1 . If a pancake could dream, it might long for legs so it could jump off your breakfast plate in pursuit of a better, unchewed life. But legs aren’t necessary for something as flat as a pancake to jump around. A group of scientists have designed a pancake-shaped robot that can jump several times per second and higher than seven times its body height. The new robot named Hop, which swiftly jumps without feet, is an important contribution to the soft robotics.
Many ground robots move by rolling or walking. But it’s more efficient for robots to jump over obstacles (障碍物) than to go around them. Although jumping can offer some robots a competitive edge, engineering that ability has been a challenge for robotics researchers. Some soft robots that store energy can perform a single impressive jump very infrequently. Some lightweight soft robots that don’t store energy can jump frequently but can’t jump high or far enough to successfully cross an obstacle.
For inspiration, the researchers looked to gall midge larvae (瘿蚊幼虫) that miraculously throw themselves across distances 30 times as long as their loglike bodies. A gall midge larva bends its body and squeezes the liquid in its body to one end, making it rigid (僵硬的). The accumulation of liquid builds up pressure, and releasing the pressure sends it soaring (飙升). The robot’s body doesn’t resemble (像) that of a gall midge larva, but it jumps like one. Its body is made of two small plastic bags printed with electrodes; the front bag is filled with liquid and the back one is filled with the same volume of air. The robot uses electricity to drive the flow of liquid, which causes the body to bend and generate force with the ground, resulting in a jump. And the air bag imitates the function of an animal’s tail, helping the robot keep a stable position.
While the robot is currently restricted to Earth, it might be right at home exploring another planet. If this is true, the researchers robot might jump over dusty rocks and large holes on the moon or Mars, going where no pancake has gone before.
1. What does the author want to show by mentioning a pancake?A.A pancake’s dream to have legs is unrealistic. |
B.A robot is capable of serving a good pancake. |
C.A pancake-shaped robot can jump without legs. |
D.Research on pancakes advances our understanding of robots. |
A.Hop’s avoiding an obstacle. | B.Hop’s moving around by rolling. |
C.Hop’s performing one remarkable jump. | D.Hop’s jumping high and far continuously. |
A.They are shaped like logs. |
B.They have tails to change positions. |
C.They bend their bodies and increase force. |
D.They are filled with liquid and have rigid bodies. |
A.Intolerant. | B.Positive. | C.Indifferent. | D.Ambiguous. |
World Olive Tree Day takes place on 26 November every year. It
The olive tree, especially the olive branch, holds an important place
World Olive Tree Day is set up
3 . Birthdays are especially important to the very young and the very old. On their birthdays, people receive birthday cards and birthday presents from their family and friends. Children’s cards often have a large number on them showing how old they are. Cards for adults have pictures of flowers or scenery, or humorous or rude cartoons. Inside there is usually a simple greeting, such as “Happy Birthday” or “Many Happy Returns of the Day.”
In the US, children who have their birthdays during the school year take a cake to school and have a small party with their classmates. In Britain, children sometimes get Bumped (lifted off the ground horizontally and put down again sharply) by their friends.
In the US, the 16th birthday is called sweet 16. It is the age at which a person can get a US driver’s license, and some wealthier parents give their children a car as a present. At 18, in Britain and in the US, young people become adults and many have a big party. In most parts of the US, 21 is the age at which people can drink alcohol legally.
In Britain, people celebrate 21st birthday less. Many adults dislike getting older and a few lie about their age. But in general older people are now much more willing to tell others their age. You may see a sign by the side of a road saying: “Dave Ell is 40 today!”, put there by Dave’s friends. At about 65, people retire, and those who have reached this age are called senior citizens. Few people live to be 100, so a 100th birthday is very special. In Britain, people reaching this age may receive cards containing a printed message from the Queen.
1. What’s the main characteristic of children’s birthday cards?A.They are full of pictures of scenery. |
B.There are some flowers on them. |
C.There is a large number on them. |
D.They have greetings written on them. |
A.The 40th birthday is very special. |
B.Many adults like lying about their age. |
C.Dave’s friends like playing jokes on him. |
D.Older people don’t mind telling others their age now. |
A.be called a senior citizen |
B.refuse to talk about his age |
C.receive a card from the Queen |
D.be invited to dinner with the Queen |
A.Bars in the US are forbidden to sell alcohol to young people of 21. |
B.In Britain, 18 means young people become adults. |
C.Young people will get a car as the 16th birthday present in the US. |
D.British young men love to celebrate the 21st birthday. |
1. When will the last interview finish?
A.At about 9:30. | B.At about 10:00. | C.At about 10:30. |
A.A friend . | B.A teacher . | C.A couple. |
A.Meeting the lawyer. | B.Visiting the City Library. | C.Answering Maria Rosa’s questions. |
A.On Tuesday morning. | B.On Wednesday morning. | C.On Monday afternoon. |
Twenty years ago, I drove a taxi for a living. One night I took a fare at 2:30 a.m. When I arrived, the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window. I walked to the door and knocked.” Just a minute,” answered a weak, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.
After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 80s stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat, like somebody out of a 1940s movie. “Would you carry my bag out to the car?” she said. I took the suitcase to the car, and then returned to assist the woman. She held my arm and we walked slowly toward my car.
She kept thanking me for my kindness. “It’s nothing,” I told her.” I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated.”
“Oh, you’re such a good man,” she said. When we got in the car, she gave me an address, and then asked, “Could you drive through downtown?”
I looked in the rear-view mirror(后视镜). Her eyes were shining. “I don’t have any family left,” she continued.” The doctor says I don’t live very long.” I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. “What route would you like me to take?” I asked.
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived. Sometimes she’d ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
As the first ray of the sun appeared, she suddenly said,” I’m tired. Let’s go now.”We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a small hospice (临终关怀医院), with a driveway that passed under an entrance hall. Two nurses came out to the car as soon as we pulled up.
注意:1.续写词数应为150左右;
2.请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1. What does the speaker’s dad like to do?
A.Cook and eat. | B.Do sports and have sweets. | C.Watch TV and go out. |
A.While playing tennis. | B.While jogging. | C.While playing volleyball. |
A.A doctor. | B.A student. | C.A bank clerk. |
A.She likes purple very much. |
B.She has begun to learn to dance . |
C.Shy always takes an umbrella with her. |
1. How many people are there in the woman’s family?
A.Four. | B.Five. | C.Six. |
A.In a hospital. | B.In a university. | C.In a garden. |
A.A purse. | B.A fan. | C.A doll. |
1. What event is being planned?
A.A holiday. | B.A conference. | C.A reception. |
A.A heavy lunch. | B.A food list. | C.An office room. |
1. What will the man do for Thanksgiving?
A.Visit his family. | B.Stay at home. | C.Attend a car show. |
A.By train or by plane . | B.By car or by train. | C.By plane or by car. |
A.Black . | B.Brown. | C.Yellow. |