Fahad Azad, an engineer in India, invented a robot named DuctBot．The toy-car sized DuctBot measured 23 centimeters in length, 19 centimeters in width and 9 centimeters in height and weighs just two kilograms．
The robot is designed to snake through dark, narrow air conditioning ducts （管道） and clean them．A pair of LEDs fitted on the robot light up the dirty scenery, so it can be captured （抓拍） by a camera．
In order to control it more easily, Mr. Azad chooses to fix DuctBot on wheels．The robot can clean off lots of dirt, as well as dead pigeons and insects．Keeping indoor air in good quality and monitoring carbon-dioxide levels in buildings with central air conditioning is a challenge．It is important in some places where clean air can mean a difference between life and death, such as hospitals．Dirty air has a bad influence on people's health．
EPSCO, a Dubai-based company which specializes in improving indoor air quality, read about Mr. Azad's invention in a national newspaper after he had won an international robotics competition．EPSCO had cleaning equipment, but it needed someone to get into those ducts to do the dirty, dangerous work．Across India, for example, the task still falls to children．They are small enough to go through those ducts．
In 2005, Mr. Azad who was still at university decided to do something about it．Six years later his own company, Robosoft Systems, has Bluestar, EPSCO and the Indian Navy, some leading air condition makers, as partners．
Mr. Azad and his ten employees are currently exploring robot designs to examine oil tanks or sewage （污水）pipes．Their biggest challenge is to make the robots user-friendly enough．Mr. Azad hopes that the robot could eventually be operated not by engineers but by workers．There will be lots of difficulties they need to overcome in the future．
【小题1】What can we learn about Ductbot?
| A．It is a toy car and popular with children． |
| B．It is designed to move like a snake in the ducts． |
| C．many LEDs are fitted on it to tell its location． |
| D．It is actually a camera to capture dirty scenery． |
| A．the camera | B．the conditioning duct |
| C．the LED light | D．the dirty scenery |
| A．Clean off the dirt in the ducts． |
| B．Control the central conditioning． |
| C．Reduce carbon-dioxide in buildings． |
| D．Protect more animals in city． |
| A．has won an international robotics competition |
| B．hired children to clean the dirty ducts in the past |
| C．is the only partner of Robosoft Systems |
| D．specializes in improving people's health |
| A．Only engineers can operate the Ductbot now． |
| B．New ways have been found to examine oil tanks． |
| C．Azad's difficulties are impossible to overcome． |
| D．Azad's team are working to improve their robot designs． |
【小题1】B
【小题2】D
【小题3】A
【小题4】B
【小题5】D
解析试题分析：文章介绍印度的工程师Azad Ductbot设计一种象蛇一样的机器人，它可以在管道里面清洁管道的脏的东西，非常有实用价值。
【小题1】细节题：从第二段的句子：The robot is designed to snake through dark, narrow air conditioning ducts （管道） and clean them．可知Ductbot 被设计的象蛇一样的在管道里面清洁管道的，选B
【小题2】猜词题：从第二段的句子：A pair of LEDs fitted on the robot light up the dirty scenery, so it can be captured （抓拍） by a camera一对LEDs被安装在机器人上，照亮脏的情景，可知it指的是the dirty scenery 。选D
【小题3】细节题：从第三段的句子：The robot can clean off lots of dirt, as well as dead pigeons and insects．可知Ductbot 可以帮助我们清除管道，选A
【小题4】细节题：从文章第四段的句子：EPSCO had cleaning equipment, but it needed someone to get into those ducts to do the dirty, dangerous work．Across India, for example, the task still falls to children．They are small enough to go through those ducts．可知EPSCO在过去是雇佣孩子清洁管道。选 B
【小题5】段落大意题：从最后一段的句子：Mr. Azad hopes that the robot could eventually be operated not by engineers but by workers．There will be lots of difficulties they need to overcome in the future．可知这段讲的是Azad 的团队正努力改进这种机器人的设计，选D
考点：考查科普类短文
科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
With 10, 600 bicycles in circulation，Paris city officials are hoping the program will provide people with more environmentally friendly transportation．
It seems both Parisians and tourists are taking advantage of the program．Since its launch a little over two weeks ago，Vélib has already seen almost half a million rentals．And，with the addition of 10，000 more bikes and 700 more stations in the next 12 months，city officials expect at least 200，000 regular users by year end．
Parisian Olivier Bioret has already gone for a spin on one of Vélib’s vehicles and plans to make use of them more often．
“It’s a real pleasure—when，like me，you don’t have space enough in your flat to have your
own bike—to be able to discover．to cross Paris and not have to take the subway，”he said．
As a socialist and longtime green activist，Mayor Bertrand Delanoe regards Vélib as just a part of his plan to reduce car traffic and，thus，lower pollution by 2020．
Apart from its environmental benefits，Vélib is also being praised as a way of collecting money for the city，for all the money from rentals goes to the city government．
Paris is not alone in its attempt to profit from the power of the bicycles．
Across the globe，cities such as Barcelona，which stated its bike-share program in March with 1,500 vehicles and 100 stations，and New York，which launched a five-day trial program last month，are using bicycles as a way to cut back on both traffic and pollution．
However，it remains to be seen whether people’s acceptance of these programs is simply a
passing fashion or whether this movement has the power to take root and transform the face of public transportation around the world．
【小题1】The real purpose of Vélib is________．
| A．to help people save money and space |
| B．to make some money for the city government |
| C．to provide convenience to both Parisians and tourists |
| D．to reduce traffic and pollution in the city |
| A．There will be 700 stations in one year’s time． |
| B．There will be over 20, 000 bikes in use in a year． |
| C．In the first two weeks there were nearly a million rentals． |
| D．There will be 200, 000 regular rentals each day by year end． |
| A．other cities also have such programs |
| B．Parisians can use the bicycles free of charge |
| C．Paris sets an example to many other cities |
| D．Paris is the first city to start such a program |
| A．critical | B．optimistic | C．uncertain | D．negative |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Many people are concerned about the state of the earth in terms of its energy supplies and changing climate.The clear message broadcast by all responsible governments is that every person has a part to play.Here are some detailed instructions.
1．Prevent pollution by disposing(清理) of all your litter and waste in the correct，legal way，such as using onstreet waste receptacles(容器) when you are out and about，or putting it in your domestic rubbish can when you're at home.Follow local procedures for normal waste disposal.Contact your local authority for advice on disposing of unusual waste items，such as paint and computer parts.
2．Recycle all materials that can be processed by your local authority.Place plastics，metals，paper and glass in the correct collection receptacles.Donate unwanted items to the charities that are happy to accept good condition clothing，furniture and even automobiles.
3．Look after reserves of water by making sure you turn off the tap after use and by repairing leaks(渗漏) and drips.Purchase waterefficient appliances.Take showers instead of baths.Gather rainwater for garden use and use your lawn sprinkler less often or not at all.
4．Save energy by choosing Energy Star products.Turn these off，as well as lights，when you don't need them to be on.Use air condition and heating less often.Make sure your home is insulated correctly to maintain a steady temperature.
5．Reduce the amount of the material you use.Print emails occasionally or not at all rather than printing them every time.You buy new things when you actually need them rather than on a whim(心血来潮)．Organize a car pool with friends to use fuel efficiently.
In a word，we should try to use the world's resources efficiently to protect the environment.
【小题1】When you have a walk in the park，you________．
| A．can throw away the waste freely |
| B．had better take along the waste |
| C．can throw the waste into rubbish can |
| D．should put the waste in your domestic rubbish can |
| A．Metal. | B．Glass. |
| C．Automobiles. | D．Paint. |
| A．Because it is comfortable. | B．Because it can save lots water. |
| C．Because it can gather water. | D．Because it is convenient to use. |
| A．How to protect the environment? |
| B．Reduce the amount of the material you use. |
| C．Some instructions in energy supplies. |
| D．Why should each play a part in saving energy? |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
(2013·宜春五校联考)Technology is making life easier for some dairy farmers.They use robotic systems to milk their cows.Cows are trained to follow a series of paths that lead to milking stations.Only one cow at a time can enter a station.
Once inside，the cow is rewarded with food.As the cow eats，a robotic arm cleans and connects the animal to the milking machine.A few minutes later，milking is complete.The gate is opened，the cow is released and the next cow enters.
The robotic systems are designed to operate 24 hours a day.The cows get to decide when they want to be milked.Cows are milked an average of about three times a day.Some are milked four to six times a day.
The cows wear collars around their necks that identify them to the system.A computer keeps records on their eating and milking.A cow is released from the station if the computer decides it should not be milked.
The automated system also measures the temperature and color of freshly produced milk.Milk is thrown away if it does not pass the tests.
Professor Plaut believes the systems will appeal especially to the next generation of farmers.She means young people who are more interested in technology and less interested in working all the time on the farm.Still，she says the price of robotic milking systems will continue to limit their use.
Doug and Tina Suhr have more than 100 cows on their family farm.Last year it became the fourth farm in southeast Minnesota to get a robotic milking system.A recent story in a local agricultural newspaper said the first robot costs 175,000 dollars.The second costs 150,000 dollars.
Doug told AgriNews that wages that would have been paid for one employee in five years will pay for one robot.He says the increase in milk production reaches a high of more than six kilograms per cow per day.
【小题1】From the first paragraph，we can infer ________.
| A．the robotic system is designed to reduce labor |
| B．cows can be raised by robots in the future |
| C．robots direct cows into milking stations |
| D．cows are kept clean by robots on some farms |
| A．adjust the temperature of milking stations |
| B．judge the quality of fresh milk |
| C．improve the appetite of cows |
| D．keep fresh milk for two weeks |
| A．Because young people have no interest in it. |
| B．Because it is difficult to learn how to use it. |
| C．Because people can't afford to buy it. |
| D．Because it usually causes the waste of milk. |
| A．$150,000～$175,000. |
| B．over $75,000. |
| C．$150,000～$30,000. |
| D．$30,000～$35,000. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Did anyone find the names of “Great Britain”, “the United Kingdom”, “England” and “the British commonwealth” which have the same meaning? Strictly speaking, these names all refer to something different. None of them are exactly the same as any of the others.
The British isles refer to the main islands and several thousand small ones as well, which you can see on the map. Great Britain, or Britain, refers to the larger of the two main islands. But the word “Britain” is often used as a short form for the United Kingdom or you call it the UK.
Now as for England, it refers simply to the largest of the three countries on the island of Great Britain. The United Kingdom is the name of the state and the official name of the country, which many people popularly refer to England.
Finally, the Britain commonwealth is the usual name for what is left of the British Empire (帝国). This change shows the weakening of British Empire and the rising of the national liberation movements throughout the world today.
【小题1】According to the passage, we know that _____________.
| A．Great Britain has the same meaning as Britain |
| B．all the names refer to England |
| C．the United Kingdom has the same meaning as Britain or England |
| D．all the names in the first paragraph have the same meaning |
| A．Britain, England and the UK |
| B．the two main islands and thousands of small ones |
| C．three countries and several islands |
| D．Great Britain or the United Kingdom |
| A．The country hasn’t an exact name. |
| B．Few people know its real name. |
| C．All the names have exact meaning. |
| D．Generally speaking,the names can all be used to stand for the country. |
| A．Edinburgh, England |
| B．Edinburgh, Scotland ,Great Britain |
| C．Scotland, Edinburgh, England |
| D．Great Britain, Scotland, Edinburgh |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Researches at Johns Hopkins University's. Applied Physics laboratory ( APL) in Laurel , Maryland have designed a new human-like robot, Its name is Robo Sally. The machine can be controlled from a distance and can he used to do work that is dangerous for human beings.
Roho Sally has two long arms with human-like hands. She can use her fingers to pick up small objects .examine them in detail and do most things that human hands can do Each finger contains a tiny motor capable of squeezing 20 pounds of pinch foree ,.enough to defuse a bomb under the direction of an operator. She sits on a metal base with wheels that let her move around. turn in tight spaces and climb over small objects, .
Mike McLoughlin is the main investigator for the Applied Physics Laboratory's Prosthetics Program. "The purpose of that program is to develop prosthetic arms that have all the capability of your natural arms .and you do all the complex motions that we can do with the natural arm- with the robot. "
It was a difficult job. Mr. McLoughlin says the device had to have many small motors to。 have the ability to do what a human hand does; It also needs to have human-like strength. The thumb was especially difficult because it permits the hand .to hold objects. And everything had. to fit into a space about the size of a human hand.
The next problem .he says .was to figure out how to control the artificial hand. " So we had to figure out how to make the connection between the brain and this arm.
For search-and-rescue duties.Roho Sally will be operated by a human being using a wire- less machine that is far from the robot. The operator will also wear special gloves and glasses. The glasses permit the operator to see the robot's hands .even though they are far away.
Mr. McLoughlin says this kind of robots could be used in what he calls "dull , dirty or dan- gerous" situations where fine human finger movements are required. He says the technology is not ready for everyday application .but he predicts that within five years we will see some won- derful improvements.
【小题1】The underlined word " defuse" in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to "_________".
| A．remove | B．discover | C．equip | D．produce |
| A．They are expected to function as well as natural ones. |
| B．They have many large motors controlled by robots. |
| C．They have human-like strength to control the robot. |
| D．They are connected with human brains. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Every electronic gadget (小玩意) needs good memory. A music player stores songs, albums and playlists. A computer holds schoolwork and programs and remembers how far a player has advanced in his or her favorite game. Mobile phones store names, numbers and hundreds of texts.
Now, scientists in California say they have come up with a way to turn a living cell into a memory device.
It can store only one tiny bit of information, but it’s a start. In the future, a cell-based gadget might travel through the body and record measurements. The benefit to human health could be big: the right tool, for example, might record the earliest signs of disease.
Doctors, scientists and other curious people want to know what is happening inside the body, even at levels that can’t be seen by the naked eye. So far, there is no device small enough to travel through the bloodstream.
If normal machines won’t do the trick, perhaps biology will. Scientists who work in the field of synthetic (合成的) biology are trying to find ways to turn living things into human tools. In the case of the new memory device, bioengineers from Stanford University used the genetic material inside living cells to record information.
This genetic material consists of DNA. Found in nearly every cell, DNA carries all of the information that keeps a living thing alive.
In the new experiment, the researchers turned DNA from bacteria(细菌) into a switch. They “flip (翻转)” a small section of DNA. Then, using the same procedure (过程) , the scientists flip the section again—returning it into its normal structure.
Using these DNA switches, “We can write and erase DNA in a living cell,” bioengineer, Jerome Bonnet, explained to Science News.
It might take years before his team or others identity whether a DNA-based memory device might be practical. Right now, it takes one hour to complete a flip. That is far too long to be useful. Plus, a flipped section has a very small little memory—less than what a computer uses to remember a single letter.
“This was an important proof that it was doable,” Bonnet told Science News. “Now we want to build a more complex system, something that other people can use.”
【小题1】What is the aim of listing the electronic things in the first paragraph?
| A．To make the passage more fashionable. |
| B．To show how electronic things have memory. |
| C．To discuss things in detail. |
| D．To make the subject of the text more understandable. |
| A．To detect disease at the earliest point. |
| B．To help improve the memory. |
| C．To help people build a body. |
| D．To replace many electronic gadgets. |
| A．It has a very small memory. |
| B．It can function as a computer. |
| C．It has one letter in it. |
| D．It takes a day to complete it. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Getting kids to share their toys is a never-ending battle, and forcing them to do so never seems to help. New research suggests that allowing children to make a choice to sacrifice their own toys in order to share with someone else makes them share more in the future. The new findings are published in Psychological Science.
These experiments were conducted by psychological scientists, Nadia Chernyak and Tamar Kushnir of Cornell University. They found that sharing things with others when they are given a difficult choice leads children to think of themselves as people who like to share. It also makes them more likely to act in a pro-social （亲社会的）manner in the future.
Previous research has explained why rewarding children for sharing can backfire. Children come to think of themselves as people who don't like to share since they had to be rewarded for doing so. Because they don't view themselves as "sharers", they are less likely to share in the future.
Chernyak and Kushnir were interested in finding out whether freely chosen sacrifice might have the opposite effect on kids' willingness to share. To test this, the researchers introduced five-year-old children to Doggie, a sad puppet. Some of the children were given a difficult choice: Share a precious sticker（贴纸） with Doggie, or keep it for themselves. Other children were given an easy choice between sharing and putting the sticker away, while children in a third group were required by the researcher to share.
Later on, all the children were introduced to Ellie, another sad puppet. They were given the option of how many stickers to share (up to three). The kids who earlier made the difficult choice to help Doggie shared more stickers with Ellie. The children who were initially faced with an easy choice or who were required to give their sticker to Doggie, on the other hand, shared fewer stickers with Ellie. Therefore, children did not benefit from simply giving something up, but rather from willingly choosing to give something up of value.
“You might imagine that making difficult, costly choices is demanding for young children or even that once children share, they don’t feel the need to do so again,” Chernyak says. “But this wasn't the case: once children made a difficult decision to give up something for someone else, they were more generous, not less, later on.” Chernyak concludes.
【小题1】_______ helps children to share more in the future.
| A．Rewarding children for sharing |
| B．Forcing children to share |
| C．Allowing children to share precious things willingly |
| D．Allowing children to share what they don’t need |
| A．have an opposite effect | B．serve as a push |
| C．cause anger | D．avoid taking things back |
| A．they regret what they did | B．it’s not their own choice |
| C．Ellie is not as sad as Doggie | D．they like to share with a real person |
| A．parents will never find a way to get children to share toys |
| B．a gift should be given to make up for children’s sacrifice |
| C．children pretend to be generous when they are being observed |
| D．making difficult choices may influence sharing behavior |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Koala bears as pets might be appealing to many of us. However, there are quite a few points to consider even before thinking of adopting one.
Koala bears are one of the most lovely Australian animals. In certain cases where the koala has been raised by hand, they have turned out to be quite affectionate pets. These people tied a piece of fur to a pillow and placed it beside a joey (a baby kola) as a substitute (替代物) for the mother koala. This trick seemed to work well with the baby koala. However, it is a known fact that human handling causes stress to koalas. In my personal opinion, this aspect clouds the fact that koala bears can be tamed (驯服).
In Australia the koala is a priority animal as far as conservation status assessment is concerned. It was hunted to near extinction (灭绝) for its fur. In fact the koala had been wiped out from South Australia in the 1920s. However, rehabilitation efforts have brought the animal back in the state. As for the Australia government, the koala is not a threatened animal, but the US government does list the koala as one.
Although they may live in 40 to 60 kinds of eucalyptus trees, they prefer only 10 to 14 specific kinds. Koalas sleep for most part of the day, which is about 16 to 18 hours, and for most of their waking hours all they do is eat. Koala bears eat the leaves of eucalyptus trees. A full-grown koala can eat almost 2 to 3 pounds of leaves in a day. Despite their slow movements and sweet look, koala bears can be vicious when hungry. Other than this, there are the stress caused to koalas due to human handling and the fights that start in koalas.
Almost everyone finds koalas lovely in the zoo. However, as far as having koala bears as pets is concerned, there are legal issues to consider. Other than that, being able to provide for its diet and habitat is another point that needs some attention before any law legalizing their adoption as pets is passed.
【小题1】What’s the author’s attitude towards people raising the koala?
| A．Optimistic. | B．Grateful. | C．Cautious. | D．Enthusiastic. |
| A．To get its fur. | B．To eat its meat. | C．To wipe it out. | D．To have it for fun. |
| A．fierce and dangerous | B．patient and friendly |
| C．afraid and defensive | D．lovely and interesting |
| A．koala bears tend to live in groups |
| B．koala bear care can be very demanding |
| C．koala bears are not particular about their food |
| D．koala bears are the No. 1 threatened animal in the US |
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