Question

I log onto a computer at the doctor’s office to say I have arrived and then wait until a voice calls me into the examination room.

There, a robotic nurse directs me onto a device and then takes my blood pressure. Some time later, in steps the doctor, who is also a robot. He notes down my symptoms and gives me a prescription. I pay for my visit using a credit card machine and return home without having met another human being.

This scenario(场景) is my nightmarish(噩梦般的) vision of the future, which hasn’t come to pass—at least not yet.

I should say I really do like many aspects of technology. I am a big fan of air conditioning in the summer and heaters in winter. But I am writing this because I don’t want machines to take over.

When I call my dentist's office and actually get a human being on the line, I am thrilled. And when I see the introduction of yet more self-service checkout stations at the grocery store, I feel like shouting: "When it comes to cashiers(收银员), make mine human, please!"

After all, human cashiers sometimes give you a store coupon (优惠券) for items you are buying. Even more than that, real-life cashiers often take an interest in particularly cute children, which can brighten a young mother's day. A cashier may also show compassion for an elderly person struggling to get that last penny out of her purse.

Machines can be efficient and cost-effective and they often get the job done just fine. But they lack an element so crucial to everyday life.

It is being human that prompts(促使) us to smile at others, which may be what they need at that moment. Call it the spirit, the soul or the heart. It is something no machine will ever have.

1.What’s the author’s purpose in writing the first two paragraphs?

A. To indicate high technology can make our future life very efficient.

B. To warn readers of the possible dangers of robotic nurses and doctors.

C. To describe a possible future scene where robots take control of our life.

D. To predict how technology can affect we see a doctor in the future.

2.What is the main reason that the author prefers being served by humans rather than by robots?

A. Robots don’t offer to give store coupons.

B. Robots are indifferent and emotionless.

C. Services from robots cost less time and more money.

D. Robots can’t do a job as well as humans do.

3.What does the underlined word “element” mean in the eighth paragraph?

A. Humor. B. The ability to speak.

C. Methods. D. Effective communication.

4.What’s the main idea of the text?

A. The opinion about using man or machine.

B. Machines give people a lot of convenience.

C. Being human service is better than service from machines.

D. Being human service cost little money.

Answer 1