Scientists are developing a new kind of machine to take the place of humans. These machines can do jobs in places that are too dangerous for humans. For example, they are being developed to work in nuclear power center, deep under the oceans and in outer space.
John Marrit, a psychologist(心理学家) in Williamsburg Massachusetts, helped develop the new machine. This is how they work. A machine is placed in an area far away from the person who operates it. The person wears special hard hat with television screens and sound equipment. The screens and sound equipment let the person see and hear exactly what the machine is seeing and hearing. Mr. Marrit says this gives the person the feeling of being in the same place as the machine. The idea, he says, is being there without going there. The person uses an electronic control to make the machine move. The machine copies the person’s movements exactly. If the person raises his right arm, the machine raises the right arm, too. This means an expert can do a dangerous job while staying in the safe place. For example, a person can direct the machine to destroy a bomb without going near the bomb himself.The new kind of machine being introduced in the passage is _______.
A.in existence | B.only an idea |
C.being tried out | D.being researched and developed |
The machine _______.
A.follows the person’s order |
B.is controlled by a computer |
C.does exactly what the person does |
D.is controlled by a television on the person’s head |
The difference between such a new machine and a robot is that _______.
A.the new machine is more difficult to make than a robot |
B.the new machine is more difficult to be controlled |
C.a robot is controlled by man indirectly |
D.a robot can’t be used in places too dangerous or faraway |
Make a five-minute film and win !
Do you love the summer holidays but hate being bored ? Then why don’t you enter the Film Street Summer Shorts Competition by making a short film this summer with your family and friends ?
What you have to do
To enter the competition , you have to make a short film that is around 5 minutes long (It can be shorter but not longer !) on a digital camera , or mobile phone .
Awards
The best short film entered into our competition will be shown in Film Street’s Cinema and you’ll win a Cineworld Cinemas pass for yourself and three more for other members of your filmmaking crew(演职员). If you have a Cineworld Cinema pass , you can watch as many films as you like for a year, for free , at any Cineworld Cinema !
Rules
◆We can’t show films that tell others about either your , or any other kid’s name or address
◆We can’t show films that hurt , harm or insult (侮辱) other people .
◆We can’t show films that have bad language .
Copyright checklist (版权清单)
Getting permission to use someone else’s work in your film can be expensive , so check your film to
make sure that :
◆Your film is original and you haven’t copied someone else .
◆There are no scenes of branding (商标) on shop sights , books , magazines or CDs .
◆There are no scenes of someone else’s artwork
Address and Date
Post your finished film on tape , CD or DVD by Monday , October 1st , 2007 to :
Film Street Summer Shorts Competition
First Light Movies
Unit 6 , Third Floor , The Bond
180-182 Fazeley Street
Birmingham B5 5SE
So what’s stopping you ? Start making your Film Street Summer short now !Who is the passage written for ?
A.Children | B.Parents | C.Teachers | D.Actors |
How many Cineworld Cinemas passes will the winner of the awarded in all ?
A.One | B.Two | C.Three | D.Four |
From the third paragraph we can learn that _________ .
A.the winner’s short film can be shown in any cinema |
B.the competition is held by Cineworld Cinemas |
C.the winner can watch films for free for one year at any Cineworld Cinema |
D.the winner will be paid for his short film |
The underlined word “original ” is closest in meaning to “ ____________ “ .
A.interesting enough | B.full of exciting moments |
C.good for children | D.made by yourself |
Each year, road accidents kill a million people and injure millions more . The economic costs are greatest for developing countries . Earlier this year , the United Nations called for a campaign to improve road safety .
One way to avoid accidents is better driving . Another is better roads and bridges . Engineers in the Unites States have designed ten new concrete mixtures that they think could make bridges last longer .
Professor Paul Tikalsky leads the experiments by a team at Pennsylvania State University . He says bridges made of concrete now last about twenty-five to thirty-five years . But he says the new mixtures might extend that to seventy –five or even one-hundred years .
Concrete is made of stone , sand , water and cement(水泥). The materials in the cement hold the concrete together . Ancient Romans built with concrete . Yet strengthened concrete bridges did not appear until the late 1800s . People keep looking for new ways to improve concrete . Professor Tikalsky says it is one of the most complex of all chemical systems .
The new mixtures designed by his team contain industrial waste products . He says these make the concrete better able to resist damage from water and salt over time . One of the products is fly ash . This is released into the air as pollution when coal is burned .
Professor Tikalsky says particles (颗粒)of fly ash are almost exactly the same size and chemical structure as Portland cement . This is the most costly material in concrete . So using fly ash to replace some of it would save money .
The federal government is paying for part of the research . Engineers anywhere can use the technology . Professor Tikalsky says some of the ideas have already been put to use in China , the Philippines and other countries .Why did the United Nations launch the campaign ?
A.Because the United Nations wanted to reduce road accidents and economic costs |
B.Because two million people were killed in the accidents . |
C.Because engineers wanted to design ten new concrete mixtures . |
D.Because the United Nations made bridges of the new mixtures which could last for about 20 to 35 |
years .What does the underlined word “ this ” in the sixth paragraph refer to ?
A.Fly ash | B.Portland cement | C.Sand | D.Chemical |
Which of the following statements is TRUE ?
A.Ten new concrete bridges have already been built in the United States . |
B.A new concrete bridge could last 50 more years than an ordinary concrete one . |
C.People didn’t know how to build with cement until the late 1800s . |
D.Water and salt won’t do any damage to bridges over time . |
What does the passage mainly tell us ?
A.The causes of road accidents . | B.The advantages of fly ash |
C.The measures of avoiding road accidents | D.Latest information about long-life concrete bridges |
In 1988, Mary Anderson was at the Miami airport checking in for a flight to Norway to be with her husband when she was told she wouldn’t be able to check her luggage without paying a $100 surcharge (超载) .
Mary had no money as her new husband had left for Norway and she had no one else to call .
“ I was completely desperate and tried to think which of my things I could manage without ,” says Mary .
As tears ran down her face , a voice behind her said , “That’s okay, I’ll pay for her .”
Rather surprised , Mary turned around to see a tall man whom she had never seen before . He had a gentle and kind voice that was firm and decisive .
Although this happened twenty years ago , Mary still remembers the authority that radiated (发出)from the man .
Mary was pleased to bring her luggage to Norway and told the stranger she would give his money back . The man wrote his name and address on a piece of paper and gave it to Mary . She thanked him repeatedly . When she finally walked off towards the boarding gate, he waved goodbye to her .
That man turned out to be Barack Obama .
Mary paid the money back to Obama the day she joined her husband . At that time he had just finished his job as a poorly paid community worker in Chicago , and had started his law studies at Harward University .
In the spring of 2006 , Mary’s parents heard Obama was considering a run for President . They wrote a letter saying that they would support him. At the same time , they thanked Obama for helping their daughter 18 years earlier .
And Obama replied , “ I want to thank you for the lovely things you wrote about me and for reminding me of what happened at Miami airport . I’m happy I could help her then , and I’m delighted to hear that your daughter is happy in Norway . Please send her my best wishes . Sincerely , Barack Obama,
United States Senator .” Why did Mary feel completely desperate ?
A.She had missed the only flight to Norway . |
B.Her new husband abandoned her suddenly . |
C.She didn’t have the money to buy a ticket . |
D.She had no money to pay for the surcharge . |
How did Mary feel when someone offered to help her ?
A.Amazed | B.Puzzled | C.Delighted | D.Annoyed |
Mary asked the stranger to leave his name and address _________ .
A.in order to contact him later | B.so that she could repay him |
C.because he impressed her deeply | D.because she fell in love with him |
What’s the passage mainly about ?
A.A letter from Barack Obama | B.Mary’s parents support Obama |
C.Obama helped a stranger 20 years ago | D.Mary was lucky to get help at the airport |
Night after night,she came to tuck me in,even long after my childhood years.Following her longstanding custom,she'd lean down and push my long hair out of the way,then kiss my forehead.
I don't remember when it first started annoying me—her hands pushing my hair that way. But it did annoy me,for they felt work—worn and mush against my young skin.Finally,one night,I shouted out at her,"Don't do that anymore--your hands are too rough!" She didn't say anything in reply.But never again did my mother close out my day with that familiar expression of her love.
Time after time,with the passing years,my thoughts returned to that night.By then I missed my mother's hands,missed her goodnight kiss on my forehead.Sometimes the incident seemed very close,sometimes far away.But always it lurked,in the back of my mind.
Well,the years have passed,and I'm not a little girl anymore.Mom is in her mid—seven—ties.and those hands I once thought to be so rough are still doing things for me and my family.She's been our doctor,reaching into a medicine cabinet(医药箱)for the remedy(药物)to calm a young girl's stomach or soothe(安慰)the boy's scraped knee.She cooks the best fried chicken in the world…gets stains out of blue cans, like I never could…
Now, my own children are grown and gone.Mom no longer has Dad,and on special occasions.I find myself drawn next door to spend the night with her.So it was late on Thanksgiving Eve, as I slept in the bedroom of my youth, a familiar hand hesitantly run across, my face to brush the hair from my forehead.Then a kiss,ever so gently,touched my brow(额头).
In my memory,for the thousandth,time,I recalled the night my young voice complained,"Don't do that anymore--your hands are too rough!" Catching Mom's hand in hand,I blurted (冲口说出)out how sorry I was for that night.I thought she'd remember ,as I did.But Mom didn't know what I Was talking about.She had forgotten--and forgiven—long ago.
That night, I fell asleep with a new appreciation for my gentle mother and her carrying hands. And the guilt that I had carried around for so long was nowhere to be found.
1.What would be the best title for the text ?
A.Mother's Hands B.Appreciation for Mother.
C.My Childhood Years. D.My Unselfish Mother.
2. The author began to get annoyed because—
A.her mother's hands were really old and tough
B.she thought she didn't need her mother's care
C.she didn't like her mother any more
D.her mother stayed in her room too long
3. What do we know about the author?
A. With time passing, she began to understand her mother.
B.She was an only child in the family.
C.She never forgave herself.
D.Her mother was a doctor.
4.By saying "Then a kiss,ever so gently,touched my brow.",the author means
that________
A.children need Mother's kissing B.mothers kiss their children gently
C.mothers love their children forever D.children depend on their mothers
5.It can be inferred from the text that _____________
A.the author began to spend nights with her mother
B.her mother never kissed author again
C.her mother forgave her at last
D.the author felt guilty of what she did to her mother
第二部分阅读理解(满分20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。
We are all called upon to make a speech at some point in life, but most of us don’t do a very good job. This article gives some suggestions on how to give an effective speech.
So, you have to give a speech-- and you’re terrified. You get nervous, you forget what you want to say, you stumble over words, you talk too long, and you bore your audience. Later you think, “Thank goodness, it’s over. I’m just no good at public speaking. I hope I never have to do that again. ”
Cheer up! It doesn’t have to be that bad. Here are some simple steps to take the pain out of speech making. Ask yourself the purpose of your speech. What is the occasion? Why are you speaking? Then, gather as many facts as you can on your subject. Spend plenty of time doing your research. Then spend plenty of time organizing your material so that your speech is clear and easy to follow. Use as many examples as possible, and use pictures, charts, and graphs if they will help you make your points more clearly. Never forget your audience. Don’t talk over their heads, and don’t talk down to them. Treat your audience with respect. They will appreciate your thoughtfulness.
Just remember: be prepared. Know your subject, your audience, and the occasion. Be brief. Say what you have to say and then stop. And be yourself. Let your personality come through so that you make person-to -person contact with your audience.
If you follow these simple steps, you’ll see that you don’t have to be afraid of public speaking. In fact, you may find the experience so enjoyable that you volunteer to make more speeches! You’re not convinced yet? Give it a try and see what happens.
1. The main idea of this article is _________.
A. you can improve your speaking ability B. a poor speaker can never change
C. always make a short speech D. it is hard to make a speech
2. Paragraph 2 implies that ________.
A. many people are afraid of giving a speech B. many people are happy to give a speech
C. many people do not prepare for a speech D. many people talk too long
3. The phrase “talk over their heads” means ________.
A. speak too loudly B. look at the ceiling
C. look down upon them D. use words and ideas that are too difficult
4. All of the following statements are true except that ___________.
A. few people know how to make good speeches
B. a lecturer does not need to organize his speech
C. research is important in preparing a speech
D. there are simple steps you can take to improve your speaking ability
5. The title for this passage may be _______.
A. Do Not Make a Long Speech B. How to Give a Good Speech
C. How to Prepare for a Speech D. Try to Enjoy a Speech