Today just as technology changed the face of industry, farmers have undergone an "agricultural revolution". On the farm of today, machines provide all the power. One of the most important benefits will be the farm computer. A few forward-looking farmers are already using computers to help them run their farms more efficiently. The computers help them keep more accurate records so they can make better decisions on what crops to plant, how much livestock to buy, when to sell their products, and how much profit they can expect. Many computer companies have been developing special computer programs just for farmers. Programs are being written for hog producers, grain farmers, potato farmers, and dairy farmers. In the future, farmers will be able to purchase computer programs made to their needs. Because of the growing importance of computers on the farm, students at agricultural colleges are required to take computer classes in addition to their normal agricultural courses. There can be no doubt that farmers will rely on computers even more in the future. While the old-time farm depended on horse power, and modern farms depend on machine power, farms of the future will depend on computer power. Another technological advance which is still in the experimental stage is the robot, a real "mechanized hired hand" that will be able to move and, in some ways, think like a human being. Unlike farmers of the present, farmers of the future will find that many day-to-day tasks will be done for them. Scientists are now developing robots that will be able to shear sheep, drive tractors, and harvest fruit. Even complex jobs will be done by robots. For example, in order to milk their cows, farmers must first drive them into the special barn , then connect them to the milking machines, watch the machines, and disconnect them when they are finished. In the future, this will all be done by robots. In addition, when the milking is completed, the robots will automatically check to make sure that the milk is pure. The complete... Which sentence carries the main idea of the whole passage? A) The first sentence of the first paragraph. B) The first sentence of the second paragraph. C) The first sentence of the third paragraph. D) The last sentence of the second paragraph.
A
A young man from a village called Nawalapitiya married a young woman from Maliyuwa, a nearby village. They lived with the man's big family--his parents, his brothers, their wives and children. The family kept an elephant, in which the young woman soon took a great interest. Every day she fed it with fruit and sugar. Three months later the woman went back to her parents' home, having quarreled with her husband. Soon the elephant refused to eat and work. It appeared to be ill and heart-broken. One morning after several weeks the animal disappeared from the house. It went to the woman's home. On seeing her, the elephant waved its trunk and touched her with it. The young woman was so moved by the act of the animal that she returned to her husband's home. After the young woman left her husband's home, the elephant _ . A) returned to the forest B) was sad because it missed her C) went to look for a new home D) was sick because nobody fed it
B
Q: Happy birthday The China National Opera (CNO) will give a concert to celebrate its 50th birthday. Different generations of CNO vocalists, like Li Guangxi, Yao Hong and Ma Mei, will present the concert which will feature both songs from famous Chinese operas like The White-haired GM and The Hundred Bride, as well as, arias of such western opera classics as Madame Butterfly, La Traviata and Rigoletto. Time/date: 7:30 pm, September 7, 8 Location: Tianqiao Theatre Tel: 65514787, 83156170 Tickets: 60-500 yuan (US $ 7.2-60.2) Folk music A concert will be held to feature some recently-composed traditional Chinese music works. The concert, given by the Folk Orchestra of the China Opera and Ballet Theatre, will include such pieces as Memory of childhood, Memorial Ceremony for God and Wine Song. Time/date: 7:30 pm, September 13 Location: Concert hall at the National Library of China Tel: 6848-5462, 6841-9220 Tickets:30-200 yuan(US $ 3.6-24.1) Moon Music A concert of traditional Chinese music will be given on the eve of the Moon Festival which falls on September 21st this year. The concert will feature a number of famous pieces centred on the theme of the moon, such as Moonlight, Spring Night on a Moonlit River and Lofty Mountain and Flowing river. A number of popular traditional Chinese music performers, like Zhou Yaokun and Fan Weiqing, will play solos as well as cooperate with the folk music orchestra . Time/date: 7:30 pm, September 21st Location: Grand theatre of the Cultural Palace of Nationalities Tel: 6606-8888, 6606-9999 Tickets: 40-220 yuan(US $ 4.8-27) If you want to buy tickets for listening to the music Memory of Childhood, you will dial _ . A) 6551-4748 B) 6848-5462 C) 8315-6170 D) 6606-9999
A: B
Q: Americans love peanut butter. The average child will eat 1,500 peanut butter before he or she graduates high school. But there is a controversy over a new peanut butter. It is called STEEM Peanut Butter. This peanut butter adds a new ingredient: caffeine . Coffee is a popular morning drink because it has caffeine and gives people energy in the morning. Even small amounts of caffeine can be dangerous to children. United States Senator Charles Schumer says."Peanut butter, one of the snacks most closely connected with children, might have to be stored in the medicine cupboard rather than in the kitchen cupboard. This will shock the Food and Drug Administration." Schumer wants the U.S. FDA to investigate. He observed that earlier the FDA prevented plans for a caffeinated chewing gum. STEEM, the manufacturer, said, "We are selling the caffeinated peanut butter all over the world. The product provides caffeine in an easily digestible way. Caffeinated foods have been sold in U.S. stores for well over a decade and are in no way a new idea. Customers tell us they want to eat the caffeinated peanut butter so they don't have to drink as much coffee or energy drinks. The peanut butter is not intended for children." "Peanut butter has been a favorite of children for generations," Schumer continued: "Parents across the country have to worry about a scene in which their child might unknowingly bite into a peanut butter that contains more caffeine than two cups of coffee." The American Academy of Pediatrics says caffeine in small amounts can help the physical performance of adults. But the academy urges parents not to allow children to take even small amounts of caffeine owing to caffeine's possible negative effects on a child's heart and brain development. According to STEEM, the new peanut butter is popular with adults because _ . A) it is a traditional food B) it is digested more easily C) its production is not banned D) they eat it instead of energy drinks
A: D