阅读下面短文,掌握其大意,然后从各题所给的四个选项中,选出一个最佳答案.

  People in Britain are living longer and are 1 , with the 2 that more and more money is being spent on consumer goods, 3 the latest statistics.

  But while people 4 appear to be healthier and wealthier, an analysis of 5 activities suggests they are also lazier. 6 the most popular pastime is watching television, with 98 percent of homes having 7 one set and over a third having a video recorder.

  Other pastimes 8 listening to music, gardening, sports, visiting friends or going out for a meal. The 56.8 million people of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland 9 an 10 12 million household pets.

  Most of the homes now have central heating, washing machines, refrigerators, telephones and even cars.

  Britain are also 11 more foreign holidays. United Kingdom residents took over 17 12 holidays overseas in 1986, 13 15.75 million in 1985, and the most popular destinations were 14 Spain, France and Greece.

  More people are eating meals out and 15 lifestyles have changed, the consumption of take--away meals, convenience foods and so--called fast food has also 16   . Over the past 25 years, consumption of 17   coffee, processed foods, fruit and vegetables has risen 18 home consumption of beef, lamb, bread, potatoes, butter, sugar and tea has 19   .

  Alcohol consumption is continuing its rise but the types of drinks taken has changed. Beer remains the most popular, but lager(淡啤酒)now 20 more than half of beer sales and there has been a switch from whisky to other spirits.

  And those of us who survive and prosper can expect to live to the age of 71 for men and 77 for women--a year longer than in 1985.

(1)

[  ]

A. looked after
B. cared for
C. better off
D. out of control

(2)

[  ]

A. result
B. exception
C. fact
D. reason

(3)

[  ]

A. because of
B. instead of
C. according to
D. by way of

(4)

[  ]

A. in despair
B. in general
C. on duty
D. on business

(5)

[  ]

A. numerous
B. outdoor
C. practical
D. leisure

(6)

[  ]

A. Then
B. Sometimes
C. So far
D. By far

(7)

[  ]

A. at least
B. at most
C. for certain
D. with ease

(8)

[  ]

A. cease
B. continue
C. exclude
D. include

(9)

[  ]

A. compile
B. import
C. possess
D. control

(10)

[  ]

A. calculated
B. valued
C. estimated
D. confessed

(11)

[  ]

A. contenting
B. satisfying
C. gaining
D. taking

(12)

[  ]

A. millions
B. million
C. million of
D. millions of

(13)

[  ]

A. related to
B. compared with
C. referred to
D. due to

(14)

[  ]

A. undesirable
B. unsatisfactory
C. unlisted
D. unchanged

(15)

[  ]

A. though
B. as
C. since
D. when

(16)

[  ]

A. risen
B. arisen
C. swung
D. shifted

(17)

[  ]

A. instant
B. fast
C. urgent
D. immediate

(18)

[  ]

A. meanwhile
B. also
C. if
D. while

(19)

[  ]

A. sinked
B. fallen
C. increased
D. doubled

(20)

[  ]

A. corresponds with
B. accounts for
C. derives from
D. conforms to

Researchers are placing robotic dogs(机器狗)in the homes of lonely old people to determine whether they can improve the quality of life for humans. Alan Beck, an expert in human-animal relationship, and Nancy Edwards, a professor of nursing, are leading the physical activity, and life satisfaction. “No one will argue that an older person is better off being more active, challenged, or stimulated(刺激),” Edwards points out. “The problem is how we promote(使……成为现实)that, especially for those without friends or help. A robotic dog could be a solution.”

In the study, the robot, called AIBO, is placed for six weeks in the houses of some old people who live alone. Before placing AIBO in the home, researchers will collect baseline data for six weeks. These old people will keep a diary to note their feelings and activity before and after AIBO. Then, the researchers will review the data to determine if it has inspired any changes in the life of its owner.

“I talk to him all the time, and he responds to my voice,” says a seventy-year-old lady. “When I’m watching TV. he’ll stay in my arms until he wants down. He has a mind of his own.”

The AIBOs respond to certain orders. The researchers say they have some advantages over live dogs, especially for old people. Often the elderly are disabled and cannot care for an animal by walking it or playing with it . A robotic dog removes exercise and feeding concerns.

“At the beginning, it was believed that no one would relate to the robotic dog, because it was metal and not furry, ”Beck says. “But it’s amazing how quickly we have given up that belief.”

“Hopefully, down the road, these robotic pets could become a more-valuable health helper. They will record their masters’ blood pressure. oxygen levels, or heart rhythms. AIBOs may even one day have games that can help stimulate older people’s minds. ”

48.The purpose of Beck and Edwards’ study is to ______.

       A.understand human-animal relationship

       B.make lonely old people’s life better

       C.find the causes of old people’s loneliness

       D.promote the animal-assisted research

49.In the research, the old people are asked to ______.

       A.note the activities of AIBOs

       B.keep AIBOs at home for 12 weeks

       C.record their feelings and activity

       D.analyze the collected information

50.What is the advantage of AIBO over live dogs?

         A.It is easier to keep at home.

         B.It can help the disabled people/

         C.It responds to all the human order.

         D.It can watch TV with its owner.

51.The author seems to suggest that the future robotic dogs may ________.

         A.cure certain diseases

         B.keep old people active

         C.change people’s beliefs

         D.look more like real dogs

 

 

More than 1.5 billion people around the world live without electricity. Finding better ways to bring light to the poor is the goal of researchers like Professor Irvine. In the late 1990s, he was working in Nepal when his return flight was canceled. A delay gave him time to take a fourteen-day hiking trip in the Himalayas.

One day he looked in the window of a school and noticed how dark it was. This is a common problem for millions of children around the world. Many families use kerosene oil (煤油) lamps. There are many problems with these lamps. They produce only a small amount of light. They are dangerous to breathe. And they are a big fire danger, causing many injuries and deaths each year. Kerosene costs less than other forms of lighting, but it is still costly in poor countries. Professor Irvine says many people spend over 100 dollars a year on the fuel.

When he returned to Canada, he began researching ways to provide safe and clean lighting. He began experimenting with light-emitting diodes (发光二极管), LEDs, at his lab. As a professor of renewable energy, he already knew about the technology. Light-emitting diodes are small glass lamps that use much less electricity than traditional bulbs (灯泡) and last much longer. He used a one-watt bright white LED made in Japan. He found it on the Internet and connected it to a bicycle-powered generator (发电机). He remembers thinking it was so bright that a child could read by the light of a single diode.

In 2000, after much research and many experiments, he returned to Nepal to put the systems into homes. Now the homes of 25,000 people in 51 countries have been equipped with it. “The one-time cost of our system which basically lives forever, as well as the solar panel — is less than one hundred dollars. So, one year of kerosene would pay for a solid-state lighting system,” he said. Now his aim is to develop a lower-cost lighting system. In January, Irvine is leaving the University of Calgary. He has also decided to start his own company in India.

1.We can learn from the second paragraph that kerosene oil lamps ______.

A. cost more than other forms of lighting

B. have damaged children’s eyesight

C. have wasted only a little fuel

D. have a lot of disadvantages

2.Irvine connected a white LED to a bicycle-powered generator to prove ______.

A. whether it can work without electricity

B. whether it can work well with less electricity

C. whether it can last longer than a generator

D. whether it is brighter than a traditional bulb

3.We can learn from the text that Irvine ______.

A. likes India rather than Nepal

B. is good at making new kinds of bulbs

C. is giving up his job in the university

D. is to earn much money from his company

 

Robert is nine years old and Joanna is seven. They live at Mount Ebenezer. Their father has a big property. In Australia they call a farm a property.

Robert and Joanna like school very much. At school they can talk to their friends but Robert and Joanna cannot see their friends. They live 100, perhaps 300, miles away and like Robert and Joanna, they all go to school by radio.

Mount Ebenezer is in the center of Australia. Not many people live in “The Center”. There are no schools with desks and blackboards and no teachers in “The Center”. School is a room at home with a two-way radio. The teacher also has a two-way radio. Every morning she calls each student on the radio. When all students answer, lessons begin… Think of your teacher 300 miles away!

1. The children in “The Center” do not go to a school because ______.

A.they live too far away from one another

B.they do not like school

C.they are not old enough to go to school

D.their families are too poor

2. In order to send their children to school, parents in “The Center” of Australia must have ______.

A.a property

B.a car

C.a school room at home

D.a special radio

3.Teachers in “The Center” of Australia teach ______.

A.not in a classroom but at the homes of the students

B.by speaking only and not showing anything in writing

C.without using any textbooks or pictures

D.without knowing whether the students are attending

4. A “property” in Australia is a ______.

A.house

B.school

C.farm

D.radio

 

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