Humans have been keeping animals as pets for tens of thousands of years, but Dr. Jean-Loup Rault, an animal scientist at the University of Melbourne in Australia, believes new companions are coming: robot pets.
“Technology is moving very fast,” Rault told ABC News, “The Tamagotchi in the early 1990s was really the first robotic pet, and now Sony and other big companies have improved them a lot.”
This may not sit well with pet lovers. After all, who would choose a plastic toy over a lovely puppy? But Rault argues that the robotic kind has a lot going for it: “You don’t have to feed it, you don’t have to walk it, it won’t make a mess in your house, and you can go on a holiday without feeling guilty.” The technology also benefits those who are allergic to pets, short on space, or fearful of real animals.
It’s not clear whether robot pets can replace real ones. But studies do suggest that we can bond with these smart machines. People give their cars names and kids give their toy animals life stories. It’s the same with robots. When Sony stopped its repair service for its robot dog Aibo in March 2014, owners in Japan held funerals.
As an animal welfare researcher, Rault is concerned about how robotic pets could affect our attitudes towards live animals. “If we become used to a robotic companion that doesn’t need food, water or exercises, perhaps it will change how humans care about other living beings,” he said.
So are dogs and cats a thing of the past, as Rault predicts? For those who grew up with living and breathing pets, the mechanical kind might not do. But for our next generation who are in constant touch with smart technology, a future in which lovely pets needn’t have a heartbeat might not be a far-fetched dream.
1.What does the underlined phrase “sit well with” means?
A. be refused by B. be beneficial to
C. make a difference to D. receive support from
2.What are the advantages of robot pets?
a. They are plastic and feel smooth.
b. Owners needn’t worry about them when going out.
c. They can help cure allergies.
d. They save space and costs.
A. ab B. bc C. bd D.cd
3.We can learn from the passage that___________.
A. Sony is the first company to produce robot pets Aibo.
B. People can develop strong bond with their robot pets.
C. Rault thinks robot pets still have a long way to go.
D. Robot toys may help people care more about living beings.
4.The passage mainly tells us___________.
A. the advantages of robot toys
B. the popularity of robot pets
C. living pets are dying out.
D. robot pets are coming.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
Humans have been keeping animals as pets for tens of thousands of years, but Dr. Jean-Loup Rault, an animal scientist at the University of Melbourne in Australia, believes new companions are coming: robot pets.
“Technology is moving very fast,” Rault told ABC News, “The Tamagotchi in the early 1990s was really the first robotic pet, and now Sony and other big companies have improved them a lot.”
This may not sit well with pet lovers. After all, who would choose a plastic toy over a lovely puppy? But Rault argues that the robotic kind has a lot going for it: “You don’t have to feed it, you don’t have to walk it, it won’t make a mess in your house, and you can go on a holiday without feeling guilty.” The technology also benefits those who are allergic to pets, short on space, or fearful of real animals.
It’s not clear whether robot pets can replace real ones. But studies do suggest that we can bond with these smart machines. People give their cars names and kids give their toy animals life stories. It’s the same with robots. When Sony stopped its repair service for its robot dog Aibo in March 2014, owners in Japan held funerals.
As an animal welfare researcher, Rault is concerned about how robotic pets could affect our attitudes towards live animals. “If we become used to a robotic companion that doesn’t need food, water or exercises, perhaps it will change how humans care about other living beings,” he said.
So are dogs and cats a thing of the past, as Rault predicts? For those who grew up with living and breathing pets, the mechanical kind might not do. But for our next generation who are in constant touch with smart technology, a future in which lovely pets needn’t have a heartbeat might not be a far-fetched dream.
1.What does the underlined phrase “sit well with” means?
A. be refused by B. be beneficial to
C. make a difference to D. receive support from
2.What are the advantages of robot pets?
a. They are plastic and feel smooth.
b. Owners needn’t worry about them when going out.
c. They can help cure allergies.
d. They save space and costs.
A. ab. B. bc. C. bd. D. cd.
3.The passage mainly tells us ______.
A. the advantages of robot toys B. the popularity of robot pets
C. living pets are dying out D. robot pets are coming
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Humans have been keeping animals as pets for tens of thousands of years, but Dr Jean-Loup Rault, an animal scientist at the University of Melbourne in Australia, believes new companions are coming: robot pets.
“Technology is moving very fast,” Rault told ABC News, “The Tamagotchi in the early 1990s was really the first robotic pet, and now Sony and other big companies have improved them a lot.”
This may not sit well with pet lovers. After all, who would choose a plastic toy over a lovely puppy? But Rault argues that the robotic kind has a lot going for it: “You don’t have to feed it, you don’t have to walk it, it won’t make a mess in your house, and you can go on a holiday without feeling guilty.” The technology also benefits those who are allergic to pets, short on space, or fearful of real animals.
It’s not clear whether robot pets can replace real ones. But studies do suggest that we can bond with these smart machines. People give their cars names and kids give their toy animals life stories. It’s the same with robots. When Sony stopped its repair service for its robot dog Aibo in March 2014, owners in Japan held funerals.
As an animal welfare researcher, Rault is concerned about how robotic pets could affect our attitudes towards live animals. “If we become used to a robotic companion that doesn’t need food, water or exercises, perhaps it will change how humans care about other living beings,” he said.
So are dogs and cats a thing of the past, as Rault predicts? For those who grew up with living and breathing pets, the mechanical kind might not do. But for our next generation who are in constant touch with smart technology, a future in which lovely pets needn’t have a heartbeat might not be a far-fetched dream.
1.What does the underlined phrase “sit well with” means?
A. be refused by B. be beneficial to
C. make a difference to D. receive support from
2.What are the advantages of robot pets?
a. They are plastic and feel smooth.
b. Owners needn’t worry about them when going out.
c. They can help cure allergies(过敏).
d. They save space and costs.
A. ab B. bc
C. bd D. cd
3.We can learn from the passage that___________.
A. Sony is the first company to produce robot pets Aibo.
B. People can develop strong bond(联系、关系) with their robot pets.
C. Rault thinks robot pets still have a long way to go.
D. Robot toys may help people care more about living beings.
4.The passage mainly tells us___________.
A. the advantages of robot toys B. the popularity of robot pets
C. living pets are dying out. D. robot pets are coming.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Humans have been keeping animals as pets for tens of thousands of years, but Dr Jean-Loup Rault, an animal scientist at the University of Melbourne in Australia, believes new companions are coming: robot pets.
“Technology is moving very fast,” Rault told ABC News, “The Tamagotchi in the early 1990s was really the first robotic pet, and now Sony and other big companies have improved them a lot.”
This may not sit well with pet lovers. After all, who would choose a plastic toy over a lovely puppy? But Rault argues that the robotic kind has a lot going for it: “You don’t have to feed it, you don’t have to walk it, it won’t make a mess in your house, and you can go on a holiday without feeling guilty.” The technology also benefits those who are allergic to pets, short on space, or fearful of real animals.
It’s not clear whether robot pets can replace real ones. But studies do suggest that we can bond with these smart machines. People give their cars names and kids give their toy animals life stories. It’s the same with robots. When Sony stopped its repair service for its robot dog Aibo in March 2014, owners in Japan held funerals.
As an animal welfare researcher, Rault is concerned about how robotic pets could affect our attitudes towards live animals. “If we become used to a robotic companion that doesn’t need food, water or exercises, perhaps it will change how humans care about other living beings,” he said.
So are dogs and cats a thing of the past, as Rault predicts? For those who grew up with living and breathing pets, the mechanical kind might not do. But for our next generation who are in constant touch with smart technology, a future in which lovely pets needn’t have a heartbeat might not be a far-fetched dream.
1.What does the underlined phrase “sit well with” means?
A. be refused by B. be beneficial to
C. make a difference to D. receive support from
2.What are the advantages of robot pets?
a. They are plastic and feel smooth.
b. Owners needn’t worry about them when going out.
c. They can help cure allergies(过敏).
d. They save space and costs.
A. ab B. bc C. bd D.cd
3.We can learn from the passage that___________.
A. Sony is the first company to produce robot pets Aibo.
B. People can develop strong bond(联系、关系) with their robot pets.
C. Rault thinks robot pets still have a long way to go.
D. Robot toys may help people care more about living beings.
4.The passage mainly tells us___________.
A. the advantages of robot toys
B. the popularity of robot pets
C. living pets are dying out
D. robot pets are coming
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Humans have been keeping animals as pets for tens of thousands of years, but Dr. Jean-Loup Rault, an animal scientist at the University of Melbourne in Australia, believes new companions are coming: robot pets.
“Technology is moving very fast,” Rault told ABC News, “The Tamagotchi in the early 1990s was really the first robotic pet, and now Sony and other big companies have improved them a lot.”
This may not sit well with pet lovers. After all, who would choose a plastic toy over a lovely puppy? But Rault argues that the robotic kind has a lot going for it: “You don’t have to feed it, you don’t have to walk it, it won’t make a mess in your house, and you can go on a holiday without feeling guilty.” The technology also benefits those who are allergic to pets, short on space, or fearful of real animals.
It’s not clear whether robot pets can replace real ones. But studies do suggest that we can bond with these smart machines. People give their cars names and kids give their toy animals life stories. It’s the same with robots. When Sony stopped its repair service for its robot dog Aibo in March 2014, owners in Japan held funerals.
As an animal welfare researcher, Rault is concerned about how robotic pets could affect our attitudes towards live animals. “If we become used to a robotic companion that doesn’t need food, water or exercises, perhaps it will change how humans care about other living beings,” he said.
So are dogs and cats a thing of the past, as Rault predicts? For those who grew up with living and breathing pets, the mechanical kind might not do. But for our next generation who are in constant touch with smart technology, a future in which lovely pets needn’t have a heartbeat might not be a far-fetched dream.
1.What does the underlined phrase “sit well with” means?
A. be refused by B. be beneficial to
C. make a difference to D. receive support from
2.What are the advantages of robot pets?
a. They are plastic and feel smooth.
b. Owners needn’t worry about them when going out.
c. They can help cure allergies.
d. They save space and costs.
A. ab B. bc C. bd D.cd
3.We can learn from the passage that___________.
A. Sony is the first company to produce robot pets Aibo.
B. People can develop strong bond with their robot pets.
C. Rault thinks robot pets still have a long way to go.
D. Robot toys may help people care more about living beings.
4.The passage mainly tells us___________.
A. the advantages of robot toys
B. the popularity of robot pets
C. living pets are dying out.
D. robot pets are coming.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
With more people keeping pets, a growing number of conflicts_____ pets have been taken to court in Shanghai.
A. concerned B. to concern C. being concerned D. concerning
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
For as long as humans have lived on the earth, they have made use of various forms of communication. Generally, this expression of thoughts and feelings has been in the form of oral speech. When there is a spoken language problem, communication can be carried out through sign language, in which gestures stand for letters, words, and ideas. Tourists and people unable to hear or speak have often had to turn to this form of expression. When gestures describe words or ideas, they can often be used internationally(各国之间地). When used for spelling words however, where each gesture stands for a single letter, people must share the same written language.
Body language sends ideas or thoughts by certain actions, either meaningfully or not. A wink(眨眼, 使眼色)can be a way of showing that the person is only joking. A nod means agreement, while shaking the head indicates disagreement.
Other forms of language can be found in Braille(a reading system of raised dots read with the fingertips used by the blind), signal flags, Morse code, and smoke signals. Road maps and picture signs also guide and warn people. While language is the most common form of communication, other systems and techniques also express human thoughts and feelings.
1. What does the author mainly want to say?
A. People can communicate in many different ways.
B. Everybody uses only one form of communication.
C. Language is invaluable to foreigners.
D. Non-spoken communication is of little value.
2.According to the text, which part of the body can be used to show you are joking?
A. Fingers. B. Eyes. C. Head. D. Feet.
3. What can’t be effectively communicated by sign language when people belong to different language groups?
A. Spelling. B. Ideas.
C. Whole words. D. Expressions.
4. How many different forms of communication are mentioned in the text?
A. Three. B. Five. C. Six. D. Nine.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Humans and dogs have been working together for thousands of years, and some scientists even believe the two species have been living with one another for thousands of years. While having a dog will not improve your health if you never wanted a dog in the first place, dog lovers can benefit from living with them.
1. Most of us know the benefits of exercise, but it can be a struggle to find the motivation to get up and get moving everyday. A dog provides strong motivations, and can make your daily walk or run less lonely and more fun.Moreover, you'll bum extra calories when helping your dog walk and doing brief training exercises with your dog. For some people, going for walks alone is scary, but a dog can make runs and walks feel more secure.l know that with Ranger.I have to walk him every day, and he's always ready each morning.Sometimes we even have an afternoon or early evening walk, which is better for my health.
2. There's no doubt that dog ownership does come with some stresses, from making sure you've applied their weekly bath to worrying if your dog will get along with the other dogs at the dog park. But the benefits of pet ownership more than outweigh these small stresses. Research shows that a few minutes spent petting an animal. lowers blood levels of the stress hormone, which contributes to tiredness, weight gain and aging, and your pet can help kill its negative effects. A few minutes playing with your dog every day also releases powerful ¨feel-good" hormones that continue to function in the bloodstream.
3. Many people living alone worry about thieves, and a dog can help give owners a sense of security. Thieves are less likely to break into a house with a barking dog, and your dog can help you feel less lonely whether you're just spending the night by yourself or living alone long-term.If your dog is older and struggles to move around, you can still rest easy knowing that your dog will get to a robber before you do.
4. People who have regular positive interactions with others tend to live longer and be happier, and pets provide you with a valuable opportunity to meet and interact with other people. Even if you're shy, it's easy to strike up a conversation with another person if you're both talking about your animals. Visits to the dog park and meet--ups with other pet owners also provide pet owners with opportunities for interactions.If you're still anxious about meeting new people, consider joining a message board or online group for people with similar pets to yours. You'll quickly find yourself making new friends in addition to learning a lot about your best friend - your pet!
5. In a fast-paced, high-stress world, depression and anxiety are at an all-time high. But pet owners have fewer mental illnesses, and animals are even used as treatment for people suffering from mental illness. If you struggle with depression, an animal can help you avoid such problems. The exercise and stress release you get from spending time with your pet may even reduce the effects of depression. Dog owners are also less stressed than people who don't own dogs, and reduced stress is strongly related with lower blood pressure, a longer life span, greater happiness and improved health.
高三英语其他题中等难度题查看答案及解析
One step too far
Scientists have been trying to figure out how to alter the genes of humans for many years now, and it looks like they've finally cracked (破解) the code. But while this may seem like a great step forward in science, some also believe that it's one step back when it comes to ethics.
In August, a group of scientists from the US and South Korea worked together to successfully edit a human embryo and remove a genetic mutation (突变) that would have led to heart disease, reported The Guardian.
This was achieved with the help of CRISPR, a gene-editing tool that allows scientists to “cut and paste” human DNA.
Although this was the first example of an embryo's genes being changed successfully, the benefits of gene editing have already been tested in living patients.
In 2015, a five-month-old girl from the UK was saved after doctors used edited cells to fight off her cancer. As of today, she's alive and well.
And in the US last year, scientists managed to remove HIV cells from several patients by editing the genes inside their bodies.
Some people hope that in the future, diseases or birth detects could simply be “edited out”. However, others believe this could lead to so-called designer babies, giving parents the option to choose everything from eye color to intelligence.
“You could find wealthy parents buying the latest ‘upgrades’ for their children, leading to even greater inequality than we already live with,” Marcy Darnovsky, director of the San Francisco Center for Genetics, told BBC News.
In spite of these ethical concerns, experts say it’s not possible to create the “perfect” human being. Despite the progress scientists have made, we don’t understand human genes enough to give all unborn child great brainpower or amazing singing abilities.
“Right now, we know nothing about genetic enhancement,” Hank Greely, a director of sciences at Stanford University, US, told The New York Times. “We’re never going to be able to say, honestly, ‘This embryo looks like it would score high on the two-part SAT.’”
So it looks like if we want good exam results, or to impress people with our piano skills, we’ll have to stick with the old fashioned method of plain hard work — at least for now.
1.The underlined word “alter” in Paragraph 1 probably means ______.
A.record
B.change
C.remove
D.increase
2.Why do some people consider human gene editing a step backwards? ______
A.They don't think it is an effective way to light diseases.
B.They are concerned that it could lead to genetic mutations.
C.They think it could lead to designer babies and increased inequality.
D.They worry that it could make parents abandon children with birth defects.
3.What was the first successful example of human embryo gene editing? ______
A.A genetic mutation related to heart disease was removed by scientists
B.A newborn baby with cancer was saved by edited cells.
C.HIV cells were removed from patients’ bodies.
D.Some birth defects were simply edited out.
4.What can we conclude from the text? ______
A.Gene editing is regarded as the perfect way to treat birth defects.
B.There is still a long way to go to fully understand human genes.
C.Gene editing could help enhance human intelligence in the near future.
D.Scientists are pessimistic about the future of gene editing.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Dogs and humans have been living side-by-side for about 15,000 years, but there are tons of facts about dogs that perhaps we have never heard of.
Night vision
Dogs have good night vision. Their large pupils let more light in and the rods (视杆细胞) work better in poor light. But the biggest factor is the tapetum (反光组织), which reflect light at the back of the eye. Besides, dogs’ whiskers (胡须) also help them “see” in the dark because they pick up on very small changes in air, providing dogs with information about the size, shape, and speed of things nearby.
Secret tail code
Dogs can use their tails to communicate. They wag their tails to the right when they are relaxed or happy, and to the left when nervous or threatened. When they’ re aggressive, the tails will stick straight-up in the air. A broad wag is friendly while a slow wag is neutral, neither excited nor anxious.
Dreams
We often see a dog’s body making sudden movements in its sleep. Dogs have the same brain wave patterns as humans’ while they are asleep, so they dream just like we do.
Super nose
Dogs can find their way home despite long distances. Their noses are a vital part of their incredible sense of direction. The part of a dog’s brain that controls smell is 40 times larger than humans’. They’re able to follow smells for miles. Furthermore, dogs have an amazing ability to recognize the smells given off by the abnormal cells in human bodies, including cancer. This is something scientists are eager to explore further. And interesting, a dog’s “fingerprint” is on its nose. The patterns on dogs’ noses are so distinct that they can actually be used to identify the animals.
A sixth sense
Dogs act strangely before something bad, like a storm or earthquake, happens, for they are sensitive to low frequencies that humans can’t sense. So don’t let their strange behavior go unnoticed next time. It could save your life.
1.Which of the following indirectly helps dogs see well in the dark?
A. Their rods. B. Their tapetum.
C. Their whiskers. D. Their pupils.
2.If a dog holds up the tail, it indicates ________.
A. happiness B. attack
C. friendliness D. relaxation
3.What hasn’t been discovered about a dog?
A. Why it can sense natural disasters. B. Why it has an acute sense of smell.
C. What emotions it shows with its tail. D. How it can smell humans’ illnesses.
4.In what way are dogs like humans?
A. They dream when they sleep. B. They have good night vision.
C. They have distinct nose patterns. D. They can react to low frequencies.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Zoos have traditionally been built in a certain way: Animals on the inside, humans on the outside, peering in. This separation is good in theory—humans and animals need to be protected from one another—but terrible in practice, as animals end up living in an environment far from a natural habitat. A new plan for a Zoo in Denmark wants to reverse those roles, giving animals more freedom in captivity while effectively placing humans inside protective barriers.
Called Zootopia, the conceptual design has the goal of turning the safari(野外观兽旅行)style zoo into a place where animals determine interaction—not humans. “Try to imagine if you asked the animals what they would like. What would they decide?” says the director of the project. “They want their nature back, so to speak, and we are going to try to create that”.
In Zootopia, animals will wander free around the perimeter while humans observe, hidden away from view in underground passageways and naturalistic architecture structures. Visitors can watch lions through an underground enclosure disguised as a hill. They'll peek out at giraffes through windowed houses built into the side of a hilly plains. Outside of the main circular entrance, there will be no traditional buildings. “We want to take away human influence,” said Zootopia's designers.
The main challenge, of course, is to design the zoo in a way that the enclosure is still there but it's not visible. The two-phase plan, which will cost around $200 million, is still in the improving and approval phase; it'll be at least five years until we see any work finished on the park, and it's likely to take upwards of 10 years before it opens. Can the animals wait that long?
1.Why does a zoo in Denmark plan to create Zootopia?
A.to protect animals from humans.
B.to provide animals with a natural habitat.
C.to provide humans with more freedom in the zoo.
D.to protect humans and give animals enough freedom.
2.Different from traditional zoos, in Zootopia .
A.animals enjoy full freedom. B.there will be no conventional buildings.
C.humans watch animals without being noticed. D.humans can interact with animals at their will.
3.What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A.It’s tricky to design the enclosure.
B.Zootopia is now under construction.
C.There is a long way to go before Zootopia operates.
D.Zootopia arouses people’s concern about animals.
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A.the future of Zootopia B.the development of Zootopia
C.the fall of traditional zoos D.the concept of a cage-free zoo
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析