A child-like robot, Wakamaru, developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan and combining the roles of nurse, companion and security guard, will soon be in the market to look after the growing number of old people with no one to look after them.

  Cameras implanted under the “ eyebrows” of the robot enable it to “see’’ as it moves around in a house. The images can be sent to the latest mobile telephones, which can show the pictures. Wakamaru speaks with either the voice of a boy or a girl. It is also designed to provide companionship, greeting its “ papa”, when he comes home. Based on a vocabulary of around 10 000 words, it is the first household robot which is able to hold simple conversations. It can not only speak, but also 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, send images and work as a speakerphone. It can recognize up to 10 faces. It can be set to remind forgetful people when it is time to take medicine, eat and sleep.

  However, like most robots, it cannot climb stairs. Mitsubishi developed Wakamaru from robots which have already been made to go around nuclear power facilities(设施). “ Looking at the ageing of society and the falling birth rate we decided that this could work as a business. We want to offer it as a product that helps society,’’ said the project chief. The developers plan to sell the robot from April next year at between 5,000 and 6,000 pound.

  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. Therefore, the technology has gained nation-wide publicity in Japan.

Which of the following is TRUE about Wakamaru?

It is used in some nuclear power facilities.

It can speak but cannot understand answers.

It can go up and down the stairs easily.

It can recognize as many as 10 people.

The passage is written with the purpose to ______.

      A. introduce a new product  

B solve the aging problems.

     C. tell people how to use the robot 

     D show the rapid development of technology

What can be inferred 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 enables the Japanese to live longer

      D. Many elderly Japanese are anxious about their future

I’d like to share the strangest of the strange moments I’ve had here．

Back in 2003 I had a pet rabbit named Alaska．Due to the rules the landlord had set，he had to be kept in the basement(地下室)．One night I went downstairs to feed him．Keep in mind I’ve always thought the basement was frightening．As I was facing his cage and putting the bowl of water inside，a big shadow appeared behind me，as if a big，tall man were standing behind me．I turned around and nobody was there，but I got the distinct(清晰的)feeling that I was being watched．I basically dropped the water bowl and ran upstairs shouting for my mom．Ever since then I can’t go down there alone．

Once I was trying to get to sleep，and I slept with the lights off．All of sudden I wanted to leave the room eagerly，but I couldn’t get out of my bed，I was too scared．The feeling of someone looking closely at me was so upset，I was physically afraid to move or breathe．I opened my curtains to let the street light in，thinking the light would help me feel better to move．That did nothing．I must have sat there on my bed for about fifteen minutes before I got up．I didn’t sleep in there that night．I’ve never felt anything so upset!

Then there are all the little things，like seeing things in the comer of my eye，hearing doors open or close when I’m home alone，and the feeling of being watched．Once when my sister wasn’t home(we share a room)I heard someone breathing from her bed and heard the sheets rustle(沙沙声)．Last week，I felt someone patting me in the shoulder when I was alone in my room．Sometimes I’ll be looking something and I’ll see one or more contorted(扭曲的)，angry faces．

I realize that when one is looking for something to happen they can make things happen or imagine it．These are the moments in which I know nothing was imagined，so I wanted to share them and get your opinions．Thanks so much．

【小题1】The writer to the text seems to         .

A．tell us his strange experiences

B．tell us what happens in his bedroom

       C．tell us an interesting story

       D．tell us what happens in his apartment

【小题2】Which of the following may be the reason why the writer is afraid to go to the basement?

       A．Because his pet is dangerous．

       B．Because a big shadow may appear behind him．

       C．Because there is a big，tall man there．

       D．Because his landlord forbids him to go there．

【小题3】We can learn from the third paragraph that         .

       A．the writer slept with the lights on that night

       B．the street light helped the writer a lot

       C．he was too scared to get out of his bed at one time

       D．he didn’t sleep at all that night

【小题4】From the text，we can see the writer believes his experiences are              .

       A．real                            B．not real

       C．creative                         D．imaginative

C
Have you ever picked a job based on the fact that you were good at it but later found it made you feel very uncomfortable over time? When you select your career, there’s whole lot more to it than assessing your skills and matching them with a particular position. If you ignore your personality, it will hurt you long-term regardless of your skills or the job's pay. There are several areas of your personality that you need to consider to help you find a good job. Here are a few of those main areas:
1) Do you prefer working alone or with other people?
There are isolating(使孤立) jobs that will drive an outgoing person crazy and also interactive jobs that will make a shy person uneasy. Most people are not extremes in either direction but do have a tendency that they prefer. There are also positions that are sometimes a combination of the two, which may be best for someone in the middle who adapts easily to either situation.
2) How do you handle change?
Most jobs these days have some elements of change to them, but some are more than others. If you need stability in your life, you may need a job where the changes don't happen so often. Other people would be bored of the same daily routine.
3) Do you enjoy working with computers?
I do see this as a kind of personality characteristic. There are people who are happy to spend more than 40 hours a week on a computer, while there are others who need a lot of human interaction throughout the day. Again, these are extremes and you'll likely find a lot of positions somewhere in the middle as well.
4) What type of work environment do you enjoy? 
This can range from being in a large building with a lot of people you won't know immediately to a smaller setting where you'll get to know almost all the people there fairly quickly.
5) How do you like to get paid?  
Some people are motivated by the pay they get, while others feel too stressed to be like that. The variety of payment designs in the sales industry is a typical example for this.
Anyway, these are a great starting point for you. I've seen it over and over again with people that they make more money over time when they do something they love. It may take you a little longer, but making a move to do what you have a passion for can change the course of your life for the better.
49．This passage mainly talks about the importance of _______.
A．different jobs      B．personalities    C．personal skills     D．job’s pay
50．Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A．Isolating jobs usually drive people mad.
B．Interactive jobs make people shy easily.
C．Extreme people tend to work with others.
D．Almost everyone has a tendency in jobs.
51．What is the missing word about a job search in the following chart?
A．Design   B．Skills     C．Cooperation    D．Hobbies

Like a backward tape, time returns to my mom's teens．She is waiting for admission results from a famous high school．She has studied for the test but with joy, since she feels no suffering in learning．Suddenly I spy her jumping and laughing, waving a paper in her hand while her family stands nearby, more shocked than happy．No one else from their village has ever passed the test．

??? Later, at her new high school, I proudly watch as she continues to rise to the top．Many of her essays are published in newspapers, and her classmates seek her advice when a test is approaching． She never refuses them, and I feel honored to be related to such an intelligent person．

??? As I walk with her through her journey, I finally come to the point I have been looking forward to most: her life in America． After passing several tests and finding a kind boss to sponsor her, she becomes a college student at University of California, Los Angeles． At first, I sense her loneliness and panic as she tries to adapt to her new surroundings．Though her English is broken and she knows little about American culture, I can tell she is more than grateful to be here． Here she has access to electricity and running water, and most importantly, better schools． At UCLA, she has so many opportunities to grow and advance in her field．

??? Her journey to America was for just one reason: education．Though having an education will better her life, I know she doesn't do it for herself．My mom wants her children to have an easier life that will not require hard labor．I see what my mom goes through, and I'm filled with gratitude that she has made the brave choice to move here．

1.According to the first paragraph, the writer's mother considers learning to be???????? .

A． easy and joyful???????????????? ????????????? B． bitter but rewarding

C． costly and boring????????????????????? D． exciting but fruitless

2.Which of the following does the writer's mother do at high school?

A．Working as a newspaper deliverer．

B．Feeling proud of her intelligence．

C．Working hard to be honored and awarded．

D．Giving her classmates advice before tests．

3.How does the writer's mother pay for her college education?

A． By doing a part-time job．

B． By asking her parents for support．

C． With the financial support from a kind boss．

D． With the help from her teachers and classmates．

4.What is the final aim of the writer's mother's going to America?

A． To accumulate wealth．

B． To benefit her children．

C． To make her parents live better．

D． To become famous in her field of study．

A tall figure appeared from the dark door of the tent. It was a smoking young man about twenty three or four. He had an almost black face, though smooth. His moustache was black with curled points. There was an unusual force in his face, and in his daring rolling eyes. cef

　　Rebecca still stood hesitating like a swimmer about to make his dive, hardly knowing whether to return or move forward.

         "Hi, my beauty, what can I do for you?" said he, approaching. Realizing that she was quite at a loss, the man spoke in a gentle voice, "Never mind. I am Mr. Thackeray. Have you come to see me or my mother?"

　　This scene differed greatly from what Rebecca had expected. She had dreamed of an aged and dignified(威严的) face. She told herself to be calm and answered "I came to see your mother, sir."

　　"I am afraid you cannot see her-she is ill in bed," replied the representative of the house; for this was Mr. Alee Thackeray, the only son of the noble family. "What is the business you wish to see her about?"

　　"It isn't business-it is-I can hardly say what!"

　　"Pleasure?"

　　"Oh no. Why, sir, if I tell you, it will seem..."

　　Rebecca's sense of a certain ridicule(奚落，讥笑) was now so obvious and strong that, despite her general discomfort at being here, her rosy lips curved(弯曲) towards a smile, much to the attraction of the young man.

　　"It is so foolish", she murmured. "I fear I can't tell you!"

　　"Never mind; I like foolish things. Try again, my dear," said he kindly.

　　"Mother told me to come," Rebecca continued; "and, indeed, I was in the mind to do so myself. But I did not expect it would turn out like this. I came…sir, I came to tell you that we are of the same family as you."

　　"Ho Ho! Poor relations?"

　　"Yes."

　　"Rossetti?"

　　"No. Thackeray."

　　"Ay, ay; I mean Thackeray."

　　"Our names are worn away to Durbeyfield; but we have several proofs that we are Thackeray. The local scholars hold the view that we are, and...and we have an old seal and a silver spoon marked with the same castle as yours. So mother said we ought to make ourselves known to you, as we've lost our horse by a bad accident. We can hardly make a living."

    "It’s very kind of your mother, I'm sure." Alec looked at Rebecca as he spoke, in a way that made her uneasy. "And so, my pretty girl, you've come on a friendly visit to us, as relations?"

　　"I suppose I have," looking less confident and uncomfortable again.

"Well, there's no harm in it. I mean it doesn’t hurt to come and make yourself known to me. Where do you live? What are you?" …

1.While meeting with Alec, Rebecca feels _______during the whole course.

A. nervous and uneasy

B. excited and hopeful

C. amazed and comfortable

D. pleased but embarrassed.

2.Which of the following is suitable to describe Rebecca’s impression of Alec?

A. unfriendly and ta lkative

B. forceful and daring

C. gentle and reliable

D. older than expected

3.What is Rebecca’s real purpose of making this visit?

A. To see Alec himself.

B. To see Alec's mother.

C. To confirm that they are of the same family.

D. To make known their relationship and seek help.

4.From the passage, we can conclude that Alec appears quite friendly to Rebecca largely because __________.

A. Rebecca is his distant relation

B. Rebecca looks polite to him

C. Rebecca is a pretty girl

D. Rebecca looks ridiculous