PITTSBURGH - For most people, snakes seem unpleasant or even threatening. But Howie Choset sees in their delicate movements a way to save lives.
The 37-year-old Carnegie Mellon University professor has spent years developing snake-like robots he hopes will eventually slide through fallen buildings in search of victims trapped after natural disasters or other emergencies.
Dan Kara is president of Robotics Trends, a Northboro, Mass.-based company that publishes an online industry magazine and runs robotics trade shows. He said there are other snake-like robots being developed, mainly at universities, but didn’t know of one that could climb pipes.
The Carnegie Mellon machines are designed to carry cameras and electronic sensors and can be controlled with a joystick(操纵杆). They move smoothly with the help of small electric motors, or servos, commonly used by hobbyists in model airplanes.
Built from lightweight materials, the robots are about the size of a human arm or smaller.They can sense which way is up, but are only as good as their human operators, Choset added.
Sam Stover, a search term manager with the Federal Emergency Management Agency based in Indiana, said snake-type robots would offer greater mobility than equipment currently available, such as cameras attached to extendable roles.
“It just allows us to do something we’ve ot been able to do before,”Stover said, “We needed them yesterday.”
He said sniffer dogs are still the best search tool for rescue workers, but that they can only be used effectively when workers have access to damaged building.
Stover, among the rescue workers who handled the aftermath (后果) of Hurricane Katrina, said snake robots would have helped rescuers search flooded houses in that disaster.
Choset said the robots may not be ready for use for another five to ten years, depending on funding.
1. Which institution is responsible for the development of Choset’s robots?
A. Robotics Trends. B. Pittsburgh City Council.
C. Carnegie Mellon University. D. Federal Emergency Management Agency.
2. Choset believes that his invention ______.
A. can be attached to an electronic arm
B. can be used by hobbyists in model airplanes
C. can find victims more quickly than a sniffer dog
D. can sense its way no better than its operators
3. By saying “We needed them yesterday” (paragraph 7), Stover means that snake-like robots _____.
A. could help handle the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
B. would have been put to use in past rescue work
C. helped rescuers search flooded houses yesterday
D. were in greater need yesterday than today
4. What is the text mainly about?
A. Snake-like robots used in industries.
B. Snake-like robots made to aid in rescues.
C. The development of snake-like robots.
D. The working principles of snake-like robots.
考前必练系列答案科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Holding a cell phone against your ear or stalling it in your pocket may be hazardous to your health．
This paraphrases a warning that cell phone; manufacturers include in the small print that is often tossed aside when a new phone is purchased．Apple, for example, doesn't want iP hones to come closer to you than 1．5 centimeters; Research In Motion, Blackberry's manufacturer, recommends 2.5 centimeters．
If health issues arise from cell phone use, the implications are huge．Voice calls - Americans chat on cell phones 2．26 trillion minutes annually - generate $109 billion for the wireless carriers．
Devra Davis, an epidemiologist who has worked for the University of Pittsburgh, has published a book about cell phone radiation, "Disconnect." The book surveys scientific research and concludes the question is not settled.
Brain cancer is a concern that Ms. Davis examines. Over all, there has not been an increase in its incidence since cell phones arrived. But the average masks an increase in brain cancer in the 20-to-29 age group and a drop for the older population.
"Most cancers have multiple causes," she says, but she points to laboratory research that suggests low-energy radiation could damage cells that could possibly lead to cancer.
Children are more vulnerable to radiation than adults, Ms. Davis and other scientists point out. Radiation that penetrates only five centimeters into the brain of an adult will reach much deeper into the brains of children because their skulls are thinner and their brains contain more absorptive fluid. No studies have yet been completed on cell phone radiation and children, she says.
Henry Lai, a research professor in the bioengineering department at the University of Washington, began laboratory radiation studies in 1980 and found that rats exposed to radiofrequency radiation had damaged DNA in their brains.
Ms. Davis recommends using wired headsets or the phone's speaker. Children should text rather than call, she said, and pregnant women should keep phones away from the abdomen.
We can infer from the passage that________．
A．Cell phone may do harm to our health if we hold it against our ear or store in our pocket
B．Devra Davis thinks that there are many factors contributing to cancer．
C．The increase in brain cancer in the young adults may have something to do with cell phone
D．Children are more likely to be affected by radiation
According to the passage, how could children avoid being hurt by cell phone radiation?
A．They can keep cell phones away from the abdomen．
B．They can send short massage instead of making phone calls directly．
C．They can pay more attention to the small print on the phone．
D．They should use more advanced cell phones．
From this passage we can learn that．________．
A．American cell phone manufacturers did not give any warning to their customers
B．American cell phone manufacturers benefit greatly from their products
C．Scientists have found the connection between brain cancer and ceil phone
D．Cell phone should be banned because of the increase in brain cancer
In which column can we most probably read this passage?
A．Advanced technology． B．Entertainment．
C．Science and life． D．Celebrity．
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科目：高中英语 来源：2012届宁夏银川一中高三年级第三次月考英语卷 题型：阅读理解
Andrew Carneigie, known as the King of Steel, built the steel industry in the United States, and, in the process, became one of the wealthiest men in America. His success resulted partly from his ability to sell the product and partly from his policy of expanding during periods of economic decline, when most of his competitors were reducing their investments. Carnegie believed that individuals should progress through hard work, but he also felt strongly that the wealthy should use their fortunes for the benefit of society. He opposed charity, preferring instead to provide educational opportunities that would allow others to help themselves. “He who dies rich, dies disgraced”, he often said. Among his more noteworthy contributions to society are those that bear his name, including the Carnegie Institute of Pittsburgh, which has a library, a museum of fine arts, and a museum of national history. He also founded a school of technology that is now part of Carnegie-Mellon University. Other philanthropic(慈善的) gifts are the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace to promote understanding between nations, the Carnegie Institute of Washington to fund scientific research, and Carnegie Hall to provide a center for the arts. Few Americans have been left untouched by Andrew Carnegie’s generosity. His contributions of more than five million dollars established 2,500 libraries in small communities throughout the country and formed the nucleus of the public library system that we all enjoy today.
【小题1】The author quoted(引述) “he who dies rich, dies disgraced” in the passage to show______.
| A．He felt strongly that the wealthy should use their fortunes for the benefit of society. |
| B．He opposed charity. |
| C．The wealthy die from their fortunes |
| D．The wealthy die from not contributing to society. |
| A．his policy of expanding. |
| B．his ability to sell the product |
| C．his ability to produce the product |
| D．his hard work |
| A．the Carnegie Institute of Washington. |
| B．the Carnegie Institute of Pittsburgh. |
| C．the steel industry. |
| D．the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. |
| A．Few Americans have touched Andrew Carnegie’s generosity. |
| B．Many Americans have touched Andrew Carnegie’s generosity. |
C．we all enjoy Andrew Carnegie’s generosity today. |
| D．Many Americans were given Andrew Carnegie’s generosity. |
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科目：高中英语 来源：2013届上海市高三高考压轴英语卷（带解析） 题型：阅读理解
Holding a cell phone against your ear or storing it in your pocket may be dangerous to your health. This explains a warning that cell phone manufacturers include in the small print that is often ignored when a new phone is purchased. Apple, for example, doesn’t want iPhones to come closer to you than 1.5 centimeters; Research In Motion, BlackBerry’s manufacturer, recommends 2.5 centimeters.
If health issues arise from cell phone use, the possible effects are huge. Voice calls - Americans chat on cell phones 2.26 trillion(万亿)minutes annually - earn $109 billion for the wireless carriers.
Devra Davis, an expert who has worked for the University of Pittsburgh, has published a book about cell phone radiation, “Disconnect.” The book surveys scientific research and concludes the question is not settled.
Brain cancer is a concern that Ms. Davis examines. Over all, there has not been an increase in its incidence since cell phones arrived. But the average masks an increase in brain cancer in the 20-to-29 age group and a drop for the older population.
“Most cancers have multiple causes,” she says, but she points to laboratory research that suggests low-energy radiation could damage cells that could possibly lead to cancer.
Children are more vulnerable（易受伤的）to radiation than adults, Ms. Davis and other scientists point out. Radiation that penetrates only five centimeters into the brain of an adult will reach much deeper into the brains of children because their skulls are thinner and their brains contain more absorptive fluid（易吸收的液体）. No studies have yet been completed on cell phone radiation and children, she says.
Henry Lai, a research professor in the bioengineering department at the University of Washington, began laboratory radiation studies in 1980 and found that rats exposed to radiation had damaged DNA in their brains.
Ms. Davis recommends using wired headsets or the phone’s speaker. Children should text rather than call, she said, and pregnant women should keep phones away from the abdomen（腹部）.
【小题1】According to Ms Davis, brain cancer increase ____.
| A．among children | B．among old people |
| C．in the twenties | D．among pregnant women |
| A．Because they haven’t grown up. |
| B．Because they are too young to protect themselves. |
| C．Because they use cell phones more often than adults. |
| D．Because their skulls are thinner and their brains are easily hurt. |
| A．Pregnant women should keep cell phones away. |
| B．People should use cell phones in the correct way. |
| C．If you are a child, you’d better text than make phone calls. |
| D．When you use a cell phone, use a wired headset or the phone’s speaker. |
| A．Be careful when using cell phones. |
| B．Don’t hold your cell phone against your ear. |
| C．Rats exposed to radiation have damaged DNA in their brains. |
| D．Low-energy radiation could damage cells that could lead to cancer. |
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科目：高中英语 来源：2010年高考预测试题英语（二） 题型：阅读理解
B
A new study suggests that the more teenagers watch television , the more likely they are to develop depression (抑郁)as young adults. But the extent to which TV may or may not be to blame is a question that the study leaves unanswered.
The researchers used a national long-term survey of adolescent health to investigate the relationship between media use and depression . They based their findings on more than four thousand adolescents who were not depressed when the survey began in 1995.
As part of the survey, the young people were asked how many hours of television or videos they watched daily. They were also asked how often they played computer games and listened to the radio.
Media use totaled an average of five and one-half hours a day. More than two hours of that was spent watching TV.
Seven years later, in 2002, more than seven percent of the young people had signs of depression. Their average age at that time was twenty-one.
Brian Primack at the Universtiy of Pittsburgh Medical School was the leading author of the new study . He said every extra hour of television meant an eight percent increase in the chances of developing signs of depression.
The researchers say they did not find any such relationship with the use of other media such as movies, video games or radio. But the study did find that young men were more likely than young women to develop depression given the same amount of media use.
Doctor Primack says the study did not explore if watching TV causes depression . But one possibility, like sports and socializing. It might also interfere with sleep, he says, and that could have an influence.
The study was just published in the Archives of General Psychiatry. In December, the journal Social Indicators Research published a study of activities that help lead to happy lives. Sociologists from the University of Maryland found that people who describe themselves as happy spend less time watching television than unhappy people. The study found that happy people are more likely to be socially active, to read, to attend religious services and to vote.
60．The average age of the depressed young people should be_______when they began to receive the survey.
A．21 B．15 C．14 D．20
61．According to the passage, which of the following can possibly lead to depression?
A．Swimming B．Attending a party
C．Attending religious services D．Watching TV for a long time.
62．We can learn from the passage_______.
A．the survey lasted a short time
B．over 280 teenagers who received the survey became more or less depressed in 2002
C．men are more likely to become depressed than women
D．the study about the relationship between media use and depression was published in the journal Social Indicators Research
63．What is the best title for the passage?
A．Teens, television, depression
B．Depression—the common problem of teens
C．Problems of watching TV
D．Teens—a group enjoying watching TV
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科目：高中英语 来源：2011届济南市高三教学质量调研英语试题（A） 题型：阅读理解
Findings from a new study were presented at a recent meeting of the American Psychosomatic(身心的) Society. Researchers in the United States studied 100,000 women during an eight-year period, beginning in 1994. All of the women were fifty or older. The study was part of the Women’s Health Initiative organized by the National Institutes of Health.
The women were asked questions measuring their beliefs or ideas about the future. The researchers attempted to identify each woman’s personality eight years after gathering the information.
The study found that hopeful individuals were 14% less likely than other women to have died from any cause. The hopeful women were also 30% less likely to have died from heart disease after the eight years.
Hilary Tindle from the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania was the lead author of the report. She said the study confirmed earlier research that linked optimistic feelings to longer life.
The researchers also gathered information about people’s education, financial earnings, physical activity and use of alcohol or cigarettes. Independent of those things, the findings still showed that optimists had less of a chance of dying during the eight-year period.
Some women who answered the questions were found to be hostile (怀敌意的), or highly untrusting of others. These women were 16% more likely to die than the others. They also were 23% more likely to die of cancer.
The study also found women who were not optimistic were more likely to smoke and have high blood pressure or diabetes. They were also more likely not to exercise.
Tindle says the study did not confirm whether optimism leads to healthier choices, or if it actually affects a person’s physical health. She also says the study does not prove that negative (消极的) emotions or distrust lead to bad health effects and shorter life. Yet there does appear to be a link that calls for more research.
【小题1】In which part of a newspaper can you read the above passage?
| A．Nation | B．Opinion |
| C．Science | D．Business |
| A．decide who is more likely to enjoy a happier life |
| B．find out the link between personality and health |
| C．gather information for the National Institutes of Health |
| D．compare each woman’s personality changes |
| A．Negative emotions cause a shorter life indeed. |
| B．There may be some link between personality and health. |
| C．It’s uncertain whether optimism affects one’s health. |
| D．The more optimistic you are, the longer life you may enjoy. |
| A．A woman who always doubts what others say. |
| B．A woman who doesn’t exercise. |
| C．A woman with high blood pressure. |
| D．A woman with poor physical health. |
| A．Unfair. | B．Useless. | C．Necessary. | D．Reliable. |
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