An Australian professor is developing a robot to monitor the health of grazing cattle, a development that could bring big changes to a profession that's relied largely on a low-tech approach for decades but is facing a labor shortage.
Salah Sukkarieh, a professor at the University of Sydney, sees robots as necessary given how cattlemen are aging. He is building a four-wheeled robot that will run on solar and electric power. It will use cameras and sensors to monitor the animals. A computer system will analyze the video to determine whether a cow is sick. Radio tags （标签）on the animals will measure temperature changes. The quality of grassland will be tracked by monitoring the shape，color and texture （质地） of grass. That way， cattlemen will know whether they need to move their cattle to another field for nutrition purposes.
Machines have largely taken over planting, watering and harvesting crops such as com and wheat, but the monitoring of cattle has gone through fewer changes.
For Texas cattleman Pete Bonds, it's increasingly difficult to find workers interested in watching cattle. But Bonds doesn't believe a robot is right for the job. Years of experience in the industry - and failed attempts to use technology - have convinced him that the best way to check cattle is with a man on a horse. Bonds, who bought his first cattle almost 50 years ago, still has each of his cowboys inspect 300 or 400 cattle daily and look for signs that an animal is getting sick.
Other cattlemen see more promise in robots. Michael Kelsey Paris, vice president of the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association, said a robot could be extremely useful given rising concems about cattle theft. Cattle tend to be kept in remote places and their value has risen, making them appealing targets.
12.What is a problem with the cattle-raising industry?
| A． |
Soil pollution. |
B． |
Lack of workers. |
| C． |
Aging machines. |
D． |
Low profitability. |
13. What will Sukkarieh's robot be able to do?
| A． |
Monitor the quality of grass. |
B． |
Cure the diseased cattle. |
| C． |
Move cattle to another field. |
D． |
Predict weather changes. |
14.Why does Pete Bonds still hire cowboys to watch cattle?
| A． |
He wants to help them earn a living. |
B． |
He thinks men can do the job better. |
| C． |
He is inexperienced in using robots. |
D． |
He enjoys the traditional way of life. |
15.How may robots help with cattle watching according to Michael Kelsey?
| A． |
Increase the value of cattle. |
B． |
Bring down the cost of labor. |
| C． |
Make the job more appealing. |
D． |
Keep cattle from being stolen. |
The goal of earthquake prediction is to give early enough warning. The U.S. Geological Survey conducts and supports research on the likelihood of future earthquakes. Scientists estimate earthquake probabilities in two ways: by studying the history of large earthquakes in a special area and the rate at which strain（拉力）accumulates（积累）in the rock.
Scientists study the past frequency of large earthquakes in order to determine the future likelihood of similar large shocks. For example scientists researched the large earthquakes in the San Francisco Bay region during the 75 years between 1836 and 1911. For the next 68 years, no earthquakes of magnitude (震级) 6 or large occurred in the region. Beginning with a magnitude 6 shock in 1979, the earthquakes in the region increased dramatically; between 1979 and 1989, there were four magnitude 6 or greater earthquakes, including a magnitude 7.1 earthquake. So scientists estimated that the probability of a magnitude 6.8 or larger earthquake occurring during the next 30 years in the region is about 67 percent.
Another way to predict earthquakes is to study how fast strain accumulates. When plate movements build the strain in rocks to a critical level, like pulling a rubber band too tight, the rocks will suddenly break and slip to a new position. Scientists measure how much strain accumulates along a fault (断层) each year, how much time has passed since the last earthquake, and how much strain was released in the last earthquake. This information is used to calculate the time required for the accumulating strain to build to the level that results in an earthquake. This simple model is so complicated that such detailed information about faults is rare. In the United States, only the San Andreas Fault System has adequate records for using this prediction method.
Scientific understanding of earthquakes is of vital importance to the Nation. As the population increases, expanding urban development and construction encroach (侵蚀) upon areas susceptible(易受影响的) to earthquakes. With a greater understanding of the causes and effects of earthquakes, we may be able to reduce damage and loss of life from this destruction.What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．What an earthquake is like. |
| B．How to predict earthquakes. |
| C．Where earthquakes often happen. |
| D．When a fault is formed. |
That scientists study the history of large earthquakes in certain areas is to ultimately_________.
| A．do research on the past frequency of large earthquakes |
| B．estimate the magnitude of similar earthquakes |
| C．forecast the possibilities of similar earthquakes |
| D．judge the specific location of future earthquakes |
Which is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．There were four magnitude 6 earthquakes in the San Francisco Bay region between1979 and1989. |
| B．The accumulating strain of the fault to a certain level results in the earthquake. |
| C．About 68 years after 1911, no earthquakes occurred in the San Francisco Bay region. |
| D．The fast increasing population on the earth is the main cause of the earthquake. |
What is the critical factor of forming a fault?
| A．The material of rocks. |
| B．The existing time span of the rocks. |
| C．The plate movements around the rocks. |
| D．The amount of strain released in the last earthquake. |
According to the passage, we can know that the San Andreas Fault System____.
| A．has a greater understanding of the causes and effects of earthquakes |
| B．stores much more information about the history of large earthquakes |
| C．offers the potential for doing research on the faults where strain accumulates |
| D．illustrates specifically how rocks along a fault are formed |
Sharks have lived in the oceans for over 450 million years, long before dinosaurs appeared. There are now about 360 species of sharks, whose size, behavior, and other characteristics differ widely.
Every year, we catch and kill over 100 million sharks, mostly for food and for their fins. Dried shark fins are used to make shark fin soup, which sells for as much as $50 a bowl in fine Hong Kong restaurants. Other sharks are killed for sport and out of fear. Sharks are vulnerable(易受伤的) to overfishing because it takes most species 10 to 15 years to begin reproducing and they produce only a few offspring（后代）.
Influenced by movies and popular novels, most people see sharks as people-eating monsters. This is far from the truth. Every year, a few types of shark injure about 100 people worldwide and kill about 25. Most attacks are by great white sharks, which often feed on sea lions and other marine（海洋的） mammals. They sometimes mistake human swimmers for their normal prey, especially if they are wearing black wet suits.
If you are a typical ocean-goer, your chances of being killed by an unprovoked（非受挑衅而发生的）attack by a shark are about 1 in 100 million. You are more likely to be killed by a pig than a shark and thousands of times more likely to get killed when you drive a car.
Sharks help save human lives. In addition to providing people with food, they are helping us learn how to fight cancer, bacteria, and viruses. Sharks are very healthy and have aging processes similar to ours. Their highly effective immune system allows wounds to heal quickly without becoming infected, and their blood is being studied in connection with AIDS research.
Sharks are among the few animals in the world that almost never get cancer and eye cataracts（白内障）. Understanding why can help us improve human health. Chemicals taken from shark cartilage（软骨）have killed cancerous tumors in laboratory animals, research that someday could help prolong your life.
Sharks are needed in the world’s ocean ecosystems. Although they don’t need us, we need them. We are much more dangerous to sharks than they are to us. For every shark that bites a person, we kill one million sharks.Which of the following is NOT a reason why people kill sharks?
| A．People kill sharks for food. |
| B．People kill sharks for sport. |
| C．People kill sharks out of fear. |
| D．People kill sharks because they often attack swimmers. |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．There are many different species of sharks, but only a few of them are dangerous to humans. |
| B．Sharks never get ill. |
| C．Sharks are a valuable resource for human. |
| D．Sharks play an important role in the ocean ecosystem. |
It can be inferred from the passage that _______.
| A．movies have given people the wrong impression of sharks |
| B．most sharks are dangerous to humans |
| C．sharks will attack anyone who is wearing black |
| D．it is dangerous to swim in the ocean |
The underlined word “prolong” in the last but one paragraph means ______.
| A．save | B．protect | C．lengthen | D．improve |
The best title for the passage would be _______.
| A．Are Sharks Dangerous? | B．Sharks And Humans |
| C．Sharks: Humans’ Friends | D．Sharks Help Save Human Lives |
The French word renaissance means rebirth. It was first used in 1855 by the historian Jules Michelet in his History of France，then adopted by historians of culture，by art historians，and eventually by music historians，all of whom applied it to European culture during the 150 years spanning 1450－1600.The concept of rebirth was appropriate to this period of European history because of the renewed interest in ancient Greek and Roman culture that began in Italy and then spread throughout Europe. Scholars and artists of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries wanted to restore the learning and ideals of the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome. To these scholars this meant a return to human—as opposed to spiritual values. Fulfillment in life—as opposed to concern about an afterlife—became a desirable goal，and expressing the entire range of human emotions and enjoying the pleasures of the senses were no longer frowned(皱眉头) on. Artists and writers now turned to secular(不朽的)as well as religious subject matter and sought to make their works understandable and appealing.
These changes in outlook deeply affected the musical culture of the Renaissance period—how people thought about music as well as the way music was composed，experienced，discussed，and circulated. They could see the architectural monuments，sculptures(雕塑)，plays，and poems that were being rediscovered，but they could not actually hear ancient music—although they could read the writings of classical philosophers，poets，essayists，and music theorists that were becoming available in translation. They learned about the power of ancient music to move the listener and wondered why modern music did not have the same effect. For example，the influential religious leader Bernardino Cirillo expressed disappointment with the learned music of his time. He urged musicians to follow the example of the sculptors，painters，architects，and scholars who had rediscovered ancient art and literature.
The musical Renaissance in Europe was more a general cultural movement and state of mind than a specific set of musical techniques. Furthermore，music changed so rapidly during this century and a half—though at different rates in different countries—that we cannot define a single Renaissance style.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The musical compositions that best illustrate the developments during the European Renaissance. |
| B．The musical techniques that were in use during the European Renaissance. |
| C．The European Renaissance as a cultural development that included changes in musical style. |
| D．The ancient Greek and Roman musical practices used during the European Renaissance. |
The underlined word “now” in Paragraph 1 refers to ________.
| A．1855 |
| B．the period of the Renaissance |
| C．the time of the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome |
| D．the time at which the author wrote the passage |
It can be inferred from the passage that thinkers of the Renaissance were seeking a rebirth of ________.
| A．spirituality in everyday life |
| B．communication among artists across Europe |
| C．a cultural emphasis on human values |
| D．religious themes in art that would accompany the traditional secular themes |
What can be inferred about the music of ancient Greece and Rome?
| A．Its effect on listeners was described in a number of classical texts. |
| B．It was played on instruments that are familiar to modern audiences. |
| C．It expressed more different ideals than classical sculpture，painting and poetry. |
| D．It had the same effect on Renaissance audiences as it had when originally performed. |
According to the passage，why was Bernardino Cirillo disappointed with the music of his time?
| A．It did not contain enough religious themes. |
| B．It had little emotional impact on audiences. |
| C．It was not complex enough to appeal to musicians. |
| D．It was too dependent on the art and literature of his time. |
TOKYO, Japan (AP) – Japan is very serious about robotics (机器人技术). If the droids are going to fit in, they probably need to learn the Japanese custom of serving tea. Fortunately, researchers at the University of Tokyo are exploring just that. In a show this week, a humanoid（有人特点的）with camera eyes made by Kawada Industries Inc. poured tea from a bottle into a cup. Then another robot on wheels delivered the cup of tea in an experimental room that has sensors embedded in the floor and sofa as well as cameras on the ceiling, to simulate（模仿）life with robot technology.
“A human being may be faster, but you’d have to say ‘Thank you,’” said University of Tokyo professor Tomomasa Sato. “That’s the best part about a robot. You don’t have to feel bad about asking it to do things.”
Sato believes Japan, a rapidly aging society where more than a fifth of the population is 65 or older, will lead the world in designing robots to care for the elderly, sick and bedridden（卧床不起的）.
Already, monitoring technologies, such as sensors that automatically turn on lights when people enter a room, are becoming widespread in Japan.
The walking, child–size Asimo from Honda Motor Co. greets people at showrooms. NEC Corp. has developed a smaller companion robot–on –wheels called Papero. A seal robot available since 2004 can entertain the elderly and others in need of fuzzy companionship.
Sato says his experimental room is raising awareness about privacy questions that may arise when electronic devices（设备）monitor a person’s movements down to the smallest detail.
On the bright side, the tea – pouring humanoid has been programmed to do the dishes.What is the best title of this passage?
| A．“Thank You” Will Never Be Needed in Japan |
| B．Monitoring Technologies Are Widespread in Japan |
| C．Robot Is Designed to Care for the Elderly. |
| D．Robot technologies are widespread in Japanese daily life. |
The underlined word “embedded” in the first paragraph probably means .
| A．fixed | B．established | C．settled | D．rooted |
According to Professor Sato, .
| A．the robot serves tea much faster than a human being |
| B．the robot does anything like human beings |
| C．tea – serving robot helps to form laziness of the aging society |
| D．tea – serving robot doesn’t need any reward for the service |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．A robot can imitate people to complete complicated tasks. |
| B．A robot has been programmed to clean the dishes. |
| C．All the problems in the aging society can be solved by robots. |
| D．The number of aging people is increasing rapidly in Japan. |
We can infer from the passage that .
| A．people are afraid of being monitored by robots. |
| B．the technology of robots has been highlighted in Japan. |
| C．robots can completely take the place of human beings. |
| D．people’s privacy should be strictly protected |
The evidence for harmony may not be obvious in some families. But it seems that four out of five young people now get on with their parents, which is the opposite of the popularly-held image(形象) of unhappy teenagers locked in their room after endless family quarrels.
An important new study into teenage attitudes surprisingly shows that their family life is more harmonious than it has ever been in the past. "We were surprised by just how positive today's young people seem to be about their families," said one member of the research team. "They're expected to be rebellious(叛逆的) and selfish but actually they have other things on their minds; they want a car and material goods, and they worry about whether school is serving them well. There's more negotiation(商议) and discussion between parents and children, and children expect to take part in the family decision-making process. They don't want to rock the boat."
So it seems that this generation of parents is much more likely than parents of 30 years ago to treat their children as friends. "My parents are happy to discuss things with me and willing to listen to me," says 17-years-old Daniel Lazall. " I always tell them when I'm going out clubbing. As long as they know what I'm doing, they're fine with it." Susan Crome, who is now 21, agrees. "Looking back on the last 10 years, there was a lot of what you could call negotiation. For example, as long as I'd done all my homework, I could go out on a Saturday night. But I think my grandparents were a lot stricter with my parents than that."
Maybe this positive view of family life should not be unexpected. It is possible that the idea of teenage rebellion is not rooted in real facts. A researcher comments, "Our surprise that teenagers say they get along well with their parents comes because of a brief period in our social history when teenagers were regarded as different beings. But that idea of rebelling and breaking away from their parents really only happened during that one time in the 1960s when everyone rebelled. The normal situation throughout history has been a smooth change from helping out with the family business to taking it over."According to the author, teenage rebellion ________.
| A．resulted from changes in families |
| B．may be a false belief |
| C．is common nowadays |
| D．existed only in the 1960s |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Education in family |
| B．Negotiation in family |
| C．Teenage trouble in family |
| D．Harmony in family |
The study shows that teenagers don't want to ________.
| A．go boating with their family |
| B．share family responsibility |
| C．make family decisions |
| D．cause trouble in their families |
What is the popular images of teenagers today?
| A．They dislike living with their parents |
| B．They quarrel a lot with other family members |
| C．They worry about school |
| D．They have to be locked in to avoid troubles |
Compared with parents of 30 years ago, today's parents ________.
| A．care less about their children's life |
| B．give their children more freedom |
| C．go to clubs more often with their children |
| D．are much stricter with their children |