Computers might not be clever enough to trick adults into thinking they are intelligent yet, but a new study, led by Javier' Movellan at the University of Califomia San Diego, shows that a giggling (咯咯笑的) robot is clever enough to get toddlers (初学走路者) to treat it as a peer (同龄人).
The researchers stationed a 2-foot-tall robot Called QRIO in a classroom of a dozen toddlers aged between 18 months and two years. QRIO stayed in the middle of the room using its sensors (传感器) to avoid bumping (碰撞) into the kids. It was programmed to giggle when the kids touched its head, to occasionally sit down, and to lie down when its batteries died.
"We expected that after a few hours, the magic was going to disappear," Movellan says. "That's what was found with earlier robots." But, in fact, the kids remained interested in the robot over several weeks, eventually communicating with QRIO in much the same way they did with other toddlers.
The researchers measured the relationship between the children and the robot in several ways. Firstly, as with other toddlers, they touched QRIO mostly on the arms and hands, rather than on the face or legs. For this age group, "the amount of touching is a good predictor of how you are doing as a social being," Movellan says.
The children helped the robot up when it fell, and when QRIO's batteries ran out and it lay down, a toddler would come up and cover it with a blanket and say "night, night". However, when QRIO was programmed to spend all its time dancing, the kids quickly lost interest. When the robot went back to its old self, the kids treated it like a peer again.
"The study shows that current technology is very close to being able to produce robots able to develop a special relationship with toddlers," says Movellan. But, he adds, it is not clear yet whether robots can interest older children or adults in the same way.
1. What does the underlined word "stationed" in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
A. Hid. B. Observed. C. Placed. D. Named.
2. At the beginning of the experiment, researchers .
A. feared that the robot would harm the toddlers
B. programmed the robot to move freely about the classroom
C. expected the robot to communicate with the toddlers
D. thought the toddlers' interest in the robot wouldn't last long
3. Kids aged between 18 months and two years behave
as social beings by.
A. giggling B: touching C. toddling D. dancing
4. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Giggling robot becomes one of the kids
B. Giggling robot used as a classroom assistant
C. Giggling robot makes kids more active in class
D. Giggling robot attracts more attention from kids
More perhaps than any other European nation, the Swiss have got used to looking after foreign travelers. As early as the 18th century, wealthy French, Germans and Italians were treating the country as an amusement center while, in the 19th century, it became the major holiday playground for the British nobles. Today, it attracts visitors from all over the world.
The Swiss are clear about the importance of tourism to their economy, which makes up about eight percent of the Gross Domestic Product, and helps industry greatly. Managers of hotels from all over the world go to Switzerland to learn how to do the job, and a high standard can be expected from the great majority of the country’s hotels, most of which are small and pride themselves on personalized service. Public transport is the best in Europe. Both the Swiss Federal railways and the private railways are fully electric-powered, and the total network consists of about 5,000 kilometers of track.
Under the Fly Baggage system passengers can check luggage in at 116 railway stations and have it automatically transferred to their flight. The national highway system is equally well planned, and the mountain roads offer views of some of the country’s most breathtaking scenery. Also serving the mountains is an effective system of railways and cable ways, while more than 160 passenger cars cross the lakes and rivers. Hiking in the mountains is equally popular with Swiss nationals and foreign visitors. For those who want to view the country from a great height without having to climb the mountain themselves, it is always possible to take in the view from a balloon.
61. Compared with other European countries, Switzerland ________.
A. places more importance on entertainment
B. thinks more about foreign travelers
C. has more convenient public transport
D. has more five-star hotels
62. According to the passage, Switzerland is now visited by ________.
A. wealthy French people
B. rich Germans and Italians
C. British nobles
D. people from various countries
63. According to the passage we learn that ________.
A. most of the hotels in Switzerland are big
B. all the hotels in Switzerland offer exactly the same service
C. most of the hotels in Switzerland offer first class service
D. the hotels in Switzerland are accustomed to learning from the rest of the world
64. The Fly Rail Baggage system is a service to transport your luggage between the railway station and ________.
A. the airport B. the hotel
C. the motorway station D. the cable ways
65. The passage mainly tells us about ________.
A. scenery in Switzerland
B. the life in Switzerland
C. tourism in Switzerland
D. the transportation in Switzerland
第三部分阅读理解(共20小题;每小题2分,满分40分)
Burns can be caused by fire, the sun, chemicals, heated objects or fluids, and electricity. They can be minor problems or life-threatening emergencies. Distinguishing a minor burn from a more serious burn involves determining the degree of damage to the tissues of the body. If you are not sure how serious the burn is, seek emergency medical help.
First-degree burns are those in which only the outer layer of skin is burned. The skin is usually red and some swelling (肿大) and pain may occur. Unless the burn involves large portions of the body, it can be treated at home.
Second-degree burns are those in which the first layer of skin has been burned through and the second layer of skin is also burned. In these burns, the skin reddens intensely and blisters (水泡) develop. Severe pain and swelling also occur. Second-degree burns require medical treatment.
Third-degree burns are the most serious and involve all layers of skin. Fat, nerves, muscles, and even bones may be affected. Areas may be charred black or appear a dry white. If nerve damage is substantial, there may be no pain at all. These burns require emergency medical attention.
Follow these steps when treating minor burns at home:
1) If the skin is not broken, run cool water over the burn for several minutes.
2) Cover the burn with a sterile (消过毒的) bandage or clean cloth.
3) Take aspirin to relieve any swelling or pain.
Seek emergency treatment immediately for major burns. Before an emergency unit arrives, follow these steps:
1) Remove the person from the source of the burn (fire, electrical current, etc.).
2) If the person is not breathing, begin mouth-to-mouth resuscitation (人工呼吸) immediately.
3) Remove all clothing to stop further burning. If the clothing is stuck to the burn, do not attempt to remove it.
4) Cover the burned area with a cool, moist, sterile bandage or clean cloth. Do not place any creams, ointments (药膏) or ice on the burned area or break blisters.
5) Monitor the patient for signs of shock, and treat accordingly.
56. The underlined sentence in the first paragraph probably means “______”.
A. They can be dangerous if you don’t treat them seriously
B. They range from slight burns to deadly ones
C. They seldom cause deaths even if not treated properly
D. They usually cause deaths if not treated properly
57. Burns are divided into different degrees according to _______.
A. what kind of treatment they need
B. what kind of tissue of the body is damaged
C. whether there is pain and what degree of pain there is
D. which layer of skin is burned
58. From the passage we learn that _______.
A. if there is severe pain, then you need medical treatment
B. first-degree burns don’t require medical treatment
C. burns without pains can be treated at home
D. the larger the swelling is, the more serious it is
59. It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
A. you shouldn’t cover the burn with a bandage or cloth if it is severe
B. you shouldn’t move the person unless you know how to do first aid
C. you shouldn’t run cool water over the burn if the skin is broken
D. you shouldn’t place any wet towels on the burned area
60.where do you probably find the passage?
A.a fashion magazine B.a guide book
C.a book on first aid D.a section about culture in the newspaper
31st October —— A team of British explorers has announced they are going to the North Pole to measure the ice cap’s thickness. The exploration will take ground-based readings (仪表的读数) of an ice formation which most scientists agree is shrinking at an alarming rate.
Explorer Pen Hadow’s three-member team will pull a sled-fixed radar device, which measures ice density every eight centimeters, 2,000 kilometers across the Arctic and will produce millions of readings.
They will leave in February, 2008 and will face temperatures of -50℃ on a journey that will take up to 120 days. They have been testing their equipment in Britain and Canada.
Hadow is excited about the prospects (前景), “For the first time we will be able to transmit video images — webcam film of the expedition — as it unfolds so people can track us, and the whole idea is to engage as many people as we can in what we’re doing.”
New fallen snow on top of the ice makes ground-based measurements more accurate than satellite data.
“It has been in the planning stage for a while,” said Hadow. “We spent the last two years developing impulse radar (冲击雷达), which normally is about 100 kilograms and hangs under an aircraft and so on. We’ve managed to get it down to about 4 kilograms. It’s the size of a briefcase and we are dragging it behind the sled as we go.”
The ice cap shrank enough in 2007 so that a pathway through the cap known as the Northwest Passage opened up during the melting of the Arctic summer.
Cambridge University’s Joao Rodrigues explains, “Thickness of the ice cap will determine how much solar radiation will be reflected and the heat exchange between the ocean and the atmosphere and it is thus a vital component (成分) of climate models.”
If warming trends continue, some experts predict that the Arctic Ocean could be ice-free during the summer within a few decades.
71 What would be the best title for the text?
A. Exploration to the North Pole.
B. Arctic ice cap shrinking.
C. Arctic ice survey announced.
D. Ground-based measurements of ice.
72. What is special about the exploration?
A. It will be broadcast live on the Internet.
B. Explorers will use a sled-fixed radar device.
C. Explorers will travel in extremely cold conditions.
D. Ground-based measurements are more accurate.
73. What is the purpose of the exploration?
A. To measure the ice cap’s thickness.
B. To study whether ice will disappear in the Arctic.
C. To make a film about the Arctic exploration.
D. To make people interested in what they are doing.
74. It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
A. ice in the Arctic will disappear in ten years
B. the exploration will last for half a year
C. Hadow spent two years developing a kind of radar, which is about 100 kilograms
D. if there is snow on ice, satellites can’t measure the ice thickness accurately enough
75. From the passage, we learn that ________.
A. the explorers will measure ice density every other centimeter
B. people will be able to follow the explorers and see what they are doing
C. people could go through the Northwest Passage in the 2007 Arctic summer
D. the equipment that Hadow’s team use will be tested in the United States
Sometime in the next century, the familiar early-newspaper on the front porch (门廊) will disappear. And instead of reading your newspaper, it will read to you. You’ll get up and turn on the computer newspaper just like switching on the TV. An electronic voice will distribute stories about the latest events, guided by a program that selects the type of news you want. You’ll even get to choose the kind of voice you want to hear. Want more information on this brief story? A simple touch makes the entire text appear. Save it in your own personal computer if you like. These are among the predictions from communication experts working on the newspapers of the future. Pictured as part of broader home-based media and entertainment systems, computer newspapers will unite print and broadcast reporting, and offer news and analysis with video images of news events.
Most of the technology is available now, but convincing more people that they don’t need to read a newspaper is the next step. But resistance to computer newspapers may be stronger from within journalism. Since it is such a cultural change, it may be that the present generation of journalists and publishers will have to die off before the next generation realizes that the newspaper industry is no longer a newspaper industry. Technology is making the end of traditional newspapers unavoidable.
Despite technological advances, it could take decades to replace newsprint with computer screens. It might take 30 to 40 years to complete the changeover because people need to buy computers and because newspapers have established financial interests in the paper industry.
66. Which of the following is NOT an advantage of computer newspapers?
A. They are cheaper than traditional newspapers.
B. They are more convenient to read.
C. You can choose the kind of voice you want to hear.
D. You can easily save information for future use.
67. Which of the following is a reason why it will take a long time to complete the changeover?
A. The technology is impossible now.
B. Computer newspapers are too expensive.
C. The popularization of computers needs a long time.
D. Traditional newspapers are easier to read.
68. It can be inferred that journalists are against computer newspapers because _______.
A. they don’t know how to use computers
B. they think computer newspapers take too much time to read
C. they think the new technology is bad
D. they have been trained to write for traditional newspapers
69. We can infer from the passage that _______.
A. all technological changes are good
B. new technologies don’t always replace old ones
C. new technologies will eventually replace old ones
D. traditional newspapers are here to stay for another century
70. What is the best title of the passage?
A. Computer newspapers are well liked.
B. Newspapers of the future will be on the computer.
C. Newspapers are out of fashion.
D. New communications technology.
Claude and Louris are “giraffes”. So are police officers Hankins and Pearson. These men and women don’t look like giraffes; they look like you and me. Then, why do people call them “giraffes”?
A giraffe, they say, is an animal that sticks its neck out, can see places far away and has a large heart. It lives a quiet life and moves about in an easy and beautiful way. In the same way, a “giraffe” can be a person who likes to “stick his or her neck out” for other people, always watches for future happenings, has a warm heart for people around, and at the same time lives a quiet and beautiful life himself or herself.
“The Giraffe Project” is a 10-year-old group which finds and honors “giraffes” in the US and in the world. The group wants to teach people to do something to build a better world. The group members believe that a person shouldn’t draw his or her head back; instead, they tell people to “stick their neck out” and help others. Claude and Louris, Hankins and Pearson are only a few of the nearly 1,000 “giraffes” that the group found and honored.
Claude and Louris were getting old and they left their work with some money that they saved for future use. One day, however, they saw a homeless man looking for a place to keep warm and they decided that they should “stick their neck out” and give him some help. Today, they lived in Friends’ House, where they invite twelve homeless people to stay every night.
Police officers Hankins and Pearson work in a large city. They see crimes every day and their work is sometimes dangerous. They work hard for their money. However, these two men put their savings together and even borrowed money to start an educational center to teach young people in a poor part of the city. Hankins and Pearson are certainly “giraffes”.
66. Which of the following is true?
A. Some of the people around us look like giraffes.
B. Giraffes are the most beautiful animal in the world.
C. “Giraffes” is a beautiful name for those who are ready to help other people.
D. A “giraffe” is someone who can stick his neck out and see the future.
67. “The Giraffe Project” is a group _____.
A. of police officers B. which appeared ten years ago
C. of ten-year-old children D. which takes care of children
68. People call Claude and Hankins “giraffes” because they _____.
A. do what is needed for a good world B. are not afraid of dangerous work
C. found a home for some homeless people D. made money only for other people
69. What does “The Giraffe Project” do?
A. It tells people how to live a quiet life.
B. It helps the homeless and teaches the young people.
C. It tries to find 1,000 warm-hearted people in the US.
D. It shows people what their duty is for a better world.
70. The underlined word “crime” in the last paragraph has the similar meaning to ____.
A. mistake B. happiness C. failure D. wrongdoing