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.
In 1971 a young man who grew up very poor was traveling across the country, trying to make a new start for himself. Along the way he had completely run out of（用光了...） money and was forced to spend the night in his car. This continued until one morning, after a week of sleeping in his car, he walked nervously into a restaurant and ordered a big breakfast.
After eating his first good meal in weeks, he found himself lying to the waiter, telling him he had lost his wallet. The waiter, who was also the owner, walked behind the chair where the young man had been sitting. He bent down, and came up with a $20 bill that looked as if it had fallen on the floor and said, “Son, you must have dropped this,”the owner said. The young man couldn’t believe his luck! He quickly paid for the breakfast, left a tip, bought gas with the change, and headed West.
On the way out of town, he began to understand what the owner did. Maybe nobody dropped the money at all.“Maybe that fellow just knew I was in trouble and he helped me in a way that didn’t embarrass(使尴尬)me. So I just made a promise to help other people if I can.”
Later, he worked very hard and became a rich man. Now he lives near Kansas City. Each year he gives away thousands of dollars. He is known as the “Secret Santa” because at Christmas time each year, he personally hands money out to those on the street and at restaurants. Last year, he gave more than $50,000 away in Kansas City.
1.The young man was traveling across the country in 1971 to ______
A. look for a good restaurant B. improve his life
C. show his new car to others D. hand out dollars
2.The underline sentence means that the young man got to know that____
A. It was very lucky of him to get his lost money back.
B. It was very honest of the owner to return his money
C. the owner helped him in a way that didn’t hurt his feeling
D. another person who had breakfast in the restaurant lost the money
3.From the end of the passage we can learn that_______
A. the man did carry out his promise
B. the man was not successful in the end
C. the owner was paid back the money
D. Santa give the man money each year
4.The message of the story is“_______”
A. One good turn deserves another
B. Where there is a will，there is a way
C. He who travels far knows much
D. Give love wings(翅膀) and it may fly higher
Here are a few practical apps that can help you with your studies, and beyond.
MyHomework
Price: Free
Platform: iOS and Android
As you star your new term, let the planning app MyHomework create a personalized study schedule. Rank as one for the best homework management apps by USA Today, this app allows you to prioritize(排序)assignments by color-coding subjects. It also reminds you of every single deadline and upcoming test you have. MyHomework is not only for smart phones but also for Apple Watch.
Notability
Price: 18 yuan
Platform: iOS
Taking good notes is important to good results. As a result, one note-taking app, Notability, is gaining popularity among students. This app allows users to take handwritten notes on touch screens and type essays. Plus, Notability users can easily share files with classmates through e-mail or cloud services like iCloud.
Sleep Cycle
Price: 6 yuan
Platform: iOS and Android
For students struggling to wake up on time during school days, Sleep Cycle can be your lifesaver. It cleverly records your sleep. After you wake up, the app shows your sleep quality through easy-to-read graphics(图表). Even better, Sleep Cycle has an intelligent wake-up mode. It wakes you up when you are in your lightest sleep state with the help of soft music. This stress-free wake-up call can potentially improve your daily productivity.
MyMoney
Price: Free
Platform: iOS and Android
MyMoney, a Chinese money management app, can help you achieve financial independence. This popular app allows you to add up all your accounts including campus(校园)cards and transportation cards. And it tracks your every expense(开支)to help you understand your spending habits. If any of your accounts is low, MyMoney will alarm you.
1.What can we know about Notability?
A. It’s a drawing app B. It can run on Apple Watch
C. It can be used to share notes D. It helps users organize homework
2.Which of the following helps to improve users’ spending habits?
A. MyHomework B. Notability
C. Sleep Cycle D. MyMoney
3.What do the four apps have in common?
A. They are all free of charge B. They are intended for students
C. They require Android platform D. They all help users with studies
假设你是新华中学的学生李华，父母答应你今年高三毕业后去英国作10天的观光旅游。请你给英国网友Tom写封电子邮件，咨询以下事情：
1、不随旅游团的食宿、交通等问题；
2、必看景点与时间安排；
3、邀请他到中国观光。
注意：1、词数100左右；
2、可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
1.look down upon
2.by chance
3.care about
4.in search of
5.would rather
6.badly off
7.come to life
8.turn one's back to
9.more than
10.in advance
Young people and older people do not always agree. They sometimes have different ideas about living, working and playing. But in one special program in New York State, adults and teenagers live together in a friendly way.
Each summer 200 teenagers and 50 adults live together for eight weeks as members of a special work group. Everyone works several hours each day. They do so not just to keep busy but to find meaning and fun in work. Some teenagers work in the forests or on the farms near the village. Some learn to make things like tables and chairs and to build houses. The adults teach them these skills.
There are several free hours each day. Weekends are free, too. During the free hours some of the teenagers learn photo-taking or drawing. Others sit around and talk or sing. Each teenager chooses his own way to pass his free time.
When people live together, they should have rules. In this program the teenagers and the adults make the rules together. If someone breaks a rule, the problem goes before the whole group. They talk about it and ask, “Why did it happen? What should we do about it?”
One of the teenagers has said something about it, “You have to stop thinking only about yourself. You learn how to think about the group.”
1.In one special program in New York State, young and older people_______.
A. don’t work well together
B. are friendly to each other
C. teach each other new ways of building houses
D. spend eight weeks together, working as farmers
2.All the members work some time every day mainly to________.
A. lead a busy life B. learn new skills of farming
C. get used to the life on the farms D. find useful things and pleasure in work
3.Living together, ________.
A. the teenagers don’t have to obey the rules
B. the members have to obey the rules the adults make
C. the members have no free time but on weekends
D. the members should not break the rules
4.Who make the rules in this program?
A. the teenagers and the adults
B. the teenagers
C. the adults
D. the program
5.The best title for the passage is________.
A. The Rules of Living Together B. Life in New York State
C. Teenagers and Adults Together D. Free Hours in the Special Work Group
