C
Robots that can chat，find misplaced glasses，draw aeroplanes and play with your children are attracting thousands of visitors during an expo in Tokyo as Japan adapts to changes in society．
Robots，such as the sound．sensitive Chapit，answer simple questions and even joke with people to help them fight loneliness and stay alert in old age．
Japan has one of the world’s fastest-aging societies and the government predicts that by 2050，the proportion of people over 65 will reach 40 percent．”Many older people in Japan live alone and have no one to talk to，”said Kazuya Kitamura representative of the expo organizer．“Communication robots accompany people and don’t mind listening to the same stories over and over again．”
Matsumoto’s“Personal Mobility Robot，”equipped with four cameras and a sensor to recognize the user's centre of gravity, is designed to help elderly move around without pressing buttons．using joysticks(操纵杆)or rotating wheels as in traditional wheelchairs．
The robot can also help find misplaced glasses by identifying them with a sensor．
Other robots，such as the award-winning “DiGRO” can support busy parents who have little time to play with their children．The robot can use the Internet to find a simple image and then draw pictures，keeping children company while parents work．
While Chapit，a relatively simple robot，managed to attract a corporate partner many researchers，such as Kiyoshi Matsumoto，a professor at the University of Tokyo，struggle to attract sponsors for more expensive projects．
“We have developed a robot that can assist many people，but we still haven’t found a sponsor,” said Matsumoto，who added that the cost of the machine，if mass-produced，would be comparable to that of a car．”In the current economic environment there are few companies willing to invest in such a costly project，”he said．
It can be inferred from the text that_______．
| A．many children lack love from parents |
| B．robots helpful to the old will be in great demand |
| C．robots are the most useful to children |
| D．robots do better than people in healthcare |
It is difficult to find sponsors for robots because______.
| A．Japan is suffering economy depression |
| B．the robots are of poor design |
| C．the production of robots costs a lot |
| D．the future market is worrying |
What’s the purpose of the passage?
| A．To attract people to visit the new kind of robot |
| B．To find the investment of the robot. |
| C．To persuade people to buy the robot. |
| D．To introduce a new kind of robot. |
If you don’t use a dictionary. What should you do instead? The first thing you can do is trying to guess what the word means. Often the surrounding context gives a very clear idea of the meaning of the word. Even if you can’t work out the meaning exactly, you may be able to get a vague idea, enough to enable you to continue reading.
Sometimes It is impossible to guess the meaning of a word from the context and then you will have to decide whether the word is important enough to make it worthwhile stopping and looking it up in a dictionary or whether you can just pass it by.
Many times in your reading, you will come across words which you don’t know, but which do not prevent you from understanding all the main points of the text. You can made your dictionary use much more efficient if you only look up the words which are necessary to understand the text. and this means that you must develop the skill to decide whether the words are worth looking up.The passage mainly tells us in our reading what we would do.
| A．without knowledge of English |
| B．when we look up words in a dictionary |
| C．when we are guessing new words |
| D．without using a dictionary |
What does the underlined word “vague” mean?
| A．Mysterious. | B．Not clear. | C．Exact. | D．Important. |
In our reading some words we don’t know.
| A．help us to understand the text well |
| B．don’t prevent us from understanding the main points of the text |
| C．will be remembered forever |
| D．are borrowed from other languages |
In this passage the writer.
| A．advised us to use the dictionary as much as possible |
| B．told us not to be discouraged by the sight of a dictionary |
| C．gave us some advice on how to deal with these unknown words |
| D．introduced some ways to take notes in the course of reading |
I shall never forget the day when the earthquake took place. The time was about 5 o’clock in the afternoon and I was driving along the road to take my daughter from school. Our plan was to go swimming together. I had finished my work at 4 o’clock and then gone to the Post Office. Then I’d stopped off at a shop in order to get some fresh fruit. We like to have some fruit to eat after our swim.
I was driving along a high road on my way to my daughter’s school. Over my road was another road which was built like a bridge for cars coming to the other way. I was hungry so I put the bag of apples in the seat beside me and started to eat one.
Suddenly I saw the cars in front of me start to move from side to side. Then my car started to shake! I didn’t know what was happening. Perhaps something had gone wrong with my car. I drove a little more slowly and then I stopped the car and at the same moment the road fell onto the cars in front of me.
I found myself in the dark. I couldn’t move. The bottom parts of both of my legs and my feet were hurting badly and I couldn’t move them. All around me was quiet. But above me I could hear shouts and a lot of noise. Then I memorized (记起) what had happened. I had been in an earthquake.
For about two hours nobody came. Luckily I could reach the bag of apples, so at least I had plenty to eat. Then I heard people climbing towards me. A team of people had come to see if anyone was under the broken road. I called out. “I’m here!” I heard a shout. Soon a stranger climbed to the side of the road near my car. “How are you doing?” he asked.
“Not too bad,” I said, “but my feet and leg feel as if they’re broken.” “We’ll have you out of there just as soon as we can.” They didn’t get me out until the next morning. I had been in my car for fourteen hours.When the earthquake took place, the writer was ______.
| A．on his way to the Post Office | B．stopping off a shop |
| C．doing some shopping | D．under a road built like a bridge |
The writer’s car began to move from side to side because ________.
| A．there was something wrong with his car |
| B．he ate apples as he drove |
| C．an earthquake began to happen |
| D．he drove too fast |
Which is the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．When the earthquake happened, the writer was with his daughter together. |
| B．The writer’s leg and feet were badly wounded in the earthquake. |
| C．The writer was saved as soon as the stranger climbed up the road. |
| D．The writer was frightened that he forgot everything that happened around. |
In the past, going to a piano teacher was the most popular way to learn how to play the piano. You could get one-to-one teaching and have the opportunity to learn as much as the teacher knew. If you didn’t have private lessons, you could still learn the piano, but you would have to teach yourself. This was easy for some, but very difficult for most. However, with technology developing today, there is at last another way that you can take piano lessons. You can take an online course.
An online course is much cheaper than a private lesson. If a private lesson costs 30-40 dollars per week, just think about how quickly that adds up. You can take a whole online course in piano for just a fraction(小部分) of the money that you would spend on weeks of private lessons. Also, private lessons are usually only one hour per week. So you would have to wait for your next lesson to continue your learning. However, online piano courses are quite different.
With an online piano course, you can work at your own pace. You can also take as many lessons per week as you want, or go back and listen to your last lesson if you have forgotten anything. Most adults who want to learn how to play the piano enjoy being able to go back and listen to the lessons again.
Of course if you need someone to sit beside you and offer you immediate feedback(反馈) as you are playing, you might not get that from an online piano course. However, the lessons online can be viewed（观看） at any time, or as often as you’d like, which means that you can get your own type of feedback from an online piano course.This passage mainly tells us ______.
| A．the disadvantages of the traditional ways of learning to play the piano |
| B．the differences between traditional piano courses and online courses |
| C．why people prefer online piano courses to traditional piano courses |
| D．the advantages of learning to play the piano through an online course |
What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 want to tell us?
| A．That private piano lessons shouldn’t be that expensive. |
| B．That taking private piano lessons really costs a lot. |
| C．That not everyone can afford to take piano lessons. |
| D．That the price for private piano lessons has increased greatly. |
How did the writer make his points clear?
| A．By giving detailed data. | B．By giving many examples |
| C．By writing about his own experiences | D．By comparing with the old ways. |
From Japantown to Union Square in San Francisco, here are four fantastic hotels with atmosphere to spare.
| Sir Francis Drake Hotel Location: Union Square, the city’s tourist-friendly shopping district(区) First impression: Despite some changes, the hotel has kept much of its attraction, and doormen still wear beefeater uniforms（英王卫士制服）. Rooms: Many of the 417 rooms are small, but they have features like curved(弧形的) walls. There includes a pet-friendly floor and yoga kits you can borrow. Plus: The Sunday meal features an exciting show. Info: 450 Powell St, 800/795-7129, sirfrancisdrake.com, from $139 |
| Orchard Garden Hotel Location: Steps from Chinatown and North Beach, a historically Italian area. First impression: Everything is earth-friendly, from the energy-saving bulbs（电灯泡） in the hall ways to the soy ink used to print your bill. Rooms: The 86 rooms are done in greens and yellows. Even the toilet paper is recycled paper. Plus: High-tech amenities(设施) include Wi-Fi, and key cards that turn on the electricity when you enter a room. Info: 466 Bush St, 888/717-28881, theorchardgarden-hotel.com, from$189 |
| Hotel Beresford Location: Near the theater(剧院) district, but bordering the Tenderloin area. First impression: The Beresford is one of the city’s oldest buildings--it was built in 1911--with original woodwork and period furniture, such as a writing desk. Rooms: Several of the 114 rooms were just repainted, adding old style door frames（框架）. Hallways are lined with photos of popular city sights. Plus: The White Horse Bar& Restaurant, known for its steaks, is a favorite with theatergoers. Info: 635 Sutter St, 800/533-6533, baresford.com, from $89 |
| Galleria Park Hotel Location: Where the Financial District meets Union Square. First impression: Renovated(翻修) in March, the hotel’s large lobby（门厅） is a mix of styles with an art fireplace, 1930s’ portraits（画像） in pearly frames, and Victorian crystal skylights（水晶天窗）. Rooms: The 177 rooms feel great, with silk curtains, leather headboards（皮革床头靠背）, and clocks with MP3 players. Minus: The hotel’s restaurant is under construction. Walk one block north to Belden Place instead. Info: 191 Sutter St, 800/792-9639, galleriapark.com, form $149 |
George, an environmentalist, is now at San Francisco to attend a meeting, he would prefer to live in _______
| A．Galleria Park Hotel | B．Hotel Beresford |
| C．Sir Francis Drake Hotel | D．Orchard Garden Hotel |
About Sir Francis Drake Hotel, which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．The hotel lies in the district where tourist goods are sold. |
| B．The restaurant of the hotel is being built at present. |
| C．On Sunday tourists can have a chance to watch a show . |
| D．The hotel has kept its own attractive style for many years. |
Suppose you are a play lover and will travel to San Francisco in a few days, which number will you call to book a hotel?
| A．800/795-7129 | B．800/533-6533 | C．888/717-2881 | D．800/792-9639 |
What’s the purpose of the passage?
| A．To teach us how to choose the best hotel in San Francisco |
| B．To compare the differences of four hotels in San Francisco |
| C．To introduce four hot hotels in San Francisco |
| D．To tell us the advantages of four hotels in San Francisco |
While many people agree that The Sound of Music（音乐之声）is one of the best films of all time, some are at a loss（困惑） to explain why. Well, I’ll tell you why it’s one of the best movies ever. The Sound of Music simply has everything one could want in a movie.
First of all, it has a real romance--one where you can watch the characters slowly fall in love.
Secondly, it has humor, clever and sarcastic（讽刺性的） humor. When Schraeder said, “ Bye, Maria, I’m sure you’ll make a fine nun（修女）.” You just want to slap（掴） her across the face after hearing that.
Thirdly, it’s got adventure. The Nazis are the worst “bad guys” in any movie, so it’s great to see Maria, the Captain and the kids outwit（智取） them.
Fourthly, it’s got great music. The songs of the film are popular all over the world.
Fifthly, it’s got great scenery. The plot（情节） and dialogue are also amazing. I find new things to admire each time I watch.
Finally, is there a greater scene in any movie than the nuns showing the stolen Nazi car parts? In short, the film doesn’t just succeed because it cheers people up with a beautiful love story or songs. It also succeeds because it’s a wonderfully-constructed, wonderfully-written, and wonderfully-acted movie.What’s the purpose of the passage?
| A．To tell people what makes a good movie. |
| B．To tell people how to enjoy the humor in The Sound of Music. |
| C．To explain why The Sound of Music is one of the best movies. |
| D．To advise people to watch The Sound of Music |
We can learn from the passage that _______.
| A．in the author’s opinion, The Sound of Music succeeds mainly because of its songs |
| B．the author can find something new to enjoy every time he watches the movie |
| C．Maria just wants to slap Schraeder after hearing what she says to her. |
| D．The Sound of Music is a movie about how Maria outwits the Nazis with the nuns |
About the The Sound of Music, the author mentioned all of the following things EXCEPT___
| A．plot | B．music | C．acting | D．clothing |
What’s the meaning of the underlined word “character” ?
| A．特征 | B．性格 | C．人物 | D．汉字 |