Erik Weihenmayer was born with an eye disorder. As a child his eyesight became worse and then, at the age of 13, he lost his sight completely. However, he did not lose his determination to lead a full and active life.

       Erik became an adventurer. He took up parachuting, wrestling and scuba diving. He competed in long-distance biking, marathons and skiing. His favorite sport, thought, is mountaineering.

       As a young man, Erik started to climb mountains. He reached the summit of Mount McKinley in 1995 and then climbed the dangerous 1000-metre rock wall of EI Capitan. Two years later, while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Kenya with his girlfriend, they stopped for a time at 13,000 feet above sea level－in order to get married. In 1999, he climbed Aconcagua, the tallest mountain in South America. And then , on May 25, 2001, at the age of 33, Erik successfully completed the greatest mountaineering challenge of all. He climbed Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world.

       Erik invented his own method for climbing mountains. He carries two long poles: one to lean on and the other to test the way ahead of him. The climber in front of him wears a bell to guide him. Erik is a good team member. He does his share of the job, such as setting up tents and building snow walls.

       Although he could not enjoy the view, Erik felt the excitement of being on the summit of Everest. He hopes that his success will change how people think about the blind. “When people think about a blind person or blindness, now they will think about a person standing on top of the world.”　

When was Erik born?

       A. In 1968.                   B. In 1995.                   C. In 1967.                   D. In 1969.

What was unusual about his wedding?

       A. He got married on the summit of Mount McKinley.

B. He got married when climbing Mount Everest.

       C. .His wedding was held after he prepared a lot.

D. His wedding was held at 13,000 feet above sea level.

What is Erik’s special method for climbing a mountain?

A. He takes his girlfriend with him.　　　　　　　B. He does his share of the jobs.

C. He uses two long poles to help himself.　　　  D. He keeps a good team around him.

Which of the following shows the right order of what happened?

a. He topped Mount McKinley.

b. He became blind.

c. He challenged Mount Everest.

d. He reached the peak of Kilimanjaro.

e. He climbed the rock wall of EI Capitan.

A. b, e, d, c, a 　 　B. b, a, e, d, c      　　 　C. a, b, e, d, c   　 　　D. b, d, a, c, d

 

PITTSBURGH – For most people, snakes seem unpleasant or even threatening. But Howie Choset sees in their delicate movements a way to save lives.

The 37-year-old Carnegie Mellon University professor has spent years developing snake-like robots， he hopes will eventually slide through fallen buildings in search of victims trapped after natural disasters or other emergencies.

Dan Kara is president of Robotics Trends, a Northboro, Mass.-based company that publishes an online industry magazine and runs robotics trade shows. He said there are other snake-like robots being developed, mainly at universities, but didn’t know of one that could climb pipes.

The Carnegie Mellon machines are designed to carry cameras and electronic sensors and can be controlled with a joystick(操纵杆). They move smoothly with the help of small electric motors, or servos, commonly used by hobbyists in model airplanes.

Built from lightweight materials, the robots are about the size of a human arm or smaller.They can sense which way is up, but are only as good as their human operators, Choset added.

Sam Stover, a search term manager with the Federal Emergency Management Agency based in Indiana, said snake-type robots would offer greater mobility than equipment currently available, such as cameras attached to extendable roles.

“It just allows us to do something we’ve ot been able to do before,”Stover said, “We needed them yesterday.”

He said sniffer dogs are still the best search tool for rescue workers, but that they can only be used effectively when workers have access to damaged building.

Stover, among the rescue workers who handled the aftermath (后果) of Hurricane Katrina, said snake robots would have helped rescuers search flooded houses in that disaster.

Choset said the robots may not be ready for use for another five to ten years, depending on funding.

1.Which institution is responsible for the development of Choset’s robots?

A. Robotics Trends.        　　　　B. Pittsburgh City Council.

C. Carnegie Mellon University.      D. Federal Emergency Management Agency.

2.Choset believes that his invention ______.

A. can be attached to an electronic arm

B. can be used by hobbyists in model airplanes

C. can find victims more quickly than a sniffer dog

D. can sense its way no better than its operators

3.By saying “We needed them yesterday” (paragraph 7), Stover means that snake-like robots _____.

A. could help handle the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina

B. would have been put to use in past rescue work

C. helped rescuers search flooded houses yesterday

D. were in greater need yesterday than today

4.What is the text mainly about?

A. Snake-like robots used in industries.

B. Snake-like robots made to aid in rescues.

C. The development of snake-like robots.

D. The working principles of snake-like robots.

 

At the age of 13，I visited a doctor with my parents. As I sat in the examining chair，the doctor looked into my 　31　.“She did inherit (继承) it，”he said with coldness.“You need to be prepared. There is no 　32　 for this disease.”

My father 　33　 a gene which，in most cases，results in blindness. I’d inherited the gene. He gradually 　34　 his eyesight and so did I. At last we were both 　35　 blind—he was fifty-seven years old，　36　 I was only twenty-eight.

My world 　37　 as the darkness fell，　38　 the dreams my husband and I had for us and for our three little boys. But 　39　 I tried to find some hope and 　40　，my eyes were opened to a new realization.

My father had 　41　 me not just failing eyesight，but an example of 　42　 in the face of hardships as well. We were all living in Bolivia in 1964 when he decided to 　43　 the family to America. He worked tirelessly to 　44 the right of living in the US.

Alone in the States，he 　45　 his helplessness and lack of fluency in English. He managed to rent a small apartment，and nine months later，sent airline tickets for my mom，my brother and me.

Decades later，　46 an American citizen，I look back at what he'd shown me. He set an example proving that determination is important to success. His 　47　 taught me valuable lessons for my own path in the darkness.

I did the same as I stepped into a 　48　 world. I fulfilled (完成) my own 　49　 as a wife，mom，Sunday school teacher and Spanish interpreter. What I inherited from my father helped me to 50　 my life in a whole new light.

1.A.mouth           B.eyes          C.ears          D.throat

2.A.solution         B.reason         C.excuse          D.cure

3..A.carried            B.spread            C.infected      D.raised

4.A.damaged         B.lost         C.recovered     D.gained

5.A.rapidly         B.nearly         C.completely       D.terribly

6.A.though              B.but               C.so                D.since

7.A.broke down      B.broke off     C.broke away        D.broke out

8.A.realizing           B.sharing      C.disturbing        D.destroying

9.A.when            B.before         C.unless           D.until

10.A.honour         B.beauty            C.strength      D.failure

11.A.handed         B.rewarded      C.given         D.taught

12.A.contribution       B.determination C.challenge     D.honesty

13.A.move           B.settle            C.arrange           D.send

14.A.enjoy           B.declare          C.apply         D.win

15.A.accepted       B.admitted      C.overcame      D.met

16.A.as                 B.like          C.for            D.to

17.A.knowledge      B.journey           C.situation          D.event

18.A.cruel          B.inner             C.modern         D. dark

19.A.promises       B. hopes            C. roles            D. changes

20.A.touch          B. end          C. save           D. see

 

Robert Moody, 52, is an experienced police officer. Much of his work involves dealing with __1__，an gang (团伙)problems in the schools of his community. Knowing that many kids often __2__ trouble, he decided to do something about it. So in 1991 he began to invite small groups of kids to go fishing with him on his day __3__.

Those fun trips had a(n) __4__ impact. A chance encounter in 2000 proved that. One day, __5__ working security at a school basketball game, Moody noticed two young guys __6__. He sensed trouble between them. __7__ one of them headed toward Moody and gave him a hug.“I __8__ you. You took me __9__  when I was  in fifth grade. That was one of the __10__ days of my life.”

Deeply touched by the boy's word, Moody decided to create a foundation(基金会)that __11__ teenagers to the basics of fishing in camping programs. “As a policeman, I saw __12__  there was violence, drugs were always behind it. They have a damaging __13__ on the kids，” says Moody.

By turning kids on to fishing, he __14__ to present an alternative way of life, “When you're sitting there waiting for a __15__，”he says, “you can't help but talk to each other, and such __16__ can be pretty deep.”

“Talking about drugs helped prepare me for the peer(同龄人)pressures in high school，” says Michelle,17, who __17__ the first program. “And I was able to help my little brother __18__ drugs.”

Moody faces __19__in three years, when he hopes to run the foundation full－time.“I'm living a happy life and I have a responsibility to my __20__ to give back，” Moody says.“If I teach a kid to fish today, he can teach his brother to fish tomorrow.”

1. A. drinking　     B. drug　 　   C. security　　      D. smoking

2. A. ran into        B. got over     C. left behind         D. looked into

3. A．ahead         B. away        C. off           D. out

4. A．immediate     B. damaging    C. limited         D. lasting

5. A．once         B. while               C. since         D. until

6. A．quarreling      B. complaining

C. talking         D. cheering

7. A．Slowly      B. Suddenly     C. Finally         D. Secretly

8. A．understand      B. hear      C.  see         D. remember

9. A．fishing       B. sailing       C. boating        D.  swimming

10. A．quietest       B. longest     C. best          D. busiest

11. A．connects      B. introduces     C. reduces     D. commits

12. A．where       B. unless       C. as           D. whether

13. A．impression     B. burden       C. decision       D. impact

14. A．asked         B. intended     C. pretended        D. agreed

15. A．solution         B. change       C. bite           D. surprise

16. A. concerns          B. interests  

C. conversations       D. emotions

17. A. participated in     B. worked out

C.  approved of     D. made up

18. A. misuse           B. avoid          C.  tolerate      D. test

19. A. unemployment    B. challenge

C.  competition     D. retirement

20. A. team          B. school  C. family         D. community