Robots in class

    Over 600,000 children in the United States spend their long time in hospital each year．Many of them say that they have difficult in returning to school after hospital stays．Thanks to technology，kids who are sick in the hospital no longer have to miss time in the classroom．

    A program called PEBBLES makes it possible for kids in hospital to take part in classroom discussions by using robot．PEBBLES(Providing Education by Bringing Environments to Students)supplies robots to help kids who are staying in hospital keep up with their classmates．

    For Achim Nurse，a 13-yers-old patient at Blythedale Children’s Hospital in Valhalla，New York，PEBBLES helped him so much．When he first learned about the program，he wasn’t so sure it would work．    

   “When I first saw it，it looked difficult，”said Achim．

    However，after 30 minutes of working with the robot，Achim discovered that he had gotten good at operating it．

    The robots work in pairs—一one in the hospital with the student，the other in the classroom．

    The robot in the classroom gives the student in the hospital a feel of“tele-presence．”A live picture of the students is shown on a video screen in the classroom．Meanwhile，in the hospital room，the student knows clear about what is going on in the classroom．

    The robot at the school has four wheels．so it can move around from class to class．Its“face” is an auto-focus(可以自动调焦的)camera．By using a control box，the student call turn the robot’s head，raise its hand，and adjust the volume(音量)．It is even equipped with a scanner(扫描器)and printer，so if the teacher want to have an exercise or testing class，the student can participate from the hospital．

   “The robot is greeted by students in the classroom．It is also greeted by the sick student。”said Andrew Summa，national director of the robot project．

根据短文内容完成下面各题。

1．Try to use the phrase underlined in the first paragraph to make a sentence．

2．Guess the Chinese meaning of“keep up with”．

3．The robot is greeted by students in the classroom．It is also greeted by the student in the hospital．(改写为同义句)

4．According to the passage，we can know that____

  A．We can operate this kind of robot easily．   

  B．the student in hospital cannot adjust the volume by using control box．

  C．The teacher wants to have a test in the class now. Although the student in the hospital has this kind of robot，he also cannot participate it．

5．What do you think of the robot project in the United States? Do you think it can help sick students? What do you think are its limitations?

 Warner Brothers is an American company that produces movies and television shows. It started as a small family business operated by four brothers — Harry, Albert, Sam and Jack Warner. In nineteen-oh-three, the brothers began their business by traveling throughout Ohio and Pennsylvania showing movies using a projector (放映机). By nineteen-oh-seven, they opened a movie theater in New Castle, Pennsylvania. Within ten years, the Warner brothers started producing movies, and moved that part of the business to California.

　　In nineteen eighteen, their first complete picture was called “My Four Years in Germany.” The film was based on a book by the United States’ ambassador to the court of Kaiser Wilhelm. In nineteen twenty-five, they began to work to include the technology for sound in their movies.

　　Two years later, Warner Brothers Pictures released the first major movie with sound, or “talking picture.” It was called “The Jazz Singer” and it was a huge success. In the nineteen thirties, the company made several films that were highly praised, including “Little Caesar,” “The Public Enemy”, “The Gold Diggers” and “Forty-Second Street.”

　　The Warner Brothers’ success continued in the nineteen forties with movies like “The Maltese Falcon,” and “Casablanca.” Movies during this time starred popular actors like Ingrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, Gary Cooper and Bette Davis. The company continues to produce popular movies today.

　　By the nineteen seventies, the Warner Brothers studios had also become well set up in television. In nineteen ninety, Warner Communications combined with Time Incorporated to form Time Warner Incorporated.

In two thousand one, the company combined with America Online. The company now includes film production, cable television networks, music and publishing. This year, the company announced a deal with the CBS Corporation to form a new television broadcast network. The CW began broadcasting this month.

1.According to the text, at the beginning of their business the four brothers __________.

A．started a movie theater

B．started to produce films

C．were projectionists

D．settled their business in California

2.The Warner Brothers produced its first talking picture in ___________.

A．1918             B．1925             C．1927             D．1930

3.According to the text, which of the following is not sound film?

A．The Maltese Falcon

B．Casablanca

C．Forty-Second Street

D．My Four Years in Germany

4.We can see from the text that ___________.

A．The Warner Brothers has closed.

B．The Warner Brothers has expanded（扩张） its business greatly since it was set up.

C．The CW doesn’t belong to the Warner Brothers.

D．People in the U.S. can’t buy music records produced by the Warner Brothers.

Warner Brothers is an American company that produces movies and television shows. It started as a small family business operated by four brothers — Harry, Albert, Sam and Jack Warner. In nineteen-oh-three, the brothers began their business by traveling throughout Ohio and Pennsylvania showing movies using a projector (放映机). By nineteen-oh-seven, they opened a movie theater in New Castle, Pennsylvania. Within ten years, the Warner brothers started producing movies, and moved that part of the business to California.
　　In nineteen eighteen, their first complete picture was called “My Four Years in Germany.” The film was based on a book by the United States’ ambassador to the court of Kaiser Wilhelm. In nineteen twenty-five, they began to work to include the technology for sound in their movies.
　　Two years later, Warner Brothers Pictures released the first major movie with sound, or “talking picture.” It was called “The Jazz Singer” and it was a huge success. In the nineteen thirties, the company made several films that were highly praised, including “Little Caesar,” “The Public Enemy”, “The Gold Diggers” and “Forty-Second Street.”
　　The Warner Brothers’ success continued in the nineteen forties with movies like “The Maltese Falcon,” and “Casablanca.” Movies during this time starred popular actors like Ingrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, Gary Cooper and Bette Davis. The company continues to produce popular movies today.
　　By the nineteen seventies, the Warner Brothers studios had also become well set up in television. In nineteen ninety, Warner Communications combined with Time Incorporated to form Time Warner Incorporated.
In two thousand one, the company combined with America Online. The company now includes film production, cable television networks, music and publishing. This year, the company announced a deal with the CBS Corporation to form a new television broadcast network. The CW began broadcasting this month.
【小题1】According to the text, at the beginning of their business the four brothers __________.

Warner Brothers is an American company that produces movies and television shows. It started as a small family business operated by four brothers — Harry, Albert, Sam and Jack Warner. In nineteen-oh-three, the brothers began their business by traveling throughout Ohio and Pennsylvania showing movies using a projector (放映机). By nineteen-oh-seven, they opened a movie theater in New Castle, Pennsylvania. Within ten years, the Warner brothers started producing movies, and moved that part of the business to California.
　　In nineteen eighteen, their first complete picture was called “My Four Years in Germany.” The film was based on a book by the United States’ ambassador to the court of Kaiser Wilhelm. In nineteen twenty-five, they began to work to include the technology for sound in their movies.
　　Two years later, Warner Brothers Pictures released the first major movie with sound, or “talking picture.” It was called “The Jazz Singer” and it was a huge success. In the nineteen thirties, the company made several films that were highly praised, including “Little Caesar,” “The Public Enemy”, “The Gold Diggers” and “Forty-Second Street.”
　　The Warner Brothers’ success continued in the nineteen forties with movies like “The Maltese Falcon,” and “Casablanca.” Movies during this time starred popular actors like Ingrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, Gary Cooper and Bette Davis. The company continues to produce popular movies today.
　　By the nineteen seventies, the Warner Brothers studios had also become well set up in television. In nineteen ninety, Warner Communications combined with Time Incorporated to form Time Warner Incorporated.
In two thousand one, the company combined with America Online. The company now includes film production, cable television networks, music and publishing. This year, the company announced a deal with the CBS Corporation to form a new television broadcast network. The CW began broadcasting this month

1. 1.

   According to the text, at the beginning of their business the four brothers ______.

   1. A.
      started a movie theater
   2. B.
      started to produce films
   3. C.
      were projectionists
   4. D.
      settled their business in California
2. 2.

   The Warner Brothers produced its first talking picture in ______.

   1. A.
      1918
   2. B.
      1925
   3. C.
      1927
   4. D.
      1930
3. 3.

   According to the text, which of the following is not sound film?

   1. A.
      The Maltese Falcon
   2. B.
      Casablanca
   3. C.
      Forty-Second Street
   4. D.
      My Four Years in Germany
4. 4.

   We can see from the text that______.

   1. A.
      The Warner Brothers has closed
   2. B.
      The Warner Brothers has expanded（扩张） its business greatly since it was set up
   3. C.
      The CW doesn’t belong to the Warner Brothers
   4. D.
      People in the U.S. can’t buy music records produced by the Warner Brothers

My work keeps me in Hong Kong most of the year，but I try to get away for a month in summer，usually in July．Now as you probably know，that’s the main　1　season in Europe．The favorite places for vacations and the famous cities are usually very　2　． But I’m not seeking(寻求) the sun—I can get lots of 　3　in Hong Kong—and I’m certainly not seeking the crowds！So　4　I go on vacation，I buy a Train Pass(a kind of train ticket) that allows me first-class travel on most of the railways of Western Europe．First-class compartments(车厢) are　5　crowded and they are very comfortable．If you’re going on　6　trip, you can take a sleeping train for an extra charge．There are usually dining cars(餐车) in the train．
I find that train travel is restful and　7　．There’s always　8　to see．I particularly(特别地) enjoy　9　through Switzerland and Italy．You can get a very good　10　of what a country is like from a train because you don’t go too fast and you stop quite often．Also train travel is very safe，and I am never sick on a train　11　I am on a ship. Then there are always people to　12　to if you feel like a chat.
The reason that I seldom(很少) travel by plane is quite　13　: because train stations are usually built in the centre．I don’t have to　14　transport(运输工具), transport can be a problem when arriving by　15　．