Will robots soon be picking soft fruits and salad?
It takes a certain skill to pick a strawberry or a salad. While crops like wheat and potatoes have been harvested mechanically for decades, many fruits and vegetables have proved resistant to automation.1.
But recently, technological developments and advances in machine learning have led to successful trials of more sensitive and skilful robots, which use cameras and artificial intelligence to locate ripe fruit and handle it with care and accuracy.
Developed by engineers at the University of Cambridge, the Vegebot is the first robot that can identify and harvest iceberg lettuce (莴苣)，bringing hope to farmers that one of the most demanding crops for human pickers could finally be automated.2.
First, there are more mouths to feed, but less manual labor. With the world’s population expected to climb to 9.7 billion in 2050 from 7.7 billion today, agriculture is under pressure to meet rising demand for food production. On top of this, growers are facing a long-term labor shortage.3.who suffer from economic losses due to labor shortage.
Second, 4.The problems from climate change ,such as extreme weather, shrinking agricultural lands and the lake of natural resources, make invasion(创新) and efficiency all the more urgent.5..The global market for agricultural robots, expected have a higher operating speed and accuracy than traditional agricultural machinery, is projected to grow from $205 billion in 2018 to $23 billion in 2028,according to a report from market intelligence firm BIS Research.
A.This is one reason behind the industry’s drive to develop robotics
B.there is an appeal for innovation and efficiency
C.robots could lead to more advanced farming practices
D.The development of robotics in agriculture could lead to a massive relief to the growers
E.They are too easily bruised (碰伤)，or too hard for heavy farm machinery to locate
F.This breakthrough is significant without doubt
G.This is partly due to a lack of interest from younger generations
Not many organisms can survive in this severe environment, the Sahara Desert, where daytime temperatures can reach 140 degrees Fahrenheit. But an insect called the Saharan silver ant grows well. They rush out onto the sand from their protected nests to gather up the bodies of insects that have died from the heat.
“The hotter the day, the more insect bodies they will find. The more food they have.” said Sarah Pfeffer, an animal behaviorist at Ulm University in Germany. She says that to avoid sinking into the Saharan sand, where they could meet the same fate（命运）as their lunch, silver ants have to be fast.
To document just how quickly the ants move, Pfeffer and her colleagues set up high-speed cameras above a channel between the entrance to the hungry ants’ nest and a food source. The researchers recorded top speeds approaching 35 inches per second.“But if you really look at how big the animals are and you calculate the body length per second, you will come up with a walking speed that is an astonishing 108 body-lengths per second.”That figure makes them the fastest known ant on the planet. By comparison, cheetahs(猎豹）top out at about 16 body lengths per second. The videos showed how the ants achieve such amazing speeds. As they accelerate, their leg movements become synchronized(同步). They increase their running length by bringing all six feet off the sand at once, which Pfeffer describes as a gallop. “Really all legs are lifted from the ground. They are in the air, but it’s not jumping. It’s a very smooth run that they have.”
A closely related ant called Cataglyphis fortis only reaches about 24 inches per second, or two-thirds of the silver ant's max.
The Saharan silver ants' speeds may be impressive, but two insects are even faster. The Califormia coastal mite (壁虱) and the Australian tiger beetle, both of which also grow well at near-deadly temperatures. It seems that to beat the heat, it pays to be fleet.
1.What does the underlined word "they" refer to?
A.The insects. B.The silver ants.
C.Pfeffer and her colleagues. D.The high-speed cameras.
2.How long is a Saharan silver ant?
A.About 0.14 inches. B.About 0.08 inches.
C.About 0.22 inches. D.About 0.32 inches.
3.How do the ants accelerate while running?
A.By jumping smoothly. B.By lifting all their legs.
C.By sinking into the sand. D.By flying in the air.
4.Why does the author mention another two animals in the last paragraph?
A.To introduce two speedy animals.
B.To present the near-deadly environment.
C.To show high temperature makes fast speed.
D.To indicate silver ants rank third in speed.
You may not know much about Thurgood Marshall. He was once denied admission to one law school because he was black. But today that same school has a law library named after him. He was a man who strengthened education rights for African Americans all over the country.
Marshall was born into a poor family in Baltimore in 1908. Like other African American students of his time, he went to separate schools that were not illegal. An 198/6 law stated that schools for blacks and whites could be “separate but equal.” But Marshall knew that most black schools were not equal. He decided to do something about it.
Marchall received a law degree from Howard University. Then he began to work at changing the country’s schools.Marchall’s strategy was to start with colleges and graduate schools, because he thought judges would sympathize with ambitious young African Americans searching for an education. In 1935, he successfully sued（起诉）the University of Maryland Law School to accept its first black student. Other cases followed, with similar results.
By the 1950’s , Marshall was ready to turn to grade schools and high schools. In 1954, he accepted the case of Linda Brown, who wanted to attend a white grade school near her home. As a result of Marchall’s arguments , the Supreme Court changed the law. It said that “separate” schools never be “equal.”In 1967, Marshall became the first African American appointed to the U.S Supreme Court.Until he retired in 1991, he supported many other civil rights bills.
1.What kind of schools did Marshall try to change first?
A.Black schools. B.Grade schools.
C.Colleges. D.High schools.
2.Which of the following best describes Marshall?
A.Persuasive. B.Controversial.
C.Stubborn. D.Easygoing.
3.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A.Finally Marshall lost the case of Linda Brown.
B.From the 1950's, Marshall taught in several schools.
C.Linda Brown was allowed to enter the white grade school.
D.After his retirement, Marshall still accepted many cases.
4.What's the best title of the text?
A.A fighter for justice B.A judge in the Supreme Court
C.Racial discrimination in the United States D.Marshall's devotion to American education
Beijing’s super large new Daxing International Airport is officially open for business-just in time for celebrations marking the 70 th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China on October 1st.
On Wednesday morning, President Xi Jinping entered the main concourse（大厅）just before noon, where he was greeted by airport officials. “I declare Beijing Daxing International Airport open,” he said. Later that day, the crowd watched as the airport’s maiden flight took off from one of the airport’s four runways. Flights from other airlines due to move to the airport, with a three-letter code PKX, were also scheduled for later in the day. Initially, the only flights making use of the airport are native. Customs and immigration are not yet working. Flights from Daxing will cover 112 destinations around the world by next spring.
Daxing’s official opening caps a long design and building process. Construction for the $11.5 project began in 2014, with more than 40,000 workers on site at its peak（高峰期）.Designed by the late architect Zaha Hadid and her Chinese partners, the airport is built for the future, with a terminal（航站楼）the size of 97 soccer pitches as well as customer-service robots that provide travelers with flight updates and airport information.
Nicknamed”starfish”by Chinese media for its shape of five concourses connected to a main hall, Daxing aims to reduce walking for passengers. The airport authority has promised a distance of no more than 600 meters(650 yards)-about eight minutes of walking-between security checkpoints and the farthest gates.
1.What does the underlined word“maiden" in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
A.Major. B.First
C.Significant. D.Grand.
2.What do we know about the airport?
A.Flights from Daxing cover 112 native destinations.
B.Over 40,000 workers were involved in the construction every day.
C.The design is a joint effort of experts from home and abroad.
D.Robots can update the flight and airport information.
3.What does the airport look like?
A.A cap. B.A robot.
C.A soccer. D.A starfish
4.What's the purpose of the text?
A.To introduce a newly-built airport.
B.To evaluate the success of an airport.
C.To describe the construction of an airport.
D.To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the PRC.
Enjoy yourself in the beauty and energy of Havana and the charm and history of Trinidad as we explore these two dynamic Cuban cities. We'll experience the people, politics, and culture of the island during this important period in the country's history.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
●Learn about housing, infrastructure (基础设施)，and restoration (修复)programs in Havana during a lecture with urban planner MiguetCoyula.
●Hear from Norma Guillard, a Cuban social psychologist and former brigadista with the 1961 Cuba Literacy Campaign, about Cuba's efforts to bring literacy to the entire country.
●Attend a discussion about the current process of economic reform with economist Giulio Rioci.
●Visit the site of the Bay of Pigs invasion of 1961 and the Bay of Pigs Museum.
●Take a walking tour of Old Havana and feel amazed at the splendid architecture.
●Wander the cobblestone streets of Trinidad, a UNESCO World Heritage site, with Nancy Benitez, an expert in restoration, architecture, and history.
●Tour a second UNESCO World Heritage site-Cienfuegos-and observe wonderful French and Spanish architecture during a walking tour.
These are only a few of the highlights of this extraordinary program. See the full travel guide at TheNation.com/HAVANA-TRINIDAD
The whole trip costs $5,455 per person ($370 extra for a single room) and includes hotel accommodations for 7 nights, all transportation within Cuba, all tours, all lectures, meals, tips, and numerous other events and activities.
100% of the income from our travel programs support our journal The Nation.
For more information, e-mail us at travels@thenation.com, call 212-209 -5401, or visit us at theNation.com/HAVANA-TRINIDAD.
1.Who is skillful at restoring old buildings?
A.Miguel Coyula. B.Norma Guillard.
C.Giulio Ricci. D.Nancy Benitez.
2.If you are fond of European architecture, where will you go?
A.The Bay of Pigs Museum. B.Old Havana
C.The stets of Trinidad. D.Cienfuegos.
3.In which aspect may different costs occur?
A.Accommodations. B.Transportation.
C.Lectures. D.tours.
假如你叫李华, 你们班计划在六一儿童节前夕去幸福小学慰问聋哑儿童（deaf-mute children)。 请你用英语给学校的交流生July写一封电子邮件, 询问她是否愿意参加。内容包括：
1. 提出邀请；
2. 说明时间、地点和交通方式等；
3. 简要介绍活动内容和注意事项。
注意：1. 词数100左右。格式已给出, 不计入总词数；
2. 可以适当增加细节, 以使行文连贯。
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