Robots that can chat, find misplaced glasses, draw airplanes and play with your children are attracting thousands of visitors during an expo in Tokyo as Japan adapts to changes in society.
Robots, such as the sound-sensitive Chapit, answer simple questions and even joke with people to help the solitary fight loneliness and stay alert (机警的) in old age. “Many old people in Japan live alone and have no one to talk to,” said Kazuya Kitamura, a representative of the expo organizer. “Communication robots stay together with old people and don’t mind listening to the same stories over and over again.”
While Chapit, a relatively simple robot, managed to attract a partner, many researchers, such as Kiyoshi Matsumoto, a professor at the University of Tokyo, struggle to attract sponsors for more expensive projects.
Matsumoto’s “Personal Mobility Robot”, equipped with four cameras and a sensor to recognize the user’s centre of gravity, is designed to help the elderly move around without pressing buttons as in traditional wheelchairs.
The robot can also help find misplaced glasses by recognizing them with a sensor. “We have developed a robot that can assist many people, but because of the high cost, we still haven’t found a sponsor,” said Matsumoto, who added that the cost of the machine, if produced in large quantities, would be comparable to that of a small car. “In the current economic environment there are few companies willing to invest (投资) in such a costly project,” he said.
Other robots, such as the award-winning “DiGRO”, can support busy parents who have little time to play with their children. The robot can use the Internet to find a simple image and then draw pictures, looking after children while parents work.
Japan is one of the world’s fastest-aging countries and the government predicts that by 2050 the population of people over 65 will reach 40 percent.
1.What can Chapit do according to the text?
A. It can find misplaced objects for the elderly.
B. It can help the elderly to move around freely.
C. It can communicate with people.
D. It can tell the same story over and over again.
2.What is the problem with Matsumoto’s “Personal Mobility Robot”?
A. It is too expensive.
B. It is not practical.
C. It is just like traditional wheelchairs.
D. It is not quite convenient for the elderly to use.
3.“DiGRO” is designed to .
A. keep children busy
B. create simple images
C. keep children company
D. help children learn how to draw
4.What does the underlined word “solitary” in the second paragraph mean?
A. Poor. B. Lonely. C. Unemployed. D. Disabled.
Sagrada Familia ( 2,056,448 visits/year)
Opening hours: 09:00-18:00 (October-March) 09:00-20:00 (April-September).
Admission: $11, or $10 with the Barcelona Card.
Disabled access: Yes.
The temple has been under construction since 1882 and they’ve still got another 30 to 80 years to go before it will be finished. The project’s vast scale (规模) and its special design have made it one of Barcelona’s top tourist attractions for many years.
La Pedrera (1,133,220 visits/year)
Opening hours: 09:00-18:30 (November-February) 09:00-20:00 (March-October)
Admission: $9.50. Save 20% with the Barcelona Card.
Disabled access: No.
This building used to be called Casa Mila, but nowadays it’s more commonly known as La Pedrera. It was made of bricks and had colorful tiles (瓷砖).
Barcelona FC Museum (1,032,763 visits/year)
Opening hours: 6th April-4th October: (Monday to Saturday) 10:00-20:00; the rest of the year: 10:00 to 18:30.
Admission: $8.50 for entry to museum and an extra $17 for a guided tour.
Disabled access: Yes.
It is now generally considered as the best football museum in the world. You can see so many trophies (奖杯), pictures and statues of great football players. I’m not a football fan but I still enjoyed walking round this museum.
Miró Museum (518,869 visits/year)
Opening hours: Check website for details as they vary depending on the time of the year.
Admission: $8. Save 20% with the Barcelona Card.
Disabled access: Yes.
This museum has a wide range of Miró’s works dating back as far as 1914. This artwork collection includes not only his paintings but also a good selection of sculptures.
1.Which of the following attractions is the most popular?
A. Sagrada Familia. B. La Pedrera.
C. Barcelona FC Museum. D. Miró Museum.
2.What can we know about the four tourist attractions?
A. Sagrada Familia is the largest building in Barcelona.
B. La Pedrera is well known for its colors.
C. Barcelona FC Museum will attract football fans.
D. Miró Museum was built in as early as the year of 1914.
3.If you visit the Barcelona FC Museum with a tour guide, you should pay .
A. $8.5 B. $25.5 C. $17 D. $25
4.What do the four attractions have in common?
A. They are famous for their architectural styles.
B. They are all accessible for the disabled people.
C. Their opening hours are changeable in different times.
D. Tourists can get a discount of 20% with the Barcelona Card.
The other day when I was passing a clothing store, I fell in love with a skirt. I knew it would suit me best at first sight. But when I looked at the price tag (标签), I knew I had to give it up.
The love for beautiful clothes has been planted in my heart the day when I was born to be a woman. Several years ago I read an article in a magazine. The article stated that when a woman is at her best time, she is usually poor or tasteless, so she can’t get the right clothes; when she can afford to buy the clothes she likes, she often finds that they do not suit her anymore.
On the way home, I was quite disturbed by such thoughts. It was just a pity, like many other pities. I thought to myself this way. But when I was about to enter the building where I was living, I saw the big mirror placed in the entrance. I saw a girl in it who was in cheap but cleanly washed sweater and jeans. She was rather young, healthy and energetic. For quite a while I was touched by what I had seen in the mirror.
Then I almost forgot the tale: A person without shoes cried until he saw a man without feet. Being young without good clothes is like the person without shoes. I should have felt grateful that I haven’t lost my feet.
1.How did the author feel when she decided not to buy the skirt?
A. Embarrassed. B. Wise.
C. Regretful. D. Relieved.
2.The underlined word “She” in Paragraph 3 refers to .
A. the author’s friend B. a stranger
C. the author’s roommate D. the author
3.Why was the author touched by what she saw in the mirror?
A. She came to realize what she really possessed.
B. She was reminded of her devotion to beauty.
C. She didn’t feel at ease when looking into a mirror.
D. She never thought over the other side of a person.
4.We can learn from the text that the author considered her love for beautiful clothes as .
A. funny B. natural C. silly D. Simple
I was recently invited to dinner by a friend. During the meal, the of the restaurant came over and said our meal was free. I was . He stood there smiling at me and there was an air of . Finally I asked him if he knew me. He said I had forgotten him, but I had his life. My friend was quite and asked him how I had done this.
He said twelve years ago I was teaching a stress management class and he was one of the . I asked the group what their number one was and most of them said it was from their bosses.
I listened to everyone, then a chair and invited everyone to stand on it. I wanted them to look at the room from there. After that, I asked the group to think about how the room looked when they changed their perspective (角度).
Then I asked them to their bosses. Was this the same person who had their good qualities and hired them? Do they remember how they were to be chosen for the job?
He said I looked at him and asked if he had ever thanked his boss for the to earn a living and him new skills and to be a better employee.
He said he went back to work the next day with a thank-you card to his . He learned to stress in a smart way. Now he has been the manager of the restaurant for eight years. He said I had taught him to life from different perspectives and to express .
1.A. waiter B. manager C.cook D. owner
2.A. satisfied B. excited C. surprised D. moved
3.A. familiarity B. understanding C. importance D. dignity
4.A. hardly B. rarely C. specially D. probably
5.A. changed B. Planned C. Built D. noticed
6.A. Patient B. anxious C. curious D. doubtful
7.A. employers B. students C. organizers D. teachers
8.A. joy B. stress C. danger D. pride
9.A. removed B. broke C. held D. took
10.A. down B. outside C. up D. inside
11.A. natural B. different C. funny D. strange
12.A. consider B. ask C. visit D. watch
13.A. seen B. predicted C. chosen D. improved
14.A. puzzled B. touched C. happy D. calm
15.A. ability B. chance C. process D. luck
16.A. allowing B. advising C. encouraging D. teaching
17.A. colleague B. customer C. boss D. parent
18.A. leave behind B. deal with C. suffer from D. bring about
19.A. look at B. talk about C. work on D. take over
20.A. apology B. regret C. appreciation D. Sympathy
of the danger in the street at night, she went home with a friend her.
A. Having been warned; accompanying
B. Warning; accompanying
C. Having warned; accompanying
D. Warned; accompanied
The kitchen curtains are easy to get dirty, and they require ___at least once a week.
A. wash B. washed
C. washing D. to wash
