Researchers are placing robotic dogs(机器狗)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(刺激)，”Edwards points out.“The problem is how we promote(使……成为现实)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，researchers will collect baseline data for six weeks. These old people will keep a diary to note their feelings and activities 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 exercises 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 old people’s minds.The purpose of Beck and Edwards’ study is to________.
| A．understand human animal relationship |
| B．make lonely old people’s 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 activities |
| 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 |
According to the passage，which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．The professors are leading the animal assisted study concerning old people’s life. |
| B．The AIBOs will always listen to their owners without their own minds. |
| C．The researchers will know from the data whether AIBO can help its owner. |
| D．AIBOs can have games with the old people to stimulate their minds. |
I heard many parents complaining that their teenage children are rebelling（叛逆）．I wish it were so．At your age you ought to be growing away from your parents．You should be learning to stand on your own feet．But take a good look at the present rebellion．It seems that teenagers are taking the same way of showing that they disagree with their parents．Instead of striking out boldly on their own, most of them are clutching(紧握）at one another's hands for reassurance．
They claim they want to dress as they please．But they all wear the same clothes. Then set off in new directions in music．But somehow they all end up with listening to the same record together．Their reason for thinking or acting in thus-and-such a way is that many people are doing it．They have come out of their cocoon（茧） into a larger cocoon．
It has become harder and harder for a teenager to stand up against the popularity wave and go his or her own way．Industry has firmly carved out a teenage market．These days every teenager can learn from the advertisements what a teenager should have and be．
And many of today's parents have come to award high marks for the popularity of their children．All this adds to a great barrier(障碍） for the teenager who wants to find his or her own path．
But the barrier is worth climbing over．The path is worth following, You may want to listen to classical music instead of going to a party．You may want to collect rocks when everyone else is collecting records．You may have some thoughts 'that you don't care to share with your classmates at once, well, go to it．Find yourself．Popularity will come-with the people who respect you for who you are．That is the only kind of popularity that really counts．In this passage, the author wants to tell .
| A．teenagers how to learn to decide things for themselves |
| B．readers how to be popular with people around |
| C．parents how to control and guide their children |
| D．people how to understand and respect each other |
According to the author, many teenagers think they are brave enough to act on their own, but in fact, most of them ．
| A．have much difficulty understanding each other |
| B．lack confidence |
| C．dare not cope with （处理） problems single-handed |
| D．are much afraid of getting lost |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．There is no popularity that really counts． |
| B．What many parents are doing is helping their children find their own paths． |
| C．It is bad for a teenager to disagree with his or her classmates． |
| D．Most teenagers claim that they want to do what they like to, but they are actually doing the same． |
What does the author think of advertisements?
| A．Convincing． | B．Influential. |
| C．Instructive． | D．Authoritative（权威的）． |
During the teenage years, one should learn to .
| A．differ from others in as many ways as possible |
| B．get into the right reason and become popular |
| C．find one's real self |
| D．rebel against parents and the popularity wave |
A serious problem for today's society is who should be responsible for our elderly and how to improve their Lives．It is not only a financial problem but also a question of the system we want for our society．I would like to suggest several possible solutions to this problem．
First, employers should take the responsibility for their retired employees．To make this possible, a percentage of profits should be set aside for this purpose． But when a company must take life-long responsibility for its employees, it may softer from a commercial disadvantage due to higher employee costs．
Another way of solving the problem is to return the responsibility to the individual．This means each person must save during his working years to pay for his years of retirement．This does not seem a very fair model since some people have enough trouble paying for their daily life without trying to earn extra to cover their retirement years．This means the government might have to step in to care for the poor．
In addition, the government could take responsibility for the care of the elderly．This could be financed through government taxes to increase the level of pensions．Furthermore, some institution should be created for senior daises, which can help provide a comfortable life for them．Unfortunately, as the present situation in our country shows, this is not a truly viable answer．The government can seldom afford to care for the elderly, particularly when it is busy trying to care for the young．
One further solution is that the government or social organizations establish some working places especially for the elderly where they are independent.
To sum up, all these options have advantages and disadvantages．Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that some combination of these options may be needed to provide the care we hope to give to our elderly generations．What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The problems faced by the old in society． |
| B．Why we should take responsibility for the old． |
| C．How we can improve the lives of the old． |
| D．Where the old can go to get their pensions． |
According to the passage, how can the government help to improve the lives of retired people?
| A．Set aside some profits to help people with problems after they retire． |
| B．Increase savings levels of people during their working years． |
| C．Increase the discounts for food and transport for the old． |
| D．Make available pensions for those who have retired． |
The underlined word "viable" most probably means"_"．
| A．impossible | B．practical | C．useful | D．successful |
What can be concluded from the passage?
| A．Taking care of the old is mainly an issue of money． |
| B．Employers should allow their workers to retire at a later age． |
| C．Becoming independent should be the goal of most old people． |
| D．There is no single solution to the problems of the old． |
What is the writer's main purpose in writing this article?
| A．To point out the need for government support for old people． |
| B．To make general readers aware of the problems of retired people． |
| C．To discuss some possible solutions to an important social problem． |
| D．To instruct retired people on how they can have a happier life． |
At the age of sixteen, I joined a volunteer group with my dad．I went on my first volunteer project in West Virginia．On the night we arrived, we discovered that "our family" was living in a trailer（活动房车） that was in poor conditions．A crew had been wolfing on it for two weeks, but every time they finished one problem, another surfaced．
We decided the only reasonable solution was to bridle a new house – something unusual but necessary under these circumstances．The family was overjoyed with their new house that was twenty by thirty feet with three bedrooms, a bath and a kitchen．
On Tuesday of that week, while we ate lunch together, I asked the family's three boys, Josh, Eric and Ryan, "What do you want for your new room?" Expecting toys and other gadgets that children suavity ask for, we were astonished when Josh responded, "I just want a bed．"
The boys had never slept in a bed! They were accustomed to plastic mats．That night we had a meeting and decided that beds would be the perfect gift．On Thursday night, a few adults in our group drove to the nearest city and bought beds and new bedding．
When we saw the delivery truck coming, we told the family about the surprise．We could hardly contain ourselves. It was like watching excited children on Christmas morning．
That afternoon, as we fitted the frames of the beds together, Eric ran into the house to watch us．Too dirty to enter his room, he observed with wide-eyed enthusiasm from the doorway．
As my father slipped a pillowcase onto one of the pillows, Eric asked, "What is that?"
"A pillow," he replied．
"What do you do with it?" Eric continued to ask
"When you go to sleep, you put your head on it," I answered softly．Tears came to my eyes as my father handed Eric the pillow．
"Oh．．．that's soft," he said, hugging it tightly．
Now, when my sister or I start to ask for something that seems urgent, my dad gently asks, "Do you have a pillow?"
We know exactly what he means．The author's first volunteer project was .
| A．working on a poor trailer |
| B．helping a poor family |
| C．donating beds and bedding |
| D．dealing with a housing problem |
On hearing Josh's answer, the author was shocked because .
| A．the family lived in a trailer |
| B．Josh didn't know what a bed was |
| C．Josh expected to get some toys |
| D．The boys had no bed to sleep in |
By "We could hardly contain ourselves．", the author means that they all
| A．felt confused | B．felt excited with joy |
| C．couldn't help laughing | D．failed to keep the secret |
From the passage, we can learn that what Eric had never seen before is .
| A．a trailer | B．a bed |
| C．a pillow | D．a truck |
From the last two paragraphs, the author's father means that
| A．what the author wants to get may be unnecessary |
| B．the author should not waste money on small things |
| C．the author should do more volunteer work for the poor |
| D．what he will buy is not what the author wants but a pillow |
The Museum: The Charles Dickens Museum in London is the world's most important collection of material relating to the great Victorian novelist and social commentator．The only surviving London home of Dickens （from 1837 until 1839） was opened as a museum in 1925 and is still welcoming visitors from all over the world．On four floors, visitors can see paintings, rare editions, manuscripts, original furniture and many items relating to the life of one of the most popular and beloved personalities of the Victorian age．
Opening Hours
◇ The Museum is open from Mondays to Saturdays 10:00-17:00; Sundays 11:00-17:00．
◇ Last admission is 30 minutes before closing time．
◇Special opening times can be arranged for groups, who may wish to book a private view．
Admission Charges: Adults: ￡5．00; Students: ￡4:00; Seniors: ￡4．00; Children: ￡3．00; Families:￡14．00（ 2 adults & up to five children）
Group Rates: For a group of 10 or more, a special group rate of ￡4．00 each applies．
Children will still be admitted for ￡3．00 each,
Access: We are constantly working to improve access to the Museum and its collection．Our current projects involve the fitting of a wheelchair ramp for better access, a customer care kit and an audio tour for visitors with impaired (受损的） vision．Our Handling Sessions are also suitable for the visually impaired．The Museum has developed an online virtual tour through the Museum．Click here to visit all the rooms in the Museum online．
Hire the Museum: The Museum can be hired for private functions, performances soirees（社交晚会）and many other social occasions．
Find Us: The Museum may be reached by using the following buses: 7, 17, 19, 38, 45,46, 55, 243．And by these underground services: Piccadilly Line; Central Line．For a map, please click here．The British Museum and the Foundling Museum are within walking distance．The passage is probably from a（n）.
| A．book | B．website | C．newspaper | D．announcement |
Compared to going there separately, if a family with two adults and five children go to the Museum together they will save
| A．￡25．00 | B．￡14．00 | C．￡ 9:00 | D．￡11．00 |
In the Charles Dickens Museum, people can not find .
| A．paintings | B．rare editions | C．manuscripts | D．cars |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．The Museum is not very far from the British Museum． |
| B．In any case people cannot visit the Museum after 17:00． |
| C．Visitors with poor vision cannot enjoy the Museum． |
| D．Anyone cannot hire the Museum for other users． |
The passage is written to .
| A．persuade readers to visit London． |
| B．inform readers about the history of the Charles Dickens Museum． |
| C．offer readers some information about the Charles Dickens Museum． |
| D．tell readers how to make use of the Charles Dickens Museum． |
Of the thousands of different kinds of animals that exist in the world man has learned to make friends with an enormous number. Some are pets, and offer him companionship; some give protection, and some do hard work which man cannot do for himself. Dogs, which serve man in all three capacities, are found in various species in all countries of the world. The Husky can live in the cold polar regions, and the Saluki is at home in the hottest parts of Central Africa. The inhabitants of certain countries are dependent for their very lives on the camel. In the West Indies the little donkey, strong and sure-footed, carrying heavy loads even in mountainous places, is a familiar sight.
Trained and tamed for many generations, domestic animals are not accustomed to roaming in search of food and shelter. They look to their masters to provide for their needs, and as long as these are supplied, they are content to do what their masters require.
All domestic animals need proper food. It must be suitable for them, sufficient in quantity, fresh and clean. Some people feed a pet dog or cat on odds and ends of table scraps(剩饭), and then wonder why the animal seems tired and dull. The quantity of food depends on the size of the animal and the amount of exercise it takes. Overfeeding is as bad as underfeeding. Containers for food and water must be washed regularly if the animal is to maintain good health.
Even well cared for animals may sometimes fall ill. If this happens, the wise master seeks the best advice he can get. All sorts of medicines and treatments are available for sick animals, and in some countries organizations exist to provide them free or at a cheap price. Useful, friendly, hardworking animals deserve to have some time, money and attention spent on their health. What main idea does the author want to convey in the first paragraph?
| A．There exists thousands of species of animals in the world. |
| B．Man came to establish a close relationship with a number of animals. |
| C．In some regions a donkey seems to be a very useful beast. |
| D．An animal will be useless unless domesticated. |
When an animal doesn’t get enough food, it will probably _________.
| A．refuse to obey its master | B．immediately fall ill |
| C．require its master to offer some food | D．seek for food on its own |
Which of the following is NOT true of dogs according to the passage?
| A．They can act as friends, guards, and servants to man. |
| B．They have great adaptation for the environment. |
| C．There live a great variety of species of dogs on the globe. |
| D．The Husky and the Saluki are the strongest species ever known in the world. |
To keep a domestic animal physically fit, its owner is advised _________.
| A．not to hesitate to spend enormous amount of money on it |
| B．to pay attention to its proper feeding |
| C．not to allow it to take excessive amounts of exercise |
| D．to join some sort of pet-keeping organizations |
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Domesticated Animals—Man’s Best Friends. |
| B．Proper Diet—the Road to Health. |
| C．The Advantages of Raising Domestic Animals. |
| D．Some Tips on Pet-keeping. |