A team of researchers from Oxford University has demonstrated a self-driving car that is different from such cars being tested by Audi, Ford, etc. It’ s much cheaper because it’s based on off-the-shelf(现成的) technology and controlled by an ordinary iPad. Instead of using GPS to understand the location, the car learns routes when a person is driving, and then asks after it’s got it down, if the driver would like the computer to take over.
As time passes, it’s becoming very clear that people believe computers would be better drivers than humans. This has been proven by extensive research that indicates that computers are able to react more quickly to driving conditions, make smarter decisions, don’t take risks, and don’t make mistakes in concentration. They don’t drink either, of course, which means accidents due to drunk driving could be reduced dramatically if the computer could take over when someone needs to get home from the bar. And the team says drivers don’t need their cars to know everything about every road, condition or possible danger. Instead, they just need to know how to get from one point to another, and to do a good job of it when asked.
To that end, the researchers have added cameras, lasers, a central computer to process information and a regular iPad. In practice, the car would learn how to get to and from places that the driver frequents, such as their work place, the local pub or grocery store. Once it has it down, the computer asks the driver if they’ d like a rest. If so, they simply tap the iPad, and the car takes over.
It’ s very simple and doesn’t require nearly the same number of devices as those being tested by other car companies. The researchers say people might be able to get the total price of the system below a hundred dollars. And of course, the iPad can be lifted out and carried away for other purposes when not being used as a driver assistant.
1.The car tested by Oxford University are different from others in that they ________.
A. use available low-cost technology
B. depend on GPS to understand the location
C. can choose the places for their owners to visit
D. can develop a good relationship with their owners
2.Computers are believed to be better drivers than humans mainly because they ________.
A. are more likely to take risks
B. are more familiar with every road
C. become more skilful at avoiding dangers
D. can respond to new situations more quickly
3.We can infer from the passage that the iPad __________.
A. cannot be removed from cars when it’s not used
B. has replaced cameras, lasers and a central computer
C. needs to be specially designed for a self-driving car
D. acts as a tool for drivers to control their self-driving cars
4.What best describes the author’s tone in this passage?
A. Objective. B. Worried.
C. Serious D. Subjective.
5.In which column of a newspaper can we find this passage?
A. Opinion B. Fashion C. Technology D. Education
Every year, I tell my sons what I'd like for Mother's Day: a letter, something written from the heart and offered freely rather than bought from a store and wrapped neatly. I don't always get my wish, nor do I always take the time to write to my own mother.
This year, my boys will be in two different states on Mother's Day. My mom and dad will be away together, and I'll be driving home from a writer's workshop in Massachusetts. Thinking of the fact that many friends have already lost their mothers and that a few have lost children, I am deeply grateful that what separates us, for now at least, is merely distance. It won't always be so, and there is no way to prepare for that fact other than to appreciate the moment that is. My sons know that they can please me on Sunday with a phone call or an e-mail, and that is enough as I love their words. The very best gift they can possibly give me is their own happiness, the very fact of their busy, full and well-lived lives.
Still, knowing that my years of staying with my sons are over, I do feel doleful. The truth is, I miss being the center of the universe to two little boys. And this holiday can be a bit painful.
I wonder if my own mother ever felt nostalgic (怀旧的，乡愁的) for the passing of my childhood. I wonder if she realizes that she is still at the center of my universe and always has been. I don't often pause to think about it, but of course she is the one who has been right there, at my side from the moment I drew my very first breath. How to ever fully appreciate the woman whose presence and love and example have shaped me into the adult I am? How to describe even a small part of the sharing, sacrificing, and support she has given me over the years?
1.The author mainly wants to tell us through the first paragraph that_______.
A. she hopes to get her son's letters very much
B. her sons don't often write to her on Mother's Day
C. Mother's Day is the very date that she longs for most
D. Children are often careless about their parents’ s request.
2.The author is deeply grateful for the present life because_______.
A. her sons don't live far away from her home
B. her parents and children are still alive
C. her parents are coming to her house to spend Mother's Day
D. her sons can please her on Sunday with a phone call
3.According to the author，_____________________.
A. young people nowadays tend to ignore their parents
B. parents should not give their children too much freedom
C. children's happiness and success are the biggest comfort to parents
D. parents are not the center of their children's universe when children grow up
4.What does the underlined word "doleful" in Paragraph 3 mean?
A. sad B. excited C. guilty D. uncomfortable
5.What will the author probably tell about after the last paragraph?
A. She'll tell the reader about her mother's present situation.
B. She'll talk about how her mother educated and cared for her.
C. She'll describe the reunion of her family on Mother's Day.
D. She'll tell the reader about her mother's achievements in her career.
Why do people travel? Well, many people travel ____1.____ they want to see other countries and visit places __2.___ are famous, interesting or beautiful. People also travel to meet their friends, to taste new kinds of food, to experience life in other parts of the world, ___3.___ simply get away from cold weather. Yet there are other reasons why people travel. Adventure travel is becoming more and more popular. Here is a quick look at two popular ___4.__ (active): hiking（远足） and rafting（漂流）.
Instead of ___5._____ (spend) your vacation on a bus, in a hotel or sitting on the beach, you may want to try hiking. You will get close to nature and take exercise at the same time. The basic equipment you need for hiking is simple: strong shoes, clothes and ____6.___ backpack(背包). You can hike in the mountains, in a forest or ___7.____ a river.
Hiking is fun and exciting, but you should never forget safety. Here are some tips for a successful hiking:
● Don’t hike alone.
● Tell someone where you ____8.____(go).
● Bring a mobile phone if you have __9.____.
● Watch out for dangers, _10.___ spiders, snakes and poisonous plants.
The first Christmas I spent away from home happened to be in England. At that time, shops in Poland were still ______ bare and decorations didn’t appear in the shop windows until about a week before the actual celebration of Christmas. Therefore, I was _______ to see so many English shops _______ decorated from top to bottom as early as November. I was enchanted(喜悦) and I loved it. By the middle of December, however, it had started to _______ me and when I could hear Christmas carols in every ______ I went to, I started to feel sad and ______. Never mind, I thought, as I was really looking forward to ________ Christmas the English way.
I spent Christmas Eve with an English family. The house was tastefully ______, there was a Christmas tree and roaring fire in the fireplace. My first ________ on that day came when instead of going to church, everybody went to the local pub. Surely, I thought, there can’t be anything ______ about it as they go there every Friday, Saturday and ______ in the middle of the week. So I missed our Polish special moments that happen on Christmas Eve, our traditional supper, breaking the bread and ________ each other only good things.
At first I thought that I ______ spending Christmas the way we do it in Poland but looking back, I know that it was a(n) _______ experience. Now, whenever I happen to spend Christmas in England, the thing I ______ most is the way it differs from the Polish way of celebrating Christmas.
1.A. pretty B. hardly C. somehow D. unexpectedly
2.A. excited B. surprised C. pleased D. worried
3.A. actively B. surprisingly C. strangely D. beautifully
4.A. displease B. puzzle C. interest D. frighten
5.A. school B. church C. restaurant D. shop
6.A. angry B. homesick C. heartbroken D. astonished
7.A. experiencing B. accepting C. touching D. making
8.A. built B. celebrated C. decorated D. arranged
9.A. shock B. story C. sadness D. happiness
10.A. interesting B. ordinary C. special D. important
11.A. even B. often C. never D. seldom
12.A. explaining B. introducing C. wishing D. congratulating
13.A. regretted B. forgot C. complained D. missed
14.A. useful B. unforgettable C. unpleasant D. unfortunate
15.A. experienced B. enjoyed C. hated D. Disagreed
下面的表格是你一天的活动安排,请根据表格中的内容写一篇英语日记。
时间 | 地点 | 活动安排 |
8:00 | 校门口 | 欢迎美国学生(约50人)到校参观访问 |
8:30—9:30 | 图书馆阅览室 | 联欢会 |
9:30—10:30 | 校园内 | 参观教学楼、实验楼和游泳池 |
10:30—11:30 | 操场 | 友谊篮球赛 |
12:00 | 校门口 | 美国学生离开 |
要求:1.词数100左右,开头已经给出,不计入总词数;
2.可适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
参考词汇: 友谊篮球赛 Friendship Basketball Match联欢会get-together
March 6, 2013
About fifty American students came to visit our school today.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Mary: Well, it’s a lovely room. It’s quite a nice size, but I don’t like green paint very much. Would 1. be all right if I painted the walls a different color?
White: Yes, that’s fine, as long as you don’t paint them a very dark color. One of my renters 2. (paint) them black a few years ago. That was terrible.
Mary: Is there anything I 3. know?
White: Well, I don’t allow cats 4. (go) upstairs at all.
Mary: Oh? Not at all?
White: No, 5. (absolute) not. I don’t like animals and I don’t allow smoking in bedrooms.
Mary: Oh, no, no. I agree 6. that. I don’t smoke anywhere. Can I use the kitchen if I want to 7. something?
White: Yes, but only before 7 o’clock in the evening. And I don’t allow people to stick pictures on the walls. You know when you take the pictures away, marks 8. (leave) on the walls.
Mary: OK. I see.
White: And one 9. thing if you don’t mind. I don’t want any big noisy parties, 10. only two or three friends at the same time, please.
Mary: Oh, right. I will do that. Well, it sounds fair. Thank you very much.
