We are getting used to having robots in our homes, stores, and factories. What about on stage? In fact, the word robot comes from a 1920 science-fiction play. In Rossum’s Universal Robots, people performed as the machine-like creatures. Recently, some directors and artists have invited actual robots to share the stage in dances and other performances. Catie Cuan is one of them. “Robots are for everyone,” she says.
Cuan began her career as a dancer and choreographer — a person who maps out the movements of dancers. But she fell in love with robots and has pioneered a new field called robot choreography (编舞). Today, she’s studying robotics at Stanford University in Northern California.
You might imagine robots would dance like machines. After all, that’s how the popular dance “the robot” looks. Most robots today, however, can move in a more life-like manner. It takes time and effort to program robots to do the movements Cuan wants. But the results, she says, “will surprise you.”
At first, Cuan knew little about robot choreography. In 2022, she wrote, choreographed and performed the stage show In Her Prime. She danced with two other women and two Boston Dynamics spot robots. In the dance, the robots stayed behind a screen so the audience (观众) only saw their shadows. Cuan says that cave paintings inspired her.
In the media, Cuan says, “Robots are often described negatively (负面地).” They may seem alien, cold, or scary. Seeing a robot dance may make the technology seem fun, attractive, or friendly instead. Sometimes after her performances, audience tell her that the dance changes the way they think about robots.
Robots may seem like they’re all about maths and engineering. But, as Cuan suggests, they belong in art, too. “We as humans have been making art a lot longer than we’ve been doing maths,” she says. She points out that we use art and dance to make sense of the world. Cuan thinks that performances like hers will help people feel more at home with robots. “We need to dance with robots to make sense of them,” she says.
1. Why did Catie Cuan use a screen in her dance In Her Prime with robots?| A．To show the robots’ shadows. | B．To display cave paintings. |
| C．To hide the robots’ movements. | D．To catch the attention of the audience. |
| A．offered her chances | B．brought her success | C．sent her messages | D．gave her ideas |
This is only one of many dances Cuan has performed with robots. Her goal is to show people new ways to relate to these machines.
| A．Paragraph 2 | B．Paragraph 4 | C．Paragraph 5 | D．Paragraph 6 |
| A．The word robot comes from In Her Prime. |
| B．Dancing with robots can help us understand them better. |
| C．The audience will develop an interest in robotics engineering. |
| D．Some students in Stanford University enjoy studying robotics. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】The great Chinese composer(作曲家) had different names in different places. In China, he is remembered as Xian Xinghai, one of the greatest musicians. In Kazakhstan(哈萨克斯坦), he was known as Huang Xun, a poor person with amazing talent.
Wherever he went, his music gave people courage and strength to fight against enemies during wartime. His Yellow River Cantata(《黄河大合唱》 ) once encouraged millions of people. President Xi Jinping told the composer’s story when he visited Kazakhstan in 2013.
When the war broke out in 1941, the composer was working in Moscow. He stopped working and tried to return home through Kazakhstan. But because of the war he was left alone in the Kazakh city of Almaty. He was sitting on his suitcase(手提箱) with a violin in hand when Kazakh musician Baikadamov noticed him. Baikadamov spoke Kazakh and Russian, ● the composer replied in English and French. “But it was clear that the Chinese musician really needed help. So my father just took his hand and led him to us,” Baikadamov’s daughter said, “From then on they became great friends. Together they overcame the wartime hardships and wrote a new chapter(篇章) in the history of music.
Touched by the story, Chinese filmmaker Shen Jian has turned it into a movie The Composer. We can learn more about the great composer in the movie.
1. People can become ________ after listening to Xian Xinghai’s music.| A．kind and helpful | B．lively and friendly | C．brave and strong | D．polite and understanding |
| A．In China. | B．In Kazakhstan. | C．In Russia. | D．In Canada. |
| A．though | B．unless | C．when | D．while |
| A．Where Xian Xinghai was during wartime. |
| B．How Baikadamov helped Xian Xinghai out. |
| C．Why Xian Xinghai was left alone in a foreign country. |
| D．How Xian Xinghai and Baikadamov became friends. |
| A．Xian studied music in different countries |
| B．Xian created Yellow River Cantata in Kazakhstan |
| C．Xian was looking forward to singing for a movie |
| D．Xian’s story has been turned into a movie |
【推荐2】Artificial intelligence (AI) can do many different things. From controlling the lights in our homes to helping us order pizzas, it seems there aren’t many more uses for AI than we already have. However, can AI make music like human beings?
Thanks to a team of Swiss scientists, AI may soon be able to come up with music especially for us. Researchers at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland have created a computer algorithm (算法), the “Deep Artificial Composer” (DAC), which can create original music all by itself.
Florian Colombo, an EPFL scientist who helped create the DAC, said that AI could produce complete melodies (旋律), with a beginning and an end.
At present, the DAC is only able to produce several pieces of traditional Irish folk music, but it’s hoped that it will be able to create songs based on any type of music in the end.
To “teach” the DAC, the scientists trained it to “listen” to over 2,000 different folk songs. Based on this input (输入), the AI taught itself how to compose music, from getting the pitch (高音) and timing right, to choosing the right notes.
This process is still in its early stages, with the DAC still not producing perfect results, but Colombo told AFP that the AI’s music is still “quite pleasant to listen to”.
While the idea sounds very hopeful, we shouldn’t expect the DAC to replace real-life composers any time soon. According to Colombo, the system was designed to produce only simple melodies. So far, it can only create songs based on a single instrument.
Colombo said that his purpose in creating the DAC was to help people create their own music, not to have it made for them. His exciting new ideas came from Austrian composer Wolfgang Mozart. It’s said that he used to throw dice (掷骰子) to help him pick which notes to use when making new music.
“A good composer with creative ideas will never be replaced by an algorithm.” Colombo told AFP.
1. What can be learned from the first two paragraphs?| A．AI has been used in more places than we already know. |
| B．AI has already composed music for people. |
| C．DAC was created by a group of scientists in Switzerland. |
| D．DAC was refused by some composers. |
| A．A robot. | B．The EPFL. | C．A composer. | D．The DAC. |
| A．have achieved their purpose of creating the DAC | B．are amazed at the melodies made by the DAC |
| C．are not satisfied with the system of the DAC | D．expect the DAC to replace good composers |
| A．Colombo Helped Create the DAC | B．AI Composers VS Human Composers |
| C．AI might take place of Composers | D．The DAC Changes the Way of Composing |
She likes lots of different kinds of music, from Beethoven to the Beatles, and she wants to play the music she likes. Not only has she played in classical concerts all over the world, but she has also played in pop concerts with pop stars.
A lot of people don’t like the way she uses modern rhythms（节奏）, noisy drums and guitars in traditional（传统的）music. But Vanessa-Mae has done one important thing: she has brought many new fans to classical music. For the first time, many young people began to listen to classical music.
1. Vanessa-Mae was a young woman.
| A．Chinese | B．English | C．Singaporean | D．French |
| A．traditional music | B．different kinds of music | C．classical music | D．rock and roll |
| A．Pop stars | B．Young people | C．Classical musicians | D．Old people |
| A．The violin | B．The piano | C．The drums | D．The guitar |
【推荐1】Many people dream of traveling into outer space. However, spending too much time in space may cause health problems. That’s why astronauts shouldn’t spend more than six months on the International Space Station (ISS) at a time.
Muscle (肌肉) and bone loss(骨质损失). In a weightless environment, astronauts don’t need to use their muscles to support themselves. So their muscles start shrinking (萎缩). To keep their muscles strong, astronauts need to exercise for about two hours each day on the ISS.
Sleep disorder (紊乱). In space, the sun rises every 90 minutes. It is hard for astronauts to get used to this light-dark cycle (循环) when they sleep. Also, they need to sleep in a sleeping bag that is fixed to a wall. It is uncomfortable. Now astronauts have individual (单独的) sleeping pods (睡眠舱) that help shut out some of the light. Still, studies have found that most astronauts only sleep about six hours each night, even though they should have eight and a half hours.
Brain changes. Scientists have found that the position of the brain changes during spaceflight. This can influence how the brain deals with how we see, stay balanced (平衡) and move around. That’s why some astronauts can’t control their movement and balance after returning to Earth. Scientists have also found that astronauts may get used to this change after going on more spaceflights. But they still need to do more research.
1. When astronauts don’t use their muscles in space, _______.| A．they should eat much meat | B．their muscles start shrinking |
| C．they need to exercise all day | D．they can’t support themselves |
| A．the weight | B．the temperature | C．the light | D．the air |
| A．his muscle shrinks | B．he can’t sleep well |
| C．he doesn’t have any research | D．the position of his brain changes |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
1. Where can you find such a picture?
| A．A story book. | B．A comic. | C．A news report. | D．A science poster. |
| A．You can do it without others’ help. |
| B．Cold water seems much heavier than hot water. |
| C．At least two different drinking glasses are needed. |
| D．You don’t have to touch the water to find it’s cold or hot. |
| A．By feeling. | B．By touching. | C．By watching. | D．By weighing. |
【推荐3】Peking Opera (Beijing Opera) is one of the most ancient forms of drama in the world. The roles in it were Sheng, Dan, Jing, Chou, Wuhang, and Longtao during its early age. But with the development of Peking Opera, there are four main roles in it today: Sheng, Dan, Jing, Chou.
| Sheng Men Roles Sheng is the man role in Peking Opera, which can be divided into Laosheng, Wusheng, Xiaosheng and Wawasheng. Laosheng is the middle-aged or older man who is decisive and honest. Hongsheng, a type of Laosheng, has a red face. There are only two roles known as Hongsheng. One is Guan Gong and the other is Zhao Kuangyin. Wusheng is the young general skilled in martial arts（武术）. Xiaosheng is clean-shaven and handsome. Wawasheng is the child’s part. |
| Dan Women Roles Dan is the women role that can be divided into different types - Laodan, Qingyi, Huadan, Wudan and Caidan. Laodan plays the old and clever woman. Qingyi is the main woman role. Huashan, a type of Qingyi, was created by Mei Lanfang, who played an important role in shaping Peking Opera. Huadan is the lively and unmarried woman role. Wudan characters are women skilled in martial arts. Caidan is the clown（小丑）in funny plays and comedies. |
| Jing Face-painted Men Roles A Jing role is an important man character with attractive look and high social position. The main types of Jing are Tongchui, good at singing and usually a general; Jiazi, good at acting with less singing; and Wujing, a role skilled in martial arts and acrobatics（杂技）. |
| Chou Comedy Roles Chou is the comedy role in Peking Opera. There is Wenchou who speaks, acts and sings, and Wuchou who speaks and fights. What makes this type of face painted role special is a small patch of while chalk around the nose. One of the famous roles is the Monkey King, who has a special position in the hearts of all who are interested in Chinese opera. |
| A．Wujing and Huadan | B．Tongchui and Jiazi |
| C．Laosheng and Laodan | D．Qingyi and Wuchou |
| A．Mei Lanfang created a type of Qingyi Hongsheng. |
| B．Zhao Kuangyin and Guan Gong are two roles known as Xiaosheng. |
| C．The Monkey King has a special position among Chinese Opera fans. |
| D．Wusheng is the middle-aged or older general skilled in martial arts. |
| A．The roles in Peking Opera. | B．The development of Peking Opera. |
| C．Different forms of dramas. | D．The history of Peking Opera. |
The Invention of My Favorite Treats | |
 Matt | Posted 5/15/20 4:53 PM |
A woman named Ruth Wakefield invented chocolate chip cookies about 80 years ago. Wakefield was a great cook. One day, Wakefield had an idea. She broke up a chocolate bar. Then she put the pieces in her cookie batter（面糊）. The chocolate melted in the cookies. It made a sweet treat. I love this kind of cookies. | |
 Linda | Posted 5/15/20 6:25 PM |
Dr. John Stith Pemberton wanted to make a medicine to fix headaches more than 140 years ago. He made a sticky brown syrup （糖浆）with the coca plant, the kola nut and sugar. He called his medicine Coca-Cola, Later, someone added fizzy（起泡的）water to the syrup. It made a sweet, bubbly drink. The drink did not fix headaches but it was a yummy treat. I like drinking it. | |
 Jordan | Posted 5/16/20 5:20 PM |
More than 100 years ago, a young boy named Frank Epperson was mixing a fruity drink. He used a wooden stick to stir（搅拌）it. Then he left the cup outside overnight. When he went back for his drink the next morning. It was frozen. He pulled the stick and licked the icy juice. It was cold and sweet. He called them popsicles. It’s also my favorite. | |
 Kathy | Posted 5/16/20 7:46 PM |
According to the tale, a few leaves were blown from a tree into Shennong’s freshly boiled water thousands of years ago, changing the color and taste. Tea was invented. It has been consumed in China very well, most of people like drinking it. I also like drinking it with my parents together. | |
1. Who invented chocolate chip cookies?
| A．Ruth Wakefield. | B．Dr. John Stith Pemberton. |
| C．Frank Epperson. | D．Shennong. |
| A．about 80 years ago | B．more than 140 years ago |
| C．more than 100 years ago | D．thousands of years ago |
| A．chocolate chip cookies | B．Coca-Cola |
| C．popsicles | D．tea |
The well-known “new great inventions” of modern China have made our daily lives more convenient.
High-speed trains
China created its first high-speed railway line in 2008. Since then, the number of passenger trips has grown by over 30 percent every year. By 2016, more than 5 billion trips had been taken on the trains. By 2020, one-fifth of the country’s 150000-km railway network will be used by the trains. This network will link more than 80 percent of major cities across China.
Mobile payment
Mobile payment is turning China into a “cashless society”. Instead of paying by cash(现金) customers now pay for their goods and some kinds of bills simply by typing a short password into the Alipay(支付宝) or Wechat Pay app on their mobile phone.
Shared bikes
China has surprised the world with how quickly shared bikes are widely used. Nowadays, bike users can simply pick up or park the bike on the street through GPS and smart phone apps. China's two leading bike-sharing companies, Mobike and Ofo, have been opening their overseas markets in Singapore, the UK and the United States.
Online shopping
With around 751 million Internet users, China has been the world's largest and fastest growing online shopping market. Because of lower costs and fewer licensing requirements(执照要求), it’s easier for sellers to open an online shop in China. In 2016, more than 20 million jobs of rural areas were created, with over 8.1 million running their own online shops.
1. What is the passage mainly about?| A．The fast-developing technology. | B．Modern China. |
| C．China’s new great inventions. | D．Convenient daily lives in China. |
| A．20% | B．40% | C．60% | D．80% |
| A．can go shopping without mobile phone | B．needn’t take cash |
| C．don’t have to use a password | D．needn’t pay for the bills |
| A．on the street | B．in mobike and Ofo |
| C．in park | D．in markets |
| A．Lower costs | B．Fewer licensing requirements |
| C．More job chances | D．A, B, and C |
【推荐3】
Using two fans he found at a market, a 15-year-old boy in Gaza has made electricity (电) to light up his family’s tent. He and his family began to live in the tent after the attack (袭击) of Israel.
His neighbors in the tent camp called him “Gaza’s Newton” because of his talent. “Newton was sitting under an apple tree when an apple fell on his head. And we here are living in darkness, so I thought of creating light, and did so.” the boy said.
Since the boy’s family lived a hard life, they connected (连接) their tent to the side of a house so that the boy could climb onto the roof and set up his two fans to charge batteries (电池). Then, the boy connected the fans to wires (电线) running down through the house and used switches (开关), lightbulbs and a thin piece of wood in the tent to make lighting for his family.
It took the boy a while to succeed finally after his first two tries failed. The boy was still very happy that he was able to make this because he can not only help his family but others like them. What’s more, he was also very glad that people in this camp call him ‘Gaza’s Newton’, because he hoped to become a scientist like Newton and invent something that will be good for people of the whole world.
1. When did the boy start living in the tent?| A．When he was 15 years old. | B．After he found two fans. |
| C．When he made light for his family. | D．After his country was attacked. |
| A．For his talent of making two fans. | B．For his talent of making light. |
| C．For his talent of making tents. | D．For his talent of helping his country. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．Because his family could help him a lot. |
| B．Because he wanted to be called “Gaza’s Newton”. |
| C．Because he lived a happy life and had much time. |
| D．Because he hoped to help the people around the world. |
| A．The boy is creative and caring. |
| B．The poor family was rich before the war. |
| C．The boy’s neighbors are friendly to each other. |
| D．There is no electricity in the whole Gaza because of the war. |
“Rejection and acceptance are central to our lives. Have a look around your living room.” says Nathan Dewall, a psychologist at the University of Kentucky. “If you turn on the television, and watch any reality TV program, most of them are about rejection and acceptance,” he says. The reason, DeWall says, is that acceptance—in relationships, from friends, even from strangers—is absolutely necessary to humans.
In a new paper published in Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, DeWall and coauthor Brad J. Bushman review recent psychological research on social acceptance and rejection. The results have highlighted(强调) how central acceptance is to our lives. “Although psychologists have been interested in close relationships, it’s only been about 15 years that psychologists have been doing this work on exclusion and rejection,” DeWall says.
DeWall thinks belonging to a group was helpful to our ancestors. We have weak claws, little fur, and long childhoods; living in a group helped early humans survive harsh environments. Because of that, being part of a group still helps people feel safe and protected.
But acceptance has an evil twin: rejection. Being rejected is bad for your health. “People who feel excluded and lonely tend to have poor physical health,” DeWall says. They don’t sleep well, their immune(免疫) systems are not strong, and they even tend to die sooner than people who are surrounded by others who care about them.
Being excluded is also associated with poor mental health. People with depression may face exclusion more often because of the symptoms(症状) of their disorder—and being rejected makes them more depressed, DeWall says. People with social anxiety worried about being socially rejected.
Exclusion isn’t just a problem for the person who suffers it, either; it can change the whole society, DeWall says. People who have been excluded often treat others badly. In experiments, they give people much more hot water than they can stand, blame strangers with loud noise, and give terrible comments of job interviewees. Rejection can even lead to violence.
It’s important to know how to deal with rejection. First of all, “We should assume(假定) that everyone is going to experience rejection on a semi-regular basis throughout their life,” DeWall says. It’s impossible to go through your entire life with everyone being nice to you. When you are rejected or excluded, the best way to deal with it is to look for other sources of friendship or acceptance. “A lot of times, people keep these things to themselves because they’re embarrassed or they don’t think it’s very important,” he says. But our bodies respond to rejection like they do to physical pain; the pain should be taken seriously, and it’s fine to look for support. “When people feel lonely, or when people feel excluded or rejected, these are things they can talk about,” he says.
1. What is the meaning of the underlined word “exclusion” in paragraph 2?| A．The state of being welcomed by many people. | B．The state of being left alone or not included. |
| C．The state of being accepted and being popular. | D．The state of being often told to finish tasks. |
| A．Rejection and acceptance can be seen in many places in our daily life. |
| B．Psychologists have been studying rejection for about 15 years. |
| C．Belonging to a group can make people feel safe and protected. |
| D．People who are rejected often treat people in a kind way, according to DeWall. |
| A．Ways to Deal with Rejection | B．The Importance of Rejection and Acceptance |
| C．Introduction of Rejection and Acceptance | D．The Differences between Rejection and Acceptance |
【推荐2】You might feel burned out after solving a difficult math problem or studying for a whole day. Are our brains (大脑) really “burning” when we spend a lot of time thinking? In fact, our brains never stop burning calories (卡路里), even if we aren’t thinking about anything.
Our brains are powered by glucose, a kind of sugar that can be found in the food like rice and noodles. The glucose goes to the brain through blood (血液). It powers the neurons (神经元) in our brains. Since our brain never really rests, it is burning energy in the form of glucose all the time. Even when we sleep, our brain needs energy to keep our body working. These include breathing (呼吸) and keeping the body warm.
The brain uses up 20% to 25% of the body’s total energy. That’s 350 calories per day for women and 450 for men. When you are five or six years old, your brain uses up to 60% of the body’s energy, according to Live Science.
When we are thinking hard, the brain burns more calories. In one experiment, researchers found that people who worked on a hard task ate around 200 more calories than those who were resting. That explains why you feel hungry and eat more after taking exams or studying for a long time.
1. What can we know about the brain from Paragraph 1﹣2?| A．It uses most energy when we are doing maths. | B．It becomes hot when we are thinking hard. |
| C．It doesn’t use energy at night. | D．It burns calories all the time. |
| A．The glucose. | B．Blood. | C．The brain. | D．Food. |
| A．A 30-year-old woman’s. | B．A 5-year-old boy’s. |
| C．A 70-year-old man’s. | D．A 20-year-old girl’s. |
| A．needed over 200 calories every day | B．should eat more before taking exams |
| C．got hungry easily as soon as they got up | D．would eat more after doing a difficult job |
| A．why some people eat more | B．why people need calories |
| C．how brains burn calories | D．when our brains work |
【推荐3】If you walk into a bookstore，you might see shelves of books labelled（标注）"self-help”.You may not know what these books are about.In fact，more and more people are turning to self-help books for advice these days.You can't imagine that sales of these books in the UK reached 3，000，000 last year.
Self-help books are usually written by paychologists（心理学家），famous writers or successful businessmen. They teach you how to deal with problems in your life，for example，how to get on well with your classmates or friends，how to plan your time well or how to find happiness.
Paul sweetman，the owner of City Books in the UK.said that social problems might be the reason why more people are reading self-help books."They come into the shop and look for ways to deal with these problems in their life，"Paul said.Besides，it seem to be easier for young readers to find their mistakes，especially those born after 2000. They want to improve themselves by reading self-help books.
Self-help books used to be something people laughed at.Many people didn't take chicken soup stories and“success theory（成功学）”books seriously.But now they are recognized by young people.
No matter why there is growing interest in self-help books， it's good to know that help is at hand if we need it. But are these books truly helpful?Read one and find out.
1. From this passage，self-help books are books which .| A．tell us interesting jokes | B．provide beautiful poems |
| C．teach us to deal with problem | D．talk about animals and plants |
| A．doubted | B．refused | C．accepted | D．avoided |
| A．increase people's happiness | B．introduce self -help books |
| C．help us to plan time well | D．encourage us to write books |
