Thirteen vehicles lined up last March to race across the Mojave Desert, seeking a million in prize money. To win, they had to finish the 142-mile race in less than 10 hours. Teams and watchers knew there might be no winner at all, because these vehicles were missing a key part -drivers.
DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, organized the race as part of a push to develop robotic vehicles for future battlefields. But the Grand Challenge, as it was called, just proved how difficult it is to get a car to speed across an unfamiliar desert without human guidance. One had its brake lock up in the starting area. Another began by throwing itself onto a wall. Another got tied up by bushes near the road after 1.9 miles.
One turned upside down. One took off in entirely the wrong direction and had to be disabled by remote control. One went a little more than a mile and rushed into a fence; another managed to go for six miles but stuck on a rock. The “winner,” if there was any; reached 7.8 miles before it ran into a long, narrow hole, and the front wheels caught on fire.
“You get a lot of respect for natural abilities of the living things,” says Reinhold Behringer, who helped design two of the car-size vehicles for a company called Sci-Autonics. “Even ants can do all these tasks effortlessly . It’s very hard for us to put these abilities into our machines.”
The robotic vehicles, though with necessary modern equipment such as advanced computers and GPS guidance, had trouble figuring out fast enough the blocks ahead that a two-year-old human recognizes immediately, Sure, that very young child, who has just only learned to walk, may not think to wipe apple juice off her face, but she already knows that when there’s a cookie in the kitchen she has to climb up the table, and that when she gets to the cookie it will taste good. She is more advanced, even months old, than any machine humans have designed.Watchers doubted if any of the vehicles could finish the race because .
A.they did not have any human guidance |
B.the road was not familiar to the drivers |
C.the distance was too long for the vehicles |
D.the prize money was unattractive to the drivers |
DARPA organized the race in order to .
A.raise money for producing more robotic vehicles |
B.push the development of vehicle industry |
C.train more people to drive in the desert |
D.improve the vehicles for future wars |
From the passage we know “robotic vehicles” are a kind of machines that .
A.can do effortlessly whatever tasks living thing can |
B.can take part in a race across 142 miles with a time limit |
C.can show off their ability to turn themselves upside down |
D.can move from place to place without being driven by human beings |
In the race, the greatest distance one robotic vehicle covered was .
A.about eight miles | B.six miles |
C.almost two miles | D.about one mile |
In the last paragraph, the writer implies that there is a long way to go .
A.for a robotic vehicle to finish a 142-mile race without any difficulties |
B.for a little child who has just learned to walk to reach the cookie on the table |
C.for a robotic vehicle to deal with a simple problem that a little child can solve |
D.for a little child to understand the importance of wiping apple juice off its face |
Poetry is an interesting form of writing. It is very free, has few restrictions and can be a great way to express feelings. Writing a poem is all about observing the world within you or around you.
To write a poem, first you should begin with an idea or inspiration. Inspiration may come at any time unexpectedly. It may be a specific person, place or thing that causes some sort of strong emotion. It may be more of an abstract idea or release of emotion.
After getting the idea, you can write down everything that comes to mind. Don’t think much and let all feelings pour out. Remember everything can be thrown out later.
Then, you can think about its form and begin to organize thoughts. Poetry comes in many forms, from epic poetry that has a story to dramatic poetry intended to be performed. Try them all out. One will come naturally. Maybe different poems fit different forms. When you write a poem, think about both meter (韵律) and rhythm carefully, which are equally important in poetry. Meter is the fixed pattern of the poem, while rhythm refers to the sound when it is spoken. It is also important to use a lot of descriptive words. Create imagery (意象) with words, trying to make them attractive to all the senses. For auditory (听觉的) interest, try repeating of similar sounds in a sentence or phrase. All of this adds life and interest to a poem.
After you finish your work, don’t be afraid to share your work with others. When others point out your weakness, accept and grow from it.What does the underlined word “restriction” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?_______
A.Change. | B.Order. | C.Limitation. | D.Organization. |
When you begin to write a poem, you should first .
A.begin with some specific persons | B.come up with an idea |
C.describe a famous place | D.organize your thoughts |
We can infer from the text that .
A.writing poems needs imagination and the ability to use language well |
B.people can get more ideas if they often share their poems with others |
C.people should first learn to write epic poetry, then dramatic poetry |
D.people need to write down every feeling they want to release at a time |
What’s the purpose of the text?_________
A.To tell readers how to write a poem. |
B.To encourage more people to write poems. |
C.To show what quality a good poem should have. |
D.To teach people how to appreciate poems. |
The history of modern art begins with Impressionism, a movement started in Paris in the mid-1800’s. At that time many artists painted in a very traditional way that involved spending hours in a studio, painstakingly (辛苦地) creating paintings that were extremely detailed. These paintings were sometimes of people or landscapes or historical events. In 1863, Edouard Manet exhibited his painting “Dejeuner sur l’erbe” at the Salon des Refuses. The painting caused a commotion (骚动), thus starting the Impressionist movement. Although Edouard Manet is the declared leader and founder of the group, he was not present at the first group exhibition or any of the other eight collective Impressionist shows. The movement gained more attention in the April of 1874 when Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, and Jean-Frédéric Bazille formed Society of Artists, Painters, Sculptors, Engravers and began exhibiting outside of the official salon. The same year, the term Impressionism was invented by criticizing (批评的) journalist Louis Leroy to describe their paintings, who worked for the magazine Le Charivari.
The Impressionists often paint out of doors and want to show how light and shadow fall on objects at particular times of the day. Their works are sometimes described as “captured moments” and are characterized by short quick brushstrokes (笔) of colour which, when viewed up close looks quite messy and unreal. If we step back from the Impressionist paintings, the colours are blended together by our eyes and we are able to see the painters’ subjects which often show colourful landscapes, sunlight on water as well as people busy with outdoor activities.Before Impressionism, the works of artists were .
A.quite abstract | B.very confusing |
C.very detailed | D.quite controversial |
Who first started Impressionism? ___________
A.Claude Monet. | B.Edouard Manet. |
C.Auguste Renoir. | D.Alfred Sisley. |
The works of the Impressionists are best viewed .
A.with imagination | B.at a distance |
C.outdoors | D.in a studio |
The second paragraph is mainly about ______.
A.the painting style of the Impressionists |
B.how to describe the Impressionist paintings |
C.the influences of the Impressionist paintings |
D.the subjects of the Impressionist paintings |
We are all busy talking about and using the Internet but how many of us know the history of the Internet?
Many people are surprised when they find that the Internet was set up in the 1960s. At that time, computers were large and expensive. Computer networks didn’t work well. If one computer in the network broke down, the whole network stopped. So a new network system had to be set up. It should be good enough to be used by many different computers. If part of the network was not working, information could be sent through another part. In this way computer network system would keep on working all the time.
At first the Internet was only used by the government, but in the early 1970s, universities, hospitals, and banks were allowed to use it, too. However, computers were still very expensive and the Internet was difficult to use. By the start of 1990s, computers became cheaper and easier to use. Scientists had also developed software that made “surfing” the Internet easier.
Today it is easy to get on-line and it is said that millions of people use the Internet every day. Sending e-mails is more and more popular among young people.
The Internet has now become one of the most important parts of people’s life.
回答下面问题,在答题卡相应题号后的横线上写下相关信息。When was the Internet set up?(不多于3个单词)
___________________________________________________________________________Why did a new network system have to be set up?(不多于6个单词)
___________________________________________________________________________What is the writer’s purpose of this passage?(不多于11个单词)
___________________________________________________________________________
The Coalition for the Homeless is an organization that seeks to address the needs of the homeless population in the United States. It is a network of offices, some of which provide food and houses for the homeless population, and some of which fight for the passing of laws that would give every American the right to a place to call home. According to the Coalition’s studies, of over two hundred million people living in the United States, up to three million are homeless—and the number is still growing. Since the late 1970s, fast-rising house prices, large cuts in government supported housing programs, and economic recession(经济衰退) have make it impossible for many Americans to meet housing costs. Sadly, this has resulted in a number of persons being forced to leave their homes and/or unable to find new affordable homes. According to another research, families with children appear to be the fastest-growing part of the homeless population, making up 39% of it. The old idea of a homeless person, that of the single man who gets drunk all the time, is no longer true. A much larger part of the population now finds itself homeless. Even worse, once a person becomes homeless, he often finds it impossible to find a job, since most employers require anyone who wants a job from them to provide a home address on a job application.The word “ address” in the first line probably means “ ________”.
A.talk about | B.write to | C.fight for | D.deal with |
How many people are homeless in the U.S according to the Coalition studies?
A.About 3 million people | B.200 million people |
C.39% of the population | D.About one-fifth of the population |
Homeless people often have difficulty finding a job because_______.
A.they often don’t have enough work experience |
B.they mostly have a drinking problem |
C.they aren’t supported by government programs |
D.they have no home address |
What’s the main cause of the rising number of the homeless in the U.S.?
A.The passing of new housing laws. |
B.The ever-rising price of housing. |
C.The slow construction of houses. |
D.The fast growth of family size |
Singing had always been an important part of Gloria Estefan’s life. “ Since I was three years old, I sang. I sang everything,” Gloria said. “Gubans,” she added, “are a musical people.”
Gloria was born in Cuba in 1957. Her family left the country just before Fidel Castro came to power. In Miami, where the family settled, many people did not accept Cuban immigrants. In first grade, she spoke little English, but she worked hard to learn the language. Six months after she entered school, she won an award for reading in English!
When Gloria was ten , her father returned from the Vietnam War. Soon, the family realized he wasn’t well. They soon found out that he was badly ill. Her mother went back to teaching at school to support the family. Gloria cared for her father and her younger sister.
She still made the honor roll, and she still had her music, but Gloria was lonely. However, when the band leader Emilio Estefan came to speak at her high school, Gloria sang for him. He asked her to join his band. It was the beginning of the Miami Sound Machine. Within a few months, the Miami Sound Machine was the top band in Miami. In 1978, Gloria and Emilio married.
At first, the Miami Sound Machine was known only in Miami. Then the band signed with CBS Records. Estefan and his band became stars.
Since then, the Miami Sound Machine has sold millions of records. Estefan has done more than just singing when Hurricane Andrew hit central Florida in 1992. She used only two weeks to organize an all-star concert that raised $ 2 million for the people who suffered in the hurricane. “We needed a party after that disaster,” she said.
Estefan said, “You have to stay true to the music you really love to do. There will always be people who will tell you, ‘that won’t work.’ You’ve got to be firm in spite of difficulties. Stick to it——that’s the main thing.”Estefan’s father was ill ______.
A.after he returned from Vietnam War |
B.before they left their home country |
C.when they settled down in Miami |
D.as soon as she finished high school |
According to the passage, probably Estefan did the following except________.
A.organizing an all-star concert for Hurricane victims |
B.teaching at school to support the family |
C.winning an award for reading in English |
D.taking care of her father and sister |
The underlined word “disaster” in this passage refers to _______.
A.the concert | B.the celebration | C.the hurricane | D.the victims |
This passage mainly tells about Estefan’s ______.
A.Cuban background | B.happy marriage | C.music style | D.life story |