Whether in the home or the workplace, social robots are going to become a lot more common in the next few years. Social robots are about to bring technology to the everyday world in a more humanized way, said Cynthia Breazeal, chief scientist at the robot company Jibo.
While household robots today do the normal housework, social robots will be much more like companions than mere tools. For example, these robots will be able to distinguish when someone is happy or sad. This allows them to respond more appropriately to the user.
The Jibo robot, arranged to ship later this year, is designed to be a personalized assistant. You can talk to the robot, ask it questions, and make requests for it to perform different tasks. The robot doesn’t just deliver general answers to questions; it responds based on what it learns about each individual in the household. It can do things such as reminding an elderly family member to take medicine or taking family photos.
Social robots are not just finding their way into the home. They have potential applications in everything from education to health care and are already finding their way into some of these spaces.
Fellow Robots is one company bringing social robots to the market. The company’s “Oshbot” robot is built to assist customers in a store, which can help the customers find items and help guide them to the product’s location in the store. It can also speak different languages and make recommendations for different items based on what the customer is shopping for.
The more interaction the robot has with humans, the more it learns. But Oshbot, like other social robots, is not intended to replace workers, but to work alongside other employees. “We have technologies to train social robots to do things not for us, but with us,” said Breazeal.
1.What can a Jibo robot do according to Paragraph 3?
A.Communicate with you and perform operations.
B.Answer your questions and make requests.
C.Take your family pictures and deliver milk.
D.Obey your orders and remind you to take pills.
2.What can Oshbot work as?
A.A language teacher. B.A tour guide.
C.A shop assistant. D.A private nurse.
3.We can learn from the last paragraph that social robots will ______.
A.train employees B.be our workmates
C.improve technologies D.take the place of workers
4.What does the passage mainly present?
A.A new design idea of household robots. B.Marketing strategies for social robots.
C.Information on household robots. D.An introduction to social robots.
Basketball fans around the world are mourning the death of American superstar Kobe Bryant.
Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash Sunday in California, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other people. He was 41 years old.
Bryant was an 18-time All-Star player. He won five NBA championships and two Olympic gold medals. He was widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of his generation during his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The helicopter carrying Bryant and the others crashed into a hilly area in foggy conditions outside Los Angeles. Bryant lived south of Los Angeles and often used helicopters to travel around the area to save time and avoid Southern California traffic.
The cause of the crash is under investigation. It took place about 32 kilometers from Bryant's Mamba Sports Academy, a basketball training center in Newbury Park, California. Bryant was on his way to attend a youth basketball competition on Sunday with his daughter. Bryant and his wife, Vanessa, had four daughters.
When he retired from the NBA in 2016, Bryant was the third-leading scorer in NBA history with 33,643 points. He is widely expected to be elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this year.
The basketball world and the Los Angeles community reacted to Bryant’s death with an outpouring of sadness, disbelief and support.
In a statement, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Bryant was one of the greatest stars in the game. But he added, He will be remembered most for inspiring people around the world to pick up a basketball and compete to the very best of their ability.
On Twitter, U.S. President Donald Trump noted the terrible news. He called Bryant one of the truly great basketball players of all time who was just getting started in life.
1.Where is the passage probably taken from?
A.A science report. B.A biography.
C.A textbook. D.A newspaper.
2.What Kobe Bryant impressed people in the world most was .
A.his death B.his achievements
C.his inspiration D.his talent
3.The underlined words “under investigation” in Paragraph 5 mean______.
A.careful examination B.evidence
C.discussion D.argument
4.Which of the following is not true according to the passage?
A.Hearing the death of Kobe, fans around the world were very sad.
B.There were nine passengers on board, including one of his daughters.
C.Bryant was to attend a basketball competition with his daughter.
D.Bryant used the helicopter to save time and avoid the traffic jam on a fine day.
Surviving Hurricane Sandy (飓风桑迪)
Natalie Doan, 14, has always felt lucky to live in Rockaway, New York. Living just a few blocks from the beach, Natalie can see the ocean and hear the wave from her house. “It’s the ocean that makes Rockaway so special,” she says.
On October 29, 2012, that ocean turned fierce. That night, Hurricane Sandy attacked the East Coast, and Rockaway was hit especially hard. Fortunately, Natalie’s family escaped to Brooklyn shortly before the city’s bridge closed.
When they returned to Rockaway the next day, they found their neighborhood in ruins. Many of Natalie’s friends had lost their homes and were living far away. All around her, people were suffering, especially the elderly. Natalie’s school was so damaged that she had to temporarily attend a school in Brooklyn.
In the following few days, the men and women helping Rockaway recover inspired Natalie. Volunteers came with carloads of donated clothing and toys. Neighbors devoted their spare time to helping others rebuild. Teenagers climbed dozens of flights of stairs to deliver water and food to elderly people trapped in powerless high-rise buildings.
“My mom tells me that I can’t control what happens to me,” Natalie says. “but I can always choose how I deal with it.”
Natalie’s choice was to help.
She created a website page matching survivors in need with donors who wanted to help. Natalie posted introduction about a boy named Patrick, who lost his baseball card collecting when his house burned down. Within days, Patrick’s collection was replaced.
In the coming months, her website page helped lots of kids: Christopher, who received a new basketball; Charlie, who got a new keyboard. Natalie also worked with other organizations to bring much-need supplies to Rockaway. Her efforts made her a famous person. Last April, she was invited to the White House and honored as a Hurricane Sandy Champion of Change.
Today, the scars (创痕) of destruction are still seen in Rockaway, but hope is in the air. The streets are clear, and many homes have been rebuilt. “I can’t imagine living anywhere but Rockaway,” Natalie declares. “My neighborhood will be back, even stronger than before.”
1.When Natalie returned to Rockaway after the hurricane, she found ______.
A. some friends had lost their lives.
B. her neighborhood was destroyed.
C. her school had moved to Brooklyn.
D. the elderly were free from suffering.
2.According to paragraph 4, who inspired Natalie most?
A. The people helping Rockaway rebuild.
B. The people trapped in high-rise building.
C. The volunteers donating money to survivors.
D. Local teenagers bringing clothing to elderly people.
3.How did Natalie help the survivors?
A. She gave her toys to the kids.
B. She took care of younger children.
C. She called on the White House to help.
D. She built an information sharing platform.
4.What does the story intend to tell us?
A. Little people can make a big difference.
B. A friend in need is a friend indeed.
C. East or West, home is best.
D. Technology is power.
Metro Pocket Guide
Metrorail(地铁)
Each passenger needs a farecard to enter and go out. Up to two children under age five may travel free with a paying customer.
Farecard machines are in every station. Bring small bills because there are no change machines in the stations and fare card machines only provide up to $ 5 in change.
Get one day of unlimited Metrorail rides with a One Day Pass. Buy it from a farecard machine in Metro stations. Use it after 9:30 a. m. until closing on weekdays, and all day on weekends and holidays.
Hours of Service
Open: 5 a. m. Mon.-Fri. 7a. m. Sat.—Sun.
Close: midnight Sun.—Thur. 3a.m.Fri. —-Sat.nights
Last train times vary. To avoid missing the last train, please check the last train times posted in the stations.
Metrobus
When paying with exact change, the fare is $ 1. 35 and when paying with a SmarTrip card, the fare is $1. 25
Fares for the Senior /disabled customers
Senior citizens 65 and older and disabled customers may ride for half the regular fare. On Metrorail and Metrobus, use a senior/disabled farecard or SmarTrip card. For more information about buying senior/disabled farecards,SmarTrip cards and passes, please visit MetroOpenDoors. com or call 202-637-7000 and 202-637-8000.
Senior citizens and disabled customers can get free guide on how to use proper Metrobus and Metrorail services by calling 202-962-1100
Travel tips
●Avoid riding during weekday rush periods –before 9:30 a. m. and between 4 and 6 p. m.
●If you lose something on a bus or train or in a station, please call Lost & Found at 202-962-1195.
1.What should you know about farecard machines?
A.They start selling tickets at 9:30 a. m.
B.They are connected to change machines.
C.They offer special service to the elderly.
D.They make change for no more than $5.
2.What is good about a SmarTrip card?
A.It is convenient for old people. B.It saves money for its users.
C.it can be bought at any time. D.it is sold on the Internet.
3.Which number should you call if you lose something on the Metro?
A.202-962-1195 B.202-962-1100
C.202-637-7000 D.202-637-8000
假定你是李华，本周末市图书馆有免费的公益书法课程（calligraphy class），请你写信给你的外教Lucy，邀请她和你一起参加这个课程。内容包括：
1. 时间和地点；
2. 课程内容。
注意：
1. 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：在错的词下画一横线，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。
Last week I take part in a farm work programme with my classmates in the suburbs. Before the activity, our teacher told us some specific arrangements about the activity which theme was “Labor is the most glorious thing”. Meanwhile, he stressed on the importance and value of working by our own hand. When I got home, I packed up for trip excitedly. On the farm, we helped picking watermelons and carried them to the truck. While worked, I realized how tougher it was to work in the fields in the burning sun. When I came back home, I shared your experience with my parents during dinner. Happy and proud ，they spoke high of my behavior.
