An autonomous vehicle designed for making loc...

An autonomous vehicle designed for making local commerce deliveries was unveiled by Nuro. The vehicle is about the height of an SW but far narrower than a typical car. The electric car features four exterior compartments (暗格) — two on each side — to hold separate deliveries. Each compartment can be tailored to a specific use, such as cooking a pizza or refrigerating a package.

“We can use self-driving technology to deliver anything, anytime, anywhere for basically all local goods and services,” Nuro co-founder Dave Ferguson said. “Consumers used to be okay with two-week paid shipping. It became two-week free delivery, followed by one week, two days, and the same day. Now same-day delivery isn’t fast enough for some customers.”

Nuro isn’t alone in building robots for local commerce deliveries. Earlier this month, Toyota, a Japanese car company, unveiled a concept vehicle that could be used for package delivery. A handful of startups — including Starship Technologies, Marble and Dispatch — are testing small robots for deliveries on sidewalks.

Nuro’s vehicle will likely face legal hurdles. Fully autonomous vehicles without a test driver aren’t legal in California today, and many companies have shifted testing to states where regulators are more welcoming of autonomous vehicles, such as Arizona.

Nuro expects to face fewer challenges because it doesn’t carry passengers. Nuro’s narrow size may also be helpful when navigating streets and avoiding pedestrians. The vehicle isn’t equipped with any special features to communicate with pedestrians or other road users. Some companies have tested and patented solutions such as digital screens that signal the car’s next move. Ferguson said his team conducted studies and found that such techniques could confuse people. Nuro believes ifs better to make sure the car performs predictably, so that human drivers know what to expect from it.

“We feel by creating this new technology that’s going to enable this last mile delivery, we’re going to be creating new markets and doing things that previously weren’t possible,” Ferguson said. “This is not swapping out Jobs with robots. It’s creating new markets. There will definitely be new employment opportunities.”

1.What is the main characteristic of the Nuro’s self-driving vehicle?

A. It can cook delicious meals for customers.

B. It is a pioneer in the field of self-driving vehicles.

C. It is fur narrower and higher than other autonomous ones.

D. Its deliveries can be transported in the special compartment.

2.Which can best replace the underlined word “hurdles” in Paragraph 4?

A. Breakthrough.　　 B. Dilemma.

C. Restriction.　　 D. Protection.

3.Why is the Nuro’s vehicle not equipped with communicating features?

A. Its digital screens often break down.

B. People may be puzzled at the features.

C. The features have not been developed.

D. Its performance is usually hard to predict.

4.What can we infer about Ferguson’s opinion on this new technology?

A. Beneficial.　　 B. Challenging.

C. Controversial.　　 D. Ambiguous.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

EBay will launch an online group gift-buying service today designed to make it easier for several people to chip in, buy and pay for gifts using their social-network and e-mail contacts．

EBay North America Vice President Christopher Payne says it is going to be a major step forward in social commerce, which is the still-small practice of selling products through social networks．Online retail experts aren't as certain, but eBay says the new tool makes it easier for friends and relatives to chip in （凑钱） for gifts because it eliminates the headache of collecting contributions．It can also be used for family members to pitch in to buy, say, an expensive child seat for a mother．

Anything on eBay that's available immediately, rather than up for bid, can be purchased this way starting today at groupgifts．eBay．com．If members of an extended family wanted to buy a gift for one member, one person would choose a gift — or have one recommended by eBay — and invite family members to chip in using Facebook or e-mail．Those who wanted to join in would choose an amount to contribute （or agree to pay a requested amount） and pay using either PayPal or a credit card．They could also add a personal note．

If enough people don't chip in, the organizer can ask people to contribute more or choose a less expensive gift．

"I see myself using this most in cases when I typically might not buy someone what they want because of price," says Nitzan Shaer of Boston, who was part of an online test of the site．

EBay, with its 200 million products, millions of sellers and mobile commerce proficiency, is a logical place to pull together the products, groups of buyers and payment tools, Payne says．

At least 12 sites, such as FrumUs．com and eDivvy．com, facilitate （便于,利于） group purchases but don't sell products．Although a handful of retailers, including Victoria's Secret and 1-800-Flowers, sell products through Facebook, Payne says he expects social commerce will take off as rapidly as shopping using mobile devices．EBay did more than $600 million in sales on mobile devices last year and expects mobile sales to increase to $1．5 billion this year．

Although one in five consumers surveyed said they'd used Facebook for shopping in the past year, 88% said they would not be buying holiday gifts through a social network, mobile phone or smartphone．Of these, 26% were reluctant because of security or privacy concerns, and 20% were unclear about the benefits of using phones or Facebook to shop．

1.What procedure should be followed if your extended family intends to buy your grandpa an 80^th birthday gift?

①Asking family members to contribute more money if enough members don’t chip in

②Choosing a gift at groupgifts．eBay．com

③Paying using PayPal or a credit card

④Contributing or agreeing to pay a requested amount of money via Facebook or e-mail

2.Where can we most probably read this text?

3.What does “it” mean in the 2^nd paragraph?

4.It can be inferred from the text that ______．

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

EBay will launch an online group gift-buying service today designed to make it easier for several people to chip in, buy and pay for gifts using their social-network and e-mail contacts．

EBay North America Vice President Christopher Payne says it is going to be a major step forward in social commerce, which is the still-small practice of selling products through social networks．Online retail experts aren't as certain, but eBay says the new tool makes it easier for friends and relatives to chip in （凑钱） for gifts because it eliminates the headache of collecting contributions．It can also be used for family members to pitch in to buy, say, an expensive child seat for a mother．

Anything on eBay that's available immediately, rather than up for bid, can be purchased this way starting today at groupgifts．eBay．com．If members of an extended family wanted to buy a gift for one member, one person would choose a gift — or have one recommended by eBay — and invite family members to chip in using Facebook or e-mail．Those who wanted to join in would choose an amount to contribute （or agree to pay a requested amount） and pay using either At least 12 sites, such as FrumUs．com and eDivvy．com, facilitate （便于,利于） group purchases but don't sell products．Although a handful of retailers, including Victoria's Secret and 1-800-Flowers, sell products through Facebook, Payne says he expects social commerce will take off as rapidly as shopping using mobile devices．EBay did more than $600 million in sales on mobile devices last year and expects mobile sales to increase to $1．5 billion this year．

Although one in five consumers surveyed said they'd used Facebook for shopping in the pastPayPal or a credit card．They could also add a personal note．

If enough people don't chip in, the organizer can ask people to contribute more or choose a less expensive gift．

"I see myself using this most in cases when I typically might not buy someone what they want because of price," says Nitzan Shaer of Boston, who was part of an online test of the site．

EBay, with its 200 million products, millions of sellers and mobile commerce proficiency, is a logical place to pull together the products, groups of buyers and payment tools, Payne says．

year, 88% said they would not be buying holiday gifts through a social network, mobile phone or smartphone．Of these, 26% were reluctant because of security or privacy concerns, and 20% were unclear about the benefits of using phones or Facebook to shop．

1.What procedure should be followed if your extended family intends to buy your grandpa an 80^th birthday gift?

①Asking family members to contribute more money if enough members don’t chip in

②Choosing a gift at groupgifts．eBay．com

③Paying using PayPal or a credit card

④Contributing or agreeing to pay a requested amount of money via Facebook or e-mail

A．②-①-③-④                                        B．①-③-②-④

C．②-④-①-③                                        D．②-③-④-①

2.Where can we most probably read this text?

A．In a research paper                              B．In a travel magazine

C．In a microblog                                     D．On a website

3.What does “it” mean in the 2^nd paragraph?

A．The online group gift-buying service

B．People’s social-network and e-mail contacts

C．A major step forward in social commerce

D．The still-small practice of selling products through social networks

4.It can be inferred from the text that ______．

A．through eBay’s new tool, 200 million products on eBay are available to online shoppers

B．social commerce can eliminate the headache of collecting contributions

C．eBay’s new tool will gain mass adoption by online shoppers

D．with the help of eBay’s new tool, FrumUs．com and eDivvy．com will also sell products

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

With self-driving vehicle technology rapidly advancing, many companies are turning to autonomous robots for the last mile of the delivery process, from the store to the customer. The latest to join the trend is e-commerce giant Amazon. Following a successful eight-month test run in Snohomish County, Washington, the company’s Scout robots have been making the rounds of Irvine, California, since August 6, 2019.

The six-wheeled Scout is about the size of a large cooler with the capacity to carry small or medium-sized packages. The battery-powered vehicle, which moves at a regular walking pace, has been programmed to stay away from pedestrians, animals, and unexpected obstacles, like garbage cans. Its powerful sensors can also detect the movement of a car backing out of a driveway.

Though Amazon hasn’t revealed how Scout ensures the delivery is picked up by the right person, it most likely requires the customer to apply a unique code, texted to them before the delivery, to unlock the cargo bay. Also unclear is the number of deliveries Scout can complete before its battery needs recharging Though the initial tests are being conducted with a human in tow, the robot will be autonomous in the future. Its location however, will be tracked at all times—if someone attempts to steal Scout, Amazon employees will be instantly alerted.

While Amazon is focusing on home deliveries, food and grocery delivery company Postmates’ bug-eyed robots are currently making their rounds along the busy San Francisco streets. Also in test-mode, the robots can carry up to 50 pounds and travel 30 miles on a single battery charge.

Though the eco-friendly robots will help free our streets of bicycles, motor bikes, and large delivery trucks that typically ferry packages, they can t climb stairs or open gates, which means they can only reach consumers living the ground level. Additionally, the robots are unable to leave packages at the front door if the customers aren’t home. whether these issues get solved remains to be seen. For now, it appears that humans will still be needed to satisfy the ever-growing demand for home and office deliveries.

1.What is the right feature of the Scout robots?

A.They can be powered themselves. B.They know to avoid obstacles ahead.

C.They can run thanks to their six wheels. D.They’re big enough to carry heavy things.

2.What about Scout is still confusing to common people?

A.How long it will take to get it fully charged.

B.Why its cargo bay can open at the right time.

C.How it recognizes the right owner of the things.

D.How many deliveries it can do on a full charge.

3.What is the author’s opinion about delivery robots according to the last paragraph?

A.They are not easily available. B.They’ll replace humans soon.

C.They have some limitations. D.They won’t be well accepted.

4.What should be the best title for the text?

A.Improvements Are Being Made To Delivery robot Technology.

B.Amazon has Planned To Put A Creative Delivery Robot Into Use.

C.Eco-friendly delivery Robots Are Springing Up Around America.

D.Amazon’s delivery Robots May Soon Be Knocking At Your Door.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

With self-driving vehicle technology rapidly advancing, many companies are turning to autonomous robots for the final leg of the delivery process, from the store or local distribution center to the customer. The latest to join the trend is e-commerce giant Amazon. Following a successful eight — month test run in Snohomish County, Washington, the company's Scout robots have been making the rounds of Irvine, California, since August 6, 2019.

The six-wheeled Scout is about the size of a large cooler with the capacity to carry small or medium-sized

packages. The battery-powered vehicle, which moves at a regular walking pace, has been programmed to avoid pedestrians, animals, and unexpected obstacles, such as garbage cans. Its powerful sensors can also detect the movement of a car backing out of a driveway.

To accelerate Scout's development and bring it nationwide sooner, the company has created several detailed virtual maps of American suburbs and conducted trial deliveries to homes there.

Though Amazon has not shown how Scout ensures the delivery is picked up by the right person, it most likely requires the customer to apply a unique code, texted to them prior to the delivery, to unlock the store box. Also unclear is the number of deliveries Scout can complete before its battery needs to be recharged. Though the initial tests are being conducted with a human for company, the robot will be autonomous in the future. Its location, however, will be tracked at all times ——if someone attempts to steal Scout, Amazon employees will be instantly sensed.

However, the eco-friendly robots are unable to climb stairs or open gates, which means that they can only reach consumers who live on the ground level. Additionally, the robots are unable to leave packages at the front door if the customers are not home. Whether these problems get resolved remains to be seen. For now, it appears that humans will still be needed to achieve the ever-growing demand for home and office deliveries.

1.What are many companies developing autonomous robots for?

A.Final tests. B.The so-called last mile.

C.Robots' safety. D.Delivery speed.

2.What can we infer about Scout from paragraph 2?

A.It looks like a cooler. B.It adjusts its speed accordingly.

C.Its sensors play a key role. D.It will be widely used soon.

3.What does the underlined phrase “prior to" in paragraph 4 mean?

A.Before. B.After.

C.In front of. D.Due to.

4.From which is the text probably taken?

A.A biology textbook. B.A health magazine.

C.A newspaper. D.A travel brochure.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Cloning has the potential to change society. For some，it’s a welcome development designed to make our lives easier. For others，it represents a threat to the health and balance of society，especially from a moral perspective(角度). Looking at these cloning pros and cons，it’s important to consider the scientific，financial，and social aspects of cloning processes.

From a scientific perspective，cloning can be considered major progress. Scientists aren’t limited by population. It’s also possible to clone pieces of living things.

However，cloning changes the natural order of life and death. Why should scientists have to treat an animal well in the lab if they can just make more? As a result，scientists may become lazy or careless with the living things they work on.

Cloning is a major business. Medical research groups have invested millions of dollars in making cloning possible. As a result，they can make big profits from selling cloning services to hospitals and the public. However，the wealth they achieve doesn’t mean that cloning itself is a profitable trial. For example，while a company may clone an organ，its price may be too high to afford. As a result，only rich people and governments could use cloning products.

As a whole，cloning for society can be debated for hours. On one hand，you have religious groups，who say that cloning is wrong. On the other hand，you have many people who are looking forward to making clones of themselves so that the clone can serve as a worker and leave the original person to enjoy a life of relaxation and wealth.

1.We can conclude from the first paragraph that ________.

A. opinions about cloning vary from person to person

B. more people think little of the benefits of cloning

C. cloning has the potential to change society for better

D. people should think of cloning in a more scientific way

2.Why do some people think cloning has a bad effect on scientific experiments?

A. More money may be spent on cloning other living things.

B. Scientists will become careless with their experiments.

C. Cloning may disturb the balance of nature and wildlife.

D. Scientists may ignore the living things they work on.

3.What is the disadvantage of cloning products put into the market?

A. More fake cloning products will crowd into the market soon.

B. Only a limited group would have access to cloning products.

C. Patients have to buy cloning products from hospitals or governments.

D. Scientists may pay attention to quantity of cloning products rather than quality.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The most challenging job for game designers is to make their games interesting＿＿．

A. to play 　B. to be played　

C. played 　D. being played

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

1.What can we do according to the ad?

A．We can enjoy all of the attractions of the county by bus.

B．Day Ranger tickets can offer us unlimited bus travel across the county every            day.

C．We may be able to visit some scenic spots at a fairly low price.

D．We need purchase our tickets anytime we get on board the bus.

2.Information on bus services is available at these places EXCEPT________.

A．visitor attractions               B．tourist information centers

C．the County Council’s web site    D．university libraries

3.How much will you be charged if your family（a couple and two children）goes on a special-Sunday-ticket trip?

A．￡15.00.       B．￡12.50.        C．￡9.00.       D．￡5.00

4.If you ask for further information on fares of the individual bus operators, you may as well________.

A．browse www. Nottinghamshire. Gov.uk/buses

B．call 0870 608 2 608

C．go to the County Council

D．refer to county contact points

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Applicants Wanted

1.What will a driver’s car probably look like if he is selected by Wrap Match?

2.We learn from the ads that the Sierra Company needs a person who 　　　　　 .

A．has years’ experiences in working for a big company

B．is well-organized and good at problem solving

C．enjoys working with strangers in different companies

D．can help to write and edit vehicle advertising

3.Which position can be taken as a part—time job according to the ads?

A．Key Performance Indicator．

B．Media Planner，Online Display—Social Emphasis．

C．Vehicle advertising driver．

D．Manager，Online Organizing Special Projects．

4.Which requirement is NOT included for the applicants by Home Depot?

A．Strong MS Excel skills．

B．Being friendly and cooperative．

C．Good written skills．

D．Expertly mastering a foreign language．

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

What makes the girl study harder?

A.To get a toy

B.To work as a designer.

C.To earn money for a car.

高三英语短对话简单题查看答案及解析