Why do human beings still risk their lives under ground and doing one of the dirtiest and most dangerous jobs in the world?It’s an increasingly urgent question,given the recent high?profile(引人注目的) mining accidents in Sago,W.Va.and Huntington,Utah.A small group of engineers and robotics experts look forward to a day in the not?too?distant future when robots and other technology do most of the dangerous mining work.

Robotic technology,in particular,holds much promise,McAteer says,especially when it comes to mapping mines and rescuing trapped miners—the special operations of the mining industry.

One of the first mining robots was developed five years ago at Carnegie?Mellon University’s Robotics Institute.It was called Groundhog and it looked like a golf cart.It used lasers(激光器) to “see” in dark tunnels and map abandoned mines—some of the most dangerous work in the business.

The latest design is called Cave Crawler.It’s a bit smaller than Groundhog,and even more advanced.It can take photos and video and has sensors mounted(增加) that can detect the presence of dangerous gases.Incredibly,the robot has a real sense of logic.If it comes across an obstacle it gets confused.It has to think through the process and where to go next,and sometimes it throws_a_fit just like a real person.

The biggest obstacle,though,is cost.The original research project was federally funded,but that money has dried up,and it’s not clear where future funding will come from. Partly for that reason,and partly because of advances in safety,mining is not nearly as dangerous as it was in the past.Since 1990,fatalities(致命性) have declined by 67 percent and injuries by 51 percent,according to the National Mining Association.

Some experts predict that robots in mines will serve much of the same function that they do in the automotive industry.The robots do the most repetitive and dangerous jobs,but don’t eliminate(消除) the need for human workers.

1.The underlined phrase “throws a fit” in Paragraph 4 probably means “________”.

A.gets angry? B.gets sick

C.becomes hungry? D.becomes cheerful

2.We can infer from the last paragraph that ________.

A.robots in mines will serve much in the automotive industry

B.there will be no need for human workers in mines

C.the mine robots will have a very bright future

D.robots in mines have a long way to go

3.Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?

A.Mining robots do most of the mining work at present.

B.Groundhog can discover the presence of dangerous gases.

C.Experts are trying to make robots save miners in danger.

D.Robots cannot do dangerous work in dark areas.

4.What can be the best title for the text?

A.Mining Accidents in America

B.Could Robots Replace Humans in Mines?

C.Cave Crawler,the Latest Robot

D.The Development of Robots

 

President Abraham Lincoln’s first call for volunteers to fight in the Civil War was for whites only.The Civil War was a white man’s war,northern whites insisted.Its purpose was to preserve the Union.It was not being fought to end slavery.But by September of 1862,the sentiment toward black volunteers had changed.Lincoln had hoped that the war would be short,but it had already lasted for a year and a half.Union manpower had fallen dangerously.

Lincoln had a plan.He issued the Emancipation Proclamation.It stated that as of January 1,1863,all slaves living in the rebellious southern states would be forever free.And starting immediately,Union armies would accept black volunteers.

The southern rebels’response to Lincoln’s call for black troops was a deadly one.Captives (俘虏) of any Union regiment (团) with black troops were to be given “no quarter”.They were to be put to death immediately.

African?American troops throughout the war distinguished themselves (表现突出) in battle at places like Milliken’s Bend,Fort Wagner,and the Crater at St.Petersburg.As to their conduct on the battlefield,Colonel Thomas Wentworth Higginson wrote,“Nobody knows anything about these men who has not seen them in battle.No officer in this regiment now doubts that the successful process of the war lies in the unlimited employment of black troops.” By the war’s end,186,000 black men had participated.They made up nearly 10 percent of Union forces.These black soldiers saw action in more than 250 battles.Black soldiers also gave their lives.By the war’s end,about 38,000 black soldiers had died.They died from disease,in battle,and after capture by rebel troops.

1. This passage is mainly about________.

A.cause of the Civil War

B.the Emancipation Proclamation

C.black soldiers in the Civil War

D.why Lincoln was a good president

2. What does the underlined word “sentiment” in the first paragraph mean?

A.Whites.

B.People who keep watch.

C.Rebels.

D.Thought and feeling.

3.What can we conclude from the passage?

A.Lincoln acted too late to free the slaves.

B.Blacks fought well for the Union cause.

C.The Civil War changed American history.

D.The southern rebels nearly won the Civil War.

4. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A.The Civil War’s purpose was to drive the black away.

B.The Civil War ended just in one year with the help of the blacks.

C.All slaves were set free by September of 1862.

D.Black captives of any Union regiment were killed after Lincoln’s call.

 

 0  54532  54540  54546  54550  54556  54558  54562  54568  54570  54576  54582  54586  54588  54592  54598  54600  54606  54610  54612  54616  54618  54622  54624  54626  54627  54628  54630  54631  54632  54634  54636  54640  54642  54646  54648  54652  54658  54660  54666  54670  54672  54676  54682  54688  54690  54696  54700  54702  54708  54712  54718  54726  151629 

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网