Google, the Internet search and mapping company, has developed a car that can steer without a driver.
Sometimes the reality is stranger than science fiction: Google is road-testing cars that steer, stop and start without a human driver. The goal is to “help prevent traffic accidents, free up people’s time and reduce carbon emissions.” says Sebastian Thrun, who is the project leader for the driverless car, or Carbot.
By developing the car and the software that drives it, Google wants to change how people get from place to p1ace. Eric Schmidt, one of the company’s top officials, said, “Your car should drive itself. It just makes sense.”
So far, the driverless autos have gone about 140,000 miles on California roads without people taking over the driving. Many of the roads are very busy or full of curves that challenge human drivers. The autos’ software makes it possible to know speed limits, traffic patterns and road maps. The vehicles use radar, lasers and video cameras to find other cars and avoid people crossing streets.
There has only been one accident during the testing. And in that case, the Carbot was hit from behind by a human driver when Goog1e’s car was stopped at a red light. Engineers say the driverless cars are safer than autos with people behind the wheel because the computers react much more quickly than humans.
The Carbot is still in very early testing stages. Experts agree that it will be years before you will be able to buy one. But it is likely that one day you will be sitting in the driver’s seat of a driverless car. When the auto was first invented it was called a “horseless carriage”. Now it seems that it is time for the “driverless carriage” to be part of our 1ives.What’s the main idea of the passage?
A.An auto revolution is on its way. |
B.Google has developed a driverless car. |
C.The Carbot has passed its early testing stages. |
D.Science fiction has turned into reality. |
The driverless car is safer than an auto with people because _______.
A.it uses radar, lasers and video cameras |
B.it knows speed limits, traffic patterns and road maps |
C.the computer has a better sense of direction than drivers |
D.the software responds to emergencies faster than a human driver |
The advantage of the Carbot is that _______.
A.it can drive all by itself |
B.it can avoid any traffic accident |
C.it doesn’t pollute the environment |
D.it is the most fashionable car nowadays |
70. The author’s attitude towards the Carbot is _______.
A.unfriendly | B.desperate | C.critical | D.optimistic |
One day, I received a call from a colleague. He was about to give a student a zero for his answer to a physical problem ,while the student claimed a perfect score. I was elected as their arbiter( 仲裁人).I read the examination problem: “Show how it is possible to determine the height of a tall building with the aid of a barometer(气压计).” The student had answered: “Take the barometer to the top of the building,attach a long rope to it,lower it to the street,and then bring it up, measuring the length of the rope. The length of it is the height of the building. ”
The student had really answered the question completely ,but the answer didn’t confirm his competence in physics. I suggested the student try again. I gave him six minutes to answer the question, warning that the answer should show some knowledge of physics. Five minutes later, he said he had many answers and clashed off one, which read: “Take the barometer to the top of the building and lean over the edge of the roof. Drop the barometer, timing its fall with a stopwatch. Then, use the physical formula (公式)to calculate the height of the building. ”
At this point, my colleague had to accept it, and then the student made almost full marks. I couldn’t help asking the student what the other answers were. He listed many others ,and then added5 “Probably the best is to take the barometer to the. administrator and said to him,' Sir, here is a fine barometer. If you tell me the height of the building, I will give it to you.,”
Then, I asked the student if he really did not know the conventional answer to this question. He admitted that he did ,but said that he was fed up with high school and college instructors trying to teach him how to think.
The name of the student was Bohr who later was famous all over ,the world. He won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1922.The student got a zero at the beginning because_______.
A.the teacher wasn’t satisfied with him |
B.his answer wasn't complete or correct |
C.the teacher clicln5t fully understand his answer |
D.his answer didn’t show his knowledge of physics |
We know from the passage that______
A.the student knew the expected answer |
B.the administrator told Bohr the height |
C.the author preferred Bohr s last answer |
D.the teacher was a very stubborn person |
We can learn from the passage that______.
A.instructors can teach students how to think |
B.arbiters can help students to get high scores |
C.students should be given more freedom in thinking |
D.teachers should make students use physical formulas |
What was Bohr’s attitude toward his schooling?
A.Optimistic. | B.Critical. | C.Approving. | D.Ambiguous. |
Women make better drivers than men for many reasons. Why is that? Wouldn't you think that competing at who has better driving abilities is pointless (无意义的)? If you ask me, I'd like to say, men know that women are better drivers but do not have the courage to admit the truth.
Unlike men, women stop for directions when they have no idea where they are going. Women don't drive around for hours pointlessly wasting a tank ofgas only to find themselves heading in the wrong direction. Have you ever been in a car with a man who is lost? He tells you to shut up when you begin to open your mouth. And every five minutes or so he takes a turn going forty-five miles per hour only to find out he's made another wrong turn.
Speeding is what men do best on the road. Traffic is not a race. There is a reason why men get more speeding tickets than women. Not because women trick to get out of tickets but only because they don't speed. Women don't risk putting their own lives and the lives of others in danger. In other words,they have more responsibility for life.
My largest issue with male drivers is how a majority of them drive with one hand on the wheel and the other hand doing only God knows what. The seat is backed as far as possible. They're totally lost in loud music beyond a necessary level. You don't ever see women driving like that.
I feel that the above evidence(证据) more than proves (证明) my points that women are queens of the road. Oh ,men, if you want to continue criticizing (批评) women for being bad drivers,bring it on. We know you lack confidence, or else you wouldn't be wasting your valuable time making jokes about the ones you may choose to spend the rest of your days with.Who does the author think are the better drivers? (no more than 1 word)
_________________________________________________________________________When will women drivers stop to ask for help? (no more than 9 words)
_________________________________________________________________________Why do men get more speeding tickets (no more than 3 words)
_________________________________________________________________________What quality(品质) do women drivers have when it comes to safety? (no more than 3 words)
_________________________________________________________________________How is the seat backed by most male drivers? (用完整的句子回答)
________________________________________________________________________
When something goes wrong, it can be very satisfying to say. “Well, it’s so-and-so’s fault.” Or “I know I am late, but it’s not my fault; the car broke down.” It is not your fault, but once you form the habit of blaming(责备) somebody or something else for a bad situation, you are a lose. You have no power and could do nothing that helps change the situation. However, you can have great power over what happens to you if you stop focusing on whom to blame and start focusing on how to remedy the situation. This is the winner’s key to success.
Winners are great at overcoming problems. For example if you were late because your car broke down, maybe you need to have your car examined regularly .Or, you might start to carry along with you the useful phone numbers, so you could call for help when in need. For another example, if your colleague causes you problems on the job for lack of responsibility or ability, find ways of dealing with his irresponsibility or inability rather than simply blame the person. Ask to work with a different person, or don’t rely on this person. You should accept that the person is not reliable and find creative ways to work successfully regardless of how your colleague fails to do his job well.
This is what being a winner is all about---creatively using your skills and talents so that you are successful no matter what happens Winners don’t have few problems in their lives; they have just as many difficult situations to face as anybody else. They are just better at seeing those problems as challenges and opportunities to develop their own talents. So, stop focusing on “Whose fault it is”. Once you are confident about power over bad situations, problems are just stepping stones for success.According to the passage, winners__________.
A.deal with problems rather than blame others |
B.meet with fewer difficulties in the lives |
C.have responsible and able colleagues |
D.blame themselves rather than others |
The underlined word“remedy” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ________.
A.avoid | B.accept | C.improve | D.consider |
When your colleague(同事) brings about a problem, you should _________.
A.find a better way to handle the problems |
B.blame him for his lack of responsibility |
C.tell him to find the cause of the problem |
D.ask a more able colleague for help |
When problems occur, winners take them as__________.
A.excuses for their failures |
B.barriers(障碍) to greater power |
C.challenges to their colleagues |
D.chances for self-development |
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A.A winner’s Secret | B.A Winner’s Problem |
C.A Winner’s Opportunity | D.A Winner’s Achievement |
Love, success, happiness, family and freedom----how important are these values to you? Here is one interview which explores the fundamental questions in life.
Question: Could you introduce yourself first?
Answer: My name is Misbah, 27 years old. I was born in a war-torn area. Right now I am a web designer.
Q: What are your great memories?
A: My parents used to take me to hunt birds, climb trees, and play in the fields. For me it was like a holiday because we were going to have fun all day long Those are my great memories.
Q: Does your childhood mean a lot to you?
A: As life was hard, I used to work to help bring money in for the family. I spent my childhood working, with responsibilities beyond my age .However, it taught me to deal with problems all alone. I learnt to be independent.
Q: What changes would you like to make in your life?
A: If I could change something in my life, I’d change it so that my childhood could have taken place in another area. I would have loved to live with my family in freedom. Who cares whether we have much money, or whether we have a beautiful house? It doesn’t matter as I can live with my family and we are safe.
Q: How do you get along with your parents?
A: My parents supported me until I came of age. I want to give back what I have got. That’s my way. But I am working in another city. My only contact with my parents now is through the phone, but I hate using it. It filter(过滤) out your emotion and leaves your voice only. My deepest feeling should be passed through sight ,hearing and touch.In Misbah’s childhood, ___________.
A.he was free from worry |
B.he liked living in the countryside |
C.he was fond of getting close to nature |
D.he often spent holidays with his family |
What did Misbah desire most in his childhood?
A.A colorful life | B.A beautiful house |
C.Peace and freedom | D.Money for his life |
Which phrase do you think can take the place of the underlined phrase “all alone” in the passage?
A.lonely | B.without difficulty | C.without hesitation | D.on his own |
How would Misbah prefer to communicate with his parents?
A.By chatting on the Internet | B.By calling them sometimes |
C.By paying weekly visits | D.By writing them letters |
If there were only one question left, what would it most probably be?
A.What was your childhood dream? |
B.What is your biggest achievement ? |
C.What is your parents’ view of you? |
D.What was your hardest experience in the war? |
The scientific world continues to be amazed by the speed of the development of cloning. Some scientists now suggest that the cloning of humans could occur in the near future. Despite the benefits of cloning, however, certain ethical (道德的) questions concerning the possible abuse (滥用) of cloning have been raised. At the heart of these questions is the idea of humans influencing life in a way that could harm society, either morally or in a real physical sense. Some people object to cloning because it allows scientists to "act like God" in the handling of living organisms.
The cloning of Dolly raised the debate over this practice to a whole new level. It has become obvious that the technology for cloning Dolly could also be used to clone humans. A person could choose to make two or ten or a hundred copies of himself or herself by the same techniques used with Dolly. An active debate about the morality of cloning humans arises. Some people see benefits from the practice, such as providing a way for parents to produce a new child to replace one dying of a fatal disease. Other people worry about humans taking into their own hands the future of the human race.
At the beginning of the twenty-first century, many scientists say the controversy over the ethics of cloning humans is overstressed because of the unpredictability (
不可预测性) of cloning in general. While scientists have cloned animals such as sheep, mice, cows, pigs, and goats, fewer than 3 percent of all those cloning efforts have succeeded. The animal clones that have been produced often have health problems. Scientists believe the rapid reprogramming in cloning can introduce random (任意的) errors into a clone’s DNA. Those errors have altered individual genes in minor ways, and the genetic defects (缺陷) have led to the development of major medical problems. Some scientists say this should make human cloning out of the question, but others argue that cloning humans may actually be easier and safer than cloning animals. Whatever, I agree that further research in the field of cloning is needed.
Some people are against cloning of humans because they think _________.
A.the practice takes too much time and money |
B.the cloning technology is still not mature |
C.humans control the future of the human race |
D.the population in the world will be too large |
Some scientists think the debate over ethics of cloning humans is overstressed because ____.
A.cloning of human beings is completely impossible |
B.the result of cloning can’t be predicted in general |
C.cloning of animals is a failure |
D.there are big errors in a clone’s DNA |
We can learn from the text that _______.
A.cloning of humans is a very controversial issue |
B.the cloning of Dolly begins to raise the debate over cloning of humans |
C.there are medical problems in cloning animals |
D.cloning humans is easier and safer than cloning animals |
The text is mainly about _______.
A.the benefits of cloning |
B.the ethics of cloning |
C.the history of cloning |
D.the defects of cloning |