Robots are common in todays world. They manufacture cars, work in space, explore oceans, clean up oil spills and investigate dangerous environments. And now, scientists at the University of Manchester are using a robot as a laboratory partner.
The researchers at the university created the robot in 2009 and named it Adam. Despite the name, Adam is not a humanoid robot. It is about the size of a car.
Adam was built to do science and make discoveries. Ross King is the leader of the University of Manchester research team. He says the robot made a discovery about yeast（酵母）, a kind of fungus used in science as a model for human cells.
“Adam hypothesized certain functions of genes within yeast and experimentally tested these hypothesizes and confirmed them. So it both hypothesized and confirmed new scientific knowledge.”
Adam's success as a scientist led to the creation of another robot scientist named Eve. Researchers developed Eve to design and test drugs for tropical and neglected diseases. These diseases kill and infect millions of people each year.
Drug development is slow and costly. Experts say it can take more than 10 years and about $1 billion to discover and develop new medicines. Drug manufacturers are unlikely to get their investment money back.
So the University of Manchester developed a low-cost test that shows whether or not a chemical is likely to be made into an effective medicine. Mr. King says that other drug testing methods were not very effective.
“How it works conventionally is you use robotics(机器人技术) as well and you have a large collection of possible drugs. You test every single compound(复合物). And you start at the beginning of your library and continue until the end, and stop. So it’s not a very intelligent process. The robotics doesn’t learn anything as it goes along, even if its tested a million compounds, it still doesnt have any expectation of what will happen next when it tests a new compound.”
Mr. King says that Eve is different because the robot learns as it tests different compounds. He says the robot is designed to ignore compounds that it thinks unlikely to be good. It will only test the compounds which have a good chance of working.
Eve has discovered that a compound known to be effective against cancer might also be used to fight against malaria and other tropical diseases.
Mr. King says he hopes to completely automate the drug testing process with robots like Eve to create and test new chemicals. But he says humans remain in control of the manufacturing process.Adam can do all the following EXCEPT ________.
| A．making discoveries | B．working in space |
| C．helping researchers | D．doing scientific research |
The underlined word “hypothesized” probably means ________.
| A．learned | B．guessed |
| C．discovered | D．created |
The development of new drugs is slow because ________.
a. It takes long to test new drugs.
b. It takes long to produce new drugs.
c. New drugs are less effective.
d. It takes long to profit from new drugs.
e. Conventional testing methods dont work well.
| A．abc | B．bcd | C．cde | D．ade |
Eve has an advantage of ________.
| A．testing a million compound at a time |
| B．controlling the manufacturing the process |
| C．expecting what will happen while testing drugs |
| D．making scientific research |
What might be the best title for the passage?
| A．Robot Scientist Helps Design New Drugs |
| B．Adam—the Smart Robot |
| C．New Methods to Test Drugs |
| D．Scientists Develop Humanoid Robots |
The latest fashion in kitchen is the food steamer． All the stores are selling them; everyone wants one． Steaming is one of the simplest and healthiest ways of cooking food．However, that cooking time is usually longer than with other methods． In case you’re thinking of buying a steamer, I've done a survey about the steamers available on the market to help you decide which will suit you best．
●Folding Steamer
The simplest and least expensive is the folding stainless-steel （不锈钢）version．
Advantages: This is a good, basic design which sits inside a variety of different shapes of pans with the water under it; a ring in the center allows for easy lifting and it's easy to clean．
Disadvantages: It only holds small dishes． Also, if you put too much water in the pan, it will boil up through the vegetables and they will be watery． If you put too little water in and let it get dry, you will burn the pan and get strange-smelling vegetables．
●Steaming Pan
This is a three-layered black Teflon-coated version with a lid and two double-handled steamers, which sits on the oven ring． The brand I bought is called Nutritious Living．
Advantages: This is an excellent steamer, lightweight, easy to clean, and of all the steamers I've tried, this cooks the fastest． Fish and chicken can be cooked on the bottom with rice or vegetables on the top． It's easier to store．
Disadvantages: Water can boil away until the pan is dry, but if you make sure you fill the pan up to the suggested level and do not overcook the food, this should not happen．You cannot see the food cooking from the top． It doesn't supply a dish for cooking rice．
For serious users of steamers, I recommend having one of each version． If you just want to try it, get the folding stainless-steel type．Why did the author carry out the survey________.
| A．To inform people of different steamers |
| B．To run an advertisement for steamers |
| C．To find out a suitable steamer to buy |
| D．To learn how to cook with steamers |
What can we learn about the folding steamer________.
| A．It comes in different kinds of shapes and sizes． |
| B．It is designed for large families． |
| C．It is able to clean itself． |
| D．It is easy to take out． |
The Nutritious Liuing steamer________．
| A．is more difficult to store |
| B．provides a dish to cook rice with |
| C．cooks different foods at the same time |
| D．cooks fish and chicken faster than vegetables |
According to the author, you should________．
| A．use steamers to save cooking time |
| B．buy a steamer with dishes supplied |
| C．do a survey before choosing a steamer |
| D．buy a folding steamer if you want to try |
"Shark on the bait （诱饵） !" shouted Andre Harman, pointing to a spot a few yards behind the outboard motors． His voice gave no indication of panic, but the crew suddenly became tense and fixed their eyes on the water． Slowly, smoothly, Andre drew in the bait．The shark followed． No one asked what kind of shark it was． Everything about it, from its color to its shape, tells that it was a great white shark．
Andre lifted the bait aboard． Placing himself between the two motors, he dropped his right hand into the water just as the great head reached the first motor．“My goodness Andre!” I said． His hand seized the big nose, moving it away from the tube of the motor, guiding the shark's head up as it rose out of the water． Andre's hand held the nose, touching it gently． No one spoke． No one breathed． The moment seemed endless． In fact, it lasted less than five seconds before Andre pulled his hand back．
Still nobody spoke． Then Andre smiled and said: "The first time was an accident． I was just trying to move the shark away from the motor． Sharks are attracted to motors by r．heir electrical signals and have a habit of biting them to see if they are eatable． " Andre has worked with great white sharks for years． "My hand landed on its nose, and it sort of paused, so I kept it there, and when I did let go, the shark bit and bit as if it was searching for whatever it was that had attracted it．"
Nearly every encounter （遭遇） we had had with the great whites had been totally illogical． The more we learned, the more we realized how little was really known about them in the past years． Back then, it was generally accepted that great whites ate people by choice． Now we know that almost every attack on a human is an accident in which the shark mistakes a human for its normal food． Back then, we thought that once a great white smelt blood, it would lead to death． Now we know that nearly three-quarters of bite victims survive, perhaps because the shark recognizes that is has made a mistake and doesn't return for a second bite．The author said, "My goodness! Andre ! " when ________．
| A．Andre was about to fall into the water |
| B．Andre was about to touch the shark |
| C．Andre was followed by the shark |
| D．Andre was bitten by the shark |
What does the author think of the encounters with great whites________.
| A．Exciting． | B．Educational． |
| C．Frightening | D．Reasonable |
Most bite victims survive in shark attacks because________.
| A．they are taught how to fight off sharks |
| B．sharks discover they are no threats |
| C．they manage to swim to safety |
| D．sharks stop attacking them |
For many years, women could only be seen on the seat behind the men operating the two-wheeled motorcycle. Now more and more women are taking the front seat. More than twenty million people in the United States ride motorcycles.
Since 1998 the number of female（女性）bikers has risen sharply. Lady Sport Riders began in 1999 in Washington. The women formed the organization to share their love of motorcycle riding. But later it wanted to be more than just an organization for women to gather and ride motorcycles, so it started to organize events that help national health organizations and women’s shelters. It also permits women to share a strong sisterhood, and gives financial awards to poor students. Like other motorcycle clubs, the members of Lady Sport Riders also help their community.
Different from male riders, female riders ride for more than fun. This sport gives women a sense of freedom and control. Female riders have helped change motorcycle culture. More than five years ago manufacturers began making equipment especially for women. Some bikes now have smaller, softer seats and controls that are easier to reach. Modern clothes for riding now look good and still provide protection. In the past, women rode motorcycles that traveled at a moderate speed. Now theirs are as powerful as the ones men ride. Safety is very important when riding because the risk (危险) of injury is high. So the women wear protective clothing and equipment at all times, especially for the head.
Lady Sport Riders believes women have earned their place in the sport of motorcycle riding. When speaking of male motorcyclists, the members of the club say, “They Made the Game. We Came to Play!”
What can we learn from the first paragraph?
| A．The number of female motorcyclists is now larger than that of male riders. |
| B．Motorcycle riding used to be considered a male sport. |
| C．Female motorcyclists are more skilled at riding than male riders. |
| D．More and more women have an adventurous spirit. |
In the beginning, Lady Sport Riders was organized to .
| A．allow women to take up motorcycling |
| B．offer help to national health organizations |
| C．share their great interest in the sport of motorcycling |
| D．supply financial help to poor students |
What do men motorcyclists mainly expect to get from motorcycling?
| A．Strength and power. |
| B．Pleasure from this sport. |
| C．Money and fame. |
| D．A sense of freedom. |
Compared with the past, the present equipment makes riding more ______ for women.
| A．difficult | B．expensive |
| C．risky | D．pleasant |
In many countries the standard of living enjoyed by their people has increased rapidly in recent years. Sadly, not everyone in these countries is so fortunate and many people in rich countries are homeless.
The reasons for homelessness are various, but poverty（贫穷）is undoubtedly one of the main causes. The homeless people may have become jobless and then been unable to pay their rent and so no longer have a roof over their heads. Often, the fact that unemployed people get help from the government prevents this from happening, but not always.
Some homeless people are mentally ill and have no one to look after them. Some are young people who, for one reason or another, have left home and have nowhere to live. Many of them have had a serious disagreement with their parents and have left home, choosing to go to a city and live on the streets. Sometimes they have taken such action because they have been unable to get on with a step-parent.
Many homeless people get into the habit of begging to get enough money to stay alive, but many of the general public refuse to give anything to beggars. Often they are moved on by the police, being accused （指控），whether rightly or wrongly, of forceful begging . There are many who disrespect homeless people.
Some cynics（愤世嫉俗的人）declare that homeless people choose to live the life which they lead. But who would willingly choose to live in a shop doorway, under a bridge or in a cardboard box?According to the text, what causes some people to be homeless?
| A．Lack of money. |
| B．The increased standard of living. |
| C．No government help. |
| D．Agreement with their parents. |
It can be inferred from the text that________.
| A．the homeless are willing to live under a bridge or in a cardboard box |
| B．you will not find homeless people in countries with a high standard of living |
| C．the unemployed who receive help may still be among homeless |
| D．the mentally ill live on the streets because they want the company of other homeless people |
In paragraph 2 , “a roof over their heads ”most probably means _________.
| A．a cap | B．a car | C．a home | D．a covering |
The author thinks that the homeless people are _________.
| A．admirable | B．respectable |
| C．troublesome | D．Pitiful |
Reading is very important to help you learn English. To learn as much as you can from reading, you need to read different kinds of English. This book provides not only different kinds of English but also a good way to check your reading ability.
There are four parts in the book:
Part 1 is Messages: In this part somebody wants to send information in writing to somebody else. There is a test on timetable and a test on text messages.
Part 2 is People: In this part all the tests are about people. For example, there is an informal letter between friends. There is formal(正式的) English in biography(传记). There is a job application as a model to help with your writing, as well as testing your reading.
Part 3 is Places: In this part, too, many different kinds of English are shown, some informal and some formal. There is the informal English of a holiday postcard. There is also the formal English in a letter of complaint.
Part 4 is Things: You will find some descriptive(描写的) writing in this part. There are descriptions of clothes and of a computer.
You can do these tests in any order you like, or you can do all the tests with a formal or informal text. I enjoyed writing this book and I hope you enjoy using it.We can find the introduction to a product in ___________.
| A．part 1 | B．Part 2 | C．Part 3 | D．Part 4 |
Which of the following is most probably written in informal English?
| A．A letter of complaint. |
| B．A letter of a friend |
| C．A computer handbook. |
| D．A story of a president. |
The passage is most probably written for _________.
| A．students | B．test designers |
| C．test-takers | D．teachers |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号