Walking Robot Carries a Person

　　The first walking robot capable of carrying a person unveiled on Friday in Tokyo， Japan. Its creators at Waseda University in Tokyo and the Japanese robotics company

　　Tmsuk hope their two-legged creation will one day enable wheel-chair users to climb up and down the stairs and assist the movement of heavy goods over uneven ground.

　　The battery-powered robot， code-named WL-16， is essentially an aluminium chair mounted on two sets of telescopic poles. The poles are bolted to flat plates which act as feet. WL-16 uses 12 actuators （傳動(dòng)裝置） to move forwards， backwards and sideways while carrying an adult weighing up to 60 kilograms （130 pounds）。 The robot can adjust its body and walk smoothly even if the person it is carrying shifts in the chair. At present it can only step up or down a few millimeters， but the， team plans to make it capable of dealing with a normal flight of stairs.

　　I believe this bipedal （兩足的） robot， which I prefer to call a two-legged walking chair rather than a wheel-chair， will eventually enable people to go up and down the stairs，“ said Atsuo Takanishi， from Waseda University.

　　“We have had strong robots for some time but usually they have been manipulators， they have not been geared to carrying people around，” says Ron Arkin， at the Georgia Institute of Technology and robotics consultant for Sony. “But I don’t know how safe and how user-friendly WL-16 is.”

　　Tmsuk chief executive Yoichi Takamoto argues that bipedal or multi-legged robots will be more useful than so-called “caterpillar （毛毛蟲(chóng)） models” for moving over uneven ground.

　　WL-16’s normal walking step measures 30 centimetres， but it can stretch its legs to 136 cm apart. The prototype （原型） is currently radio-controlled， but the research team plans to equip it with a stick-like controller for the user in future. Takanishi said it will take “at least two years” to develop the WL-16 prototype into a working model.

　　Smaller， ground-hugging （緊貼地面行走的） robots have been developed to pass across tricky ground. One maggot-like （像蛆一樣的） device uses a magnetic fluid to pulse its way along， while another snake-like robot uses smart software to devise new movement strategies if the landscape affects any one part. One ball-shaped robot even uses a leap-and-bounce approach to travel over rough territory. But none of these are big or strong enough to carry a person too.

　　36 The robot presented to the public on Friday in Tokyo， Japan

　　A.surprised visitors from Waseda University.

　　B.can move up to 60 kilometres per hour.

　　C.can transport heavy goods over uneven ground

　　D.has two legs and is able to carry a person.

　　37 The researchers plan to make WL-16 capable of

　　A.moving up and down the stairs easily.

　　B.turning its head easily.

　　C.using a telescope to find the way.

　　D.carrying a person of over 60 kilograms.

　　38 What does Ron Arkin think of WL-16？

　　A.He doesn’t think it is useful.

　　B.He thinks it is only a manipulator.

　　C.He thinks it is user-friendly.

　　D.He is unsure of its safety.

　　39 Which of the following is true of WL-16？

　　A.It can only move forwards and backwards.

　　B.It is a caterpillar model.

　　C.It can walk with a step of up to 136 cm.

　　D.It is equipped with a stick-like controller.

　　40 Which type of robot is NOI mentioned in the last paragraph？

　　A.Maggot-like robots.

　　B.Snake-like robots.

　　C.Ball-shaped robots.

　　D.Chair-shaped robots.

　　第三篇

Is the Tie a Necessity？

　　Ties， or neckties， have been a symbol of politeness and elegance in Britain for centuries. But the casual Prime Minister Tony Blair has problems with them. Reports suggest that even the civil servants may stop wearing ties. So， are the famously formal British really going to abandon the neckties？

　　Maybe. Last week， the UK’s Cabinet Secretary Andrew Turnbull openly welcomed a tieless era. Fie hinted that civil servants would soon be free of the costliest 12 inches of fabric that most men ever buy in their lives.

　　In fact， Blair showed this attitude when he had his first guests to a cocktail party. Many of them were celebrities （知名人士） without ties， which would have been unimaginable even in the recent past.

　　For some more conservative British， the tie is a must for proper appearance. Earlier， Labor leader Jim Callaghan said he would have died rather than have his children seen in public without a tie. For people like Callaghan， the tie was a sign of being complete， of showing respect. Men were supposed to wear a tie when going to church， to work in the office， to a party - almost every social occasion.

　　But today， people have begun to accept a casual style even for formal occasions.

　　The origin of the tie is tricky. It started as something called simply a “band”。 The term could mean anything around a man’s neck. It appeared in finer ways in the 1630s. Frenchmen showed a love of this particular fashion statement. Their neckwear （頸飾） impressed Charles II， the king of England who was exiled （流放） to France at that time. When he returned to England in 1660， he brought this new fashion item along with him.

　　It wasn’t， however， until the late 18th century that fancy young men introduced a more colorful， flowing piece of cloth that eventually became known as the tie. Then， clubs， military institutions and schools began to use colored arid patterned ties to indicate the wearer’s membership in the late 19th century. After that， the tie became a necessary item of clothing for British gentlemen.

　　But now， even gentlemen are getting tired of ties. Anyway， the day feels a bit easier when you wake up without having to decide which tie suits you and your mood.

　　41 The tie symbolizes all of tile following except

　　A.respect.

　　B.elegance.

　　C.democracy.

　　D.politeness.

　　42 Why does Blair sometimes show up in a formal event without a tie？

　　A.Because he wants to make a show.

　　B.Because he wants to attract attention.

　　C.Because he wants to live in a casual way.

　　D.Because ties are costly.

　　43 Which of the following is NOT a social occasion？

　　A.Going to church.

　　B.Going to work in the office.

　　C.Going to a party.

　　D.Staying at home.

　　44 Who brought the Frenchmen’s neckwear to Britain？

　　A.Charles ii.

　　B.Tony Blair.

　　C.Jim Callaghan.

　　D.Andrew Turnbull.

　　45 When did British gentlemen begin to wear ties regularly？

　　A.In the 1630s.

　　B.After the late 19th century.

　　C.In 1660.

　　D.In the late 18th century.