1 . There are robot cleaners and robot mops to help us around the house, so why not a robot to build our houses? Wait no longer. Now there is a set of electronics to do just that, build a house from scratch, and fast.
Forget weeks to find a builder and months for house construction; a machine developed in the United States can build a 232 sqm house layer by layer in a single day. University of Southern California’s Professor Behrokh Khoshnevis has designed the giant robot that replaces construction workers with a mouth on an arm of crane, which spits out concrete and can quickly build a house according to a computer pattern. The technology, known as Contour (轮廓) Crafting, could revolutionise the construction industry.
Contour Crafting could greatly decrease the cost of homeowning, making it possible for millions of displaced people to get on the property ladder. It could even be used in disaster relief areas to build emergency and replacement housing. As Prof. Khoshnevis points out, if we look around almost everything is made automatically these days—shoes, clothes, home appliances, cars. The only thing that is still built by hand are buildings.
The Contour Crafting system is a robot that automates age-old tools normally used by hand. These are applied by a robotic crane that builds a three-dimensional object. The nature of the technology means it will also be possible to create curved walls and architecture that is both “exotic (异国情调的) and beautiful” according to Prof Khoshnevis. As a result, it could be ideal to print out expensive houses according to customers’ demands.
Furthermore, Prof. Khoshnevis believes that the technology could be applied beyond our planet. “Contour Crafting technology has the potential to build safe, reliable, and affordable structures, habitats, laboratories, and other facilities on the moon and Mars before the arrival of human beings,” his website reads.
According to the International Labour Organisation, construction employs nearly 110 million people worldwide and “plays a major role in fighting the high levels of unemployment and in absorbing extra labour from the rural areas”. What the implications are for builders is, of course, a major concern. But Khoshnevis says “the reality is that a lot of new jobs can be created in this field as well”. Instead of building the house, workmen are used to maintain the machine.
1. Which advantage does the giant robot have for the consumers?A.It saves a great deal of time. | B.It decorates houses beautifully. |
C.It provides energy-saving apartments. | D.It builds environmentally-friendly houses. |
A.to print objects | B.to purchase a house |
C.to predict disasters | D.to accumulate wealth |
A.low-income residents | B.people at different income levels |
C.middle-income people | D.wealthy immigrants |
A.Many construction workers will lose jobs. |
B.Professionals will be hired to make robot builders. |
C.More rural people will engage in construction. |
D.Construction workers will update their skills. |
1. 活动介绍;2. 视频要求;3. 鼓励参加。
注意:1. 写作词数应为80个左右;2. 请按如下格式在题卡的相应位置作答。
Dear James,
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Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
Trends popular among the youth such as “China chic” and the growing influence of young consumers have driven the development of hanfu industry in recent years. Among the various
The current popularity of hanfu in the country is believed
Today, I’d like to introduce hanfu, a kind of traditional Chinese clothing, which has a long history
5 . Last year I ruined my summer vacation by bringing along a modern convenience: the iPad.
Instead of looking at nature, I
So this year I made up my mind to try something
With determination and the strong support of my wife, I succeeded in my vacation struggle against the Internet. I finally
I knew I had
A.received | B.selected | C.checked | D.removed |
A.online | B.informal | C.local | D.traditional |
A.opinion | B.mind | C.identity | D.curiosity |
A.attractive | B.logical | C.magical | D.different |
A.as | B.unless | C.though | D.so |
A.generous | B.capable | C.eager | D.determined |
A.battery | B.button | C.signal | D.function |
A.grateful | B.tough | C.stuck | D.puzzled |
A.rely on | B.go through | C.connect to | D.adapt to |
A.method | B.goal | C.trick | D.choice |
A.expected | B.realised | C.permitted | D.suggested |
A.approach | B.sign | C.evidence | D.problem |
A.won | B.forgotten | C.suffered | D.recovered |
A.Somehow | B.Anyway | C.However | D.Therefore |
A.take apart | B.give up | C.turn up | D.go off |
The buzzwords (时髦术语) “brittle college students” have gone viral on the Internet recently among mounting concerns over
Such comments have caused heated discussions over the declining physical
“These young people were mainly diagnosed (诊断) with trauma, abdominal pain, chest tightness, hyperventilation, acute alcoholism, and cholecystitis. Most cases were caused by
A report pointed out that unhealthy lifestyle is common
7 . Ecofriendly replacement products for single-use plastics are appearing everywhere. But have you heard of edible (可食性的) straws? Now EQUO, a new eco-friendly company in Vietnam has come up with a natural edible solution to plastic or paper straws.
The edible straws are completely plastic free, nontoxic, chemical free, and 100 percent biodegradable according to a company press release.
“It’s well known that plastic straws are harmful to the environment. Most of the 500 million used every day in America end up in oceans where they pollute water and harm marine life. Currently over eight billion straws pollute the world’s beaches,” said Marina Tran-Vu in the press release. “Although there are some plastic and paper straw alternatives on the market, most are environmentally harmful, and we were also unsatisfied with the quality and lasting of paper straws.”
All of the materials are locally from regions that support sustainable farming according to the company’s website and they struggle to have zero-net influence by” using the power of mother nature”. The name of the company was created by combining “ECO” — meaning environmentally friendly — with “STATUS QUO” — meaning the existent state. EQU stands for creating products that have minimal influence on the environment. The company was first shown on Kickstarter on May 18 and hit their funding goal in only 30 days.
Many countries are banning single-use plastics. The EU banned 10 single-use plastic products including straws that will take effect in 2021. Other items that will no longer be made of plastic include cutlery (餐具), and balloon sticks. These 10 items make up a large percentage of ocean waste that harms marine life.
So do your part, use biodegradable cutlery — you can carry your own , edible straws, and reusable water or coffee cups. These small items can contribute to reducing plastic waste.
1. What is the third paragraph mainly about?A.The popularity of plastic straws. |
B.The harm of plastic straws. |
C.The pollution of beaches. |
D.The necessity of change. |
A.It means the original aim. |
B.It means the existent state. |
C.It means how to create products. |
D.It means being good for the environment. |
A.Plastic straws will be forbidden. |
B.Edible straws will be sold cheaply. |
C.Ocean waste can be rid completely. |
D.Single-use plastic products will disappear. |
A.Skeptical. | B.Objective. | C.Tolerant. | D.Approving. |
When I was in middle school, my family moved to Seattle, where my parents started their new business — a small grocery store downstairs my house. As a girl of shy and reserved nature, I had to take a fresh start to fit into the sophisticated city life.
One sunny day, my school announced an exciting event, a talent show for the local food bank. Students were encouraged to showcase their unique talents in front of the public in the city hall on National Day. A buzz of excitement fed the school as everyone began preparing for the big day. Deep down, I felt a spark of curiosity and a desire to participate. However, my self-doubt held me back, “I don’t have any special skills to share.”
Days turned into weeks, and the talent show drew closer. I couldn’t shake the upsetting feeling until one day, Emma, one of the most popular girls in my class, came to me while I was helping in the grocery store after class. “How about singing together in the talent show?” She grinned, “I heard you singing a tune, along the way back home. I can’t help following you here.” Gosh, I couldn’t believe my ears. Emma, with personality and popularity, acknowledged my little talent. Since Emma had the world’s prettiest voice, I felt like being favoured by fortune.
“You two? The talent show for the food bank?” My mum bent towards us and her face lit up. “A big occasion.” Then a light bulb seemed to go in her head. “Why not practise right now upstairs? I bet you’ll be a perfect match.” Winking at us, she seemed to know we were thinking alike.
Emma and I embarked on rehearsing almost every single day after school. We brainstormed, exchanged ideas and rehearsed the scene. As the days rolled by, I was feeling pretty good about our act. But the day before the performance, Emma called that she had an acute stomachache and was not in any shape to perform.
注意:1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1:
I was completely knocked out by the news.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
Finally came the big moment.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________By the age of sixteen years old, Ben had always been an outstanding student. He went to great lengths to achieve high grades and managed to keep his parents delighted and proud. Neither of his parents had the opportunity to attend university and it was their biggest ambition that Ben could land a well-paid and decent job as a lawyer. He knew that achieving this goal would make his parents walk on air, but he wasn’t certain whether he would feel the same.
Since he was only a child, Ben had been passionate about computer programming. He taught himself how to use a computer, and by the age of 12, he had been proficient in three difterent programming languages. He did all of this in his spare time. He was quite an introvert (内向的人), so he preferred staying in with his computer, rather than going out socializing with his fellow classmates or playing sports in the brilliant sunshine. It was acceptable with his parents, as long as he continued to focus on his studies.
One day, while reading an article online about a young technology billionaire called Tom, Ben was fascinated by the magical power of technology and the wisdom and imnovation of the young CEO. The inner voice told him that he longed to become a computer programmer. Everything changed for Ben. In the article, the CEO said that his company was trying to create a new and improved way of paying for goods online but that they were struggling with the security system. He said if they could overcome this, they could launch the biggest and best online payment system in the world. It occurred to Ben that he had an innovative idea on how to handle this problem. Thinking that it wouldn’t come to anything, he emailed the CEO, introducing himself and explaining his idea.
注意:1. 续写词数应为150个左右2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
He forgot all about it, but then a month later; the most amazing thing happened.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________With all these concerns in mind, Ben determined to communicate with his parents frankly.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Located in Shaoxing, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Luzhen features typical
The main street of Luzhen was built according to the descriptions in Lu Xun’s novels,
There are also statues of the characters from Lu Xun’s novels, depicting (描绘) the classic scenes from the