While the start of a new school year is always exciting, this year was even more so for some students at White Cloud Primary School. They became the world's first kids to be taught by an electronic teacher. This electronic teacher is not a human-like robot walking around the classroom Instead, he is a computer-created head that appears, when needed, on students computer or phone screens. His name is Bill.
Created by technology company Smart Machines, Bill is able to show human-like behavior. He is designed to teach a special program about environmental-friendly power created by the sun and wind. This program, started in 2005, used to be taught by human teachers.
Just like human teachers, Bill is able to immediately respond to the students' questions and opinions about the topic. Thanks to computer cameras, he is also able to see and react to students physical actions. For example, if a student smiles at Bill, he responds by smiling back. This two-way exchange helps get the students' attention. More importantly, it allows the program developers to improve Bills behavior and knowledge base when needed.
The program has been a great success, according to Smart Machines spokesman Robert Frost Frost says, “What is interesting to me is the children's reaction to Bill. He really captures their attention.” Frost thinks kids don't find the experience of being taught by smart machines as strange as older people because they have grown up in a time of computers and smart phones.
It is doubtful, however, that human educators will lose their jobs to Bill any time soon. For one,his talking head's knowledge base is not large. More importantly, even the smartest computer programs can't guess and react to all the unexpected situations that educators face daily. Bill’s future might be as a “personal tutor”, providing kids with one-on-one help for different subjects and topics.
1.What is Bill?
A. A human-like robot
B. A kind of computer game
C. A computer recording tool
D. A computer-created talking head
2.How does the two-way exchange help the program developers?
A. It lets them correct students' mistakes
B. It allows Bill to respond more quickly
C. It helps them know how to improve Bill
D. It helps them study students' body language
3.The underlined word “they” in Paragraph 4 refers to
A. kids
B. older people
C. smart machines
D. program developers
4.What is Bill NOT good at doing?
A. Attracting students' attention
B. Understanding body language
C. Responding to students' questions
D. Dealing with unexpected situations
5.How might Bill be used in the future according to the last paragraph?
A. To work as human classroom teachers
B. To encourage students' interest in computers
C. To give students personal help with different subjects
D. To watch over the behavior of the students in the classroom
After learning about these famous women, you will know you can do a lot for society, and make a difference to the world in your lifetime.
| Amelia Earhart(1897-1937 ) Amelia Earhart was the first woman who ever flew alone across the Atlantic in 1932. She became the first woman pilot in 1935 after flying from Hawaii to California. She began her lifelong dream of flying across the world in 1937. However, her flight went missing on that trip and she was never seen again. |
| Helena Rubinstein (1870-1965 ) Helena Rubinstein moved to Australia in 1902 without the ability to speak English. Later, she set up one of the world's first cosmetic ( 化妆品) companies after mixing lanolin, which is an oil山at comes from sheep's wool, with flowers. Because of that, she became the world's richest woman at that time. |
| Katharine Hepburn (1907-2003 ) Katharine Hepburn was known for playing strong-willed women in her films. She won four Academy Awards(奥斯卡金像奖) for Best Actress, the most an actress has ever won. Her new dress style made wearing trousers acceptable to women, which wasn't allowed at that time. |
| Emmeline Pankhurst (1858-1928) Emmeline was a great woman activist. She helped British women get the right to vote. She fought for the rights of women all the time with the help of her husband in the late 19th century and early 20th century. After she lost her husband, she worked together with her three daughters and formed The Women Social and Political Union. |
1.According to the passage, which word can best describe Amelia Earhart?
A. Brave. B. Careful. C. Lucky. D. Energetic.
2.What was the problem for Helena Rubinstein when she moved to Australia?
A. She didn't have any money. B. She couldn't speak English.
C. She knew nothing about business. D. She didn't know how to dress up.
3.How many times did Katharine Hepburn win Academy Awards for Best Actress?
A. Once. B. Twice. C. Three times. D. Four times.
4.What did Emmeline Pankhurst fight for during her lifetime?
A. Her dream to be a pilot. B. Women's rights in the UK.
C. Women's rights in the USA. D. Her dream to be an actress.
5.What do the four women above have in common?
A. A creative mind. B. A warm heart. C. A pioneer spirit. D. A good education.
Robert had just moved into the neighborhood, and he had a strange feeling that he was not wanted.
He thought maybe _______ boys were trying to get an idea of what he was like. But that didn’t make him feel any less _______. He was new, and he had to be _______. Still, proving himself would not be _______ easy. He did not want to make friends with _______ boys or do anything to break the law to prove that he was _______. No! He must show what he was made of in a good way. That’s how he got his _______.
The next day was Saturday. He _______ that most of the boys would go down to the playground and choose sides for Saturday’s _______ game. Robert knew he could play basketball well, and that might be enough to prove he was strong. Then the boys would want to be his friends.
He ________ early and did his step exercises. He shot (投掷) the ball several times and did some other exercises. Some of ________ were very difficult and looked cool.
Then the boys came. Robert ________ what he had done before the game and ________ what he could do. No one said a ________. The boys just looked at each other and thought about it. When it was all over, the biggest one in the group ________ and shook his hand. Robert knew he had made it.
1.A. another B. the others C. others D. other
2.A. lonely B. friendly C. happy D. uncertain
3.A. examined B. checked C. corrected D. tested
4.A. even B. so C. such D. much
5.A. good B. bad C. healthy D. sick
6.A. weak B. friendly C. strong D. lovely
7.A. idea B. lesson C. prize D. feeling
8.A. decided B. considered C. realized D. knew
9.A. football B. basketball C. volleyball D. baseball
10.A. arrived B. got C. learned D. showed
11.A. ones B. it C. them D. that
12.A. looked through B. went through C. lived through D. got through
13.A. showed B. acted C. played D. gave
14.A. letter B. word C. phrase D. sentence
15.A. cried B. left C. smiled D. stayed
—Would you like me to lock the door? —________
A.Yes, I’d like to B.It’s a pleasure. C.It doesn’t matter. D.Yes, please.
—________. — That’s it. We must work together to make our dream come true.
A.The grass is always greener on the other side B.you can’t burn the candle at both ends.
C.you can’t put all your eggs in one basket. D.Many hands make light work
–Mum, can you tell me something about the high school?
-OK, these pictures will show you___________________.
A.what the school looks like B.whet does the school look like
C.how the school look like D.how does the school look like
