatly．But though the possibility of living a long and happy life is greater than ever before, every day we witness the unbelievable killing of men, women and children on the roads．Man vs the motor-cart,It is a never-ending battle which man is losing．Thousands of people over the world are killed each year and we are quietly sitting back and letting it happen．
It has been rightly said that when a man is sitting behind a steering wheel （方向盘）, his car becomes the extension of his personality. There is no doubt that the motor-car often brings out a man's very worst qualities. People who are normally quiet and pleasant may become crazy when they are behind a steering-wheel .They are ill-mannered and aggressive, willful as two-year-olds and completely selfish．All their hidden angers and disappointments seem to be brought to die surface by the act of driving．
The surprising thing is that society smiles so gently on the motorist and seems to forgive his behaviour. Everything is done for his convenience.Cities are allowed to become almost uninhabitable(不宜居住的） because of heavy traffic; towns are made ugly by huge car parks; the countryside is ruined by road networks; and the deaths become nothing more than a number every year, to be easily forgotten．
It is high time that a world rule was created to reduce this senseless waste of human life．With regard to driving, the laws of some countries are unbelievably lax（不严格）and even the strictest are not strict enough．A rule which was universally accepted could only have an obviously beneficial effect on the accident rate．Here are a few examples of some of the things that might be done．The driving test should be standardized and made far more difficult than it is; all the drivers should be made to take a test every three years or so; the age at which young people are allowed to drive any vehicle should be raised to at least 21; all vehicles should be put through strict tests for safety each year．Even the smallest amount of alcohol in the blood can damage a person's driving ability．Present drinking and driving laws should be revised much stricter．Speed limits should be required on all roads．Governments should lay down safety directions for car factories, as has been done in the USA．All advertising stressing power and performance should be banned．These measures may not sound good enough．But surely nothing should be considered as too severe if it results in reducing the number of deaths．After all, the world is for human beings, not motor-cars．What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．Traffic accidents are mainly caused by motorists． |
| B．Thousands of people are killed each year． |
| C．The laws of some countries about driving are too lax． |
| D．Only stricter traffic laws can prevent accidents． |
What does the author think of society towards motorists?
| A．Society laughs at the motorists． |
| B．Huge car parks are built in the cities and towns． |
| C．Victims of accidents are nothing． |
| D．Society easily forgives their rude driving． |
What does the author mean by saying " his car becomes the extension of his personality" in paragraph 2?
| A．Driving can show his hidden qualities． |
| B．Driving can show the other part of his personality． |
| C．Driving can bring out his character． |
| D．Driving can represent his manners． |
Which of the followings is NOT mentioned as a way against traffic accidents?
| A．Build more highways． |
| B．Stricter driving tests． |
| C．Test drivers every three years． |
| D．Raise age limit and make safety specifications． |
The author's attitude towards the traffic situation is ______．
| A．positive | B．unsatisfied | C．promising | D．unclear |
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