Working on a farm and taking care of crops can be hot, time-consuming and difficult. Engineers have long wanted to build robots to lighten the load. But it has proved a difficult task. Robots that walk or roll along the ground can step on the easily damaged plants heavily. And they have to stop working when rain turns fields muddy. “Tarzan”, however, could deal with some of those challenges.
Jonathan Rogers is a robotics expert at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. When it comes to a farm environment, he realized robots would face many problems. “Many robots tend to get twisted(弯曲的) together or get stuck,”he says. What's more, he notes, "It's very hard to leave them out for long periods without a human helping them.”
What if the robot could move above the crops? Jonathan Rogers says, “The sloths(树懒)move from tree branch to tree branch to avoid having to walk around the forest floor. "Then his team set out to design a robot that could swing hand to hand along wires hung above the field. He named their invention Tarzan after the jungle-swinging character in a movie.
Tarzan is not the first swinging robot. Mark Spong, a robotics researcher at the University of Texas at Dallas notes that some teams have built robots that do gymnastics or copy mammals. But he says he admires Tarzan for its using swinging movement to save energy and the idea of building a wire structure to move around above crops.
Rogers first predicted that Tarzan could help farmers monitor crops with sensors (传感器) and cameras. But he also said future robots might take water to a particularly thirsty plant or fertilize one that needs nutritional support. And adding a third “hand”could allow such a robot to harvest fruits and vegetables. Finally the robot could move off the farm and into the city, helping deal with the traffic and security.
1.What worried the engineers when they built the farm robots?
A.They took up too much space.
B.They made the farming process slow.
C.They had difficulty exploring in fields.
D.They caused certain damage to crops.
2.What does Jonathan Rogers think about most farm robots?
A.They take much time to make.
B.They get out of date more easily.
C.They depend too much on people.
D.They get used to the environment slowly.
3.What attracts Mark Spong most about Tarzan?
A.Its strong wings. B.Its low cost
C.Its creative design D.Its powerful engine.
4.How did Jonathan Rogers feel about Tarzan’s future?
A.It could be found everywhere.
B.It could be put into more practical uses.
C.It could be used to do all the farm work.
D.It could be popular with working people in cities.
Born at a dog kennel(养狗场) in Novosibirsk, Maru was sold to a family in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, 800 km away, when she was only 5 months old .However, 6 months later the kennel owner Alla Morozova received a call from the dog's owners informing her that they were allergic(过敏的) to animals and could no longer look after their pet. The contract said that in case the buyers no longer wanted a dog they should inform Alla first, so she could make arrangements to get it back .She had someone get Maru and accompany her on a train ride back to Novosibirsk,but 200 km into the journey, something went wrong.
“The dog had a panic attack, so she was frightened,” Alla told the Siberian Times. She had been brought by her owners, but then they disappeared somewhere .The noise of the train scared(惊吓) her, so she jumped on the compartment door,kicked the handle to open it, and jumped out of the train as it was getting close to the station in Achinsk, a city between Krasnoyarsk and Novosibirsk”. After hearing the news Alla called her former owners to tell them that Maru was all alone and scared. She asked them to help her look for the dog but they refused. “That angered me. They gave the dog away and the load fell off their shoulders,” said Alla.
But Alla wasn't about to give up on her dog She posted messages about her online and gave out leaflets(传单)asking for information. Volunteers found her in an industrial zone, "Alla said. "The dog was very fatigued. She had walked and run for two and a half days. She was lame, and her paws were broken. I'm sure that she was looking for her house. Dogs are very attached to people.” Alla added .
A friend of Alla's recently drove Maru to her kennel in Novosibirsk, where she was reunited with her mother and father. She is now undergoing treatment to recover from the suffering of walking 200 km through the Siberian wilderness.
1.What happened to Maru when she was 11 months old?
A.She was sold to another family.
B.She was allergic to her owners.
C.She was given up by her owners.
D.She was well looked after by her owners.
2.Why did Maru Jump out of the train?
A.She was frightened by its noise.
B.She was driven by the conductor.
C.She was badly treated by her owners.
D.She wanted to go back to her parents.
3.The underlined word “fatigued” in Paragraph3 probably means “_______”
A.worried B.excited
C.interested D.tired
4.What did Alla think of Maru's former owners?
A.Merciless B.Selfless
C.Stubborn D.Responsible
I'm standing in a class of wild 14-year-old girls as they throw paper and howl (大声叫喊) with laughter. They won't listen to me.
I was a young girl of 22 and I didn't know what I was doing. I never wanted to teach . I wanted to be a writer. But when I arrived in London, they were short of teachers.
My efforts at teaching were hopeless. When the bell finally rang, I rushed to the staff room, red with anger. The other teachers weren't surprised. “That's 4B, the worst class in the school.” one said.
I feared our next meeting, but I couldn't give up. I needed the job, so I gave up formal lessons. Instead, I brought topics for class discussions. One of the liveliest talks was about the arguments they had with their parents. They paid attention and shared about their lives. I was very interested, so I had them write about themselves.Most wrote about families with little money and big problems. As time went on, their articles became a bridge between us. I admired their humor, toughness and insight (洞察力), and I thought they appreciated my interest in their lives.
The musical My Fair Lady was playing in the West End, but they had never seen a live stage performance. I asked if they'd like to see the musical, but they thought I was joking. No teacher had ever suggested taking them out. a few weeks later, 4B and I were sitting in a theater. They loved the music, the costumes and the characters. It was the highlight of their year, and they talked about it for days.
Near the end of the term, someone knocked on the door of the staff room. The two most rebellious(ik)girls in 4B were there with flowers. I was proud to know I had touched their lives,and they had also touched mine.I enjoyed teaching and getting along with teenagers.
When I returned to Australia several years later, I still wanted to be a writer .For the first time in my life, I stopped dreaming and started writing. My first story was titled, My fair Ladies. Teaching wasn't the end of my writing career, but it was the beginning.
1.How were the author's students at the beginning?
A.Wild and unpleasant B.Rude and selfish
C.Frightening and violent D.Tough and stupid
2.What happened after the students began to write articles?
A.They had fewer arguments with their parents.
B.They gradually showed interest in their lives.
C.Their writing skills improved with the author's help.
D.The relationship between the author and her students improved.
3.What can we infer from the last two paragraphs?
A.The author has become a famous writer.
B.The author was popular with her students' parents.
C.The author's teaching experiences enriched her writing.
D.The author started to write because she was bored with teaching.
4.Which might be the best title for the passage?
A.Writing Builds bridges.
B.Happiness Needs Devotion.
C.Success Depends on Dreams.
D.Confidence Makes Great Changes.
Popular Las Vegas Day Trips by Car
Going to Las Vegas? Here are some nearby places you can drive to while you are there.
Bonnie Springs Ranch
It is one of the best places to rent a horse and see the red canyon(峡谷).It has a large stable area where guided horseback rides are offered. And it also has a restaurant and western theme shows.
The Nevada State Railroad Museum
If you are looking for a fun day trip, the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Boulder City should be at the top of your list. If you want to see Boulder City, be sure to visit during weekends when the museum runs touring trains along the Boulder City branch line. Various presentations, lectures and child-friendly exhibits are offered from Monday to Friday.
Mount Charleston
Fresh air and silence are what you will find at the top of the state’s 8th highest mountain located 40 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Mount Charleston feels a million miles away from the city. Things to do include hiking, mountain biking, camping and sightseeing. During the winter the mountains are the perfect place to play in the snow.
China ranch
It is a hidden treasure that is way off the beaten path. Along with a gift shop and bakery, China Ranch is a great place to go hiking. It is located in the Amargosa River Valley. This area is protected as a national wild and scenic river and one of the few places where the river flows above ground.
1.What can visitors do in Bonnie Springs Ranch?
A.Play by the river B.Go hiking
C.Enjoy horse riding D.Camp with their family
2.When can visitors experience train rides at the Nevada State Railroad Museum?
A.On Fridays. B.On Sundays.
C.On Mondays D.On Tuesdays
3.Where can visitors buy a gift?
A.In mount Charleston B.In China ranch
C.In Bonnie Springs Ranch D.In the Nevada State Railroad Museum
假定你是李华,你的同学Jack来自英国,请根据以下写作要点写一篇周记记述你和家人与Jack共度中秋节的经历。
写作要点：
1.活动策划；
2.活动的内容；
3.你的感想。
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词
2.只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
Today I'd like to introduce my most favorite book to you- Five Thousand Years of Chinese Nation, which belonged to history book.
Selected important and famous figures and events in the history of China, the author organizes and cuts it according to historical materials. He writes with modern language to make them easy understand. This book opens a history gate to me but I feel more confident about my own country. I'm proud of being the Chinese and I will make greater efforts to build a more powerful country and make Chinese history more brilliantly. I think everyone should read it and get this wonderful experiences. I do hope you will like it!Enjoy reading!
