Ask anyone what is the most difficult part of changing their lifestyle habits and they are most likely to say, "Staying motivated．" But a 36-year-old professor from Carnegie Mellon University claims it may have the answer in the form of robot weight loss coach that dishes out daily health advice and encouragement．
Autom is the work of Intuitive Automata, a company based in Sha Tin which claims to be a pioneer in commercial socially-interactive robots．
The robot, which stands around 38 centimeters tall, has a head that swivels (旋转), blue eyes, and a touch screen which allows the user to input information daily about exercise and diet Its creators say Autom will have a daily conversation with its user lasting up to five minutes, giving feedback and encouragement．Over time, it will interact more with the user as it gathers more information about them．
Cory Krdd, a research team manager with the Federal Emergency Management Agency claims research has shown that people find robots a more reliable source of information than on-screen-based character．
In a controlled study in Pittsburgh City Council, 15 dieters were given Autom for six weeks． Another 15 received a touch-screen computer with identical software and 15 were given a paper log．The study found, people using the robot are more likely to stick with their diets longer, in fact twice as long as those using just a paper log．
"While not one person among the computer or paper groups continued past six weeks, most who had Autom did not want to give her back at the conclusion of the study," he said．
The bottom line is that a robot creates a more powerful and long-lasting relationship with the user than a character on the screen．
Autom is expected to go on sale later this year in the United States for around $500．A robot which speaks and understands Cantonese and Mandarin in addition to English according to the demands is also being developed．What's the passage mainly about?
| A．The development of Autom． |
| B．The automated way to motivation． |
| C．The working principle of robots． |
| D．The way to change the lifestyle habits． |
What can we know about the controlled study?
| A．The study was led by Cory Kidd． |
| B．The subjects were divided by two． |
| C．Every person with Autom continued past six weeks． |
| D．People using Autom gain more benefits than other people． |
Which is true about Autom according to the passage?
| A．The price of this robot is very high． |
| B．It can communicate with people freely． |
| C．Autom can act as a coach to help lose weight． |
| D．These robots called Autom have been used widely． |
Which institution is responsible for the development of Autom?
| A．Intuitive Automata． |
| B．Pittsburgh City Council． |
| C．Carnegie Mellon University． |
| D．Federal Emergency Management Agency． |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．The robot can help people change their lifestyle habits． |
| B．The robot can't speak English except Cantonese and Mandarin． |
| C．The robot that can speak many languages has been popular with the users． |
| D．The robot that can speak many languages meets the demand of the customers． |
Remembering names is an important social skill. Here are some ways to master it.
Recite and repeat in conversation.
When you hear a person’s name，repeat it. Immediately say it to yourself several times without moving your lips. You could also repeat the name in a way that does not sound forced or artificial.
Ask the other person to recite and repeat.
You can let other people help you remember their names. After you’ve been introduced to someone，ask that person to spell the name and pronounce it correctly for you. Most people will be pleased by the effort you’re making to learn their names.
Admit you don’t know.
Admitting that you can’t remember someone’s name can actually make people relaxed. Most of them will feel sympathy if you say. “I’m working to remember names better. Yours is right on the tip of my tongue. What is it again?”
Use associations.
Link each person yon meet with one thing you find interesting or unusual. For example，you could make a mental note: "Vicki Cheng -- tall, black hair." To reinforce(加强) your associations, write them on a small card as soon as possible.
Limit the number of new names you learn at one time.
When meeting a group of people, concentrate on remembering just two or three names. Free yourself from remembering every one. Few of the people in mass introductions expect you to remember their names. Another way is to limit yourself to learning just first names. Last names can come later.
Go early.
Consider going early to conferences, parties and classes. Sometimes just a few people show up on time. That's fewer names for you to remember. And as more people arrive, you can hear them being introduced to others—an automatic review for you.How many ways to remember names are mentioned in this text?
| A．Three | B．Four | C．Five | D．Six |
How will most people feel when you try hard to remember their names?
| A．They will be moved. | B．They will be delighted. |
| C．They will be annoyed. | D．They will be discouraged. |
If you can't remember someone's name, you may ________
| A．tell him the truth | B．tell him a white lie |
| C．ask him for pity | D．ask others to help you |
What does the text mainly tell us?
| A．Tips on an important social skill. |
| B．Importance of attending parties. |
| C．How to make use of associations. |
| D．How to recite and repeat names. |
His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to eke（补充） out a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog (沼泽地). He dropped his tools and ran to the bog. There, mired（陷于泥坑）to his waist in black muck（淤泥） was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death.
The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse(稀疏的) surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved.
"I want to repay you," said the nobleman. "You saved my son's life."
"No, " the Scottish farmer replied, waving off the offer. At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door of the family hovel（茅舍）.
"Is that your son?" the nobleman asked. "Yes," the farmer replied proudly.
"I'll make you a deal. Let me take him and give him a good education. If the lad is anything like his father, he'll grow to a man you can be proud of."
And that he did. In time, Farmer Fleming's son graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin.
Years afterward, the nobleman's son was stricken with pneumonia(肺炎).
What saved him? Penicillin.
The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill.
His son's name? Sir Winston Churchill.Whose life did the Scottish farmer save?
| A．Lord Randolph Churchill's. | B．Sir Winston Churchill's. |
| C．Sir Alexander Fleming's | D．Penicillin's. |
Why did the nobleman take the farmer's son and give him a good education?
| A．The nobleman wanted to bring him up to be a man like his father. |
| B．The farmer was too poor to afford his son's education. |
| C．The nobleman wanted to pay back the farmer for saving his son. |
| D．The farmer wanted to make his son become a proud man. |
What kind of person could the farmer Fleming probably be?
| A．Kind, brave and generous. | B．Kind, shy and merciful. |
| C．Kind, innocent and passive. | D．Kind, brave and honest. |
Which of the following might be NOT TRUE according to the text?
| A．The farmer saved the nobleman's son twice. |
| B．The nobleman's son later became a great person. |
| C．The farmer's son later became a great person. |
| D．Penicillin is a powerful kind of medicine. |
What’s in a name? Well, apparently, our general happiness. Psychologists say that what we are called has a direct connection with our well-being (幸福).
Those called Judy and Joshua are the happiest, while Lynn or Ben is likely to be the unhappiest, according to research. Psychologist Dr David Holmes found that this might due to the association(联想)that others made with the name. Hearing the name Judy may make them think of actress Judi Dench or TV presenter Judy Finnigan, people who are seen as good natured and happy. On the other hand, people think Paulines are unhappy because of the character Pauline Fowler from the TV programme East Enders. The research claims that this association influences the person with the name and so their personality becomes shaped to fit it. Dr David Holmes said, "This also has some relation with the original meaning of the name. For example, the original meaning of Judy is 'praised’."
Certain names also work well in certain aspects of life. In the workplace Richard and Judy are happiest, while those called Ruth and Carly are happiest in relationships. At the other end of the scale the unhappiest workers are Stuart and Liz, with the unhappiest in relationships being Frank and Harriet.
Dr Holmes said, "The relation we have with certain names, particularly important namesakes(同名者), also shapes how we see ourselves and so may have an effect on our confidence. Names are like product brands in having a powerful effect on attitudes and should therefore be chosen with care."
"Other names are connected with being brave, outgoing or serious. Therefore, many celebrities change their names to ones which reflect these characteristics. This, in turn, influences parents when they choose names for their babies," said Dr Holmes, "however, names connected with ordinary people are seldom chosen for their babies".
Which of the following is NOT a reason why Judy is a good name?
| A．The association people make with it. |
B．Its original meaning. |
C．The high number of famous people who are called Judy. |
D．The personalities of famous Judys. |
According to the passage, which of the following names are better?
| A．Ruth and Joshua. | B．Pauline and Frank. | C．Richard and Stuart. | D．Joshua and Ben. |
The reason why names should be chosen carefully is that___________.
| A．good names can make us succeed. |
B．names can affect how we see ourselves |
C．names can tell us what we should do |
D．good names can show others who we are |
The author may continue the passage with__________.
| A．names and product brands | B．famous people’s names |
C．parents ‘choices of baby names | D．names and personality |
What’s the main idea of this passage?
| A．How to choose a good name for babies. |
B．How to achieve success by changing a good name. |
C．The relation between names and success. |
D．The relation between names and happiness. |
As summer approaches, a lot of people will be in search of a great book to read while they are relaxing on the beach or by the pool. Here we have made a list of four e-books that we think are great summer reads.
Stark by Ben Elton--- If you have read a lot of books then you may know that Ben Elton is one of the funniest writers around the world. This book is one of his best pieces of work to date and it will certainly leave you in hysterics(狂笑). You may find yourself laughing out loud constantly when reading this book.
1984 by George Orwell---there is a big chance that some of you may have read this book ,but even if you have, it’s still well worth reading again. This is a great holiday book and it will shock you constantly due to the accuracy of the book. The book was actually written in 1948 and was written about what the author (George Orwell) fell the world would be like in 1984,and he was pretty spot-on .This book is thrilling and will probably leave you a little scared at the end of it.
The Road---This book is a fantastic read and will leave you hanging on edge all the way through it. This book is quite dark, however, and it certainly had some shocking moments throughout. The book is set in a post-apocalyptic(浩劫后的) world where modern life has been destroyed and in which there is no wildlife and a lot of humans have actually turned to cannibalism(同类相食).This book is fantastic if you enjoy a thrilling read that will leave you on the edge of your seat every few seconds. This certainly isn't a book for the faint of heart.
The Theory of Everything by Stephen Hawking---If you haven’t read this book yet then you really must .If you’re looking for a non-fiction and highly informative book for your summer then this is the book for you. This book was written by Professor Stephen Hawking and is extremely famous.What is the text mainly about?
| A．An introduction to four e-books that are great summer reads. |
| B．Advice on how to choose great e—books for summer reads. |
| C．The contents of four e-books that are famous around the world |
| D．People’s opinion on reading e-books on the beach. |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Ben Elton is the funniest writer all over the world. |
| B．If you’ve read 1984, there’s no need to read it again. |
| C．The Road presents a world in which there are no humans. |
| D．The Theory of Everything is full of information that is helpful to readers. |
We can learn from the passage that____________
| A．George Orwell wrote what the world in 1948 was like in his book |
| B．Readers will surely be scared after reading 1984. |
| C．The Theory of Everything is a work of popular fiction. |
| D．Readers who are fond of comedies may like to read Stark |
If Mark likes reading thrilling and exciting stories, which of the following should he choose?
| A．Stark | B．1984 | C．The Road | D．The theory of Everything |
In which section of a magazine would you most probably read the text?
| A．Literature | B．Travel | C．Lifestyle | D．Nature. |
In 2003, Bethany Hamilton,13, lost her left arm to a shark attack while surfing off Kauai, Hawaii. A new film ,Soul Surfer, is based on the story of how she overcame that to achieve her dream of becoming a professional athlete.
Growing up on the “garden isle” of Kauai, Hamilton spent every minute she could riding the waves. She was on the verge of (即将) becoming a top competitor in professional surfing. But while she was practicing at an isolated cove (小湾)，a four-meter-long tiger shark ripped off her left arm. Though her life was saved, nobody could imagine she would ever get back on a surfboard again.
In a true test of her faith and by tremendous will power, Bethany did get back up on a surfboard only a month after the attack. Six months later, she was competing again. Bethany Hamilton won her first amateur surfing championship just two years after she lost her arm. She also established the “Friends of Bethany,” a non---profit foundation dedicated to supporting sharks attack victims.
It’s a story told in her autobiography, which is the basis for the film that stars teenager Anna Sophia Robb. “I knew Bethany’s story, of course, but I thought ‘What an incredible role’ ,”explains Robb. “I was so fascinated by all of the challenges. What would it be like to have your arm taken and what would go through your head and how would your faith be challenged?”
The filmmakers used special effects to digitally remove Robb’ s arm .However ,no tricks were necessary for the surfing scenes because Hamilton herself did the breathtaking wave riding.
Now 21, Hamilton says she hopes audiences find inspiration in the description of the sport she loves.
“Not a lot of people know that much about surfing, so I hope they’re educated about it,” Hamilton says. “And most of all if people are going through a hard time, they could be encouraged and find inspiration to push through those hard times and see that, in my case ,so much good has come out of it.”According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?.
| A．Hamilton was severely injured when surfing. |
| B．Nobody thought Hamilton could overcome the troubles. |
| C．Rob did the breathtaking wave riding in the film Soul Surfer. |
| D．Hamilton established the “Friends of Bethany” to help shark attack victims. |
Which of the following can best take the place of the underlined word “tremendous” in the third paragraph?
| A．Free. | B．Easy | C．Smart. | D．Strong. |
What can we learn from Anna Sophia Robb’s words?
| A．She was absorbed in the story. |
| B．she wasn’t sure she could play the role well. |
| C．She wants to challenge her faith. |
| D．She doesn’t believe Bethany’s story. |
How does Hamilton hope people will be affected by her story?
| A．she hopes more people will take up surfing. |
| B．she hopes people will be inspired and encouraged |
| C．She hopes more people will keep off the sharks. |
| D．She hopes people will donate something to her charity. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．A lot of people are fond of surfing. |
| B．Good things will happen to the disabled in the end. |
| C．Faith and will power will help people go through hard times. |
| D．People can always overcome every difficulty in life. |
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