Two musicians from Germany are using robotic equipment to add sounds to their performances. The two-man band performs with a robot that can play several musical instruments at the same time. The robot can sound like a guitar, keyboard, drum or other percussion instrument. When performing, members of the band provide many of the sounds, but others are controlled by a computer. Once connected to wires and set up, instruments can play on their own.
One of the instruments was created from a long, self-turning wooden stick that sits on top of a microphone stand. The stick contains long strings. They are tied on each end. The strings are connected to a small wooden ball. As the stick turns, the ball hits a block on the floor, creating a sound.
The two-man band, called Joasihno, recently performed at the South by Southwest Conference and Music Festival in Austin, Texas. They describe their electronic sound as “psychedelic (迷幻的) machine” music. “Actually, we call it a psychedelic robot orchestra,” said Cico Beck, one of the creators of the group.
The group’s other member, Nico Siereg, says playing in an experimental band with robots is not the same as playing in a traditional one. “It’s a little bit different because you also have in mind that there are machines playing around you, so there’s no reaction from them,” he said. But Siereg said that in some ways, the robots actually help him improve his performance. Since the self-playing instruments are programmed, he sometimes feels freer to center on what he is playing, and at times to even play without preparation.
The musician says he can imagine similar technology having a greater influence on many different kinds of music in the future. “Technology is like a very important tool that even, very often, it’s also a very important part of inspiration,” he said. But he also expressed hope that “real music won’t die.”
In addition to performing recently in Texas, Joashihno has been busy putting on shows in Europe and in Canada. The band hopes its high-tech music “experiment” will keep reaching new people and pleasing the ears of its fans.
1.According to the first paragraph, the robotic equipment __________.
A.is operated by a wooden stick
B.serves as a whole band
C.fuctions as musical instruments
D.is battery-powered
2.What does Nico Siereg think of playing music with robots?
A.It is better than playing with human being.
B.It is just a pity that the robots cannot respond to him.
C.It has a negative effect on his performance because robots distract him.
D.It is strange for him to have some machines playing around him.
3.What can we learn from the passage?
A.Robots will replace musical instruments.
B.This new style of performance has become popular around the world.
C.One member of the band doesn’t think playing with robots is real music.
D.The machines are programmed to create many sounds.
4.What is the best title for the passage?
A.Real Music Won’t Die
B.Adding New Blood to Traditional Music
C.High Technology Is Applied to Music
D.Robots Will Wipe Out Human Beings
The tough challenge of a six-month, 3,200-kilometer walk across the South Pole, in the long darkness of the Antarctic winter when temperatures can fall to -90℃, proved irresistible to the experienced British explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes.
Fiennes’s hero, Captain Robert Falcon Scott, wrote “great God, this is an awful place” when he reached the South Pole a century ago, before freezing and starving to death with his team on the return journey.
That journey was made in summer. Nobody before has attempted to cross the pole in winter. In a statement, Fiennes said, “This will be my greatest challenge to date. We will stretch the limits of human endurance.”
However, Fiennes could not explain why anyone should consider such a venture, still less a man aged 68 who has survived cancer, heart surgery and the loss of most of the frozen fingertips on one hand. “It’s what I do,” he said, looking slightly puzzled at the question.
Fiennes, the world’s greatest living explorer, according to the Guinness Book of Records — was the first to cross the Antarctic continent unsupported; the first to cross both polar ice caps; and the first to travel across the globe from pole to pole.
Fiennes admitted his wife, Louise, and their six-year-old daughter were not thrilled. “But I’ve never done anything else; it’s how I earn my living. And you’re much more likely, statistically, to die on the roads than on the polar ice,” he said.
After training in the Swedish Arctic in a relatively balmy -40℃, Fiennes’ team will set sail from London on Dec. 6 on a South African research ship. The ice trek will begin on Mar. 21, the spring equinox (春分) that marks the official start of the polar winter, from the Russian base of Novolazareskaya. Fiennes and his five team members must then climb more than 3,000 meters on to the inland plateau, walk for several hundred kilometers using an ice tractor to pull all the supplies and equipment they need, descend another 3,000 meters and finally reach the Ross Sea. If they reach Captain Scott’s old base at McMurdo Sound by the spring equinox six months later, they will still have to wait for months until the sea ice backs off enough for their ship to collect them.
1.Fiennes is going on this expedition because__________.
A.it is something he always does as a career
B.he wishes to inspire his family
C.he wants to travel with his wife and daughter
D.he hopes to improve his health
2.The underlined word in Paragraph 7 probably means “__________.”
A.warm and pleasant B.cold and harsh
C.tough and unbearable D.agreeable and relaxing
3.According to the article, Fiennes’ expedition will__________.
A.begin at an Antarctic base of Sweden
B.involve climbing and going down a high plateau
C.start and finish exactly at the two spring equinoxes
D.finish in a few weeks after the ship arrives
4.Fiennes is attempting to cross the South Pole__________.
A.on the same route as Captain Scott’s
B.by himself during the winter months
C.by ice tractor for most of the trip
D.on foot during the worst trip
◆ Welwitschia mirabilis
Title: the world’s most resistant plant
It’s not pretty to look at, but welwitschia mirabilis is unique. It consists of only two leaves and a strong stem with roots. Two leaves continue to grow and the stem thickens and can grow to be almost 2 meters high and 8 meters wide. Its lifespan is 400 to 1,500 years. It can survive up to five years with no rain. The plant is said to be very tasty either raw or baked in hot ashes.
◆ Dionaea muscipula
Title: the Venus Fly Trap
Dionaea muscipula is the most famous carnivorous(肉食性的) plant due to the active and efficient nature of its unique trap. It may be famous, but it’s also threatened. It produces a short leaf that forms two sides of a trap. Each side contains some sensitive hairs. When it is touched two to three times, the trap will shut in less than a second, fast enough to catch flies and other insects. The leaf, once closed, produces some enzymes(酶) that slowly dissolve the insects and supply the plant with food.
◆ Rafflesia arnoldii
Title: the world’s largest flower
Rafflesia arnoldii, the largest flower in the world, is an exotic and rare plant. The flower is 3 feet across and weighs 15-24 pounds. However, you wouldn’t want to grow it in your garden. In a rainforest-type environment, it gives off a most unpleasant smell, which is somewhat like rotten meat. This is why it is often called the Corpse Plant by some natives of Indonesia where it comes. Its flowers only last for three days to a week.
◆ Euphorbia obese
Title: the Baseball Plant
Euphorbia obese is known as the Baseball Plant. Over-harvesting by plant collectors for its interesting and curious appearance has severely reduced the wild population. However, it has become very common now. By growing euphorbia obese in large numbers, many gardens have been working to ensure that the plants being traded and sold among plant collectors are not wild plants.
1.From the passage, we know that __________.
A.welwitschia mirabilis is very beautiful
B.dionaea muscipula is famous for its trap
C.rafflesia arnoldii feels like rotten meat
D.euphorbia obese can be used as baseball
2.According to the passage, rafflesia arnoldii __________.
A.shuts its trap two or three times in one second.
B.gives off a special smell to attract flies and insects
C.smells bad in a hot and wet environment
D.has a big flower, a strong stem and two leaves
3.Plant collectors like euphorbia obese because __________.
A.it looks strange
B.it tastes delicious
C.it can be planted in the garden
D.it is worth a big fortune
假定你是李华。你的留学生朋友Tom以前成绩很优秀。但由于骄傲和懒惰，最近他的成绩一落千丈。就此请你用英语给他写一封电子邮件，内容包括：
1. 进行安慰；
2. 给出劝告（不要骄傲，不忘初心）；
3. 具体建议（努力复习，制定学习计划）
注意：1. 总词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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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。
I am very luckily to have the opportunity to see so many place, but sometimes I experience culture shock when I see or do something new. Dad and I now are travelled through Denmark, Norway and Sweden. I used to thinking that these countries are the same, but not any more. People in Denmark are a bit of friendlier, while Norwegians and Swedes prefer not to talk to strangers. I’m surprised to learn that many people there speak English in addition their national languages. In Sweden, it seems that anyone has golden hair and blue eyes. I feel a little strange with my black hair and dark eyes. I imagine this is that foreigners feel when they visit China!
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
In his book, Intentional Living, author John Maxwell shares that back in 1976, he received a gift from one of his 1. (assist). As he unwrapped the gift, he saw that it was a book 2. (name) The Greatest Story Ever Told. He couldn’t wait 3. (read) it.
But when he opened the book, he was 4. (astonish) to see that the pages were blank. Inside the book was 5. note that said, “John, your life is before you. Fill these pages with kind acts and good thoughts of your heart. Write a great story about your life.” The intention of writing the story of his life excited him. Then, he 6. (begin) to write his book.
Every day we live out our story through our words, actions and decisions. But we must remember to live with intention to focus on what 7. (matter) most in life and to regain that focus when we get changed. Without intention, we can become unfocused in things 8. needn’t add to a life of significance and difference in our world.
Life isn’t perfect and it’s always hard, 9. we need reminders in our life from a friend, author, blogger, pastor or our inner spirit to re-focus us on the things that matter and make us live 10. (positive).
