Thirteen vehicles lined up last March to race across the Mojave Desert, seeking
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Thirteen vehicles lined up last March to race across the Mojave Desert, seeking a million in prize money. To win, they had to finish the 142-mile race in less than 10 hours. Teams and watchers knew there might be no winner at all, because these vehicles were missing a key part －drivers.
DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, organized the race as part of a push to develop robotic vehicles for future battlefields. But the Grand Challenge, as it was called, just proved how difficult it is to get a car to speed across an unfamiliar desert without human guidance. One had its brake lock up in the starting area. Another began by throwing itself onto a wall. Another got tied up by bushes near the road after 1.9 miles.
One turned upside down. One took off in entirely the wrong direction and had to be disabled by remote (远距离的) control. One went a little more than a mile and rushed into a fence; another managed to go for six miles but stuck on a rock. The “winner,” if there was any, reached 7.8 miles before it ran into a long, narrow hole, and the front wheels caught on fire.
“You get a lot of respect for natural abilities of the living things,” says Reinhold Behringer, who helped design two of the car-size vehicles for a company called Sci-Autonics. “Even ants (蚂蚁) can do all these tasks effortlessly . It’s very hard for us to put these abilities into our machines.”
The robotic vehicles, though with necessary modern equipment such as advanced computers and GPS guidance, had trouble figuring out fast enough the blocks ahead that a two-year-old human recognizes immediately, Sure, that very young child, who has just only learned to walk, may not think to wipe apple juice off her face, but she already knows that when there’s a cookie in the kitchen she has to climb up the table, and that when she gets to the cookie it will taste good. She is more advanced, even months old, than any machine humans have designed.
小题1:Watchers doubted if any of the vehicles could finish the race because .| A．they did not have any human guidance | | B．the road was not familiar to the drivers | | C．the distance was too long for the vehicles | | D．the prize money was unattractive to the drivers |
小题2:DARPA organized the race in order to .| A．raise money for producing more robotic vehicles | | B．push the development of vehicle industry | | C．train more people to drive in the desert | | D．improve the vehicles for future wars |
小题3:From the passage we know “robotic vehicles” are a kind of machines that .| A．can do effortlessly whatever tasks living thing can | | B．can take part in a race across 142 miles with a time limit | | C．can show off their ability to turn themselves upside down | | D．can move from place to place without being driven by human beings |
小题4:In the race, the greatest distance one robotic vehicle covered was .| A．about eight miles | B．six miles | | C．almost two miles | D．about one mile |
小题5:In the last paragraph, the writer implies that there is a long way to go .| A．for a robotic vehicle to finish a 142-mile race without any difficulties | | B．for a little child who has just learned to walk to reach the cookie on the table | | C．for a robotic vehicle to deal with a simple problem that a little child can solve | | D．for a little child to understand the importance of wiping apple juice off its face |
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答案
小题1:A
小题2:D
小题3:D
小题4:A
小题5:C |
解析
小题1:这是一道细节推测题。因为第一段最后一句表明这些汽车都没有驾驶员。
小题2:根据第二段for future battlefields可以推测是军事目的，选D。
小题3:这是一道猜测词义题。根据第二段第二句“without human guidance”可以推断选D。
小题4:这是一道细节题。根据第三段最后一句可知获胜者跑了7.8英里，接近8英里。
小题5:这是一道推断题。a long way to go远远不能。根据最后一段“she is more advanced...than any machine...”可知机器远不如人的智力。其他没有提到。 |
举一反三
Flying over a desert in an airplane, two scientists looked down with trained eyes at trees and bushes. After an hour"s flight one of the scientists wrote in his notebook, "Look here for probable metal." Walking across hilly ground, four scientists reported, "This ground should be searched for metals." From an airplane over a hilly wasteland a scientist sent back by radio one word "Uranium".
None of the scientists had X-ray eyes: they had no magic powers for looking down below the earth"s surface. They were merely putting to use one of the newest methods of locating minerals in the ground -- using trees and plants as signs that certain minerals may lie under the ground on which the trees and plants are growing.
This newest method of searching for minerals is based on the fact that minerals deep in the earth may affect the kind of bushes and trees that grow on the surface.
At Watson Bar Creek, a mineral search group gathered bags of tree seeds. Boxes were filled with small branches from the trees. Roots were dug and put into boxes. Each bag and box was carefully marked. In a scientific laboratory the parts of the forest trees were burned to ashes andtested. Each small part was examined to learn whether there were minerals in it.
Study of the roots, branches and seeds showed no silver. But there were small amount of gold in the roots and a little less gold in the branches and seeds. The seeds growing nearest to the tree trunk had more gold than those growing on the ends of the branches.
If the trees indicated that there was no gold in the ground, the scientists wouldn"t spare money to pay for digging into the ground.
小题1:Scientists were flying over a desert or a hilly wasteland or a mountain region to ________.| A．train their eyes | B．study the trees | C．look for gold | D．search for minerals |
小题2:The study of trees, branches and roots indicated that __________.| A．there were larger amounts of gold in the branches far from the tree trunk than in the seeds | | B．there were smaller amounts of gold in the tree roots deep in the ground than in the branches | | C．there were larger amounts of gold in the seeds growing closer to the tree trunk than in the seeds farther from it | | D．there were larger amounts of gold in the branches than in the leaves on the ends of the branches |
小题3:Which of the following is NOT mentioned as part of a tree that can help the searchers?| A．Leaves. | B．Roots. | C．Branches. | D．Seeds. |
小题4: Which of the following might be the best title for this passage?| A．Scientists searching for treasure with special equipment. | | B．New methods of doing geological study. | | C．Gold could be found in trees and plants. | | D．A new method of searching for minerals. |
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Tests administered（实施）to most elementary and high-school students in the United States exert（发挥）an unfavorable influence on science and math teaching， according to a new ＄1 million study performed for the National Science Foundation．And because schools with high minority enrollments（入学）generally place a greater reliance（相信）on scores from these tests， the study finds，there tends to be “a gap in instructional emphases between high and low minority classrooms that differs from our national concern for the quality of education．”
George F．Madaus and his colleagues at Boston College analyzed not only the six most widely used national standardized tests， but also the tests designed to accompany（go with）the four most commonly used science and math texts in fourth-grade，eighth-grade，and high-school classrooms．Though curriculum（teaching program）experts argue that schools should place greater emphasis on problem solving and reasoning， the new study shows that the tests focus on lower-level skills—primarily mechanical memorization of routine formulas（公式）．
Researchers surveyed more than 2，200 math and science instructors，interviewing in depth some 300 teachers and administrators．Especially in schools with high minority enrollments，teachers reported feeling pressured to help students perform well on these tests．Some states judge schools and some schools determine teacher assignments（工作安排）based on students" test scores．
“With so much worry，”Madaus says，“teachers feel forced to focus their instruction on drilling what the tests will measure—at the expense of the more valuable，higher-level skills．”
小题1:The author of this article states that ____ _ ．| A．the tests don"t affect teaching in most elementary and high schools | | B．the science and math teaching is influenced by the present tests | | C．no study is performed on tests for the National Science Foundation | | D．the United States exerts a strong influence on science and math teaching |
小题2:It can be inferred that in high minority classrooms ____ _ ．| A．the students can not get high score from the tests | | B．scores from the tests are not important | | C．instructional emphases are unfavourable | | D．teaching doesn"t focus on the quality of education |
小题3:According to the second paragraph，the study has discovered that ____ _ ．| A．emphasis of teaching is on problem solving and reasoning | | B．curriculum is good for national standardized tests | | C．the tests mainly center around the memorization of some formulas | | D．routine formulas are not useful for students to memorize |
小题4:According to Madaus" opinion，teachers are forced to ____ _ ．| A．evaluate（评估）students" skills every year | | B．suffer so much worry on the texts | | C．teach what will be tested | | D．focus their instruction on useful drillings |
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TLike most big projects, learning to manage your mother well is what you should do. Here are what I believe the best steps towards a better relationship with her. They are not necessarily surprising or revolutionary, but they have worked for many people. Try them.
Remember your mother’s age. As children, we often do not think of our mother as having an age. Even when we become conscious of her as an individual, age does not change our view; she is still our mother. Knowing our mother’s age, not just in numbers of years but in terms of her psychological and physical state, often helps us to understand her better.
Listen to your mother. I have found that sometimes the things my mother told me long ago are remarkably useful. If your mother knows that you respect her point of view, even if you do not share it, it will help her feel close to you.
Remember that your mother has a past. A key step in managing our relationship with our mother is to find out about her early life. Niclle’s mother suffered much during the Second War World War. “My parents are both Jewish-Turkish. They met in France and married young for love. They were in their twenties when war broke out and because they were Jews, they had to go into hiding. She does speak to me about the war, and I think it is important to know what she went through. It is a part of her life that must have affected her deeply. ” Sometimes, in learning about our mother’s past, we know that it can encourage us to think about her whole life.
Ask your mother about your childhood history. My grandparents died when I was young. If you are fortunate enough to have living family, think of your life as a jigsaw puzzle and ask as many questions as you can to put the picture together. Understanding your roots and your childhood can help you now more clearly who you are, as part of a family which you share with your mother.
Keep a sense of humor about your mother. When we hear about someone else’s misfortunes with their mothers and are amused by them, our laughter is one of recognition. I have often listened to stories of difficult mothers and I have also listened to the following piece of advice they have found most helpful is: “Don’t have a sense of humor failure about your mother. ”
Remember that managing your mother is really about managing yourself. Taking any measure to managing our mother is the issue of how we manage ourselves. No matter how difficult we find her, it is important to remember that is not her behavior it self that is causing us discomfort, but the way we feel about her behavior. We should follow the way of her life. At the heart of managing your mother is being able to accept your flawed self. Only then are you able to accept your mother—-with all her failings.
小题1:The followings are the steps you can take to get on with your mother EXCEPT________. | A．Remember your mother’s age and past | | B．Share your roots and your childhood with your mother | | C．Have a sense of humor failure about your mother | | D．Managing your shortcoming while managing your mother |
小题2:What does the underlined phrase “a jigsaw puzzle” mean?小题3: Which of the following is implied but not stated in the passage?| A．It will help you have a better relationship with your mother if you respect her opinion. | | B．You should follow a most useful piece of advice——a sense of humor. | | C．The key measure of managing our mother is how we manage ourselves. | | D．It is unreasonable to expect our mother to change totally from the way she was brought up. |
小题4:The main purpose of writing the text is ________. | A．to give information about how we think of your mother. | | B．to improve the relationship with your mother. | | C．to keep a sense of humor about your mother all day long. | | D．to accept your mother—-with all her failings. |
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A black hole is created when a large star burns out. Like our sun, stars are unbelievably hot furnaces (熔炉) that burn their own matter as fuel. When most of the fuel is used up, the star begins to die.
The death of a star is not a quiet event. First there is a huge explosion. As its outer layer is blasted off into space, the dying star shines as brightly as a billion suns.
After the explosion gravity pulls in what’s left of the star. As the outside of the star sinks toward the center, the star gets smaller and smaller. The material the star is made of becomes tightly packed together. A star is so dense that a teaspoon of matter from it weighs billion of pounds.
The more the star shrinks, the stronger the gravity inside it becomes. Soon the star is very tiny, and the gravity pulling it in is unbelievably strong. In fact, the gravity is so strong that it even pulls light into the star! Since all the light is pulled in, none can go out. The star becomes black when there is no light. Then a black hole is born!
That’s what we know about black holes. What we don’t know is this: What happens inside a black hole after the star has been squeezed into a tiny ball? Does it keep getting smaller and smaller forever? Such a possibility is hard to imagine.
But if the black hole doesn’t keep shrinking, what happens to it? Some scientists think black holes are like doorways to another world. They say that as the star disappears from our universe, it goes into another universe. In other words a black hole in our universe could turn into a “white hole” in a different universe. As the black hole swallows light, the white hole shines brightly—somewhere else. But where? A different place, perhaps, or a different time — many years in the past or future.
Could you travel through a black hole? Right now, no. Nothing we know of could go into a black hole without being crushed. So far the time being, black hole must remain a mystery.
Black holes are a mystery—but that hasn’t stopped scientists from dreaming about them. One scientist suggested that in the future we might make use of the power of black holes. They would supply all of Earth’s energy needs, with plenty to spare. Another scientist wondered if a black hole could some day be used to swallow earthly waste—a sort of huge waste disposal(处理) in the sky!
小题1:When the star begins to die ______.| A．there is no fuel left in it | B．its outer layer goes into space first | | C．a huge explosion will happen | D．it doesn’t give off light any longer |
小题2:Which of the following doesn’t help produce a black hole?| A．The gravity inside the star is very strong. | B．The light can’t go out of the star. | | C．The star becomes smaller and smaller | D．The dying star shines very brightly. |
小题3:The black hole ______.| A．continues becoming smaller and smaller all the time | | B．goes into another universe and becomes a white hole | | C．can pull in everything we know of in the world | | D．will appear at another place at a different time |
小题4:What’s the best title for this passage?| A．A New Scientific Discovery: Black Holes | | B．How Do Black Holes Come Into Being? | | C．What Are Black Holes? | | D．Travel Through A Black Hole |
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International Studies (BA)
Key features
● Recognizes the “global community”（国际社会）
● Has close connections with practical research
● Much of the teaching is done in small discussion groups
About the course
The course gives you chances to know great power polities between nation states. It will provide more space to study particular issues such as relationship among countries in the European Union, third world debt, local and international disagreement, and the work of such international bodies as the United Nations, the European Union, NATO, and the World Bank.
The course puts theories into the working of the international system with close attention to particular countries. You will also have a better knowledge of methods of solving the international problems.
Related（相关的）courses
BA (Hons) Community Management
BA (Hons) Public Policy and Management
Employment possibilities
International organizations
International business
Earth Science (BSc)
Key features
● Based on key courses and the latest research findings
● Pays much attention to practical skills
● Offers chances for fieldwork（实地考察）
About the course
The demand for natural resources is becoming an increasingly serious problem for the future of mankind. Graduates in Earth Science will play an important role in meeting this demand, and in knowing the meaning of using the natural resources.
The course covers geography and geology. You will carry out fieldwork in the UK and possibly overseas, and a research in an area of interest to you in the final year.
Related courses
BSc (Hons) Geograhpy
BSc (Hons) Geology
Employment possibilities
Mineral, oil, water or other related engineering industries
小题1:International Studies is a course in ________.| A．international polities | B．international business | | C．international systems | D．international bodies |
小题2:After taking the course of International Studies, the students will _______.| A．become practical and open-minded | | B．have a greater ability to discuss theories | | C．know how to settle international problems | | D．have good jobs in any international organizations |
小题3: Earth Science, as described in the second text, ________.| A．is attractive because of the chances for fieldwork | | B．pays more attention to practical skills than theories | | C．is built on important courses and the results of recent studies | | D．encourages students to play a role in using natural resources |
小题4:It can be inferred that the above two texts are written for the students who _______.| A．enjoy research work | B．plan to choose courses | | C．study in the UK | D．are interested in overseas fieldwork |
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