Robots and humans will soon be living in harmony (和睦). A singing robot is being taught to create jazz with a human in a project.
Antonio Chella from Italy is working with a Telenoid robot. To start with, the Telenoid will be trained to follow the movements and simple sounds made by a human singer, and to connect music with different emotional states. Chella then plans to see if the robot can use these connections to create music.
Intelligence is often regarded as the ability to find connections between the existing things. But Chella suggests that a conscious(有意识的) creature should be able to go a step further and introduce new connections that result in the creation of something new.
Some jazz musicians say that they should have a mental library of musical phrases so that they are able to combine them in new ways. More importantly, however, this combination happens in a state that is similar in a sense to dreaming. Chella wants to copy these states in a machine.
“This work raises interesting questions about the link between consciousness and music making,” says Philippe Pasquier, a musician and computer scientist. But he is skeptical about whether a robot musician needs a physical body.
Pasquier argues that the robots are faced with two challenges(挑战). Software that can copy Bach has already been developed. But interpretation(演绎)includes human’s different tastes and judgments. “What made the Beatles famous was not so much their works, but the fact that the interpretations of the works were wonderful,” he says.
It is not yet clear how a robot would go about interpreting music in a new way. But by copying humans and then learning to sing, Chella’s robot could provide clues.
What seems to be important is that human composers often listen to lots of music made by others. So Chella’s robot had better listen to those jazz standards first.
1.Which of the following is the robot’s first step before it tries to create jazz?
A.Living with human beings in harmony.
B.Connecting actions with human’s emotions.
C.Copying a human singer’s movements and sounds.
D.Learning to communicate with human beings freely.
2.The underlined word “skeptical” in Paragraph 5 could be replaced by “_____“.
A.doubtful B.worried
C.certain D.concerned
3.What can we know about the robots like Telenoid from the text?
A.They are household robots. B.They can talk with researchers.
C.They are faced with two challenges. D.They will become human singers.
4.What can be concluded from the text?
A.Chella’s robot needs a physical body to make music.
B.How to interpret jazz is a piece of cake for Chella’s robot.
C.A new kind of software should be developed to copy Bach.
D.Chella’s robot should listen to much jazz to create something new.
◆Protect the natural and cultural heritage. Don’t damage or deface any buildings，displays and other facilities. Take care of all plants. Put rubbish in the bins provided.
◆Take care when you are going up and down steps or stairs and when you are walking nearby the waters.
◆Please buy tickets before entering the scenic spot. One ticket is only for one person. Adult：＄60 per ticket. Children over 6 and under 18，half price. People over 60 and children under 6 are free.
◆If you are going into the wooded and hilly lands，for your own safety，please go with three people at least and don't take any tinder(易燃物）along with you. The hill is steep so please take care of yourself.
◆This scenic spot is the reserve of water source: No fishing，swimming，washing and any behaviors that are harmful to the water source. Meanwhile，please follow the management rules of the scenic spot conscientiously.
◆Opening time：From Monday to Friday，8：00 a. m.～18：00 p.m.；From Saturday to Sunday，6：00 a. m:一24：00 p. m.
◆Small animals such as rabbits，peacocks，squirrels，frogs must be taken care of: None of them shall be killed.
If you have any trouble in visiting our world natural park，please call 477一866一7044．Our staff will do our best to help you.
1.How much will be paid for a 65-year-old man with his 8-year-old grandson?
A.Free. B.＄30.
C.＄60. D.＄120.
2.From the passage，we can infer that the water in this park is＿．
A.clean B.polluted
C.dangerous D.colorful
3.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage？
A.Tourists can hike alone in the hilly lands.
B.Small animals are under protection in the park.
C.Children can play with small animals.
D.Tourists can have a swim in the water.
About aspirin(阿司匹林)
Aspirin is a commonly used drug which can be taken to relieve discomfort caused by numerous medical problems including
headaches, toothache, inflammation and infections. It is also suitable to treat colds and flu-like symptoms, and to reduce a high temperature.
Who can take aspirin?
Adults and children over 16 years of age.
Who should not take aspirin?
﹡Women who are pregnant, or plan to become pregnant. Aspirin may harm your unborn baby.
﹡Women who are breast-feeding. Aspirin can pass into your breast milk and may harm your baby.
﹡People who have any problems with the way the liver works or with the way the kidneys work.
How to take aspirin:
Take aspirin after meals, with a full glass of water or milk.
﹡The recommended dose(剂量) ranges from two to three tablets at a time. Never take more than 4g (12 tablets) in any 24-hour period.
﹡You must not take these tablets with any other medicine which contains any aspirin or painkiller.
How to store aspirin:
﹡Keep all medicines out of the reach and sight of children.
﹡Store aspirin in a cool, dry place, away from direct heat and light.
﹡Do not put aspirin in the bathroom because the dampness there can cause it to lose its effectiveness.
﹡Throw away aspirin that smells strongly of vinegar.
Possible side effects:
﹡Feeling sick, increased risk of bleeding, stomach pain, indigestion and heartburn are common.
If these effects continue, contact your doctor.
﹡Ringing in the ears, difficulty breathing, dizziness, and mental confusion are rare. If these
occur, stop taking the drug and contact your doctor for further advice.
1.In which case will you take aspirin according to the text?
A.Stomachache. B.Fever.
C.Breathlessness. D.Nosebleed.
2.How many times can you take aspirin at most in a day?
A.6. B.4.
C.5. D.3.
3.What type of writing is this text?
A.An announcement. B.A medical report.
C.An official guide. D.Medical instructions.
Truth be told, a life-changing college experience doesn’t begin or end with a high GPA or great university tour. And although parents and teachers alike work diligently to prep their students with the cutting-edge classes and impressive transcripts, they’re _______ one vital skill: emotional intelligence.
A poll of 1,502 first-year college students in the U.S. found that a majority of them wish they had received more _________ preparation for college. Emotional preparedness is _________ “the ability to take care of oneself, adapt to new environments,_______ negative emotions or behavior and build positive relationship,” according to the survey.
“Survey data indicate that college readiness requires far more than just a solid academic foundation – a findg that seems _________ conventional higher education preparation, said John MacPhee, Executive Director of the Jed Foundation, which co-sponsored the survey. “It is clear that emotional preparedness should be better _______ the work that high school communities are doing to guide students through the transition into college.”
Data show that college students _______ far more than their academics – and their stress can take a serious toll(代价) on their _______ in school. Forty percent of survey participants felt pressure to pay for college expenses, followed by 30 percent who said their biggest _______ was to make new friends.________, keeping in touch with family and friends not at their college (28 percent) and being independent (16 percent) also weighed heavily on college studnets’ shoulders.
All of these ________ had a negative impact inside and outside of the classroom. Students who felt less emotionally prepared for college were more likely to have a lower grade point average, regularly __________ drugs and/or alcohol, and rate their overall college experience as terrible or poor.
“As high school seniors start applying to college around this time of year, parents and people __________ in their lives can play an important role in helping children build confidence and life skills, said Marisa Giarnella-Porco, Co-Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Jordan Porco Foundation, a survey co-sponsor. “It is important to ________ them to choose a college that best fits their needs first and foremost – not only in a(n)________ sense, but also relative to emotional needs.”
Thankfully, whether your child is packing up for school this fall or still in diapers, it’s never too late (or too early!) to begin prepping them for university life. Here’s what parents should do to help their college-bound kid, starting now.
1.A.mastering B.employing C.forgetting D.preparing
2.A.emotional B.careful C.comprehensive D.active
3.A.compared with B.applied to C.adjusted to D.defined as
4.A.arouse B.control C.display D.hide
5.A.short of B.strict with C.contrary to D.proud of
6.A.reminded of B.combined with C.focused on D.devoted to
7.A.depend on B.worry about C.refer to D.respond to
8.A.performances B.grades C.subjects D.requirements
9.A.mistake B.decision C.event D.challenge
10.A.Otherwise B.Thus C.Besides D.However
11.A.pressures B.benefits C.behaviors D.thoughts
12.A.market B.ban C.consume D.produce
13.A.aggressive B.influential C.mysterious D.modest
14.A.support B.guide C.warn D.command
15.A.good B.keen C.academic D.delicate
Darwin, _________ book On the Origin of Species probably ranks second only to the Bible, had great impact on Western thought.
A.who’s B.which C.for whom D.whose
What really worries us is __________the explorers can accurately locate themselves with the old device in case of bad weather.
A.that B.where C.what D.whether
