The rapid growth in skyscrapers worldwide has led to a high demand for window washers since most of these buildings feature large glass panes (窗格) to highlight their breathtaking views.
Though the job offers a handsome salary, dangling alongside multi-story structures is dangerous, and accidents are not uncommon. However, if Israel-based company Skyline Technologies has its way, the dangerous chore may soon be taken care of by Ozmo, an intelligent window cleaning robot.
"As a society, we've become too comfortable watching people hanging off the sides of 30-story buildings," says Yaron Schwarez, co-founder and CEO of Skyline Robotics. "No salary could justify allowing people to put their lives in the hands of a system of ropes."
Much like humans, Ozmo is placed on platforms suspended from the buildings and uses its arms and brushes to clean the dirt on the glass panes. A 3D map of the building's surface programmed into its system allows the robot to skillfully handle obstacles as it moves up and down the structure. Computer vision and touch sensors enable it to move out of the way in case of unexpected events, such as the sudden opening of a window.
Unlike current window washers, the robot cleaner does not require soap to clean the glass. Instead, it uses distilled water (蒸馏水) and a process called dirt absorption to do the job. Schwarez explains, "We use pure water to absorb and remove the salts, the minerals, the oils, and the dirt from the building. We are environmentally-friendly."
Ozmo is also expected to be much more efficient than humans. While it currently takes three cleaners 480 hours each to clean the windows of a 40-story glass building, the robot will single-handedly complete the task in just 80 hours. However, unlike other robots, Ozmo will not replace human workers. It will only make their jobs safer by lifting them to the role of supervisors, who will be remotely controlling the operation from below.
Whether Ozmo, which is still undergoing testing, does as good a job as human remains to be seen.
1.Which of the following can best replace the phrase "has its way" in paragraph 2?
A.Succeeds. B.Hesitates.
C.Struggles. D.Exists.
2.What can we learn about Ozmo from the passage?
A.It requires chemicals to clean.
B.It has trouble crossing obstacles.
C.It operates with great efficiency.
D.It works without human helpers.
3.What is the author's attitude towards the future application of Ozmo?
A.Optimistic.
B.Doubtful
C.Unconceded.
D.Objective.
4.What is the best tile for the text?
A.Ozmo: a Double-edged Sword.
B.Ozmo: a Smart Window Cleaner.
C.Window Washing: a Dangerous Job.
D.Window Washing: a Blessing in Disguise.
When Edgar Allan Poe, the 19th century American writer best known today for his horror stories, first introduced the world to his fictional detective C. Auguste Dupin, he hit on a winning formula.
Dupin was Sherlock Holmes before Sherlock Holmes, a genius detective who first appeared in the story of “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”. Though the roots of the detective story go as far back as Shakespeare, Poe's tales of rational crime-solving created a unique type. His stories mix crime with a detective narrative, inviting readers to try to solve the puzzle too.
The key figure in such a story, then, is the detective. Poe's detective, Dupin is a gentleman of leisure who keeps himself occupied by using “analysis” to help the real police solve crimes. The real police are, of course, absolutely incompetent, like Inspector Lestrade and Scotland Yard are to Holmes. Like Holmes, he smokes a pipe and is unnaturally smart and rational, a kind of superhero who uses powers of thinking to accomplish great tasks of crime-solving.
“The elements Poe invented, such as the socially-awkward genius detective, his 'ordinary' helper, the impossible crime, the incompetent police force, the locked room mystery, etc. , have become firmly fixed in most mystery novels of today,” says English professor Karen 'Tan.
Poe's formula appealed in the 19th century because detective stories promised that reasoning could hold the answer to every question. At the same time, with mysterious overtones, they appealed to 19th-century readers' addiction to the mystical.
The detective story, writes book critic William Mullins, was particularly appealing because it promised that “intellect will win out, the criminal will be caught by the rational detective, science will track down the evil-doer and allow honest people to sleep at night.” At the same time, MacIntyre writes. 19Ih-century anxieties about the Industrial Revolution and new ways of living supported the idea that evil was everywhere. These two instincts — “people's increasing faith in reason and mistrust of appearance”- are what made 19th century readers love detective stories, a love that endures today.
1.What do we learn about Poe's fictional detective stories?
A.They created a new style of detective story telling.
B.They eventually became Poe's most famous stories.
C.The main character was inspired by the Sherlock Holmes.
D.Dupin was the first detective to appear in a fictional story.
2.What is Dupin's major strength as a detective?
A.His experience. B.His determination.
C.His fearlessness. D.His intelligence
3.What can we infer about the Dupin and Sherlock Holmes stories?
A.They are both set in England. B.They get readers to think and find.
C.Both of the assistants are incompetent. D.Both of their detectives are very sociable.
4.What made detective stories popular according to William Mullins?
A.Readers' growing interest in the mysterious plot.
B.People’s concern about the increasing level of crime.
C.The public's confidence in the power of rational thought.
D.Economic insecurity resulting from the Industrial Revolution.
What were you doing when you were nine years old? Making crafts from a Klutz book? Kicking around a soccer ball? Designing a business plan to deal with plastic pollution and relieve childhood poverty? Zymal Umar shoved us the latter. The Pakistan's youngest businesswoman has started a project entitled Zee Bugs, which aims to reduce plastic pollution by providing an environmentally-friendly alternative to plastic grocery bags.
When Zymal was on a shopping trip with her parents three years ago, she was shocked by the number of plastic bags on the streets. Depressed by the plastic pollution, she was reminded of the severe consequences our habits have on the environment. Then, she noticed a shopkeeper handing out newspaper bags. And at that moment, Zymal knew she had to act. Since then she has created beautiful, unique reusable newspaper bags for hundreds of customers.
It's amazing to see this youngster using her brains and business skills for good. And she should certainly feel proud of the work she is doing. After all, plastic grocery bags are killing thousands of marine animals every year through their contribution to plastic waste According to The Earth Institute, over one trillion plastic bags are used worldwide annually — that's about two million bags used per minute around the world.
And those bags certainly don't disappear into thin air. Instead, they end up in our oceans, putting approximately 700 marine species in danger of extinction due to the threat from pollution. And plastic bags are just one of the many forms of plastic trash that ends up in the oceans — in fact, an astonishing 8.8 million tons of this material make their way from land to the oceans every single year.
But with Zee Bags, we're all empowered to make more thoughtful choices about our trash production. And Zymal's amazingness doesn't stop there — the profits from her sales go towards helping poor children.
1.What is the second paragraph mainly about?
A.How Zymal felt about her shopping trip.
B.How Zymal learned about plastic pollution.
C.How Zymal was received by the shopkeeper.
D.How Zymal was inspired to create her bags.
2.Why are figures mentioned in the third and fourth paragraphs?
A.To praise Zymal for her great efforts.
B.To urge readers to stop using plastics.
C.To stress the seriousness of plastic pollution.
D.To show the rich knowledge of the author.
3.What can we infer about Zymal from the last paragraph?
A.She is amazing in every aspect of her life.
B.She has concern for the disadvantaged.
C.She urges everyone to be eco-friendly.
D.She earns a lot of money from her business.
4.Which of the following best describes Zymal?
A.Caring. B.Determined.
C.Confident. D.Selfless.
Obviously, you want to make the most of your precious time, to squeeze every last drop out of the days. Here we've rounded up the best events for you and your family to enjoy in June in Shanghai.
Dog Day Saturdays
On the first Saturday of the month, The Rooster (Jing'an) throws a backyard party where dogs are welcome. There will be free hot dogs, Flying Dog Beers and dog treats for the little buddies. Donations will also be collected for local animal rescue group, Best Friends China.
June 6, 3~5p.m., RMB 50. The Rooster (Jing'an).
Shanghai International Literary Festival
The undisputed literary event champion of Shanghai is back! Every type of author is set to appear at this year's fest, including legendary Chinese American writer Amy Tar (The Joy Luck Club and The Bonesetter's Daughter), Internet business expert Duncan Clark (Alibaba: The House That Jack Ma Built) , the Anthill founder Alec Ash (Wish Lanterns: Young Lives in New China) and many more. Stay tuned for our full festival preview and author features.
June 10 ~ 22, various times, RMB 85 or RMB 150 (for literary lunches). Clam.
Mom to Mom Sale
Sell or stock up on clothes, toys, books, strollers and other family goods at this twice-a-year market organized by Shanghai mothers. Sellers will contribute 15 percent of all their profit to the charity group, Heart to Heart.
June 21 ~ 22, 2-6p.m. (Sun.) 10a. m. ~ 2p. m. (Mon.), free entry. Shanghai Racquet Club.
Vivienne Westwood — Get a Life
The iconic fashion designer is the subject of this crossover exhibition of Chinese contemporary art and eco-friendly fashion inspired by Westwood's strong stance towards a climate revolution. Participating artists include Sun Xun, Wu Junyong and Zhang Ruyi.
Until June 28, free entry. Chi K11 Art Museum.
1.Who could you possibly meet al Glam on 21, June?
A.Jack Ma. B.Alec Ash.
C.Bonesetter's daughter. D.Joy Luck.
2.Which event is most likely to attract the environmentalists?
A.Dog Day Saturdays. B.Shanghai International Literary Festival.
C.Mom to Mom Sale. D.Vivienne Westwood — Get a Lile.
3.What do Dog Day Saturdays and Mom to Mom Sale have in common?
A.They are organized annually.
B.They take place at the same time.
C.Participants can support charily work.
D.Participants are admitted free of charge.
假定你是李华，大学刚毕业。你看见某公司在China Daily上刊登了一则广告，招聘英文秘书一名，要求如下。请你根据其要求，写一封求职信。
1. 20~25周岁，身体健康，身高1.75米以上；
2.本科以上学历，有工作经验者优先；
3.具备扎实的英语基础，擅长写作。
注意: 1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear sir,
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
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：在错的词下画一横线，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。
To get teenagers better involved in creating an environmental friendly society, an activity was called “I Make a Contribution to Environmental Protection” will be organized at the City Square this Sunday. It will start at 9:00 in the morning or end at 5:00 in the afternoon. Volunteers were expected to gather at the school gate at 8:30 am. Then we will walk together to a square to pick up litter. We will also give instructions to passer-by on how to help protect the environment by start in their own backyard.
Those interesting in participating, please sign up at the Student Council office before this Thursday. Please inform Li Hua, the activity director, any suggestions you have about the activity.
We are looking forward to you early participation.
