Researchers are placing robotic dogs 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 animal-assisted study concerning the influence of robotic dogs on old people's depression, 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 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 activities 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.”

1.The purpose of Beck and Edwards’ study is to ____.

A. understand human-animal relationship

B. find the causes of old people’s loneliness

C. make lonely old people’s life better

D. promote the animal-assisted research

2.In the research, the old people are asked to ____.

A. note the activities of AIBOs

B. keep AIBOs at home for 12 weeks

C. analyze the collected information

D. record their feelings and activities

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

A. It can watch TV with its owner.

B. It can help the disabled people.

C. It responds to all the human orders.

D. It is easier to keep at home.

4.The author seems to suggest that the future robotic dogs may ____.

A. keep old people active B. cure certain diseases

C. change people's beliefs D. look more like real dogs

Elephants are able to differentiate between ethnicities(种族) and sexes, and can tell an adult from a child --- all from the sound of a human voice.

This is according to a study in which researchers played voice recordings to wild African elephants.

The animals showed more fear when they heard the voices of adult Masai men.

Livestock-herding Masai people do come into conflict with elephants, and this suggests that animals have adapted to specifically listen for and avoid them.

The study is published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Prof Karen McComb and Dr Graeme Shannon from the University of Sussex led the study. They explained that in previous research they had used similar playback experiments to show that elephants could tell --- from the sound of a lion’s roar --- whether the animal was a female or a more dangerous male.

Prof McComb wanted to find out if the animals used their very sharp sense of hearing to identify a potential danger from humans.

The scientists recorded Masai men, women and children saying, in their own language, “Look, look over there, a group of elephants is coming”.

They also recorded Kamba men saying this phrase.

While cattle-herding Masai people often come across free-ranging elephants, which can result in violent conflict, the Kamba people’s more agricultural lifestyle does not generally bring them into aggressive touch with the animals.

When the team played recordings of these different voices through a hidden loudspeaker, they found that elephant family groups reacted more fearfully in response to the voice of a Masai man, than to a Kamba man’s voice.

And the adult male Masai voices encouraged far more of these defensive reactions than the voices of women or boys.

1.An elephant can tell a man from a woman by sense of ________.

A. touch B. sight C. smell D. hearing

2.How did the researchers get to know the elephants’ special ability of identification?

A. By observing the elephants in the zoo.

B. By playing voice recordings to them.

C. By recording the behaviours of elephants.

D. By communicating with them in a special way.

3.We can learn from the passage that elephants are especially afraid of ________.

A. Masai men B. Masai women

C. Kamba men D. Kamba women

4.What is the best title for the passage?

A. Elephants and human beings

B. Differences between human voices

C. Elephants recognise human voices

D. Elephants conflict with human beings

Mozilla has shown off a prototype(雏形) for a $25 (?15) smart phone that is aimed at the developing world.

The company, which is famed mostly for its Firefox browser(浏览器), has partnered with the Chinese low-cost chip maker Spreadtrum.

While not as powerful as more expensive models, the phone will run apps and make use of mobile internet.

It would appeal to the sorts of people who currently buy cheap “feature” phones, analysts said.

Feature phones are highly popular in the developing world as a halfway point between “dumb” phones --- just voice calls and other basic functions --- and fully-developed smart phones.

Mozilla hopes that it will take an early lead in a market that is now being targeted by mobile phone producers who see the developing world as the remaining area for massive growth.

It will face fierce competition from bigger, more popular brands, however --- with more announcements of this kind expected over the course of the next couple of days at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

“These solutions expand the global accessibility of open web smart phones to first-time and entry-level smart phone buyers by reducing the time and cost required for handset makers to bring these phones to market,” said Spreadtrum in a press statement.

Mozilla said the phone “redefines”(重新定义) the entry-level phone market.

The concept of a cheap smart phone may seem likely to appeal to consumers in developed countries, particularly those who locked into long contracts in order to pay part of the cost of the likes of the Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy range.

But analyst Carolina Milanesi, from Kantar World panel, said it should not be seen as a competitor.

1.Which of the following is true about the $25 smart phone?

A. It has all the functions of an iPhone.

B. It is specially designed for the developed world.

C. It will attract the present “feature” phone users.

D. It is made by the Chinese low-cost chip maker Spreadtrum.

2.What is the feature of a “feature” phone?

A. Though cheap, it can completely replace the iPhone.

B. It is just used for voice calls and other basic functions.

C. It has nearly all the functions of a fully-developed smart phone.

D. Its functions are between those of a “dumb” phone and a fully-developed smart phone.

3.We can learn from the text that at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona ________.

A. new cheap smart phones will beat high-end ones

B. the $25 smart phone coming from Mozilla will be the best seller

C. quite a few companies will announce their new cheap smart phones

D. Mozilla will be the only company to announce its new cheap smart phone

4.Which of the following held a negative attitude towards the cheap smart phone?

A. Mozilla. B. Spreadtrum.

C. Samsung. D. Carolina Milanesi.

单词拼写（根据汉语提示或者单词首字母，用单词的正确形式填空）（每题1分，共10分）

1.His fingers are _____________(粘的) with glue.

2.Honey is not only a good s____________ of natural sugar, it is also delicious.

3.Mr. Green paid me an _____________(意外的) visit.

4.She has the d________________ to overcome all the difficulties to success.

5.He answered my questions __________________(耐心地)。

6.The new hospital will be a great __________(利益) to the town。

7.The Institute has a b____________ specially for young people called Roots and Shoots.

8.A little child does not feel much ______________________.(责任)

9.Lu Xun was an i__________________ figure in Chinese history.

10.He c________________ half of his savings to the relief fund.

假如你是高三学生李华，你的英国笔友Tracy在邮件中讲述了她的新年意愿，你很受鼓舞。请用英语回复Tracy，交流分享一下你的新年打算。内容主要包括：

●改进学习方法

●加强体育锻炼

●考后旅游放松

参考词汇：新年意愿：New Year’s Resolution

注意：

(1)词数不少于80；

(2)请在答题卡上作答；

(3)开头语与结束语已为你写好（不计入总词数）。

Dear Tracy,

I was so glad to get your e-mail and greatly encouraged by your New Year’s Resolution. _________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

—What about Spring Festival evening party?

—I should say it was success.

A. a; a B. the; a C. a;不填 D. the; 不填

The brave soldier would prefer to _____ rather than ______ and in the end the enemy had to kill him.

A. dying, giving in B. die, to give in

C. dying, to giving in D. die, give in

I find these problems are easy _____

A. to be worked out B. to work them out

C. to work out D. to be worked them out

I thought him nice and honest ______I met her

A. first time B. for the first time

C. the first time D. by the first time

The famous reporter, who is said to have gone back to America last year, _____in China for almost twenty years．

A．lived B．was living

C．has lived D．have been living