A study by St． Louis University has found that a lovable dog named Sparky and a robotic dog AIBO, were about equally effective at reducing the loneliness of nursing home residents． The study confirmed previous findings that dogs have a good effect on nursing home residents（居民）．
Dr． Andrew Smith led the Stanford University team出at built a home-assistance robot． "If humans can feel an emotional tie with robots, some day they could be not just our assistants, but also our companions," he said．
To test whether residents responded better to Sparky, a trained dog, or the Sony-made robotic dog, researchers divided 38 nursing home residents into three groups at three long-term care centers in St, Louis.
One group had weekly 30-minute one-on-one visits with Sparky; another group had similar visits with AIBO; a control group had no contact with either dog．The groups' respective levels of loneliness were tested by having them answer a number of questions at the beginning and near the end of the visits．
After two months, both groups that had contact with the dogs were less lonely and more attached． Most of the elderly regarded Sparky, a 9-year-old dog, as an audience for their life stories, said investigator Marian Banks.
"He listened attentively, wagged his tail, and allowed them to pet him," said Banks, who adopted and trained Sparky after finding him in a street behind her home seven years ago．
Those who were together with AIBO took a little longer to warm to the robotic creature．Over time, however, they grew comfortable with him, and petted and talked to him． He would respond by wagging his tail, vocalizing（发出声音）, and blinking his lights．
"AIBO is charming once you start to interact with him," said the study's author, Dr． William Banks, " He's an attractive sort of guy． He gives a feeling: of being personal, not just a robot． "Before the new study, it was known that ．
| A．dogs could help get rid of old people's loneliness |
| B．robots could build close connection with humans |
| C．robots were more effective at reducing people's loneliness |
| D．dogs and robots were equally effective at reducing loneliness |
The first time those who contacted with the robotic dog ．
| A．accepted it immediately |
| B．found it easy to interact with it |
| C．were not quite comfortable with it |
| D．were confused by its behavior |
The findings of the researchers tell us that .
| A． robots are actually attractive sorts of guys |
| B．robots could make a good companion of the old. |
| C．it's easy for people to become close with robots |
| D． the elderly will have a robot assistant in no time |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Robots Serve People Better Than Thought |
| B．No More Lonely Old Age with Emotional Robots |
| C．Dogs equipped with robots to Help the Elderly |
| D．Robots and Dogs Can Equally Cheer up the Elderly |
Most likely, you aren’t the family breadwinner. But doing a small job or getting a weekly allowance (零花钱) would put some money in your pocket. For kids and grown-ups alike, money is easy to spend. If you aren’t careful, it can be gone in no time.
Being responsible with your money is an important skill to learn ----and the sooner you start the better. Whether you are tracking your spending or saving for something special, creating a budget can help you deal with your expenses and plan for the future. All you need are paper and a pencil --- and some self-control.
First, take a look at our sample monthly budget. Then, use a separate sheet of paper to plan your own. In the first two columns (栏), list your sources (来源) of income and how much you expect to earn from them. In the third and fourth columns, list what you expect to spend your money on and the amount.
The left-hand total should be more than or equal to the right-hand total. If it is, you have an effective budget.
Sample Monthly Budget
| Monthly Income |
Amount |
Monthly Expenses |
Amount |
| Allowance |
$20.00 |
Snacks |
$26.00 |
| Money earned selling drinks |
$25.00 |
Music downloads |
$12.00 |
| Money earned babysitting |
$12.50 |
Movies |
$18.00 |
| Money earned delivering newspapers |
$30.00 |
Video rentals |
$10.00 |
| Total: |
$87.50 |
Total |
$66.00 |
Budgets are not complex, but sticking to them can be tough. When planning your budget, be
realistic about your expenses. If you know that you drop $18 at a movie, don’t write $12 in
that space simply because you wish you were spending less
If you are eyeing a big purchase, such as a $150 skateboard, spend less and save more until you have the total amount. No matter how attractive it may be, avoid spending your savings. One day, you will thank yourself!Who is the passage written for?w
| A．Children. | B．Parents. | C．Breadwinners. | D．Bank managers. |
The purpose of making a budget is to help people _________.
| A．learn to be realistic | B．increase their saving |
| C．manage their money well | D．test their power-control |
What should people do when planning a budget?w
| A．Fill in the expenses as they really are. |
| B．Avoid spending money on expensive things. |
| C．Set aside a fixed amount of money as savings. |
| D．List income and expenses on two pieces of paper. |
Which of the fol
lowing budgets is effective?
| A． Monthly Income Amount Monthly Expenses Amount Allowance $20.00 Money earned walking dogs $20.00 Bus fares $40.00 Movies $28.00 Total: $60 Total $48.00 |
| B． Monthly Income Amount Monthly Expenses Amount Allowance $20.00 Movies $30.00 Money earned washing cars $10.00 Bus fares $10.00 Total: $30.00 Total: $40.00 |
| C． Monthly Income Amount Monthly Expenses Amount Allowance $27.50 Money earned selling drinks $22.00 Money earned babysitting $22.50 Birthday gifts $28.00 Total: $50.00 Total: $50.00 |
| D． Monthly Income Amount Monthly Expenses Amount Allowance $26.00 Video rentals $22.00 Money earned doing yard work $24.00 Birthday gifts $28.00 Total: $50.00 Total: $50.00 |
Teaching materials for learning Chinese are provided here. There are sites where you may find interesting instructions suitable for you. Here are some sites to begin your surfing.
You may start with these pages from this website — just to get a little taste of it without working too hard.
● A Is For Love
Flash cards for learning a few Chinese words
● Listening to the sound of Chinese
Play a few words of Chinese on your computer.
● A few Chinese words
Each word is enlarged for easy study.
If you are studying Chinese, these tools can help.
● Zhongwen site
More than a dictionary!
● Clavis Sinica
Excellent program by Professor David Porter. It displays a whole document in Chinese [GB] or [BIG5], and gives individual word’s definition, pronunciation as well as much more information when you click on that word. If you are studying Chinese, this is a very useful tool.
● Chinese Character Visual Dictionary
If you like to know more, go to the following sites on the Internet.
● The Chinese Outpost
Pronunciation, Character and Grammer By Mark Andrew Baker. The best. A must-visit site.
● Learn Cantonese / Mandarin Online
● Internet Based Chinese Teaching and Learning
● Rainland Kids discover Chinese — Site is in Germany
If you want to have a better understanding of China, go to this one.
● Wanfang Data
As an affiliate (分支) of Chinese Ministry of Science && Technology, Wanfang Data has been the leading information provider in China since 1950s. With a wide range of database resources and value-added services, Wanfang Data has become a gateway to understanding Chinese culture, medicine, business, science, etc.This passage is most probably from ______.
| A．a TV programme | B．a teacher’s lecture |
| C．a newspaper | D．the Internet |
If you want to know each Chinese character’s definition, pronunciation and much more information, you’d better surf ______.
| A．Zhongwen site | B．A Is For Love | C．Clavis Sinica | D．A few Chinese words |
If you want to know China about its culture, medicine, business, science, you’d better surf ______.
| A．Learn Mandarin online | B．Wanfang Data |
| C．Rainland kids discover Chinese | D．The Chinese Outpost |
The underlined word “gateway” in the last paragraph probably refers to ______.
A．an opening in a wall that can be closed b y a gate |
| B．a place through which you can go to another place |
| C．the space when a door is open |
| D．a means of getting or achieving something |
Everyone knows what a needle is. Of course there are needles and needles: Needles for sewing machines, needles for injection(注射), you name it. But few people think of the wonder : a needle works in the hands of those who practice acupuncture(针刺疗法).
During the past ten years or so, I have been suffering from terrible headache. It seems to be getting from bad to worse these days . Last night I got a sudden pain in my head. It was so terrible that I could hardly bear(忍受)it. Although I swallowed all kinds of pain-killers(止痛药), I didn’t feel any better, It seemed that there was nothing I could do but phone for a doctor.
One of our neighbours happened to be with us. He was not a doctor, but he timidly(胆怯地) offered his help, saying “Do you mind if I tried acupuncture on you? These needles may possibly do you some good.” I agreed. In a moment, he had taken out a few needles from his purse. Without a moment’s delay, he fixed a few needles into the skin on my head here and there, Before long, I felt thoroughly relieved(缓解疼痛).
Just then, the doctor sped through my house and said, “Where is our patient?”
“Sorry, Doctor, You are too late, It’s killed!” I answered in delight.
It’s miracle , isn’t it?The underlined phrase from bad to worse in the second paragraph refers to the man’s .
| A．character | B．life | C．headache | D．health |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．the neighbour fixed needles on his own head |
| B．The neighbour is a kind-hearted person. |
| C．The man’s pain was killed before the doctor arrived |
| D．Soon after the acupuncture, the man was completely recovered. |
The sentences” You are too late. It’s killed .” mean that .
A．t he pain was killed because the doctor came late |
| B．the man was killed because the doctor came too late |
| C．before the doctor came the man’s headache was already cured |
| D．it was too late and the man had gone away |
The passage tells us that .
| A．everyone knows that acupuncture is a miracle |
| B．the neighbour wanted to use acupuncture on every patient |
| C．the effect of acupuncture on the man was unbelievable |
| D．the patient did not believe in acupuncture |
When did you last see a polar bear(北极熊）? On a trip to a zoo,perhaps? If you had attended a winter activity in New York a few years ago, you would have seen a whole polar bear club. These "Polar Bears" are people who meet frequ
ently in the winter to swim in freezing cold water. That day, the air temperature was 3℃, and the water temperature was a little higher. The members of the Polar Bear Club at Coney Island, New York are usually about the age of 60. Members must satisfy two requirements. First, they must get along well with everyone else in the group; this is very important because there are so many different kinds of people in the club. Polar Bears must also agree to swim outdoors at least twice a month from November through February.
Doctors don't agree about the medical effects of cold-winter swimming. Some are worried about the dangers of a condition in which the body's temperature drops so low that finally the heart stops. Other doctors, however, point out that there is more danger of a heart attack during summer swimming because the difference between the air temperature and water temperature is much greater in summer than in winter.
The Polar Bears themselves are satisfied with the benefits of cold-water swimming. They say that their favorite form of exercise is very good for the circulatory system(循环系统）because it forces the blood to move fast to keep the body warm. Cold-water swimmers usually turn bright red after a few minutes in the water. A person who turns blue probably has a very poor circulatory system and should not try cold-water swimming.
The main benefits of cold-water swimming are probably mental.The Polar Bears love to swim all year round; they find it fun and relaxing. As one 70-year-old woman says,"When I go into water, I pour my troubles into the ocean and let them float away."The members of the Polar Bear Club must meet the following requirements except that_____.
| A．they must swim outdoors at least 8 times in the four cold months |
| B．they must reach the age of 60 |
C．they should  be easy to make friends with |
| D．they must agree to swim outdoors from November through February |
According to the passage, some doctors believe it is true that_____.
| A．Polar Bears are bears swimming in freezing water |
B．cold -water swimming can make the body temperature dangerously high |
| C．you are healthy if cold-water swimming turns your skin color blue |
| D．cold-water swimming causes more heart attacks in summer than in winter |
The Polar Bears like to swim year-round, for_____.
| A．it is an easy way to keep the body warm in winter | B．they can remain young |
| C．they find it enjoyable and interesting | D．they might meet fewer troubles in life |
The passage is mainly about_____.
| A．the requirements of the Polar Bear Club |
| B．a group of cold-water-swimming livers |
| C．the Polar Bears' life in New York |
| D．doctors' ideas about cold-water swimming |
One day last November, Tom Baker stopped out of his house into the morning light and headed across the rice fields toward the bank of the Rapti River. Tom, a 32-year-old school teacher in the farming village of Madanpur, was going for his morning bath.
As he approached(走近) the river, the head of a tiger(老虎) suddenly appeared over the edge of the river bank. Before he could turn to run, the tiger was upon him. It jumped on his shoulder and threw him to the ground, its huge jaws attacked his head in a killing bite.
Peter Smith was also on his way to the river and saw the attack. He screamed. The tiger lifted its head and roared(吼叫) at him. Peter ran.
From the window of his house John Brown heard the tiger roar and ran out to see it attacking a man. He screamed, too, and all the villagers ran out shouting as the tiger dropped its victim(牺牲品) and ran off. When the villagers reached the river bank, Tom was already dead.
For the villagers, the horror of the incident intensified(加剧) by the tales of man-eating tigers that has once run around in the countryside, killing hundreds.How many people saw the tiger before it was driven off?
A One person. B. Two persons. C. Three persons. D. Four persons.The reason why the tiger attacked the man was .
| A．it was hungry | B．it was angry |
| C．it was frightened by the man | D．not mentioned in the passage |
When did the attack take place?
| A．Early in the morning | B．At noon |
| C．Late in the afternoon | D．At five before dark |
According to the passage, the underlined word screamed in the third paragraph probably means ____.
| A．gave a sharp cry because of fear. | B．shouted out for help. |
| C．made some loud noise. | D．cried out in pain. |