Some people believe that international sport creates goodwill between the nations and that if countries play games together, they will learn to live together. Others say that the opposite is true: international competitions encourage false national pride and lead to misunderstanding and hatred. There is probably some truth in both arguments, but in recent years the Olympic Games have done little to support the view that sport encourages international brotherhood. Not only was there the tragic incident including the murder of athletes, but the Games were also ruined by incidents caused mainly by smaller national contests.
One country received its second-place medals with visible anger after the hockey final. There had been noisy scenes at the end of the hockey match, the losers objecting to the final decisions. They were sure that one of their goals should not have been disallowed and that their opponents’ victory was unfair. Their manager was in great anger when he said, “This wasn’t hockey. Hockey and the International Hockey Federation are finished.” The president of the Federation said later that such behavior could result in the suspension(停赛)of the team for at least three years.
Incidents of this kind will continue as long as sport is played competitively rather than for the love of the game. The suggestion that athletes should compete as individuals, or in non-national teams, might be too much to hope for. But in the present organization of the Olympics there is far too much that encourages aggressive patriotism(爱国主义).According to the author, recently the Olympic Games have ______.
A.created goodwill between the nations |
B.brought about only false national pride |
C.hardly showed any international friendship |
D.put an end to misunderstanding and hatred |
The underlined word “disallowed”(in Paragraph 2) means “______”.
A.permitted to pass | B.considered as reasonable |
C.won by the other side | D.refused to accept |
What did the manager mean by saying, “Hockey and the International Hockey Federation
are finished"?
A.His team would no longer take part in international games. |
B.Hockey and the Federation are both ruined by the unfair decisions. |
C.There should be no more Hockey matches organized by the Federation. |
D.The Federation should break up. |
The author gives the example in paragraph 2 to show ______.
A.how false national pride led to undesirable incidents in international games |
B.that sportsmen are often against the final decisions |
C.that competitiveness in the games discourages international friendship |
D.that unfair decisions are common in the Olympic Games |
What conclusion can be drawn from the passage?
A.The organization of the Olympic Games must be improved. |
B.Athletes should compete as individuals in the Olympic Games. |
C.A game should be played competitively rather than for the love of the game. |
D.More and more athletes will compete for their own honor. |
LaMar Baylor, an American performer in the Broadway musical, spends most of his time in New York City.But since 2011, he has also spent weeks in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda.There, he teaches dance to boys who live on the street.His teaching is part of an effort by the Rebecca Davis Dance Company.The project helps young people learn more about dance and learn how to behave in a classroom environment.
Rebecca Davis and LaMar Baylor teach ballet to street children in Kigali, Rwanda.The children have lost all of their families.Some have been in prison; others have sold their bodies for sex.Dance classes provide the children with structured learning and self-expression that they've never had before.
Rebecca Davis is the founder and director of the dance company.She got the idea for the project after visiting Rwanda in 2008.There she met a large number of street children who were dancing, and she thought that dance could be used to get them off the street and into a safe place.She believes that learning to dance is a step toward education.She says children can take classes in information and technology after they have learned to attend classes and follow directions.
Boys who have done best in the classes win scholarships and are sent to the Sunrise Boarding School.About 30 boys have won this kind of financial aid.
As for LaMar Baylor, he knows from his own experience how dance can lead to a better life.He is from Camden, New Jersey.Camden has sometimes been called America's poorest and most dangerous city.He now thanks dancing for saving his life.
The Rwanda program is the largest one set up by the Rebecca Davis Dance Company, and Ms.Davis has also set up dance programs in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Guinea.About 2,000 children in the three countries have taken part in the project since it was begun in 2010.The dance project aims to____.
A.give the street children parental care |
B.provide scholarship for the street children |
C.help the street children receive some education |
D.keep the street children in good health |
What do we learn about the street children from the passage?
A.All of them can be sent to the Sunrise Boarding School. |
B.It may be hard for them to adapt to classroom rules at first. |
C.They only take classes in dancing. |
D.Many of them have been in prison. |
What LaMar Baylor and the street children in the project have in common is that _.
A.they all benefit from dancing |
B.they borrowed money from the project |
C.they learn to express themselves in dance class |
D.they were homeless at one time |
We can infer from the last paragraph that -.
A.the dance project was started in Guinea |
B.the Rwanda program is the first program by Rebecca Davis |
C.the Rwanda program has attracted about 2,000 children |
D.the dance project gains popularity and grows quickly |
More than half of rich Americans have not shown their full wealth to their children, a new survey showed last Tuesday.
The survey, published by the Bank of America, studied the rich with$3 million or more in possessions. It found that “surprisingly few of those surveyed have well-developed plans to preserve and pass on their possessions to their children”.
The majority of the 457 people surveyed are self-made, first-generation rich. Fifty-two percent of parents have not chosen not to tell their children just how wealthy they are,and 15 percent have given away nothing about the family wealth. One in three parents said they had never thought to do it.
They are worried that their children would become lazy, spend money freely,make bad decisions and even become a target for attractive women who use their looks to get money from rich men.
Only 34 percent strongly agreed that their children would be able to handle any inheritance(遗产)they plan to leave them.
“There is an expectation about the wealthy parents that they have a responsibility to pass down their fortune to the next generation,” said Sallie Krawcheck,president of the Global Wealth and Investment Management of the Bank of America. “Our research, however, uncovered changing views of what one generation owes the next.”
The trend is led by the world’s richest man Bill Gates, who promised in 2008 that he would leave his $58 billion fortune to the charity started by him and his wife, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation(基金会),and not to his children.
“ We want to give it back to society in the way that it will have the most positive effect,” he said.
Of his plans for his children , Gates said: “I will give the kids some money but not a meaningful percentage… they will need to work but they will feel reasonably taken care of.”We can learn from the passage that .
A.rich parents may not know how to manage their inheritance |
B.rich parents don’t equal rich kids, at least in the US |
C.American children don’t get to inherit their parents’ wealth |
D.poor children don’t expect themselves to be as rich as their parents |
According to the survey, most rich Americans .
A.think they owe their children nothing |
B.think it best to give their money back to society |
C.doubt their children’s ability to handle wealth |
D.are confident of their children’s ability to handle wealth |
The underlined word “they” in Paragraph 6 refers to .
A.responsible children |
B.Bill Gates and his wife |
C.first-generation rich |
D.rich parents |
From the last paragraph,we can see that Bill Gates wants to show .
A.the trend of leaving no inheritance to children |
B.the positive effect of charity on society |
C.the way of giving back to society |
D.the importance of independence for children |
Russian President Putin named Time magazine's "Person of the Year"
Russian President Vladimir Putin was named Time magazine's’ "Person of the Year" on December 19th. 2007 for strengthening stability(稳定)that made Russia a world power again.
The magazine recognized Putin's "extraordinary feat(技艺)of leadership in taking a country that was in a mess and bringing it stability,"said Richard Stengel,Time's managing editor.
The magazine noted that "Person of the Year" is not an honor or an endorsement(认可)but a recognition of leadership that shapes the world.
Putin,who is 56 years old,is very popular in Russia,making a great effort to cause economy to come to life on revenue(收入)from oil and natural gas.
Putin recently supported vice-PM Dmitry Medvedev's presidential bid,and said he would accept Medvedev's offer to serve as prime minister if Medvedev is elected on March 2.
The Kremlin said Wednesday the Time recognition was seen there as an acknowledgement of Putin's role in helping Russia pull out of its social and economic troubles in the 1990s.
Others considered for "Person of the Year" included Nobel Prize-winner Al Gore and author J.K. Rowling.
This year's choice was a return to the magazine's tradition of picking an individual rather than last year's choice of "You",which refers to anyone creating or using content on the World Wide Web.
Putin is the fifth Russian(or Soviet)leader to be named Person of the Year:Gorbachev,Andropov,Khrushchev and Stalin,who was named twice.How did Putin try to make Russia a world power again?
A.By performing arms race. | B.By making war. |
C.By strengthening stability. | D.By getting foreign help. |
How many times have Russian leaders been named "Person of the Year" so far?
A.Five times. | B.Six times. | C.Seven times. | D.Eight times. |
Which of the following is Not True according to the passage?
A.Russia used to be in a mess. |
B.Time always picks an individual to be the "Person of the Year". |
C.Oil and natural gas caused Russia's economy to come to life. |
D.Putin will leave office on March 2nd, 2007. |
What is the author’s attitude towards the matter?
A.Negative | B.Positive | C.Criticize | D.Objective |
A three-year independent investigation into the September 11, 2001 attack on the Pentagon has yielded new eyewitness evidence which, according to the Southern California-based researchers who conducted the investigation conclusively (and unfortunately), establishes as a historical fact that the violence which took place in Arlington that day was not the result of a surprise attack by suicide hijackers, but rather a military black operation involving a carefully planned and skillfully executed deception."
A CNN Reporter at the scene states that there is no evidence that a 757 hit the Pentagon.
What hit the Pentagon? A Boeing 757 loaded with passengers and fuel right? Who was on Flight 757? According to the Flight Information there were No Arabs on it. That makes me wonder if Flight 757 actually existed at all.
From the pictures and the videos, people can find that there are several doubtful points that need to be taken into consideration, for example the marker line on the grass in the satellite and ground pictures, the different colors of the smoke, the hole which the plane impacted, and the standing pylons (架线塔).
Also, from the comparison of the different pictures, people can find some other strange points. For example, the gear (齿轮) is not the matching one. The wreckage of the plane is not the one from the American Airlines. The glass on the pavement of the pole is another doubtful point. The last thing that need considering is about the collapse. One of the gif video shows the plane impacting the Pentagon. The only problem with this video footage is that it has been altered (改变) and can not be fully trusted.
These crash photos and videos shown here clearly have been doctored (篡改) and don't even match the physics of what happened. So where is the real video? It leaves me many questions. Is this a missile? It is a real enigma.Where can you possibly read this article?
A.In a newspaper. | B.In a book. | C.On a website. | D.In a magazine. |
What the word “yielded” mean in the first sentence?
A.given in | B.surrendered | C.given away | D.produced |
Which of the following doubtful points is not mentioned in the passage?
A.the colors of the smoke | B.the model of the plane |
C.the standing pylons | D.the marker line on the grass |
What is the author’s attitude towards the 911 investigation?
A.Positive. | B.Neutral. | C.Skeptical. | D.Negative. |
Newspapers in Great Britain vary greatly in their ways of carrying the news. There are serious papers for those who want to know about important happenings everywhere, both at home and abroad. There are popular newspapers for those who prefer entertainment to information.
The London newspaper that is best known outside Great Britain is probably the Times. It began in 1785, and has a high reputation for believable news and serious opinions on the news. It calls itself an independent paper, which means that it does not give its support to a particular political party. Its leading articles give the opinions of the editors, not those of the owners of the paper.
Letters to the editor are printed in the newspaper. These parts of the Times are always interesting. Most of the letters are serious subjects. But from time to time there will be long letters on the subject which is not at all serious, perhaps on a new fashion of dress, or the bad manners of the young people, compared with manners of thirty years ago.If you want to get pleasure, please buy yourself .
A.a serious newspaper |
B.foreign newspaper |
C.any independent paper |
D.a popular newspaper |
The Times has been famous to outside Great Britain for years.
A.19 | B.85 | C.221 | D.229 |
The Times is an independent paper because .
A.it supports no political parties |
B.it is not controlled by the British Government |
C.it gives special support to all the political parties. |
D.the editor’s opinions are not examined by the owners of the paper |
The writer tells us in this passage.
A.all kinds of newspapers in Britain |
B.all kinds of news in English papers |
C.how Times is liked by people |
D.why Times is well-known |
MUMBAI – Indian commandos battled into the early hours of Friday to end a multiple hostage crisis in Mumbai after suspected Islamic militants killed 125 people across the city.
Officials said they had almost totally cleared the luxury Taj Mahal hotel where gunmen had been held up for more than 24 hours.
Indian security forces personnel released hostages from Nariman House in Mumbai.Thirty-nine people were rescued from the five-star Oberoi hotel, where "mopping up(清理火场)" operations were still underway, police said.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the militants had come from "outside the country.”
The Press Trust of India said one Pakistani militant had been arrested, although Pakistan's government fiercely denied any involvement.
Indian media reports said between six and nine foreign nationals were among the dead in Mumbai -- including a Japanese businessman, an Australian, a Briton , a German and an Italian.
At least five gunmen had been shot dead and one captured, police said.Fourteen security personnel were also killed, including the head of Mumbai's anti-terror squad.
To draw maximum international attention, the militants used small groups to attack a total of about a dozen targets in India's financial hub , including the main railway station, a hospital and a restaurant popular with tourists.
An unknown group calling itself the Deccan Mujahedeen claimed responsibility, with one gunman telling an Indian TV channel by phone that the outfit(装备)was of Indian origin and motivated by the treatment of Indian Muslims.
Up to 327 people were reported wounded.
The main Bombay Stock Exchange was closed until further notice, as were shops, schools and businesses.
Prime Minister Singh said the aim had clearly been to spread panic by choosing high profile(知名度高的)targets and "indiscriminately(随心所欲地)killing foreigners."
Witnesses said the gunmen had been very particular in their choice of hotel hostages."They said they wanted anyone with British and American passports," said one British guest at the Taj Mahal hotel.The following statements are NOT true except ________.
A.thirty-nine hostages were rescued from the Taj Mahal Hotel |
B.fourteen gunmen were killed in Nariman House |
C.the target of the attack was obviously on Britons and Americans |
D.an American was among the killed foreigners |
The best title of this passage can be _______.
A.Hostages Released by Indian Commandos |
B.Mumbai Under Terrorist Attack |
C.Islamic Militants Attacking Westerners in Mumbai |
D.Unfortunate Britons and Americans in Mumbai |
The Hunan Satellite TV (HNTV) show “Where are we going, Dad?” is a big hit. Many famous stars brought their children to a strange village alone, and they had to spend 72 hours with their children there. The program fully showed us a modern version of the “how to be a good father”. As the young parents today are too busy to take care of their children, this new form of“Lost on the way”played by nanny (保姆式的) daddy and cute kids triggered(触发)a lot of people’s emotional resonance(共鸣). Both the kids and their parents will find that their hearts are being drawn closer. But this kind of feeling has just proved that there is a big spiritual barrier between the modern parents and children.
The TV shows like “Children are hard to support!”, “Where are we going, Dad?”, “hot mom” and “cute kids” are becoming more and more popular. All of these show the new parents’ confusion in children’s education and the appeal for the balance between career and family.
In real life, on the one hand, the young parents feel helpless because they are too busy to accompany their children under the pressures of work and life; on the other hand, they continue to do so. The data collected by HNTV show that nearly two-thirds of their audience are female, among whom 36% are aged from 25 to 34. We can imagine such a scene that one evening a young mother is watching the show with her young children, while her husband is still at work or trapped in socializing, or maybe is just playing computer games in the bedroom. The story of a child without the company of father is still going on. In fact, it is sometimes the same to mothers. In a modern family, it is often the old who take the responsibility for raising a child. The participation of mother in the children’s education is also very low.
It is just this kind of confusion where the parents have gone in the modern family education, and where the parents will guide their children to go that “Where are we going, Dad?” shows us. If a child wants to grow up healthily and safely into a modern citizen with independent personality and free spirit, it is very important for him or her to follow the parents who serve as their first teacher. Maybe this is the real reason why such kind of TV programs could get hot. The truth is that children will go where their parents go, and society will go where the children go.Which of the following can be inferred in the passage?
A.Parents shouldn’t entirely leave the education of children to the old. |
B.36% of the audience of the program are female aged from 25-34. |
C.The program shows us the confusion where the parents and children will go to play. |
D.In a modern family it is often mothers who are responsible for raising a child. |
In raising a child in modern society, parents should ________.
A.play computer games with their children |
B.break down the barrier between children and teachers |
C.balance well between family and career |
D.keep their children at home to avoid socializing |
What attitude towards modern family education does the author express in the passage?
A.Optimistic. | B.Proud. |
C.Negative. | D.Worried |
Which one is the best title of the passage?
A.Confusion behind “Where are we going, dad?” |
B.Modern Education is Important |
C.Nanny Daddy and Cute Kids |
D.New Problems in Modern Children’s Education |
Last Friday a storm swept through two villages in the New Territories,destroying fourteen homes. Seven others were so badly damaged that their owners had to leave them,and fifteen others had broken windows or broken roofs. One person was killed,several were badly hurt and taken to hospital,and a number of other people received smaller hurt. Altogether over two hundred people were homeless after the storm.
A farmer,Mr. Tan,said that the storm began early in the morning and lasted for over an hour.
“I was eating with my wife and children,”he said,“When we heard a loud noise. A few minutes later our house fell down on top of us. We tried our best to climb out but then I saw that one of my children was missing. I went back inside and found him,safe but very frightened.”
Mrs. Woo Mei Fong said that her husband had just left for work when she felt that her house was moving. She ran outside at once with her children.
“There was no time to take anything,”she said,“A few minutes later,the roof came down.”
Soldiers helped to take people out of the flooded area and the welfare department (福利机构) brought them food,clothes and shelter. How many homes altogether were damaged in the storm?
A.Fourteen | B.Twenty-one |
C.Twenty-nine | D.Thirty-six |
Where was Mr. Tan when the storm first began?
A.He was in bed. | B.He was inside the house. |
C.He was outside the house. | D.He was on the roof. |
The underlined word “shelter” in this passage means ______.
A.something to eat | B.something to wear |
C.somewhere to study | D.somewhere to stay |
Which of he following may be the best title for this passage?
A.A Terrible Storm | B.A Lucky Woman |
C.Good Soldiers | D.Clever People |
The Washington post – NASA’s newest space habitat looks sort of like a kids’ moon bonce, a big, bright, inflatable globe that could be lots of fun to play in. Soon astronauts on the International Space Station could get the chance to try . The expandable habitat made by Bigelow Aerospace recently passed NASA’s strict certification requirements and is scheduled to be flown to the station in September.
Called the BEAM ( Bigelow Expandable Activity Module), the habitat would be attached to the space station, where it would stay for two years. While there, it would be tested to see how it handles the rigors of space – the radiation, the station’s movement and even how it stands up to the debris (碎片) flying around in orbit.
The private Las Vegas company, founded by millionaire real estate mogul(地产大亨) Robert Bigelow, won a $17.8 million contract from NASA to provide the module to the space station.
“Today is the first step, but it’s a big step,” said Bigelow’s George Zamka. Replace the space station or make it larger. It also hopes to build the habitats on the moon. Its B330 module would be even bigger, with 330 cubic meters of internal (内部的 ) space. The modules could be connected. Creating research facilities, the company says, or even space hotels.
In an interview ,NASA’s William Gerstenmaier, said he was eager to see how the module performs , and said he was especially pleased “ to see how the private sector can step up and help us meet our requirements.” The module will be flown to the space station by SpaceX, the first commercial company to resupply the space station.
What would be the best title for this passage?
A.NASA’s space habitats flown to the station. |
B.NASA’s space habitat it the station. |
C.NASA’s new expandable space habitat. |
D.NASA’s newest inflatable globe. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.NASA’s newest space habitat is a kids’ moon bounce. |
B.Astronauts of Bigelow Aerospace could get the chance to try the space habitat. |
C.NASA was founded by Robert Bigelow. |
D.The B330 module to be built on the moon would be with an inside space of 330 cubic meters. |
The underlined word “rigors” in Paragraph 2 refers to “_________”.
A.difficulties | B.environments |
C.movements | D.changes |
The passage is most probably taken from ________.
A.a newspaper | B.a booklet |
C.a magazine | D.a science fiction |
C
NEWS BRIEF
● "New labels to show calories
The US government ruled that all food establishments(场所) should put the calorie information of their foods on their menus. Within a year chain restaurants, like fast food KFC, will have to say clearly on their menus how many calories their fried chicken wings, fries, and other items contain. Amusement parks, movie theaters and supermarkets will also have to follow the rules. The move is designed to fight against the problem of obesity(肥胖) in the US.
● Antibiotics leading to world problem
The entire world is facing this problem; antibiotic resistance. And the resistance will lead to the deaths of 10 million people across the world by 2025, predicted a new report released by the UK government. Antibiotics are used to destroy or slow the growth of harmful bacteria in our bodies. But overuse and misuse of them can encourage bacteria to develop new ways of overcoming antibiotics, which makes it increasingly difficult for humans to fight diseases.
●___________________________________
Australia is the world's most expensive destination for international students, according to a study done by Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC). They have to spend an average of $ 42,000 ( about 258 ,000 yuan) a year to study at Australian universities. Singapore is not far behind, with an average yearly cost of $ 39,229, followed by the US at $ 36,564 and the UK at 35,045. However, Australia's education quality only ranks joint fourth with Canada, well below the US, the UK, and Germany. In addition, international students studying in Germany only have to pay about one-sixth the cost of studying in Australia.
● New Games sports may be added
The International Olympic Committee has canceled the 28-sportcap for future summer Olympics But each summer Games will still only be allowed 10, 500 athletes and 310 events. Countries that could host the games will discuss plans with the committee during a new invitation stage before bidding. They are also allowed to hold events outside their own countries and get financial support from the committee. No changes will be introduced for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.The news brief covers ______________.
A.medicine, disaster, finance, events |
B.health, medicine, education, sports |
C.service, health, education, events |
D.business, medicine, economy, sports |
The underlined word "antibiotics" in Line 7 refers to ___________.
A.serious diseases |
B.varieties of resistance |
C.harmful bacteria |
D.medical drugs |
Which of the following fits in the blank best in the news brief?
A.Australian study most expensive |
B.The cost of studying overseas |
C.International students in Australia |
D.Australia's education quality |
Which of the following statements is best supported by the news brief?
A.Some events may be held outside the host country in future summer Olympics |
B.It is Australia's best education quality that will cause students to make a wise choice. |
C.It is necessary for the UK government to try hard to encourage using lots of antibiotics. |
D.Popcorn sold in cinemas in the world will soon have calorie information labels. |
FIVE Americans swept the three Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology (生理学) or Medicine last week. It was the first American sweep of the Nobel science prizes since 1983.
It’s rare for Americans not to receive any of the science prizes, especially in recent years. In 2004, seven Americans were among the 10 laureates (获奖者) for the science prizes. Last year, the figure was five out of 10.
The huge sums of money invested in scientific research is one factor that has helped many Americans to win awards. Another reason is the vast number of researchers working in the US. American universities also often have a more “creative university environment”where people can focus on research for a long period without any pressure, said Anders Liljas, member of the Nobel Committee.
New hope for AIDS patients?
AMERICAN scientists Craig Mello (top) of the University of Massachusetts Medical School and Andrew Fire (above) of Stanford University School of Medicine won the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine last Monday. Their discovery is a process that researchers hope to use to silence disease-causing genes (基因). It offers new ways for disease treatment.
Scientists now hope to develop a new technique that could be used to treat diseases, such as cancers, AIDS and Parkinson’s disease.
Like father, like son?
AS the son of a Nobel Prize winning professor, Roger D. Kornberg (left) had a lot to live up to. But, nearly half a century after his father, won his award, Kornberg, 59, a Stanford University professor, won his own last Wednesday: The Nobel Prize in Chemistry. His research into how cells read their genes is very important. It could help lead to the development of new drugs to fight cancer (癌症), heart disease and other illnesses, experts said.
First light of the universe
TWO Americans won the Nobel Prize in Physics last Tuesday for measuring the oldest light in the heavens. It is considered as “one of the greatest discoveries of the century”. It convinced (使确信) scientists that the Big Bang theory (大爆炸理论) of the universe’s origin is correct. George F. Smoot (top), 61, of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, and John C. Mather (above), 60, of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre, will share the US$1.4 million prize for their work. Beginning in 1989, they measured weak light that originated (源于) as early as 380,000 years after the Big Bang.What does the underlined word “swept” in Paragraph 1 mean ?
A.cleaned by brushing | B.crossed completely |
C.spread quickly | D.took each of the winning |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Craig Mello and Andrew Fire have found the way to cure cancers, AIDS and Parkinson’s disease.
B. Roger D. Kornberg’s father once won a Nobel Prize.
C. George F. Smoot will get US$1.4 million prize for his work.
D. Roger D. Kornberg is the youngest of the Nobel Prize owners of this time.The passage is probably taken from________.
A.a science report | B.a news report |
C.a history lecture | D.an advertisement |
The end of the World Cup does not mean the end of international competition, in Brazil this year. A major football event will happen in the South American country later this month, but with teams of robots playing the game, which is known as soccer in the United States. The robot teams are guided by teams of humans from around the world. The event is known as RoboCup.
Technology students at the University of Pennsylvania are trying for their fourth victory at the competition, which is held this year in the coastal city Joao Pessoa. The students have won the last three RoboCup competitions.
Watching robots play football is similar to watching children play the game. The kicks are not good, there's a lot of falling down, and people are there to guide and support the team members. Jian Qiao Li is one of the leaders of the University of Pennsylvania team.
He says one goal he has for the robot team is to make sure the machines can find the goal and the ball. He also wants the robots to be able to know where they are on the playing field. And he wants the team to be able to better control the walking and kicking abilities of the robots.
Qin He is another leader of the robot team. She says the abilities of the robots increase every year. Ms. He says the US team is meeting its goals. The robots know the differences between the colors green and red, and they can decide where to go and where the ball is on the playing field. She says if there are three robot players on the field at the same time, they will communicate with each other to decide the different responsibilities for each robot.
U. S. Team member Christopher Akatusuka hopes for another victory in Brazil. The team has won the RoboCup the past three years in the Netherlands, Mexico and Turkey.
“They have every good team player right now. As long as their detection is good, I think they'll be very competitive; we just hope to compete against the real good German teams eventually, because the Germans always do very well, ” says Akatsuka.
Mr Akatsuka says RoboCup is an exciting technology competition.
“Each team develops their own software; basically it's a competition of who has the best software, who has the best decision—making at a given point... it’s really exciting, ” says Akatsuka.
The event begins July 19th and ends July 25th. Some RoboCup participants hope to develop a team of robots that can play against humans by 2050.According to the first paragraph, Robocup _____.
A.is held every four years |
B.is played by robots |
C.is a symbol of World Cup's ending |
D.is a celebration of World Cup |
The robots' performance of playing the game is _______ .
A.marvelous | B.awkward |
C.flexible | D.awesome |
The same goal for the robots that Jian Qiao Li and Qin He mention is _______ .
A.to locate the ball | B.to communicate with each other |
C.to play at will | D.to distinguish colors |
Akatsuka's final hope for his robot team is ______ .
A.to invent the best software |
B.to win the championship in Brazil |
C.to make the best decision |
D.to compete with humans |
Police fired tear gas and arrested more than 5,000 passively resisting protestors Friday in an attempt to break up the largest antinuclear demonstration ever staged in the United States. More than 135,000 demonstrators confronted police on the construction site of a 1,000-megawatt nuclear power plant scheduled to provide power to most of southern New Hampshire. Organizers of the huge demonstration said, the protest was continuing despite the police actions. More demonstrators were arriving to keep up the pressure on state authorities to cancel the project. The demonstrator had charged that the project was unsafe in the densely populated area, would create thermal pollution in the bay, and had no acceptable means for disposing of its radioactive wasters. The demonstrations would go on until the jails and the courts were so overloaded that the state judicial system would collapse.
Governor Stanforth Thumper insisted that there would be no reconsideration of the power project and no delay in its construction set for completion in three years. “This project will begin on time and the people of this state will begin to receive its benefits on schedule. Those who break the law in misguided attempts to sabotage the project will be dealt with according to the law,” he said. And police called in reinforcements from all over the state to handle the disturbances.
The protests began before dawn Friday when several thousand demonstrators broke through police lines around the cordoned-off construction site. They carried placards that read “No Nukes is Good Nukes,” “Sunpower, Not Nuclear Power,” and “Stop Private Profits from Public Peril.” They defied police order to move from the area. Tear gas canisters fired by police failed to dislodge the protestors who had come prepared with their own gas masks or facecloths. Finally gas-masked and helmeted police charged into the crowd to drag off the demonstrators one by one. The protestors did not resist police, but refused to walk away under their own power. Those arrested would be charged with unlawful assembly, trespassing, and disturbing the peace.What were the demonstrators protesting about?
[A] Private profits.
[B]Nuclear Power Station.
[C] The project of nuclear power construction.
[D] Public peril.Who had gas-masks?
[A] Everybody.
[B]A part of the protestors.
[C] Policemen.
[D] Both B and C..Which of the following was NOT mentioned as a reason for the demonstration?
[A] Public transportation.
[B]Public peril.
[C] Pollution.
[D] Disposal of wastes..With whom were the jails and courts overloaded?
[A] With prisoners.
[B]With arrested demonstrators.
[C] With criminals.
[D] With protestors.What is the attitude of Governor Stanforth Thumper toward the power project and the demonstration?
[A] stubborn.
[B]insistent.
[C] insolvable.
[D] remissible.
Vocabulary
1.tear gas 瓦斯
2.passively resisting protestor 不抵抗的抗议者
3.stage 发起,举行,上演
4.break up 驱散,终止
5.cordon 警戒线,警戒
6.nuke (美俚)核武器,核电站
7.defy 公然蔑视/反抗
8.canister 罐,筒,榴霰弹筒
9.islodge 赶走
10.charge 冲锋,向前冲
11.trespass 非法侵入,扰乱
The Americans have been voted the world’s “funniest nationality” ---the one “best at making people laugh” ---in a global poll (民意调查), which also names the Germans the “least funny” nationality and the British “not as funny as they think”.
30,000 people across 15 countries were asked to name both the “funniest” and “least funny” nationality in a poll conducted by Badoo.com, the world’s largest social network for meeting new people, with 119 million users worldwide.
The Americans were voted the funniest nationality, ahead of the Spanish --- the funniest Europeans --- in second, Italians in third and British in seventh.
The voting for the “least funny” nationality confirmed the view of America’s Mark Twain that “a German joke is no laughing matter”. The Germans won, ahead of the Russians and Turks. The stereotype of German humourlessness is believed to derive from their reputation for efficiency, punctuality and rationality(理性). Examples of German jokes include: “Yesterday, I met my friend Horst at the hospital. He’d swallowed a sponge. He says it doesn’t hurt but he’s always thirsty.”
“When we meet someone new, one of the first things we notice is whether they make us laugh”, says Lloyd Price, Badoo’s Marketing Director. “America is a worthy poll winner”, says Price. “It’s the world’s only comedy superpower.”
The British pride themselves on their humour but learn from the poll that they’re not as funny as they think. They placed just seventh of 15 --- behind the Brazilians, French and Mexicans.According to the poll, which is the right order from the funniest nationality to the least funny one?
A.Spanish, Americans, French, Mexicans, British |
B.Americans, Spanish, Italians, Brazilians, French |
C.British, Mexicans, Brazilians, Spanish, Americans |
D.Italians, French, British, Mexicans, Brazilians |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.The poll was conducted among 119 million people by Badoo. com. |
B.Spanish are the funniest nationality in Europe. |
C.That Germans are named the “least funny” nationality is because of Mark Twain. |
D.Some people think that British are funny while others think the opposite in the poll. |
Which can be the substitute of the word “derive” in the fourth paragraph?
A.acquire | B.suffer | C.translate | D.accomplish |
What is the author’s purpose of telling us a German joke?
A.The author wants to show that Germans are good at telling jokes. |
B.The author wants to confirm what Mark Twain said. |
C.The author wants to prove that Germans are not funny at all. |
D.The author just wants to say that swallowing a sponge is no harm. |
It seems that the best title for this passage is ______.
A.The Funniest Nationality |
B.A Global Poll Conducted by Badoo.Com |
C.Americans Won the Funniest Nationality |
D.Americans Voted “Funniest Nation”, Germans “Least Funny” |
试题篮
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