Humans have been keeping animals as pets for tens of thousands of years, but Dr Jean-Loup Rault, an animal scientist at the University of Melbourne in Australia, believes new companions are coming: robot pets.
“Technology is moving very fast,” Rault told ABC News, “The Tamagotchi in the early 1990s was really the first robotic pet, and now Sony and other big companies have improved them a lot.”
This may not sit well with pet lovers. After all, who would choose a plastic toy over a lovely puppy? But Rault argues that the robotic kind has a lot going for it: “You don’t have to feed it, you don’t have to walk it, it won’t make a mess in your house, and you can go on a holiday without feeling guilty.” The technology also benefits those who are allergic to pets, short on space, or fearful of real animals.
It’s not clear whether robot pets can replace real ones. But studies do suggest that we can bond with these smart machines. People give their cars names and kids give their toy animals life stories. It’s the same with robots. When Sony stopped its repair service for its robot dog Aibo in March 2014, owners in Japan held funerals.
As an animal welfare researcher, Rault is concerned about how robotic pets could affect our attitudes towards live animals. “If we become used to a robotic companion that doesn’t need food, water or exercises, perhaps it will change how humans care about other living beings,” he said.
So are dogs and cats a thing of the past, as Rault predicts? For those who grew up with living and breathing pets, the mechanical kind might not do. But for our next generation who are in constant touch with smart technology, a future in which lovely pets needn’t have a heartbeat might not be a far-fetched dream.
1.What does the underlined phrase “sit well with” means?
A. be refused by B. be beneficial to
C. make a difference to D. receive support from
2.What are the advantages of robot pets?
a. They are plastic and feel smooth.
b. Owners needn’t worry about them when going out.
c. They can help cure allergies（过敏）.
d. They save space and costs.
A. ab B. bc C. bd D.cd
3.We can learn from the passage that___________.
A. Sony is the first company to produce robot pets Aibo.
B. People can develop strong bond（联系、关系） with their robot pets.
C. Rault thinks robot pets still have a long way to go.
D. Robot toys may help people care more about living beings.
4.The passage mainly tells us___________.
A. the advantages of robot toys
B. the popularity of robot pets
C. living pets are dying out
D. robot pets are coming
Failing in something isn’t a really nice feeling, but Scotland’s Fettes College in Edinburgh wants to show its students that failure isn’t something to fear and is actually something to accept willingly!
The boarding school held “failure week” to celebrate taking risks and learning from them. Whether in sports or school, children often face lots of pressure to succeed and do well, and the school was becoming concerned.
“Young people from all walks of life live in a high-pressure environment where they are trying very hard to achieve a level of perfection,” said Sue Bruce, head of personal and social education in the school.
“This week at Fettes we have been focusing on one of the most misunderstood parts of success: failure. While we are often scared of failure, it is important to learn that it is only through failing, often many times, that we learn how to succeed. All through the week, we have looked at the experiences of some of the most successful inventors, artists and businessmen, who failed hundreds, if not thousands of times on their journey to success,” read a letter on Fettes College’s website.
To celebrate failure, students were encouraged to try something they’ve never done before, like playing an instrument or dancing in front of audiences. A number of students stepped up and tried things that they finally failed in, but they had fun and enjoyed the experience. “The concert was extremely enjoyable, proving that we should always try not to worry about failure and have a go!” read another note on the website. Students were also taught about famous people like J.K. Rowling and Richard Branson who failed many times before they finished what they set out to do.
“If they let the fear of failure stop them from doing something, they are actually stopping themselves from learning, developing, and potentially succeeding,” said Bruce.
1.What is the purpose of the boarding school to hold “failure week”?
A. To get the students involved in social activities.
B. To help the students accept and learn from failure.
C. To make the students study even harder.
D. To teach the students how to get relaxed.
2.During the “failure week” the students could do the following things EXCEPT ___________.
A. taking risks
B. learning from others’ experiences
C. trying something new
D. trying to entertain themselves
3.What can we learn from the passage?
A. Many successful people are lucky and achieve success easily.
B. Because we are often scared of failure ,we never succeed.
C. The fear of failure can stop the students from learning and succeeding.
D. The students who failed in trying new things felt depressed.
The new high-speed railway line between Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur self-governing region，and Lanzhou, capital of Gansu province，has cut train travel time by half to less than 12 hours.
The dramatic improvement will benefit many families planning reunions for Spring Festival.
“For the first time，I feel home is not that far away after all，”said Liang Shaofu as he boarded a high-speed train in Urumqi with six members of his family．
The 35-year-old left Lanzhou to set up a dry fruit business in Xinjiang eight years ago，and he has now settled in Urumqi．
The 1,776-km line, which passes through Qinghai province and is the country’s first high-speed railway to be built in a high-altitude region, came into service on Dec 26.
“We normally drive home for Spring Festival to avoid the difficulties of buying seven train tickets for the whole family during the peak season.” Liang said. “Driving can be very tiring and dangerous sometimes，so one year we even decided not to go back to Lanzhou simply to avoid the trip.”
More than 600,000 passengers traveled on the line during its first month，and the Urumqi Railway Bureau said the introduction of high-speed services will ease transport pressure during the Spring Festival peak season.
The existing usual railway line could no longer support Xinjiang’s development. All passenger trains will gradually shift to the new link，leaving the old one to be used for goods. As a result，Xinjiang’s annual goods ability could reach 200 million metric tons from the current 70 million．
The line passes through areas that experience high winds, and it also crosses parts of the deserted Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the bone-dry sands of the Gobi Desert．
The project could help China to promote its high-speed railway technology abroad，said Ma Xi zhang, director of the Lanzhou-Xinjiang railway project’s management department in Xinjiang.
1.How long did it take to go from Urumqi to Lanzhou by the usual train before?
A. about 12 hours B. About 6 hours
C. About 18 hours D. About 24 hours
2.What’s the main advantage of the new high-speed railway?
A. It takes more time to go to Urumqi to Lanzhou.
B. It will be more convenient for people all over the country to Xinjiang.
C. All the people in Lanzhou can return home on festivals.
D. It helps to improve Xinjiang’s development.
3.From the passage we can learn________.
A. Xinjiang’s annual goods ability can increase nearly four times
B. the new railway technology may help more railway lines to be built abroad
C. the high-speed railway lines can’t be built across the bone-dry sands
D. the old railway lines can only carry goods now
4.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. The new high-speed railway line is good for all people to go home.
B. The new high-speed railway line benefits businessmen to carry goods.
C. Taking the new train is safer than driving home from Urumqi to Lanzhou.
D. Businessmen seldom went home for Spring Festival before.
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项 (A．B．C和D)中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Tired of Working in Your Country?
With over 500 instructors and 20 years of experience, we are the leader in the field of teaching foreign languages. We now have positions open in Osaka starting September/October 2015 for instructions of English, German, Spanish and French.
◆ Teach many different kinds of classes using the latest technology in small classes of up to 30 students.
◆ Accommodation(住宿), and other necessary documents(文件) will be ready before you leave.
◆ Applicants will teach their first language only.
◆ Excellent teacher training programs.
If you are young with a university degree and are willing to experience different cultures, apply now. Experience in teaching is an advantage but not specially required. Knowledge of the Japanese language is not necessary but good English skills and practical computer knowledge are basic requirements.
Apply with C.V. and send letter to:
NOVA France, Mr. Sampy (IHT 3/2)
34, Bd. Haussmann, 75009 Paris, France
Fax: 33148014804
Or visit our website: www. teachjp.com
The manager expects to meet and talk with successful applicants in Paris in June and July.
1.What is the purpose of the text?
A. To introduce a language school in Japan.
B. To hire language teachers to work in Japan.
C. To describe working conditions in Japan.
D. To make clear the requirements for Japanese teachers.
2.We know from the text that those who are going to Japan will _____.
A. teach English only in Osaka
B. receive a degree from a university
C. have free accommodation
D. get trained for the job
3.Before going to Japan, you need _____.
A. to see the manager of NOVA France
B. To take some computer courses
C. to write a letter to Japan
D. to find a place to live
4.If you want to work in Japan, you should _____.
A. have some working experience
B. know how to use computers
C. present good teaching plans
D. speak several languages
假如你是李华，你的美国网友Peter打算到中国留学，他写信询问怎样才能受到中国高校的青睐。请你根据下列要点给对方写一封回信：
1. 语言是道硬门槛； 2. 适应能力很重要； 3. 看重兴趣爱好。
注意： 1. 词数100左右；
2. 开头语和结束语已为你写好，不计入总词数。
Dear Peter,
In your letter you mentioned how to get the preference of Chinese iniversities.
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Best wishes and good luck!
Yours,
Mike
短文改错
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： 在错的词下划一横线，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。
Though born into an ordinary family, Pitt showed her interest in filming at an early age. After he leaves high school, he went to university to study law. Because he loved filming more than law, shortly after he was going to graduate, he dropped out to beginning a new life. With only 325 dollars in hand, he worked sometimes as a porter or a waiter. Pitt made his firstly appearance in a film in 1990. He cared less about good roles than money. After reading a screenplay of Legends of the Fall, he attracted by the role. He asked for lower pay and was willing to work in hard condition in the film, that turned out to be a big success.
