A study by St.Louis University has found that a lovable dog named Sparky and a robotic dog, AIBO, were about equally effective at reducing the loneliness of nursing home residents. The study confirmed previous findings that dogs have a good effect on nursing home residents.
Dr. Andrew Smith led the Stanford University team that built a home-assistance robot. “If humans can feel an emotional tie with robots, some day they could be not just our assistants, but also our companions,” he said.
To test whether residents responded better to Sparky, a trained dog, or the Sony-made robotic dog, researchers divided 38 nursing home residents into three groups at three long-term care centers in St. Louis.
One group had weekly 30-minute one-on-one visits with Sparky; another group had similar visits with AIBO; a control group had no contact with either dog. The groups’ respective levels of loneliness were tested by having them answer a number of questions at the beginning and near the end of the visits.
After two months, both groups that had contact with the dogs were less lonely and more attached. Most of the elderly regarded Sparky, a 9-year-old dog, as an audience for their life stories, said investigator Marian Banks.
“He listened attentively, wagged his tail, and allowed them to pet him,” said Banks, who adopted and trained Sparky after finding him in a street behind her home seven years ago.
Those who were together with AIBO took a little longer to warm to the robotic creature. Over time, however, they grew comfortable with him, and petted and talked to him. He would respond by wagging his tail, vocalizing, and blinking his lights..
“AIBO is charming once you start to interact with him,” said the study’s author, Dr. William Banks, “He’s an attractive sort of guy. He gives a feeling of being personal, not just a robot.”
53.Before the new study, it was known that ____.
A. robots were effective at reducing people’s loneliness
B. robots could build close connection with humans
C. dogs and robots were equally effective at reducing loneliness
D. dogs could help get rid of old people’s loneliness
54.Those who had contact with the robotic dog found that ___.
A. they didn’t feel comfortable with it
B. it was hard for them to interact with it
C. the robot’s vocalizing and blinking confused them
D. they weren’t comfortable with it at first
55.The findings of the researchers tell us that___.
A. robots are better at caring for old people than nurses
B .it’s easy for people to become close with robots
C. robots can to some degree replace dogs as companions for old people
D. every home will have a robot assistant one day
56.What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Robots and Dogs Can Equally Cheer up the Elderly
B. Robots Serve People Better Than Thought
C. No More Lonely Old Age with Emotional Robots
| D. Advanced Technology Used to Cheer up the Elderly |
名校課堂系列答案科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.
As we all know, Chinese handwriting has infinite power to express differences of character and cultivation. But we have to admit that traditional handwriting has become a __50__ art, now that kids start using keyboards as soon as they begin school. However, writing things out by hand may be a __51__ way we train our brains, several studies suggest. Many psychologists think that handwriting can make you __52__!
Writing by hand is different from __53__ because it requires using strokes to create a letter, __54__ just selecting the whole letter by touching a key, says Virginia Berninger, a professor of psychology at the University of Washington. These __55__ movements activate large regions of the brain __56__ in thinking, memory, and language. Handwriting helps children learn letters and shapes, improves their composition of ideas, and may also __57__ fine-motor skills development.
A study by Berninger found that in grades two, four, and six, children wrote more words, faster, and expressed more __58__ when writing essays by hand than when typing on a keyboard.
A separate study by researchers at Indiana University found that children who practiced printing by hand had more active__59__than kids who __60__ looked at letters.
It’s not just children who __61__ from writing things out by hand, says a study in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. Adults learning a new language remember its __62__ better if they write them out by hand than if they produce them with a keyboard.
As more people __63__ their days on the computer, says neuroscientist P. Murali Doraiswamy of Duke University, “__64__ people in handwriting skills could be a useful cognitive exercise.”
A. charming B. dying C. mixing D. challenging
A. common B. critical C. classic D. standard
A. smarter B. calmer C. deeper D. quicker
A. clicking B. talking C. typing D. moving
A. in addition to B. rather than C. except for D. other than
A. body B. eye C. letter D. finger
A. ended B. led C. included D. involved
A. boost B. weaken C. decline D. prospect
A. meanings B. ideas C. information D. emotions
A. mood B. behavior C. fingers D. brains
A. simply B. rarely C. hardly D. specially
A. benefit B. keep C. result D. learn
A. rules B. sounds C. characters D. sentences
A. get B. waste C. spend D. rely
A. retreating B. returning C. repeating D. retraining
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Every autumn, as families across the United States get ready to send their kids to college, the economics of higher education receive renewed attention. College is expensive and becoming more so in the U. S. The situation raises two questions: Why does it cost so much, and how can students and their families afford it?
Several studies published in the past few weeks reflect on these questions. The findings provide comfort to poor families.
First, it appears that only the minority actually pay the "high price". A study by the US Education Department's National Center for Education Statistics found that 55 percent of college students last year received some forms of help--scholarships, loans(貸款)or jobs.
Other factors are also at work. The government has increased the size of its grants (補助金)to lower-income students. Grants, unlike loans, don't have to he repaid and are awarded only to college students who have not earned a bachelor's or professional degree.
At the same time, most colleges are spending more on undergraduate education than they are collecting in tuition fees. A study, which is part of the Williams College Project on the Economics of Higher Education, reaches the conclusion that on average colleges “subsidize (贊助)” their students. The results of these studies, however, leave unanswered the questions of whether educational costs are higher than they need to be. Some experts argue that much of the college cost results from educational competition for fame, students and facilities.
This puts upward pressure on tuition, hut many colleges feel that good fame will enable them to attract students even if they charge them more.
Therefore, until something important changes in the marketplace, costs seem likely to continue rising. And American families will continue to beat down the doors of the high price "college in the end．
From the fourth paragraph of the passage we can conclude that _______.
A．American families earn only a little money every year
B．American families pay little attention to education
C．American students often have to stop their studies
D．American colleges have different ways to help poor students
In the writer's opinion, for students from lower-income families, the best way is ________.
A．to find a good job and make money
B．to borrow money from the banks
C．to ask for grants
D．to borrow money from friends
It can be inferred that in America _______.
A．famous colleges only accept rich students.
B．famous colleges charge their students more money
C．the government spends little money on education
D．families often break the doors of colleges
The writer of this passage seems to hold the opinion that _______.
A．college fees rise too fast for poor families.
B．poor people should borrow money from banks
C．poor people don’t need to send their children to college
D．colleges should get more money to improve themselves
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科目：高中英語 來源：2012-2013學年河南南樂縣實驗高級中學高二下期期中考試英語試卷（帶解析） 題型：閱讀理解
Decisions, decisions! Our lives are full of them, from the small ones to the life-changing. The right to choose is central to everyone. Yet sometimes we make bad decisions that leave us unhappy or full of regret. Can science help?
Most of us know little about the mental processes that lie behind our decisions. Luckily, what psychologists are finding may help us all make better choices. Here are some of their amazing discoveries to help you make up your mind.
Consider your emotions. You might think that emotions are the enemy of decision-making, but in fact they are a part of it. Whenever you make up your mind, your brain’s emotional centre is active. University of Southern California scientist, Antonio Damasia, has studied people with damage to only the emotional parts of their brains, and found that they were unable to make basic choices about what to wear or eat. Damasia thinks this may be because our brains store emotional memories of past choice, which we use to help the present decision-making.
However, making choices under the influence of an emotion can greatly affect the result. Take anger for example. A study by Nitika Garg of the University of Mississippi and other scientists found the angry shoppers were more likely to choose the first thing they were offered rather than considering other choices. It seems that anger can lead us to make quick decisions without much thinking.
All emotions affect our thinking and motivation，so it may be best to avoid making important decisions under their influence. Yet strangely there is one emotion that seems to help us make good choices. The American researchers found that sad people took time to consider the various choices on offer, and ended up making the best choices. In fact many studies show that people who feel unhappy have the most reasonable view of the world.
【小題1】What does the underlined word “central” mean?
| A．in the middle | B．easy to reach | C．important | D．having power |
| A．emotions are the enemy of decision-making. |
| B．our brain has nothing to do with decision-making. |
| C．people with physical damage find it hard to make up their minds. |
| D．our emotional memories of past choices can affect present decisions. |
| A．To think about happy times. | B．To make many decisions at a time. |
| C．To stop feeling regretful about the past. | D．To learn about the process of decision-making. |
| A．They often forget their past choices. | B．They make decisions without much thinking. |
| C．They tend to save time when shopping. | D．They are too angry to bargain. |
| A．Emotions are a part of decision-making. |
| B．Sad people always make worse choices. |
| C．No emotion seems to help us make good choices. |
| D．Only sad feelings affect our thinking and motivation. |
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科目：高中英語 來源：湖北省武漢市武昌區(qū)2010屆高三下學期五月調研測試試卷（英語） 題型：閱讀理解
Barack Obama
In the past hundred years, the U.S. presidency has turned more and more to the left – not in policy, but in handedness. Barrack Obama is the latest to join a long list of left – handed presidents from the 20th century: James Garfield, Herbert Hoover, Henry Truman, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton were all southpaws.
What makes lefties so electable? Some experts think left-handed people have a greater aptitude for language skills, which may help them craft the rhetoric necessary for political office. And as for the bout of recent left-handed presidents, some think it’s because teachers only recently stopped working to convert lefties to rightist at an early age.
Bill Gates
Claiming the nation’s richest man among their number is a source of considerable pride for America’s society of southpaws. In fact, the Microsoft titan and philanthropist(巨頭兼慈善家) is one of a surprising number of U.S. business moguls to be left-handed, including Henry Ford, John D. Rockefeller and former IBM head Lou Gerstner. But the club seems to be a guys-only fraternity — research suggests that while left-handed men tend to earn more than their right-handed colleagues, there is no similar advantage for women. A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research floated the idea that left-handed men favor "divergent" thinking, a form of creativity in which the brain moves "from conventional knowledge into unexplored association." Maybe that’s what it takes to develop a net worth estimated at $ 57 billion.
Oprah Winfrey
The talk-show queen doesn’t need much more to set her apart from the rest — what with her estimated $ 2.7 billion fortune and a magic ability to sell books just by glancing at them — but she also has the distinction of being a member of the left-handed club. Since men are more likely to be left-handed than women, that makes Oprah doubly impressive. She’s in good company: Other show-business ladies of the left – handed persuasion include Whoopi Goldberg, Julia Roberts and Angelina Jolie
Marie Curie
Not only was atomic scientist Marie Curie left-handed, but she was the matriarch of a whole family of accomplished, southpaw scientists. Curie, who discovered the principles of radioactivity and won two Nobel Prizes, was married to fellow lefty Pierre Curie, who was instrumental in helping Marie’s atomic research and shared one of her Nobel awards. Historians believe their daughter, Irene, was also left-handed. Irene went on to win a Nobel Prize of her own with her husband — who, you guessed it, was also left-handed.
59．The underlined word “southpaws” in the last sentence of Paragraph 1 means_______.
A．people coming from the south B．powerful presidents
C．people who use their left hand D．forceful speakers
60．What makes it so easy for lefties to be elected as presidents according to the passage?
A．Their great gift for foreign language.
B．Their great language skills to make speeches.
C．The need of left – hinders in the political office.
D．Teachers stopping to force them to use their right hand.
61．It can be implied that Bill Gates, Henry Ford, John D. Rockefeller and Lou Gerstne_______.
A．have creative thinking B．have formed a special club.
C．earn more money than their wives D．are wealthy philanthropists
62．The underlined sentence in Paragraph 4 “She is in good company” means “_______”.
A．she works in a very good company B．she has many good friends
C．she has got on well with others D．she is among many female lefties
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科目：高中英語 來源：2013-2014學年福建省福州市高三第四次質量檢測英語試卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解
For decades, families settled on the sofa to share the latest news and TV series, until additional bedroom TV, computer games and the Internet almost put an end to family rows over who held the remote control. Now, however, the traditional living room scene is making a comeback. A study by the communications watchdog Ofcom has found families are once again gathering around the main television set, but they are bringing their pads and smartphones with them.
?? “The 1950s living room is making a comeback as a family entertainment centre,” said Jane Rumble, head of media research at Ofcom. “We are watching on much better, bigger, and more delicate television sets, but we are coming into the living room holding our connected devices.” While the family are coming together once more, comparisons with the past end there. With a range of smaller screens on hand, not everyone sitting on the sofa shares the same viewing experience.
??? The coronation (加冕禮) may have drawn the undivided attention of 20 million viewers in 1953, but those watching the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations 50 years later were as likely to be commenting online about BBC’s broadcast as watching it. “Just a few years ago, we would be talking about last night’s TV at work or at school,” said a viewer, “Now, we’re having those conversations live while watching TV, using social media, text and instant messaging.”
??? It is a behaviour of media meshing（聯(lián)網）, whose influence was underlined during this year’s Wimbledon men’s tennis final. As Andy Murray pushed towards his victory, 1.1 million people worldwide sent an average of over two microblogs about the match.
??? People use the Internet to enhance their television experience, for example, by reading a newspaper live blog about a football match while watching the action on the main screen. For a huge number of younger viewers, the portable screen offers a chance to do something unrelated, such as online shopping, listening to music or watching another television programme.
Some 70% of 16-to-24-year-olds claim to be absorbed in what Ofcom calls “media stacking” at least once a week. For TV viewers, the Internet scanning is the most popular activity, but they are also calling friends on the phone or sending emails and texts. Surprisingly, 12% claim to have listened to the radio with the television on, and 6% say they have watched another video in the meanwhile.
1. According to the study by Ofcom, family members nowadays _______.
A. care more about who holds the remote control
B. share the same programmes in the living room
C. watch better and more delicate television programmes
D. enjoy TV together with various smaller screens on hand
2. This year’s Wimbledon men’s tennis final is mentioned to indicate _______.
A. so many people worldwide are watching TV
B. people like watching live matches on TV
C. the great influence of media meshing
D. the average amount of microblogs
3.Which shows the phenomenon of “media stacking” in the last paragraph?
A. People are watching TV while shopping online.
B. People are watching a broadcast of a coronation.
C. The Internet makes people spend less time on TV.
D. The Internet enriches people’s television experience.
4.The passage is written to ???? .
A. describe the changes connected devices(設備，儀器) bring to TV watching
B. report the comeback of the traditional living room scene
C. show the influence of connected devices on people
D. present the different roles TV plays in people’s life
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