题目内容
A robot named Cosmo has become six-year-old Kevin Fitzgerald's aid in his uphill everyday battle with development difficulties.
Kevin showed the first sign of learning difficulties when he was 18 months old, and was later diagnosed（诊断） with developmental disorder. But for the past year, a small blue-and-yellow human-like computer called Cosmo has offered some hope.
By responding to body movements and voices, Cosmo is designed to teach basic behavioral and physical skills. It can use its hands, repeat phrases and walk around. Mostly, it serves like a toy, a friend and a teacher cheering, encouraging, and tipping them to complete special tasks.
The robot's inventor, Corinna Lathan, believes "it can greatly improve on traditional and computer-based learning," she said. "The idea is that rather than hiding in front of a computer you are actually starting to communicate with a child the same age and the hope is that it may help transfer to other people—adults, care-givers and parents,"
As a piece of engineering, Cosmo looks rather simple. It has just nine moving joints（关节）. But Cosmo's advantage to help children has caught the attention of Minnesota's world-famous Mayo Clinic.
"It's going quite well," said Krista Coleman-wood, an expert at Mayo's laboratory. "But it is too early to say if children make more progress with the robot than through traditional physical treatment, but fun levels are clearly in the robot's favor."
Mrs. Fitzgerald says the last 12 months' treatment with Cosmo has proven revolutionary.
"When we first started, I could not get him out of the car if he knew it would be something challenging. Now if I mention that Cosmo is going to be here, he just comes running."
1．What's the problem with six-year-old Kevin Fitzgerald?
A．He has great difficulty going uphill every day.
B．He is addicted to playing games on computer.
C．He has been physically ill since 18 months old.
D．He has trouble learning behavioral and physical skills.
2．Cosmo helps children like Kevin Fitzgerald mainly by _____.
A．copying their movements and voices
B．finishing difficult tasks for them
C．chatting and playing games with them
D．giving encouragement and advice
3．According to Krista Coleman-wood, the effect of the robot-aided treatment is _____.
A．rather revolutionary B．surely successful
C．still uncertain D．actually unnecessary
4．Which of the following serves as the main idea of the passage?
A．A robot is designed to help children with learning difficulties.
B．Cosmo helps improve traditional and computer-based learning.
C．Children with learning difficulties can communicate with others.
D．The public are interested in Cosmo's advantage to help children.
DDCA
培优好卷单元加期末卷系列答案On August 5 at 10:31 p.m. PST, a rover（探测器）named Curiosity touched down safely on the surface of Mars, and I was lucky enough to have a front-row seat.
My name is Clara, and when I was in Grade 6, I won the essay contest NASA held to name its next Mars rover. The essay I wrote was not even 250 words long, but somehow it was enough to change my life.
I still remember that cold December day, sitting in a science class. I’d finished a worksheet early and decided to get a Time for Kids magazine off Mrs. Estevez’s bookshelf. It was the 2008 Invention Issue, but that wasn’t the only thing that caught my eye. In the magazine, there was an article about a girl who named the Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. The article also talked about the essay contest NASA was holding to name its next Mars rover. Before I even knew anything else about it, a single word flooded my 11-year-old mind: Curiosity.
I couldn’t wait for the bell to ring so I could get started on my essay. That afternoon, I raced home from the bus stop, sat down at the computer and typed until my fingers ached. It turned out that I was just in time. A few days later, and the contest would have closed.
Five months later, shortly after I had turned 12, I was watching a National Geographic special on mammoths when the phone rang. My mom answered, and immediately, a wide smile spread across her face. When she told me that I had won, I was happier than I could ever remember being, I screamed and ran up and down the stairs and all around the house. I completely forgot about the mammoths and did not even remember to turn off the TV until it was really late.
Curiosity is such an important part of who I am. I have always been fascinated by the stars, the planets, the sky and the universe. I remember as a little girl, my grandfather and I would sit together in the backyard for hours. He’d tell me stories and point out the stars.
My grandfather lived in China, thousands of miles away from my home in Kansas. I loved the stars because they kept us together even when we were apart. They were always there, yet there was so much I didn’t know about them. That’s what I love so much about space. No matter how much we learn, it will always possess some mystery.
In the past, space exploration may have been a competition to see who got somewhere first or the fastest. But now, it is one of the few things that bring people together. Science is a language that needs no translation. It doesn’t matter where you’re from or what you look like – you just have to have a thirst for knowledge and a passion for learning in order to succeed.
People often ask me why we go to faraway places like Mars. Why do we explore? My answer to that is simple: because we can; because we’re curious; because we as human beings do not just stay holed up in one place. We are constantly wondering and trying to find out what’s over the hill and beyond the horizon.
The curiosity rover is more than just a robot. It is more than just a titanium body and aluminum wheels. Curiosity represents the hard work, passion, love and commitment of thousands of people from all over the world who were brought together by science. Science is so awesome. It is breathtaking and mind-blowing; and sometimes, it’s just a little bit crazy. The discoveries we make about our world are incredibly humbling. They move us forward and have the potential to benefit all of mankind.
This December it will be four years of my life that have been tied to Curiosity in some way. I’ve met so many amazing people through this experience, from scientists to engineers to administrators to volunteers. Their devotion and enthusiasm inspire me greatly. My journey with Curiosity and the MSL mission team has shaped the person that I am today, as well as the person I would one day like to become.
I am deeply grateful to everyone who made it possible for me to have this amazing adventure.
And to you, I hope your curiosity takes you far.
【小题1】 The method the writer uses to begin the passage is _____.
| A．telling a story | B．giving an example |
| C．offering an explanation | D．describing a scene |
| A．She had just gathered enough information from Time for Kids |
| B．She wanted to write down what flashed through her mind in time. |
| C．She knew from Mrs. Estevez the deadline for the contest was approaching. |
| D．She was afraid she might miss the chance to compete with the former winner. |
| A．she missed him very much. |
| B．he knew a great deal about space |
| C．he influenced her to love the stars |
| D．she treasured their happy moments |
| A．The writer was inspired to be a volunteer by the people she met. |
| B．The writer owed her success to her team members’ encouragement. |
| C．The writer met many difficulties in her four-year life with Curiosity. |
| D．The writer has benefited a lot from her experience tied to Curiosity. |
| A．Sharp. | B．Proud. | C．Aggressive. | D．Enthusiastic. |
| A．Curiosity is important to human beings. |
| B．A thirst for knowledge helps one grow up. |
| C．Entering a contest is a way to achieve success. |
| D．Curiosity changes people’s attitude towards science. |