A robot is a computer-controlled machine that is programmed to move and handle objects. Robots are able to perform repetitive tasks more quickly, cheaply, and accurately (精确的) than humans. In 1995, about 700,000 robots were used－including over 500,000 in Japan, about 120,000 in Western Europe, and about 60,000 in the United States－all in the industrialized world. Many robots applications are designed for tasks that are either dangerous or unpleasant for human beings. Now, robotic technology can be used in more and more fields. Experts say in the future robots will be able to make new highways, constructsteel frameworks of buildings, clean sewage (污水系统), and such physical work. Besides, another possibility is the development of robotic technology in medical surgery operations.
Perhaps the greatest changes in future robots will improve from their increasing ability to reason. The field of artificial intelligence is moving rapidly from university labs to practical application in industry, and machines of a new kind of robots are being developed, which can perform something involved in the process of understanding and planning, such as the management of a battlefield. Even the control of a large factory will be performed by intelligent computers. And there might be a possibility that these computers can design and make robots of their own.
Is there anything dangerous involved in this artificial intelligence progress then? Robot technology has been making people nervous ever since it was invented. Is it unreasonable to worry that robots will someday become too clever? Is it impossible that these human-like robots will start to think and plan for themselves? Will robots take over the world and force humans to give them energy to survive?
In 1995, about 700,000 robots were working in _____________.
| A．Japan | B．the United States | C．Western Europe | D．the industrialized world |
Which of the following do experts say robots won’t be able to do in the future?
| A．Take care of roads. | B．Be used as medicine. |
| C．Used as underground pipeline cleaner. | D．Take up jobs of building construction. |
What does the underlined word “which” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
| A．Greatest changes in future robots. | B．The field of artificial intelligence. |
| C．Machines of a new kind of robots. | D．Practical application in industry. |
What can we know from the 2nd paragraph？
| A．It is possible that robots will be able to think like human beings. |
| B．It is sure that robots might be able to manage battlefields. |
| C．There is no doubt that computers can design and make robots of their own. |
| D．It is proved that computers can’t reason like human beings. |
Which of the following makes people worried most?
| A．Future robotic technology might cause dangers. |
| B．Future robotic technology might make people too clever. |
| C．Future robotic technology might help to do all dangerous jobs. |
| D．Future robotic technology might not survive because of its shortage of energy. |
| Box Office Instructions |
| Discounts/ Service charges: We offer children (12 and under), seniors (65 and over) and students (student ID card required) discounts on all seats. Please call the Box Office to know about any other possible discounts. |
| Returns/ Exchanges: We are happy to offer returns or exchanges of tickets bought up until the close of the last business day before the show with a $3.00 per ticket fee for this service. The b  ox office must be informed directly in order to exchange tickets to another date (this service is not available online). |
| Friendly reminders: Latecomers will not be permitted to enter the hall until a suitable break in the performance. Children must be seated where they can be looked after by parents. Please show consideration for other audiences by not talking during the performance, and please encourage children to do the same. Cameras and recording equipment are not allowed to be used in our theatre. Please turn off all cell phones while enjoying the performance. |
| Will call: Please tell us at the time of booking if you would like your tickets mailed to you, otherwise they will be held for pickup at the box office. |
We can learn from the passage that exchanges of tickets bought ________.
| A．are free of charge | B．are not available until the last business day |
| C．will not be given a big cash discount | D．need to contact the box office directly |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Latecomers will not be permitted to enter the theatre. |
| B．There is a special area for children in the theatre. |
| C．The audience is not allowed to take photos in the theatre. |
| D．Children can talk in a low voice during the performance. |
According to the passage, the audience ________.
| A．can receive their tickets by mail | B．can see the performance online |
C．can’t t ake cell phones to the theatre |
D．can’t return tickets in any case |
Thousands of people living in the Chinese capital will celebrate the start of the Chinese New year by heading for the ski resorts (滑雪场). Never mind that Beijing's dry weather seldom produces snow. It is cold enough in winter for snow-making machines to make a covering for the hills north to the capital. And the rapid growth of a pleasure-seeking middle class has formed t
he basis for this new craze(热潮）
Since Beijing's first ski resort was opened ten years ago, the sport has enjoyed astonishing increase. There are now more than a dozen resorts. Clothes markets in the city have added bright colored ski suits to their winter collections. Mr. Wei, a manager of a newly-opened ski resort in Beijing, sees the growth of an industry that
could soon lead Chinese to head for the ski resorts of Europe, In recent years ski resorts offering natural snow have opened in China. But many are in faraway areas of the country and can't really match the equipment and services of some ski resorts in Europe.
Beijing's skiing craze is partly a result of the recent increase in private (私有的) cars. This has led to the growth of a leisure industry in the capital's suburbs (郊区), which until the late-1990s were unreachable to ordinary people, According to Mr. Wei, about 40% of the visitors to his resort come in their own cars. The rest are bused in by schools, businesses or government offices.
The problem is making money. Starting ski resorts requires quite a lot of money; hiring land from the local government, preparing the hills, buying snow machines, making sure there are enough water and electricity to run them, and buying ski equipment for hiring out to customers.
The ski resort where Mr. Wei works cost nearly $4 million to set up. And. as so often in China when someone comes up with a good idea, many others rush in and price wars break out. Beijing now offers some of the cheapest ski training classes in the world, though with most people rather new to the sport, expecting a few more doing the same job.What does this text mainly talk about?
| A．Convenience for skiers brought about by private cars. |
| B．Skiing as a new way of enjoying one's spare time. |
| C．Things to be considered when starting a ski resort. |
| D．A sudden increase of ski training classes in Beijing. |
Why are some Chinese likely to go skiing in Europe?
| A．To visit more ski areas. | B．To ski on natural snow. |
| C．For a large collection of ski suits. | D．For better services and equipment. |
The underlined words "leisure industry" in Paragraph 3 refer to ----
A. transport to ski resorts B. production of family cars
C. business of providing spare time enjoyments D part-time work for people living in the suburbs What is the main problem in running a ski resort?
| A．Difficulty in hiring land. | B．Lack of business experience. |
| C．Price wars with other ski resorts, | D．Shortage of water and electricity, |
A young father was visiting an old neighbor．They were standing in the old man's garden，talking about children. The young man said，“How strict should parents be with their children？”
The old man pointed to a string（绳子）between a big strong tree and a thin young one． “Please untie（解开）that string，” he said．The young man untied it，and the young tree bent over to one side．“Now tie it again， please，” said the old man，“but first pull the string tight so that the young tree is straight again．”
The young man did so．Then the old man said，“There，it is the same with children．You must be strict with them，but sometimes you must untie the string to know how they are getting on．If they are not yet able to stand alone，you must tie the string tight again．But when you find that they are ready to stand alone，you can take the string away．”The story is about ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿．
| A．how to take care of young trees |
| B．how strict parents should be with their children |
| C．how the young father should get on with his old neighbor |
| D．how to tie and untie the string |
The young man untied the string ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿．
| A．in order to throw it away |
| B．so that both of the trees would grow straight |
| C．only to find that the thinner one bent over to one side |
| D．in order to let the old man teach him |
When can the string be taken away？＿＿＿＿＿＿＿．
| A．When the old man has left |
| B．After you have untied it |
| C．When the young man has untied it next time |
| D．When the young tree grows strong enough |
At last the old man told the young man ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿．
| A．that he should be strict with his children if they could not yet stand alone |
| B．that he should always be strict with his children |
| C．that he should be hard on them |
| D．that he should tie his children until they are ready to stand alone |
Chinese people are now living happier and longer than before. According to the latest study, the number of people over 60 years old is 130 million, making up 10 percent of the whole population, and increases at a rate of 3 percent per year. This marks that China has stepped into the aged society. It is the Chinese tradition to respect, love, support, and help old people, and the aging problem has received more and more attention from the society.
China has built the system to protect and serve old people’s legal (法律的) rights and interests, gradually developed social insurance, public health services and social welfare (福利) projects for old people, and als
o applied the minimum living standard protection (最低生活保障) system for the aged who are unable to work and receive no supports. Now, China is bringing the aging problem into the work of sustainable (持续的) development according to China’s conditions, to build and develop a social security system for old people, set up a system combined with the state, collectives (集体) and families to solve the problem of “the elderly should be provided for”. The life of China’s old people is more colorful along with the fast and sound economic development of the country.
Old people in today’s China who don’t have to consider their food and clothing hope to live more colorfully. The happy psychology (心态) of the aged makes them thir
sty for knowledge. Strong and healthy old people can be seen everywhere of the country. They learn new knowledge, surf the Internet, practice handwriting and drawing, and take part in fashion shows, exercises and entertainments. Their active and sound living attitude encourages the youth around and they are in fact an important role in ensuring a stable and peaceful society.The underlined part “thirsty for” (in the last paragraph) means “________”.
| A．want to drink water | B．feel hungry | C．want to learn | D．want to teach |
Which of the following is NOT the author’s idea?
| A．China has entered an aged society. |
| B．All people in the society should care for the old. |
| C．Old people’s active living ways have a good effect on the young. |
| D．The society hasn’t done enough for old people. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．How to respect old people | B．Old people’s life in China |
| C．Old people’s problem | D．Old people’s wishes |
From the passage we can know that the author is ________ about the aging problem in China.
| A．disappointed | B．hopeful | C．worried | D．doubtful |
根据短文内容，从下框的A~F选项中选出能概括每一段主题的最佳选项。选项中有一项为多余项。
A. Bollywood pays great attention to traditional values.
B. Bollywood is lees famous than Hollywood, and yet it produces the most films in the world.
C. Bollywood films are full of ideal things and free of daily worries.
D. Bollywood is a decent refreshing replacement for those over-stimulating Hollywood films.
E. Bollywood has gradually won its reputation on the world stage.
F. Bollywood films are mostly comic romances with light-hearted incidental music.
Hollywood movies 
are regularly filled with sex and violence. They can be exciting films but sometimes all you want is a little light-hearted entertainment.____ Have you heard of Bollywood? All singing, all dancing and unrealistic, it is the perfect alternative to normal Hollywood movies. Bollywood is the Indian film industry, based in Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay. Most Chinese school kids have probably never seen an Indian film. Yet Bollywood is the largest producer of films in the world. This year the Indian Filmgare Awards, Bollywood's Oscrs, turn 50 years old.
__ The typical Bollywood movie usually has the following ingredients: a cup of romance, a tea-spoon of comedy, a dash of international sight-seeing, served with a huge slice of singing and dancing. There will also be one brave hero, one beautiful heroine and one baddie. The result is a fun-filled musical.
__ There is never any mention of politics, poverty or war. The actors change clothes and locations within a single song. But the audience don't mind. To Indian movie lovers, especially the poor, such films are a gateway to heaven and the stars are their gods. The films take them to a magical world away from their everyday troubles. The films tell them the impossible is possible and that true love conquers all.
___ But, behind the beautiful scenes, Bollywood still emphasizes traditional family values. In most films, if two lovers want to break an arranged marriage, they can't just run away. They must win over their parents.
__ So if you're tired of all that Hollywood actions, check out the following Bollywood films. They will take you to a brighter, cheerier and more colourful world, where it's still cool to dance around a tree and sing a love song.