Researchers are placing robotic dogs（机器狗）in the homes of lonely old people to determine whether they can improve the quality of life for humans. Alan Beck, an expert in human-animal relationship, and Nancy Edwards, a professor of nursing, are leading the animal-assisted study concerning the influence of robotic dogs on old people’s depression, physical activity, and life satisfaction. “No one will argue that an older person is better off being more active, challenged, or stimulated（应急的） ,”Edwards points out. “The problem is how we promote that, especially for those without friends or help. A robotic dog could be a solution.”
In the study, the robot, called AIBO, is placed for six weeks in the houses of some old people who live alone. Before placing AIBO in the home, researchers will collect baseline data for six weeks. These old people will keep a diary to note their feelings and activity before and after AIBO. Then, the researchers will review the data to determine if it has inspired any changes in the life of its owner.
“I talk to him all the time, and he responds to my voice,” says a seventy-year-old lady, “When I’m watching TV, he’ll stay in my arms until he wants down. He has a mind of his own.”
The AIBOs respond to certain orders. The researchers say they have some advantages over live dogs, especially for old people. Often the elderly are disabled(行动不便的) and cannot care for an animal by walking it or playing with it. A robotic dog removes（免除） exercise and feeding concerns.
“At the beginning, it was believed that no one would relate to the robotic dog, because it was metal and not furry.” Beck says，“But it’s amazing how quickly we have given up that belief.”
“Hopefully, down the road, these robotic pets could become a more-valuable health helper. They will record their masters’ blood pressure, oxygen levels, or heart rhythms. AIBOs may even one day have games that can help stimulate older people’s minds.”
1. The purpose of Beck and Edwards’ study is to .
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A．understand human-animal relationship |
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B．find the causes of old people’s loneliness |
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C．make lonely old people’s life better |
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D．promote the animal-assisted research |
2.In the research, the old people are asked to .
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A．note the activities of AIBOs |
B．record their feelings and activity |
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C．keep AIBOs at home for 12 weeks |
D．analyze the collected information |
3.What is the advantage of AIBO over live dogs?
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A．It is easier to keep at home. |
B．It responds to all the human orders. |
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C．It can help the disabled people. |
D．It can watch TV with its owner. |
Searching for love is no longer just a favorite subject for songs. It has also become a huge industry. Researchers say the online dating industry in the US earned 649 million dollars in 2006. They expect this number to increase to more than 9 million dollars by 2011.
Experts say that the industry has grown because traditional social ties have weakened. Many young people leave behind a close community of friends and family to find work in bigger cities. People work longer hours, so they have less time to meet new people.
This helps explain the popularity of online dating. Some estimates say120 thousand marriages a year result from matches made on the Internet.
The dating industry has also been expanding in new ways. Many companies offer personalized services for finding the perfect mate. These companies are answering a large demand by single people. They are willing to invest their time and money to find love with carefully planned methods, instead of leaving love to chance.
AskRomeo is a company in Virginia. It provides single people with advice on how to meet a person for the first time.
Also in Virginia, the company True Life Partners provides a more costly and detailed dating service. The company hires a team of professional persons who help couples meet. But this level of service comes at a high price. Men pay thousands of dollars for the service. But women get to take part at no cost.
There are lots of other costs linked to dating. And we wonder how the economic recession(衰退) has affected dating in the US.
1.What can we infer from the first paragraph?
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A．Songs were only written to express love in the past. |
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B．Many people will take part in the industry in two thousand eleven. |
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C．The industry will increase the interest by nine hundred million dollars. |
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D．Love is not only the soul of some songs but also the heart of an industry now. |
2.According to the passage, we can know ______.
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A．most of the marriages result from the Internet. |
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B．the dating industry is popular now |
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C．women won’t spend money when dating |
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D．single people like love at the first sight now |
3.The author took AskRomeo and True Life Partners for examples to ______.
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A．emphasize the important role of the companies |
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B．praise the two companies’ good work |
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C．show how the companies help expand the dating industry |
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D．show the companies are the base of the industry |
4. What will the author talk about in the following paragraph?
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A．The situation of dating now in the economic recession |
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B．How to deal with the economic recession |
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C．What the economic recession is. |
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D．Whether the cost of dating is decreasing now in the US. |
Nanjing and Hangzhou summer camps offered
We are looking for hard-working and open-minded English teachers to join the Nanjing (Jiangsu Province) and Hangzhou (Zhejiang Province) summer camps!
Both of the summer camps will run from the beginning of July to the end of August. You will be expected to teach spoken English to Chinese students of different ages. We encourage you to bring your own culture to the classes to make things more interesting.
The information of the Nanjing camp:
● Working hours: 40 hours per week, 5 working days per week.
● Salary: about 7,000 RMB per month.
● Accommodation : free (single room).
The information of the Hangzhou camp:
● Working hours: 5 hours per day (=" 50" min. / class × 6 classes), one day rest per week.
● Salary: 20,160 RMB in total (420 RMB per day =" 70" RMB / class × 6 classes).
● Accommodation: free (shared room).
The requirements of the summer camps:
● Native English speakers (US, England, Canada, Australia, New Zealand).
● A university degree.
● Teaching experience.
Please send us your resume (简历), copies of certificates and passport if you are interested in the camps.
E-mail: teacher1324@sina.com.cn
For more information you can visit our website at http://www.Englishsummercamps.com.cn
Look forward to hearing from you soon!
1.What kind of people is the passage mainly written for?
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A．English-learning students. |
B．Foreign English teachers. |
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C．Chinese-speaking students. |
D．Chinese English teachers. |
2. How long will a teacher work for the summer camps?
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A．Less than one month. |
B．About five weeks. |
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C．About eight weeks. |
D．More than two months. |
3. Which of the following people might be accepted as a teacher at the summer camps?
A. Wang Li, an excellent teacher from China.
B. Robert, a high school student from the USA.
C. Jerry, a university student from Australia.
D. Linda, an experienced university teacher from Canada.
4.Compared with the Nanjing camp, the Hangzhou camp ______.
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A．has longer working hours |
B．has fewer students to teach |
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C．pays a higher salary |
D．provides better accommodation |
Another small animal that tigers eat in Ranthambhore （a wildlife park in northern India） is the porcupine （豪猪）．These animals are spread widely across India in open areas and grasslands; they often live in the earth and between rocks．They are good diggers, and in Ranthambhore are nocturnal （夜出的）; they only come out at night．They weigh 12 to 16 kilograms and reach the length of 80 to 90 centimetres．They live usually on vegetables and fruit and seem to have a good sense of smell．Porcupines defend themselves when attacked by moving backwards with their quills upright, often making a strange noise．
Several times, I have found the remains of quills where a tiger has killed and eaten a porcupine, but I have never actually seen the kill．In spite of the quills, experienced tigers will try to kill clearly by biting the porcupine’s head, its weakest spot．But the quills are very sharp and can give painful injuries to young tigers．If the quills have gone in very deeply or if they are stuck in the tiger’s paw, it will try to pull them out．Often, it will be successful, and the wound will get better．But, if the quills have gone in very deeply or if they are stuck in the tiger’s neck or mouth, where they cannot be reached, the wound will often turn bad．If this happens, the tiger is in pain and is less able to hunt animals．It has to look for easier prey and so may turn to cows on the edges of the forest．From this, it is a small step to becoming a man-eater．
1. A porcupine is a small animal which _____．
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A．likes to stay on vegetables and fruit |
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B．eats nothing but vegetables and fruit |
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C．prefers to stay on vegetables and fruit rather than anywhere else |
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D．has vegetables and fruit as its main food |
2. The word “quill” here means ____．
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A．teeth of a porcupine |
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B．feathers on a porcupine |
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C．long, sharp needle-like parts on a porcupine |
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D．paws of a porcupine |
3.According to this passage, what causes a tiger to become a man-eater?
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A．When there are no porcupine for a tiger to catch． |
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B．When it turns to cows on the edges of the forest． |
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C．When a tiger wasn’t hurt seriously． |
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D．When it is difficult for a tiger to catch other animals． |
4.What is the proper title for this passage?
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A．A Tiger and Its Food. |
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B．How Do Tiger Kill Porcupines? |
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C．What Can Cause a Tiger to Become a Man-eater? |
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D．A Porcupine. |
One summer several years ago, my family was enjoying a barbecue on the beach. After the barbecue, my father-in-law invited me to go fishing. Fishing was his hobby, but I 36 went fishing. We walked a little way along the beach and reached a rock by the shore, and I 37 the hook into the sea from there. Frankly speaking, I am a (n) 38 person, and although I had not felt a tug (猛拽) on the line, I reeled up the hook after five minutes or so. I had caught 39 . It was a starfish. It trembled uneasily when I 40 the hook from its ugly mouth. I threw the starfish back into the sea. After another five minutes I caught another starfish and I threw it back again.
After a while, I caught yet another starfish. That was 41 time, and this time I really got angry. I hit the starfish on the rock 42 throwing it into the sea. I was not in the 43 to continue fishing any more.
When I was 44 the fishing tools, I noticed a little girl looking at the starfish on the rock. We 45 looks with each other. The little girl spoke to me in a 46 voice. “Sir, would you mind if I 47 the starfish back into the sea?”“Not at all,” I replied. “"But you know, there are too many starfish in the sea, and they eat many shellfish. 48 , they look so ugly. I don't like them.”
“I understand,” said the little girl. “But if the starfish cannot get back to the sea, it will be 49 by the sun and die. My dead grandfather once told me that there are no living creatures that have no right to exist in the world. God 50 every creature because it was needed by nature. Poisonous snakes, spiders, and starfish were born into this world with a certain 51 for their existence.”
“All right, dear, please throw the starfish back into the sea,” I said to the little girl, feeling 52 . The girl picked up the starfish and gently put it into the sea, and she 53 at me and said, “Thank you, sir.”
Many people like "cute" creatures such as dogs, cats, and rabbits, while they tend to dislike “ugly” creatures such as snakes, spiders, and starfish. However, the “cuteness” and “ugliness” of things are decided 54 only on one’s personal opinions. There are no living creatures that have no 55 in the world-- this is what I learned from the little girl.
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_______ in the war, many children have become orphans(孤儿).
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A．Their parents were killed |
B．Being killed |
C．Their parents killed |
D．Killed |
