A study by St． Louis University has found that a lovable dog named Sparky and a robotic dog AIBO, were about equally effective at reducing the loneliness of nursing home residents． The study confirmed previous findings that dogs have a good effect on nursing home residents（居民）．
Dr． Andrew Smith led the Stanford University team出at built a home-assistance robot． "If humans can feel an emotional tie with robots, some day they could be not just our assistants, but also our companions," he said．
To test whether residents responded better to Sparky, a trained dog, or the Sony-made robotic dog, researchers divided 38 nursing home residents into three groups at three long-term care centers in St, Louis.
One group had weekly 30-minute one-on-one visits with Sparky; another group had similar visits with AIBO; a control group had no contact with either dog．The groups' respective levels of loneliness were tested by having them answer a number of questions at the beginning and near the end of the visits．
After two months, both groups that had contact with the dogs were less lonely and more attached． Most of the elderly regarded Sparky, a 9-year-old dog, as an audience for their life stories, said investigator Marian Banks.
"He listened attentively, wagged his tail, and allowed them to pet him," said Banks, who adopted and trained Sparky after finding him in a street behind her home seven years ago．
Those who were together with AIBO took a little longer to warm to the robotic creature．Over time, however, they grew comfortable with him, and petted and talked to him． He would respond by wagging his tail, vocalizing（发出声音）, and blinking his lights．
"AIBO is charming once you start to interact with him," said the study's author, Dr． William Banks, " He's an attractive sort of guy． He gives a feeling: of being personal, not just a robot． "
【小题1】Before the new study, it was known that ．
| A．dogs could help get rid of old people's loneliness |
| B．robots could build close connection with humans |
| C．robots were more effective at reducing people's loneliness |
| D．dogs and robots were equally effective at reducing loneliness |
| A．accepted it immediately |
| B．found it easy to interact with it |
| C．were not quite comfortable with it |
| D．were confused by its behavior |
| A． robots are actually attractive sorts of guys |
| B．robots could make a good companion of the old. |
| C．it's easy for people to become close with robots |
| D． the elderly will have a robot assistant in no time |
| A．Robots Serve People Better Than Thought |
| B．No More Lonely Old Age with Emotional Robots |
| C．Dogs equipped with robots to Help the Elderly |
| D．Robots and Dogs Can Equally Cheer up the Elderly |
【小题1】C
【小题2】C
【小题3】D
【小题4】B
解析试题分析: 本文主要讲解了研究人员对机器狗和真实的狗是否一样能够排遣孤独进行了实验，表明机器狗和真实的狗都能够给老人带来欢乐，排遣孤独感。
【小题1】C细节题。根据第一段提到The study confirmed previous findings that dogs have a good effect on nursing home residents.可知先前的报道发现狗对于疗养院里的人排遣孤独有益处，故选C
【小题2】C推断题。根据倒数第二段可知Those who were together with AIBO took a little longer to warm to the robotic creature．Over time, however, they grew comfortable with him, and petted and talked to him．可知后来他们感觉很舒适，要推断出第一次并不是那么舒适，故选C项。
【小题3】D推断题。根据第一段A study by St.. Louis University has found that a lovable dog named Sparky and a robotic dog, AIBO, were about equally effective at reducing the loneliness of nursing home residents.及He’s an attractive sort of guy. He gives a feeling of being personal, not just a robot.可知机器狗在某种程度上可以取代狗而成为老人的伴侣，故选D项。
【小题4】B主旨题。从文章第一段及最后一段可知，机器狗和真实的狗都能够给老人带来欢乐，排遣孤独感，故选B项。
考点：日常生活类阅读。
应用题作业本系列答案科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：完型填空
In this modern world, we rush around all day, doing things, talking, emailing, sending and reading messages. We are always on, always connected, always thinking, always talking. There is no ___31___ for stillness.
And when we are ___32 ___to be still because we’re in line for something, or waiting at a doctor’s appointment, or on a bus or train, we often ___33 ___something to do. Some will play with mobile devices, others will read something. Being still isn’t something we’re ___34 ___.
This comes at a ___ 35___: we lose that time for ___ 36___, for observing and listening. We lose peace.
And ___37___ yet: sometimes too much action is worse than no action at all. You can run around crazily, but get ___ 38___done.
Take a moment to think about ___39___ you spend your days. Are you constantly rushing around? Are you constantly reading and answering ___40 ___, checking on the news and the latest stream of information? Are you always ___41___through your schedule?
Is this how you want to spend your ___42___? If so, peace be with you. If not, take a moment to be ___43___. Don’t think about what you have to do, or what you’ve done already. ___44___be in the moment.
Then after a minute or two of doing that, consider your life, and how you’d ___45___ it to be. See your life with less movement, less doing, less rushing. See it with more stillness, more consideration, more ___46___.
Then be that vision.
It’s pretty simple: all you have to do is sit still for a little bit each day. ___47___you’ve gotten used to that, try doing less each day. Breathe when you feel yourself moving too___48___. Slow down. Be present. Find happiness now, in this moment, instead of ___49___ for it.
___50 ___ the stillness. It’s a treasure, and it’s available to us, always.
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Wealth starts with a goal saving a dollar at a time. Call it the piggy bank strategy(策略). There are lessons in that time-honored coin-saving container.
Any huge task seems easier when reduced to baby steps. I f you wished to climb a 12,000-foot mountain, and could do it a day at a time, you would only have to climb 33 feet daily to reach the top in a year. If you want to take a really nice trip in 10 years for a special occasion, to collect the $15,000 cost, you have to save $3.93 a day. If you drop that into a piggy bank and then once a year put $1,434 in a savings account at 1% interest rate after-tax, you will have your trip money.
When I was a child, my parents gave me a piggy bank to teach me that, if I wanted something, I should save money to buy it. We associate piggy banks with children, but in many countries, the little containers are also popular with adults. Europeans see a piggy bank as a sign of good fortune and wealth. Around the world, many believe a gift of a piggy bank on New Year’s Day brings good luck and financial success. Ah, but you have to put something in it.
Why is a pig used as a symbol of saving? Why not an elephant bank, which is bigger and holds more coins? In the Middle Ages, before modern banking and credit instruments, people saved money at home, a few coins at a time dropped into a jar or dish. Potters(制陶工) made these inexpensive containers from an orange-colored clay(黏土) called “pygg,” and folks saved coins in pygg jars. The Middle English word for pig was “pigge”. While the Saxons pronounced pygg, referring to the clay, as “pug”, eventually the two words changed into the same pronunciation, sounding the “i” as in pig or piggy. As the word became less associated with the orange clay and more with the animal, a clever potter fashioned a pygg jar in the shape of a pig, delighting children and adults. The piggy bank was born.
Originally you had to break the bank to get to the money, bringing in a sense of seriousness into savings. While piggy banks teach children the wisdom of saving, adults often need to relearn childhood lessons. Think about the things in life that require large amounts of money--- college education, weddings, cars, medical care, starting a business, buying a home, and fun stuff like great trips. So when you have money, take off the top 10%, put it aside, save and invest wisely.
【小题1】What is the piggy bank strategy?
| A．Paying 1% income tax at a time. |
| B．Setting a goal before making a travel plan. |
| C．Aiming high even when doing small things. |
| D．Putting aside a little money regularly for future use. |
| A．To delight him with the latest fashion. |
| B．To encourage him to climb mountains. |
| C．To help him form the habit of saving. |
| D．To teach him English pronunciation. |
| A．Money | B．Gifts |
| C．Financial success | D．Good luck |
| A．a potter’s instrument |
| B．a cheap clay container |
| C．an animal-shaped dish |
| D．a pig-like toy for children |
| A．the seriousness of educating children |
| B．the enjoyment of taking a great trip |
| C．the importance of managing money |
| D．the difficulty of starting a business |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Tea, the most important of English drinks, is a relative latecomer to British shores. Although the custom of drinking tea dates back to the third millennium BC in China, it was not until the mid 17th century that tea first appeared in England.
Afternoon tea was introduced in England by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, in the year 1840. The Duchess would become hungry around four o’clock in the afternoon. The evening meal in her household was served fashionably late at eight o’clock, thus leaving a long period of time between lunch and dinner. The Duchess asked her servant to bring a tray of tea, bread, butter and cake to her room during the late afternoon. This became a habit of hers and she began inviting friends to join her.
This pause for tea became a fashionable social event. During the 1880’s upper class and society women would change into long gowns(长袍), gloves and hats for their afternoon tea which was usually served in the drawing room between four and five o’clock.
Traditional afternoon tea consists of a selection of dainty(讲究的) sandwiches, scones(烤饼)served with cream and jams. Cakes and pastries(面团) are also served. Tea grown in India or Ceylon is poured from silver teapots into delicate bone china cups.
Nowadays, however, in the average suburban home, afternoon tea is likely to be just a biscuit or small cake and a mug of tea, usually produced using a teabag.
【小题1】The title of the passage is __________.
| A．Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford |
| B．Tea, the most important of English drinks |
| C．Anna, a person introducing afternoon tea to England |
| D．Afternoon tea, a very British tradition |
| A．1880 | B．the mid 17th century |
| C．1840 | D．3 BC |
| A．sandwiches, scones as well as cakes and pastries |
| B．a biscuit or small cake and a mug of tea |
| C．a tray of tea, bread, butter and cake |
| D．a selection of dainty sandwiches |
| A．Tea appeared in England much earlier than in China |
| B．The reason why the Duchess was hungry at 4 p.m. is that dinner time came quite late |
| C．In the suburban home, afternoon tea is also served in a dainty way |
| D．Tea grown in India or Ceylon is poured from china teapots into delicate bone silver cups. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
A recent study on parents who beat their children indicated that physical punishment still occurs far more frequently than previously thought but that physical punishment was ineffective. Given that 73 percent of the children who were hit waited less than 10 minutes before acting out again.
So, what is?
Many parents deal with their children’s mistakes by taking away toys and separating them from their playmates. But for strong-willed kids like I was, none of these methods were effective.
Like many kids, I wasn’t bad; I was bored. Fortunately, my father realized this fairly early on and developed a new form of “discipline” that produced immediate results and long-term positive effects.
Looking back as an adult, my father’s method of making me read the encyclopedia (百科全书)whenever I did something wrong was the best thing he could have done.
He would tell me a topic and say, “Learn about the aardvark and I’m going to quiz you shortly after.” It was punishment in the sense that I was forced to stop whatever I was doing, but it also had a purpose in that it kept my mind occupied and presented the type of mental challenge I clearly lacked.
Although unwillingly, I went to learn absolutely everything there was to know about aardvarks because I was going to figure out every question he could throw at me. If it weren’t for my driving need to prove him wrong, it may not have worked as well as it did.
So that’s just it: It was effective. It helped me change my behavior in that moment and it conditioned me to seek out books when I was bored. Obviously, that happened frequently and apparently and it worked. I grew up to become a successful lawyer and a famous writer as well.
To this day, Dad’s the only one who can beat me.
【小题1】What is the probable main idea of Paragraph 1?
| A．It reports the result of a recent study about the encyclopedia. |
| B．Physical punishment is useless to deal with children. |
| C．Physical punishment only occurred previously. |
| D．73 percent of the children love physical punishment. |
| A．Because they produce immediate results and long-term positive effects. |
| B．Because they prefer to break the “discipline” set by their parents. |
| C．Because they are always regarded as bad kids both at home. |
| D．Because they often find it’s dull in their everyday life. |
| A．His father angrily took away his favourite toys. |
| B．His father separated him from his playmates. |
| C．His father forced him to do some reading and tested him later. |
| D．His father ordered him to learn about the aardvark and quizzed him shortly after. |
| A．Children who are mentally challenged are more likely to be successful. |
| B．Parents ought to develop a new form of discipline to educate their kids. |
| C．It’s absolutely necessary to punish strong-willed kids physically. |
| D．The stricter parents are, the few mistakes children will make. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
There seems never to have been a civilization without toys, but when and how they developed is unknown. They probably came about just to give children something to do.
In the ancient world, as is today, most boys played with some kinds of toys and most girls with another. In societies where social roles are rigidly(严格地) determined, boys pattern their play after the activities of their fathers and girls are being prepared, even in play, to step into the roles and responsibilities of the adult world.
What is remarkable about the history of toys is not so much how they changed over the centuries but how much they have remained the same. The changes have been mostly in terms of craftsmanship, mechanics, and technology. It is the universality(普遍性) of toys with regard to their development in all parts of the world and their persistence to the present that is amazing. In Egypt, America, China, Japan and among the Arctic people, generally the same kinds of toys appeared. Differences depended on local customs and way of life because toys imitate their surrounding. Nearly every civilization had dolls, little weapons, toy soldiers, tiny animals and vehicles.
Because toys can be generally regarded as a kind of art form, they have not been subject to technological leaps that characterize(具有…的特征) inventions for adult use. The progress from the wheel to the cart to the automobile is a direct line of ways up. The progress from a rattle(拨浪鼓) used by a baby in 3,000 BC to one used by an infant today, however, is not characterized by inventiveness. Each rattle is the product of the artistic tastes of the time and subject to the limitations of available materials.
【小题1】 The reason why the toys most boys play with are different from those that girls play with is that______.
| A．boys like to play with their fathers while girl with their mothers |
| B．they like challenging activities |
| C．most boys would like to follow their fathers' professions |
| D．their social roles are rigidly determined |
| A．the basic characteristics of toys are the same all over the world |
| B．technological advances have greatly improved the durability of toys |
| C．the exploration of the universe has led to the creation of new kinds of toys |
| D．the improvement of craftsmanship in making toys depends on the efforts of universities |
| A．reflect the pace of social progress |
| B．changes a lot as time goes by |
| C．are not characterized by technological progress |
| D．also appeal greatly to adults |
| A．it often takes a long time to introduce new technology into toy-making |
| B．even the simplest toys can reflect the progress of technology |
| C．even a simple toy can mirror the artistic tastes of the time |
| D．in toy-making there is a continuity in the use of materials |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
One evening in February 2007, a student named Paula Ceely brought her car to a stop on a remote road in Wales. She got out to open a metal gate that blocked her path .That’s when she heard the whistle sounded by the driver of a train. Her Renault Clio was parked across a railway line. Seconds later, she watched the train drag her car almost a kilometre down the railway tracks.
Ceely’s near miss made the news because she blamed it on her GPS (导航仪). She had never driven the route before. It was dark and raining heavily. Ceely was relying on her GPS, but it made no mention of the crossing. “I put my complete trust in the device and it led me right into the path of a speeding train,” she told the BBC.
Who is to blame here? Rick Stevenson, who tells Ceely’s story in his book When Machines Fail Us, points the finger at the limitations of technology. We put our faith in digital devices, he says, but our digital helpers are too often not up to the job. They are filled with small problems. And it’s not just GPS devices: Stevenson takes us on a tour of digital disasters involving everything from mobile phones to wireless keyboards.
The problem with his argument in the book is that it’s not clear why he only focuses on digital technology, while there may be a number of other possible causes. A map-maker might have left the crossing off a paper map. Maybe we should blame Ceely for not paying attention. Perhaps the railway authorities are at fault for poor singalling system. Or maybe someone has studied the relative dangers and worked out that there really is something specific wrong with the GPS equipment. But Stevenson doesn’t say.
It’s a problem that runs through the book. In a section on cars, Stevenson gives an account of the advanced techniques that criminals use to defeat computer-based locking systems for cars. He offers two independent sets of figures on car theft; both show a small rise in some parts of the country. He says that once again not all new locks have proved reliable. Perhaps, but maybe it’s also due to the shortage of policemen on the streets. Or changing social circumstances. Or some combination of these factors.
The game between humans and their smart devices is amusing and complex. It is shaped by economics and psychology and the cultures we live in. Somewhere in the mix of those forces there may be a way for a wiser use of technology.
If there is such a way, it should involve more than just an awareness of the shortcomings of our machines. After all, we have lived with them for thousands of years. They have probably been fooling us for just as long.
【小题1】What did Paula Ceely think was the cause of her accident？
| A．She was not familiar with the road. |
| B．It was dark and raining heavily then. |
| C．The railway workers failed to give the signal. |
| D．Her GPS device didn’t tell her about the crossing. |
| A．close hit | B．heavy loss |
| C．narrow escape | D．big mistake |
| A．Modern technology is what we can’t live without. |
| B．Digital technology often falls short of our expectation. |
| C．Digital devices are more reliable than they used to be. |
| D．GPS error is not the only cause for Ceely’s accident. |
| A．one-sided | B．reasonable |
| C．puzzling | D．well-based |
| A．The major causes of traffic accidents and car thefts. |
| B．The relationship between human and technology. |
| C．The shortcomings of digital devices we use. |
| D．The human unawareness of technical problems. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Some people in Manchester, Britain, will soon be paying for goods and services with so-called “smart” credit cards. These cards are more secure than the traditional magnetic-strip version and can be used to travel on buses, check bank accounts and do shopping.
The Manchester project is one of the biggest smart card schemes in the world. Every time people use the cards on a bus or train, the fare is deducted (reduced) from the value of the card. When they have no credit left, the cards can be recharged at a local shop.
A smart card looks just like a normal plastic card but it has a silicon chip in it. It is possible for the same silicon chip to perform a number of different functions, so one plastic card in your pocket could do a large number of different jobs. The card has much more memory space than a magnetic-strip card, so many more things can be recorded on it.There are two types of smart cards. One is the contact card which is used in the same way as a magnetic-strip card.
Information is transferred by running the card through a narrow opening in an electronic reader. In the slot, electronic probes make contact with the magnetic-strip or silicon ship and read the information. The other type is the contactless smart card where the electronic reader communicates with the card by short-range radio waves. This makes the card quicker and more convenient to use because it does not have to leave your wallet. It is also more reliable as it is not easily influenced by scratches or dirt. However, the biggest advantage that smart cards have over magnetic-strip cards is that they are more secure. They are much more difficult to make than conventional cards and they have to be made by specially trained manufacturers. In addition, they have a large number of extra security features on them and if a smart card gets lost or stolen a quick phone-call to the distributor ensures that its individual number is made invalid and unreadable. This can be done more quickly than with a magnetic-strip card.
【小题1】A smart credit card can do many kinds of jobs because ____ .
| A．it is smart | B．it is a plastic card |
| C．it has a silicon chip in it | D．it can be recharged |
| A．the card can be put into a new charge of electricity |
| B．the cards can be changed into new ones |
| C．the cards can be put to use again |
| D．the cards can be recycled |
| A．they can store more information | B．they are more secure |
| C．they are more convenient to use | D．all of the above |
| A．Contactless cards are more convenient to use than contact ones |
| B．Smart cards are more expensive to manufacturer |
| C．By means of long-range radio waves contactless cards can communicate with the electronic reader |
| D．A smart credit card and a normal plastic card are the same thing |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Since the first Earth Day in 1970,American have gotten a lot “greenter” toward the environment . “We didn’t know at that time there even was an environment,let alone that there was a problem with it,”says Bruce Anderson,president of Earth Day USA.
But what began as nothing important in public affairs has grown into a social movement .Business people,political leaders, university professors,and especially millions of grass-roots Americans are taking part in the movement. “The understanding has increased many ,many times,”says Gaylord Nelson,the fromer govermor from Wisconsin,who thought up the first According to US government reports , emissions (排放)from cars and trucks have dropped from 10.3 million tons a year to 5.5 tons .The number of cities producing CO beyond the standard has been reduced from 40 to 9 .Although serious problems still remain and need to be dealt with , the world is a safer and healthier place .A kind of “Green thinking ” has become part of practices .
Great improvement has been achieved .In 1988 there were only 600 recycling programs ,; today in 1995 there are about 6,600 .Advanced lights ,motors , and building designs have helped save a lot of energy and therefore prevented pollution .
Twenty –five years ago , there were hardly any education programs for environment .Today , it’s hard to find a public school , university , or law school that does not have such a kind of program .” Until we do that , nothing else will change! ” say Bruce Anderson .
【小题1】According to Anderson , before 1970, Americans had little idea about ___
| A．the social movement |
| B．recycling techniques |
| C．environmental problems |
| D．the importance of Earth Day |
| A．The grass –roots level |
| B．The business circle |
| C．Government officials |
| D．University professors |
| A．They have cut car emissions to the lowest |
| B．They have settled their environmental problems |
| C．They have lowered their CO levels in forty cities. |
| D．They have reduced pollution through effective measures . |
| A．Education |
| B．Planning |
| C．Green living |
| D．CO reduction |
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