A 1. 6-meter tall robot may soon become the best friend for lonely elderly people,as Chinese scientists are making the final sprint toward its market launch ,said a senior researcher on the robot project on Saturday. "We are working on testing the exact functions and ways to reduce the cost in preparations for an expected market launch of the robot in two to three years,"said Li Ruifeng,a member of the project. He said the team hoped to reduce the cost so that the robot can be priced at 30,000 to 50,000 yuan,which is expected to be an affordable price for most of China's better-off families. The robot has been developed with the functions of fetching food,medicine,sounding alarms in case of water or gas leakage,sending texts or video images via wireless communications,and even singing a song or playing chess to entertain its masters. Li said that the robot,developed independently in China, has technology at the same level as those in western labs. China set about the research of the robot in 2007,when it was listed as a national key project. It is _ by government funding . China has the world's largest elderly population with 159 million people over 60,accounting for 12 percent of its total population. According to a survey by the Ministry of Civil Affairs,more than 10 million caregivers and nurses are needed to attend the elderly population,as most of Chinese elderly prefer to live their retired lives at home. Which of the following is true according to the passage? A) Robot caregivers will appear in the market in 2 or 3 years. B) Robot caregivers can help elderly people do everything. C) The robot needs some technology from western labs. D) The robot is expected to be bought by every people.
A
(Question)
Accidents happen almost every day. Some accidents are not serious and some are. We read about such accidents nearly every day in the newspapers. It is wrong for people to think that accidents take place only on the roads or highways, or even at work places. Home accidents are just as common. Because very few home accidents are reported, people come to think that there are few accidents which happen in homes. There have been many cases where people fall to their deaths from high rise flats. Children often fall over while coming down the stairs. Old people may slip on wet floors if they are not careful. Nowadays there are a lot of modern electrical appliances such as rice cookers which make life easy for the modern house wives. These appliances can kill if they are not used in the proper way. Gas stoves used for cooking are also dangerous if they are not properly used. They may cause burns or, in more serious cases, even fires. But all such accidents can be stopped if we are careful and follow simple rules of safety. For example, it is unwise for people to try repairing their own electrical appliances if they do not know how to. It is safer to get them repaired by an electrician . Which of the following accidents may NOT happen in homes? A) People may fall to death from high buildings. B) People may be knocked down by cars on the roads. C) Gas stoves may cause burns or even fires. D) People may be killed by an electrical appliance.
(Answer)
B
Ques: People who are learning a foreign language should not feel embarrassed because they sometimes use the wrong word. From time to time we all have difficulty even with our own language. If people think that these mistakes are funny, they may laugh; but they do not mean to be rude. The important thing is that they admire people who try to speak their language. Every public speaker knows that mistakes can happen. Even radio announcers will sometimes use the wrong word or call somebody by the wrong name. This happens so often, in fact, that a man in New York is able to make a living by listening to the radio and recording all the mistakes that he hears. Kermit Shafter calls these mistakes "bloopers". In his home, Mr. Shafter has many radios turned to different stations to record every mistake that is made. He puts the funniest ones on records and in books, which have become very popular wherever English is spoken. If Mr. Shafer took his tape recorder into a school where students are learning to speak English, he would very soon have enough bloopers for another book. Mistakes can be fun if we are not easily embarrassed. They also remind us to say something correctly the next time. Which of the following do you think the writer might agree with? A) Native English speakers do not like English learners making mistakes. B) Mistakes are of no help for foreign language learning. C) English learners should be careful not to make any mistakes. D) It is usual that public speakers, even radio announcers, make mistakes.
Ans: D
Question: "Father, do you see Mother in your dreams?" the young girl asks. "You know sometimes I do." "Mother comes to see me a lot, you know. We sit and talk." The father smiles. "How is your homework coming along?" "Why do I have to study so hard?" "It is what your mother would have wanted!" She regrets speaking her mind. "I'm sorry, Father, I shouldn't have said that." She looks up and sees his eyes well up with tears. "It's okay, love," he gets up and pours himself a drink. "I'll just sit outside for a while. You finish up your work, okay?" "I'm sorry, Father; Mother did love you very much. She told me all the time." "Homework, first, eh? Then we can chat about your mother." He heads off outside and sits in his usual chair, looking around the courtyard. The whole area relaxes the mind and somehow soothes the soul. "All finished, Father. May I get a drink and sit with you? I have some questions." She comes with two drinks one for him and one for herself. He looks surprised. She never really liked him having a drink. Although he had cut back a lot from before he brought her here, it still seemed strange. "Mother told me all about you. That is before she passed away. We would laugh together at your love stories." He listens without uttering a single sound. "Why didn't you come and take her away with you? She really wanted that. Did you know that?" Her father looks at his daughter lovingly. "Circumstances were difficult back then. It was just the way things were. When it came time to..." He sighs. "To visit her it was too late." The girl smiles. "I hope I will have the same kind of love you and mother had." "Without all the heartache," her father adds. "She always knew you loved her. She told me every day," the child mentions cheerfully. "I saw her crying sometimes when she read your letters." "Did she make you promise to look after me?" She inquires. "She asked me to take care of you." "You promised her, didn't you?" "Yes, I did." "It is nice out here, isn't it? Mother would have been very happy here." She talks with... What does the sentence " _ " mean? A) You want another cup of water? B) Are you kidding me? C) Are you trying to make me cry? D) Are you thinking about the water factory?
Answer:
C