Robots that can chat, find misplaced glasses, draw airplanes 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 the solitary fight loneliness and stay alert (机警的) in old age. “Many old people in Japan live alone and have no one to talk to,” said Kazuya Kitamura, a representative of the expo organizer. “Communication robots stay together with old people and don’t mind listening to the same stories over and over again.”
While Chapit, a relatively simple robot, managed to attract a partner, many researchers, such as Kiyoshi Matsumoto, a professor at the University of Tokyo, struggle to attract sponsors for more expensive projects.
Matsumoto’s “Personal Mobility Robot”, equipped with four cameras and a sensor to recognize the user’s centre of gravity, is designed to help the elderly move around without pressing buttons as in traditional wheelchairs.
The robot can also help find misplaced glasses by recognizing them with a sensor. “We have developed a robot that can assist many people, but because of the high cost, we still haven’t found a sponsor,” said Matsumoto, who added that the cost of the machine, if produced in large quantities, would be comparable to that of a small car. “In the current economic environment there are few companies willing to invest (投资) in such a costly project,” he said.
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, looking after children while parents work.
Japan is one of the world’s fastest-aging countries and the government predicts that by 2050 the population of people over 65 will reach 40 percent.What can Chapit do according to the text?
| A．It can find misplaced objects for the elderly. |
| B．It can help the elderly to move around freely. |
| C．It can communicate with people. |
| D．It can tell the same story over and over again. |
What is the problem with Matsumoto’s “Personal Mobility Robot”?
| A．It is too expensive. |
| B．It is not practical. |
| C．It is just like traditional wheelchairs. |
| D．It is not quite convenient for the elderly to use. |
“DiGRO” is designed to .
| A．keep children busy |
| B．create simple images |
| C．keep children company |
| D．help children learn how to draw |
What does the underlined word “solitary” in the second paragraph mean?
| A．Poor. | B．Lonely. | C．Unemployed. | D．Disabled. |
Every day we are adding more and more vacation ideas, destinations, tours, and articles. As you explore our website，you will find there is an ever-growing collection of things that will help make your vacation easier and more affordable．
We change our featured destinations very frequently so be sure to keep coming back to see what new ideas we have for your family vacation．We feature a different state，park, and city destination on the front page of the website．These change frequently, so be sure to sign up for our newsletter so you can be sure to keep up with all the new information．
Another great feature we are offering is Guest Articles．These may come from a travel professional，author, parent or child about their travel ideas or offers．These informative articles are great to read and are perfect for discovering valuable tips and tricks for the travel less stressful．Plus，in many articles you will discover some hidden gems(珍品)that you probably miss if you did not know about them．
One of the best things about our website is our ability to get you discounted Tours and Attraction Passes to the places you want to go most．This is a fantastic way to plan ahead and have your tours and passes paid for and pick them up before you leave your home．Now that is a helpful way to go．These programs can save you over 50％of what you could expect to pay when you arrive．And，we are adding new tours and programs every week．Be sure to check it out．
You can be sure we are working hard for you so that you can relax on your vacation. Let us do all the leg work for you so you can simply enjoy your family vacation!Which of the following shows the organization of the text?(P=Paragraph)
What does the writer want to do by writing this text?
| A．To give people tips on family vacations． |
| B．To offer travelers featured destinations． |
| C．To attract readers to surf a tourist website． |
| D．To introduce hidden gems for traveling． |
What can we learn from Guest Articles?
| A．steps to sign up for the family vacation website． |
| B．Tips on keeping up with new travel information． |
| C．Tips and tricks for a comfortable trip. |
| D．Tricks for enjoying a free family vacation |
Which isn’t the benefit that the website brings to us?
| A．We can get discounted Tours and Attraction Passes |
| B．We can get some information of new tours and programs |
| C．We can have our Passes in hand when starting off． |
| D．We can enjoy a family vacation with leg work． |
A man, who sometimes takes my bus, is in rags. His life seems different from that of the others. He looks exhausted and carries nothing. He appears along a downtown street, seemingly out of nowhere. We sometimes want to know where he sleeps at night.
A few weeks ago he boarded the bus. A few stops later, a young woman boarded. She swiped (刷) her bus-card, only to find the machine would not accept it. The driver told her to pay the $2.25 fare. “I just bought this card,” she said. “I paid the money...”
The driver said she could take the card back to the sales office and explain the problem. In the meantime she would have to pay the fare for that day. The woman became confused and distressed. The rest of us just watched, wondering how the problem would be solved. Suddenly the man rose from his seat, dropped a few coins into the fare box.
“You’re lucky,” the bus driver said quietly. “He paid for you.” Silence fell over the bus. The rest of us had watched the woman’s discomfort, but he felt it. We lawyers, journalists and business people headed downtown to help fix the world. He fixed her world.
I haven’t seen him since that day. Some people believe angels occasionally drop down and move among us. All I know is that I have a new respect for the simple act of kindness. It speeds us along on our way.According to the first paragraph, the author _______.
| A．thinks highly of the man |
| B．considers the man strange |
| C．knows the man very well |
| D．often gives the man some help |
What does the underlined word “distressed” probably mean?
| A．exited | B．generous |
| C．bored | D．anxious |
What did the writer learn from the man?
| A．to show concern for other people. |
| B．to lead a happy life like the man. |
| C．to share what he has with us. |
| D．to believe that people are born kind. |
A strong imagination does children a lot of good. The following are 5 benefits of encouraging children’s imagination. As children play different roles, they explore relationships between family members, friends and co-workers and learn more about them. For example, playing a doctor, they imagine how doctors care for their patients; playing house, they learn more about how parents feel about their children.
Build self-confidence. Young children have very little control over their lives. Imagining oneself as a builder of tall buildings or a superhero defending the planet is giving power to a child.
Help intellectual（智力的）growth. Children who can see a king’s castle in a mound（堆）of sand are learning to think in an abstract（抽象的）way. This skill is important in school.
Kids who play with their friends do a lot of talking. This helps increase their vocabulary, improve sentence structure and communication skills.
Work out fears. When children role-play about the big, bad monster under the bed, they gain a sense of control over him and he doesn’t seem so big or so bad.
| A．Develop social skills. |
| B．Practice language skills. |
| C．Be willing to share. |
| D．It helps them develop confidence in their abilities. |
E. Imagination can help children help each other.
F. Using the imagination is the beginning of abstract thought.
G. Playing roles can help children work out their fears and worries.
For kids and many adults, a San Diego vacation means theme parks and other attractions. Before heading to a park call or check its website for updated hours of operation; many parks have seasonal or holiday hours. Ticket prices listed here are for general admission（入场费）, single-day use only.
Seaworld San Diego
A 6-minute tide（海潮）called Journey to Atlantis, which is to open in late May, tells the legend（传说）of the island nation. After the ride of Greek fishing boats, folks can visit a new exhibit of dolphins, which have not been on display at the park since 1998.
DETAILS: General admission is $ 46.95 for adults, $ 37.95 for children aged 3-9, free for children 2 and younger. 1-800-380-3203 or www.seaworld.com
San Diego Zoo
There’s not much in the way of new attractions. The zoo has a new panda cub（幼兽）, Mei Sheng. Nighttime Zoo, a program popular with families, starts June 26.
DETAILS: General admission is $21 for adults, $14 for children aged 3-11, free for children 2 and younger. 1 -（619）-234-5331 or www.Sandiegozoo.org
Maritime Museum of San Diego
The HMS Surprise, the 18th-century British warship featured in the film Master and commander, is on exhibit though Nov.30.
DETAILS: The ship is available for tours from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Admission is $ 8 for adults,$ 6 for seniors and children aged 13-17, $ 5 for kids aged 6-12, and free for kids 5 and younger. 1-（619）-234-8135 or www.sdmaritime.org
Old Town Trolley Tours
Visiting relatives or friends in San Diego? They can get a hometown pass and ride or free with your paid admission.
DETAILS: The main ticket booth（售票亭）is in Old Town at 4010 Twiggs St. Hours are from 9 am to 5 pm, daily $ 25.www. historictours.com/sandiego.The purpose of this text is to_______.
| A．warn | B．amuse |
| C．persuade | D．guide |
If you want to enjoy the performance of dolphins, you should go to________.
| A．Seaworld San Diego | B．San Diego Zoo |
| C．Maritime Museum of San Diego | D．Old Town Trolley Tours |
If a couple visits San Diego Zoo with their children, one aged 3 and the other 2, the admission will be____________.
| A．$35 | B．$49 | C．$56 | D．$70 |
According to the text, Old Town Trolley Tours can be well described by the saying________.
| A．“Love at first sight.” |
| B．“Kill two birds with one stone” |
| C．“Easy come, easy go.” |
| D．“Strike the iron while it is hot.” |
It can be inferred from the text that___________.
| A．San Diego Zoo will attract the largest number of children |
| B．there may be some stories about the island of Atlantis |
| C．tickets during the holidays are more expensive |
| D．the film Master and commander can be seen in Maritime Museum of San Diego |
Long, long ago there were a lot of donkeys. The donkeys worked hard every day. They had no time to play or to relax, but they never felt appreciated for the work they did.
One day two donkeys got bored. They wanted to live a comfortable life, So the donkeys went to see a wise old man. They told him their problem. The wise old man agreed that they worked too hard, and he wanted to help the donkeys.” I have an idea,” he said.
“What is your idea?” asked the donkeys.
“I will paint you and no one will know you are donkeys” said the man.
The man went off to find some paint and he returned in just a matter of minutes. He had two pots of paint. One pot was filled with white paint, and the other black paint.
The old man first painted them white, and then painted black stripes（斑纹）over the white paint. When he finished, the donkeys did not look at all like donkeys.” You no longer look like donkeys” the old man said.” Everyone will be fooled. I will call you something else, zebras.”
The zebras went to a field to eat grass. Now they did not have to work.
Soon, other donkeys saw the zebras. They asked the zebras where they came from. When the zebras told the donkeys their secret, the donkeys all rushed to see the old man.
“Make us into zebras, too,” they pleaded. So the wise old man painted more donkeys. As he did, more and more donkeys came.
The old man could not paint fast enough. Soon the donkeys became impatient. They began to kick about, and they knocked over the paint pots.
There was no more paint. The painted donkeys ran off to become zebras. The unpainted donkeys, because of their impatience, had to return to work.
This is why it is important to be patient. The text was written to
| A．tell an important truth about things |
| B．explain how donkeys became zebras |
| C．tell a good way to avoid hard work |
| D．explain how zebras got their stripes |
The two donkeys went to see a wise old man in order to
| A．tell him their problem | B．ask him for help |
| C．change into zebras | D．get some grass |
When the two donkeys returned, why did they no longer have to work?
| A．They didn’t eat enough grass. |
| B．They didn’t want to work. |
| C．No one knew they were donkeys. |
| D．They were no longer donkeys. |
What does the underlined word “pleaded” mean?
| A．Advised. | B．Ordered. |
| C．Agreed. | D．Begged, |
Many donkeys were not painted by the old man because
| A．no more paint was left | B．all the paint was used up |
| C．they couldn’t wait any longer | D．he was too tired to paint |
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