An exercise method (Gyrotonics) designed to stretch muscles and improve strength and balance is becoming popular in the United States. Here's more about Gyrotonics and the man who invented this special form of exercise.

Gyrotonics is a kind of exercise that combines the movements of dancing and swimming with the mental and physical practice called yoga. It helps lengthen muscles, improve balance, and exercise the joints, the parts of the body where bones are joined.

A Hungarian dancer named Juliu Horvath developed this special form of exercise. After he was injured in dancing, Mr. Horvath studied yoga intensely. In the 1980s, he developed a new exercise method as a special kind of yoga to strengthen dancers.

According to Mr. Horvath, his method was based on the octopus(章鱼)，monkey and cat. He says these animals have no restrictions. They can move in any direction the Gyrotonic movements to help the human body move more freely.

A special machine made of wood and weights(砝码) helps guide the body through the Gyrotonics exercises. You sit or lie on a flat board. You put your legs or hands through special cloth handles attached to a line with weights. With the tension created by the weights, you must try to move through the exercises.

Seven kinds of backbone movements form the base of Gyrotonics. For example, you can stretch your back to the left and right or forward and backward. While moving your back, you can also work on arm or leg motions. These movements must be done in a smooth way. Often the motions are circular(圆形的)。

When Juliu Horvath first developed Gyrotonics, he was the only teacher. Since then, he has taught almost 70 trainers. Now, there are more then 800 official schools in the world where you can learn Gyrotonics.

1.This passage mainly focuses on _____.

A．A successful life of Horvath                B．A popular kind of exercise

C．Some advice on health care               D．Some uses of a special machine

2.According to the passage, what made it possible for Horvath to develop Gyrotonics?

A．His dancing-related injury.                 B．His failure in practicing yoga.

C．His good skills of dancing                  D．His wish to be a Gyrotonics trainer.

3.What do you think inspired Horvath in developing Gyrotonics?

A．His experience in dancing.                B．His use of a special machine.

C． The movements of some animals.          D．The ideas from many trainers.

4.What can we learn from the passage?

A．Many Americans have improved their health through Gyrotonics.

B．In a way, Gyrotonics is an exercise that comes from yoga.

C．You only have to move your backbone when doing the exercise.

D．Gyrotonics courses can be found in most countries worldwide.

阅读理解

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项中选出最佳选项。

　　A shop wholly run by a robot has been set up in downtown Tokyo, capital of Japan. The shop was set up by a Japan-based company.

　　When a customer comes to the shop, he will be given a pencil and a piece of paper. When he is looking at the shelves for goods, he can write down the number of each thing he wants to buy. Then he may come to a machine, which looks like a bank ATM (Automatic Teller Machine), and press the buttons to tell the machine the numbers and some other information about the goods. The machine will soon give the customer a bill. When the customer puts money into the machine, change will be given back at once, and the words“Thank You for Coming”will appear on the screen of the machine. The robot will select the ordered goods for the customer according to computer center information.

　　The robot, as round as a bucket, is able to decide the weight and size of any goods. It wilt always take the bigger and heavier goods first before picking up the smaller and lighter ones such as cakes or biscuits. Within half a minute, the robot will make everything ready, and wait for a customer at a certain delivery place.

　　The shop is to meet the needs of the public for the so-called“silent purchase (购买)”. It means that a customer can do shopping through mail or even an international computer network without facing the shop owner. This will reduce the cost on the part of the shop, and thus lower the price of goods for the customer.

　　The robot now can deal with most goods in a fast and easy way. Only when dealing with those goods needing special care will the robot ask for help.

1．When you want to buy something in the robot shop, first you have to _____.

[　　]

A．put money into the machine

B．press the buttons of the machine and tell it what you want to buy

C．find out what you want to buy and write down the numbers on paper

D．go into the shop and select the goods you want with the help of the machine

2．In this shop, the robot can do shopping quickly at a lower price, so _____.

[　　]

A．the shop has a great future

B．customers often get false goods

C．few customers go there to buy goods

D．the shop will close down soon

3．What would be the best title for the text?

[　　]

A．May I Help you　　　　　　B．Welcome to Our Shop

C．Robot Shop　　　　　　　　D．Nobody Sells Goods in the Shop

1. field A. picture        B. exercise         C. child      D. machine

2. breath A. smooth         B. thousand         C. southern     D. worthy

3. breakA. bread           B. meat            C. great       D. meant

4. floors A. yours          B. baskets         C. desks      D. coughs

5. stone A. oppose        B. piano            C. soft       D. comfort

Today, when a man steps on to the moon, or something new and important happens, the world learns about it immediately. What did the newspapers say about that first flight in 1903? Strangely enough, they said hardly anything about it at all. There are only a few reports about it in the papers. These reports said very little. Some of the things they said were not even correct.

In 1904 the Wrights built a second machine. They called it “Flyer No. Two”. They invited some reporters to a field near Dayton to watch them fly. Unfortunately, there was some mechanical(机械的) trouble with the plane and it did not fly at all that day. The newspapermen went away. They were disappointed and did not come back. The Wrights went on with their work. In 1905, they built an even better machine, “Flyer No Three”. They were able to stay upon the air for half an hour and more in the machine. Farmers and travelers on the road around the Dayton often saw them flying, but when three people told newspapermen about it, they refused to believe them.

The Wrights offered “Flyer No. Three” to the United States government. The government was not interested. They seemed to think the Wrights wanted money in order to build a plane. They did not understand the Wrights had already done this, and flown it as well. Experts were still saying that mechanical flight was impossible. At the end of 1905, the two brothers took their planes to pieces. The parts were put into a huge wooden box. It seemed nobody was interested.

1.The reporters were disappointed in 1904 because________.

A．the Wrights did not invite them

B．the plane could not stay long in the air

C．the plane did not fly at all that day

D．they had wanted to see a better machine

2.The U．S. government could not understand that________.

A．the Wrights had already built a machine that could fly

B．experts still thought flight was impossible

C．the Wrights wanted more money to build an airplane

D．“Flyer No. Three” was now in a wooden case

3.The Wrights took their plane to pieces because________.

A．they planned to go to Europe

B．nobody was interested

C．the government didn't give them any money

D．the newspapermen didn't report their flights

4.What does the underlined word “Flyer” mean?

A．Pilot.             B．Drive.            C．Plane.            D．Kite.

5.Which of the following is NOT true?

A．Today, people are very interested in new things.

B．People in the past talked little about new things.

C．Reporters are now as interested in new happening as in the past.

D．People in the past even told each other wrong things.