Robots have taken over many of America’s factories. But can they pick a strawberry? “It’s really hard for robots to match what humans can do,” says Bob Pizter, an expert on robots.
Any 4-year-old kid can pick a strawberry, but machines can’t seem to figure it out. Pizter says the hardest thing for them is finding the fruit. Pizter’s strawberry-picking robot is rolling into a strawberry field. This well-designed device drives itself. It’s as big as a bus, long enough to straddle (跨越) a dozen rows of strawberries at once. Powerful computers are sitting on top. Underneath, there are high-definition cameras to find the berries, and robotic claws ready to pick them.
“Nobody’s telling it what to do,” explains Paul Bissett, the chief operating officer of Harvest CROO Robotics. “It’s remembering its path down the row. It’s remembering where all these plants are.” It knows all this, thanks to the super-accurate GPS. Its computer brain contains a map showing the locations of every strawberry plant in the field. The action of machinery is truly impressive, but the baskets are still practically empty. Pitzer says the robots are able to find and pick more than 50 percent of ripe berries. That’s not yet up to human standards. A typical worker, he says, manages to pick anywhere from 60 to 90 percent of the berries. Also, he admits, the machine is slower than human hands. On the other hand, it has some advantages. It can work right through the night. Two years later, he says, this machine will be in the fields working for real. “There are weaknesses to work out, but it’s getting there. We’re close.” he says.
Strawberry companies are putting millions of dollars into this project. The reason, Gary Wishnatzki, the owner of Wish Farms says, is that it’s getting more and more difficult to find enough people to pick his berries. “The fact of the matter is, if we don’t solve the problem of this labor shortage with automation, the industry is facing a big challenge ahead. The price of fruit is going to be much higher,” Jose Santos, the leader of the farm, says.
Jose is pretty convinced, though, that picking strawberries will always require people. The machines will break down, he points out. In fact, he’s looking on the bright side. “You could afford to give people a day off if you have machines behind you,” he says.
1.According to the passage, the strawberry-picking robot __________.
A.can work extra hours B.relies on GPS only to find berries
C.runs on petrol just like a bus D.picks both ripe and unripe berries
2.What do people mentioned in the passage think of the strawberry-picking robot?
A.It will lead to the price of strawberries rising.
B.It keeps human workers working through night.
C.It is not very efficient at the moment but promising.
D.It will completely take the place of human workers.
3.We know from the article that __________.
A.robots have been widely used in farming
B.it seems hard for robots to exactly locate strawberries now
C.robots can surely perform any work better than human workers
D.with the help of robots, strawberry companies have already earned much
4.What does the passage mainly talk about?
A.The working principle of strawberry-picking robots.
B.Farmers’ expectations for strawberry-picking robots.
C.The present state of strawberry-picking robots.
D.The differences between humans and strawberry-picking robots.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题
Robots have taken over many of America’s factories. But can they pick a strawberry? “It’s really hard for robots to match what humans can do,” says Bob Pizter, an expert on robots.
Any 4-year-old kid can pick a strawberry, but machines can’t seem to figure it out. Pizter says the hardest thing for them is finding the fruit. Pizter’s strawberry-picking robot is rolling into a strawberry field. This well-designed device drives itself. It’s as big as a bus, long enough to straddle (跨越) a dozen rows of strawberries at once. Powerful computers are sitting on top. Underneath, there are high-definition cameras to find the berries, and robotic claws ready to pick them.
“Nobody’s telling it what to do,” explains Paul Bissett, the chief operating officer of Harvest CROO Robotics. “It’s remembering its path down the row. It’s remembering where all these plants are.” It knows all this, thanks to the super-accurate GPS. Its computer brain contains a map showing the locations of every strawberry plant in the field. The action of machinery is truly impressive, but the baskets are still practically empty. Pitzer says the robots are able to find and pick more than 50 percent of ripe berries. That’s not yet up to human standards. A typical worker, he says, manages to pick anywhere from 60 to 90 percent of the berries. Also, he admits, the machine is slower than human hands. On the other hand, it has some advantages. It can work right through the night. Two years later, he says, this machine will be in the fields working for real. “There are weaknesses to work out, but it’s getting there. We’re close.” he says.
Strawberry companies are putting millions of dollars into this project. The reason, Gary Wishnatzki, the owner of Wish Farms says, is that it’s getting more and more difficult to find enough people to pick his berries. “The fact of the matter is, if we don’t solve the problem of this labor shortage with automation, the industry is facing a big challenge ahead. The price of fruit is going to be much higher,” Jose Santos, the leader of the farm, says.
Jose is pretty convinced, though, that picking strawberries will always require people. The machines will break down, he points out. In fact, he’s looking on the bright side. “You could afford to give people a day off if you have machines behind you,” he says.
1.According to the passage, the strawberry-picking robot __________.
A.can work extra hours B.relies on GPS only to find berries
C.runs on petrol just like a bus D.picks both ripe and unripe berries
2.What do people mentioned in the passage think of the strawberry-picking robot?
A.It will lead to the price of strawberries rising.
B.It keeps human workers working through night.
C.It is not very efficient at the moment but promising.
D.It will completely take the place of human workers.
3.We know from the article that __________.
A.robots have been widely used in farming
B.it seems hard for robots to exactly locate strawberries now
C.robots can surely perform any work better than human workers
D.with the help of robots, strawberry companies have already earned much
4.What does the passage mainly talk about?
A.The working principle of strawberry-picking robots.
B.Farmers’ expectations for strawberry-picking robots.
C.The present state of strawberry-picking robots.
D.The differences between humans and strawberry-picking robots.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Americans have taken over from the Indians many things besides their continent! Where did corn, potatoes, tomatoes, chocolate and maple sugar come from? The Indians. Who invented moccasins, snowshoes and hammocks? The Indians!
A list of the tools, plants, materials and designs we owe to the Indians would include hundreds of items. But there is something far more familiar, something that is always at hand. It is used daily by every American: a large vocabulary of Indian words.
Potato, tomato, chocolate, moccasin and hammock came into English from Indian languages. So did cocoa, tobacco, maize (an Indian word for corn) and succotash. Some words have changed on the way. Potato, for example, comes from a word that sounds like “batata”. Cocoa began as “cacahuatl”.
Some meanings have also changed. The long Indian word from which succotash comes means “something broken off in bits”. Indian women often varied their dishes by mixing bits of one food with another. White men who ate an Indian dish of mixed lima beans (青豆) and corn began using the Indian word to mean this particular mixture.
Put on your moccasins and take a walk in the country. If it is a cold day and you wear a mackinaw, your jacket will be as Indian as your shoes. But mackinaw came from “michilimackinac”, the Indian name of a place where a fort (集市) served as a trading post. Bright-colored blankets or jackets bought at the post soon became known as “mackinaws”.
Early white visitors to the continent found Indian words useful for the things new to them. But some Indian sounds, such as the “tl” at the end of many words, were hard to say. That is why “coyotl” became coyote and “tomatle” became tomato.
Some words simply seemed too long. So, “musickwautash” became succotash and “rockahominy” became hominy.
1.The first two paragraphs may serve as a(n) ________.
A. explanation B. introduction C. comment D. background
2. Which of the following has been changed for easier pronunciation?
A. Batata B. Chocolate C. Tomatle D. Rockahominy
3. Some words have changed because ________.
A. they are too long
B. nobody can use them
C. the things they refer to have disappeared
D. they are too difficult for people to write
4. What is the passage mainly about?
A. How Indian traditions affect us.
B. Why Indian words were changed.
C. Things we owe to the Indians.
D. Indian words all around us.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Science can't explain the power of pets，but many studies have shown that the company of pets can help lower blood pressure （血压） and raise chances of recovering from a heart attack，reduce loneliness and spread all﹣round good cheer．
Any owner will tell you how much joy a pet brings．For some，an animal provides more comfort than a husband/wife．A 2002study by Karen Allen of the State University of New York measured stress （紧张） levels and blood pressure in people﹣half of them pet owners﹣while they performed 5minutes of mental arithmetic （算术） or held a hand in ice water．Subjects completed the tasks alone，with a husband/wife，a close friend or with a pet．People with pets did it best．Those tested with their animal friends had smaller change in blood pressure and returned most quickly to baseline heart rates．With pets in the room，people also made fewer math mistakes than when doing in front of other companions．It seems people feel more relaxed （放松）around pets，says Allen，who thinks it may be because pets don't judge．
A study reported last fall suggests that having a pet dog not only raises your spirits but may also have an effect on your eating habits．Researchers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital spent a year studying 36 fat people and their equally fat dogs on diet﹣and﹣exercise programs； a separate group of 56 people without pets were put on a diet program．On average，people lost about 11 pounds，or 5% of their body weight．Their dogs did even better，losing an average of 12 pounds，more than 15% of their body weight．Dog owners didn't lose any more weight than those without dogs but，say researchers，got more exercise overall﹣mostly with their dogs﹣and found it worth doing．
1.What does the text mainly discuss？
A. What pets bring to their owners．
B. How pets help people calm down．
C. People's opinions of keeping pets．
D. Pet's value in medical research．
2.We learn from the text that a person with heart disease has a better chance of getting well if
A. he has a pet companion
B. he has less stress of work
C. he often does mental arithmetic
D. he is taken care of by his family
3.According to Allen，why did the people do better with pets around when facing stressful tasks？
A. They have lower blood pressure．
B. They become more patient．
C. They are less nervous．
D. They are in higher spirits．
4.The research mentioned in the last paragraph reports that
A. people with dogs did more exercise
B. dogs lost the same weight as people did
C. dogs liked exercise much more than people did
D. people without dogs found the program unhelpful．
高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Science can't explain the power of pets, but many studies have shown that the company of pets can help lower blood pressure and raise chances of recovering from a heart attack, reduce loneliness and spread all-round good cheer.
Any owner will tell you how much joy a pet brings. For some, an animal provides more comfort than a husband/wife. A 2002 study by Karen Allen of the State University of New York measured stress(紧张) levels and blood pressure in people—half of them pet owners—while they performed 5 minutes of mental arithmetic(心算) or held a hand in ice water. Subjects completed the tasks alone, with a husband/wife, a close friend or with a pet. People with pets did it best. Those tested with their animal friends had smaller change in blood pressure and returned most quick to base line heart rates. With pets in the room, people also made fewer math mistakes than when doing in front of other companions. It seems people feel more relaxed around pets, says Allen, who thinks it may be because pets don't judge
A study reported last fall suggests that having a pet dog not only raises your spirits but may also have an effect on your eating habits. Researchers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital spent a year studying 36 fat people and their equally fat dogs on diet-and-exercise programs; a separate group of 56 people without pets were put on a diet program. On average, people lost about 11 pounds, or 5% of their body weight. Dog owners didn't lose any more weight than those without dogs but, say researchers, got more exercise overall—mostly with their dogs—and found it worth doing.
1.The underlined word “subjects” refers to ______.
A．what students learned at school
B．people that were studied
C．those who had pets with them
D．those people without pets
2.A person with heart disease has a better chance of getting well if _______.
A．he has a pet companion
B．he has less stress of work
C．he often does mental arithmetic
D．he is taken care of by his family
3.Why did the people do better with pets around when facing stressful tasks?
A．They have lower blood pressure.
B．They become more patient.
C．They are less nervous.
D．They are in higher spirits.
4.The research mentioned in the last paragraph reports that ________.
A．people with dogs did more exercise
B．dogs lost the same weight as people did
C．dogs liked exercise much more than people did
D．people without dogs found the program unhelpful
5.What does the text mainly discuss?
A．What pets bring to their owners.
B．How pets help people calm down.
C．People's opinions of keeping pets.
D．Pet's value in medical research.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Science can't explain the power of pets, but many studies have shown that the company of pets can help lower blood pressure (血压) and raise chances of recovering from a heart attack, reduce loneliness and spread all-round good cheer.
Any owner will tell you how much joy a pet brings. For some, an animal provides more comfort than a husband/wife. A study by Karen Allen of the State University of New York measured stress (紧张) levels and blood pressure in people - half of them pet owners –while they performed 5 minutes of mental arithmetic (算术) or held a hand in ice water. Subjects completed the tasks alone, with a husband/wife, a close friend or with a pet. People with pets did it best. Those tested with their animal friends had smaller change in blood pressure and returned most quickly to baseline heart rates. With pets in the room, people also made fewer math mistakes than when doing in front of other companions. It seems people feel more relaxed around pets, says Allen, who thinks it may be because pets don't judge.
A study reported last fall suggests that having a pet dog not only raises your spirits but may also have an effect on your eating habits. Researchers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital spent a year studying 36 fat people and their equally fat dogs on diet-and-exercise programs; a separate group of 56 people without pets were put on a diet program. On average, people lost about I1 pounds, or 5% of their body weight. Their dogs did even better, losing an average of 12 pounds, more than 15% of their body weight. Dog owners didn't lose any more weight than those without dogs but, say researchers, got more exercise overall-mostly with their dogs - and found it worth doing.
1.What does the text mainly discuss?
A．Pets’ value in medical research.
B．How pets help people calm down.
C．People's opinions of keeping pets.
D．What pets bring to their owners.
2.We learn from the text that a person with heart disease has a better chance of getting
well if ．
A．he has a pet companion
B．he has less stress of work
C．he often does mental arithmetic
D．he is taken care of by his family
3.According to Allen, why did the people do better with pets around when doing stressful tasks?
A．They have lower blood pressure.
B．They become more patient.
C．They are less nervous.
D．They are in higher spirits.
4.The research mentioned in the last paragraph reports that ．
A．people with dogs did more exercise
B．dogs lost the same weight as people did
C．dogs liked exercise much more than people did
D．people without dogs found the program unhelpful
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Science can't explain the power of pets, but many studies have shown that the company of pets can help lower blood pressure and raise chances of recovering from a heart attack, reduce loneliness and spread all-round good cheer.
Any owner will tell you how much joy a pet brings. For some, an animal provides more comfort than a husband/wife. A 2002 study by Karen Allen of the State University of New York measured stress (紧张) levels and blood pressure in people ---half of them pet owners ---while they performed 5 minutes of mental arithmetic (算术) or held a hand in ice water. Subjects completed the tasks alone, with a husband/wife, a close friend or with a pet. People with pets did it best. Those tested with their animal friends had smaller change in blood pressure and returned most quickly to baseline heart rates. With pets in the room, people also made fewer math mistakes than when doing in front of other companions. It seems people feel more relaxed (放松)around pets, says Allen, who thinks it may be because pets don't judge.
A study reported last fall suggests that having a pet dog not only raises your spirits but may also have an effect on your eating habits. Researchers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital spent a year studying 36 fat people and their equally fat dogs on diet-and-exercise programs; a separate group of 56 people without pets were put on a diet program. On average, people lost about I1 pounds, or 5% of their body weight. Their dogs did even better, losing an average of 12 pounds, more than 15% of their body weight. Dog owners didn't lose any more weight than those without dogs but, say researchers, got more exercise overall---mostly with their dogs --- and found it worth doing.
1.What does the text mainly discuss?
A. What pets bring to their owners.
B. How pets help people calm down.
C. People's opinions of keeping pets.
D. Pet's value in medical research.
2.We learn from the text that a person with heart disease has a better chance of getting well if _____.
A. he has a pet companion
B. he has less stress of work
C. he often does mental arithmetic
D. he is taken care of by his family
3.According to Allen, why did the people do better with pets around when facing stressful tasks?
A. They have lower blood pressure.
B. They become more patient.
C. They are less nervous.
D. They are in higher spirits.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Science can't explain the power of pets, but many studies have shown that the company of pets can help lower blood pressure (血压) and raise chances of recovering from a heart attack, reduce loneliness and spread all-round good cheer.
Any owner will tell you how much joy a pet brings. For some, an animal provides more comfort than a husband/wife. A 2002 study by Karen Allen of the State University of New York measured stress (紧张) levels and blood pressure in people - half of them pet owners –while they performed 5 minutes of mental arithmetic (算术) or held a hand in ice water. Subjects completed the tasks alone, with a husband/wife, a close friend or with a pet. People with pets did it best. Those tested with their animal friends had smaller change in blood pressure and returned most quickly to baseline heart rates. With pets in the room, people also made fewer math mistakes than when doing in front of other companions. It seems people feel more relaxed (放松)around pets, says Allen, who thinks it may be because pets don't judge.
A study reported last fall suggests that having a pet dog not only raises your spirits but may also have an effect on your eating habits. Researchers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital spent a year studying 36 fat people and their equally fat dogs on diet-and-exercise programs; a separate group of 56 people without pets were put on a diet program. On average, people lost about I1 pounds, or 5% of their body weight. Their dogs did even better, losing an average of 12 pounds, more than 15% of their body weight. Dog owners didn't lose any more weight than those without dogs but, say researchers, got more exercise overall-mostly with their dogs - and found it worth doing.
1.What does the text mainly discuss?
A. What pets bring to their owners.
B. How pets help people calm down.
C. People's opinions of keeping pets.
D. Pet's value in medical research.
2.We learn from the text that a person with heart disease has a better chance of getting well if
A. he has a pet companion
B. he has less stress of work
C. he often does mental arithmetic
D. he is taken care of by his family
3.According to Allen, why did the people do better with pets around when facing stressful tasks?
A. They have lower blood pressure.
B. They become more patient.
C. They are less nervous.
D. They are in higher spirits.
4.The research mentioned in the last paragraph reports that
A. people with dogs did more exercise
B. dogs lost the same weight as people did
C. dogs liked exercise much more than people did
D. people without dogs found the program unhelpful
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
Great changes___ have taken place _____ in the city, and a lot of factories________.
A．have been taken place; have been set up
B．have taken place; have been set up
C．have taken place; have set up
D．were taken place; were set up
高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
Many of us have heard of the saying: everything is possible if you can just believe. But few of us really know the power of faith and perseverance. South African swimmer Natalie du Toit embodies those virtues.
Du Toit, became the first swimmer to compete in both the Olympic Games and the Paralympics(残奥会)in Beijing. Although she finished 16th in the tough 10 km marathon in the able-bodied Games. she has collected three golds in the Paralympics so far.
One of the most successful disabled athletes of all time, Natalie du Toit was already a promising swimmer when she lost her leg in a motorcycle accident in 2001, at just 17.
“There are a lot of dark moments,” du Toit said. “There are some days when I cry. But I try to remember that better days are ahead. You just go on.”
Within a few months, she was back in the swimming pool.
She still competes and still succeeds. The only difference is that she has switched to longer events--from 200 m and 400 m individual medley to 800 m and 1,500 m freestyle--to make up for her loss of speed with only one leg. But she made no adjustment to her mental outlook(精神面貌).
“Going out in the water, it feels as if there's nothing wrong with me. It doesn’t matter if you look different. you're still the same as everybody else because you have the same dream.”
She is the owner of many world records, and she also won gold when competing against able-bodied swimmers in the 1, 500 m freestyle at the All Africa Games in 2007.
But there is no magic recipe for success. It all comes down to hard work and determination. “She is stubborn, which is good and bad, ” said her coach Karoly Von Toros. “Good for the swimming, but bad for the coach.”
There is a poem that hangs on her wall that reads:
The tragedy of life does not lie in not reaching your goals;
The tragedy of life lies in not having goals to reach for.
1.Natalie du Toit is a vivid example that .
A. you are what you believe
B. your biggest enemy is yourself
C. results are not so Important as the process
D. you must set reasonable goals or you will fail
2.The underlined word in the first paragraph means .
A. makes B. creates
C. represents D. introduces
3.According to the text, Natalie du Toit became .
A. the first athlete to compete with able-bodied swimmers in the world
B. the youngest disabled swimmer to break the worl record in the 1, 500 m freestyle
C. the youngest disabled swimmer to collect three golds in a single Paralympics
D. the first swimmer to compete in both the Olympic Games and the Paralympics
4.Which of the following is the correct order of the events that happened to Natalie du Toit?
a.She won gold at the All Africa Games
b. She finished 16th in the tough 10 km marathon in the Olympics
c. She adjusted herself to long events
d.A motorcycle accident disabled her.
A. cdab B. dcba
C. dcab D. dacb
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Great changes ______ in the past few years, and a lot of factories ________.
A．had taken place; have been set up B．have taken place; have been set up
C．took place; have set up D．were taken place; were set up
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析