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.

 

Basic Math introduces students to the basic things of mathematics, as well as some easy methods of learning it. These 30 fantastic courses are designed to provide students with understanding of arithmetic and to prepare them for Algebra (代数) and beyond.

　　The lessons in Basic Math cover every basic field of arithmetic. They also look into exponents (指数), the order of operations, and square roots. In addition to that, students also discover how a particular mathematical topic relates to other branches , and how they can be used practically.

　　Basic Math starts from easier concepts and gradually moves on to the more troublesome ones.  The lectures offer students the chance to understand of mathematical knowledge that may have seemed so frightening. They also help students prepare for college mathematics and develop confidence in this amazing field of study.

　　With the help of these lectures, they will be able to clear away the mystery (神秘性) of mathematics and face their studies with more confidence than they ever imagined. Besides, they will strengthen their ability to accept new and exciting mathematical challenges.

　　Professor H. Siegel, honored by Kentucky Educational Television as "the best math teacher in America, " is a devoted teacher and has a gift for explaining mathematical concepts in clear and interesting ways. From the basic ideas to the more difficult problems, he is a master in making math lectures learner-friendlier and less frightening

　　With a PhD in Mathematics Education form Georgia State University, Dr. Siegel now teaches mathematics at Central Arizona College.

　　If the course fails to provide complete satisfaction to you, you can easily exchange it for any other course that we offer. Or you can get your money back.

1.What does the course Basic Math mainly cover?

A．Algebra	B．College Mathematics
C．Arithmetic	D．Mathematics Education

2. What good things can students expect from Basic Math?

A．Stronger imagination ability.

B．Additional presentation skills.

C．More mathematical confidence.

D．Greater chances of becoming teachers.

3.What can we learn about Professor H. Siegel?

A．He is a lecturer at Kentucky Educational Television.

B．He is delivering 30 lectures in Basic Math.

C．He works in Georgia State University.

D．He specializes in training teachers.

4.Where is the passage most likely to have been taken from?　　

A．news report	B．A book review
C．A lesson plan	D．An advertisement

 

Directions: The following people are expressing their thoughts (1--5) to show their concern for food, environment and so on. After that are pieces of related information (A--F). Now decide which piece of information would be most suitable for the thought and idea mentioned in questions61---65 and mark your answer letter (A---F) on your answer sheet. There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use.

______1. How I was struck by the clear water and fresh air in my childhood! But everything has changed, that is, the clear water and fresh air are nowhere to be found again as they were. Above all, a great deal of waste hardly rots away.

___2. More and more people are beginning to have a good knowledge of the importance of a safer and cleaner environment, which in turn forces the business to be cleaned up.

______ 3. Organic products are getting more and more popular among people, but we should know the fact that organic products might also have something to do with pesticides (农药).

_____4.I’m very much fond of growing some vegetables of my own in my small garden, for many vegetables on sale in markets are actually becoming more and more dangerous as a result of widespread pesticides.

______5. Nowadays it is very convenient for consumers to find and buy green food in supermarkets as they are clearly marked.

A. “Organic produce is always better,” Gold said. “The food is free of pesticides, and you are generally supporting family farms instead of large farms. And more often than not it is locally grown and seasonal, so it is more tasty.” Gold is one of a growing number of shoppers buying into the organic trend, and supermarkets across Britain are counting on more like him as they grow their organic food business.

B. Market research shows that Gold and others who buy organic food can generally give clear reasons for their preferences - but their knowledge of organic food is far from complete. For example, small amounts of pesticides can be used on organic products. And about three quarters of organic food in Britain is not local but imported to meet growing demand. “The demand for organic food is increasing by about one third every year, so it is a very fast-growing market,” said Sue Flock, a specialist in this line of business.

C. Many cities around the world today are heavily polluted. Careless methods of production and lack of consumer demand for environment-friendly products have contributed to the pollution problem. One result is that millions of tons of glass, paper, plastic, and metal containers are produced, and these are difficult to get rid of.

D. However, today, more and more consumers are choosing “green” and demanding that the products they buy should be safe for the environment. Before they buy a product, they ask questions like these: “Will this shampoo damage the environment?” “Can this metal container be reused or can it only be used once?”

E. Only a few years ago, it was impossible to find green products in supermarkets, but now there are hundreds. Some supermarket products carry labels (标签) to show that the product is green. Some companies have made the manufacturing (制造) of clean and safe products their main selling point and emphasize it in their advertising.

F. The concern for a safer and cleaner environment is making companies rethink how they do business. No longer will the public accept the old attitude of “Buy it, use it, throw it away, and forget it.” The public pressure is on, and gradually business is cleaning up its act.

 

Can you give me a case ____ this phrase can be used?

A. when      B. that       C. where       D. which

 

Mobile phones are an important business tool for farmers in rural areas. But they also put a valuable educational tool in their hands.

The University of Illinois in the United States has a project called SAWBO—Scientific Animations Without Borders. It produces educational videos that can be downloaded to cell phones. The goal is to help people in developing countries improve their lives.

One video shows farmers how to make a natural insecticide from neem seeds to prevent insect damage to crops. The process starts with sorting and drying the neem fruits. Then let the fruit dry in the sun for about three or four days, until they become brown. Using a mortar(碾槌) and stick, the fruits are slightly pounded to remove the shells from the fruits without breaking the seed inside.

The videos use computer animation(动画). Some of the animated characters are a little funny looking-like a farmer with a long nose. But the subjects are serious, including a health video on preventing cholera(霍乱). Team member Francisco Seufferheld says the information in the videos is meant to be quickly understood. He says, “The information is digested in such a way that in two minutes, we can transmit a complex idea.”

The researchers tested the seven-minute video on seven mobile phones. They wanted to see if people would share the video using Bluetooth wireless technology. With Bluetooth, files can be passed to a nearby phone even if neither phone is connected to the Internet. As a result, in one month, the video had spread to one hundred eighteen people in fifty different villages. “This is just incredible impact,” said Francisco Seufferheld.

The team has made a few videos so far. These are available in a total of eighty languages, dialects and accents. Professor Barry Pittendrigh says there are plans for more videos later this year.

1.What is the text mainly about?

A．A best-selling mobile phone

B．A valuable educational project for farmers

C．United States support for developing countries

D．A new type of scientist –farmer relationship

2.The SAWBO program is introduced in order to ____.

A．raise farmers’ standard of living

B．do some research on mobile phones

C．develop farmers’ practical skills

D．help farmers prevent insect damage to corps

3.The biggest advantage of the program is that it______.

A．includes health video on preventing cholera

B．can be passed to farmers using Bluetooth technology

C．can be used to sort and dry the neem fruits

D．is easy for farmers to understand

4.Which of the following words can best take the place of the word “ pound” in the 3^rd paragraph?

A．moved

B．beat

C．picked

D．cut