C
Robots are common in today's world. They manufacture cars, work in space, explore oceans, clean up oil spills and investigate dangerous environments. And now, scientists at the University of Manchester are using a robot as a laboratory partner.
The researchers at the university created the robot in 2009 and named it Adam. Despite the name, Adam is not a humanoid robot. It is about the size of a car.
Adam was built to do science and make discoveries. Ross King is the leader of the University of Manchester research team. He says the robot made a discovery about yeast(酵母), a kind of fungus(真菌) used in science as a model for human cells.
"Adam hypothesized certain functions of genes within yeast and experimentally tested these hypothesizes and confirmed them. So it both hypothesized and confirmed new scientific knowledge."
Adam's success as a scientist led to the creation of another robot scientist named Eve. Researchers developed Eve to design and test drugs for tropical and neglected diseases. These diseases kill and infect millions of people each year.
Drug development is slow and costly. Experts say it can take more than 10 years and about $1 billion to discover and develop new medicines. Drug manufacturers are unlikely to get their investment money back.
So the University of Manchester developed a low-cost test that shows whether or not a chemical is likely to be made into an effective medicine. Mr. King says that other drug testing methods were not very effective.
"How it works conventionally is you use robotics as well and you have a large collection of possible drugs. You test every single compound. And you start at the beginning of your library and continue until the end, and stop. So it's not a very intelligent process. The robotics doesn't learn anything as it goes along, even if it's tested a million compounds, it still doesn't have any expectation of what will happen next when it tests a new compound."
Mr. King says that Eve is different because the robot learns as it tests different compounds. He says the robot is designed to ignore compounds that it thinks unlikely to be good. It will only test the compounds which have a good chance of working.
Eve has discovered that a compound known to be effective against cancer might also be used to fight against malaria and other tropical diseases.
Mr. King says he hopes to completely automate the drug testing process with robots like Eve to create and test new chemicals. But he says humans remain in control of the manufacturing process.Scientists now are using a robot to__________.
| A．manufacture cars |
| B．work in the laboratory |
| C．work in space |
| D．explore oceans |
Thepurposeofbuilding Adam is to________.
| A．do science and make discoveries |
| B．help people in poor health |
| C．dooperationsonpatients |
| D．bringhappinesstoscientists |
WhichisNOTtrueaccordingtothepassage__________?
| A．Adam looks like a car |
| B．Adam's success led to the creation of Eve |
| C．tropical and neglected diseases diseases kill and infect millions of people |
| D．Drug manufacturers can get their investment money back |
Whywas a low-cost test developed__________?
| A．Because scientists want to know whether a chemical is likely to be made into an effective medicine |
| B．Because other drug testing methods were not very effective |
| C．Because drug development is slow and costly. |
| D．Because drug manufacturers ask scientists to do so. |
What'sthemainideaofthepassage_________?
| A．theusesofrobots |
| B．robotisusedinscienceresearches |
| C．scientistsarereplacedbyrobots |
| D．howtomakearobot |
|
C
The secret of happiness is to spend around ￡2.50 every day on somebody else.
To give a couple of pounds each day rather than to spend it on treats and fashion for yourself is the key to happiness, according to a new study.
Dr Elizabeth Dunn and her colleagues who did a national survey of 630 people in the United States found that people report greater happiness if they spend money more socially. That means spending on gifts for others or on charitable(慈善的) donations rather than spending on themselves.
"We wanted to test our theory that how people spend their money is at least as important as how much money they earn," says Dunn, who reports the work in Science.
The results from all three lines of research are quite the same.
"Regardless of how much income each person made," says Dunn, "those who spent money on others reported greater happiness, while those who spent more on themselves did not."
"Making a modest donation is enough to increase people's happiness" the researchers conclude.
"These findings suggest that a very small change in spending, as little as ￡2.50, may be enough to produce real gains in happiness on a given day," says Dr Dunn.
The researchers call on governments to encourage people to spend more on others to help translate increased national wealth into increased national happiness.
Surveys have also shown that happiness levels have remained almost flat within developed countries even as incomes have increased in recent decades.
65.According to the survey, what kind of people have greater happiness?
A.People who can make enough money.
B.People who can buy whatever they want.
C.People who spend money on treats and fashion for themselves.
D.People who spend a modest amount of money every day on others.
66.The underlined word "flat" probably means______.
A.smooth B.dull C.same D.interesting
67.Which of the following statements is true?
A.Researchers pay no attention to spending on others.
B.The government did much in helping others.
C."Science" in Paragraph 4 is probably a magazine.
D.The survey is very successful.
68.The purpose of the writer is to tell us______.
A.the secret of happiness. B.money spent on friends.
C.link between money and happiness. D.difference between national wealth and happiness.
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分,满分40分）
Big things were happening in my life the summer I turned 13. In the middle of that summer, my parents shook my entire world and turned it upside down when they told me they were getting a divorce. I couldn't believe that our family was going to break up. Though I always knew my parents weren't very happy and they often fought, I still wanted my family to stay the same.
My life changed completely after the divorce.My mother and I moved into a small apartment across town,while my father and brother,Bill, stayed in our house.I now became a visitor whenever I went to see my dad and Bill on the weekends. And immediately I had my soon-to-be stepfather,Dan,whom I showed no interest in.I was clearly depressed, especially after Dan and my mother married and I realized that there was no way that things could change back to the way they had been.
Even though I resisted all Dan's attempts to get to know me and wasn't very nice to him, he never gave up on me. Gradually, I began to trust him. I realized that we actually had some things in common, especially when it came to movies and TV shows. We spent a lot of time together hanging out watching TV. That gave us a chance to talk and get to know each other.
Better still, Dan showed an interest in me that I had never experienced from my own father. Dan was always around when I needed advice on school or friends. Once I began to warm up to Dan, the three of us began spending a lot of time together. We often went out to eat and took short trips. Eventually, I discovered that I finally had the happy family that I had always wanted.
I now realize my parents were right about getting the divorce. Their breakup was the best thing to happen for all of us. My father also found happiness－ he remarried and had another child, my half-sister, Michelle.
At 13, I learned an important truth－change is not always the worst thing that can happen. Sometimes, it is just what we need the most.
61.According to the passage, which of the following statements is WRONG?
A.Their parents didn't love each other any longer. B.The writer didn't want his parents to divorce.
C.Their parents' divorce hurt the writer much. D.The writer was in low spirits all the time.
62.The writer and Dan have the same interests EXCEPT______.
A.seeing movies B.surfing the internet C.having talks D.watching TV
63.What does the author think of his stepfather?
A.Trustful. B.Interesting. C.Helpful. D.Boring.
64.Which of the following is the best title for this passage?
A.Divorce Is Not Always the Worst. B.A Devoted Stepfather.
C.There Is a Change in My Life. D.A True Story.
What causes traffic jams? Too many cars, right? No! Some Brits are now saying that traffic lights are to blame for much of the congestion（交通拥挤）. They suggest that traffic lights be removed at busy roads. They believe people are a better judge of when it’s safe to go, not a traffic light programmed by an absent regulator.
A report from the Institute of Economic Affairs, a UK think tank（智囊团）, argues that abolishing traffic signals would decrease congestion, reduce exhaust emissions（废气排放）and improve safety.
The report said that removing lights should also prevent other bad behavior caused by signals, such as speeding up to catch a green light. It would also avoid the wasted time when drivers have to sit at a red light even if no one is using the green.
The idea may sound strange, but it’s not new. Seven cities and regions in Europe are experimenting with no-lights roads.
Drachten in the Netherlands has got rid of 16 of its traffic light crossings and changed the other two to roundabouts under a “shared space” scheme. At crossings, cyclists dutifully raise their arm when they want to make a turn, and drivers follow a first-arrived, first-through approach and communicate by hand signs, nods and waving.
The result? Typical journey time has been cut in half, and accidents and congestion have mostly disappeared.
There have been small collisions but no problem, said Hans Monderman, creator of the scheme. “We want small accidents, in order to prevent serious ones. It works well because it’s dangerous. The driver has to be responsible for his or her own risk.
“The many rules take away the ability to be considerate,” Monderman added. “We’re losing our responsibility for socially responsible behavior.”
So far, Drachten’s locals have called the experiment a success. “I am used to it now,” said Helena Spaanstra, 24. “You drive more slowly and carefully, but somehow you seem to get around town quicker.”
Tony Ooostward, 70, was equally enthusiastic. “I am a walker and now you are the boss at the crossroads, everyone waits for you. But at the same time walkers wait until there are a number of people wanting to cross at the same time.”
Owen Paterson, UK’s Shadow Transport Minister, visited Drachten. He said Britain should learn from the model. “The idea is to create space where there is mild anxiety among everyone so they all behave cautiously. No one drives fast along a busy street thinking that they have right of way.”
60.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A. Don’t Count On Traffic Lights B. New Traffic Systems Needed
C. Turn Those Traffic Lights Off D. Let People Have More Say In Traffic
61.According to the report from the Institute of Economic Affairs, abolishing traffic lights would NOT lead to ____.
A. more time being saved B. reduction of traffic jams
C. improvement of the environment D. right of way being taken for granted
62.The underlined word “collision” in Paragraph 7 means closest to ____.
A. jam B. accident C. trouble D. congestion
63.From the passage we can see that the experiment in Drachten worked well because ____.
A. walkers have become the boss of the crossroads
B. cyclists, walkers and drivers each have specially designed routes
C. everyone finds that they have to do their share in regulating traffic
D. drivers are more careful and wait for eyclists or walkers to pass first
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题，每题2分，满分40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。
“BANG!” the door caused a reverberation(回声). It was just standing there, with Father standing on one side, and I on the other side.
We were both in great anger. “Never set foot in this house again!” stormed Father. With tears welling up in my eyes, I rushed out of the flat and ran along the street.
The street lights were shining rather desolately(凄凉的). I wandered aimlessly.
A young father who held a child in his arms walked past me. I felt as if I saw my childhood from another space: happy and harmonious.
But now… I don’t know whether it is because I have grown up or because dad is getting old. We differ in our ways of thinking. He always imposes his opinions and codes of behavior on me. Whenever I do something wrong, he never admits it. We are just like two people coming from two different worlds. It feels like there is an iron door between us that can never be opened.
I wandered the streets, without a destination in mind. My heart was frozen on this hot summer night. As I walked on there were fewer and fewer people on the streets, until I had only the street lights to keep me company. When I finally reached the high-rise apartment block in which I lived, I saw that the light was still on.
In fact, it was nothing. Perhaps, dad was throwing away some of his old stamps. Perhaps he thought they were useless. I never had the courage to tell him that I liked collecting stamps. I can’t stand his outrageous(蛮横的) words: “ I can throw you away, let alone these old papers.”
All the lights were off except father’s.
Dad was always like this. Maybe he didn’t know how to express himself. After shouting at me, he never showed any mercy or any moments of regret. After an argument he has the habit of creeping up in my sleep and then tucking me underneath the covers.
This was how he always was. He has been a leader for so long that telling everyone else what to do has become his second nature.
The light was still on. “Am I wrong?” I whispered, maybe… With the key in hand, I was as nervous as I had ever been. At last, I decided to open the door. As soon as I opened the door, tears ran down my cheeks. I suddenly realized that the iron door that I had imagined between us did not exist at all. Love – is second to none.
56.Decide which is the best order of the following according to what happened in the passage.
a. I opened the door and entered the house.
b. Sadly I ran out into the street.
c. I reached the place where I lived and saw my house still brightly lit.
d. I thought of my father’s kindness towards me.
e. I walked about in the street without any aim.
A. b, e, d, c, a B. b, e, c, d, a C. b, e, a, c, d D. b, e, c, a, d
57.What made the writer think of his childhood?
A. The sight of the desolate street lights.
B. The sight of the empty street.
C. The sight of a father with a child in his arms.
D. The sight of light in his own house.
58.Why do you think the father often shouts at his son?
A. Perhaps the father is getting older and older.
B. Perhaps the son has already grown up.
C. Perhaps they never agree with each other.
D. Perhaps the father has got used to doing that.
59.What conclusion can you draw after reading the passage?
A. The father is actually kind to his son.
B. The father treats his son in an unfair way.
C. The father is neither kind nor cruel to his son.
D. The father is always finding fault with his son.