A study by St． Louis University has found tha...

A study by St.. Louis University has found that a lovable dog named Sparky and a robotic dog, AIBO, were about equally effective at reducing the loneliness of nursing home residents. The study confirmed previous findings that dogs have a good effect on nursing home residents.

Dr. Andrew Smith led the Stanford University team that built a home-assistance robot. “If humans can feel an emotional tie with robots, some day they could be not just our assistants, but also our companions,” he said.

To test whether residents responded better to Sparky, a trained dog, or the Sony-made robotic dog, researchers divided 38 nursing home residents into three groups at three long-term care centers in St. Louis.

One group had weekly 30-minute one-on-one visits with Sparky; another group had similar visits with AIBO; a control group had no contact with either dog. The groups’ respective levels of loneliness were tested by having them answer a number of questions at the beginning and near the end of the visits.

After two months, both groups that had contact with the dogs were less lonely and more attached. Most of the elderly regarded Sparky, a 9-year-old dog, as an audience for their life stories, said investigator Marian Banks.

“He listened attentively, wagged his tail, and allowed them to pet him,” said Banks, who adopted and trained Sparky after finding him in a street behind her home seven years ago.

Those who were together with AIBO took a little longer to warm to the robotic creature. Over time, however, they grew comfortable with him, and petted and talked to him. He would respond by wagging his tail, vocalizing, and blinking his lights..

“AIBO is charming once you start to interact with him,” said the study’s author, Dr. William Banks, “He’s an attractive sort of guy. He gives a feeling of being personal, not just a robot.”

1.Before the new study, it was known that ____.

A．robots were effective at reducing people’s loneliness

B．robots could build close connection with humans

C．dogs could help get rid of old people’s loneliness

D．dogs and robots were equally effective at reducing loneliness

2.Those who had contact with the robotic dog found that ___.

A．they didn’t feel comfortable with it

B．it was hard for them to interact with it

C．they weren’t comfortable with it at first

D．the robot’s vocalizing and blinking confused them

3.The findings of the researchers tell us that___.

A．robots are better at caring for old people than nurses

B．robots can to some degree replace dogs as companions for old people

C．it’s easy for people to become close with robots

D．every home will have a robot assistant one day

4.What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Robots Serve People Better Than Thought

B．No More Lonely Old Age with Emotional Robots

C．Advanced Technology Used to cheer up the Elderly

D．Robots and Dogs Can Equally Cheer up the Elderly

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A study by St． Louis University has found that a lovable dog named Sparky and a robotic dog AIBO, were about equally effective at reducing the loneliness of nursing home residents． The study confirmed previous findings that dogs have a good effect on nursing home residents（居民）．

Dr． Andrew Smith led the Stanford University team出at built a home-assistance robot． "If humans can feel an emotional tie with robots, some day they could be not just our assistants, but also our companions," he said．

To test whether residents responded better to Sparky, a trained dog, or the Sony-made robotic dog, researchers divided 38 nursing home residents into three groups at three long-term care centers in St, Louis.

One group had weekly 30-minute one-on-one visits with Sparky; another group had similar visits with AIBO; a control group had no contact with either dog．The groups' respective levels of loneliness were tested by having them answer a number of questions at the beginning and near the end of the visits．

After two months, both groups that had contact with the dogs were less lonely and more attached． Most of the elderly regarded Sparky, a 9-year-old dog, as an audience for their life stories, said investigator Marian Banks.

"He listened attentively, wagged his tail, and allowed them to pet him," said Banks, who adopted and trained Sparky after finding him in a street behind her home seven years ago．

Those who were together with AIBO took a little longer to warm to the robotic creature．Over time, however, they grew comfortable with him, and petted and talked to him． He would respond by wagging his tail,　 vocalizing（发出声音）, and blinking his lights．

"AIBO is charming once you start to interact with him," said the study's author, Dr． William Banks, " He's an attractive sort of guy． He gives a feeling: of being personal, not just a robot． "

1.Before the new study, it was known that　　　　　　　　　　　　 ．

A． dogs could help get rid of old people's loneliness

B． robots could build close connection with humans

C． robots were more effective at reducing people's loneliness

D． dogs and robots were equally effective at reducing loneliness

2.The first time those who contacted with the robotic dog　　　　　　　　 ．

A． accepted it immediately　　　

B． found it easy to interact with it

C． were not quite comfortable with it　　

D． were confused by its behavior

3.The findings of the researchers tell us that　　　　　　　　 .

A．　 robots are actually attractive sorts of guys

B． robots could make a good companion of the old.

C． it's easy for people to become close with robots

D．　 the elderly will have a robot assistant in no time

4.What would be the best title for the passage?

A． Robots Serve People Better Than Thought

B． No More Lonely Old Age with Emotional Robots

C． Dogs equipped with robots to Help the Elderly

D． Robots and Dogs Can Equally Cheer up the Elderly

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A recent study led by researchers from ihe National University of Singapore ( NUS) has found a clear link between the color o£ a taxi and its accident rate. An analysis of 36 months of detailed taxi，driver and accident data from two fleets of yellow and　　 blue taxis in Singapore

suggested that yellow taxis have fewer accidents than blue taxis. The higher visibility (能见度）of yellow makes it less difficult for drivers to avoid getting into accidents with yellow taxis, leading to a lower accident rate.

The study was led by Prof Ho. To test whether there was a relationship between the color of a taxi and the number of accidents the taxi had, the research team analysed data collected by the largest taxi company in Singapore. The researchers found that yellow taxis have about 6. 1 fewer accidents per 1,000 taxis per month.

They also studied the economic effect of changing the color of the entire fleet of taxis to yellow. The Singapore taxi company involved in the study owns about 16,700 taxis in a ratio (比例〉of one yellow to three blue taxis. If a commercial decision is made to switch from blue to yellow taxis, 76.6 fewer accidents will occur per month or 917 fewer accidents per year.Assuming an average repair cost of $1,000 per car and a downtime of six days，switching the color of all taxis to yellow could produce an annual saving of $2 million.

“We are eager to continue to validate(证实）the findings of our study by looking at the use of yellow in other types of public transport, such as school buses. For example, we hope to compare (he accident rates of yellow school buses against those of other colors lo find out if yellow is indeed a safer color for school buses. Besides, we're also interested to look al private-hire vehicles and do a comparison of the accident rates of vehicles that are of differenl colors,” explained Prof Ho.

1.Why do yellow taxis result in fewer accidents?

A. Because yellow can be seen more easily.

B. Because yellow signals a warning of clanger.

C. Because drivers tend to be more careful in yellow taxis.

D. Because people act more quickly in yellow surroundings.

2.What's Prof Ho'S study based on?

A. Physical risks taxi passengers experience.

B. The economic effect of changing taxi color.

C. Data from Singapore's largest taxi company.

D. Personal reports from taxi drivers worldwide.

3.What do Prof Ho’s words in the last paragraph suggest?

A. Their study will be furthered.

B. Their findings are worth popularizing.

C. School buses should be painted yellow.

D. Yellow should be widely used in public transport.

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

A. Caution： yellow taxis ahead.

B. Safer to ride in yellow taxis.

C. Why are yellow taxis preferred?

D. How can colors help prevent accidents?

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A recent study led by researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has found a clear link between the color of a taxi and its accident rate. An analysis of 36 months of detailed taxi, driver and accident data from two fleets of yellow and blue taxis in Singapore suggested that yellow taxis have fewer accidents than blue taxis. The higher visibility (能见度) of yellow makes it less difficult for drivers to avoid getting into　 accidents with yellow taxis, leading to a lower accident rate.

The study was led by Prof Ho. To test whether there was a relationship between the color of a taxi and the number of accidents the taxi had, the research team analysed data collected by the largest taxi company in Singapore. The researchers found that yellow taxis have about 6. 1 fewer accidents per 1,000 taxis per month.

They also studied the economic effect of changing the color of the entire fleet of taxis to yellow. The Singapore taxi company involved in the study owns about 16,700 taxis in a ratio(比例) of one yellow to three blue taxis. If a commercial decision is made to switch from blue to yellow taxis, 76.6 fewer accidents will occur per month or 917 fewer accidents per year.

Assuming an average repair cost of $1,000 per car and a downtime of six days, the color of all taxis to yellow could produce an annual saving of $ 2 million.

“We are eager to continue to validate (证实) the findings of our study by looking at the use of yellow in other types of public transport, such as school buses. For example, we hope to compare the accident rates of yellow school buses against those of other colors to find out if yellow is indeed a safer color for school buses. Besides, we’re also interested to look at private-hire vehicles and do a comparison of the accident rates of vehicles that are of different colors.” Explained Prof Ho.

1.Why do yellow taxis result in fewer accidents?

A. Because yellow can be seen more easily.

B. Because yellow signals a warning of danger.

C. Because drivers tend to be more careful in yellow taxis.

D. Because people act more quickly in yellow surroundings.

2.What’s Prof Ho’s study based on?

A. Physical risks taxi passengers experience.

B. The economic effect of changing taxi color.

C. Data from Singapore’s largest taxi company.

D. Personal reports from taxi drivers worldwide.

3.What do Prof Ho’s words in the last paragraph suggest?

A. School buses should be painted yellow.

B. Their findings are worth popularizing.

C. Their study will be furthered.

D. Yellow should be widely used in public transport.

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

A. Caution: yellow taxis ahead　　 B. Safer to ride in yellow taxis

C. Why are yellow taxis preferred?　　 D. How can colors help prevent accidents?

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

A recent study led by researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has found a clear link between the color of a taxi and its accident rate. An analysis of 36 months of detailed taxi, driver and accident data from two fleets of yellow and blue taxis in Singapore suggested that yellow taxis have fewer accidents than blue taxis. The higher visibility (能见度） of yellow makes it less difficult for drivers to avoid getting into accidents with yellow taxis, leading to a lower accident rate.

The study was led by Prof Ho. To test whether there was a relationship between the color of a taxi and the number of accidents the taxi had, the research team analysed data collected by the largest taxi company in Singapore. The researchers found that yellow taxis have about 6.1 fewer accidents per 1,000 taxis per month.

They also studied the economic effect of changing the color of the entire fleet of taxis to yellow. The Singapore taxi company involved in the study owns about 16,700 taxis in a ratio (比例) of one yellow to three blue taxis. If a commercial decision is made to switch from blue to yellow taxis, 76.6 fewer accidents will occur per month or 917 fewer accidents per year.

Assuming an average repair cost of $1,000 per car and a downtime of six days, the color of all taxis to yellow could produce an annual saving of $2 million.

“We are eager to continue to validate(证实) the findings of our study by looking at the use of yellow in other types of public transport, such as school buses. For example, we hope to compare the accident rates of yellow school buses against those of other colors to find out if yellow is indeed a safer color for school buses. Besides, we’re also interested to look at private-hire vehicles and do a comparison of the accident rates of vehicles that are of different colors, ”explained Prof Ho.

1.Why do yellow taxis result in fewer accidents?

A. Because yellow signals a warning of danger.

B. Because yellow can be seen more easily.

C. Because drivers tend to be more careful in yellow taxis.

D. Because people act more quickly in yellow surroundings.

2.What’s Prof Ho’s study based on?

A. Physical risks taxi passengers experience.

B. The economic effect of changing taxi color.

C. Personal reports from taxi drivers worldwide.

D. Data from Singapore's largest taxi company.

3.What do Prof Ho’s words in the last paragraph suggest?

A. School buses should be painted yellow.

B. Their findings are worth popularizing.

C. Their study will be furthered.

D. Yellow should be widely used in public transport.

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

A. Safer to ride in yellow taxis

B. Caution: yellow taxis ahead

C. Why are yellow Taxis preferred?

D. How can colors help prevent accidents?

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

A recent study led by researchers from the National University of Singapore(NUS)has found a clear link between the color of a taxi and its accident rate. An analysis of 36 months of detailed taxi, driver and accident data from two fleets of yellow and blue taxis in Singapore suggested that yellow taxis have fewer accidents than blue taxis. The higher visibility (能见度)of yellow makes it easier for drivers to avoid getting into accidents with yellow taxis, leading to a lower accident rate.

The study was led by Prof Ho. To test whether there was a causal relationship between the color of a taxi and the number of accidents the taxi had, the research team analysed data collected by the largest taxi company in Singapore. The researchers found that yellow taxis have about 6.1 fewer accidents per 1,000 taxis per month.

The researchers also studied the economic effect of changing the color of the entire fleet of taxis to yellow. The Singapore taxi company involved in the study owns about 16,700 taxis in a ratio(比例) of one yellow to three blue taxis. If a commercial decision is made to switch from blue to yellow taxis, 76.6 fewer accidents would occur per month or 917 fewer accidents per year. Assuming an average repair cost of $1,000 per car and a downtime of six days, switching the color of all taxis to yellow could produce an annual savings of $2 million.

“We are eager to continue to validate(证实) the findings of our study by looking at the use of yellow in other types of public transport, such as school buses. For instance, we hope to compare the accident rates of yellow school buses against other colors to find out if yellow is indeed a safer color for school buses. Besides, we are also interested to look at private-hire vehicles and do a comparison of the accident rates of vehicles that are of different colors,” explained Prof Ho.

1.Why do yellow taxis result in fewer accidents?

A. Because yellow can be seen more easily.

B. Because yellow signals a warning of danger.

C. Because drivers tend to be more careful in yellow taxis.

D. Because people act more quickly in yellow surroundings.

2.What’s Prof Ho’s study based on?

A. Physical risks taxi passengers experience.

B. The economic effect of changing taxi color.

C. Data from Singapore’s largest taxi company.

D. Personal reports from taxi drivers worldwide.

3.What do Prof Ho’s words in the last paragraph suggest?

A. School buses should be painted yellow.

B. Their findings are worth popularizing.

C. Yellow should be widely used in public transport.

D. Their study will be furthered.

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

A. Caution: yellow taxis ahead

B. Safer to ride in yellow taxis

C. Why are yellow taxis preferred?

D. How can colors help prevent accidents?

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A new study has found that cats can connect with people in the same way as dogs and children.The research, published in Current Biology, suggests the social abilities of cats to form human attachments has been greatly underestimated.The study notes that more cats live with humans than dogs do worldwide.But historically, more scientific research has centered on the social relationships between people and dogs.

The researchers designed experiments similar to methods used to measure human attachment behaviors.For example, other studies have observed how babies react to being reunited with caregivers after being separated for short periods.

About 70 cats were studied.The hehavior of the animals was observed by experts who divided them into two groups.64 percent were judged to be “securely attached”to caregivers, while 36 percent were found to be “insecurely attached.”The cats with secure attachments showed several signs of “reduced stress”levels, the study found.These cats were found to be more comfortable and effectively balanced their attention between the person and their surroundings.However, the cats with an insecure attachment showed clear signs of stress.These included shaking of the tail, repeated licking or staying completely away from the caregiver.

She added that the results showed that the level of secure and insecure attachments in cats is very close to those measured in human babies.In humans, research has found that 65 percent of babies are also securely attached to their caregivers.The researchers also were interested in finding out if socialization training would change the results.

But after a six-week training program for the cats, there were no major differences. “Once an attachment style has been established between the cat and its caregiver, it appears to remain relatively stable overtime, even after a training and socialization intervention(干预), ”Vitale　 said.

1.What does the study mentioned in this passage show?

A.Cats’social ability is little thought of.

B.Dogs have more sociable personalities than cats.

C.Historically, dog is much smarter than cats.

D.Cats have bad social relationships with dogs.

2.What will happen if the cats feel unsafe?

A.They tend to attack their caregivers.

B.They are going to shake their tails.

C.They will stay close to their caretakers.

D.They are likely to balance their attention.

3.What can we infer from the last two paragraphs?

A.Attachment level in babies is higher than in cats.

B.Training program plays an important role in the results.

C.Researchers feel insecure when experimenting with cats.

D.It’s hard to make changes to attachment styles between cats and caregivers.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A new study, conducted by British company Mindlab International, has found that listening to music at work increases accuracy and speed, The Telegraph reported. Perhaps, some parents disagree with this idea, saying, "Switch off the music and concentrate!" Well, if that's the case with your parents, you might now be able to convince them that you have science on your side.

The company gave 26 participants a series of different tasks for five days in a row, including spell checking, mathematical word problems, data entry, and abstract reasoning. The participants completed these tasks while listening to music or no music at all.

The results showed that while music was playing, 88% of participants produced their most accurate test results and 81% completed their fastest work. David Lewis, chairman of Mindlab International, told The Telegraph, "Music is a very powerful management tool if you want to increase not only the efficiency of your workforce but also their emotional state... they are going to become more positive about the work."

However, you may have a list of your favorite songs, but not all kinds of music match all homework. For maths or other subjects involving numbers or attention to detail, you should listen to classical music, the study found. In the study, pop music enabled participants to complete their tasks 58% faster than when listening to no music at all. If you are reviewing your English writing, pop music is the best choice, as it is the best kind for spell checking. It cut mistakes by 14%, compared to listening to no music. After finishing your homework, do you often take time to check your answers? Maybe, some dance music is suitable for you.

1.Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A. Music helps us to learn

B. We cannot live without music

C. Different music, different lives

D. Music in the classroom.

2.What did the participants have to do in the study？

A. Persuade their parents to listen to music.

B. Listen to the same music together.

C. Try their best to choose the most suitable music.

D. Finish tasks with music or without music at all.

3.What does the underlined word "they" refer to in Para 3？

A. tools　　 B. results

C. tests　　 D. participants

4.When you review your English writing, what kind of music is the best choice？

A. Classical music　　 B. Dance music

C. Pop music　　 D. Rock music

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

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。

A study, 1. (lead) by the University of St. Andrews, found a balanced and healthy lifestyle, including becoming fitter, having less stress and sleeping 2. (long) all gave skin a more healthy-looking colour.

Previous 3. (study) have linked improvements in skin colour to a good diet but the latest study also examined 4. relationship between general health and skin colour.

They measured skin colour with a device that recorded how a rainbow of colours was reflected from the skin and found that both high 5.(fit) and low body fat were associated with a higher skin yellowness.

The research team also assessed whether a change in health changed skin appearance. They 6. (follow) 59 students from sports clubs to measure the training effect 7. their skin.

They found those 8. became healthier or lost body fat showed an increase in skin yellowness. Scientists concluded that exercise and healthy eating were low-cost ways of improving your skin. Any effort 9. (improve) lifestyle would benefit the skin within a 10. (relative) short time.

高三英语语法填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

In a recent study of 19-month-olds, University of Chicago doctoral student Lauren Howard found that children who heard various languages in their neighborhoods were more receptive to people who spoke languages other than their parents ‘language.

“We measured imitation. At this age, that’s how they show us their willingness to learn, ”explained Howard. The lead author of the report titled Neighborhood Linguistic Diversity Predicts Infants' Social Learning. The experiments tested how well the babies could learn new tasks from a non- English speaker.

The study, which included 82 children from the Chicago and Washington areas, was in the November issue of Cognition.

“Babies are not only affected by parents and caregivers--- previous studies proved that --but also by people they hear at the store or on the bus, "Howard said. “Incidental exposure matters.”

The study indicates that kids in diverse communities may grow up to have open minds. Good news for families living in such neighborhoods--- but can other families do something to increase children's cultural exposure？

Cultural diversity can be within reach, even in unlikely areas. Although she grew up in not very diverse"， Julie, 23， said she picked up much knowledge about other languages and cultures from the many students her family hosted through the AFS-USA international student exchange program.

“It’s the little differences that make you more understanding and less judgmental, ”Julie said “Yuilya from Kazakhstan, for example, was very disciplined because she couldn't go to college unless her grades were good. Matias from Paraguay wasn't used to being on time because his culture is more laid-back. ”

For families unable to host a student for a whole year, AFS-USA offers other volunteer opportunities, such as being “welcome families ”to ease students ’ transitions（过渡）.

But there are countless ways to expose kids to other countries, said Lucas, author of “Growing Up Global: Raising Children to Be at Home in the World.”

Just a few of her tips: Take the kids to foreign films. Try exotic restaurants. Put a world map on the wall. Help your children’s teachers make global classrooms. Encourage the kids to invite friends of other cultures for dinner. “They’ll thank you later, "Lucas said.

1.What does Howard stress by saying "Incidental exposure matters"？

A.Babies are also influenced by people outside their home

B.Parents fail to realize the importance of incidental learning

C.Parents and caregivers have more influence on babies

D.Babies learn little knowledge at the store or on the bus.

2.How was Julie exposed to different cultures？

A.She frequently volunteered in some welcome families

B.She lived in neighborhoods with various language learn

C.She was a member of the AFS-USA program

D.She learned from the foreign students living in her home

3.Which might be Julie's attitude to Matias's lateness？

A.Curious B.Happy

C.Tolerant D.anger

4.What are Lucas's tips mainly about？

A.How to improve children’s behavior

B.How to teach children foreign languages

C.How to better communicate with children.

D.How to help children seek diversity

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析