Researchers are placing robotic dogs in the homes of lonely old people to determine whether they can improve the quality of life for humans．Alan Beck, an expert in human-animal relationship, and Nancy Edwards, a professor of nursing, are leading the animal-assisted study concerning the influence of robotic dogs on old people's depression, physical activity, and life satisfaction．“No one will argue that an older person is better off being more active, challenged, or stimulated（刺激）,” Edwards points out．“The problem is how we promote that, especially for those without friends or help．A robotic dog could be a solution．”
In the study, the robot, called AIBO, is placed for six weeks in the houses of some old people who live alone．Before placing AIBO in the home, researchers will collect baseline data for six weeks．These old people will keep a diary to note their feelings and activities before and after AIBO．Then, the researchers will review the data to determine if it has inspired any changes in the life of its owner．
“I talk to him all the time, and he responds to my voice,” says a seventy-year-old lady．“When I'm watching TV, he'll stay in my arms until he wants down．He has a mind of his own．”
The AIBOs respond to certain orders．The researchers say they have some advantages over live dogs, especially for old people．Often the elderly are disabled and cannot care for an animal by walking it or playing with it．A robotic dog removes exercise and feeding concerns．
“At the beginning, it was believed that no one would relate to the robotic dog because it was metal and not furry,” Beck says．“But it's amazing how quickly we have given up that belief．”
“Hopefully, down the road, these robotic pets could become a more valuable health helper．They will record their masters’ blood pressure, oxygen levels, or heart rhythms．AIBOs may even one day have games that can help stimulate older people's minds．”
1.The purpose of Beck and Edwards’ study is to______．
A． understand human-animal relationship
B． find the causes of old people’s loneliness
C． make lonely old people’s life better
D． promote the animal-assisted research
2.In the research, the old people are asked to______．
A． note the activities of AIBOs
B． keep AIBOs at home for 12 weeks
C． analyze the collected information
D． record their feelings and activities
3.What is the advantage of AIBO over live dogs?
A． It can watch TV with its owner
B． It can help the disabled people
C． It responds to all the human orders
D． It is easier to keep at home
4.The author seems to suggest that the future robotic dogs may______．
A． keep old people active
B． cure certain diseases
C． change people's beliefs
D． look more like real dogs
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
Researchers are placing robotic dogs in the homes of lonely old people to determine whether they can improve the quality of life for humans．Alan Beck, an expert in human-animal relationship, and Nancy Edwards, a professor of nursing, are leading the animal-assisted study concerning the influence of robotic dogs on old people's depression, physical activity, and life satisfaction．“No one will argue that an older person is better off being more active, challenged, or stimulated（刺激）,” Edwards points out．“The problem is how we promote that, especially for those without friends or help．A robotic dog could be a solution．”
In the study, the robot, called AIBO, is placed for six weeks in the houses of some old people who live alone．Before placing AIBO in the home, researchers will collect baseline data for six weeks．These old people will keep a diary to note their feelings and activities before and after AIBO．Then, the researchers will review the data to determine if it has inspired any changes in the life of its owner．
“I talk to him all the time, and he responds to my voice,” says a seventy-year-old lady．“When I'm watching TV, he'll stay in my arms until he wants down．He has a mind of his own．”
The AIBOs respond to certain orders．The researchers say they have some advantages over live dogs, especially for old people．Often the elderly are disabled and cannot care for an animal by walking it or playing with it．A robotic dog removes exercise and feeding concerns．
“At the beginning, it was believed that no one would relate to the robotic dog because it was metal and not furry,” Beck says．“But it's amazing how quickly we have given up that belief．”
“Hopefully, down the road, these robotic pets could become a more valuable health helper．They will record their masters’ blood pressure, oxygen levels, or heart rhythms．AIBOs may even one day have games that can help stimulate older people's minds．”
1.The purpose of Beck and Edwards’ study is to______．
A． understand human-animal relationship
B． find the causes of old people’s loneliness
C． make lonely old people’s life better
D． promote the animal-assisted research
2.In the research, the old people are asked to______．
A． note the activities of AIBOs
B． keep AIBOs at home for 12 weeks
C． analyze the collected information
D． record their feelings and activities
3.What is the advantage of AIBO over live dogs?
A． It can watch TV with its owner
B． It can help the disabled people
C． It responds to all the human orders
D． It is easier to keep at home
4.The author seems to suggest that the future robotic dogs may______．
A． keep old people active
B． cure certain diseases
C． change people's beliefs
D． look more like real dogs
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Researchers are placing robotic dogs in the homes of lonely old people to determine whether they can improve the quality of life for humans. Alan Beck, an expert in human-animal relationship, and Nancy Edwards, a professor of nursing, are leading the animal-assisted study concerning the influence of robotic dogs on old people's depression, physical activity, and life satisfaction. “No one will argue that an older person is better off being more active, challenged, or stimulated (刺激),” Edwards points out. “The problem is how we promote that, especially for those without friends or help. A robotic dog could be a solution.”
In the study, the robot, called AIBO, is placed for six weeks in the houses of some old people who live alone. Before placing AIBO in the home, researchers will collect baseline data for six weeks. These old people will keep a diary to note their feelings and activities before and after AIBO. Then, the researchers will review the data to determine if it has inspired any changes in the life of its owner.
“I talk to him all the time, and he responds to my voice,” says a seventy-year-old lady. “When I'm watching TV, he'll stay in my arms until he wants down. He has a mind of his own.”
The AIBOs respond to certain orders. The researchers say they have some advantages over live dogs, especially for old people. Often the elderly are disabled and cannot care for an animal by walking it or playing with it. A robotic dog removes exercise and feeding concerns.
“At the beginning, it was believed that no one would relate to the robotic dog because it was metal and not furry,” Beck says. “But it's amazing how quickly we have given up that belief.”
“Hopefully, down the road, these robotic pets could become a more valuable health helper. They will record their masters’ blood pressure, oxygen levels, or heart rhythms. AIBOs may even one day have games that can help stimulate older people's minds.”
1.The purpose of Beck and Edwards’ study is to ____.
A. understand human-animal relationship
B. find the causes of old people’s loneliness
C. make lonely old people’s life better
D. promote the animal-assisted research
2.In the research, the old people are asked to ____.
A. note the activities of AIBOs
B. keep AIBOs at home for 12 weeks
C. analyze the collected information
D. record their feelings and activities
3.What is the advantage of AIBO over live dogs?
A. It can watch TV with its owner.
B. It can help the disabled people.
C. It responds to all the human orders.
D. It is easier to keep at home.
4.The author seems to suggest that the future robotic dogs may ____.
A. keep old people active
B. cure certain diseases
C. change people's beliefs
D. look more like real dogs
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Are you tired of looking for love in all the usual places? Nowadays, millions of lonely singles are now going online instead．The World Wide Web is quickly becoming the world’s most popular matchmaker．With so many singles online, dozens of dating sites like Yahoo Personals and Match．com are helping singles find that special someone．Around the world, from America to China, love is now very much online．
Singles are flocking to the Internet mainly because their busy lifestyles leave them little time to look for a significant other．Using dating sites is quick and convenient．They can “meet” a lot more people online than they could by hanging out at a club．Besides , many singles say the regular dating scene has just led them from one bad experience to another and are ready to try something else．They also appreciate the first distance of online dating, which allows them to hide themselves until they are ready to meet someone face to face．Dating sites also make it easy to avoid someone you are not interested in．In the real world, however, ignoring someone you don’t like can be awkward．
Despite all the advantages, online dating also presents its own set of problems．People aren’t always who they claim to be in their online profiles．For instance, someone who tells you he is “handsome, successful and single” might turn out to be homely, unemployed and married．Safety is another concern．You are just as likely to find a criminal online as you are Mr or Miss Right．
Even so, supporters of online dating see things in a positive way．In their opinion, singles can safely play the online dating game with a little common sense．Online dating experts recommend following a few safety tips:
Guard your personal information．Never give out your personal information online．This includes your last name, phone number, home address and place of work．
Watch for red flags．Do any of the people you are chatting with make disrespectful comments? Do they try to control you? Do they give false information about themselves? If so, forget them!
Meet in a safe place．When meeting someone in person, choose a public location with other people around．
Following these tips and you might be able to find the person of your dreams．
1.According to the passage, many lonely singles don’t appreciate the regular dating scene because it is ___．
A．unpopular B．troublesome C．convenient D．forgettable
2.This passage is mainly about ．
A．getting tired of falling in love in a usual way
B．people with false information on the Internet
C．new technology to find love through the Interent
D．web sites such as Yahoo Personals and Match．com
3.Which of the following is NOT a suitable place for meeting someone you get to know through the Internet for the first time according to the text?
A．At his/her house． B．At a museum．
C．At McDonald’s． D．At a bookstore．
4.From this passage ,we can infer that ．
A．there are mostly homely and unemployed people online
B．the police had better find criminals online
C．we can find love only through the dating sites
D．following safety tips ensure a safe online dating experience
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
Are you tired of looking for love in all the usual places? Nowadays, millions of lonely singles are now going online instead．The World Wide Web is quickly becoming the world’s most popular matchmaker．With so many singles online, dozens of dating sites like Yahoo Personals and Match．com are helping singles find that special someone．Around the world, from America to China, love is now very much online．
Singles are flocking to the Internet mainly because their busy lifestyles leave them little time to look for a significant other．Using dating sites is quick and convenient．They can “meet” a lot more people online than they could by hanging out at a club．Besides , many singles say the regular dating scene has just led them from one bad experience to another and are ready to try something else．They also appreciate the first distance of online dating, which allows them to hide themselves until they are ready to meet someone face to face．Dating sites also make it easy to avoid someone you are not interested in．In the real world, however, ignoring someone you don’t like can be awkward．
Despite all the advantages, online dating also presents its own set of problems．People aren’t always who they claim to be in their online profiles．For instance, someone who tells you he is “handsome, successful and single” might turn out to be homely, unemployed and married．Safety is another concern．You are just as likely to find a criminal online as you are Mr or Miss Right．
Even so, supporters of online dating see things in a positive way．In their opinion, singles can safely play the online dating game with a little common sense．Online dating experts recommend following a few safety tips:
Guard your personal information．Never give out your personal information online．This includes your last name, phone number, home address and place of work．
Watch for red flags．Do any of the people you are chatting with make disrespectful comments? Do they try to control you? Do they give false information about themselves? If so, forget them!
Meet in a safe place．When meeting someone in person, choose a public location with other people around．
Following these tips and you might be able to find the person of your dreams．
1.According to the passage, many lonely singles don’t appreciate the regular dating scene because it is ___．
A．unpopular B．troublesome C．convenient D．forgettable
2.This passage is mainly about ．
A．getting tired of falling in love in a usual way
B．people with false information on the Internet
C．new technology to find love through the Interent
D．web sites such as Yahoo Personals and Match．com
3.Which of the following is NOT a suitable place for meeting someone you get to know through the Internet for the first time according to the text?
A．At his/her house． B．At a museum．
C．At McDonald’s． D．At a bookstore．
4.From this passage ,we can infer that ．
A．there are mostly homely and unemployed people online
B．the police had better find criminals online
C．we can find love only through the dating sites
D．following safety tips ensure a safe online dating experience
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Dogs can know the meaning of a human perspective, say researchers.
Dogs are more capable of understanding situations from a human's point of view than has previously been recognized, according to researchers.
They found dogs were four times more likely to steal food they had been forbidden, when lights were turned off so humans in the room could not see.
This suggested the dogs were able to alter their behavior when they knew their owners' perspective had changed.
The study, published in Animal Cognition, conducted tests on eighty-four dogs.
The experiments had been trying to find whether dogs could make their behavior suitable to react to the changed circumstances of their human owners. It wanted to see if dogs had a "flexible understanding" that could show they understood the viewpoint of a human.
It found that when the lights were turned off, dogs in a room with their human owners were much more likely to disobey and steal forbidden food.
The study says it is "unlikely that the dogs simply forgot that the human was in the room" when there was no light. Instead it seems as though the dogs were able to differentiate between when the human was unable or able to see them.
Juliane Kaminski carried out the research into how dogs are influenced by human circumstances.
Dr Juliane Kaminski, from the University of Portsmouth's psychology department, said the study was "incredible because it implies dogs understand the human can't see them, meaning they might understand the human perspective".
Previous studies have suggested that although humans might think that they can recognize different expressions on their dogs' faces, this is often inaccurate and a projection of human emotions.
“Humans constantly attribute(归属) certain qualities and emotions to other living things. We know that our own dog is clever or sensitive, but that's us thinking, not them,” said Dr Kaminski.
“These results suggest humans might be right, where dogs are concerned, but we still can't be completely sure if the results mean dogs have a truly flexible understanding of the mind and others' minds. It has always been assumed only humans had this ability.
1.According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A. The researchers made the test on dogs in eighty-four countries.
B. Dogs always obey and don’t steal forbidden food.
C. Dogs may adapt their behavior in response to the changed circumstances.
D. The research is carried out to find out how dogs are influenced by light.
2.Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage?
A. Dogs---Our Loyal Companions Understand Us Most.
B. Dogs Are Our Best Friends.
C. Dogs Can Understand Us In a Way, Researchers Say.
D. Dogs Have Certain Qualities and Emotions of Human Beings, Researchers Say.
3.Where can we probably read this kind of articles?
A. Textbooks. B. Advertisements. C. Instructions. D. Magazines.
4.This passage can be classified as________.
A. an argumentative writing B. a feature story
C. a dog show review D. a research result
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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 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 a Jibo robot do according to Paragraph 3?
A. Communicate with you and perform operations.
B. Answer your questions and make requests.
C. Take your family pictures and deliver milk.
D. Obey your orders and remind you to take pills.
3.What can Oshbot work as?
A. A language teacher. B. A tour guide.
C. A shop assistant. D. A private nurse.
4.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
5.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.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
B
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 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 a Jibo robot do according to Paragraph 3?
A. Communicate with you and perform operations.
B. Answer your questions and make requests.
C. Take your family pictures and deliver milk.
D. Obey your orders and remind you to take pills.
3.What can Oshbot work as?
A. A language teacher. B. A tour guide.
C. A shop assistant. D. A private nurse.
4.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
5.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.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Can dogs and cats live in perfect harmony in the same home? People who are thinking about adopting a dog as a friend for their cats are worried that they will fight. A recent research has found a new recipe of success. According to the study, if the cat is adopted before the dog, and if they are introduced when still young (less than 6 months for cats, a year for dogs), it is highly probable that the two pets will get along swimmingly. Two-thirds of the homes interviewed reported a positive relationship between their cat and dog.
However, it wasn't all sweetness and light. There was a reported coldness between the cat and dog in 25% of the homes, while aggression and fighting were observed in 10% of the homes. One reason for this is probably that some of their body signals were just opposite. For example, when a cat turns its head away it signals aggression, while a dog doing the same signals submission.
In homes with cats and dogs living peacefully, researchers observed a surprising behavior. They are learning how to talk each other's language. It is a surprise that cats can learn how to talk ‘dog’ and dogs can learn how to talk ‘Cat’.
What's interesting is that both cats and dogs have appeared to develop their intelligence. They can learn how to read each other's body signals, suggesting that the two may have more in common than we previously suspected. Once familiar with each other's presence and body language, cats and dogs can play together, greet each other nose to nose, and enjoy sleeping together on the sofa. They can easily share the same water bowl and in some cases groom (梳理) each other.
The significance of the research on cats and dogs may go beyond pets ─ to people who don't get along, including neighbors, colleagues at work, and even world superpowers. If cats and dogs can learn to get along, surely people have a good chance.
1.Some cats and dogs may fight when ________.
A. they misunderstood each other's signals
B. they look away from each other
C. they are cold to each other
D. they are introduced at an early age
2.What is found surprising about cats and dogs?
A. They eat and sleep each other.
B. They learn to speak each other's language.
C. They observe each other's behaviors.
D. They know something from each other's voices.
3.It is suggested in Paragraph 4 that cats and dogs ________.
A. have common interests
B. have a common body language
C. are less different than was thought
D. are less intelligent than was expected
4.What can we human beings learn from cats and dogs?
A. We should live in peace with animals.
B. We should know more about animals.
C. We should learn to live in harmony.
D. We should learn more body languages.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Can dogs and cats live in perfect harmony in the same home? People who are thinking about adopting a dog as a friend for their cats are worried that they will fight. A recent research has found a new recipe of success. According to the study, if the cat is adopted before the dog, and if they are introduced when still young (less than 6 months for cats, a year for dogs), it is highly probable that the two pets will get along swimmingly. Two-thirds of the homes interviewed reported a positive relationship between their cat and dog.
However, it wasn’t all sweetness and light. There was a reported coldness between the cat and dog in 25% of the homes, while aggression and fighting were observed in 10% of the homes. One reason for this is probably that some of their body signals were just opposite. For example, when a cat turns its head away it signals aggression, while a dog doing the same signals submission.
In homes with cats and dogs living peacefully, researchers observed a surprising behaviour. They are learning how to talk each other’s language. It is a surprise that cats can learn how to talk ‘Dog’, and dogs can learn how to talk ‘Cat’.
What’s interesting is that both cats and dogs have appeared to develop their intelligence. They can learn how to read each other’s body signals, suggesting that the two may have more in common than we previously suspected. Once familiar with each other’s presence and body language, cats and dogs can play together, greet each other nose to nose, and enjoy sleeping together on the sofa. They can easily share the same water bowl and in some cases groom (梳理) each other.
The significance of the research on cats and dogs may go beyond pets ─ to people who don’t get along, including neighbors, colleagues at work, and even world superpowers. If cats and dogs can learn to get along, surely people have a good chance.
1.The underlined word “swimmingly” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ________.
A.early B.sweetly C.quickly D.smoothly
2.Some cats and dogs may fight when ________.
A.they are cold to each other B.they look away from each other
C.they misunderstood each other’s signals D.they are introduced at an early age
3.What is found surprising about cats and dogs?
A.They eat and sleep each other.
B.They observe each other’s behaviors.
C.They learn to speak each other’s language.
D.They know something from each other’s voices.
4.It is suggested in Paragraph 4 that cats and dogs ________.
A.have common interests B.are less different than was thought
C.have a common body language D.are less intelligent than was expected
5.What can we human beings learn from cats and dogs?
A.We should learn to live in harmony.
B.We should know more about animals.
C.We should live in peace with animals.
D.We should learn more body languages.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Can dogs and cats live in perfect harmony in the same home? People who are thinking about adopting a dog as a friend for their cats are worried that they will fight. A recent research has found a new recipe of success. According to the study, if the cat is adopted before the dog, and if they are introduced when still young (less than 6 months for cats, a year for dogs), it is highly probable that the two pets will get along swimmingly. Two-thirds of the homes interviewed reported a positive relationship between their cat and dog.
However, it wasn’t all sweetness and light. There was a reported coldness between the cat and dog in 25% of the homes, while aggression and fighting were observed in 10% of the homes. One reason for this is probably that some of their body signals were just opposite. For example, when a cat turns its head away it signals aggression, while a dog doing the same signals submission.
In homes with cats and dogs living peacefully, researchers observed a surprising behavior. They are learning how to talk each other’s language. It is a surprise that cats can learn how to talk ‘dog’, and dogs can learn how to talk ‘cat’.
What’s interesting is that both cats and dogs have appeared to develop their intelligence. They can learn how to read each other’s body signals, suggesting that the two may have more in common than we previously suspected. Once familiar with each other’s presence and body language, cats and dogs can play together, greet each other nose to nose, and enjoy sleeping together on the sofa. They can easily share the same water bowl and in some cases groom (梳理) each other.
The significance of the research on cats and dogs may go beyond pets---to people who don’t get along, including neighbors, colleagues at work, and even world superpowers. If cats and dogs can learn to get along, surely people have a good chance.
1. The underlined word “swimmingly” in Para.1 probably means _____.
A. early B. sweetly
C. quickly D. carefully
2.Some cats and dogs may fight when ______.
A. they are cold to each other
B. they look away from each other
C. they are introduced at an early age
D. they misunderstood each other’s signals
3.It is suggested in Para.4 that cats and dogs ______.
A. have common interests
B. have a common body language
C. are less different than we thought
D. are less intelligent than we expected
4.What can we human beings learn from cats and dogs?
A. We should learn to live in harmony.
B. We should know more about animals.
C. We should live in peace with animals.
D. We should learn more body languages.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析