Rescue Platform

     In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, security experts are trying to develop new ways of rescuing people from burning skyscrapers. One idea is a platform capable of flying vertically and hovering in the air like a helicopter.¹ The platform would rise up and down alongside a skyscraper and pick up people trapped in high stories.

    The idea for the vertical takeoff platform was hatched more than ten years ago by a Russian aerospace engineer, David Metreveli, who has since² moved to Israel. Metreveli’s design, called the Eagle, calls for two jet engines that turn four large horizontal propellers. The spinning of the propellers generates the necessary lift, or upward force, to raise the platform. The more power is supplied to the propellers, the higher the platform rises. Moving the platform sideways involves applying differing amounts of power to each propeller.

    Helicopters are now used in some cases to get people out of burning buildings. Escape baskets³ slung from them dangle beside the building for people to climb into. Unfortunately, the baskets cannot reach every floor of a building because the ropes from which they hang become unstable beyond a certain length.

    So far, Metreveli has built a small-scale model of the Eagle to test his idea. In the wake of⁴ September 11, he has been able to secure enough funding to start building a larger, 4-meter by 4-meter⁵ prototype, which he calls the Eaglet.

 

词汇：

aftermath / ’ɑ:ftəmæθ, -mɑ: θ /n．结果，后果

hover / ’hɒvə(r)/ v．盘旋

hatch / hætʃ/ v．策划

propeller / prə’pelə(r) / n．螺旋桨;推进器

sling / slɪŋ/ v．用悬带吊挂（slung, slung）

dangle / ’dæŋgl / v．摇摆

prototype / ’prəʊtətaɪp / n．原型 

 

注释：

1．One idea is a platform capable of flying vertically and hovering in the air like a helicopter：形容词短语capable of flying vertically and hovering ...用作定语，修饰platform。

2．since = since ten years ago

3．escape basket：救生篮

4．in the wake of：在……后

5．4-meter by 4-meter：4米×4米

 

A rescue platform called the Eagle is capable of moving vertically but not sideways.

A:Right  B:Wrong C:Not mentioned

Text 2
The topic of thought is one area of psychology, and many observers have considered this aspect in connecion with robots and computers: some of the old worries about Al (artificial intelligence) were closely linked to the question of whether’ computers could think. The first massive electronic computers, capable of rapid ( if often unreliable) computation and little or no creative activity, were soon named "electronic brains". A reaction to this terminology quickly followed. To put them in their place, computers were called "high-speed idiots", an effort to protect human vanity. But not everyone realized the implications of the expression: "high-speed idiot". It has not been pointed out often enough that even the human idiot is one of the most intelligent life forms on the earth. If the early computers were even that intelligent, it was already a remarkable state of affairs.
One consequence from studying the possibility of computer thought was that we were forced to examine with new care the idea of thought in general. It soon became clear that we were not sure what we meant by such terms as thought and thinking. We tend to assume that human beings think , some more than others, though we often call people thoughtless or unthinking. Dreams cause a problem, partly because they usually happen outside our control. They are obviously some types of mental experience, but are they a type of thinking And the question of nonhuman life forms adds further problems. Many of us would maintain that some of the higher animals -- dogs, cats, apes, and so on -- are capable of at least basic thought, but what about fish and insects It is certainly true that the higher mammals show complex brain activity when tested with the appropriate equipment. If thinking is demonstrated by evident electrical activity in the brain, then many animal species are capable of thought.’ Once we have formulated clear ideas on what thought is in biological creatures, it will be easier to discuss the question of thought in artificial machines. One of the great benefits of AI research is that we are being forced to examine more closely the working of the human mind.
It is already clear that machines have superior mental abilities to many life forms. No tree can play chess as well as even the simplest computer; nor can frogs repair car bodies as well as robots. It seems that, viewed in terms of intellect, the computer should be set well above plants and most animals. Only the higher’ animals can compete with computers with regard to intellect.

By calling these early computers "high-speed idiots", people were really implying that computers（）

A:would never be capable of thinking B:were already somewhat intelligent C:can never work as rapidly as people D:would be as clever as normal human beings

Text 2
The topic of thought is one area of psychology, and many observers have considered this aspect in connecion with robots and computers: some of the old worries about Al (artificial intelligence) were closely linked to the question of whether’ computers could think. The first massive electronic computers, capable of rapid ( if often unreliable) computation and little or no creative activity, were soon named "electronic brains". A reaction to this terminology quickly followed. To put them in their place, computers were called "high-speed idiots", an effort to protect human vanity. But not everyone realized the implications of the expression: "high-speed idiot". It has not been pointed out often enough that even the human idiot is one of the most intelligent life forms on the earth. If the early computers were even that intelligent, it was already a remarkable state of affairs.
One consequence from studying the possibility of computer thought was that we were forced to examine with new care the idea of thought in general. It soon became clear that we were not sure what we meant by such terms as thought and thinking. We tend to assume that human beings think , some more than others, though we often call people thoughtless or unthinking. Dreams cause a problem, partly because they usually happen outside our control. They are obviously some types of mental experience, but are they a type of thinking And the question of nonhuman life forms adds further problems. Many of us would maintain that some of the higher animals -- dogs, cats, apes, and so on -- are capable of at least basic thought, but what about fish and insects It is certainly true that the higher mammals show complex brain activity when tested with the appropriate equipment. If thinking is demonstrated by evident electrical activity in the brain, then many animal species are capable of thought.’ Once we have formulated clear ideas on what thought is in biological creatures, it will be easier to discuss the question of thought in artificial machines. One of the great benefits of AI research is that we are being forced to examine more closely the working of the human mind.
It is already clear that machines have superior mental abilities to many life forms. No tree can play chess as well as even the simplest computer; nor can frogs repair car bodies as well as robots. It seems that, viewed in terms of intellect, the computer should be set well above plants and most animals. Only the higher’ animals can compete with computers with regard to intellect.

The first massive electronic computers were（）

A:slow and reliable B:creative and accurate C:large and fast D:only capable of additions

Either of （） is quite capable of the work.

A:girl B:the girl C:girls D:the girls

A sustainable transportation system is one that is safe, capable and friendly to the environment. Sustainable transportation is about combining economic, social and environmental factors into decisions that affect transportation activity. In economic aspect, we need a transportation system that is efficient. In social aspect, our transportation system must be safe and easy to be reached. In addition, we need a transportation system that respects the natural environment. It is not always easy to balance these three factors but there are also win-win-win opportunities.
Sustainable transportation is important. Although transportation brings many economic and social benefits, the movement of people and goods can have important influences on the environment. These influences can in turn have social and economic consequences. Sustainable transportation calls for ensuring that the environment is considered along with economic and social considerations in transportation decision-making.
Environmental influences of transportation include air and water pollution, greenhouse effects, and the use of land and other natural resources. A range of transportation activities contribute to these pressures, including the construction of roads; the production, operation, and throwing away of vehicles; and the supply of energy and fuel.
A major challenge of sustainable transportation is to control or prevent air pollution and greenhouse effects.

Which of the following statements about sustainable transportation system is True（）

A:It is safe. B:It is capable. C:It is friendly to the environment. D:All of the above are right.

Either of （　）is quite capable of the work.

A:girl B:the girl C:girls D:the girls

Either of ______ is quite capable of the work.

A:girl B:the girl C:girls D:the girls

Either of （）is quite capable of the work.

A:girl B:the girls C:girls D:the girl