Many Americans are busy preparing lists of what to give friends or loved ones. This season, people will be able to buy a cargo-carrying (载货) robot that follows them around like a dog. But it is unclear if the robot will be a popular gift.
Large companies like Amazon, FedEx and Ford have already been experimenting with sending delivery robots to homes across the United States. Now an Italian company is offering robots directly to consumers (顾客). The new robot, called “the Gita”, weighs about 23 kilograms and costs $ 3,250.
The robot's creators had short trips in mind when they designed it. “The Gita” is a “hands-free carrier" that can hold fruits, vegetables and other things as it follows its owner down the street. “The Gita” does not. require use of a telephone; it also does not use GPS technology or facial recognition.
Whether the robot will be a success is not yet clear. Tech experts say “the Gita” may fail. They hope the company finds more purposes of using it to contribute to its success. Examples include carrying tools around hospitals, factory floors or places where products are stored. The robots can carry up to 9 kilograms, So far, the best places to find the company' s six wheeled robot are US colleges: The University of Houston and the University of Wisconsin Madison.
Sadie Garcia is a student at the University of Houston. “I love them. I think they're so cute," she said, as one of the machines arrived carrying a sandwich for her in the dining hall. Garcia said she was so cold that she did not want to leave her room. Starship co-founder Ahti Heinla said his company once thought about selling the machines directly to consumers. But the business dropped the idea after discovering it would have to sell them for more than $ 3,000 each.
1.What is"the Gita"designed to do?
A.Fight with other robots. B.Buy things for its owner.
C.Carry things for its owner. D.Help college students do homework.
2.What do tech experts expect the company to do for“the Gita”?
A.Find more uses for it. B.Keep advertising it.
C.Improve its reaction rate. D.Encourage hospitals to use it.
3.What stops“the Gita”from being sold directly to consumers?
A.The low quality. B.The high price.
C.The limited number. D.The poor performance.
4.Where is this text most likely from?
A.A science magazine. B.A detective story.
C.A travel guide. D.A life diary.
I have been receiving so much kindness. It was difficult for an independent girl like me to accept it at first. At times, my financial situation is not the best. But with that comes a great lesson in appreciation, budgeting, and deciding what is and what isn't important.
A few times I've had to put off or even give up things. Because of my scarcity on money, I had to give up a keep fit exercise, which is something I like to treat myself regularly. When my coach Lisa heard about this, she offered me training at a highly discounted price. At first this made me very uncomfortable. I feared that she would wrongly think that I was going to bargain (砍价) and of course I wasn't. ; Instead, I was just being honest about my situation being short of money. I finally accepted her offer, remembering that I deserve kindness, too.
Another time, I noticed a friend of mine selling his old exercise bike, which was perfect for me, as I was looking to replace my broken one. {I told him that I would take it when I had the money, but then life got in the way. When I finally got the time to pick it up, I realized my financial shortcomings again, I asked him if he could hold onto it for one more week, as then I'd have the funds again. He was happy to do this, but instead he insisted on offering me the bike as a gift. Another opportunity presents itself to teach me how to receive with dignity(尊严).
I continue to slowly learn how to accept the kindness from others. In fact, the relationship between giving and receiving is closely linked. When you accept the kindness from others with joy, they will feel happy, too.
1.How did the author feel at first when she received kindness from others?
A.Happy. B.Unfair. C.Proud. D.Uncomfortable.
2.What does the underlined word “scarcity" in paragraph 2 mean?
A.Request. B.Independence. C.Principle. D.Lack.
3.What was the author afraid of when Lisa did her a favor?
A.Being punished. B.Being misunderstood.
C.Accepting her coach's strict training. D.Giving away the secret of her being short of money.
4.How did the author get the second-hand exercise bike?
A.She paid much money for it. B.She got it for free.
C.She bought it from her coach. D.She borrowed it from her friend.
Use our website to improve your English
Study at the right time each day
The first step in getting better in English is to study at the right time each day. Do you wake up early and study when the house is quiet? Or do you like to stay up late and study before you go to sleep? Choose the proper time to study English every week. Make a study plan for each week. Here is an example of using our website to improve your listening and speaking skills:
Monday: Watch Let's Learn English; practice the conversation with a friend
Tuesday: Watch English in a Minute; teach the new expressions to family or friends
Wednesday: Watch English at the Movies; write a note to a friend about the expressions
Thursday: Watch News Words; write a sentence using the words
Friday: Read or listen to Ask a Teacher or Everyday Grammar; write three sentences
Find a friend to study together
A good way to learn is to study with a friend or a family member. You can study together at home or on the phone. Some families speak English only at dinner time or watch English videos together.
Set goals
One of the most important steps to learn English is to set goals. Make it something you know you can do in a short time. Here are some examples:
I will practice speaking with my friends three times a week.
I will write sentences with five new English words every week.
I will learn four new idioms in the next month and use them with friends.
1.Which advice is given on learning English?
A.Learning from others. B.Practicing once a week.
C.Scheduling proper study time. D.Turning to parents for help.
2.On which day can you learn English from films according to the example?
A.Monday. B.Tuesday. C.Wednesday. D.Thursday.
3.How many goals of learning English are listed in the text?
A.Three. B.Four. C.Five. D.Seven.
Roman was the school tough(厉害的) guy because his father was a tough guy. If anyone dared to disobey (不服从)him, they received a beating.
Until Victor arrived. No one would have said that Victor or his dad looked like tough guys : they were very thin and had no muscles . however, this was what Victor said to Ramon when Roman went up to him to make him afraid .
“Hey , new kid. You should know that I am the leader , and I am the toughest guy here.”
“You might be the leader but I am the toughest guy here.”
That was when Victor got his first beating .The second was the day Ramon tried to take a girl’s sandwich from her .
“This girl is a friend of mine and I am the toughest guy in school .So she will not give you her sandwich.” ---were Victor’s last words before the blows started raining down on him.
His third beating came when he did not want to hand over his own sandwich .
“Tough guys like my dad and me do not steal from others ,and you are supposed to be a tough guy too ?” he replied .
Victor got hit regularly ,but he never backed down（临阵退缩） . His bravery in protecting those weaker than him began to impress the rest of his classmates , and he soon gained admirers. Lots of other children began to play with him , so Ramon had even fewer chances to hit Vitor and his friends .
One day ,at the school door ,Ramon’s dad asked him who Victor was .
“That little boy is the tough boy who is the new boss of the playground ?” said Ramon’s father . “You are useless. I am going to hit you and show you what a tough guy really is .”
注意：
1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2.至少使用5个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。
Paragragh1:
That was not the first time that Ramon got hit by his dad ,but it was the first time that Victor’s dad was there to stop it happening again.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragragh 2:
That was when Ramon’s dad understand why Victor said that his own father was a tough guy.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
假定你是李华，想邀请外教Henry一起参观中国剪纸( paper-cutting)艺术展。请给他写封邮件，内容包括:
1. 展览时间、地点。
2. 展览内容。
注意:
1. 词数80左右； 2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Henry,
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
The True Story of Treasure Island
It was always thought that Treasure Island was the product of Robert Louis Stevenson’s imagination. ______, recent research has found the true story of this exciting work.
Stevenson, a Scotsman, had lived ______ for many years. In 1881 he returned to Scotland for a ______.With him were his American wife Fanny and his son ______.
Each morning Stevenson would take them out for a long ______ over the hills. They had been ______ this for several days before the weather suddenly took a turn for the worse. Kept indoors by the heavy rain, Lloyd felt the days ______.To keep the boy happy, Robert asked the boy to do some ______.
One morning, the boy came to Robert with a beautiful map of an island, Robert ______that the boy had drawn a large cross in the middle of ______. “What’s that?” he asked. “That’s the ______ treasure,” said the boy. Robert suddenly ______ something of an adventure story in the boy’s ______.While the rain was pouring, Robert sat down by the fire to write a story. He would make the ______ a twelve-year-old boy, just like Lloyd. But who would be the pirate (海盗)？
Robert had a good friend named Henley, who walked around with the ______ of a wooden leg. Robert had always wanted to ______ such a man in a story. ______ Long John Silver, the pirate with a wooden leg, was ______.
So, thanks to a ______ September in Scotland, a friend with a wooden leg, and the imagination of a twelve-year-old boy, we have one of the greatest ______ stories in the English language.
1.A.However B.Therefore C.Besides D.Finally
2.A.alone B.next door C.at home D.abroad
3.A.meeting B.story C.holiday D.job
4.A.Lloyd B.Robert C.Henley D.John
5.A.talk B.rest C.walk D.game
6.A.attempting B.missing C.planning D.enjoying
7.A.quiet B.dull C.busy D.cold
8.A.cleaning B.writing C.drawing D.exercising
9.A.doubted B.noticed C.decided D.recognized
10.A.the sea B.the house C.Scotland D.the island
11.A.forgotten B.buried C.discovered D.unexpected
12.A.saw B.drew C.made D.learned
13.A.book B.reply C.picture D.mind
14.A.star B.hero C.writer D.child
15.A.help B.problem C.use D.bottom
16.A.praise B.produce C.include D.accept
17.A.Yet B.Also C.But D.Thus
18.A.read B.born C.hired D.written
19.A.rainy B.sunny C.cool D.windy
20.A.news B.love C.real-life D.adventure
