A Robot Fish has been developed by National University of Singapore’s researchers from the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering．This robot fish has movements which have been inspired by the movements of the carp（鲤鱼）．
There are various purposes that it can be used for．It can help in underwater archaeology （ 考古学 ）．For example, it can enter a sunken city where human divers cannot enter．Just like a fish , it can also look at all the comers of particular wreckage．This robot can also be used for general purposes such as detection of leakages in a pipeline or for laying down communication cables across oceans．It also has possible military uses．
In order to copy carp movements, Mr．Fan studied the movements of the fish for around 3 months．He studied all the different movements of carp using different cameras and then converted these movements mathematically to transfer this data to the robot using many actuators（驱动器）．
Professor Xu commented on the robot that the current models that copy fish movements are capable only of 2D movements which limits their capability as they are not able to dive into water．He said that his model is the first model with 3D movements which allows it to dive as well as float with the help of its fins, just as a normal fish would do．Hence, this fish model robot has much greater movement capability．It would be much harder for enemies to detect as compared to traditional ones when used for military purposes．
The researches want to make their robot fish even smaller, more realistic while adding more sensors such as GPS and video camera to it．This will improve its autonomous 3D movement．They are also planning to test the fish by giving it more difficult tasks such as detecting various objects．The author gave an example in paragraph 2 _____．
| A．to introduce the Robot Fish can help in underwater archaeology |
| B．to show the Robot Fish can be used for general purposes |
| C．to show the Robot Fish can lay down communication cables across oceans |
| D．to tell us the Robot Fish has possible military uses |
Which is NOT true about the 3D Robot Fish?
| A．It is capable of diving into water． |
| B．It cannot dive into water． |
| C．It can float using its fins． |
| D．It is difficult to detect． |
What' s the main idea of the last paragraph?
| A．The researchers will give the robot more difficult tasks． |
| B．The researches want to make their robot smaller． |
| C．The researchers are going to test the robot． |
| D．The researches plan to improve the robot． |
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
| A．First Robot Fish with Autonomous 3D Movement used widely |
| B．First Robot Fish with Autonomous 3D Movement treading the ocean |
| C．First Robot Fish with Autonomous 3D Movement created in Singapore |
| D．First Robot Fish with Autonomous 3D Movement's general purposes |
Switching telephone providers used to be the only way homeowners could save money on telephone bills. Now thanks to new technology, comsumers have another choice-making phone calls over the internet. And this can be completely free if you call another person with an internet phone set-up.
The technology is called voice over internet protocol (协议), or VoIP. In 2005, consumer demand for VoIP dramatically grew. In the US, where popularity has grown faster than here in the UK, 8.4 million are predicted to subscribe this year. For the past couple years, VoIP pioneers such as Skype have accounted for the majority of internet phone subscribers.
VoIP is attractive to consumers because it’s cheaper than traditional phone services. With the basic equipment of PC, microphone and headset, and VoIP software and broadband internet for optimum (最适宜的) voice quality, consumers can save a fortune chatting for free to other internet phone owners and save money calling regular landlines (通讯电缆). But, as the saying goes, you get what you pay for. Many of these services suffer from uncontinuous lapses (失效) in quality. While some users may tolerate echoes or a dropped call, improved quality is needed to attract more customers.
Computing has examined the benefits of using a PC as a telephone with VoIP in how easy they were to set up, how effective they were and the range of their features.
Skype(www. skype.com) came top for its bother-free approach, easy set-up and exceptional voice clarity. Sipgate (www. sipgate. co. uk), MSN(www. messenger. msn. co. uk) and Yahoo! Messenger (uk. messenger. yahoo. com) provide an audio “wizard” that improves sound levels. Google Talk (www. google. com/ talk) was less helpful and Babble. net (www. babble. net) was let down by its poor help files. Yahoo! Messenger provides some of the best features, including the option of landline calls, webcam chats, instant messaging, voice-mail and conference calls. Which one of the following if you call others?
| A．VolP,voice over internet protocol |
| B．Switching telephone |
| C．New technology |
| D．letters |
The underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 implies that ______.
| A．VoIP can save money but it has some disadvantages |
| B．whatever you buy is related to how much you pay |
| C．what you pay for will belong to you forever |
| D．what you buy is not always high in quality |
Which of the following statement is true according to the passage?
| A．Sipgate is less helpful. |
| B．Yahoo! Messenger offers some best features. |
| C．Skype is the best one in the new technology. |
| D．Google Talk provides very good audio “wizard”. |
A new era is upon us. Call it what you will: the service economy, the information age, the knowledge society. It has changed the way we work. Already we’re partly there. The percentage of people who earn their living by making things has fallen dramatically in the Western World. Today the majority of jobs in America, Europe and Japan (two thirds or more in many of these countries) are in the service industry, and the number is on the rise. More women are in the work force than ever before. There are more part-time jobs. More people are self-employed. But the breadth (广度) of the economic transformation can’t be measured by numbers alone, because it also is giving rise to a basic new way of thinking about the nature of work itself. Long-held concepts about jobs and careers, the skills needed to succeed, even the relation between individuals and employers — all these are being challenged.
We have only to look behind us to get some sense of what may lie ahead. No one looking ahead 20 years possibly could have foreseen the ways in which a single invention, the chip (芯片), would transform our world thanks to its applications in personal computers, digital communications and factory robots. Tomorrow’s achievements in biotechnology, artificial intelligence or even some still unimagined technology could produce a similar wave of dramatic changes. But one thing is certain: information and knowledge will become even more important, and the people who possess it, whether they work in manufacturing (制造业) or services, will have the advantage and produce the wealth. Computer knowledge will become as basic a requirement as the ability to read and write. The ability to solve problems by applying information instead of performing routine tasks will be valued above all else. If you cast your mind ahead 10 years, information services will be predominant (最重要的). It will be the way you do your job.One of the great changes caused by the knowledge society is that ______.
| A．most people have to take part-time jobs |
| B．people have to change their jobs from time to time |
| C．people’s traditional concepts about work are no longer completely true |
| D．the difference between the employee and the employer has become unimportant |
The future will probably belong to those who ______.
| A．have more brains |
| B．are involved in the service industries |
| C．cast their mind ahead instead of looking back |
| D．possess and know how to make use of information |
Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?
| A．Computers and the knowledge society |
| B．Features and meanings of the New Era |
| C．Service Industries in the Modern Society |
| D．Rapid Advancement of Information Technology |
Welcome every morning with a smile. Let your first hour set the theme of success and positive action that is certain to echo through your entire day. Today will never happen again. Don’t waste it with a false start or no start at all. You were not born to fail.
Starting the day right can give good momentum (动力) for the rest of the day. Having a power morning is a key factor for a fruitful day. Here are some tips on getting the most out of the morning.
Wake up early. In theory, there’s no difference in waking up early or late as long as you get the proper amount of sleep. However, there is a psychological advantage when you wake up earlier than the average person and then you’ll have more time to do preparation before engaging in the real world.
Exercise. Good health is always a benefit with exercise, but studies have also shown that morning exercise helps you to sleep better at nights.
Eat breakfast. It’s the most important meal of the day. According to the Mayo Clinic, we should choose three from the following four: fruits and vegetables, grains, dairy, and protein. Did you know that you can actually gain weight when you skip breakfast?
Take a shower. When you shower, do you do it in the morning or at night? I used to shower in the evenings, but I found that morning showers helped me to be more alert.
Prioritize (优先) your To-Do list. Leo coined the acronym MIT to mean “most important tasks.” Our to-do list might be never ending, but put on top of the list a couple of urgent tasks that will define the day to be a successful one.
Check your emails. Only once. Getting a lot of emails can be very distractive. You actually are more productive when you check them only a few times at fixed time of the day. I only do them 2-3 times a day—once in the morning, once at lunch, and one more as it gets toward the end of the day.The purpose for the author to write this passage is to .
| A．tell you to get up early every day |
| B．offer you the best way to start the day |
| C．give you advice about how to arrange a day |
| D．advise you to prioritize your to-do list every morning |
If you don’t have breakfast, you may .
| A．lose weight. | B．be productive. |
| C．put on weight. | D．be more alert. |
The underlined word “coined” in Paragraph 6 means .
| A．invented | B．designed | C．founded | D．defined |
The author advises you to check your emails only once because .
| A．the emails are not important |
| B．reading e-mails is distractive |
| C．you can only read e-mails at fixed time |
| D．getting so many emails can distract your attention |
The fact that blind people can see things using parts of their bodies apart from their eyes may help us to understand our feelings about color．If they can sense color differences, then perhaps we, too, are affected by color without knowing it．Salesmen have discovered by experience over a long period of time that sugar sells badly in green wrappings, that blue foods are considered not agreeable to the taste, and that cosmetics（化妆品） should never be packed in brown．These discoveries have grown into a whole subject of color psychology．
Some of our preferences are clearly psychological．Dark blue is the color of the night sky and therefore connected with calm, while yellow is a day color connected with energy and encouragement．Experiments have shown that colors, partly because they are connected with psychology, also have a direct effect on people's mind．People in bright red surroundings show an increase in breathing speed, heartbeat and blood pressure．Red is exciting．Pure blue has exactly the opposite effect; it is a calming color．Being exciting, red was chosen as the signal for danger, but a closer study shows that a bright yellow can produce a more basic state of alarm, so fire engines in some advanced areas are now rushing around in bright yellow colors that stop buses, trucks and cars．The passage tells us that salesmen have____ ．
| A．tried colors on blind people |
| B．found out that colors affect sales |
| C．developed a special subject of color psychology |
| D．discovered the relationship between color and psychology |
It can be inferred from the passage that__ _．
| A．blind people cannot sense color differences |
| B．foods sell well in green or blue wrappings |
| C．w hat color we prefer depends on our state of mind |
| D．a bright color has exactly the opposite effect to red |
The most effective color in the passage for warning people is____．
| A．red | B．dark blue | C．green | D．bright yellow |
If someone is in an angry mood, which color is better for him to become quiet?
| A．Red． | B．Dark blue． | C．Brown． | D．Bright yellow |
Which of the following do you think is the best title for the passage?
| A．Colors and Feelings |
| B．Colors and Sales |
| C．The Blind and Colors |
| D．Preferences for Colors |
I had the meanest mother in the world．While other kids ate candy for breakfast．I had to have cereal, eggs and toast．Others had cakes and candy for lunch, while we had to eat a sandwich．As you can guess, my supper was different from the other kids'．But at least I was not alone in my suffering．My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did．
My mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times．She had to know who our friends were and what we were doing．We had to wear clean clothes every day．Other kids always wore their clothes for days． We reached the height of disgrace （耻辱） because she made our clothes herself, just to save money．
The worst is yet to come．We had to be in bed by 9:00 each night and up at 7:45 the next morning．So while my friends slept, my mother actually had the courage to break Child Labor Law．She made us work. I believed she lay awake all night thinking up mean things to do to us．Through the years, our friends' report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing, red for failing．My mother, however, would only be satisfied with black marks．None of us was allowed the pleasure of being a dropout （辍学者）．
She forced us to grow up into educated and honest adults．Using this as a background, I'm now trying to bring up my three children．I'm filled with pride when my children think I am mean because now I thank God every day for giving me the meanest mother in the world．From the passage we can learn that the writer's mother was____．
| A．not generous at all |
| B．very cruel to her children |
| C．very mean with money matters |
| D．very strict with her children |
Which of the following things did the writer hate to do most?
| A．Eating differently from other kids． |
| B．Letting mother know where they were． |
| C．Going to bed early and getting up early． |
| D．Wearing clean clothes made by mother． |
It can be inferred from the passage that____．
| A．the writer's family lived a miserable life |
| B．all the other kids studied better than the writer |
| C．Mother was punished for breaking the Labor Law |
| D．the writer worked hard and usually got good grades in studies |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．The writer is very thankful to her mother． |
| B．The writer has a deep hatred for her mother． |
| C．Mother practiced economy in running her home． |
| D．The writer is strict with her children when bringing them up． |
The passage was written in a way oftone．
| A．humorous | B．hateful | C．ridiculous | D．impatient |