题目内容

Humans have been keeping animals as pets for tens of thousands of years, but Dr Jean-Loup Rault, an animal scientist at the University of Melbourne in Australia, believes new companions are coming: robot pets.

“Technology is moving very fast,” Rault told ABC News, “The Tamagotchi in the early 1990s was really the first robotic pet, and now Sony and other big companies have improved them a lot.”

This may not sit well with pet lovers. After all, who would choose a plastic toy over a lovely puppy? But Rault argues that the robotic kind has a lot going for it: “You don’t have to feed it, you don’t have to walk it, it won’t make a mess in your house, and you can go on a holiday without feeling guilty.” The technology also benefits those who are allergic to pets, short on space, or fearful of real animals.

It’s not clear whether robot pets can replace real ones. But studies do suggest that we can bond with these smart machines. People give their cars names and kids give their toy animals life stories. It’s the same with robots. When Sony stopped its repair service for its robot dog Aibo in March 2014, owners in Japan held funerals.

As an animal welfare researcher, Rault is concerned about how robotic pets could affect our attitudes towards live animals. “If we become used to a robotic companion that doesn’t need food, water or exercises, perhaps it will change how humans care about other living beings,” he said.

So are dogs and cats a thing of the past, as Rault predicts? For those who grew up with living and breathing pets, the mechanical kind might not do. But for our next generation who are in constant touch with smart technology, a future in which lovely pets needn’t have a heartbeat might not be a far-fetched dream.

1.What does the underlined phrase “sit well with” means?

A. be refused by B. be beneficial to

C. make a difference to D. receive support from

2.What are the advantages of robot pets?

a. They are plastic and feel smooth.

b. Owners needn’t worry about them when going out.

c. They can help cure allergies(过敏).

d. They save space and costs.

A. ab B. bc

C. bd D. cd

3.We can learn from the passage that___________.

A. Sony is the first company to produce robot pets Aibo.

B. People can develop strong bond(联系、关系) with their robot pets.

C. Rault thinks robot pets still have a long way to go.

D. Robot toys may help people care more about living beings.

4.The passage mainly tells us___________.

A. the advantages of robot toys B. the popularity of robot pets

C. living pets are dying out. D. robot pets are coming.

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Bars are very important in providing a place where people can meet and make friends. People who enjoy a drink in a local bar are happier and have more friends. They are more likely to be engaged in conversations in small community pubs, and social skills improve after a drink.

Professor Robin Dunbar of Oxford University said, “Friendship and communities are probably the two most important factors influencing our health and well-being. Making and maintaining friendships is something that has to be done in the real world. The digital world is simply no substitute(n.替代物). Given the increasing tendency for our social life to be on the Internet rather than in real life, having relaxed, accessible places where people can meet old friends and make new ones becomes even more necessary.”

Tim Page, chief executive of CAMRA, said, “Bars offer a social environment to enjoy a drink with friends in a responsible community setting. The role of community bars in ensuring well-being cannot be overstated. For that reason, we all need to do what we can to ensure that everyone has a ‘local’ near to where they live or work.”

Bars have long been part of British society and have played a key role in British social life since the 16th century. Bars came to represent the heart and soul of a community, providing both a place of entertainment and an engine for community bonding. In a world before the arrival of the motor car, the bar provided a venue in which people could get friendships and a sense of community.

But the closing decades of the 20th century witnessed major changes in both the style of bars (for example, themed bars) and their numbers. As of 2015, the number of bars declines sharply, with bars continuing to close at an average rate of 29 a week.

1.What does a regular(n.常客) at a local bar having more friends prove?

A. The benefits brought by pub cultures

B. The popularity of local bars in Britain.

C. The relation between friendships and bars

D. The importance of face-to-face communication.

2.What does Robin think is the tendency for social life?

A. More people will go to bars.

B. People will maintain friendships

C. People will trust the digital world

D. People will communicate more online.

3.Why does Tim Page value the role of local bars?

A. They contribute to people’s social happiness.

B. They are a place common people can afford.

C. They are a good place to spread cultural values.

D. They are accessible to people in the community.

4.What can we infer about bars nowadays?

A. Themed bars have held the market

B. Some bars have a hard time surviving.

C. They become the heart of a community

D. Measures should be taken to save them.

When I was a college student, I did a lot of traveling abroad. That was because a professor _____ me to do so. She said, “Now it is the time for you to travel around the world, _____ your knowledge through actual experiences and have fun?” I ______ her.

Since I started to work for a ______ company, however, I have done most of my traveling through the Internet. By using the Internet, I have seen the ___ of many cities on my computer screen. And I have really made business ______, too. With the help of the Internet, I have also got _____ about food in different countries.

Therefore, I was beginning to feel that actual trips were ______ necessary when I happened to read a famous chef's comment on the Internet. He said, “It is very difficult to have real Italian food in a foreign country, because we enjoy food and the ____ around us at the same time. So why don't you fly over to Italy and enjoy real Italian _____? “Those words reminded me of my ____ advice. As information technology ______, you might be able to do without making some real trips. But this also means that you will miss the various ______ you can get from traveling.

Today there are people who ______ direct communication with others and spend much of their time on the Internet. It is not surprising to see a group of people ___ not with each other but into their micro phones. It seems as if such people are ____ by an invisible wall. They seem to be losing out on a good chance to _____ and talk with other people. I do not think that they are taking good advantage of information technology. We should use information technology as a tool to make our daily ______ more fruitful. However, we should never let it ______ our time for face to -face communication. Let's make use of information technology more ______, and have great fun in experiencing the actual world.

1.A. promised B. allowed C. hurried D. encouraged

2.A. build up B. use C. practise D. exchange

3.A. agreed with B. learned from C. followed D. obeyed

4.A. car B. food C. clothing D. machine

5.A. life B. rivers C. sights D. houses

6.A. plans B. bargain C. progress D. trips

7.A. information B. taste C. cooks D. feelings

8.A. even more B. no longer C. much D. actually

9.A. people B. drink C. atmosphere D. environment

10.A. shoes B. dishes C. customers D. situations

11.A. friend's B. parents' C. professor's D. boss's

12.A. produces B. advertises C. forms D. advances

13.A. news B. pleasures C. troubles D. places

14.A. avoid B. keep C. lose D. enjoy

15.A. meeting B. talking C. communicating D. traveling

16.A. stopped B. met C. surrounded D. hurt

17.A. look at B. employ C. travel D. meet

18.A. communication B. study C. work D. action

19.A. spare B. increase C. reduce D. make use of

20.A. wisely B. correctly C. or less D. slowly

Well,today,I had to go into town for an art exhibition that I had entered a piece in.Since it is winter here,I have not____going out of the house very much at all.So today I thought I would____myself to lunch—something I haven't done for ages!

I walked around for a long time downtown,and finally,I____on some Thai food,from a buffet-type place.When I____down.I noticed a man walk by and sit down a few____away from me.He had a small dish of yogurt.As my____met his,I saw a sad,lonely man with____hair.He had dirt on his coat and pants,____from sleeping outside.I was pretty sure he was_____

I looked at my food and felt____that I had this full plate of food and he had____,not even a hint of a(n)____on his face.I went over and asked him if he was hungry.When he heard me,he turned and nodded to me.Then he gestured that he had no_____He saw me reach into my____and I said "follow me".In a flash,he was behind me.I____for another plate of food that allowed him to____anything he wanted.His____was piled high when he sat back down at his table.I loved sitting there and____him every so often,while he carefully____his beans and other chosen ingredients.

After____,I went on to see how my art work had done in the exhibition and found out that I had won second place.I will never forget this day!

1.A. remembered B. risked C. forgot D. stopped

2.A. treat B. abuse C. ban D. devote

3.A. fed B. focused C. seated D. settled

4.A. put B. went C. sat D. lay

5.A. miles B. arms C. tables D. inches

6.A. eyes B. nose C. body D. ears

7.A. clean B. wet C. dry D. dirty

8.A. doubtfully B. obviously C. generally D. actually

9.A. careless B. homeless C. childless D. speechless

10.A. terrible B. happy C. confused D. horrible

11.A. everything B. something C. anything D. nothing

12.A. tear B. laugh C. smile D. expression

13.A. friends B. money C. relatives D. chances

14.A. car B. pocket C. clothes D. house

15.A. advertised B. cared C. paid D. sent

16.A. lose B. borrow C. sell D. pick

17.A. dishes B. bowl C. cakes D. plate

18.A. watching B. visiting C. listening to D. looking after

19.A. chose B. studied C. enjoyed D. made

20.A. lunch B. breakfast C. supper D. dinner

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