Picture the scene: You come home after work feeling too exhausted to cook -only to find a delicious meal worthy of a Michelin-starred restaurant waiting for you. It sounds like a fantasy, but it could be about to come true thanks to a robot chef developed by British scientists. Those scientists have come up with a set of robotic arms so smart that _ are capable of cooking meals all by themselves. The device will be sold from as early as 2017 as part of a purpose-built high-tech kitchen. Scientists at Moley Robotics spent almost 18 years developing the hands. According to its creators, the arms can chop, stir, whisk and baste well enough to recreate almost anything you would care to eat, whether it is a simple home-cooked supper, or a complicated creation designed by a world-class chef. The hands move a little slowly, hovering strangely above the work surface whenever they are not busy, but they imitate human movements closely enough that they can do things such as wiping a spoon on the edge of a pan to prevent drips. Mr Oleynik, who is leading the project, said, "All the things which are possible with the hand are possible here. There is no limitation. A lot of people want to go to Michelin-starred restaurants, but they are quite expensive and may be quite far from the home. This is an opportunity for people to enjoy very good food, and for a reasonable price. " The only cuisine that is off the robot's menu at the moment is sushi, which requires extremely steady pressure and nimble fingers to make, but the team plan to conquer that as well by the time it goes on sale. People go to Michelin-starred restaurants in order to _ . A) appreciate car tires. B) enjoy delicious meals C) see the new robot chefs D) escape from work
B
(Question)
Astronomers have captured the first direct image of a planet being born. Adam Kraus, of the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy, said the planet is being formed out of dust and gas circling a 2-million-yea-old star about 450 light years from Earth. The planet itself, based on scientific models of how planets form, is believed to have started taking shape about 50,000 to 100,000 years ago. Called LkCa 15b, it's the youngest planet ever observed. The previous record holder was about five times older. Kraus and his colleague, Michael Ireland from Macquarie University and the Australian Astronomical Observatory, used Keck telescopes on Mauna Kea(a volcano on the island of Hawaii, US) to find the planet. Kraus presented the discovery Wednesday at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. Observing planets while they're forming can help scientists answer questions like weather planets form early in the life of a star or later, and whether they form relatively close to stars or father away. Planets can change orbits after forming, so it's difficult to answer such questions by studying older planets. "These very basic questions of when and where are best answered when you can actually see the planet forming, as the process is happening right now," Kraus said. Scientists hadn't been able to see such young planets before because the stars they're circling around outshine them. Kraus and Ireland used two techniques to overcome this problem.[:++] One method, which is also used by other astronomers, was to change the shape of the telescope mirrors to remove light distortion created by the Earth's atmosphere. The other method they used, which was unique, was to put masks with several holes over most of the telescope mirrors. The combination of these techniques allowed the astronomers to obtain high-quality images that let them see the planet next to the bright star. The star LkCa 15--the planet is named after its star--was the team's second target. They immediately knew they were seeing something new,... The research on younger planets helps scientists _ . A) study why planets change orbits after forming B) understand how planets move around their stars C) answer questions about the age of stars and planets D) know the relationship between planets and their stars
(Answer)
D
Ques: In America, when the eighth graders leave the middle school, they are often worried about moving to the high school. It is a hard time for them, but it can be an exciting one as well. To make it easier, students need to get familiar with their school. Even though they've done this already in the middle school, it's still important to find where their classrooms are. Most schools take students to the high school for a visit at the end of their eighth grade year. And, most schools also have a freshman speech for parents and students before the first year begins. Sometimes the main office will give away a map of the school. This can help students and parents to find different places in the school. One way to know your high school more and make new friends is to join a club or play a sport. Schools often offer chances to join different clubs and sports. Fall activities begin in August before the first day of school. If you are not interested in sports, there are clubs for any interest, such as drama, dance, chess, photography, community service, etc. These clubs allow students from different grades. By joining an activity, students can find new friendships, not to mention improving their chances in future college applications . The school office will have a list of activities offered at the school and information on how to join them. What's more, to have a great start to a high school year, students can write down some of their worries, and ask for help from teachers and school workers. Which of the following is TRUE about the school clubs? A) There are fewer students from higher grades in the school clubs. B) The school clubs in high school only welcome sports fans. C) Summer activities begin before school starts. D) School officers can help new students join school clubs.
Ans: D
Certainly, a well-rounded education is the foundation from which all of us spring forth. I am grateful to the many incredible teachers who have inspired me to do greater things, and have fired my enthusiasm for everlasting learning! I have also been honored to have the most amazing teachers in all of my children's lives. These are extraordinary people who not only teach our children, but love them, challenge them, and provide an environment where a child learns how to learn. But, sometimes I wonder if the outline of our educational plan is lacking something. I watched the movie Easy A with my older daughter. The main character's parents were loving, supportive, and built great confidence in their daughter and developed her ability to handle her own problems. There was a scene where the mother was speaking to the younger child and he announced that he received an "A" on his spelling test. She replied, "That' s great, honey, but everything has spell check these days. " It was funny --- but TRUE ! I don't mean that we shouldn't teach our children how to spell, but maybe some of our time should be spent educating them about the dangers of posting things on Facebook. Maybe we might want to spend time showing them how real life works - the credit card isn't free money - you will have to pay it back at sometime. Oh, and get this - they charge you for borrowing that money. Perhaps, we should spend some time on interpersonal relationships. I worry that our kids do not know how to relate to one another. Choosing a career is a daunting task. My daughter is in her second year in college and has changed her major twice. It' s not that she didn't know what she wanted to do. What she "wanted to do" and the degree she chose did not match. I have learned many college students do not know what they want to do because they haven' t seen what it looks like in the real world. Being a journalist in the real world looks very different from writing stories. Maybe if we spent some time exposing them to real life experience -... Why does the author mention the movie Easy A? A) To prove the importance of book learning. B) To show the parents' ignorance of spelling. C) To lead to the topic he is going to talk about. D) To share with the readers his feeling about the movie.
C