What if handheld (掌控型的) tools know what needs to be done and were even able to guide and help inexperienced users to complete jobs that require skill? Researchers at the University of Bristol have developed and started studying a novel concept in robotics—intelligent handheld robots. Historically, handheld tools have been straight, unintelligent instruments that are unaware of the context they operate in, are fully directed by the user, and therefore, lack any understanding about the task they are performing.

Dr. Walterio Mayol-Cuevas and PhD student, Austin Gregg-Smith, from the University's Department of Computer Science, have been working in the design of the robot as well as in understanding how best to be with a tool that “knows and acts”.

Compared to other tools such as power tools that have a motor and perhaps some basic sensors (感应器), the handheld robots developed at Bristol are designed to have more degrees of freedom to allow greater independence from the instructions of the user, and importantly, understand the steps being carried out. This allows for a new level of co-operation between user and tool, such as the user providing directions and the tool performing the detailed task.

Handheld robots, aim to share physical similarity with users but are neither fully independent as is a humanoid robot nor are part of the user’s body. The aim with handheld robots is to develop the intuitiveness (灵性) of using traditional handheld tools while adding planted intelligence and action to allow for new abilities.

Dr. Mayol-Cuevas, Reader in Robotics Computer Vision and Mobile Systems, said, “There are three basic levels of autonomy (自主权) we are considering: no autonomy, semi-autonomous when the robot advises the user but does not act, and fully autonomous when the robot advises and acts even by correcting or refusing to perform incorrect user actions.”

1.What is the new concept in robotics?

A. Full control by the user.

B. Improvement in intelligence.

C. Larger size of the robots.

D. Help for the experienced users.

2.What is the meaning of the underlined word “unaware”?

A. updated B. educated

C. organized D. uninformed

3.What is the advantage of handheld robots compared to other tools?

A. They are more dependent on the users.

B. They all have a motor and basic sensors.

C. They don’t need to follow the instructions at all.

D. They have a new level of freedom to perform the task.

4.What can we learn from the passage?

A. The handheld robots can never disobey the user’s order.

B. The autonomy is the only thing that the scientists are considering.

C. There will be more intelligence and independence in the handheld robots.

D. The aim of the handheld robots is to correct and refuse the user’s directions.

That cold January night, I was growing sick of my life in San Francisco. There I was, walking home at one in the morning after a tiring practice at the theatre. With opening night only a week away, I was still learning my lines(台词). I was having trouble dealing with my part-time job at the bank and my acting at night at the same time. As I walked, I thought seriously about giving up both acting and San Francisco. City life had become too much for me.

As I walked down empty streets under tall buildings, I felt very small and cold. I began running, both to keep warm and to keep away from any possible robbers (抢劫犯). Very few people were still out except a few sad-looking homeless people under blankets.

About a block from my apartment, I heard a sound behind me. I turned quickly, half expecting to see someone with a knife or a gun. The street was empty. All I saw was a shining streetlight. Still, the noise had made me nervous, so I started to run faster. Not until I reached my apartment building and unlocked the door did I realize what the noise had been. It had been my wallet falling to the sidewalk.

Suddenly I wasn’t cold or tired anymore. I ran out of the door and back to where I’d heard the noise. Although I searched the sidewalk anxiously for fifteen minutes, my wallet was nowhere to be found.

Just as I was about to give up the search, I heard the garbage truck (垃圾车) pull up to the sidewalk next to me. When a voice called from the inside, “ Alisa Camacho ?” I thought I was dreaming. How could this man know my name? The door opened, and out jumped a small red-haired man with an amused look in his eye. “Is this what you’re looking for?” he asked, holding up a small square shape.

It was nearly 3 A.M. by the time I got into bed. I wouldn’t get much sleep that night, but I had gotten my wallet back. I also had gotten back some enjoyment of city life. I realized that the city couldn’t be a bad place as long as people were willing to help each other.

1.How did the writer feel when she was walking home after work?

A. Cold and sick.

B. Fortunate and helpful.

C. Satisfied and cheerful.

D. Disappointed and helpless.

2.On her way home the writer _______.

A. lost her wallet unknowingly

B. was stopped by a garbage truck driver

C. was robbed of her wallet by an armed man

D. found some homeless people following her

3.In the fifth paragraph, why did the writer say she was dreaming?

A. Someone offered to take her back home.

B. A red-haired man came to see her.

C. She heard someone call her name.

D. Her wallet was found in a garbage truck.

4.From the text, we can infer that the writer _________.

A. would stop working at night

B. would stay on in San Francisco

C. would make friends with cleaners

D. would give up her job at the bank.

War started in our house in late July with a month to go before my first day of college. It was a battle of wills over what college I was to attend. Mom wanted me to attend a famous

school, and I wanted to go to a small writing college. Every night for two weeks, we argued, shouted and gave treatments until both sides went to bed with regrets.

It was mostly my . Since my junior year of high school, I had at being a nurse. I took all the science courses, and even worked as a in my town’s local hospital. My was to help the sick and be superwoman to the world.

Yet, graduation and college neared, it all changed. Treating the sick was

, but not what I was meant to do for the of my life. I could picture myself in hospitals, making rounds, and taking , but I couldn’t picture myself happy. It wasn’t the

I wanted.

Then, I realized I had been creating and writing stories for as long as I could . I loved it, and writing was what I had been doing as a . It was going to be my career. And it had to be.

On August 1st, Mom and I sat down at the dinner table and I told her that she had every

to choose where to spend her money, just like I had every right to decide where I wanted to go to school. If it was her choice not to any of my college education, then I would take a year off to work and earn money so I could go to the college I wanted.

Standing by my decision to be a writer had my firm belief to my mom. Finally we were at , and she decided to support me, which the world to me.

Before that time, I had never stood up my parents on any major decision. Choosing which college to attend me to become a separate and complete adult. I am now finished with my first semester as a Professional Writing major and I cannot wait to see what comes next.

1.A. cooking B. gardening C. nursing D. writing

2.A. medical B. warm C. mental D. silent

3.A. success B. duty C. fault D. turn

4.A. wondered B. aimed C. pointed D. looked

5.A. student B. volunteer C. graduate D. doctor

6.A. goal B. job C. task D. post

7.A. before B. after C. until D. as

8.A. rough B. noble C. mild D. tough

9.A. rest B. part C. whole D. half

10.A. notices B. examinations C. temperatures D. drugs

11.A. future B. effect C. drill D. idea

12.A. see B. wait C. find D. remember

13.A. process B. hobby C. rule D. business

14.A. chance B. time C. right D. ability

15.A. finance B. expect C. raise D. offer

16.A. doubted B. followed C. shaken D. proven

17.A. peace B. war C. ease D. play

18.A. attached B. applied C. devoted D. meant

19.A. for B. against C. over D. by

20.A. forced B. promised C. allowed D. reminded

How to Get Happy

1. Figure out how to change the way you view your lire and you can achieve happiness.

Gretchen Rubin, the creator of the Happiness Project website spent a year testing “every principle, tip, and theory” she could find to help people cheer up, especially given the trying times. “When people feel like they’re worse off than they were last year, it’s a happiness challenge,” Rubin note. Her advice? 2.

Here she happily shared other pointers.

What are the things that give a happiness boost?

Sleep, Sounds boring, but a 2014 study showed tiredness is one of the top two reasons people are in a bad mood at work. Another way to boost happiness is to join or start a group. Philosophers agree that social bonds are the key to happiness. But it’s hard to connect deeply with people at a party; a purpose and an agenda really help. 3. One principle of happiness is that you should always act the way you wish you felt. If you act generously, you’ll feel more secure.

You don’t have to do an extraordinary thing like climbing Mount Kilimanjaro?

No. If you love scrapbooking, maybe you should learn Photoshop; if you like cycling, maybe bike repair. 4. And it should reflect your nature. You can be happier without completely changing your life.

5. A lot of the things I talk about are things that don’t actually take much time, but you have to stick with them-like writing a journal or taking a 20-minute walk every day. People always ask, “Is it hard or is it easy to do fl happiness project?” And I say, “It’s hard in that you have to do it.”

A.Attitude is everything.

B.Happiness is a state of mind.

C.A third idea is to give something away.

D.Always have music and books in your life.

E.Is it fair to say that many of your tips require finding a lot of extra time?

F.It should be novel(新颖的) and challenging within the framework of what you like to do.

G.Try to think ahead five years when, chances are, you’ll have regained your footing and your house will be worth more too.

Leaving for work one morning, I noticed that my newspaper hadn’t been delivered yet.Since I always took it to work, it me that I would have to stop at the store and pick one up.I was already running late, but figured I could make it if I hurried.It was putting me in a mood.

As I pulled into the parking lot of the to get a newspaper, I noticed a young man in a wheelchair who seemed to be with his wheelchair.“I’m sure he’s all right”, I thought, “or if he’s not, someone else will help him.”

by the customers and cars that were passing him by, I guessed they were thinking the thing.I got out and walked over to see what the was.

“Is there anything I can do?” I asked.I noticed he wasn’t able to , and was still struggling with the wheelchair.

I at the wheelchair and noticed that the clamp(夹锁) holding the electronic keyboard and chair controls had loosened, causing the equipment to slip down, out of his reach.

I pulled it back into .His hand pulled over to the keyboard and he hit a single key.An electronic voice said, “Thank you.”

I felt a wave of gratitude come over me. I was truly blessed to have the physical that allowed me to live a normal life.The young man helped me gain a new way of thinking in life.

1.A.annoyed B.ignored C.permitted D.avoided

2.A.guilty B.curios C.bad D.good

3.A.office B.store C.library D.station

4.A.comparing B.living C.struggling D.playing

5.A.Judging B.Waiting C.Attracted D.Interrupted

6.A.particular B.happy C.same D.strange

7.A.accident B.trouble C.comment D.surprise

8.A.share B.deliver C.move D.speak

9.A.look up B.look down C.come down D.hold up

10.A.gradually B.luckily C.suddenly D.obviously

11.A.space B.form C.place D.shape

12.A.gratitude B.attitude C.manner D.ability

An old man in a faded yellow shirt sat in a windowless room on a raised concrete form. The only source of heat came from somewhere beneath the plastic mattress and the rough blanket the blank-faced police woman had handed him after taking his thumb prints. He heard voices and metallic clang as the cell door swung open.

At the front desk a tired looking policeman handed the old man back his belongings, his worn-out cap and the Seiko watch that had stopped working the day his beloved Evelyn left. The policeman dramatically held the blue plastic bag at an arm’s length to the old man who took it and made sure its contents were undamaged: the goat meat, palm oil, leaves and spices. He ignored the confused expression on the officer’s face and signed the document declaring he had been returned the possessions they had taken off him the night before.

No one spoke to him as he walked slowly towards the exit.

“Mr. Easy-nwa?” He stopped and prayed to the God who now took care of Evelyn to please take him far away from this unhappy place of expressionless faces, clipped accents and people who did not even attempt to pronounce his name right.

“Ezenwa,” He said and looked at a woman with tangerine lips, her name tag said Jessica Harlow, Social Services. “A bit far from home,she said as she drove fast and with confidence the way Evelyn used to. He wondered if she meant the 50 miles from Liverpool or the 50,000 miles from Enugu,a city in Nigeria. He did not bother replying as this woman had plenty to say about the weather, bad drivers, her daughter’s school play...

At last she drew up outside the block of flats where he lived.

“Got here in the end”,said she seriously, “Really Mr. Easy-nwa, if you keep getting lost, we will have to consider moving you into a home”.

“No need, I was not lost,he answered. He carefully rolled up the sleeves of the oversize bomber jacket he wore and turned on the tap to wash his hands, relieved the pipes were not frozen. In a clean pan he placed the chopped pieces of goat meat. The herbs and spices that had taken him three months to track down, the uziza seeds had taken him into the heart of Granby Market in Liverpool, his uchanwu leaves down a shady back alley in Manchester, and yesterday, among other food items, the finest goat meat from a Sierra Leonean Butcher in Birmingham. That had taken some time, so much he missed the last train and when the police found him shivering outside the locked up station, so cold he couldn’t answer loudly enough the pink-faced big copper who yelled in his face, “What’s your name sir?” spraying his face with spittle (吐沫)as he did so, leaving them with no choice but to search an exhausted, frozen old black man and finding him in possession of mysterious condiments (调味品)including a bag of dried bitter-leaf which could of course be mistaken for anything that resulted in him getting read his rights and charged with ...possession???

He lifted the lid of the bubbling soup, the room was filled with the rich and spicy scent of his culinary (烹饪的)effort. He served two bowls, taking the chipped one and placing the other opposite where Evelyn would have sat. He would tell her about his adventure, it was their anniversary and this was the perfect pepper soup to celebrate.

Ken Onyia, UK (Nigeria) Commonwealth Sport Short Story Prize

1.Why was Mr. Ezenwa taken to the prison for a night?

A. He was too weak to move.

B. He couldn’t find his way back home.

C. He then had nowhere else to go.

D. He was suspected of possessing drugs.

2.When Mr. Ezenwa was to leave the prison, •

A. his thumb print was taken immediately

B. the policeman was confused about what he had

C. a social worker was assigned to drive him back home

D. the policeman was so kind as not to damage his belongings

3.What did Mr. Ezenwa do for his wedding anniversary?

A. He collected all sorts of valuables as presents.

B. He cooked native food as a surprise for his wife.

C. He prepared a special Nigerian pepper soup carefully.

D. He travelled a lot, attempting to get his wife back.

4.What words can be used to describe Mr. Ezenwa?

A. Hopeless and pessimistic..

B. Mysterious and troublesome.

C. Affectionate and persistent.

D. Energetic and sympathetic.

5.What theme does the author want to express through the story?

A. Racial prejudice.

B. Hard life of the elderly.

C. Struggle for freedom.

D. Preservation of tradition.

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