Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Duke Ellington is known as one of the most important composers of his time, and his work has been enjoyed for more than 80 years by music lovers all over the world. During his lifetime Ellington turned musical sounds into many compositions, mostly in the style known as jazz. The Early Years Edward Kennedy Ellington was born in 1899 in Washington, D. C. It wasn't until Ellington was a teenager that his interest in music grew. He taught himself to play the piano by listening to local piano players. Sometime around 1916 Ellington began playing the piano at high school parties. Ellington realized that he enjoyed entertaining people with his music. He soon became a very popular musician, playing at parties and other events in the Washington area. Young adults seemed especially delighted by the modern pieces he composed. Success in New York In 1923, when Ellington was almost 24 years old, he joined The Washingtonians, a five-piece group of musicians in Washington, and became the group's leader in early 1924. In 1927 Ellington and his orchestra won an engagement at Harlem's famous Cotton Club. For the next three years, his orchestra played at the Cotton Club nearly every night. The Influence of the Cotton Club Working at the Cotton Club encouraged Ellington's creativity. Since the shows changed every six months, he was challenged by the need to continually develop new material. He had to compose a wide variety of music to accompany the various acts in the Cotton Club shows and to adapt that music to the strengths and weaknesses of the players in his orchestra. By 1928 the popular nightspot began radio broadcasts. From the broadcasts Ellington and his orchestra gained a national reputation. On the Road As Ellington's popularity increased, he realized that his orchestra could do well on concert tours. They left the Cotton Club in 1931 and toured America and Europe almost continually for the next 43 years. In addition to touring, Ellington made recordings and continued to compose music. Duke Ellington played the... Question: We may infer from the passage that _ . Options: A: Ellington's career took off overnight B: Ellington loves touring around the world C: Ellington could compose a wide variety of songs D: Ellington had a great effect on the world of music
D

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Two Chinese living in South Africa were killed in a robbery on February 5, bringing the total number of Chinese killed in the country to four in less than a month. Chen Jianqing, 35, from Southeast China's Fujian Province, who ran a shop with her husband in a small town 45 kilometers away from South African capital Johannesburg, was shot dead. www.zxxk.com "One of her business partners died later in the hospital," the Chinese consulate officials in Johannesburg said yesterday. "Local police are trying to find more information about the case. And we have told the victims' relatives and are helping them come to Johannesburg," Consul Wu Gang told China Daily. Chen's husband was injured during the robbery but did not suffer seriously, said Wu. The robbery happened at about 5:45 pm local time and the armed robbers ran away after taking more than 50,000 South African rand (US $8,200) and some jewelry, Xinhua News Agency reported. The killing happened just three days after Chen Jingmin, a 23-year-old man from Qingdao, Shandong Province, was shot dead north outside Johannesburg by armed robbers. On January 10, a Hong Kong businessman was attacked and robbed at his home in Johannesburg and died the next day in the hospital. All these happened just in less than a month. According to records, there were more than 40 robberies attacking Chinese in South Africa last year, in which eight were killed. More than 100,000 Chinese are doing various kinds of businesses in South Africa, according to a Chinese official in the country. An increasing number of them are becoming targets of robbers after buying big houses or luxury cars, the official said. Question: _ are more likely to be robbed in South Africa. Options: A: Those Chinese who depend too much on local police B: Those Chinese who live near the capital of South Africa C: Those Chinese who open shops selling Chinese goods D: Those Chinese who leave others the impression of being rich
D

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: What if handheld tools know what needs to be done and were even able to guide and help inexperienced users to complete jobs that require skill? Researchers at the University of Bristol have developed and started studying a novel concept in robotics--intelligent handheld robots. Historically, handheld tools have been straight, unintelligent instruments that are _ of the context they operate in, are fully directed by the user, and therefore, lack any understanding about the task they are performing. Dr. Walterio Mayol-Cuevas and PhD student, Austin Gregg-Smith, from the University's Department of Computer Science, have been working in the design of the robot as well as in understanding how best to be with a tool that "knows and acts". Compared to other tools such as power tools that have a motor and perhaps some basic sensors , the handheld robots developed at Bristol are designed to have more degrees of freedom to allow greater independence from the instructions of the user, and importantly, understand the steps being carried out. This allows for a new level of co-operation between user and tool, such as the user providing directions and the tool performing the detailed task. Handheld robots, aim to share physical similarity with users but are neither fully independent as is a humanoid robot nor are part of the user's body. The aim with handheld robots is to develop the intuitiveness of using traditional handheld tools while adding planted intelligence and action to allow for new abilities. Dr. Mayol-Cuevas, Reader in Robotics Computer Vision and Mobile Systems, said, "There are three basic levels of autonomy we are considering: no autonomy, semi-autonomous when the robot advises the user but does not act, and fully autonomous when the robot advises and acts even by correcting or refusing to perform incorrect user actions." Question: What is the new concept in robotics? Options: A: Full control by the user. B: Improvement in intelligence. C: Larger size of the robots. D: Help for the experienced users.
B