Picture the scene: You come home after work feeling too exhausted to cook –only to find a delicious meal worthy of a Michelin-starred restaurant waiting for you. It sounds like a fantasy, but it could be about to come true thanks to a robot chef developed by British scientists.
Those scientists have come up with a set of robotic arms so smart that they are capable of cooking meals all by themselves. The device will be sold from as early as 2017 as part of a purpose-built high-tech kitchen.
Scientists at Moley Robotics spent almost 18 years developing the hands. According to its creators, the arms can chop, stir, whisk and baste well enough to recreate almost anything you would care to eat, whether it is a simple home-cooked supper, or a complicated creation designed by a world-class chef. The hands move a little slowly, hovering strangely above the work surface whenever they are not busy, but they imitate human movements closely enough that they can do things such as wiping a spoon on the edge of a pan to prevent drips.
Mr. Oleynik, who is leading the project, said, “All the things which are possible with the hand are possible here. There is no limitation. A lot of people want to go to Michelin-starred restaurants, but they are quite expensive and may be quite far from the home. This is an opportunity for people to enjoy very good food, and for a reasonable price. ”
The only cuisine that is off the robot’s menu at the moment is sushi, which requires extremely steady pressure and nimble fingers to make, but the team plan to conquer that as well by the time it goes on sale.
1.People go to Michelin-starred restaurants in order to______.
A. appreciate car tires. B. escape from work
C. see the new robot chefs D. enjoy delicious meals
2.What does the underlined word “they” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A. British scientists B. Household wives
C. Cooks at restaurants D. The robot chef’s arms
3.Which kind of food CAN’T the robot chef cook at present?
A. Sushi B. Beef C. Bread D. Sandwich
4.What can we infer from the passage?
A. Hands of a robot chef can perform exactly like a cook.
B. It is uncertain when the robot can cook all kinds of food.
C. Michelin-starred restaurants are suitable for many people.
D. Robot chefs are available at shopping malls.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
About five years ago, an American electrical engineer named Scott Brusaw and his wife Julie came up with the idea of putting solar panels on the ground rather than the roof. Then they began to develop the Solar Roadway. The Solar Roadway is an intelligent road that provides clean renewable energy using power from the sun while providing safer driving conditions, along with power and data delivery. They predict that the Solar Roadway will pay for itself through the generation of electricity along with other forms of income and that the same money that is being used to build and resurface current roads can be used to build the Solar Roadways.
Each Solar Road Panel measures roughly 4 meters by 4 meters and contains a microprocessor (微处理器) that monitors and controls the panel, while communicating with neighboring panels and the vehicles traveling overhead. The inventors suggest that this provides a communications device every 4 meters on every road which could be used for example to warn drivers of cars which are moving across a centre line and various other speed control problems. The top of the Solar Road panels is made of super-strong glass that would offer vehicles the tractions (抓地力) they need.
According to the inventors, the Solar Roadway creates and carries clean renewable electricity and therefore electric vehicles can be recharged at any conveniently located rest stop, or at any business that has paved Solar Road Panels in their parking lots.
The inventors say their Solar Roadway has many functions and advantages from main roads to driveways, parking lots, bike paths, sidewalks and runways. The Federal Highway Administration has given Brusaw $100,000 to develop the invention and Brusaw hopes to build a smart-road parking lot in the coming spring .
1.In the inventors’ opinion, the Solar Roadway _____.
A. is too expensive to build at present
B. costs no more money than current roads
C. can provide as many data as present computers
D. will bring them a large sum of money
2. It can be inferred from the text that _____.
A. the Solar Roadway has already been put into use
B. $100,000 is only enough to build a smart-road parking lot
C. the Solar Roadway is not available for gas-powered cars
D. future electric vehicles can be charged anytime and anywhere
3.What can be the best title for the text?
A. Solar-powered smart road of the future
B. The great changes on the roadway
C. The influence the Solar Roadway has on people
D. The Solar Road — a much faster road
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
A tender woman, or an independent one, which one would you prefer? A recent research shows that most people would choose the latter.
This type of woman is called a nühanzi (“tough woman”). Experts believe these characteristics have social and psychological roots among young females in China. Su Hao’s friends all call her a tough woman, because she can finish tough tasks usually carried out by men. For example, she carries 10-litre water to her dormitory on the 5th floor. “I depend on no one but myself,” she says.
According to a recent survey by China Youth Daily, tough women have become rather common in society. Of the 21,265 respondents, 78.5 percent said they are familiar with a tough woman. About 50 percent said they like women with tough characteristics, while less than 29 percent expressed the opposite view.
Why are tough women gaining popularity? Shen Meng, a psychological consultant, believes the fierce competition in society is contributing to this trend. “Women are often in a disadvantaged position compared to men,” Shen says. “In order to survive, they have to be independent, strong and tough.” Liu Xiaolin, professor of psychology at Wuhan Mental Health Center, believes tough women are brought up this way. They are often on close relationship with their fathers, who teach their daughters to be brave and decisive,” he says. As a result, these women are more likely to be psychologically healthy and more tolerant to stress, according to Liu.
Though Liu believes that this is a good trend, Hu Shenzhi, a psychologist at the Guangdong Sunflower Counseling Center, says the popularity of tough woman indicates an unclear line between gender identities, which can lead to relationship problems. “Some women with characteristics that differ from the traditional female image may have a difficult time finding Mr Right,” he says. “Even if they get married, their manly characteristics might cause family conflicts.
1.Which of the followings doesn’t belong to the characteristics of a tough woman?
A. She is independent of others in daily life.
B. She can solve problems usually for men.
C. She is more tolerant to stress.
D. She is soft and tender to others.
2.How many respondents like tough women?
A. about 21,265. B. about 16,700
C. about 10,600. D. about 6,200
3.Why are there more tough women nowadays?
A. Because tough women are more lovely.
B. Because of the fierce competition in society.
C. Because girls often love fathers more.
D. Because more women want to be independent.
4.What problems may tough women have in their life?
A. They may have difficulty with marriage.
B. They often suffer gender confusion.
C. It’s difficult for them to be friends.
D. They have different characteristics from traditional female images.
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
Our “Mommy and Me” time began two years ago. My next-door neighbor and fellow mother, Christie, and I were out in our front yards, watching seven children of age 6 and under ride their bikes up and down. “I wish I could take one of my children out alone,” said Christie.
Then we worked out a plan: When Christie takes one of her children out, I’ll watch her other three. And when she watches two of mine, I’ll take someone out.
The children were extremely quick to accept the idea of “Mommy and Me” time. Christie’s daughter, McKenzie, went first. When she returned, the other children asked her tons of questions. McKenzie was smiling broadly. Christie looked refreshed and happy. “She’s like a different child when there’s no one else around,” Christie shared with me quickly. With her mother all to herself, McKenzie didn’t have to make an effort to gain attention.
Just as Christie had noticed changes in McKenzie, I also discovered something different in each of my children during our alone times. For example, I am always surprised when my daughter, who is seldom close to me, holds my hand frequently. My stuttering（口吃的）son, Tom, doesn’t stutter once during our activities since he doesn’t have to struggle for a chance to speak. And the other son, Sam, who’s always a follower when around other children shines as a leader during our times together.
The “Mommy and Me” time allows us to be simply alone and away with each child ---talking, sharing, and laughing, which has been the biggest gain. Every child deserves to be an only child at least once in a while.
1.What is the text mainly about?
A. The happy life of two families.
B. The experience of the only child being with mother.
C. The advantage of spending time with one child at a time
D. The basic needs of children.
2.Right after McKenzie came back, the other children were _____________.
A. happy B. curious C. regretful D. friendly
3.What is one of the changes the author finds in her children?
A. Tom has less difficulty in speaking.
B. Sam holds her hand more often.
C. The daughter acts like a leader.
D. The boys become better followers.
4.The author seems to believe that ___________.
A. having brothers and sisters is fun
B. parents should watch others’ children
C. it’s tiring to look after three children
D. every child needs parents’ full attention
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Rabbits are easy to raise. The long-eared animals are clean and quiet. They do not need a lot of room. And you do not have to spend a lot of money to feed them.1.One male and two females will produce in a year as many as fifty more rabbits. That is enough to provide a good supply of meat for a family.2.
Rabbit houses are easy to make with wood and wire fencing material. They do not have to be very big. But each rabbit must have its own little room in the house. This is very important. Each room should be about 75 centimeters wide, 60 centimeters high and one meter deep. Fencing is used for the sides and floor of the rabbit house. The holes in the wire fencing should be about one centimeter square. 3.This keeps the rabbit house clean and dry. Rabbits need a lot of fresh air and sunlight. Cover the sides of the rabbit house only to protect it from rain.
4. Feeding containers hung on the outside of the house let the rabbits eat whenever they want. They simply pull the grass and leaves through the holes in the wire fence.
Each room should have fresh water. The water containers should be heavy so the rabbits cannot turn them over. 5.
One month after mating, female rabbits give birth to about eight babies. In two months, a baby rabbit should weigh about two kilograms. This is big enough to make a meal for a small family.
A. Or you can tie the containers to the wire.
B. Rabbit meat is high in protein and low in fat.
C. Rabbits eat mostly grass and leaves.
D. Rabbits are also valuable for their fur.
E. Wastes from the animals will drop through the holes.
F. Many people enjoy keeping rabbits as friendly pets.
G. With rabbits, you get a big return from a small investment.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
In my early childhood, my parents and teachers taught me to be persistent (执着) in every task I devoted myself to. I was __ that persistence is the only way towards success. But a small incident made me change my mind.
One day my two-year-old son, __ at a dozen of “stood” color markerpens, cheered excitedly, “Mummy, look! I did it.” Afterwards, he collected some ballpens, __ to do the same. Hard though he tried, the ballpens just lay __. He turned to me for help. Noticing they had either sharp or round ends, I said __, “Mummy can’t help you.” To my __, he wouldn’t listen and continued trying. I was struck by his persistence.
My son’s behaviour reminded me of George who was always __ in his work and rarely talked to anyone. To him, __, there was no such thing called weekends or holidays. Our boss praised __ about him and __ us to look up to him as a role model.
One day I met George. “Gonna work late again tonight？”
“Probably can't leave till midnight,” he said.
“How many hours have you put in here each week, eighty or ninety?”
“__.”
“Don’t you have time to be with your family at all?”
He shook his head slowly and __ a sigh. “It’s not what I wanted. But I have worked on it for so long. It’s much too __ to even think about letting go.”
A year later I resigned. The __ thing I heard about him was that his wife divorced him. Since then I’ve never seen him. But occasionally his aged __ would come to my mind.
Until that day, __ knowing why the ballpens couldn’t stand up, the twoyearold had __ the impossibility after many failures. He put aside all the ballpens and kept only those water markers for his “game”. __, he already learned to let go of his previous __ attempts.
In our daily life, many headaches can be avoided if we know how to __ them and then let go of them immediately.
1.A. convinced B. confident C. conscious D. consistent
2.A. shouting B. pointing C. screaming D. laughing
3.A. intending B. insisting C. requiring D. urging
4.A. still B. silent C. quiet D. flat
5.A. deliberately B. enthusiastically C. casually D. unintentionally
6.A. content B. disappointment C. surprise D. sorrow
7.A. buried B. interested C. devoted D. busy
8.A. however B. therefore C. otherwise D. though
9.A. little B. well C. much D. highly
10.A. ordered B. inspired C. promised D. appealed
11.A. At random B. At times C. At most D. At least
12.A. let out B. let off C. sent off D. sent out
13.A. encouraging B. comfortable C. painful D. ashamed
14.A. later B. last C. latter D. lately
15.A. picture B. figure C. reflection D. image
16.A. for B. with C. without D. besides
17.A. accepted B. received C. refused D. rejected
18.A. Generally B. Eventually C. Additionally D. Obviously
19.A. hopeful B. endless C. meaningful D. useless
20.A. clarify B. realize C. identify D. acknowledge
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
When I was in elementary school, I always argued with a boy in my class. I have forgotten what the 1. (argue) was about, but I have never forgotten the lesson I learnt that day.
I was convinced that “I” was right and “he” was wrong but he argued that “I” was wrong and “he” was right. The teacher decided to teach us 2. very important lesson.She_3. (bring) us up to the front of the class and placed the boy on the side of her desk and me on the other. In the middle of her desk, there was a large 4. round object. She asked the boy what color the object was. “White”, he answered. I couldn’t believe 5._he said, because it was 6. (obvious) black! Another conflict started 7._ him and me, but this time it was about color of the object. The teacher told me to stand in the place8._the boy had been standing. We changed the place and now she asked me what the color of the object was. I had to answer, “White”. It was an object with two differently colored sides. From9.viewpoint it was white, but from my side it was black. Sometimes_10.(look) at a problem from the other person’s view, we will come to a totally different conclusion.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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。每次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。
I am a Senior 3 student. I often quarrel with my mother over if I can watch TV after school. My mother holds the view that students in Senior 3, heavily burden with their studies, are so busy to spare any time to watch TV. It seemed to her that once I am allowed to do that I will not able to control myself and forget all about my study. She also thinks that it is bad for her eyes to watch TV too often. But I really can’t accept her ideas. I think it is relaxed to watch TV before a day’s hard work. Not only can it set my mind at rest, but it can broaden my horizons. In addition, and we can be kept well informed of what’s happening at home and abroad and keep up with the times.
Now we have at last reached an agreement that I can only watch TV at weekends, and the content is limited to news and program of entertainment, sports or science.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假如你是李华,你的美国网友Jack想参加中央电视台的星光大道(Avenue of Stars)，特写信向你询问相关情况。请你根据所给要点提示给他写一封回信,告知相关事宜。
要点提示：
1.简单介绍星光大道：普通人展示才艺的舞台，深受观众喜爱；
2.参赛选手展示才艺：唱歌、跳舞等；
3.报名：网上提前报名；
4.建议：学一些简单的汉语。
注意：
1.字数100字左右；
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯;
3.书写整洁。
参考词汇：参赛选手 participant
Dear Jack,
Best wishes!
Yours,
Li Hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析