While inventions like the wheel and the Internet have changed the way the world works today, there are some creations that never quite got off the ground. Let’s look at the strangest inventions from across the globe.

THE TOMATO-FEEDING ROBOT

Japanese juice seller, Kagome, invented a robot that will feed you tomatoes with its long metal arms extended on either side of your face while you run. Originally created for the Tokyo Marathon, the robot even has a timer so that tomato-eating runners won’t use up their supply too quickly.

THE ROLLING BENCH

It’s lunchtime and many people may be looking for a park bench to sit on, but the rain has made every surface humid. This is when the rolling bench comes in. When one side is too wet, a handle on the side can roll up another dry side for better sitting conditions. The inventions come from designer Sung Woo Park, from Seoul in South Korea.

THE LED SLIPPERS(拖鞋)

We all hate hurting our toes in the dark, but a revolutionary footwear design can prevent this from happening again. The slightly strange LED slippers are designed to be comfortable, yet shine your path at night. With two in-built LED lights at the top of each slipper, the users can direct their toes at any area that needs light.

THE FOOT-POWERED BICYCLE

It’s the unusual invention of German designers Tom Hambrock and Juri Spetter. Besides an unusual appearance, its function is also slightly strange, as the user must run to get the bicycle moving. As soon as the riders have enough momentum(动力), they’re able to rest their feet on the back wheel and use the handlebars to control its direction.

1.What can we know about the tomato-feeding robot from the text?

A. It’s popular with lazy eaters.

B. It was the creation of a Korean.

C. It was designed for a sports event.

D. It has two plastic arms.

2.Which of the following can replace the underlined word “humid” in the text?

A. Dirty. B. Wet.

C. Unsafe. D. Uncomfortable.

3.Which invention was designed for its users’ safety?[

A. The LED slippers.

B. The rolling bench.

C. The foot-powered bicycle.

D. The tomato-feeding robot.

4.What can we infer about the inventions mentioned in the text?

A. They bring us speed improvement.

B. Their inventors are all from Asia.

C. They are powered by electricity.

D. They can serve us in different ways.

Researchers at the University of Kansas say that people can accurately judge 90 percent of a stranger's personality simply by looking at the person's shoes.“Shoes convey useful information about their wearers,”the authors wrote in the new study published in the Journal of Research in Personality.

Lead researcher Omri Gillath said the judgments were based on the style,cost,color and condition of someone's shoes. In the study,63 University of Kansas researchers looked at pictures showing 208 different pairs of shoes worn by the study's participants. Volunteers in the study were photographed in their most commonly worn shoes,and then filled out a personality questionnaire.

Some of the results were expected:People with higher incomes most commonly wore expensive shoes,and flashier shoes were typically worn by outgoing people. However,some of the more specific results are strange enough. For example,“practical and functional”shoes were generally worn by more“pleasant”people,while ankle boots were more linked with“aggressive”personalities. The strangest of all may be that those who wore“uncomfortable looking” shoes tend to have “calm” personalities. And if you have several pairs of new shoes or take extreme care of them,you may suffer from“attachment anxiety”,spending lots of time worrying about what other people think of your appearance. There was even a political calculation in the mix with more liberal(主张变革的)types wearing“shabbier and less expensive” shoes.

The researchers noted that some people will choose shoe styles to mask their actual personalities,but researchers noted that volunteers were also likely to be unaware that their footwear choices were showing the deep side of their personalities.

1.What does this text mainly tell us?

A. Shoes can hide people's real personalities.

B. Shoes convey false information about the wearer.

C. People's personalities can be judged by their shoes.

D. People know little about their personalities.

2.The participants were asked to__________________.

A. provide pictures of their shoes

B. look at pictures of different shoes

C. design a personality questionnaire

D. hand in their commonly worn shoes

3.Which of the results is beyond people's expectation?

A. Wealthy people often wear expensive shoes.

B. Pleasant people like wearing uncomfortable shoes.

C. Aggressive people are likely to wear ankle boots.

D. Flashier shoes are typically worn by outgoing people.

4.People suffering from “attachment anxiety” tend to_______________ .

A. wear strange shoes B. worry about their appearance

C. have a calm character D. become a political leader

5.The author wrote the text in order to_____________ .

A. inform us of a new study

B. introduce a research method

C. teach how to choose shoes

D. describe different personalities

The morning had been a disaster. My tooth was aching, and I’d been in an argument with a friend. Her words still hurt:“The trouble with you is that you won’t put yourself in my place. Can’t you see things from my point of view?”I shook my head stubbornly—and felt the ache in my tooth. I’d thought I could hold out till my dentist came back from holiday, but the pain was really unbearable. I started calling the dentists in the phone book, but no one could see me immediately. Finally, at about lunchtime, I got lucky.

“If you come by right now,” the receptionist said, “the dentist will fit you in.”[

I took my purse and keys and rushed to my car. But suddenly I began to doubt about the dentist. What kind of dentist would be so eager to treat someone at such short notice? Why wasn’t he as busy as the others?

In the dentist’s office, I sat down and looked around. I saw nothing but the bare walls and I became even more worried. The assistant noticed my nervousness and placed her warm hand over my ice-cold one. When I told her my fears, she laughed and said, “Don’t worry. The dentist is very good.”

“How long do I have to wait for him?” I asked impatiently.

“Come on, he is coming. Just lie down and relax. And enjoy the artwork,” the assistant said.

“The artwork?” I was puzzled.

The chair went back, suddenly I smiled. There was a beautiful picture, right where I could enjoy it: on the ceiling. How considerate the dentist was! At that moment, I began to understand what my friend meant by her words.

What a relief!

1.Which of the following best describes the author’s feeling that morning?

A. Embarrassed. B. Nervous.

C. terrified D. Upset.

2.What made the author begin to doubt about the dentist?

A. The dentist’s agreeing to treat her at very short notice.

B. The dentist’s being as busy as the other dentists.

C. The surroundings of the dentist’s office.

D. The laughing assistant of the dentist.

3.Why did the author suddenly smile?

A. Because the dentist came at last.

B. Because she saw a picture on the ceiling.

C. Because she could relax in the chair.

D. Because the assistant kept comforting her.

4.What did the author learn from her experience most probably?

A. Strike while the iron is hot.

B. Have a good word for one’s friend.

C. Put oneself in others’ shoes.

D. A friend in need is a friend indeed.

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