It's a safe bet that a robot made your car and your computer.Pretty soon,they could be making your bed and breakfast,too. Increasingly,engineers are saying that robots are going to move out of research departments and into your home.Companies including Sony and General Electric are working on designs for small robots.Products like Roomba,a robot that can clean floors, are _ . What's behind this new robot revolution ? lt's partly a matter of technology.Devices that can recognize and answer human voice have been developed.There are now a few different ways for robots to move around.They can walk, crawl or ride on wheels.Robots are being made smaller and smaller.They are also becoming more and more able. A bigger part of the story is on the demand side.From the day the television remote control was invented,people around the world have searched for new ways to be lazy.Take into consideration that more and more people can afford robots, and the time secms ripe to introduce robots to the ordinary family. To be sure,robots that walk on two legs and talk like people are still a long way off.However, robots that do basic housework such as cleaning or gardening are sure to come out soon.One thing is certain--when these robots do come into our homes,it will change things forever. Which plays a more important role in revolutionizing the robot? A) Science and technology. B) Rapid development of companies. C) Effective marketing means. D) Great demand from the buyers.
D
Scottish pupils recently were part of a new scheme that allowed them to take their exams online. Those examinations provided a glimpse of the future in May when 120 _ in 10 centers in Scotland sat in front of computers to take a multiple-choice online exam. Although candidates were using a computer mouse instead of a pen, in all other ways the exam was the same as normal. Exam rooms were set out to ensure that only the candidates and the teachers were able to see the individual screens. The online answers were sent directly to a safe area. According to the students at St Ninian's in East Renfrewshire who took an online French exam, it was definitely the most motivated they had ever felt when taking an exam. "I could go as fast as I wanted to, rather than as slow as everyone else wanted to," said one. "It was better than looking back and forth between the questions," said another. One pupil even described it as fun. Their head teacher, Dorothy Graham, was not so surprised, "They are so used to doing things on computers that it seems natural for them. The boys liked it because they didn't have to worry about how neat their work was." The only things that worried her were power cuts and systems' crashing. It's thought that online exams could be the norm in about five years. However, last year there were warnings about computerizing exams in England and Wales. It's thought that it could be unfair to some students if they come from homes without access to a computer. According to the head teacher, pupils won't be able to take the exam if _ . A) they don't have a computer at home B) the computer system breaks down C) the teacher sees individual screen D) they take pens into the exam rooms
B
Q: Get a Custom Salt Shaker for your Dining Table If you are looking for custom salt shaker for your dining table, then there are a number of varieties available from which you can have your pick. Get custom salt shakers for custom seasoning A wooden salt shaker has a beautiful design that can enrich your dining table. It is handmade from different pieces of wood of varying sizes. It has a pear shaped body with a ceramic grinder with fancy wood finish. The ceramic grinder for making salt into powder is built to last a life time. It does not wear away like metals do when used to grind salt. It is an extremely beautiful and very delicately made gift to be given to anybody. If you buy two pieces they offer you a generous quantity of Himalayan salt. Ceramic salt shakers for custom Seasoning A ceramic salt shaker is handmade and ideal to be kept in the kitchen to keep the cooking area neat and orderly. It is available in different colors, olive green, coffee brown, purple, egg blue, yellow and many more colors. You can use your fingers when you require a pinch of salt or use the spoon that accompanies it. It looks beautiful for kitchen use and can be given as a gift. Personalized salt shakers that can be given as anniversary gifts If you are looking for handmade anniversary gifts that you would like to give to your friends, you can give hand painted salt shakers. You can send your pictures and the makers will paint the picture of your friend and her loved one. Any message you like to add will be written on the salt shaker. This cannot be put in a dishwasher or soaked in water. It has to be washed carefully by hand. If you are a person who likes eco-friendly items then you can have a salt shaker made of bamboo. It has a solid construction which makes it ideal for kitchen setting. So if you are interested in buying a salt shaker for your table, you can choose one from above and order it. The passage is intended to _ . A) promote different salt shakers B) tell how to choose salt shakers C) describe the advantages of salt shakers D) persuade people to give salt shakers to friends
A: A
Q: London has always been known for its "black fogs". In the winter of 1952, a milky white fog rolled into the city. As the smoke poured into the air, it was so hard to see that people had to walk in front of the buses to guide them. In this way, the most serious air pollution disaster in history began. When it was over, more than 4,000 people had been killed by the thick black smog. New York City has had several London-type smogs since 1950. Each time, 100 to 400 deaths were caused by the smog. Although these smogs were not as deadly as London's, New York City has the worst air pollution problem in the United States. In all the killer smogs, factories and homes poured smoke and fumes into the air from the furnaces. The chemical fumes combined with the water droplets in the fog to form harmful substances. These substances caused the illness of those who breathed the polluted air. Usually, such harmful fumes rise into the upper air and are blown away by the wind. But sometimes there is an unusual weather condition called a temperature inversion. A layer of cold air remains near the ground as smoke and fumes pour into it. This is covered by an upper layer of warm air that acts like a lid. It prevents the polluted cooler air from rising. The harmful fumes pile up and make people ill. The smog may be so thick that airports are closed and chains of collisions occur on the highways. Another type of smog occurs in Los Angeles. Here the weather may be clear and sunny. But stinging eyes and dry coughs show that harmful chemicals fill the air. The smog is due to invisible gases, mostly from automobile exhaust. Because these chemicals are changed by the sun high up in the air, it is called photochemical smog. It contains automobile exhaust fumes and nitrogen oxides changed by the sun's rays. Added to these are sulfur dioxide and other fumes from factories and oil refineries. Photochemical smog is found in many large cities all over the world. Killer smogs don't happen very often, fortunately. But in Beijing, a combination... When photochemical smog happens in the city, _ . A) many people will be killed B) black smoke may pour into the air C) the weather may be fine D) people have to walk to work
A: C