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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（伙伴） 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.How are social robots different from household robots?
A. They can control their emotions.
B. They are more like humans.
C. They do the normal housework.
D. They respond to users more slowly.
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.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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Jay Chou is a well-known name both in Taiwan and mainland. He is now one of Asia’s hottest pop stars. His catchy tunes have mainstreamed (主流) rap and R&B in the Mandopop world. In the past his teacher thought he was dumb (木讷的). Talent spotters(观察者)thought he was ugly. But his success proves that the music still matters more than looks and image. His musical talent is recognized by fans, fellowsingers and producers.
Now, a singing contest was held in Taiwan. Chou appeared at the contest with band “Nan Quan Mama”, which was discovered by Chou. Their first album the Summer of Nan Quan Mama, composed and produced by Chou was a great success.
Chou started his career at a singing contest, attracting the attention of record producers. But the successful singer does not believe in luck. He says it’s his passion for music and hard work that are keys to his success. He said, “I didn’t know how to sing at the beginning, so I lost the first time. But I was so determined that I never stopped trying. My advice to these young singers is never to give up, and always believe in yourself.”
Chou’s confidence has strengthened his music. He is a great source of inspiration to youngsters who share his determination to become a superstar.
1.The best title for this passage can be________.
A. Jay Chou and Nan Quan Mama B. Jay Chou encourages youngsters
C. Jay Chou and his band D. A brief introduction of Jay Chou
2.The underlined part “matters more” most probably means________.
A. better B. more different
C. more difficult D. more important
3.Which of the following is NOT TRUE about Jay Chou?
A. Jay Chou is confident towards music.
B. He is a determined man.
C. He succeeded the first time he appeared on the stage.
D. Though not good-looking, he has a gift for music.
4.________makes Jay Chou a success according to the passage?
A. His luck B. His passion of music
C. His hard work D. Both B and C
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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This March is a busy month in Shanghai. There’s a lot to do. Here are the highlights.
Live Music—Late Night Jazz
Enjoy real American jazz from Herbie Davis, the famous trumpet (小号) player. He’s coming with his new 7-piece band, Herbie’s Heroes. Herbie is known to play well into the early hours, so don’t expect to get much sleep. This is Herbie’s third visit to Shanghai. The first two were sold out, so get your tickets quickly.
Scottish Dancing
Take your partners and get ready to dance till you drop. Scottish dancing is fun and easy to learn.
Instructors will demonstrate the dances. The live band, Gordon Stroppie and the Weefrees, are also excellent.
Exhibitions—Shanghai MuseumThere are 120,000 pieces on show here. You can see the whole Chinese history under one roof. It’s always interesting to visit, but doubly so at the moment with the Egyptian Tombs exhibition. There are lots of mummies and more gold than you’ve ever seen before. Let us know if you see a mummy move!
Dining –Sushi chef in town
Sushi is getting really big in Shanghai. In Japan, it’s become an art form .The most famous Sushi ‘artist’ is Yuki Kamura .She’s also one of the few female chefs in Japan. She’ll be at Sushi Scene all of this month.
For a full listing of events, see our website.1.Suppose you are going to attend an activity at 8:00p.m. on Saturday, which one can you choose?
A. Live Music—Late Night Jazz B. Scottish dancing
C. Exhibitions –Shanghai Museum D. Dining—Sushi chef in town
2.From the text we may learn that Kamura is _________.
A. a cook B. a waitress
C. an instructor D. an artist
3.Which of the following is TRUE according to the advertisements?
A. Sushi is getting more and more popular in Shanghai.
B. The performance given by the American jazz band won’t last long.
C. Scottish dancing is so interesting but difficult.
D. You would see a mummy move in Shanghai Museum.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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The British----and especially the English----are bad at complaining. Because of British politeness rules, according to which conflict should be avoided, people either just do not complain, or sometimes bottle it up and then outpour it in another way in other umimportant situations. In fact, there is a TV programme which show the British in typical situations where they would be perfectly reasonable in complaining, but they don’t. In one scene, a woman reads a newspaper over people’s shoulders and the people say nothing or look embarrassed.
The British are also well-known for putting up with bad service everywhere from restaurants to airports and railway stations because the standard rules of behaviour say that it is bad to draw attention to yourself. This is why, when you travel on the tube in London and there is yet another delay, the passengers will look at each other, sigh, smile wearily and raise their eyes to heaven. They might even say, “Huh! Typical!” in a resigned(顺从的)tone of voice that says that there’s nothing that can be done about it. When complaints are made, they are made in an apologetic or a humorous tone of voice. In France ,on the other hand, angry passengers might riot(闹事)and burn down the subway station if they had to put up with the poor service that the London underground provides.
Americans and other Europeans, who are much more direct and in-your-face than the British, often wonder why British people always say “sorry” or “excuse me” when they complain. “It’s like they’re apologizing for something that isn’t their fault, they say. They are missing the point. British people are not really sorry ---it is because the word ‘sorry’ actually works as a distancing skill. This is important in terms of negative politeness and not drawing attention to yourself. If you do not say ‘sorry’ or use other distancing words like ‘could’, ‘would’, ‘might’, ‘possibly’ and so on, you will be seen as rude.”
1.What does the underlined part “bottle it up” in Paragraph 1 mean?
A. Put something into bottles B. Not do anything dangerous
C. Cause problems by hesitating D. Not allow emotions to be seen
2.The French tend to _______.
A. tolerate bad service B. enjoy taking the subway
C. make a complaint humorously D. express their dissatisfaction directly
3.When the British say “sorry”, they actually want to _______.
A. try not to be rude B. apologize sincerely
C. show their feelings directly D. draw attention to themselves
4.Which can be the best title for the text?
A. How to complain B. Complaining politely
C. Poor service in Britain D. Politeness rules across the world
难度: 中等查看答案及解析