TOKYO, JAPAN – What do you do when you see a cockroach (蟑螂)? Do you hit it with a newspaper? Do you step on it?
When researchers at Tokyo University see a cockroach, they take the remote control and make the cockroach turn around, run left or right, or go forward. These scientists are changing the cockroaches into robots（机器人）. Each cockroach has a very small packet that has in it a microprocessor (微处理器). Then researchers can send signals (信号) from the remote control to the packet. The signals control the movements of the cockroaches.
Why does anyone want to control a cockroach? “Insects can do many things that people can’t,” says Isao Shimoyama, head of robot research at Tokyo University. In a few years, he says, these robot insects will carry very small cameras. They will be able to move through earthquake rubble (瓦砾) to look for people or move under doors to find information about someone.
This may seem strange, but the Japanese government thinks the research is very important. The government is giving the scientists $ 5 million for this research.
First, the research keeps hundreds of cockroaches. They use only the American cockroach because it is bigger and stronger than other cockroaches. Then they choose the best cockroaches and remove their wings and antennae (触须). They put small packets where the antennae were. The packets weigh about three grams, or about two times the weight of the cockroaches themselves. “Cockroaches are very strong,” says Ralph Holzer, who is a researcher at Tokyo University. “They can lift 20 times their own weight.”
With a remote control, the scientists send signals to the packets. When a cockroach gets the signal, it moves. The problem is that the cockroaches don’t always move in the right direction.The scientists are changing the cockroaches into robots because _________.
| A．they want cockroaches to do things people can’t in the future |
| B．they want to control the movements of the cockroaches |
| C．they want cockroaches to take photos of the earthquakes |
| D．they want to send signals to the packets on the cockroaches |
Scientists control cockroaches’ movements _________.
| A．by removing their wings |
| B．by sending signals from the remote control |
| C．by using very small cameras |
| D．by removing their antennae |
What can cockroaches do to help people?
| A．They can lift 200 times their own weight. |
| B．They can help people to carry very small cameras. |
| C．They can keep hundreds of cockroaches. |
| D．They can search for those people in rubble after an earthquake. |
What problem do the cockroaches meet with?
| A．The cockroaches sometimes don’t move. |
| B．The cockroaches are too big to move through earthquake rubble. |
| C．The cockroaches sometimes move in the wrong direction. |
| D．The cockroaches can only lift 20 times their own weight. |
Dear Tom,
Thanks for your last letter. Do you want to know about my evening? Well, I usually get home from work at 6:00 pm. I cook dinner for my family—my parents, my sister and my brother. After dinner I usually watch TV, play computer games or play chess. I like playing chess because my father works in a chess club. I take a shower at around nine o’clock and then go to bed at around nine- thirty. Sometimes I read some books because I can learn something about my work.
How about your evening? Write to me soon, please.
Best wishes,
VictorWhen does Victor get home from work?
| A．At 6:00 am | B．At 6:00 pm | C．At 9:00 am | D．At 9:30 pm |
Victor’s family has _____people.
| A．2 | B．3 | C．4 | D．5 |
What doesn’t Victor do in the evening?
| A．watch TV | B．play computer games |
| C．play the piano | D．play chess |
Where does Victor’s father work?
| A．In a chess club | B．In a swimming club |
| C．At a school | D．At a bookstore |
The letter is mainly(主要地)about______.
| A．Victor’s work | B．Victor’s evening |
| C．Victor’s family | D．Victor’s dinner |
| Family Rules |
1. Get up at 6:00 am and go to bed by 10:00 pm. 2. Don’t talk loudly（大声地） in the room. 3. Clean your bedroom every day. 4. Wash your skirts and T-shirts 5. Don’t meet friends before you finish your homework. |
| ______ Rules |
1. Come into the room with clean shoes. 2. Don’t eat or drink in the room. 3. Don’t talk loudly in the room. 4. Open the computers right and close them after class. |
When does the girl go to bed?
| A．At 6:00 am | B．By 10:00 pm |
| C．At 10:30 pm | D．At 11:00 pm |
The word(s) in the blank(空格) can be ______
| A．Computer room | B．Library |
| C．Classroom | D．Supermarket |
You can’t _____ in the two kinds of rules.
| A．clean the room | B．eat or drink |
| C．talk loudly | D．open the computers |
The word “close” means ______in Chinese.
| A．打开 | B．搬走 | C．冲洗 | D．关闭 |
From these rules, we know______.
| A．the girl in the Family Rules is a student. |
| B．the girl’s mother helps her wash skirts. |
| C．you can’t listen to music in computer class. |
| D．you may come into the room with skirts and T-skirts. |
We are told breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and dinner the most enjoyable. But what about lunch? In today’s fast-paced society, not many people take time to enjoy this midday meal. We just take a quick salad, or buy a sandwich and eat at our computers. Sometimes, if there is a deadline around the corner, we just give up lunch. The development of technology hasn’t done our eating habits much good, either. We are constantly distracted（分神） by e-mails, social media, 24-hour news, and hand-held electronic devices.
Long working hours can cause all kinds of health problems. Employers should encourage workers to take time off for lunch. This is because long lunch breaks can benefit both people and society. To take a lunch break is to slow down and gain some views. A break from work allows us to think cleverly and outside the box. It also puts our daily tasks into a wider context（环境）.
What we eat at lunch is also important. A fast-food lunch is more harmful than not having lunch at all. And it’s not just about calories and unhealthy food. Recent studies show that fast food also has negative effects on how we think. However, if we sit down at a proper restaurant and chat leisurely with colleagues, we are more likely to slow down and talk about something that hardly can be achieved in a noisy and crowded fast food chain.Do many people take time to enjoy the midday meal?
What can cause all kinds of health problems?
Why should employers encourage workers to take time off for lunch?
Which is more harmful, having a fast-food lunch or not having lunch at all?
According to an official report on youth violence（暴力）, “The greatest danger to the lives of children is not disease or food shortage, but violence”. Why aren’t students taught to manage conflict（冲突）the way they are taught to solve math problems, drive cars, or stay physically fit?
First of all, students need to realize that conflict is unavoidable. A report on violence among middle school students shows that most violence between students begin with small things. For example, a fight could start over the fact that one student eats a peanut butter sandwich each lunchtime. Laughter over the sandwich can then lead to a fight. The problem isn’t in the sandwich, but in the way students deal with the conflict.
Once students realize that conflict is unavoidable, they can practice the golden rule of staying calm（平静的）. Once the student feels calmer, he or she should choose words that will calm the other person down as well. Rude words only make things worse. On the other hand, soft words can put out the fire before it is out of control.
After both sides have calmed down, they can use another key way to help: listening. Listening allows the two sides to understand each other. One person should describe his or her side, and the other person should listen without getting in a word. Afterwards, the listener can ask some questions to make the speaker’s position clear. Then the two people should change roles.
Finally, students need to consider what they are hearing. This doesn’t mean trying to work out what’s wrong with the other person. It means understanding what both sides are trying to deal with. For example, a shouting match over a peanut butter sandwich might happen because one person thinks the other person is unwilling to try new things. Students need to ask themselves questions such as these: How did this start? What do I really want? What am I afraid of? As the problem becomes clearer, the conflict often simply becomes smaller.
There will always be conflict in schools, but that doesn’t mean there needs to be violence. Learning to resolve conflicts can help students deal with friends, teachers, parents and coworkers. In that way, conflict resolution（解决）is a basic life skill that should be taught in schools across the country.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The lives of school children. |
| B．The causes of fights in schools. |
| C．How to explain youth violence. |
| D．How to deal with school conflicts. |
What can we learn from Paragraph 2?
| A．A small conflict can lead to violence. |
| B．Students seem to lose their temper easily. |
| C．Violence is more likely to happen at lunchtime. |
| D．The eating habit of a student often causes a fight. |
Why do students need to ask themselves the questions in Paragraph 5?
| A．To make clear what the real problem is. |
| B．To find out who should take responsibility. |
| C．To show more considerations for both sides. |
| D．To work out how to stop the shouting match. |
What’s the writer’s purpose for writing this passage?
| A．To tell the latest studies on school violence. |
| B．To teach students different skills for school life. |
| C．To describe some problems in school education. |
| D．To suggest teaching conflict management in schools |
You eat to stay fit and keep your body working, right? Then reading is food for your mind and soul. Reading informs you of what’s happening around. Reading encourages you to think and imagine, think out of the box and imagine the impossible.
In the past, people just read books, only books. Today, we have books online, which makes reading easy. The web, our new storehouse of information is just a click away.But this in no way has stolen the magic of reading books ,the sound of their pages’ flutter（翻页） and their smell…… .You can lie in bed with a book, but with a computer you possibly can’t. No matter how you read, reading is important.
Remember those bedtime stories? We read fun facts about animals, plants and the universe. We ask “whys” and “hows”. In books, we find their answers. Children who are introduced to reading at an early age are seen to have a better understanding of phonics (语音学). They master language skills easily, have a richer vocabulary and have greater reading abilities. Children, who grow up reading good books, mostly stand out. The way they think and act is very different from those who have never been introduced to reading. Reading not only adds to their knowledge but also shapes their personalities. Reading has a great influence on one’s life. Teenagers are easily influenced by whatever they read. If inspirational stories and life experiences are read in one’s teens, they can change a person for the better. They stay with him and keep encouraging him to achieve his goals and choose the right against the wrong.
The more you read, the more creative and imaginative you will become. Reading develops vocabulary, improves language skills and sharpens your problem-solving abilities. It leads to a better understanding of self. Reading gives you knowledge, it makes you more confident. The more you read about others’ lives and experiences, a better decision-maker you will become.
Reading about the importance of reading should lead you to read more, and more, and more. So choose a book you like and don’t stop reading until you reach the end. And even after that read as much as you can.Which of the following is true?
| A．Children should start reading at a young age. |
| B．Parents should tell their children stories every day. |
| C．Teenagers should think and act differently from others. |
| D．Students should find answers to their questions in books. |
The underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 means ______.
| A．reading books is no longer a pleasure to people |
| B．reading books is less interesting than reading online |
| C．reading online can’t take the place of reading books |
| D．reading online can’t be difficult for people |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．More teenagers read online now. |
| B．What teenagers read builds their future. |
| C．What children should learn first is phonics. |
| D．More practice makes reading easier. |
What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．Why Is Reading Important? |
| B．What Should Teenagers Read? |
| C．How Is Reading Ability Improved? |
| D．When Should Children Start Reading? |
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