The lights dimmed，the musical hall grew quiet and out walked the conductor (指挥) shiny and white and 4 feet and 3 inches tall.

ASIMO, a robot designed by Honda Motor Co., met its latest challenge Tuesday evening: Conducting the Detroit Symphony (底特律交响乐团), in a performance of “The Impossible  Dream” from “Man of La Mancha”．

“Hello, everyone，” ASIMO said to the audience in a childlike voice, then waved to the orchestra. As it conducted, it perfectly mimicked (模仿) the actions of a conductor,

nodding its head at various sections and gesturing with one or both hands. ASIMO took a final bow to excited shouts from the audience. Later, cellist Yo－Yo Ma joined ASIMO onstage to receive an award for his efforts in music education.

Honda spokeswoman Alicia Jones says it is the first time ASIMO has conducted an orchestra, and it may be the first time any robot has conducted a live performance. But ASIMO has its  limits. ASIMO's engineers programmed the robot to mimic Charles Burke, the Detroit Symphony's education director, as he conducted the piece in front of a pianist about six months ago. But it can't respond to the musicians.

“It's not a communicative device. It simply is programmed to do a set of gestures，” said Leonard Slatkin, the orchestra's musical director. “If the orchestra decides to go faster, there's nothing the robot can do about it. Hopefully, I keep that under control.”

But several musicians also said ASIMO was more realistic than they expected. “The movements are still a little stiff (僵硬的), but very humanlike, much better than I thought，” Hutchinson said.

1.What's the audience's response to ASIMO's performance?

2.Whose conducting was ASIMO made to copy?

3.We can learn from the passage that ASIMO ________.

4.What would be the best title for this passage?

The lights dimmed，the musical hall grew quiet and out walked the conductor (指挥) shiny and white and 4 feet and 3 inches tall.
ASIMO, a robot designed by Honda Motor Co., met its latest challenge Tuesday evening: Conducting the Detroit Symphony (底特律交响乐团), in a performance of “The Impossible  Dream” from “Man of La Mancha”.
“Hello, everyone，” ASIMO said to the audience in a childlike voice, then waved to the orchestra. As it conducted, it perfectly mimicked (模仿) the actions of a conductor,
nodding its head at various sections and gesturing with one or both hands. ASIMO took a final bow to excited shouts from the audience. Later, cellist Yo-Yo Ma joined ASIMO onstage to receive an award for his efforts in music education.
Honda spokeswoman Alicia Jones says it is the first time ASIMO has conducted an orchestra, and it may be the first time any robot has conducted a live performance. But ASIMO has its  limits. ASIMO's engineers programmed the robot to mimic Charles Burke, the Detroit Symphony's education director, as he conducted the piece in front of a pianist about six months ago. But it can't respond to the musicians.
“It's not a communicative device. It simply is programmed to do a set of gestures，” said Leonard Slatkin, the orchestra's musical director. “If the orchestra decides to go faster, there's nothing the robot can do about it. Hopefully, I keep that under control.”
But several musicians also said ASIMO was more realistic than they expected. “The movements are still a little stiff (僵硬的), but very humanlike, much better than I thought，” Hutchinson said.

1. 1.

   What's the audience's response to ASIMO's performance?

   1. A.
      Disappointed.
   2. B.
      Moved.
   3. C.
      Excited.
   4. D.
      Astonished.
2. 2.

   Whose conducting was ASIMO made to copy?

   1. A.
      Yo-Yo Ma's.
   2. B.
      Charles Burke's.
   3. C.
      Leonard Slatkin's.
   4. D.
      Alicia Jones's.
3. 3.

   We can learn from the passage that ASIMO ________.

   1. A.
      was designed and trained by Yo-Yo Ma
   2. B.
      can communicate with the audience freely
   3. C.
      only performs according to the designed programs
   4. D.
      can change its conducting style freely
4. 4.

   What would be the best title for this passage?

   1. A.
      Detroit Symphony gives a good performance
   2. B.
      Honda robot conducts Detroit Symphony
   3. C.
      “The Impossible Dream” from Detroit Symphony
   4. D.
      Cooperation between Honda and Detroit Symphony

The works of Shakespeare and Wordsworth are “rocket-boosters” to the brain and better therapy than self-help books, researchers will say this week.
Scientists, psychologists and English academics at Liverpool University have found that reading the works of the Bard and other classical writers has a beneficial effect on the mind, catches the reader’s attention and cause moments of self-reflection.
Using scanners, they monitored the brain activity of volunteers as they read works by William Shakespeare, William Wordsworth, T.S Eliot and others.
They then “translated” the texts into more “straightforward”, modern language and again monitored the readers’ brains as they read the words.
Scans showed that the more “challenging” prose （散文）and poetry set off far more electrical activity in the brain than the more pedestrian versions.
Scientists were able to study the brain activity as it responded to each word and record how it “lit up” as the readers encountered unusual words, surprising phrases or difficult sentence structure.
This “lighting up” of the mind lasts longer than the initial electrical spark, shifting the brain to a higher gear, encouraging further reading.
The research also found that reading poetry, in particular, increases activity in the right hemisphere （半球）of the brain, an area concerned with “autobiographical memory”, helping the reader to reflect on and reappraise their own experiences in light of what they have read. The academics said this meant the classics were more useful than self-help books.
Philip Davis, an English professor who has worked on the study with the university’s magnetic resonance centre, will tell a conference this week: “Serious literature acts like a rocket-booster to the brain.
"The research shows the power of literature to shift mental pathways, to create new thoughts, shapes and connections in the young and the elderly alike.”
【小题1】How do classics such as Shakespeare and Wordsworth benefit the readers?

The works of Shakespeare and Wordsworth are “rocket-boosters” to the brain and better therapy than self-help books, researchers will say this week.

Scientists, psychologists and English academics at Liverpool University have found that reading the works of the Bard and other classical writers has a beneficial effect on the mind, catches the reader’s attention and cause moments of self-reflection.

Using scanners, they monitored the brain activity of volunteers as they read works by William Shakespeare, William Wordsworth, T.S Eliot and others.

They then “translated” the texts into more “straightforward”, modern language and again monitored the readers’ brains as they read the words.

Scans showed that the more “challenging” prose （散文）and poetry set off far more electrical activity in the brain than the more pedestrian versions.

Scientists were able to study the brain activity as it responded to each word and record how it “lit up” as the readers encountered unusual words, surprising phrases or difficult sentence structure.

This “lighting up” of the mind lasts longer than the initial electrical spark, shifting the brain to a higher gear, encouraging further reading.

The research also found that reading poetry, in particular, increases activity in the right hemisphere （半球）of the brain, an area concerned with “autobiographical memory”, helping the reader to reflect on and reappraise their own experiences in light of what they have read. The academics said this meant the classics were more useful than self-help books.

Philip Davis, an English professor who has worked on the study with the university’s magnetic resonance centre, will tell a conference this week: “Serious literature acts like a rocket-booster to the brain.

"The research shows the power of literature to shift mental pathways, to create new thoughts, shapes and connections in the young and the elderly alike.”

1.How do classics such as Shakespeare and Wordsworth benefit the readers?

A．They set off far less electrical activity in the brain.

B．They light up the mind shorter than the initial electrical spark.

C．They shift physical pathways in the young and the elderly.

D．They draw readers’ attention and help make self-examination.

2.Why does the author mention” They then” translated”… modern language“？

A．To prove that classics are more useful than ordinary versions.

B．To show self-help books act like rocket-boosters to the brain.

C．To tell serious literature sets off far less electrical activity.

D．To make known ordinary versions set off more electrical activity

3.What can we conclude according to the researchers?

A．Self-help books are more valuable than classics.

B．Serious literature lights up the mind shorter than ordinary versions.

C．The right hemisphere of the brain is related to autobiographical memory.

D．Literature has a beneficial effect only on the mind of the young.

4.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．Ordinary Versions Create New Thoughts

B．Modern Language Increases the Brain

C．Classics Help lmprove the Brain Activity

D．Self-help Books, Rocket-boosters

The winter holidays are a special time at the White House. Each year, about 44,000 people come to see the holiday decorations or to attend holiday parties at the President’s home in Washington, D.C.

I was able to attend a press preview of the holiday decorations recently, which was hosted by First Lady Laura Bush. This year’s theme for the decorations is “All Things Bright and Beautiful.” The decorations are all made of fresh flowers, garlands(花环), and fruits. The flowers will have to be changed every few days to keep the look fresh.

The main Christmas tree is in the Blue Room. It’s an 18-foot fir tree—tall enough that the chan-delier(吊灯) had to be removed to make room for it. Fresh white lilies(百合), crystal garlands, and white lights decorate the White House Christmas tree. The room smells of pine and lilies.

Mrs. Bush was asked whether she called the tree a holiday tree or a Christmas tree. “We know that Americans celebrate the season in a lot of different ways,” she said. “We’ll have a party and a reception here at the White House later during the month. But I think we’ve always called this the White House Christmas tree.”

Another centerpiece of the decorations each year is the gingerbread house(姜饼屋), made by chief Thaddeus Dubois.“This is his second gingerbread house,” Mrs. Bush said. “And this year Dubois painstakingly(辛苦地，辛勤地) made it special.” The gingerbread house was made with 100 pounds of gingerbread, 150 pounds of white and dark chocolate, and clear, poured sugar windows. A strand of white lights inside the Gingerbread White House made it glow.

40. Mrs. Bush chose “All Things Bright and Beautiful”as the theme for the decorations to ______.              .

A. highlight nature’s beauty           B. show the great wealth of the family

C. express her love of the country     D. differ from other people’s ideas

41. Which of the following can probably be used to describe the White House after the decorations?

 A. New and clean.                B. Elegant(高贵的) and beautiful.

C. Smelly and shaky.               D. Luxurious(豪华的) and serious.

42. The passage is mainly about ______.             .

 A. how Americans observe Christmas       

B. decorating the White House for holidays

C. the differences between a holiday tree and a Christmas tree

D. how to select a present for the White House