Getting stitched(缝合) up by Dr. Robot may one day be reality. Scientists have created a robotic system which did just that in living animals without a real doctor pulling the strings. Much like engineers are designing self-driving cars, the medical research is part of a move toward autonomous surgical robots, removing the surgeon’s hands from certain tasks that a machine might perform all by itself.
Doctors wouldn’t leave the bedside they’re supposed to watch. Plus they’d handle the rest of the surgery. In small tests using pigs, the robotic arm performed at least as well, and in some cases a bit better, as some competing surgeons in stitching together intestinal(肠的) tissue. “The purpose wasn’t to replace surgeons, ”said Dr. Kim who led the project. “If you have all intelligent tool that works with a surgeon, can it improve the outcome? That’s what we have done.”
If you’ve heard about machines like the popular Da Vinci system, you might think robots already are operating. Not really. Today many hospitals offer robot-assisted surgery where surgeons use the machinery as tools that they control by hand to operate through tiny openings in the body. But robot-assisted surgery has been controversial, as some studies have shown it can bring higher costs without better outcomes.
Kim’s team at Children’s Sheikh Zayed Institute invented the new STAR system—it stands for Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot—works sort of like a programmable sewing machine. They added sensors to help guide each stitch and tell how tightly to pull. But the approach wasn’t perfect. In the living animals, the robot took much longer and made a few stitching mistakes while the surgeon sewing by hand made none. Kim said the robot can be sped up. He hopes to begin human studies in two or three years.
1.What’s the best title for the text?
A. A new robotic system
B. A new-style way of stitching
C. The newly-designed driverless vehicles
D. Robot surgeons one step closer to reality
2.What will surgeons do when Dr. Robot is used in surgery?
A. They can help pull the strings. B. They rest at the bedside.
C. They join in when necessary. D. They perform another surgery.
3.Some people are against using robots in surgery probably because_________.
A. they can be out of control B. they will take shorter time
C. they may be expensive to use D. they are likely to cause great pain
4.What can we infer from the text?
A. Dr. Robot can take the place of surgeons.
B. Dr. Robot will be improved.
C. Dr. Robot has been tested with human trials.
D. Dr. Robot can free doctors’ hands in the operation.
Recently a study，led by Pedro Hallal of the Federal University，suggests that nearly a third of adults，31%，are not getting enough exercise. That rates of exercise have declined is hardly a new discovery. Since the beginning of the industrial revolution，technology and economic growth have helped to create a world in which taking exercise is more and more an option rather than a necessity. But only recently have enough good data been collected from enough places to carry out the sort of analysis Dr. Hallal and his colleagues have engaged in.
There are common themes in different places. Unsurprisingly，people in rich countries are less active than those in poor ones，and old people are less active than young ones. Less obviously，women tend to exercise less than men—34% are inactive，compared with 28% of men. But there are exceptions. The women of Croatia，Finland，Iraq and Luxembourg，for example，move more than their male countrymen.
Malta wins the race for most slothful country，with 72% of adults getting too little exercise，and Swaziland and Saudi Arabia are in close behind，with 69%. In Bangladesh，just 5% of adults fail to exercise enough. Surprisingly，six Americans in ten are active enough according to Dr. Hallal’s study，compared with fewer than four in ten British.
These high rates of inactivity are worrying. Human beings seem to have evolved to benefit from exercise while deliberately avoiding it whenever they can. In a state of nature it would be impossible to live a life that did not provide enough of it. But that is no longer the case. Actually lack of enough activity these days has nearly the same effect on life span as smoking.
1.We may learn from Paragraph 1 that ________.
A. the decline of exercise rates is newly discovered
B. the study suggests 31% of female adults get too little exercise
C. the industrial revolution has changed the way people live to some degree
D. the good enough data has been collected from only one country
2.According to the study, women of Luxembourg ________.
A. have little time to exercise
B. hate to get regular exercise
C. take more exercise to lose weight
D. exercise more than men in their country
3.The underlined word “slothful” in Paragraph 3 most probably means “________”．
A. lazy B. rich
C. powerful D. unpopular
4.What can be the best title for the text?
A. Benefits of Taking Exercise
B. New Health Discovery
C. Evolvement of Human Beings
D. Worldwide Lack of Enough Exercise
When I moved to Senegal in 2007 to work for a charity organization, the first thing I did was to hit the streets. Dakar, the capital, leans out into warm Atlantic wind. It has a relaxing atmosphere that makes it a favorite destination.
Not far from the city center, it also has one of Africa’s biggest slums(贫民区)and its share of beggars. Street kids would tail me, begging. During a previous trip to Senegal, I was once cheated by a man. I'd wondered for years whether to give money to beggars in West Africa.
Near my apartment, I passed a group of young men in wheelchairs whom I took to be beggars. Head down, I walked by them quickly. As the months went by, I'd often come across them. I’d often see them at an outdoor basketball court near my office. They’d sit on the ground with their chairs upside down, tightening and adjusting wheels, waiting until the other guys left so they could play.
I'd stay and watch them warm up. They played with speed, rolling down the court as fast as I could run. A few weeks later I introduced myself to them with the help of Mafall, who was one of the guys and could speak a little French. I started spending more time with them and eventually became something like an assistant coach.
The players quickly grew on me. I started referring to them as “my guys” to my colleagues. It was the most fun I’d had since I got to Dakar. Life on the street had made my players strong and they didn’t back down easily. I was proud of them.
Toward the end of the season, Mafall invited me to where he lived—found many of the players there, with their wives and children. I learned that most of them were born with disabilities. As Mafall and I chatted, I knew something had changed. They were no longer beggars. They were basketball players, my guys, and my friends.
1.It can be inferred from the text that the disabled young men ________.
A. used to beg in the streets B. often helped the local charity.
C. were not friendly toward foreigners D. played basketball as well as normal guys.
2.Why did the writer walk by the young men with head down?
A. To be afraid of being recognized by them.
B. To prevent himself from being stolen.
C. To be afraid of being cheated by them.
D. To be careful enough to find his way home.
3.Why did the author call the disabled young men “my guys”?
A. They often played tricks on the author.
B. They were loved by the author.
C. They used to cheat others when begging.
D. They always quarreled while training.
4.What is the whole text mainly about?
A. The author refused to be cheated by beggars in Dakar.
B. The author helped the locals in Senegal out of poverty.
C. The author coached the young men in Senegal to play basketbal1.
D. The author helped to change some disabled young men in Dakar.
Here are some apps that may be helpful to you. Link to the apps and you can manage your course load, prepare for exams and even get you to class on time.
Rescue Time
Rescue Time offers a detailed look at how you’ve spent your time—the good and the bad. This desktop application runs in the background, tracking everything you do on your computer, and delivers a report on how you’re spending your time. The free version tracks the time you spend on websites and applications, lets you set goals and sends weekly reports. At $9 per month, it adds the ability to track time away from your computer and lets you block websites that may affect your productivity.
Math Alarm
Want to make sure you get to class on time and squeeze in a little extra math practice as well? That’s exactly what Math Alarm, a free iOS app, can help you do. Set the alarm for the time you need to rise, and you’ll have to answer a math problem in order to turn it off. The problems aren’t tricky but they are enough to awake your brain so that you’re more likely to wake up.
Cliffs Notes
Teachers hate them, students love them. The Cliffs Notes Study Guide app is free for iOS devices, but actually available only for some contemporary well-known novels. If your course load includes another classic novel, you’ll have to pay $2 for each study guide you need. The available titles include a wide selection, ranging from The Outsiders to Paradise Lost and Their Eyes Were Watching God, but students in need of help with some lesser known titles may be out of luck.
1.What extra help can students get from Rescue Time’s paid service?
A. It can help you block websites that can distract their attention.
B. It can keep track of the time when they surf the websites.
C. It can send a weekly report to their parents.
D. It can help the students to set proper goal.
2.What can we learn about Math Alarm?
A. Without a Math Alarm, you’ll be late for schoo1.
B. You can set your alarm by answering a math problem.
C. You have to solve a math problem before turning it off.
D. It can help you solve complex math problems.
3.What’s the disadvantage of the Cliff Notes Study Guide app?
A. It only covers three famous books.
B. It is forbidden to use by the teachers.
C. It charges too much for each novel.
D. It only contains those contemporary well-known novels.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.How many French songs should DJs play according to the new rule?
A. 40 percent. B. 60 percent. C. 90 percent.
2.Why are the radio bosses and DJs unhappy about the new rule?
A. More people will not listen to their radio.
B. No people will listen to their American songs.
C. The English language will get deeper into their culture.
3.What is the purpose of the new rule?
A. To protect American culture. B. To protect French culture. C. To protect British culture.
4.What’s the French musicians’ attitude toward the new rule?
A. They hate it. B. They don’t care. C. They’re for it.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.How long will the man probably stay in China?
A. Half a year. B. At least one year. C. Less than one year.
2.What is very difficult for the man to learn Chinese?
A. Knowing the four tones. B. Writing the Chinese characters. C. Getting interested in the language.
3.Why does the woman suggest the language-exchange program?
A. The man has long been interested in it.
B. She wants to make friends with the man.
C. They can help each other in language learning.
4.When do the speakers plan to begin their lessons?
A. Tonight. B. This Sunday. C. Next Sunday.
