A team of engineers at Harvard University has been inspired by Nature to create the first robotic fly. The mechanical fly has become a platform for a series of new high-tech integrated systems. Designed to do what a fly does naturally, the tiny machine is the size of a fat housefly. Its mini wings allow it to stay in the air and perform controlled flight tasks.
“It’s extremely important for us to think about this as a whole system and not just the sum of a bunch of individual components (元件),” said Robert Wood, the Harvard engineering professor who has been working on the robotic fly project for over a decade. A few years ago, his team got the go-ahead to start piecing together the components. “The added difficulty with a project like this is that actually none of those components are off the shelf and so we have to develop them all on our own,” he said.
They engineered a series of systems to start and drive the robotic fly. “The seemingly simple system which just moves the wings has a number of interdependencies on the individual components, each of which individually has to perform well, but then has to be matched well to everything it’s connected to,” said Wood. The flight device was built into a set of power, computation, sensing and control systems. Wood says the success of the project proves that the flying robot with these tiny components can be built and manufactured.
While this first robotic flyer is linked to a small, off-board power source, the goal is eventually to equip it with a built-in power source, so that it might someday perform data-gathering work at rescue sites, in farmers’ fields or on the battlefield. “Basically it should be able to take off, land and fly around,” he said.
Wood says the design offers a new way to study flight mechanics and control at insect-scale. Yet, the power, sensing and computation technologies on board could have much broader applications. “You can start thinking about using them to answer open scientific questions, you know, to study biology in ways that would be difficult with the animals, but using these robots instead,” he said. “So there are a lot of technologies and open interesting scientific questions that are really what drives us on a day to day basis.”
(392 words)The difficulty the team of engineers met with while making the robotic fly was that __________.
| A．they had no model in their mind |
| B．they did not have sufficient time |
| C．they had no ready-made components |
| D．they could not assemble the components |
It can be inferred from paragraphs 3 and 4 that the robotic fly __________.
| A．consists of a flight device and a control system |
| B．can just fly in limited areas at the present time |
| C．can collect information from many sources |
| D．has been put into wide application |
Which of the following can be learned from the passage?
| A．The robotic flyer is designed to learn about insects. |
| B．Animals are not allowed in biological experiments. |
| C．There used to be few ways to study how insects fly. |
| D．Wood’s design can replace animals in some experiments. |
Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?
| A．Father of Robotic Fly |
| B．Inspiration from Engineering Science |
| C．Robotic Fly Imitates Real Life Insect |
| D．Harvard Breaks Through in Insect Study |
The modern age is an age of electricity. People are so used to electric lights, radio, televisions, and telephones that it is hard to imagine what life would be like without them. When there is a power failure, people grope about in flickering candlelight, cars hesitate in the streets because there are no traffic lights to guide them, and food spoils in silent refrigerators.
Yet, people began to understand how electricity works only a little more than two centuries ago. Nature has apparently been experimenting in this field for million of years. Scientists are discovering more and more that the living world may hold many interesting secrets of electricity that could benefit humanity.
All living cells send out tiny pulses of electricity. As the heart beats, it sends out pulses of record; they form an electrocardiogram, which a doctor can study to determine how well the heart is working. The brain, too, sends our brain waves of electricity, which can be recorded in an electroencephalogram. The electric currents generated by most living cells are extremely small，often so small that sensitive instruments are needed to record them. But in some animals, certain muscle cells have become so specialized as electrical generators that they do not work as muscle cells at all. When large numbers of these cells are linked together, the effects can be astonishing.
The electric eel is an amazing storage battery. It can send a jolt of as much as eight hundred volts of electricity through the water in which it lives. ( An electric house current is only one hundred and twenty volts, but two hundred and twenty volts in China.) As many as four-fifths of all the cells in the electric eel's body are specialized for generating electricity, and the strength of the shock it can deliver corresponds roughly to length of its body
56. Electricity was invented ______.
A. when man had no candles
B. about 200 years ago
C. to be operating computers.
D. by Thomse Edison
57. The following things can send out pulses of electricity except______.
A. electric eels and human hearts.
B. Electrical generators and animal muscle.
C. Stones and dry wood.
D. human brain and living cells.
58. The electric current send out by an eel can be
A. as much as 800 volts. B. about one hundred and twenty volts.
C. as high as the house current in China. D. stored in the water where it lives.
59. From this shot passage we can infer _____.
A. the shorter an eel is, the stronger electricity it produces.
B. we can always feel the electricity produced by living cells.
C. human beings get their knowledge about electricity from nature.
D. people learn about electricity from eels.
Americans are proud of their variety and individuality (个性), yet they love and respect few things more than a uniform, whether it is the uniform of a lift operator or the uniform of a five-star general. Why are uniforms so popular in the United States?
Among the arguments for uniforms, one of the first is that in the eyes of most people they look more professional than civilian (百姓的) clothes. People have become conditioned to expect higher quality from a man who wears a uniform. The television repairman who wears a uniform is likely to inspire more trust than one who appears in civilian clothes. Faith in the skill of a garage mechanic is increased by a uniform. What easier way is there for a nurse, a policeman, a hairdresser, or a waiter to lose professional identity (职业身份) than to step out of uniform?
Uniforms also have many practical good points. They are often more comfortable and more lasting than civilian clothes.
Primary facts among the argument against uniforms is their lack of variety and the loss of individuality experienced by people who must wear them. Though there are many types of uniforms, the wearer of any particular type is generally stuck with it, without change, until retirement. When people look alike, they are likely to think, speak, and act similarly on the job at least.
Uniforms also give rise to some practical problems. Though they are long-lasting, often their initial expense is greater than the cost of civilian clothes. Some uniforms are also expensive to maintain, requiring professional dry cleaning rather than the home laundering possible with many types of civilian clothes.
68. What surprises us is that Americans _______.
A. still judge a man by his clothes
B. think highly of uniforms
C. less prefer wearing civilian clothes
D. respect a elevator operator in uniform
69. People are likely to think that a man in uniform ________.
A. suggests quality work B. shows his social position
C. appears to be more practical D. looks more fresh and attractive
70. Those who are against uniforms believe that people wearing uniforms ______.
A. are usually helpful B. have little freedom
C. lose personal character D. enjoy greater popularity
71. It can be concluded from the passage that ________.
A. people generally trust a person in uniform more
B. people enjoy wearing comfortable uniform
C. the cost of the uniform is acceptable to people
D. people wear uniforms to show they should be respected
Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.
Some sports are resource-hungry. Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses (球场) in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas.
There are many environment-friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don’t need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don’t have to worry about resources and your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control.
Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be “green gyms”. They are better replacements for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it’s free.
72. The author thinks the golf is resource-hungry because of the following EXCEPT that _____.
A. Golf wastes large areas of countryside B. Golf runs out of much water
C. Keeping golf court in good condition needs too much energy
D. Golf is bad for people’s health
73. According to the passage, which of the following is an environment-friendly sport?
A. swimming in the pool B. hiking in the hills
C. playing basketball in the gym D. motor racing in the desert
74. The reason why the author uses power walking as an example mainly is that ______.
A. it improves our health B. it is an outdoor sport
C. it uses fewer resources D. it is recommended by experts
75. The passage is developed mainly by _____.
A. examples and explanation B. comparison and persuasion
C. facts and descriptions D. figures and conclusion
Rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are a major cause of climate change, and now a new study has confirmed that atmospheric CO2 is also affecting the ocean chemistry and potentially harming sea life.
Montana State University scientist Robert Dore has been researching the water in the Pacific Ocean for almost two decades.
“We’ve been going to the same spot in the Pacific Ocean, and we try and characterize long-term change in the open ocean environment. And one of the key things that we measure is CO2 levels. And we’ve been able to record this increasing quantity of atmospheric CO2 into the ocean.”
Scientists expected that as atmospheric CO2 increased, more and more of the carbon dioxide would be absorbed into the ocean, affecting the chemical balance of the sea water, with a potentially harmful impact on shellfish and coral in particular.
“As carbon dioxide dissolves (溶解) in the water, or seawater in this case, it forms a weak acid (酸), carbonic acid, ” Dore explains. “And therefore, as the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere goes up and that exchanges with the surface seawater, it drives the pH down, and makes it more acidic.”
The seawater Dore and his colleagues have analyzed confirms what the theory predicts.
The effect was particular striking at about 250 meters down, and again at 500 meters. Dore and his colleagues came up with two possible explanations. It could be that surface water picked up CO2 and then moved to those depths. Or there could be a biological explanation.
“It’s important to realize that the oceans are really becoming acidic. And it can have negative impacts on a whole variety of sea life from fish to coral. It’s potentially catastrophic.”
68. What can be the best title of the passage?
A. Sea Life Facing Danger B. Scientist Researching Seawater
C. Oceans Becoming More Acidic D. Climate Change Affecting Seawater
69. Which of the following shows the process of the impact of atmospheric CO2 on sea life?
a. Sea life is endangered.
b. CO2 goes into the surface water.
c. The ocean chemistry is affected.
d. CO2 decreases the pH and makes the seawater more acidic.
e. CO2 levels in the atmosphere go up.
A. a→b→c→d→e B. e→b→c→d→a
C. a→e→c→d→b D. e→d→c→b→a
70. Scientist Robert Dore came to the conclusion based on ________.
A. his research and analysis B. the expectation of other scientists
C. some former theory D. a major cause of climate change
71. What does the passage want to tell us most?
A. It takes time to make a scientific study.
B. Atmospheric CO2 is doing harm to sea life.
C. Robert Dore is a committed and serious scientist.
D. Measures should be taken to prevent the potential catastrophe.
More teachers are starting off the school year with letters to parents and students to introduce themselves and set a tone (基调) for the year. The letters are a good way to start positive communication with parents, several teachers told Education World.
“I think it’s professional, ”said Dorothy Peselli, an English teacher at Sparta High School in Sparta, New Jersay, Peselli, who gives out the letters the first day of school, told Education World. “It gives parents an image of you as a professional. If you start communication off in a positive manner, you will have the parents on your side when you need them.”
In her letter to parents, Peselli encourages them to call or e-mail her with specific concerns about their children. “I want to work as a team to make sure that your child becomes an independent lifelong learner,” Peselli wrote to parents last September. She also telephones the parents of all her students at the beginning of the year.
Peselli includes with the letter a classroom handbook (手册) listing plans and rules. And she requires that both parents and students read and sign statements (included in the letter) when they read the handbook. The student letter also lists needed supplies and gives encouragement. “Please come to class ready to work and learn. This will be an exciting year for all of us,” it says.
Last year, Peselli taught at a different high school and parents there were “shocked”, but appreciative, that she had so much contact with them. “I received roses and a thank-you note from one boy and his mother,” Peselli said. She wished her own children’s teachers would take the time to write notes as well. “I never got a letter home from any of my daughter’s high school teachers.” she said, “It would be nice to know the background of some of the people who are teaching my daughter.”
60. We may learn from the text that ______.
A. most teachers are writing letters to parents and students
B. the handbook is used to list supplies and give encouragement
C. Peselli believe it important for teachers to exchange information with parents
D. Peselli mainly introduces her background and teaching experiences in the letters
61. The underlined word “it” in the fourth paragraph refers to _____.
A. the handbook B. the requirement C. the school D. the letter
62. We can infer from the last paragraph that ______.
A. parents were satisfied with Peselli’s way of working
B. Peselli means to surprise parents by writing students
C. Peselli seemed to be popular among boy students
D. all Peselli’s children are studying in high schools
63. The purpose of the text is to ______.
A. introduce an English teaching method B. give advice on how to teach students
C. encourage teachers to keep in touch with parents
D. show us how Dorothy Peselli makes teaching plans