Robots can also be called a________ i____________.

Here’s a movie—a sharp, sugar-rush of fun that’s guaranteed to entertain the entire family.

With some terrific computer-generated effects, a great cast and a fun-packed storyline, Robots is the best animated film (动画片) since The Incredibles. Yep, it really is that good.

Set in a world populated by robots, Ewan McGregor plays Rodney Copperbottom, a young robot who leaves his small-town home to pursue his dream of becoming an inventor.

But after arriving in Robot City, his hopes of getting a job at Bigweld Industries are destroyed when he learns the firm has been taken over by the evil Ratchet (Greg Kinnear).

Egged on by his controlling mum, Madame Gasket (Jim Broadbent), Ratchet plans to reduce half of Robot City’s citizens to scrap metal by refusing to sell the spare parts they need to survive.

Instead, he wants to make a fortune selling expensive upgrades that few can afford. As he says, “Why be you when you can be new?”

Aided by a few misfit robots known as the Rustles—including Robin Williams as the cowardly' (胆小的）Fender (“I’m made of a metal called Afraidium”)—Rodney must track down the firm’s founder, Bigweld (Mel Brooks), and convince him to save the city from Ratchet’s plans.

The first thing that’ll strike you about the movie is the thought that's gone into creating Robot City. It’s a wondrous world full of mechanical marvels including wind-up cars and walking streetlamps.

Also terrific are the special effects. This might be an animated movie but at times you’ll catch yourself thinking it’s really a live-action film.

Of course, there have been plenty of animated movies that looked the part but were let down by a weak storyline (see Shark Tale, for example).

But Robots grips (扣人心弦) right from the start thanks to a heart-warming and thoroughly engaging plot that never bores.

My only complaints are with Williams who, as usual，has a one-in-10 success rate with his jokes. Also a letdown is a romantic subplot between Rodney and a shapely robot called Cappy (Halle Berry) that doesn’t go anywhere.

Complains aside, this is a mechanical marvel that’ll have you bolted firmly to your seat.

BEST QUOTE(引述): Fender: “Even though you had a discouraging day, just remember there’s another one coming tomorrow.”

BEST BIT: Check out those amazing images.

WORST BIT: Robin Williams, character does an unfunny Britney Spears dance routine.

IF YOU LIKED…Ice Age, The Incredibles, Toy Story... YOU’LL LIKE THIS.

1.This piece of writing is a _______.

A. commercial advertisement   B. film review

C. movie poster         D. literary essay

2.The cast of Robots is made up of all the following actors or actresses EXCEPT _______.

A. Ewan McGregor    B. Robin Williams

C. Britney Spears       D. Halle Berry

3.What is Shark Tale an example of?

A. A great cast. B. A poor plot.

C. Special effects.      D. Clumsy animation.

It’s a question anyone might ask in the future: Should your household robot be cool? Or practical?

For Sony Corporation, robots ought to be entertaining. The company’s 　51 robot, SDR—4X, can sing and dance. But for automaker Honda Motor Co. Ltd, such 52 should perform useful tasks for their 53 masters.

“It is in the end a machine, a 54 ” said Masato Hirose, Honda’s chief engineer. Sony’s chief researcher Toshi Doi said robots performing such tasks as 55 for ill or disabled people would not necessarily need a human 56 . “The attractiveness of the SDR—4X is its 57 ”, he said. “It has feelings. It has instincts (直觉).”

Drawing from its 58 of 60,000 words, an SDX—4X robot 59 last week that it can ask a 60 in a high voice: “please 61 still for a minute while I memorize your face.” It also 62 off its ability to walk on uneven (高低不平的) floors, and come to its owner when it’s 63 .

While Honda’s robot is 64 used mainly for entertainment, it is 65 that one day it will be a useful companion. So its robots have been 66 to be 120cm tall—more than twice the height of the SDR—4X. Hirose said 120cm is the 67 a robot that moves around a home should be.

“If you are going to have something that can move with 68 in a human surroundings, then it is better to 69 the robot like a human,” he said.

Hirose said that he hopes the robot will be 70 enough so that he can buy one for himself and let it get him a beer.

16. A. earliest　　　　 B. latest　　　　　 C. coolest　　　　　　 D. largest

17. A. matters　　　　 B. people　　　　　 C. machines　　　　 D. inventions

18. A. human　　　　　 B. own　　　　 C. creative　　　　 D. modern

19. A. tool 　　　　　 B. robot　　　　　 C. toy　　　　　　 D. slave

20. A. looking　　　　 B. working　　 C. leaving　　　　 D. caring

21. A. appearance 　　 B. character 　　　 C. job 　　　　　　 D. ability

22. A. purpose　　 　 B. appearance　 　 C. personality　　　　 D. material

23. A. storage　　　　 B. use　　　　 C. project　　　　　　 D. creation

24. A. said 　　　　　 B. announced　　　 C. showed　　　　　 D. imagined

25. A. friend 　　　　 B. partner 　　　 C. servant　　　　 D. guest

26. A. hold 　　　　　 B. lie　　　　 C. take　　　　　　 D. make

27. A. left　　　　　　 B. showed　　　 C. put　　　　　　 D. dropped

28. A. tired　　　　　 B. called　　　　　 C. controlled　　　　　 D. made

29. A. also　　　　 B. still　　　　　 C. again　　　　　　　 D. even

30. A. planned　　　　 B. hoped　　　　　 C. reported　　　　 D. described

31. A. expected　　 B. raised　　　　　 C. proved　　　　　　　 D. designed

32. A. cheapest　　 B. dearest　　　　 C. smallest　　　　 D. biggest

33. A. ease　　　　 B. care　　　　 C. difficulty　　　　　 D. foot

34. A. buy　　　　 B. use　　　　 C. invest　　　　　　　 D. design

35. A. useful　　　　　 B. smart　　　　　 C. cheap　　　　　　　 D. low

完形填空(共20分)
It’s a question anyone might ask in the future: Should your household robot be cool? Or practical? For Sony Corporation, robots ought to be entertaining. The company’s 41 robot, SDR—4 X, can sing and dance.
But for automaker Honda Motor Co Ltd, such 42 should perform useful tasks for their 43 masters.
“It is in the end a machine, a 44 ,” said Masato Hirose, Honda’s chief engineer.
Sony’s chief researcher Toshi Doi said robots performing such tasks as 45for ill or disabled people would not necessarily need a human 46  .
“The attractiveness of the SDR—4 X is its 47”, he said.
“It has feelings. It has instincts(直觉).” Drawing from its 48of 60,000 words, an SDR—4 X robot 49 last week that it can ask a 50 in a high voice: “Please 51still for a minute while I memorize your face.”
It also 52 off its ability to walk on uneven(不平的)floors, and come to its owner when it’s 53. While Honda’s robot is 54 used mainly for entertainment, it is 55 that one day it will be a useful companion. So its robot have been 56to be 120cm tall – more than twice the height of the SDR—4 X. Hirose said 120cm is the 57a robot that moves around a home should be.
“If you are going to have something that can move with 58 in a human surroundings(环境), then it is better to 59 the robot like a human,” he said.
Hirose said that he hopes the robot will be 60 enough so that he can buy one for himself and let it get him a beer.
41. A. earliest           B. latest            C. coolest                            D. smallest
42. A. matters          B. people          C. machines              D. inventions
43. A. human            B. own               C. creative                 D. all
44. A. tool                  B. robot             C. toy                          D. slave
45. A. looking            B. working        C. leaving                   D. caring
46. A. form                B. character     C. job                           D. ability
47. A. appearance   B. purpose        C. personality           D. material
48. A. storage           B. use                C. making                   creation
49. A. said                  B. announced  C. showed                  D. imaged
50. A. friend              B. partner                  C. servant                  D. guest
51. A. hold                 B. lie                   C. take                        D. make
52. A. left                            B. showed        C. put                          D. dropped
53.A. tired                 B. called            C. controlled             D. made
54.A. also                   B. still                C. again                      D. even
55. A. sure                 B. hoped           C. reported                D. described
56. A. expected        B. raised           C. proved                   D. designed
57 A. cheapest         B. dearest                  C. smallest                D. biggest
58. A. ease                B. care               C. difficulty                D. foot
59. A. buy                   B. use                C. invest                     D. design
60. A. useful              B. smart            C. cheap                     D. small

完形填空(共20分)

It’s a question anyone might ask in the future: Should your household robot be cool? Or practical? For Sony Corporation, robots ought to be entertaining. The company’s 41 robot, SDR—4 X, can sing and dance.

But for automaker Honda Motor Co Ltd, such 42 should perform useful tasks for their 43 masters.

“It is in the end a machine, a 44 ,” said Masato Hirose, Honda’s chief engineer.

Sony’s chief researcher Toshi Doi said robots performing such tasks as 45for ill or disabled people would not necessarily need a human 46  .

“The attractiveness of the SDR—4 X is its 47”, he said.

“It has feelings. It has instincts(直觉).” Drawing from its 48of 60,000 words, an SDR—4 X robot 49 last week that it can ask a 50 in a high voice: “Please 51still for a minute while I memorize your face.”

It also 52 off its ability to walk on uneven(不平的)floors, and come to its owner when it’s 53. While Honda’s robot is 54 used mainly for entertainment, it is 55 that one day it will be a useful companion. So its robot have been 56to be 120cm tall – more than twice the height of the SDR—4 X. Hirose said 120cm is the 57a robot that moves around a home should be.

“If you are going to have something that can move with 58 in a human surroundings(环境), then it is better to 59 the robot like a human,” he said.

Hirose said that he hopes the robot will be 60 enough so that he can buy one for himself and let it get him a beer.

41. A. earliest           B. latest            C. coolest                            D. smallest

42. A. matters          B. people          C. machines              D. inventions

43. A. human            B. own               C. creative                 D. all

44. A. tool                  B. robot             C. toy                          D. slave

45. A. looking            B. working        C. leaving                   D. caring

46. A. form                B. character     C. job                           D. ability

47. A. appearance   B. purpose        C. personality           D. material

48. A. storage           B. use                C. making                   creation

49. A. said                  B. announced  C. showed                  D. imaged

50. A. friend              B. partner                  C. servant                  D. guest

51. A. hold                 B. lie                   C. take                        D. make

52. A. left                            B. showed        C. put                          D. dropped

53.A. tired                 B. called            C. controlled             D. made

54.A. also                   B. still                C. again                      D. even

55. A. sure                 B. hoped           C. reported                D. described

56. A. expected        B. raised           C. proved                   D. designed

57 A. cheapest         B. dearest                  C. smallest                D. biggest

58. A. ease                B. care               C. difficulty                D. foot

59. A. buy                   B. use                C. invest                     D. design

60. A. useful              B. smart            C. cheap                     D. small