The other day at a supermarket, I saw a naughty boy of about six crying loudly, falling to the floor and refusing to move. All the while the troubled mother was trying to persuade him to behave well but failed.A little smack on his bottom would have done the job,I thought. Teenagers also cause discipline problems.As a teacher, I had a 16-year-old student who had fallen in love with a waiter at a fast-food restaurant.In fact,she had left home to stay with him.So we decided to put her in the school hostel.She refused.When she heard her mother begging her to stay in the hostel she turned round and said:"Why don't you stay in the hostel if you like it so much?" My palms were itching to slap her for being so rude but the poor mother continued to _ her,hoping that gentle persuasion would work wonders.It did not.The last I heard,she had run away from home again. The list goes on and on.Could it be that today's parents are softer and believe that they must not rod their children for fear of the bad result? Or do they actually believe that the children will get rid of the bad habits and behave well naturally as they grow older? I beg to disagree.I believe it is the parents' duty to discipline the children even at a young age. My children who are now adults will prove the fact that I used the rod when I thought it necessary.Later when they went abroad,they related to their British university friends on how they were disciplined.Their friends abroad were filled with horror and told my daughter that I could be charged with child abuse .However,my daughter showed great respect for me when she told them that she would not be where she was today if not for my strict discipline. The author would probably _ . A) beat the children every day B) treat the children in a softer way C) leave the children as they are D) punish the children when necessary
D
Scientists have created a way to control a robot with signals from human brain.By generating the proper brainwaves--picked up by a cap with electrodes that sense the signals and reflect a person's instructions--scientists can instruct a humanoid robot to move to specific locations and pick up certain objects. The commands are limited to moving forward,picking up one of two objects and bringing it to one of two locations.The researchers have achieved 94 percent accuracy between the thought commands and the robot's movements. "This is really a proofofconcept demonstration," said Rajesh Rao,a researcher from the University of Washington who leads the project."It suggests that one day we might be able to use semiautonomous robots for such jobs as helping disabled people or performing routine tasks in a person's home." The person wearing the electrode cap watches the robot's movements on a computer screen through two cameras installed on and above the robot. When the robot's cameras see the objects that are to be picked up they pass on the information to the user's computer screen.Each object lights up randomly on the computer screen.When a person wants something picked up and it happens to light up,the brain registers surprise and sends this brain activity to the computer and then to the robot.The robot then proceeds to pick up the object. A similar algorithm is used to decide where the robot will go. "One of the important things about this demonstration is that we're using a 'noisy' brain signal to control the robot," Rao said."That means we can only obtain brain signals indirectly from sensors on the surface of the head,not where they are generated deep in the brain.As a result,the user can only generate highlevel commands such as indicating which object to pick up or which location to go to,and the robot needs to be autonomous enough to be able to execute such commands." In the future,the researchers hope to make the robots more adaptive to the environment by having them carry out more complex commands. What is special about the robot introduced in the passage? A) It is controlled by human thoughts. B) It can be made humanoid. C) It can be used to help the disabled. D) It has high intelligence itself.
A
Q: I have never understood why so many people visit Rome from late spring to early autumn, when traffic, heat and stressed shopkeepers and waiters lead to the lower tone of the city. Things improve a little in March, April, October and November. But connoisseurs know that winter is the best time to go there. In winter, the low-flying sun turns Rome into a wonderful stage set. There are days in winter when the sky is kind of blue. And there are also days when you find that you have beautiful sights all to yourself. Perhaps the only period you might want to avoid is the two weeks before Christmas. Italians often leave their shopping late, and traffic in the city is often heavy. But this can also be a good time to come if you are more interested in culture than in fashion shops; if you stay somewhere central, you can beat the traffic by walking everywhere. Christmas in Rome is a low-key family event. One of the nice things is the way the city keeps going. Although museums and shops are closed, many bars and restaurants stay open, and public transport continues to run. If you are lucky with the weather, it's in January and February that Rome is at its best. Late February can be especially attractive. One sometimes forgets what a difference that extra hour of daylight makes compared with mid-December. And there are always a few days of proper sunshine, when you can picnic in Villa Borghese and Pompeii. In which part of a newspaper would you most probably read this passage? A) Business. B) Travel. C) Kids. D) Eudcation.
A: B
Q: The Bear Valley Teen Adventure Camp is a high-energy experience focusing on safe outdoor climbing and an appreciation for the natural environment. Along the way campers can also swim, hike, and canoe . The instructors are professional educators who can increase your teens' confidence, teamwork and climbing skills. All climbing abilities are welcome and no previous outdoor rock climbing experience is required. Participants can choose Day Camp or Overnight Camp. In addition, campers learn to appreciate the wild as well. We look forward to seeing your teenagers smile this summer. Day Camp includes six adventurous days of rock climbing, hiking, swimming, and canoeing in beautiful Bear Valley. Our focus is climbing but we use additional activities to keep things lively. Instructions and skill development are provided. No experience is required and all equipment is provided. On the last day parents are welcome to join us for a big lunch to hear all about the adventures of camp for nothing. Overnight campers can get the full experience with family-style meals, evening activities and top accommodations at the BaseCamp Lodge in Bear Valley. A typical schedule is that after Day Camp, campers get a short rest and snack before getting together for a hike or swim. Afterwards, a delicious meal is served as tales from the day are shared around the table. Dates: July 22-28, 2013 Costs: $575 - Day Camp (6 days + lunches) $975 - Overnight Camp (7 days, 6 nights & all meals) Ages: 10-16 years old What can we learn about Overnight Camp? A) It requires parents to prepare meals for campers. B) Campers can have a snack before Day Camp. C) $975 only includes 7 days, 6 nights and 6 lunches. D) Campers can share stories with others when having meals.
A: D