difficult tasks.Their specialized behavior due to chemical communication is so well developed, in fact, that
humans can learn a lot from them about how to work best in teams.
British scientists at the University of Bristol are studying colonies(群体)of army ants to understand
how they organize themselves and share knowledge.These insects-which come in various sizes-are known for using their bodies as living plugs to cover holes on the uneven ground between their nest and their prey.When they meet a hole in their path, they can quickly determine which of them is the best fit.The
appropriate ant then lies across the gap, allowing the remainder of the group-as many as 200,000 other
ants-to step on its back.This important minority of ants makes the food collection of the entire colony in
the best possible way by "paving the way" for the others.
The collective behavior that emerges from a group of social insects, such as ants, can be called
"swarm intelligence". Swarm intelligence consists of the selforganization of many individuals that work
collectively to find the best solution to a difficult problem.The concepts of swarm intelligence have been
used in a variety of human applications.It has been used as a method that improves the efficiency of
goods transfers on airplanes, and has even become a routing technique for moving data across
telecommunications networks more smoothly.You could say that our daily lives benefit from the tireless
work of ants.
1. What can we learn from ants according to the text?
A. How to help others to achieve great goals.
B. Good communication skills are important.
C. How to achieve the best result by working as a team.
D. The hardworking spirit in teamwork.
2. A study made by British scientists suggests that________.
A. ants are a group of clever insects
B. army ants" behavior is difficult to understand
C. ants enjoy using their bodies as living plugs
D. ants" collective behavior ensures their food supply
3. What can we learn about "swarm intelligence"?
A. It is a kind of collective behavior in social insects.
B. It refers to the selforganization of many insects.
C. The concepts of it will be used by many animals.
D. It is the best method of processing data.
4. The study of ants" behavior can be applied in ________.
A. road transportation and education
B. aerial transport and telecommunications
C. team organization and engineering
D. computer and information technology
Surface Exploration. Robots make great explorers on planets,moons,and other landing areas.Aside
from Earth,just about every surface in the solar system is unsafe for humans to explore.The air on most
other planets is insufficient for humans to breathe,making it necessary to wear a space suit and oxygen
equipment.The temperatures on these surfaces are much too hot or much too cold for any humans to
withstand.Plus there would be complications with radiation,weather,and a lack of gravity.Robots have
much less limitation in these areas and can survive much longer under these conditions.
Data Collection. Robots are designed for collecting scientific data.Robots are also able to perform
many tasks at one time and can process information much quicker and more efficiently.Important scientific projects from detecting minerals,analyzing ground samples,and finding water are all performed much quicker and more accurately(精确地)by robots.
Cost Effective. The use of robots has made the cost of space exploration much less expensive than it would cost for humans to do the work.In order to successfully send humans into space we would need to build a vehicle that can not only carry humans,but also have enough food and water to keep them alive for
the duration of the trip.Moreover,robots have no problems working for hours on end.Robots never
complain,they don"t require food or water,and they never need a bathroom break.
Space Travel. Over the past 30 years or so there have been many different types of robots used
successfully in the exploration of space.Perhaps the most famous and successful robots are the Spirit and Opportunity who have both been exploring the surface of Mars.They have both been very successful with experiments on soil and rocks and have even found evidence of water in Mars" history.
1. According to the passage,which of the following is NOT true?
A. The use of robots in space exploration costs more than the use of humans.
B. It may be dangerous for human to explore the solar system except the earth.
C. Both the Spirit and Opportunity have found the evidence of water in the Mars.
D. Many different types of robots have explored the space successfully.
2. Which column of the passage could come from?
A. Education.
B. Finance.
C. Travel.
D. Science.
3. The underlined phrase "withstand" most probably means "________".
A. arise
B. bear
C. defeat
D. diverse
4. What is the writer"s attitude in writing this passage?
A. Negative.
B. Persuasive.
C. Subjective.
D. Objective.
物) from the earth.This idea may sound like something from a science fiction (科幻小说), but it is
actually being taken seriously by many researchers.
This suggested future for the "red planet" will be the main topic for discussion at an international
conference hosted by NASA (美国宇航局) this week.Leading researchers as well as science fiction
writers will attend the event.It comes as NASA is preparing a multibilliondollar Mars research programme."Turning Mars into a little earth has long been a topic in science fiction, "said Dr Michael Meyer, NASA"s senior scientist for astrobiology (太空生物学). "Now, with scientists exploring the reality, we can
ask what are the real possibilities of changing Mars."
Most scientists agree that Mars could be turned into a little earth, although much time and money
would be needed to achieve this goal.
But many experts are shocked by the idea."We are destroying our own world at an unbelievable
speed and now we are talking about ruining another planet, " said Paul Murdin, of the Institute of
Astronomy, Cambridge, UK.Over the past months, scientists have become increasingly confident they
will find Martian life forms.Europe and America"s robot explorers have found proof that water, mixed
with soil, exists in large amounts on the planet.
In addition, two different groups of scientistsannounced on March 28 that they had found signs of
methane (甲烷) in the Martian atmosphere (大气). The gas is a waste product of living creatures and
could be produced by microbes (微生物) living in the red planet"s soil.
But scientists such as Dr Lisa Pratt, a biologist at Indiana University, say that these microbes will be
put in danger by the little earth project."Before we have even discovered if there is life on Mars, we are
talking about carrying out projects that would destroy all these native life forms, all the strange microbes
that we hope to find buried in the soil, " said Dr Pratt.This view is shared by Monica Grady, a planetary
scientist at the Natural History Museum, London."We cannot risk starting a global experiment that would wipe out the precious information we are looking for." she said, "This is just wrong."
1. The passage is about________.
A. a plan turning Mars into a little earth
B. the necessity of changing Mars
C. Mars supporting life
D. finding water in the Mars
2. Which of the following is NOT the reason why some scientists are against the plan?
A. The project would wipe out all the native life forms on the Mars.
B. The project will cost too much money and work.
C. We would ruin Mars.
D. We are destroying our own world at an unbelievable speed.
3. We can infer from the passage that________.
A. water is a crucial factor for life
B. the project will have little effect on the native life forms supposed to live on the Mars
C. Monica Grady is in favour of carrying out the little earth project
D. the idea turning Mars into a little earth is nothing but a science fiction
4. Which of the following supports the conclusion of microbes living in the Mars soil?
A. Scientists found liquid water in the Mars.
B. Scientists found signs of methane in the Martianatmosphere.
C. Scientists found a lot of good soil on the Mars.
D. Scientists found some creatures living on the Mars.
The latest research suggests that the key factor separating geniuses from the merely accomplished is
not IQ, a generally bad predictor of success. Instead, it"s purposeful practice. Top performers spend
more hours practising their craft. If you wanted to picture how a typical genius might develop, you"d take
a girl who possessed a slightly above average language ability. It wouldn"t have to be a big talent, just
enough so that she might gain some sense of distinction. Then you would want her to meet, say, a
novelist, who coincidentally shared some similar qualities. Maybe the writer was from the same town,
had the same family background, or shared the same birthday.
This contact would give the girl a vision of her future self. It would give her some idea of a fascinating
circle she might someday join. It would also help if one of her parents died when she was 12, giving her
a strong sense of insecurity and fuelling a desperate need for success. Armed with this ambition, she
would read novels and life stories of writers without end. This would give her a primary knowledge of her
field. She"d be able to see new writing in deeper ways and quickly understand its inner workings.
Then she would practise writing. Her practice would be slow, painstaking and errorfocused. By
practising in this way, she delays the automatizing process. Her mind wants to turn conscious, newly
learned skills into unconscious, automatically performed skills. By practising slowly, by breaking skills
down into tiny parts and repeating, she forces the brain to internalize a better pattern of performance.
Then she would find an adviser who would provide a constant stream of feedback, viewing her
performance from the outside, correcting the smallest errors, pushing her to take on tougher challenges.
By now she is redoing problems-how do I get characters into a room-dozens and dozens of times. She
is establishing habits of thought she can call upon in order to understand or solve future problems.
The primary quality our young writer possesses is not some mysterious genius. It"s the ability to
develop a purposeful, laborious and boring practice routine. The latest research takes some of the magic
out of great achievement. But it underlines a fact that is often neglected. Public discussion is affected by
genetics and what we"re "hardwired" to do. And it"s true that genes play a role in our capabilities. But the
brain is also very plastic. We construct ourselves through behaviour.
1. The passage mainly deals with ________.
A. the function of IQ in cultivating a writer
B. the relationship between genius and success
C. the decisive factor in making a genius
D. the way of gaining some sense of distinction
2. By reading novels and writers" stories, the girl could________.
A. come to understand the inner structure of writing
B. join a fascinating circle of writers someday
C. share with a novelist her likes and dislikes
D. learn from the living examples to establish a sense of security
3. In the girl"s long painstaking training process, ________.
A. her adviser forms a primary challenging force to her success
B. her writing turns into an automatic pattern of performance
C. she acquires the magic of some great achievement
D. she comes to realize she is "hardwired" to write
4. What can be concluded from the passage?
A. A fuelling ambition plays a leading role in one"s success.
B. A responsible adviser is more important than the knowledge of writing.
C. As to the growth of a genius, IQ doesn"t matter, but just his/her effort.
D. What really matters is what you do rather than who you are.
the flights across the Atlantic Ocean, leaving hundreds of passengers stuck in airports.
Grimsvom is one of the largest and most active volcanoes in Europe. What makes Grimsvom different
is that it lies under a huge glacier(冰川) of ice up to 12 meters thick. The hot volcano heats up the ice
above it, which then forms a layer(层)of water between the glacier and the volcano.This layer of water
puts pressure on the volcano, keeping it stable. As the water flows out from under the glacier, the pressure lifts. The lava(岩浆) from the volcano then comes up to the surface. This is exactly what happened today.
Now, airlines have to make changes to their flights so as not to fly through the clouds of volcanic ash.
According to KLM,one of Europe"s biggest airlines, airplanes cannot go under the cloud or over it. Going
through the cloud can result in ash getting stuck in the airplane"s engines, causing damage to the plane.
The eruption has also caused problems for animals in Iceland. The volcano left ash and sharp glasslike
rocks all over the countryside. Farmers are keeping their animals inside to stop them from eating
ashcovered grass or the sharp object.
1．What makes Grimsvom different from other volcanoes?
A．It is below ice.
B．It lies under the sea.
C．It is the largest volcano.
D．Its lava affects the airlines.
2．What keeps Grimsvom still?
A．The slow flow of water.
B．The low water temperature.
C．The thick glacier.
D．The water pressure.
3．Which of the following is the result of the volcanic eruption?
A．People stop traveling in Europe.
B．Airlines suffer from the loss of planes.
C．It becomes dangerous for animals to eat outside.
D．Farmers have lost many of their animals.
4．This text is most probably taken from________.
A．a research paper
B．a newspaper report
C．a class presentation
D．a geography textbook
By generating the proper brainwaves-picked up by a cap with electrodes(电极)that sense the signals
and reflect a person"s instructions-scientists can instruct a humanoid robot to move to specific locations
and pick up certain objects.
The commands are limited to moving forward, picking up one of two objects and bringing it to one of
two locations.The researchers have achieved 94 percent accuracy between the thought commands and
the robot"s movements.
"This is really a proofofconcept demonstration, "said Rajesh Rao, a researcher from the University of
Washington who leads the project."It suggests that one day we might be able to use semiautonomous
robots for such jobs as helping disabled people or performing routine tasks in a person"s home."
The person wearing the electrode cap watches the robot"s movement on a computer screen through
two cameras installed on and above the robot.
When the robot"s cameras see the objects that are to be picked up they pass on the information to the
user"s computer screen.Each object lights up randomly on the computer screen.When a person wants
something to be picked up and it happens to light up, the brain registers surprise and sends this brain
activity to the computer and then to the robot as the choice object.The robot then proceeds to pick up
the object.
A similar program is used to decide where the robot will go.
"One of the important things about this demonstration is that we"re using a "noisy" brain signal to
control the robot, "Rao said."That means we can only obtain brain signals indirectly from sensors on the
surface of the head, and not where they are generated deep in the brain.As a result, the user can only
generate highlevel commands such as indication which object to pick up or which location to go to, and
the robot needs to be autonomous enough to be able to execute such commands."
In the future, the researchers hope to make the robot more adaptive to the environment by having
them carry out more complex commands.
1. What is special about the robot introduced in the passage?
A. It is controlled by human thoughts.
B. It can be made humanoid.
C. It can be used to help the disabled.
D. It has high intelligence itself.
2. Which of the following is TRUE about the robot?
A. It can move forward and backward and pick up two objects at the same time.
B. It can move forward, pick up both objects and bring them to either location.
C. It can only move forward, pick up one object and put it in one location.
D. It can read all human thoughts and do as instructed.
3. What Rao says in the eighth paragraph suggests that the new robot________.
A. is still at its early stage of development
B. will be widely used in our daily routines soon
C. is autonomous enough to complete complex commands
D. is only limited to doing routine work at home
4. The sixth paragraph mainly describes________.
A. how the robot controls a person"s action
B. how the robot picks up the right object
C. how the person controls the robot
D. how the robot finds out where to go
- 1如图所示的做法中，属于用做功的方法改变物体内能的是（ ）A．压缩筒内空气下棉花燃烧起来B．金属汤勺放在热汤中，温度升高
- 2与平面图中自X至Y地势变化最符合的剖面图是 [ ]A、AB、BC、CD、D
- 3句型转换1. You used to be really shy, ___ ___ _?(改为反意疑问句)
- 4现有①四氧化三铁，②空气，③铁粉，④氯酸钾，⑤液态氧，⑥冰水混合物等物质，其中属于混合物的是______；其中属于单质的
- 5将等质量的镁、铁、锌，分别放入三份溶质质量分数相同的稀盐酸中，反应生成的H2质量与反应时间的关系如图所示。根据图中的信息
- 6如图所示，在△ABC中，∠C=90°，DE是AB的垂直平分线，∠A=35°，则∠CBD=______．
- 7如图，Rt△ABC中，∠ACB＝90°，DE过点C，且DE∥AB，若∠ACD＝50°，则∠B的度数是
- 8下列运算中，正确的个数有① ② ③④ ⑤ ⑥[ ]A. 1个 B. 2个
- 9罗马帝国曾一度辉煌，令人神往，故有“条条大陆通罗马”一说。你是怎样理解其含义的( )A．入乡随俗B．四通八达C．
- 10阅读下面文言文，完成1～6题 余忆童稚时，能张目对日，明察秋毫。见藐小微物必细察其纹理。故时有物外之趣。 夏蚊成雷，
- 1中新社深圳2009年8月4日电：建设在中广核集团大亚湾核电站基地的世界最大LOCA 鉴定试验合一、二、三号LOCA炉在手
- 2---Could you turn the TV down a little bit?---______. Is it
- 3在某学校组织的“我爱我的祖国”的知识竞赛中，每班参加比赛的人数相同，成绩分为A，B，C，D四个等级，其中相应等级的得分依
- 4下列各组混合物，不管以任何比例混合，只要总质量固定，经过燃烧后产生CO2的量为一恒定值的是A．甲醛和甲酸甲酯B．乙醇和乙
- 5（教材变式题）“垂直于同一条直线的两直线平行”，运用这一性质可以说明铺设铁轨互相平行的道理．如图所示，已知∠2是直角，再
- 6在下列命题中，不是公理的是（ ）A．平行于同一个平面的两个平面相互平行B．过不在同一条直线上的三点，有且只有一个平面C
- 7在一副扑克牌中，抽出一张牌，抽到方块的概率是______．
- 8-----I hope to go to Beijing with you.-----If so,your holida
- 9如图所示，一理想变压器原线圈匝数为n1=1000匝，副线圈匝数为n2=200匝，将原线圈接在u=200sin100πt（
- 10在直角坐标平面xOy上的一列点A1（1，a1），A2（2，a2），…，An（n，an），…，简记为{An}。若由 bn=