Although most hitchhikers (搭便车的人) are people, passers-by tend to ignore them because they are cautious about giving rides to strangers. But what will they do if they come across a hitchhiking robot? Will they take it to its destination or will they just leave the helpless machine by the wayside?
That is the answer Canadian professors, David Harris Smith and Frauke Zeller, who study the relationship between humans and technology, are seeking for after they came up with the idea of building a hitchhiking robot.
HitchBOT is built with cheap household items. Thanks to a PC tablet, GPS tracker and camera, hitchBOT not only can send its thoughts and pictures to the general public, but also can answer general questions and keep drivers entertained with small talks. The smart robot is even able to quote interesting facts about the areas it has passed through.
Not surprisingly, many people are doubtful about hitchBOT’s ability. Most people think the cute robot will be damaged by someone. Actually, they are all wrong. The robot hitchhiked all the way from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Victoria, British Columbia, a distance of 3,700 miles. It was first picked up on July 27th by an elderly couple. It not only reached its destination on August 21st, but also had some amazing adventures along the way. It visited national parks, went fishing, went camping, and even attended a wedding where it experienced its first dance and interrupted the bride’s speech.
In addition to helping it get to its destination, its Canadian fans have gone out to ensure its safety from covering the robot with a plastic cape (披肩) to help keep it dry to ensuring that it stays healthy with motor oil.
1.Why is the hitchhiking robot built?
A.To help passers-by reach their destinations.
B.To find out how people might react to it.
C.To see if it will give rides to strangers.
D.To entertain drivers on their way.
2.The hitchBOT can do all of the following except .
A.talking with the driver B.dancing with people
C.sending its thoughts and pictures D.answering any question raised
3.How long did it take the hitchBOT to reach its destination?
A.Nearly a month. B.Over one month.
C.Two months. D.One week.
4.What can we learn about the hitchBOT?
A.It was ignored by an elderly couple.
B.It didn’t meet with any danger along the way.
C.It experienced a long and amazing journey.
D.It will be put into the market quickly.
Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.
Some sports are resource-hungry. Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses （球场） in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas.
There are many environment-friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don’t need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don’t have to worry about resources and your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control.
Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be “green gyms”. They are better replacements for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it’s free.
1.Which of the following is the author most probably in favor of?
A.Cycling around a lake.
B.Motor racing in the desert.
C.Playing basketball in a gym.
D.Swimming in a sports center.
2.What do we know about golf from the passage?
A.It is popular in Portugal and Spain.
B.It causes water shortages around the world.
C.It pollutes the earth with chemicals and wastes.
D.It needs water and electricity to keep its courses green.
3.The author uses power walking as an example mainly because _________.
A.it is an outdoor sport
B.it improves our health
C.it uses fewer resources
D.it is recommended by experts
4.The author writes the passage to _________.
A.show us the function of major sports
B.encourage us to go in for green sports
C.discuss the major influence of popular sports
D.introduce different types of environment-friendly sports
My father was always a good gardener. One of my earliest memories is standing without shoes in the freshly tilled (翻耕的) soil, my hands blackened from digging in the ground.
As a child, I loved following Dad around in the garden. I remember Dad pushing the tiller (耕作机) ahead in perfectly straight lines. Dad loved growing all sorts of things: yellow and green onions, watermelons almost as big as me, rows of yellow com, and our favorite ― red tomatoes.
As I grew into a teenager, I didn’t get so excited about gardening with Dad. Instead of magical land of possibility, it had turned into some kind of prison. As Dad grew older, his love for gardening never disappeared. After all the kids were grown and had started families of their own, Dad turned to gardening like never before. Even when he was diagnosed with cancer, he still took care of his garden.
But then, the cancer, bit by bit, invaded his body. I had to do the things he used to do. What really convinced me that Dad was dying was the state of his garden that year. The rows and rows of multicolored vegetables were gone. Too tired to weed them, he simply let them be. He only planted tomatoes.
For the first few years after he died, I couldn’t even bear to look at anyone's garden without having strong memories pour over me like cold water from a bucket. Three years ago, I decided to plant my own garden and started out with just a few tomatoes. That morning, after breaking up a fair amount of soil, something caught the comer of my eye and I had to smile, It was my eight-year-old son Nathan, happily playing in the freshly tilled soil.
1.Why did the author like the garden when he was a child?
A.The garden was planted with colorful flowers.
B.The garden was just freshly tilled by his father.
C.He loved what his father grew in the garden.
D.He enjoyed being in the garden with his father.
2.When all the kids started their own families, the author’s father .
A.devoted more to gardening
B.turned to other hobbies
C.stopped his gardening
D.focused on planting tomatoes
3.What happened to the garden when the author’s father was seriously ill?
A.The author’s son took charge of it.
B.No plant grew in the garden at all.
C.The garden was almost deserted.
D.It brought the author a great harvest.
4.We can infer from the last paragraph that .
A.the author’s son played happily in the garden
B.the author’s son reminded him of his own father
C.the author’s son was very glad to help the author
D.the author’s son will continue gardening as well
Welcome to one of the largest collections of footwear (鞋类) in the world that will make you green with envy. Here at the Footwear Museum you can see exhibits (展品) from all over the world. You can find out about shoes worn by everyone from the Ancient Egyptians to pop stars.
Room 1
The celebrity (名人) footwear section is probably the most popular in the entire museum. Started in the 1950s, there is a wide variety of shoes and boots belonging to everyone from queens and presidents to pop stars and actors! Most visitors find the celebrities' choice of footwear extremely interesting.
Room 2
Most of our visitors are amazed and shocked by the collection of "special purpose" shoes on exhibition here at the Museum of Footwear. For example, there are Chinese shoes made of silk that were worn by women to tie their feet firmly to prevent them from growing too much!
Room 3
As well as shoes and boots, the museum also exhibits shoe-shaped objects. The variety is unbelievable. For example, there is a metal lamp that resembles a pair of shoes, and Greek wine bottles that like legs!
The Footwear Library
People come from all over the world to study in our excellent footwear library. Designers and researchers come here to look up information on anything and everything related to the subject of footwear.
1.What can you find in Room 1? ______
A.Chinese special purpose shoes.
B.Queens' boots.
C.Metal lamps.
D.Bottles of Greek wine.
2.What can we know about Room 2? ______
A.It is the most visited place in the museum.
B.It has a richer variety of exhibits than the other two.
C.It has the oldest exhibits than the other two.
D.It mainly exhibits shoes that have some special purposes.
3.Where can you find some data that have something to do with the subject of footwear? ______
A.In the Footwear Library. B.In Room 1
C.In Room 2 D.In Room 3
阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
On July 8, 2017, eight members of a family in total, were enjoying an evening together at the beach in Panhandle, Florida. As the sun sank lower on the horizon, the two boys Noah, 11, and Stephen, 8 swam into the waves without the grown-ups noticing. Soon they realized that the ocean had pulled them into the sea. After trying and failing to swim back, they started waving and screaming for help. But the lifeguards had been off duty for the evening.
The boys had been struggling for several minutes when Jacky and Tabatha, a couple from Georgia, heard them. They dived into the water and soon reached the two brothers. But after a few minutes, they were all trapped in a rip current (离岸流) — a powerful one that could sweep even the strongest swimmer out to sea! By then, some teenagers had heard the cry. One of the teens rushed into the water, grabbed Jacky, and pulled him back to shore. Meanwhile, Tabatha could feel herself being pulled farther out. She was already exhausted and beginning to feel desperate as she was trying to save both boys alone.
Onshore, Jacky was terrified. A man stopped. ''What’s wrong?'' asked Shaun, who was heading back to his car. ''My wife is drowning!'' Brittany said. Shaun immediately strode (大步跨) into the water. But several minutes later, a gaping 15 feet still lay between him and Tabatha and the boys. He knew that if he continued, he'd become another victim. He turned around to seek help.
It was about that time that Roberta, the boys' mother, returned from the bathroom and looked around for her children. She was shocked to spot them floating much farther out than they were allowed to go. She fought the waves to get to her screaming sons and the stranger who was trying to save them, but she quickly discovered it was nearly impossible to make headway in any direction. Looking around, Roberta sighed with relief to see some more people coming to help.
注意:
1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2.应使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3.续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4.续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1
When they tried in vain to rescue the brothers and Tabatha, a risky idea came to them.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2
By then, more swimmers had also noticed the group in trouble and rushed to join the human chain.
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假如你是李华。你校今年11月22日将迎来建校30周年，学校将举行周年庆联欢晚会。请你代表校学生会给你校外教Jane写一封邮件，邀她参加晚会。要点如下：
1. 发出邀请；
2. 告知晚会相关事宜（时间、地点、参加人员等）；
3. 表达期望。
注意：
1. 词数80左右，开头和结尾已给出；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 参考词汇：周年联欢晚会Anniversary Gala
Dear Jane,
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
