In recent years, Boston Dynamics has become known for two things. One, creating robots whose movements mimic (模仿) humans and animals. Many find their accuracy surprising and concerning. The second reason is posting mysterious videos of these robots online without warning. The videos quickly go popular and spread a mixture of excitement and terror over the rapid rise of self-operating machines.
The company has made four-legged robots in recent years, with names like Spot, Wildcat and BigDog. These robots can do tasks such as open doors, carry heavy loads and run nearly 20 miles per hour. The company's most popular product appears to be Atlas, the robotic athlete. It calls Atlas "the world's most dynamic humanlike robot."
The robot is guided by 3-D vision. It also uses LiDAR, short for Light Detection And Ranging, a sensor (传感器) that uses a laser (激光) to measure the distance between objects. With this technology, the small robot can pull nearly 25 pounds. The company says Atlas can also handle objects in its environment, cross rough land, keep its balance when pushed and get back up when knocked down.
Three years ago, Atlas was recorded clumsily walking through the snow at a slow speed. Curiosity about Atlas increased last year when Boston Dynamics posted a video clip on YouTube. In it, the previously awkward robot goes for a jog in a grassy area. The video seemed to surprise many viewers, including the newspaper called the Daily Mail. The newspaper was reporting on Atlas's physical accomplishment at the time.
The paper wrote, "If you thought you'd be able to run away from the terrifying new robots, bad news."
1.What is the main idea of the passage?
A.Robots mimicking humans and animals go popular.
B.Boston Dynamic is likely to create more new robots.
C.Humanlike robots are developing at a surprising speed.
D.A new video of the latest robots make people amused.
2.What does the underlined word “awkward” in paragraph 4 mean?
A.Dangerous. B.Unskillful.
C.Graceful. D.Convenient.
3.What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A.It’s bad that we can run away from the new robots.
B.People are happy about the improvements to new robots.
C.Human’s power over machines and robots has come to an end.
D.Improvements to robots raised concern among us human.
4.Where does the text probably come from?
A.A science magazine. B.An advertisement.
C.Children’s literature. D.A fantasy novel.
How’s this for a coincidence (巧合)? Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln were born in the same year, on the same day: Feb. 12, 1809. Although people hardly think of them together, yet we want to say that they belong together. It’s not just because they were both great men, and not because they happen to live at the same time. Rather, it’s because the scientist and the politician each started a revolution that changed the world.
They were both revolutionaries in the sense that both men changed the realities when they were born. They seem and sound modern to us, because the world they left behind them is more or less the one we still live in. So, considering the joint greatness of their contributions and the coincidence of their birthdays ---- it is hard to wonder: who was the greatest man? It’s an apples and oranges--- or Superman vs. Santa---comparison. But if you limit the question to influence, very quickly the balance tips in Lincoln’s favor.
As great as his book on evolution is, it does no harm to remember that Darwin hurried to publish The Origin of Species because he thought he was about to be scooped (抢先) by his fellow naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace. Lincoln, however, is unique. True, his election as the president did cause the recession (衰退) and the war, but that war seems certain to happen---not a question of if but when. Certainly we know what happened after he was murdered: Reconstruction was organized and then abandoned, leaving the issue of racial (种族的) equality unsolved for another century.
Surely we should not deny Darwin’s accomplishment. But their same birthdays gave us a great opportunity to observe these men of their time.
1.Why does the author say Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln belong together?
A.They were born on the same day.
B.They lived in the same period of time.
C.They started revolutions changing the world.
D.They were both great men in the history.
2.What does the author mean by “an apples and oranges---- or Superman vs. Santa --comparison” ?
A.It is hard to tell which one is greater as they are both outstanding.
B.The comparison between Darwin and Lincoln is easy and obvious.
C.It is difficult to compare them as they are as famous as Superman and Santa.
D.There is no point comparing them because they were born on the same day.
3.Lincoln’s contribution to the world can be best described as__________
A.narrow. B.aggressive.
C.independent. D.ground-breaking.
4.What can we learn from the passage?
A.Lincoln’s success in election caused reconstruction.
B.Lincoln had tried to solve the racial problem.
C.Darwin was unique compared with Lincoln.
D.Darwin’s theory is similar to Lincoln’s belief.
In my class in high school, there was a girl who was considered the most unpopular. No one actually knows how this exclusion (排挤) came from, but we all followed it for no reason at all. One day after lunch, we girls sat on the track field, talking about things that happened in our lives. Someone brought her up, and soon the topic transformed to laughing at the funny hairstyle of her, the stupid way she walked and.... I felt extremely uncomfortable but kept silent, because I didn’t want to be the one “supporting” the common enemy. After all, it’s just a short gossip time among a trusted group of friends; why should I bring unnecessary tension?
Suddenly, one of my friends pointed her finger towards somewhere behind me. All of us turned around and saw that exact girl, hand still in the air, with a twisted (扭曲的) look on her face. She lowered her hand in slow movement, then turned around and ran off. For a second, I wanted to stand up and chase her down to tell her that no one meant what they said, and that she is an amazing person being who she is. But my legs felt so heavy, I didn’t want to make a fool out of myself—why bother taking care of the class clown (小丑)? People would think that I was crazy as well!
A few weeks later, the teacher told us that a classmate dropped out of school—it was that girl. Her parents told the school that it was the peer pressure that made her want to leave. The teacher wanted to know who the bully (霸凌) was. Again, no one spoke a word. Perhaps it was exactly this cold, hard silence that drove her away. I certainly did not raise my hand. I had never even said anything bad about her; it was my friends who loved to make fun of her every day. Surely, I didn’t bully her physically or with my language, but I kept silent when others did. By failing to stand up for her and offering her support, I was giving agreement, which made others think that it was okay to mistreat her. Perhaps if I had realized I was wrong earlier---instead of convincing myself that I had nothing to do with her leaving, I wouldn't have to bear the burden of heavy shame on my shoulders.
1.How did the author feel when seeing the girl being bullied?
A.Cheerful. B.Uncomfortable.
C.Frightened. D.Amazed.
2.What can we know from Paragraph 2?
A.The girl heard what the author’s friends said about her.
B.The author’s leg was broken while chasing the girl.
C.The group friends think it crazy to be fooled.
D.The author was mad at her friends at that time.
3.The author didn’t support the girl for the following reasons EXCEPT that______
A.she wanted to follow the flow.
B.she didn’t want to turn against friends.
C.she was prevented by the group friends.
D.she worried about others’ reaction.
4.What will the author probably do when meeting the same situation next time?
A.She will keep silent and walk away.
B.She will stand up for her group friends.
C.She will make fun of the group.
D.She will not turn a blind eye to it.
A good advertisement will draw customer’s attention towards your product. That is what every business really wants, in addition to your actually buying their product. In this article we will round up several great ads that cover many different styles but all have one thing in common, that is they connect to their audience.
King Oscar: Open
This ad puts forward an idea that King Oscar's fish products are as fresh as they can possibly get. This idea is then realized by combining a fish and one of their canned products showing the customer they will be buying a fish straight from the ocean. This simplistic image gives off just enough to tell the consumer what the deal is with their product.
Panasonic 3D TV: Dino
Here is another ad that has a lot going on but still is able to get its message across fairly easily. We will first notice the dinosaur in the mess living room but then see the girl pointing at the TV, which will give us the impression that Panasonic's 3D televisions are extremely realistic. The great art direction leads to the customer understanding what product is on display almost immediately.
Pepsi: Straws
This clever Pepsi ad conveys a lot to the customer; at first glance it gives the impression that Pepsi is the preferred choice of even the straws(吸管). And then after that it makes fun of Coca Cola by using their red and white colors for the other can as well as their classic design. This is a very clever ad on many levels.
Canal+: iPhone Titanic
This ad may take a bit more time to understand but the design itself can keep a customer interested. The large finger and the iPhone in the corner can quickly help the viewer connect the dots with the sinking Titanic ship and show that we can have all our favorite movies right on our iPhones.
1.What is the common feature of great advertisements?
A.They involve many different styles.
B.They will draw every business’attention.
C.They can attract customers and touch them.
D.They make comparison between products.
2.What is special about King Oscar?
A.Its fish products are very fresh.
B.It conveys a lot to the customers.
C.People can buy fish directly from ocean.
D.It gives us extremely realistic impression.
3.Which advertisement mentioned its competitor?
A.King Oscar: Open. B.Panasonic 3D TV: Dino
C.Pepsi: Straws. D.Canal+: iPhone Titanic.
A new device (设备) called Orion is helping those who are blind to see. It does this in a new way by helping them experience the world around them.
Jason Esterhuizen lost his eyesight after a car accident. He never thought he would be able to see light or movement again. But now with the movement of a switch (开关), his world suddenly grew brighter.
He says, “I still can’t put it into words. I mean from being able to see absolutely nothing, it’s completely black, to all of a sudden seeing little flickers (闪烁) of light move around.” It is not full or normal sight, but Esterhuizen can move about in the world around him.
The new technology uses several parts. One is a small device placed in the brain. The other parts are a video camera on sunglasses and a processing device that can be carried in a person’s clothes. When the user points the camera, a signal goes to the processor (处理器) and then back to the glasses. The glasses then are in wireless communication with the device in the brain. The information causes a pattern to develop in the part of the brain. The pattern helps users sense or see movement and shapes of light. And it all happens in seconds.
Esterhuizen is one of just two people in the U.S. testing this technology. He says that “I can tell someone moving across the room, walking past me or walking away from me, or it’s a light against the wall. It is just amazing to have some form of functional vision again.” He adds that now he can do everyday activities around his home that he once could not. It is easier to walk outside.
The researchers believe that one day this technology could help people who have lost their vision because of illnesses like diabetes. It may also help those with poor vision or who were born blind.
1.Which of the following caused Esterhuizen to go blind ?
A.An illness. B.A car accident.
C.A brain damage. D.A genetic problem.
2.What can we know about sunglasses of the new technology?
A.They are put in the brain.
B.They are carried in the user’s clothes.
C.They are mainly used to protect a person’s eyes.
D.They communicate wirelessly with a small device.
3.What can we infer about Esterhuizen in paragraph 5?
A.He fully regains his sight.
B.He always do daily activities freely.
C.He feels delighted to see the world again.
D.He is the only one to test this technology.
4.What is the main idea of the text?
A.Orion makes homes brighter.
B.Orion functions as normal eyes.
C.A new equipment helps the blind see.
D.A new technology happens in seconds.
Two little girls who are lovely in Britain are bringing thousands of people together to sign a petition (请愿书) demanding that Burger King and McDonald’s stop giving away free plastic toys.
With the help of their mother, nine-year-old Ella and seven-year-old Caitlin started an online petition in order to persuade the fast food giants (巨头) to do away with the wasteful toys that come with Happy Meals and Junior Meals.
Since starting the petition, the youngsters have got over 350,000 signatures of their 500,000 goal, and the call to action has already received further support from adults and children.
“We’ve been learning all about the environment at school and the problem of plastic. It made us very sad to see how plastic harms wildlife and pollutes the ocean, and we want to change this,” reads the petition. “That’s why we want Burger King and McDonald’s to think of the environment and stop giving away plastic toys with their kids meals.”
“We like to go to eat at Burger King and McDonald’s, but children only play with the plastic toys for a few minutes before they get thrown away and harm animals and pollute the sea. We want anything they give us to be environmentally friendly so we can protect the planet for ourselves and for future generations,” they continued.
In addition to the girls making a convincing argument, the amount of signatures on the petition almost doubled after reporters with the BBC’s War on Plastic followed the young activists to the McDonald’s headquarters in order to present the petition.
Since the little girls’ story started being picked up by international news outlets, Burger King and McDonald’s have emailed statements to CNBC detailing their plans for making their free toys more environmentally friendly.
1.How did the two girls begin their petition?
A.By BBC.
B.By CNBC.
C.By Internet.
D.By newspapers.
2.Why are the two little girls gathering many people together?
A.To gain people’s attention.
B.To get over 350,000 signatures.
C.To eat at Burger King and McDonald’s.
D.To stop two giants presenting free plastic toys.
3.What will Burger King and McDonald’s plan to do after the petition?
A.To email statements to BBC.
B.To make a convincing argument.
C.To sell more environmentally friendly toys.
D.To give away more environmentally friendly toys.
4.Which of the following best describes the two little girls’ story?
A.It’s about product promotion.
B.It’s about company introduction.
C.It’s about commercial advertising.
D.It’s about environmental protection.
