A group of students in Japan have created a realistic robot baby to motivate young people to start planning a family so as to increase the country’s birth rate. The automated (自动化的)doll developed at the University of Tsukuba, called Yotara, laughs and “wakes up” when a rattle is shaken.
He can become angry and sleep like a real baby and he smiles when his stomach is pressed. The robot can also sneeze and have a runny nose, thanks to a heated water pump system. The students of the Graduate school of Comprehensive Human Science at the university created the robot last year with touch sensors. A projector sends the facial features onto a warm silicon balloon which makes up Yotara’s face. The robot’s facial expression and body movements change according to pressure applied to different parts of its body.
The information collected through touch sensors（传感器）under the silicon skin is processed by a special programme. It then changes the baby’s expression projected onto the balloon-face from behind. There is a hat on the robot’s head and a colorful blanket covering the robot’s limbs which simulate wiggling(摆动) with the help of a geared motor. “We wanted to create a new type of robot that is soft, cuddly and cute,” said project leader Hiroki Kunimura.
“We’d like people to experience the innocent, joyful expressions typical of small babies. Through this experience, it would be great if some people started feeling that they wanted to have their own baby, if they started feeling that work is not everything.”
Japan’s birth rate is among the lowest in the developed world at 1.37%, compared to 2.12% in the United States and l.84%in Britain. Japan is facing serious economic consequences with over a quarter of its citizens expected to be aged over 65 by 20l5.The population is expected to reduce by a third within 50 years if the birth rate does not increase．
【小题1】. What is the students’ purpose of creating such a baby?

A. Independence leading to family breakup

B. Women’s easy and convenient life in USA

C. No marriage for many people nowadays

D. Average American families getting small

E. Full freedom for young women

F. Divorce--- a social problem in USA

1._________

Marriage, like other social instructions, is showing the strains of modern life. While more Americans are getting married today than ever before, the divorce rate is also disturbingly on the rise (one divorce for every three marriages last year). Why should this be so, and what, if anything, can we do to reverse this trend?

2.__________

For most people, life is easier and more comfortable than ever before. Convenience foods from the supermarket simplify shopping and cooking. Household appliances like the vacuum cleaner and the washing machine have made housework much easier to do. Released from these household chores, many wives have found jobs outside the home. Women are achieving economic independence.

3._______

Families, too, are simpler today. In American, it is not customary for parents to live with their married children. With our greater mobility, relatives have scattered, the parents retiring to Florida or Arizona and the young people, after they marry, going wherever their jobs or their interests take them.

4.________

Young adult women have new freedom, too. While attending college, they often live away from home, sometimes far from their parents or their relatives. After college, they move to the city, find a job, and set up “bachelor” apartment. This is the era of women’s liberation.

5.________

But all this freedom and affluence have had an unforeseen and in some respects a devastating effect on marriage. Men and women, no longer dependent on each other for food and maintenance, find it harder to accept the responsibilities and restraints or endurance the misunderstandings of married life. When happiness becomes misery, many couples decide to terminate their marriage through divorce. On the other hand, there is a growing trend today for couples in trouble to try to save their marriage by consulting a professional counselor. He listens patiently while they talk, knowing that only through self-understanding can they solve their problems.

A group of students in Japan have created a realistic robot baby to motivate young people to start planning a family so as to increase the country’s birth rate. The automated (自动化的)doll developed at the University of Tsukuba, called Yotara, laughs and “wakes up” when a rattle is shaken.

He can become angry and sleep like a real baby and he smiles when his stomach is pressed. The robot can also sneeze and have a runny nose, thanks to a heated water pump system. The students of the Graduate school of Comprehensive Human Science at the university created the robot last year with touch sensors. A projector sends the facial features onto a warm silicon balloon which makes up Yotara’s face. The robot’s facial expression and body movements change according to pressure applied to different parts of its body.

The information collected through touch sensors（传感器）under the silicon skin is processed by a special programme. It then changes the baby’s expression projected onto the balloon-face from behind. There is a hat on the robot’s head and a colorful blanket covering the robot’s limbs which simulate wiggling(摆动) with the help of a geared motor. “We wanted to create a new type of robot that is soft, cuddly and cute,” said project leader Hiroki Kunimura.

 “We’d like people to experience the innocent, joyful expressions typical of small babies. Through this experience, it would be great if some people started feeling that they wanted to have their own baby, if they started feeling that work is not everything.”

Japan’s birth rate is among the lowest in the developed world at 1.37%, compared to 2.12% in the United States and l.84%in Britain. Japan is facing serious economic consequences with over a quarter of its citizens expected to be aged over 65 by 20l5.The population is expected to reduce by a third within 50 years if the birth rate does not increase．

1.. What is the students’ purpose of creating such a baby?

   A. To help old people who live alone． B. To give small children some pleasure

   C. To comfort lonely young people．   D. To increase the population of Japan．

2. What’s the new type of robot like in Hiroki Kunimura’s mind?

A. It can do everything for humans．   B. It is clever, humorous and loyal．

C. It is gentle, lovely and smart．      D. It makes humans unhappy．

3.. What can we learn from the passage?

A. Many young people in Japan don’t want to get married．

B. There may be a lack of workers in Japan in the future．

C. The lifespan(寿命)of Japanese people will decrease in the future．

D. The birth rate in Japan will start to increase slowly soon．

 A. Mauritius, an island lying off the southeast Africa in the Indian Ocean. The pleasant tropical climate and scenery provides the perfect setting to enjoy everything. The sea is full of colorful life that lives around the coral reef. This makes Mauritius a wonderful place for swimming and diving.

B. Las Vegas is really a fascinating city, where you can dine in the finest restaurants, shop in the chicest stores, and watch world-class entertainment. Maybe you will become a millionaire or lose all your money overnight. What’s so clever about Las Vegas is that it makes absolutely certain that you have such a good time that you don’t mind losing a bit of money along the way. That’s why they don’t even call it “gambling” any more, but “gaming”.

C. Few cities leave the visitors with such vivid impressions; the whole city is something of a work of art. And annual film festival is held with a refreshing emphasis on art. Few cities can compete with the thousands of cafes, bars and restaurants that line every Parisian street. And along the street you will be fascinated by the beautiful window shows of various clothes.

D. Kitzbuhel is a paradise for all the skiers. With fine weather and breath-taking scenery, it is a world-class ski resort. Every winter, thousands of people come from all parts of the world to challenge themselves.

E. Jerusalem is regarded as a holy place by Jews, Muslims and Christians. For Jews, it is where their ancestors built the first and second temples. For Christians, the city was the scene of Jesus’ life. However, since the war broke out, people there have suffered a lot, the situation has been tense, and peace is just a dream.

F. The old Nile brought about the civilization of Egypt; people there regard it as “the mother river” of them. On both sides of the Nile stand noble pyramids which were built as the tombs of the ancient pharaohs. Along with the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt, the Great Sphinx is one of the greatest and most studied monuments of human history.

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56. Smith is a professor who does research on ancient buildings. This month, his university gives a reward to him for his great contributions. So now an idea of traveling to a new place to continue his study has come into his mind.

57. Though Lola is a woman reporter, she is brave enough to go deep into the places at war. This year, she was honored as “Rose of Front”. Next month, she will go to a place at war. She is confident to do her work well and give people the most brief and real reports.

58. Alice and Simon are going to get married. They want to hold an underwater wedding in a special place, which has beautiful scenery, silver sand, delicious seafood and luxurious hotels, where they can enjoy themselves.

59. Jane is a modern girl, who is a crazy fan of rock music and films. She has a romantic dream, that is, one day, she will go to a beautiful place to appreciate all the attractive music and films with a cup of coffee in her hand.

60. Tom is really depressed these days. Owing to his bad management, his company closed. He wants to go to a place to try his fortune so that he can start his business again in the near future.