第一节 （共15小题，每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
A
Christopher Reeve(1952—2004) was an American actor, famous for his film portrayal of Superman.
Reeve was born in New York City and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1974, after which he was selected to study at Juilliard School of Performing Arts under John Houseman.
Reeve worked on the stage, as well as on the soap opera Love of Life, until he was selected to play the role of the Superman in 1978. This film was a great success and inspired three sequels(续集). Ironically, this was the kind of part Reeve usually looked down upon. He was a stage actor at heart who preferred doing classical period plays and films that really required him to "act". He once said," I want to challenge myself in my roles, not run around on screen with a machine gun."
In 1980, Reeve starred in Somewhere in Time ,a time travel romance. Although this film was not popular at the time it was released, it has since enjoyed a nationwide "cult" following, especially among college students. In 1984, Reeve won critical cheers for his role as a 19th century southern lawyer in The Bostonians.
On May 27,1995, Reeve was paralyzed(瘫痪)from the neck down after being thrown from his horse and largely retired from the production of films after his paralysis. With his wife Dana, he opened the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center, devoted to teaching paralyzed people to live more independently.
56．According to the passage, we can get the conclusion that the play Love of Life ___________.
A．gained a great success
B．changed Reeve’s life completely
C．is just a relaxation for most audience
D．talks about serious political problems
[答案]
57．The underlined part in the third paragraph shows that Reeve ______________________.
A．enjoyed different kinds of roles related to high technology
B．did not like to play the role of the Superman because of the danger
C．was an ambitious actor who intended to play all kinds of characters
D．was a peace-loving man, who hates weapons and all the military actions
[答案]
58．The word "cult" in the fourth paragraph probably means ______________________.
A．popular fashion B．lovely and interesting
C．of the present time D．bad-tempered dog
[答案]
59．On May 27,1995, Reeve ______________________.
A．acted out the role of a lawyer in the Bostonians
B．fell down during the horse-riding and became paralyzed
C．won critical cheers for his performance in somewhere in Time
D．opened the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center
[答案]
B
TOKYO—A child-like robot that combines the roles of nurse, companion and security guard is to go on the market to help the growing ranks of elderly Japanese with no one to look after them.
The "Wakamaru" robot can walk around a house 24 hours a day, warning families, hospitals and security firms if it perceives(notices)a problem. It will, for example, call relatives if the owner fails to get out of the bath.
Cameras implanted in the "eye-brows" of the robot enable it to "see" as it walks around an apartment. The images can be sent to the latest cellphones, which display the pictures.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which developed Wakamaru, plans to start selling the metrehigh robots by April, 2005, for about $ 15,000.
Wakamaru, which speaks with either the voice of a boy or girl, is also designed to provide companionship, greeting its "papa" when he comes home.
It is the first household robot able to hold simple conversations, based on a vocabulary of around 10,000 words. It can not only speak but also understand answers and react accordingly.
It will ask "Are you all right?" if its owner does not move for some time. If the answer is no, or there is no answer, it will telephone preset numbers, transmitting images and functioning as a speakerphone.
Wakamaru will inform a security firm if there is a loud bang or if an unknown person enters the house while the owner is out or asleep. It can recognize up to 10 faces.
But like most robots it cannot climb stairs.
It can be set to remind forgetful people when it is time to take medicine, eat and sleep.
Mitsubishi adapted Wakamaru from robots it already makes to go around nuclear power facilities. The idea to use the technology in the home came from a company employee.
The project chief said :"Looking at the ageing of society and the falling birth rate we decidethat this could work as a business. We want to offer Wakamaru as a product that helps society.
The technology has gained nation-wide publicity in Japan among increasing concern over how to look after the ever-growing number of old people. The life expectancy of Japanese women has shot up to almost 85, the highest in the world.
At the same time, extended families are being replaced by nuclear families. This has left many Japanese anxious about their elderly parents, whom they rarely see because of their long hours at the office.
60．Which of the following is true about the robot?
A．It is used in some nuclear power facilities.
B．It cannot speak but can understand answers.
C．It can go up and down the stairs easily.
D．It can recognize as many as 10 faces.
[答案]
61．The purpose of this passage is _________.
A．to introduce a new product
B．to solve the ageing problems
C．to tell people how to use the robot
D．to show the rapid development of technology
[答案]
62．What can we infer from the passage?
A．The robot can dial proper numbers for help.
B．The robot is likely to have a promising market.
C．The robot has given the Japanese a chance to live longer.
D．The nuclear families have left many elderly Japanese anxious.
[答案]
63．What is the best title of this passage?
A．The Latest Development of Robot Technology
B．Japanese Robot and the Ageing Society
C．Vast Market of the New Robot
D．Japanese-built Robot to Help the Old
[答案]
C
Most people would agree that it would be wonderful if humans could regenerate limbs(肢体再生). Those who have lost their arms or legs would be complete again. The day is still far off when this might happen. But in the last 10 years, doctors have reported regeneration in smaller parts of the body, most often fingers.
Regeneration is not a newly-discovered process. For centuries, scientists have seen it work in some kinds of animals. Scientists now are looking for a way to turn on this exciting ability in more highly-developed animals, including humans. Their experiments show that nerves, cell chemistry and the natural electric currents in the body all seem to have a part in this process.
The body of every animal contains general purpose cells that change into whatever kind of cells the body needs. These cells collect around the wound. They form a mass called a blastema (芽基). The cells of the blastema begin to change. Some become bone cells, some muscle cells, some skin cells. Slowly, a new part regrows from the body outward. When completed, the new part is just like the old one.
More than 200 years ago, Italian scientist Luigi Spallanzani showed that younger animals have a greater ability to regenerate lost parts than older animals. So do animals lower on the ladder of evolutionary development. The major differences seem to be that less-developed animals have more nerves in their tails and legs than humans do in their arms and legs.
Another helpful piece of information was discovered in the late 1800s. Scientists found that when a creature is injured, an electrical current flows around the wound. The strength of the current depends on how severe the wound is and on how much nerve tissue(组织)is present.
64．According to the passage, limb regeneration ______________.
A．will become a reality in the near future
B．has been reported successful in some patients
C．has a long way to go before it works in humans
D．is a branch of study set up by a group of modern doctors
