Even at school there had been an unhealthy competition between George and Richard.
“I’ll be the first millionaire in Coleford!” Richard used to boast.
“And you’ll be sorry you knew me,” George would reply “because I’ll be the best lawyer in the town!”
George never did become a lawyer and Richard never made any money. Instead both men opened bookshops on opposite sides of Coleford High Street. It was hard to make money from books, which made the competition between them worse.
Then Richard married a mysterious girl. The couple spent their honeymoon on the coast—but Richard never came back. The police found his wallet on a deserted beach but the body was never found. He must have drowned.
Now with only one bookshop in town, business was better for George. But sometimes he sat in his narrow, old kitchen and gazed out of the dirty window, thinking about his formal rival. Perhaps he missed him?
George was very interested in old dictionaries. He’d recently found a collector in Australia who was selling a rare first edition. When the parcel arrived, the book was in perfect condition and George was delighted. But while he was having lunch, George glanced at the photo in the newspaper that the book had been wrapped in. He was astonished—the smiling face was older than he remembered but unmistakable! Trembling, George started reading.
“Bookends have bought ten bookstores from their rival Dylans. The company, owned by multi-millionaire Richard Pike, is now the largest bookseller in Australia.”George and Richard were ______ at school.
| A．roommates | B．good friends |
| C．competitors | D．booksellers |
How did George feel about Richard after his disappearance?
| A．He envied Richard’s marriage. |
| B．He thought of Richard from time to time. |
| C．He felt lucky with no rival in town. |
| D．He was guilty of Richard’s death. |
What can we infer from this article?
| A．Richard’ wife played an important part in his career. |
| B．Competition could make close friends become rivals. |
| C．George got information about Richard from the wrapping paper of a book. |
| D．Richard became a millionaire while George had no great success. |
“The noise made by boats of whale watching tourists may be causing communication problems for the animals, "British researchers said last week.
Whale watching is a popular tourist activity in places where groups of killer whales (虎鲸）live. Every day, dozens of boats filled with tourists go to watch the beautiful animals. Unfortunately, the engines of the boats make a lot of noise，and that may cause problems for the whales, according to a report in the US science magazine Nature.
The whales travel in groups, and communicate with each other through sonic (声波的）calls that some scientists refer to as singing. The sounds of the boat engines may be creating too much background noise for the whales to be able to hear each other.
The researchers listened to recordings of whale calls made between 15 and 25 years ago, before whale watching became popular. These were com-pared to more recent recordings.
They found that the animals have started to sing for longer than they used to, like a person shouting to a friend across a noisy room.
It is believed that the whales are trying to communicate hunting or breeding (繁殖）information. Scientists said that, if this is prevented, the future of the world's whale population could be in danger.
"Animals become slow in mind and repeat them-selves in noisy areas，" said Volker Deecke , a Canadi-an biologist. “They have to say things twice or three times in order to be understood. ”
The killer whales studied were living off the coast of northwestern America. The number of killer whales in this area has been falling for several years, but scientists are not sure why. The passage mainly tells us __________.
| A．the problems of whale watching |
| B．how killer whales communicate with each other |
| C．the reduced population of killer whales caused by whale watching |
| D．hearing problems of the killer whales caused by whale watching |
Now in a noisy background, the killer whales have to __________
| A．sing in a louder voice |
| B．sing longer |
| C．travel in smaller groups |
| D．get nearer to each other |
Scientists believe that killer whales sing to __________
| A．warn each other of dangers |
| B．keep in the same group |
| C．send useful information |
| D．enjoy themselves |
From the passage, we can feel that the author is __________.
| A．angry |
| B．hopeful |
| C．worried |
| D．disappointed |
Which of the following is the possible result of whale watching?
| A．Fewer fish in the ocean. |
| B．Misunderstanding between the whales. |
| C．Reduced number of the whales in the area. |
| D．Serious water pollution along the coast. |
According to the US government, wind farms off the Pacific coast could produce 900 gigawatts of electricity every year. Unfortunately, the water there is far too deep for even the tallest windmills (see pic-ture) to touch bottom. An experiment under way off the coast of Norway, however, could help put them anywhere.
The project, called Hywind, is the world's first large-scale deep-water wind turbine (涡轮发电机). Although it
uses a fairly standard 152-ton,2. 3-megawatt turbine, Hywind represents totally new technology. The turbine will be fixed 213 feet above the water on a floating spar (鄉 picture )，a technology Hywind's creator, the Norwegian company Statoil Hydro , has developed recently. The steel spar, which is filled with stones and goes 328 feet below the sea surface, will be tied to the ocean floor by three cables (缆索）；these will keep the spar stable and prevent the turbine from moving up and down in the waves. Hywind's stability (稳定性）in the cold and rough sea would prove that even the deepest corners of the ocean are suitable for wind power. If all goes according to plan, the turbine will start producing electricity six miles off the coast of southwestern Norway as early as September.
To produce electricity on a large scale, a commercial wind farm will have to use bigger turbines than Hywind does, but it's difficult enough to balance such a large turbine so high on a floating spar in the middle of the ocean. To make that turbine heavier, the whole spar's centre of gravity must be moved much closer to the ocean's surface. To do that, the company plans to design a new kind of wind turbine, one whose gearbox (变速箱）sits at sea level rather than behind the blades (see picture).
Hywind is a test run, but the benefits for perfecting floating wind-farm technology could be extremely large. Out at sea, the wind is often stronger and steadier than close to shore, where all existing offshore windmills are planted. Deepsea farms are in-visible from land, which helps overcome the windmill-as -eyesore objection. If the technology catches on, it will open up vast areas of the planet，s surface to one of the best low-carbon power sources available. The Hywind project uses totally new technology to ensure the stability of __________.
| A．the cables which tie the spar to the ocean floor |
| B．the spar which is floating in deep-sea water |
| C．the blades driven by strong and steady sea wind |
| D．the stones filled in the spar below the sea surface |
To balance a bigger turbine high on a floating spar, a new type of turbine is to be designed with its gearbox sitting __________
| A．on the sea floor |
| B．on the spar top |
| C．at sea level |
| D．behind the blades |
Wide applications of deepwater wind power tech-nology can __________
| A．solve the technical problems of deepwater windmills |
| B．make financial profits by producing more tur-bines |
| C．settle the arguments about environmental prob-lems |
| D．explore low-carbon power resources available at sea |
Researchers are placing robotic dogs in the homes of lonely old people to determine whether they can improve the quality of life for humans. Alan Beck, an expert in human-animal relationship, and Nancy Edwards, a professor of nursing, are leading the animal-assisted study concerning the influence of robotic dogs on old people's depression, physical activity, and life satisfaction. “No one will argue that an older person is better off being more active, challenged, or stimulated, Edwards points out. "The problem is how we promote that, especially for those without friends or help. A robotic dog could be a solution. ”
In the study, the robot, called AIBO, is placed for six weeks in the houses of some old people who live alone. Before placing AIBO in the home, re-searchers will collect baseline data for six weeks. These old people will keep a diary to note their feelings and activity before and after AIBO. Then, the researchers will review the data to determine if it has inspired any changes in the life of its owner.
“I talk to him all the time, and he responds to my voice，” says a seventy-year-old lady, “When I'm watching TV, he'll stay in my arms until he wants down. He has a mind of his own. ”
The AIBOs respond to certain orders. The researchers say they have some advantages over live dogs, especially for old people. Often the elderly are disabled and cannot care for an animal by walking it or playing with it. A robotic dog removes exercise and feeding concerns.
"At the beginning, it was believed that no one would relate to the robotic dog, because it was metal and not furry，" Beck says. "But it's amazing how quickly we have given up that belief. "
"Hopefully, down the road, these robotic pets could become a more-valuable health helper. They will record their masters' blood pressure, oxygen levels, or heart rhythms. AIBOs may even one day have games that can help stimulate older people's minds. " The purpose of Beck and Edwards' study is to __________.
| A．understand human-animal relationship |
| B．make lonely old peoples life better |
| C．find the causes of old people's loneliness |
| D．promote the animal-assisted research |
In the research, the old people are asked to __________
| A．note the activities of AIBOs |
| B．keep AIBOs at home for 12 weeks |
| C．record their feelings and activity |
| D．analyze the collected information |
What is the advantage of AIBO over live dogs?
| A．It is easier to keep at home. |
| B．It can help the disabled people. |
| C．It responds to all the human orders. |
| D．It can watch TV with its owner. |
The author seems to suggest that the future robotic dogs may __________.
| A．cure certain diseases |
| B．keep old people active |
| C．change people's beliefs |
| D．look more like real dogs |
Robots at the World Expo 2010 Shanghai play football，practice tai chi , play the violin, prepare Chinese dishes and care for the elderly. Scrap metal robots created by a Chinese farmer can pour tea and paint pictures.
Global designers of robots are making them more capable, powerful and affordable, so they will play more roles in more sectors, from manufacturing to health care, and they can help around the house.
Now Toyota, the world's biggest car maker, and Canon, the biggest camera maker, have joined research and development to make robots a practical reality, like a PC.
The Expo Shanghai is a place where China can learn about advanced robotics, and a stage for made-in-China robots.
Developers are taking robots from “Star Wars” and top laboratories and putting them into the industrial sector, even in consumer markets. They are used in health care, computer programming, manufacturing and culture.
The goals are to add more practical functions and to cut prices, and lower cost comes with higher volume.
“The World Expo is a unique opportunity to demonstrate French technology，”says Bruno Maisonnier，chief executive of Aldebaran Robotics, which shows Nao robots in the France Pavilion.
More than 700 Nao robots, which cost 1,000 to12,000 euros (US $ 14,640) each, are sold mainly to research organizations, including 60 to 70 in China.
The French-based company aims to promote robots in the general public market starting from late2011，with entertainment or learning functions at a "reasonable price", according to Maisonnier.
Visitors to the Japan Pavilion are struck by Toyota's dextrous Partner Robot playing the Chinese folk song Jasmine Flower on the violin. Other robots play other instruments, but the violin is the most complicated.
Many people were so enchanted by the robotic musician that they overlooked other Partner Robots, designed to be personal assistants especially for Japan's aging population. One can even carry passengers. Robots at the World Expo 2010 Shanghai are designed to be __________
| A．enjoyable and interesting |
| B．practical and affordable |
| C．good-looking and considerate |
| D．funny and relaxing |
Toyota and Canon have joined research and development to make robots, which shows __________
| A．robots are not too difficult to design |
| B．they want to abandon their present career |
| C．they are more fit to make robots |
| D．robot manufacture will become a big market |
From the passage we can see Nao robots are designed __________
| A．to show robots can be made cheaply |
| B．to meet the need of research |
| C．to serve the needs of every one of us |
| D．to show robots can be intelligent |
What's the best title of the passage?
| A．Advanced robots in the world |
| B．Robots in the future |
| C．Robots, practical and affordable |
| D．Robots show at the World Expo 2010 Shanghai |
Among the most popular books being written today are those which are usually classified as science fiction. Hundreds of titles are published every year and are read by all kinds of people. Furthermore, some of the most successful films of recent years have been based on science fiction stories.
It is often thought that science fiction is a fairly new development in literature, but its ancestors can be found in books written hundreds of years ago. These books were often concerned with the presentation of some form of ideal society, a theme which is still often found in modern stories.
Most of the classics of science fiction, however, have been written within the last one hundred years. Books by writers such as Jules Verne and H. G. Wells, to mention just two well-known authors, have been translated in many languages. Modern science fiction writers don't write about men from Mars or space adventure stories. They are more interested in predicting the results of technical developments on society and the human mind, or in imagining future worlds which are a reflection of the world which we live in now. Because of this their writing has obvious political undertones.
In an age where science fact frequently over-takes science fiction, the writers may find it difficult to keep ahead of scientific advances. Those who are sufficiently clear-sighted to see the way we are going, however, may provide a valuable lesson on how to deal with the problems which society will inevitably face as it tries to master its new technology and come to terms with a continually changing view of the world. Most of the classics of science fiction have been written within __________.
| A．the last few hundred years |
| B．the last one hundred years |
| C．the last two hundred years |
| D．the last three hundred years |
Modern science fiction writers are interested in __________
| A．writing about men from Mars |
| B．writing about everything but politics |
| C．forecasting the results of technical develop-ments and imagining the future world |
| D．writing space adventure stories |
Science fiction writers may provide a valuable les-son on how to deal with the problems of __________
| A．conflict used by different political theories |
| B．adopting new technology and adapting quickly to its effects on society |
| C．conflict caused by different religious beliefs |
| D．space adventure |
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