第三部分：阅读理解（共两节，满分40分）
第一节（共15小题，每题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
The days of a pain-free visit to the dentist may not be far off. This is thanks to a little Japanese woman in a pink sweater, named Simroid. With a limited vocabulary, Simroid, the 160cm-tall robot is happy to feel your pain.
Simroid is designed to be used at medical colleges. She has realistic looking skin, eyes, and a mouth fitted with replica (仿制) teeth. Her chest also rises and falls as if she is breathing. Simroid releases a clear “ouch!” whenever a trainee dentist presses her teeth too hard with a tool. And she gives a reassuring “that’s better” when the drill hits the right place.
“We want to use the robots to train dentists to worry about whether patients are comfortable, and not just focus on medical techniques,” said Naotake Shubui, a professor at Nippon Dental University in Japan who helped develop Simroid.
The robot was one of hundreds of cutting-edge devices on display at the world’s biggest robot exhibition last week in Japan.
As scientists improve the design of robots, they could soon be serving tea to office workers or directing shoppers. Today’s robots look and act much like the humans who invented them.
In Japan, robots can already be found working as home helps, office receptionists and security guards, as well as on the factory floor. There were more than 370,000 industrial robots in use in Japan in 2005, according to a report by Macquarie bank,40 percent of the world total, with 32 robots for every 1,000 workers. The economy ministry believes that the Japanese robot market will be worth more than $52 billion by 2025.
Human work is being helped, and even replaced, by mechanical efficiency in almost every area, from golf-bag carriers to public toilet cleaners.
But many scientists believe the age of the service robot is not far off. It will arrive once machines are capable of connecting with humans on an emotional level. Judging by the Tokyo exhibition, that process has already begun.
56. Simroid is designed to _________.
A. aid dental trainees to focus on their medical techniques
B. train dentists to be able to share patients’ feelings
C. help patients relax during dental surgery
D. serve as the dentists’ assistance during dental surgery
57. Which of the following about Simroid is NOT true according to the text?
A. She is a robotic dental patient with a realistic appearance.
B. She will let out a scream whenever she feels a pain.
C. She can communicate a lot with dentists.
D. She is able to react in a human –like way to mouth pain.
58. We can learn from the text that ________.
A. robots are widely used in Japan
B. Japan has taken the lead in developing robots
C. the Japanese robot market has greatest potential in the world
D. the world’s biggest robot exhibition is held in Japan every year
59. The phrase “that process” in the last paragraph refers to ________.
A. replacing human work with robots
B. improving mechanical efficiency
C. entering the age of the service robot
D. producing a robot capable of connecting with humans on an emotional level
Research suggests that a newly-identified gene known as insomniacs(失眠症患者) may play a role in keeping us asleep. By cloning and testing this gene in about 21,000 fruit flies, Rockefeller University researchers say they have discovered an entirely new mechanism (机制) by which sleep is controlled.
By studying these flies, the researchers discovered that mutations(变异) in the insomniac gene were associated with a great reduction in sleep. While a typical fruit fly slept for an average of 927 minutes a day, the mutant flies slept for just 317. They also slept for shorter periods of time, and slept and woke more frequently.
“The results showed a great loss of both the time that the flies’ sleep lasted and their ability to remain asleep after they slept,” says researcher Nicholas Stavropoulos.
The researchers also examined the link between sleep and lifespan, finding that flies with mutations to the insomniac gene lived only about two-thirds as long as unchanged flies. But when the scientists removed insomniac only in neurons（神经细胞）---allowing it to remain in the rest of the flies’ bodies---this difference disappeared; the resulting animals slept poorly but lived just as long.
“This suggests that reduced sleep can be ‘uncoupled’(分开) from reduced lifespan, supporting the idea that some interruptions of sleep do not affect overall health, at least as far as lifespan is concerned,” Stavropoulos says.
Although flies and humans would appear to have little in common when it comes to lifestyle, scientists say that the mechanisms of sleep and wakefulness are likely to be quite similar.
“Sleep is a fundamental behavior in all animals, and it is poorly understood from a scientific standpoint, says Stavropoulos. This work could prove useful in understanding and treating sleep disorders”The text is mainly about____.
| A．the progress in cloning fruit flies |
| B．the methods of cloning fruit flies |
| C．the link between gene and lifespan |
| D．the influence of a gene on the ability to sleep |
According to paragraph2, the mutant flies________.
| A．slept about 5 hours a day |
| B．had problems waking up |
| C．didn’t seem sleepy at all |
| D．could not fall asleep |
We can conclude from the text that________.
| A．sleep and health go hand in hand |
| B．sleep can be controlled by humans |
| C．research into sleep is very fruitful |
| D．the findings are useful in medical treatment |
Ashley and Chris work in the same department designing postcards. Chris had a college degree in art and deeply felt that the degree of his designs was excellent. His last postcard showed the depth of a desert’s beauty and delights.
“It’s just a picture of the desert,” Ashley said. “Not deep at all.”
“Some people desire seeing beauty,” Chris replied. “Mine delivers that”.
Ashley laughed and said, “well, that depends on what you think beauty is.”
Days later, someone delivered a letter to Ashley. The letter said, “You are worthy of the bad things that will come your way. You will know the taste of defeat, and I will destroy you.”
Ashley suddenly felt very cold. It was as if the room temperature had dropped 30 degrees. “Who would do such a shocking deed?” she wondered. “I will not let a simple letter defeat me.”
Just then, Chris came into the room and offered Ashley a piece of his sandwich.
“Try some,” he smiled widely. “It’s delicious.”
“Are you trying to poison me?” Ashley asked. Chris’s answer was delayed from confusion. “What’s your problem?” he asked.
The next day, Ashley brought a bat to use to defend herself. When Chris saw her bat, he joked, “Defend and win one for the team.”
Ashley took no notice of him. She spent the whole day reading self-defending books and placed her work on delay. “You can’t delay your work. Our job demands us to do our work on time,” Chris said. “We must meet the demands of our job.”
“You‘re not the boss,” Ashley replied. “Don’t make demands of me.”
Because Ashley failed to do her work, she was fired.
Chris glanced at Ashley’s empty desk and smiled.What kind of work did Chris and Ashley do?
| A．Drawing. | B．Designing. |
| C．Painting. | D．Building. |
What did Ashley think of the last postcard designed by Chris?
| A．Excellent |
| B．Too bad |
| C．It didn’t show the real beauty of the desert. |
| D．He expressed himself in an indirect way. |
We may infer from this passage that ___________.
| A．Chris was not a good designer |
| B．Chris and Ashley were friendly to each other |
| C．Chris herself must have written the letter |
| D．It may sometimes bring about bad luck to speak out one’s mind |
How do you know if your home is an easy aim for thefts? Around the holidays, many families don't consider taking proper measures to prevent their homes from suffering holiday thefts． With just a few simple steps, you can better make sure of the safety of your home during all of the holiday celebrations． Here are a few tips for making it difficult to tell you are away from home．
●Either have a trusted neighbor pick up your mail and newspapers, or tell your mailperson to hold your mail until you return． Nothing says “Hey, we are not home!” like when your postbox is filled with all kinds of mails and you have many different newspapers in your driveway．
● Set several different lights in your house on random timers（随机定时器）. Don't leave your outdoor lights on all the time．Instead, put your outside light on timers to be on during the nights. If an outdoor light remains on for days at a time, it means that nobody is home to turn it off．
● If you have pets that you are not taking with you on vacation, leave them with friend, rather than having someone come into your house every day to take care of them, When thefts see a neighbor or friend entering your house every day, they will know you are not home．
● Close all your curtains when you leave town. This is effective to deter possible thefts, as no one can see what is in your house. If they don't know what there is to take, then the risk is even greater for them to break in．
●This article just has suggested a few tips to help you keep your house safe on holiday．Nothing can truly protect your home unless you have it monitored by a professional home security system．What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．To let the outdoor lights on all the time． |
| B．To tell us how to prevent the thefts around the holidays． |
| C．To tell us many families suffering from the thefts while they are on holiday． |
| D．To tell us to have our neighbor go to our house to take care of our pets． |
If you are on holiday in other places, the lights in your house should.
| A．be turned on only once a day |
| B．be kept on all the night |
| C．be replaced by random timers |
| D．be lit in an irregular way |
To make your home well protected, what does the writer advise you to do?
| A．Equip your home with security system． |
| B．Stop your mail service at once． |
| C．Turn to your close neighbors or friends |
| D．Have all the curtains closed． |
The underlined word “deter” probably means.
| A．discover | B．surprise | C．discourage | D．attract |
President Barack Obama has complained about the loss of privacy that comes with being leader of the United States, regretting the loss of simple pleasures such as a long walk or a trip to the car wash or supermarket．
"I just miss - I miss being anonymous," he said"I miss Saturday morning, rolling out of bed, not shaving, getting into my car with my girls, driving to the supermarket, squeezing the fruit, getting my car washed, taking walks. I can't take a walk． "
His dream, he said, was to "go through Central Park and watch folks passing by．．．spend the day watching people --- I miss that"．
Faced with angry criticism for playing more golf than most previous occupants of the White House, he explained that the sport was simply the best way of getting away from it all． "It's the only excuse I have to get outside for four hours." he told Hearst magazines．
Though he said he enjoyed his life in the White House, he felt disappointed with some of the ways of Washington, which he has failed in his pledge to change, such as the "kabuki dance" （日本歌舞）among political parties before serious policy discussions begin． His comments may be seen as vindication （证实） by critics who have accused him of appearing too detached（漠然）, and being slow to engage in vital issues such as Libya and the near shutdown of the US government last week．
Since arriving at the White House in January 2009, Mr.Obama has already racked up （打）60 rounds of golf in office, more than George W Bush did in his eight years．
In terms of ability, Golf Digest magazine has ranked Mr.Obama eighth out of the 18 presidents who played the game since it became established in the early 20th century． What do the second paragraph and the third paragraph mainly tell us?
| A．Obama likes living a busy life． |
| B．Obama used to spend most of his time with his family． |
| C．Obama wishes to enjoy simple pleasures． |
| D．He used to wash his car himself． |
According to Obama, he plays golf to.
| A．release his pressure | B．keep fit |
| C．balance his work | D．show his ability |
We can infer from the passage that Obama is kabuki dance．
| A．curious about | B．interested in |
| C．content with | D．tired of |
Which of the following statements is from the critics?
| A．The president lost lots of privacy, but he loves the life in the White House |
| B．There are always unnecessary procedures among political parties． |
| C．The president seems to be indifferent towards some really important issues |
| D．The president is really a great golf player． |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Obama's favorite pastime． |
| B．Obama’s complaints about lack of privacy as president． |
| C．The public's criticism of Obama． |
| D．Obama’s regrets for being the U．S．president． |
Criticism(批评) never changes a thing. Accept yourself exactly as you are. Everybody changes. When you criticize yourself, your changes are negative. When you approve of yourself, your changes are positive.
Don’t scare yourself
Stop scaring yourself with your thought that it’s terrible to live this way. Find a mental image that gives you pleasure, and immediately change your scary thought to a pleasant one. Imagine a positive future ahead of you.
Be gentle, kind and patient
Be patient with yourself as you learn new ways of thinking. If you make a mistake you will develop self-hatred, but don’t hate yourself for thinking. Gently change your thoughts. Praise and support yourself.
Criticism breaks your spirit, while praise builds it up. Praise yourself as much as you can. Tell yourself how well you are doing with everything. Find ways to support yourself. Reach out to friends and allow them to help you. It is best to ask for help when you need it.
Take care of your body
Learn about nutrition. What kind of fuel does your body need in order to have enough energy and vitality(活力)? Learn about exercise. What kinds of exercise do you enjoy? Insist on doing exercise every day.
Mirror work
Look into your eyes in the mirror often and express the growing sense of love you have for yourself. At least once a day you should say to yourself: "I love you." If you have confidence in yourself, you’ll never give in to difficulty.
Love yourself. Do it now, begin now, and do the best you can. According to the author, you should _____.
| A．praise yourself now and then |
| B．change yourself |
| C．criticize someone else |
| D．criticize yourself |
The underlined phrase in paragraph 1 probably means ______.
| A．to defend | B．to challenge |
| C．to appreciate | D．to suspect |
You should face the mirror and say that you love yourself so that you can _____.
| A．imagine a positive future ahead of you |
| B．grow more confident of yourself |
| C．find out the expressions on your face |
| D．learn more about yourself |