In some science fiction movies, evil robots refuse to die, no matter how hard people fight back.
Now science fiction has become science fact. For the first time, scientists have made a robot that can take a beating(挨打) and keep on going. Scientists from Cornell University made the robot, which looks like a spider with four legs.
Until now, even the most advanced(先进的) robot was almost certain to break down when it was damaged(毁坏). That is because its computer inside simply doesn’t know how to make the machine work after its shape has changed.
To deal with this problem, the scientists put eight motors(发动机) and two sensors(传感器) that read how the machine is working. They all give signals to the machine’s software. Using this information, the computer can then figure out the machine’s shape at any moment.
The new technology is a big advance in robot-making, scientists say, and it’s far from scary. It may someday help scientists create better artificial(假的) arms and legs and give new freedom to people who lose them. It might also help scientists understand how people and animals figure out their own sense of place in space.
“It has been difficult to design robots that can work well when the environment changes or when it’s damaged,” says Olaf Sporns of Indiana University in US. “With this work, we are nearer to solving this problem.”
【小题1】Why do robots easily break down when they are damaged?

A．They cannot repair themselves.

B．The computer has changed a lot.

C．They have no computers inside.

D．The computer cannot work if the robot changes

【小题2】The new technology allows the robot to     .

A．do housework for humans

B．keep working after being damaged

C．remember a lot of information

D．tell people where it is

【小题3】The underline word “them” in Paragraph 5 refers to     .

A．sensors

B．robots

C．arms and legs

D．scientists

【小题4】How do the sensors in the robot work?

A．They can replace the computer when it’s broken.

B．They can find out where the damage comes from.

C．They help the computer learn the robot’s condition.

D．They can send signals to the person who uses the robot.

Two students started quarreling at school. One student shouted dirty words at the other, and a fight began.

What can be done to stop fights like this at school? In some schools, disputants(争执者) sit down with peer mediators (同龄调解者). Peer mediators are usually students with special training in this kind of problems.

Peer mediators help disputants to talk in a friendly way. Here are some of the ways they use.

1. Express what you think clearly but don't say anything to hurt the other. Begin with "I feel" instead of "You always".

2. Listen carefully to what the other person is saying. Don't stop the other person's words.

3. Keep looking at the other person's eyes when he or she speaks.

4. Try to see the problems on the other person's side.

5. Never put anyone down. Saying things like "You are foolish (愚蠢的)" makes the talk difficult.

6. Try to find a result that makes both people happy.

Peer mediators never decide on the winner. They don't decide who is right or who is wrong. Instead they help disputants to find their own "win-win" result. A "win-win" result can make everyone feel good.

Peer mediators' work is often successful just because it gets disputants to talk to each other. And getting disputants to talk to each other is the first step in finding a "win-win" result.

1. Peer mediators' work is _.

A. to teach lessons to disputants

B. to help find a way to make both disputants happy

C. to find out who starts the quarrel

D. to give students some special training

2.What does the underlined phrase "put anyone down" mean in Chinese?

A. 贬低任何人  b. 落后于任何人     

C. 奉承任何人  d. 向任何人低头

3. What's the first step in finding a "win-win" result?

A. Letting disputants be afraid of peer mediators.

B. Letting disputants feel peer mediators are kind.

C. Getting disputants to talk to each other.

D. Making disputants feel good by telling funny stories.

4. During the talk, if peer mediators say "You are a fool."

A. disputants will realize they are wrong

B. disputants will understand peer mediators better

C. it is easy for peer mediators to decide who is right

D. it is hard for peer mediators to get a "win-win" result

5.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. All schools have peer mediators.

B. Peer mediators are usually students.

C. When disputants are speaking, peer mediators can stop their words at any time.

D. Peer mediators can make disputants get a "win-win" result every time.

 

I often hear some students say English is difficult, and it gives them a headache. So they can't learn it well. But English is very easy for me. I'm good at it. I'm very glad to tell you something about how I study English.

First, I think an interest in English is very important. When I was in Grade One, we had a new subject-English. It was fresh for me. I was interested in it, so I worked hard at it. Soon we had an English exam and I got a very good mark. How happy I was! After that, I learned English harder and harder. Our English teacher often teaches us English songs, the songs sound nice. I often think how interesting English is!

Second, I think English is a foreign language. I should learn it well in the following ways: Listen to the teacher carefully, speak bravely, read aloud and have a good vocabulary. Then practice again and again, never be tired. And I also have a good habit: Asking whenever(不论何时)I have a question, I must make it clear by asking our English teacher. How happy I am when I understand!

Besides this, I often read English stories, jokes and easy novels. From these I know English is not only interesting, but also useful. They help me understand a lot of things. So to do more reading is an important way to learn English well.

And I also do some exercises from our class magazines, and I often write English diaries. English has become a close friend of mine.

Now I have learned English for more than two years. I always keep the first position in our school. From these words, I hope every student can learn English well.

1.Why do some students often “have a headache”?

A. Because they are easy to catch cold.

B. Because it's often very cold

C. Because they think English is easy.

D. Because they don't think English is easy.

2.The writer tells us that we should be ________ in English if we want to learn it well.

A. interest　　 B. interested 　　C. interesting 　　D. strict

3.The sentence “I got a very good mark” means ______.

A.I got a good way. 　　　　　　B.I had a good idea.

C.I did badly in the exam. 　　   D.I did well in the exam.

4.The writer thinks English is interesting because________.

A. English is full of stories.　

B. English is full of jokes.

C. his teacher often teaches them nice English songs.

D. of nothing

 

Timetables are important. They help you know what your classes are and when your classes are. They help you get to your classes on time. A class timetable has the names and time of all classes. A good timetable has other information(信息) too. You can write your teachers’names on it. In some schools, students have the same class in the same place every day—from Monday to Friday. The following timetable is fit(合适的) for those students.

Time	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
7:50	Meeting	Meeting	Meeting	Meeting	Meeting
8:20	Chinese	English	Maths	English	Chinese
9:05	Morning Exercises
9:30	Maths	Chinese	English	Chinese	Maths
10:25		Maths	Chinese	Maths	PE
11:45	Lunch
12:45	History	Music	PE	Music	English
13:30	PE	Art	History	Art	History
14:15	Biology	Geography	Biology	Geography	Meeting
15:00
Chinese : Mr Li       Maths: Ms Feng          English: Mr Black        History: Mr Ge       Geography: Mr Jiang      Biology: Miss Song         Art : Mr Xu       Music: Mr Hu       PE :Ms Wang    Meeting: Ms Feng

【小题1】Why do we say the timetables are important?

A．Because they can help us do the homework well.

B．Because they can help us know about out subjects.

C．Because they can help us know a lot about our classmates.

D．Because they can help us know a lot about our teachers.

【小题2】What does the timetable include(包括)?
a. the names of the subjects
b. the time of all classes
c. the classroom
d. the teachers’ names
e. the workdays of a week

A．a c d e

B．a b c e

C．a b d e

D．a b c d e

【小题3】What class are the students having at 10:30 on Wednesday?

A．PE

B．Maths

C．English

D．Chinese

【小题4】How many classes does Ms Feng have on Friday?

A．One

B．Two

C．Three

D．Four

【小题5】Which of the following is Not right?

A．The students have an hour for lunch.

B．The students have seven lessons a day.

C．The students go to school five days a week.

D．The students do morning exercises and play ball games every day.

Now, there is a new-type school in New York, which has no everyday lessons, no class teachers and even no school buildings. It is called “City-as-School”. The name just means the city itself is the place where students learn their lessons. They are from the age of 15 to 18. The students choose areas of work which interest them. Then they help to do that work. One girl spends her week in a government office helping the public with problems like housing. Then she goes to help in a theatre for a day and she spends a week for first-year courses at college.
Well, students have to pass Maths and science exams before they enter the “school”. These subjects are not easy to provide in“City-as-School”. Teachers watch the progress of the students. The success rate (比率) is high. 80% of the students go to college after the “City-as-School”.
The students like the duty of their work. They have the sense of purpose. They know a lot about different kinds of work in the city. One of the students, Lizette Martinez, writes “I want to say that I do not know where I would be right now if I had never become part of City-as-School. Leaving my regular high school and going to City-as-School was the best decision I have ever made. The way the school works to get you to go out there and learn different fields instead of sitting in a classroom is wonderful. For all those who are in between school and dropping out, go to CAS and it will change your life forever.”
City-as-School High School is the nation’s leading (引导) external (外部地) learning or experiential (来自经验的) learning model for high school students.
【小题1】What can we learn about“City-as-School”?

A．It has no teachers.	B．It has no school buildings.
C．It has only girl students.	D．It is the only school in the city.

【小题2】What do students do in“City-as-School” most of the time?

A．They do whatever they like.

B．They learn Maths and Science.

C．They help with work in a certain area.

D．They learn all the college courses.

【小题3】According to the passage,“City-as–School” can help _________.

A．all the students go to college

B．students forget the duty of their work

C．students earn much money while studying

D．students learn a lot about different kinds of work

【小题4】What is the best title for the passage?

A．A New City	B．A New School
C．A New-type School	D．A Girl in New York