People in several American states may be surprised to see cars on city streets without a driver. Experimental driverless vehicles now are legal in Florida, Nevada and California. They are pointing the way to a future that is not far down the road. The high-tech company Google has a number of self-driving cars, which had covered 480,000 kilometers by August. Volvo is among the companies doing road tests and says it plans to sell driverless cars by 2020.
In September, California Governor Jerry Brown signed an act to allow autonomous vehicles on the roads of his state. " Today we're looking at science fiction becoming tomorrow's reality-the driverless car. " The technology for these cars includes cameras, radar and motion sensors. The systems have been improved through competitions sponsored by the U. S. government agency DARPA. Engineer Richard Mason of the Rand Corporation helped design driverless vehicles for DARPA challenge races.
Cars have become much more fuel-efficient, and new electronic features are' making Hondas safer, said Angie Nucci of Honda America. " A camera on the passenger-side mirror actually engaged on your guiding screen so you can safely change lanes. " Other safety features include warning systems on the front and the sides of the cars. These systems help drivers , but don't replace them. Curator Leslie Kendall of the Petersen Automotive Museum said autonomous cars will make the high ways safer．
"By taking out drivers, you also remove most risks of an accident," Kendall said. He said consumers, however, may be unwilling to lose control. "It may take them time to come to realize that the technology is indeed reliable, but it will have to prove itself first. "
Mason said the technology already works and the biggest challenge now is getting down the cost for driverless vehicles from hundreds of thousands of dollars to something more affordable. He said this will happen as the technology is improved.
1.What can we learn from Paragraph l?
A. Driverless vehicles are now legal in the whole USA.
B. Volvo will be the first to sell driverless cars.
C. Driverless cars are pointing us' a faraway future.
D. Google's self-driving cars have covered a long distance.
2.We learn that Governor of California Jerry Brown_________.
A. helped design self-driving cars.
B. supports self-driving cars on roads.
C. considers self-driving cars science fiction.
D. improved the self-driving car systems.
3.What is the role of the systems mentioned in Paragraph 3?
A. They can help people drive more safely.
B. They can take the place of drivers now.
C. They can make cars run without fuel.
D. They can help cars run much faster.
4.According to Richard Mason, what is the biggest challenge for driverless cars?
A. They are not allowed to run on the road.
B. Their technical problems remain to be solved.
C. They are now too expensive for consumers.
D. They are more dangerous for people on the street.
Adult Basic Education (ABE) and GED Preparation
Task:
The Adult Basic Education Department serves a huge population of learners. Our task is to teach basic skills and help learners to get more knowledge to function effectively as a family member, citizen, worker, and lifelong learner in a changing world.
Description:
ABE is a non-credit program of self-improvement designed to improve basic skills for students who are of different educational level. Development of reading, writing, and math skills are paid special attention to, as well as life skills, employability, and technology. Students without a high school diploma(文凭)also have the opportunity to prepare for the GED exams in the five subject areas writing, social studies, science, literature, and math.
Prerequisites (条件):
ABE classes are open to anyone 18 or over who desires to improve basic reading, writing, and math skills at the pre-college level. Students who are 16 or 17 must first obtain an official release( 证书) from high school before attending class.
To be accepted, students must attend an Educational Planning Session. During the Educational Planning Session students will be given an overview of the ABE programs as well as PCC policies, fees, etc. Students will also have their reading, writing, and math abilities assessed (评估) during the Educational Planning Session The results of their assessment will help the teachers develop individual programs of study for students to guide them toward their personal goals. Students needing special help must get in touch with the Office for Students with Disabilities (503-977-4341) at least two weeks before the session is held.
Courses:
1.The ABE Department serves an aim to___________.
A. provide learners with basic knowledge and skills to fit in with society
B. help learners successfully get a job in a changing world
C. offer diplomas to those who fail to finish secondary education
D. provide students with opportunities to prepare for the GED exams
2.A 17-year-old is not accepted to ABE classes only because he_____________.
A. is below 18
B. can't offer a high school diploma
C. has left school without official permission
D. is assessed as poor in learning performances
3.What is the Educational Planning Session intended for?
A. Providing special help to disabled students.
B. Helping students be better at the four basic skills.
C. Finding out whether they can be accepted to ABE classes.
D. An assessment of students' basic skill levels.
4.Different courses are offered to different students according to ___________.
A. their own choices
B. the assessments during the Educational Planning Session
C. their performances in school
D. how much they pay for the courses
Born in America in 1898, William was an extraordinary boy, gifted with an amazing IQ between 250 and 300. The genius went to a grammar school when he was only 6 years old and graduated just within 7 months. At the age of 11, he became the youngest student of the Harvard University. He graduated with high scores at the age of 16 and entered Harvard Law School at 18.
Gifted with an amazing IQ between 220 and 230, Terence Tao makes it to this list of the people with the highest IQ in the world. Born in Adelaide, Australia in 1975, this genius first displayed his incredible intelligence at a mere age of 2, when he managed to solve basic arithmetic questions on his own. At the age of 16, he graduated with both Master's and Bachelor's degrees at the Flinders University. He has been considered as ''Mr. Fix it " by Charles Fefferman, who is a professor of Mathematics at Princeton University, and many other mathematicians want to interest him in their problems.
This 31-year-old Japanese-American astrophysicist lands him third in this list. At the age of 12, Christopher Hirata already worked on college-level courses, around the time most of us were just in the 7th grade. At the age of 13, this gifted kid became the youngest American to have ever won the gold medal in the International physics Olympiad.
At the age of 16, he was already working with NASA on its project to conquer planet Mars. After he was awarded the Ph.D. at Princeton University, he went back to California Institute of Technology.
The next person with very high IQ is Albert Einstein. With an IQ between 160 and 190, Albert Einstein is the genius behind the theory of relativity, which has had great impact on the world of science. He possessed such an amazing ability that after his death, researchers were eager to preserve and make research on his brain in search for clues to his exceptional brilliance, which to this day, has remained a mystery.
1.About William, which of the following is true?
A. His IQ reached between 220 and 230.
B. At the age of 16, he graduated from a grammar school.
C. At the age of 6, he graduated with both Master's and Bachelor's degrees.
D. At the age of 11, he became the youngest student at the Harvard University.
2.How many people with remarkable IQ are mentioned in the passage?
A. 3 B.4 C.5 D.6
3.Who once worked on the project to conquer planet Mars?
A. WilliamB. Terence Tao C. Christopher Hirata D. Albert Einstein
4. From the passage we can know that______.
A .when William graduated from the Harvard University, he got the highest scores
B. at the age of 2, Terence solved basic arithmetic questions on his own
C. Christopher Hirata is a Japanese
D. researchers have found out why Albert Einstein was so brilliant
Endless playing of songs like All I want for Christmas in shops during the festive season doesn’t just drive us mad —the songs also make us more careless with our money, research has warned.
While repeated performance of Jingle Bells may seem like an innocent attempt to raise customers’ spirits during the nightmare of Christmas shopping, the songs also have a more delicate impact.
“Background music, or “Muzak”, can be used by marketers to impose cultures ---such as the commercialization of Christmas--- onto consumers and influence their behaviour,” experts said.
Dr. Alan Bradshaw of Royal Holloway, University of London, said, “Festive jingles are force-fed to Christmas shoppers in a bid to change their mood, influence their sense of time and what sort of products they buy. In other words, this is an attempt to control your shopping habits in a way that you might hardly be aware of.”
“Often we are told that we have the freedom to choose where we want to shop, but during Christmas the use of music in this way is so common that our freedom to choose disappears.”
Dr. Bradshaw and Prof Morris Holbrook of Columbia University examined the phenomenon and found that retailers often “dumb down” the music played in shops to relax customers, meaning it is easier to control their behaviour.
It is thought that slowing down the rhythm of music in shops can trick customers into thinking less time has passed, and therefore spend more time examining the shelves, for example.
Some providers of background music have been known to promote their services by claiming they can boost profits by controlling the behaviour of customers.
“A common trick is to take a popular current song and record an instrumental version which can be slowed down or sped up at different time of the day to influence behaviour in different ways,” Dr. Bradshaw said.
Background music is often classed as “Muzak” in honor of the Seattle-based company which began producing its soft-sounding melodies in the 1930s.
1.According to Dr. Bradshaw, in what ways does Christmas music influence customers?
①their mood ②their income ③their sense of time ④ the sort of products they buy
A.①②③ B.①③④ C.②③④ D.①②④
2.Shopkeepers slow down the rhythm of music in shops to ___________.
A. let customers spend more time shopping
B. make customers and sales assistants relaxed
C. let customers enjoy the beautiful music
D. help customers find what they really want
3.What kind of music is now often adapted to influence customers in shops?
A. Classical music B. Popular modern songs. C. Folk songs. D. Jazz music.
4.What is the best title of the passage?
A. Music makes happy Christmas
B. Christmas “Muzak”
C. How to make Christmas music?
D. Christmas music makes us spend more
–I really thought I’d win first prize.
--Oh,…well, , Tom.
A. that’s all right B. best wishes C. it’s out of question D. better luck next time
Off without so much as a goodbye.
A. did Jenny go B. went Jenny C. Does Jenny go D. goes Jenny
