TOKYO—A child-like robot that combines the roles of nurse, companion and security guard is to go on the market to help the growing ranks of elderly Japanese with no one to look after them.
The “Wakamaru” robot can walk around a house 24 hours a day, warning family, hospitals and security firms if it perceives (notices) a problem. It will, for example, call relatives if the owner fails to get out of the bath.
Cameras implanted in the “eye-brows” of the robot enable it to “see” as it walks around an apartment. The images can be sent to the latest cellphones, which display the pictures.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which developed Wakamaru, plans to start selling the metre-high robots by April, 2005, for about ＄15,000 Cdn.
Wakamaru, which speaks with either the voice of a boy or girl, is also designed to provide companionship, greeting its “papa” when he comes home.
It is the first household robot able to hold simple conversations, based on a vocabulary of around 10,000 words. It cannot only speak but can understand answers and react accordingly.
It will ask “Are you all right ?” if its owner does not move for some time. If the answer is no, or there is no answer, it will telephone preset numbers, transmitting images and functioning as a speakerphone.
Wakamaru will inform a security firm if there is a loud bang or if an unknown person enters the house while the owner is out or asleep. It can recognize up to 10 faces.
But like most robots it cannot climb stairs.
It can be set to remind forgetful people when it is time to take medicine, eat and sleep.
Mitsubishi adapted Wakamaru from robots it already makes to go around nuclear power facilities. The idea to use the technology in the home came from a company employee.
The project chief said :“Looking at the ageing of society and the falling birth rate we decide that this could work as a business. We want to offer Wakamaru as a product that helps society.”
The technology has gained nation-wide publicity in Japan among increasing concern over how to look after the ever-growing number of old people. The life expectancy of Japanese women has shot up to almost 85, the highest in the world.
At the same time, extended families are being replaced by nuclear families. This has left many Japanese anxious about their elderly parents, whom they rarely see because of their long hours at the office.
1．Which of the following is true about the Robot?
A. It is used in some nuclear power facilities.
B. It cannot speak but can understand answers.
C. It can go up and down the stairs easily. D. It can recognize as many as 10 faces.
2．The purpose of this passage is ________.
A. to introduce a new product B. to solve the aging problems
C. to tell people how to use the robot D. to show the rapid development of technology
3．What can we infer from the passage ?
A. The robot can dial proper numbers for help.
B. The robot is likely to have a promising market.
C. The robot has given the Japanese a chance to live longer.
D. The nuclear families have left many elderly Japanese anxious.
4．What is the best title of this passage ?
A. The Latest Development of Robot Technology B. Japanese Robot and the Aging Society
C. Vast Market of the New Robot D. Japanese-built Robot to Help the Old
5. Wakamaru _____________________.
A. is a child who is always taking good care of his grandparents 24 hours a day.
B. has a vocabulary of around 1,000 words
C. is the first household robot that has ever been produced.
D. has ameras implanted in the “eye-brows” which enable it to “see” when walking.
科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
III. 完型填空 （共20小题，每小题1.5分，满分30分）
A very little boy was spending his Saturday morning playing in his sandbox. He had with him a plastic pail(桶) and a shiny, red plastic shovel(铲). In the 36 of creating roads and tunnels in the sand, he 37 a large rock in the middle of the sandbox.
The boy dug around the rock, 38 to move it off the dirt. At first, he wanted to carry it out of the sandbox with his hands; however, it was too heavy. Later, with much 39 , he pushed the rock across the sandbox by 40 his hands. When the boy got the rock to the 41 of the sandbox, he found that he couldn’t roll it up and 42 the little wall. 43 , the little boy pushed, but every time he thought he had made some 44 , the rock tipped(翻滚) and then fell back into the sandbox. The little boy pushed and pushed, but his only 45 was to have the rock roll back.
Finally he 46 tears. All this time the boy’s father watched from his living room window 47 the drama was unfolded. The moment the tears fell, a large 48 appeared across the sandbox. It was the boy’s father. Gently but 49 , he said, “Son, why didn’t you use all the strength that you had?”
Defeated, the boy 50 back, “I did! I did！I used all the strength that I had!”
“No, you didn’t. You didn’t ask me for help.” The father 51 down, picked up the rock and dropped it off the sandbox.
Do you have “rocks” in your life that need to be 52 ? Are you discovering that you don’t have 53 it takes to lift them? There is someone who is willing to give us the 54 we need. Maybe, it’s sometimes a good idea to ask others for 55 when we meet difficulties we can’t overcome.
36. A. method B. step C. practice D. process
37. A. created B. set C. discovered D. brought
38. A. trying B. managing C. deciding D. competing
39. A. thought B. struggle C. movement D. worry
40. A. touching B. shaking C. using D. controlling
41. A. bottom B. center C. edge D. front
42. A. over B. down C. through D. into
43. A. Doubted B. Surprised C. Pleased D. Determined
44. A. attempt B. progress C. effort D. decision
45. A. hope B. reward C. point D. purpose
46. A. made out B. broke out C. burst into D. rushed into
47. A. so B. as C. until D. before
48. A. rock B. picture C. figure D. shade
49. A. surprisingly B. doubtfully C. kindly D. firmly
50. A. shouted B. smiled C. called D. asked
51. A. reached B. looked C. fell D. put
52. A. pushed B. dropped C. carried D. removed
53. A. who B. what C. which D. where
54. A. minds B. spirits C. force D. strength
55. A. help B. tips C. advice D. ideas
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