Question

【題目】PITTSBURGH — For most people, snakes seem unpleasant or even threatening. But Howie Choset sees in their delicate movements a way to save lives.

The 37-year-old Carnegie Mellon University professor has spent years developing snake-like robots he hopes will eventually slide through fallen buildings in search of victims trapped after natural disasters or other emergencies.

Dan Kara is president of Robotics Trends, a Northboro, mass-based company that publishes an online industry magazine and runs robotics trade shows. He said there are other snake-like robots being developed, mainly at universities, but didn't know of one that could climb pipes.

The Carnegie Mellon machines are designed to carry cameras and electronic sensors and can be controlled with a joystick (操縱桿). They move smoothly with the help of small electric motors, or servos, commonly used by hobbyists in model airplanes.

Built from lightweight materials, the robots are about the size of a human arm or smaller. They can sense which way is up, but are only as good as their human operators, Choset added.

Sam Stover, a search term manager with the Federal Emergency Management Agency based in Indiana, said snake-type robots would offer greater mobility than equipment currently available, such as cameras attached to extendable roles.

"It just allows us to do something we've not been able to do before," Stover said, "We needed them yesterday."

He said sniffer dogs are still the best search tool for rescue workers, but that they can only be used effectively when workers have access to damaged building.

Stover, among the rescue workers who handled the aftermath (后果) of Hurricane Katrina, said snake robots would have helped rescuers search flooded houses in that disaster.

Choset said the robots may not be ready for use for another five to ten years, depending on funding.

【1】Which institution is responsible for the development of Choset's robots?

A. Robotics Trends. B. Pittsburgh City Council.

C. Carnegie Mellon University. D. Federal Emergency Management Agency.

【2】Choset believes that his invention _________.

A. can be attached to an electronic arm

B. can be used by hobbyists in model airplanes

C. can find victims more quickly than a sniffer dog

D. can sense its way as well as its operators

【3】By saying "We needed them yesterday" (paragraph 7), Stover means that snake-like robots ________.

A. could help handle the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina

B. should have been put to use in past rescue work

C. helped rescuers search flooded houses yesterday

D. were in greater need yesterday than today

【4】What is the text mainly about?

A. Snake-like robots used in industries.

B. Snake-like robots made to aid in rescues.

C. The development of snake-like robots.

D. The working principles of snake-like robots.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】C

【2】D

【3】B

【4】B

【解析】這是一篇科技說明文，介紹了蛇型機(jī)器人的研究者及其在救援工作中的重要作用。

【1】C細(xì)節(jié)推理題。根據(jù)第二段The 37-year-old Carnegie Mellon University professor has spent years developing snake-like robots，和下文的He said there are other snake-like robots being developed, mainly at universities,可知，Howie Choset是Carnegie Mellon University大學(xué)的教授，下文中Dan Kara is president of Robotics Trends, a Northboro, Mass.-based company that publishes an online industry magazine and runs robotics trade shows.可知，Robotics Trends只做機(jī)器人的生意，并不生產(chǎn)機(jī)器人。故選C。

【2】D細(xì)節(jié)推理題。根據(jù)第五段中Built from lightweight materials, the robots are about the size of a human arm or smaller. They can sense which way is up, but are only as good as their human operators, Choset added.可知，他發(fā)明的蛇形機(jī)器人能夠和人類操作者一樣，都能很好的感知道路，故選D。

【3】B細(xì)節(jié)推理題。根據(jù)具體例子和倒數(shù)第二段中 Stover, among the rescue workers who handled the aftermath (后果) of Hurricane Katrina, said snake robots would have helped rescuers search flooded housesin that disaster. 可知，Stover認(rèn)為這種發(fā)明早就應(yīng)該被用于救援工作，故選B。

【4】B主旨大意題。文章主要介紹了像蛇一樣的機(jī)器人的用途——幫助人類更好地做好救援工作。故選B。