广东省茂名市2010年高三二模考试英语试题

III.阅读(共两节，满分40分)

　　第一节 阅读理解(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和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

　　A

　　Can you imagine a stranger will read your e – mails without your permission or scan the website you’ve visited or perhaps someone will casually glance through your credit card purchases or cell phone bills? All of the things may happen to you one day.

　　In fact，it’s likely that some of these things have already happened to you. Who would watch you without your permission? It might be a spouse, a girlfriend, a marketing company, a boss, a cop or a criminal. Whoever it is，they will see you in a way you never intended to be seen or even do something that may bring a disaster to you.

　　Psychologists tell us boundaries are healthy, and that it's important to reveal to friends, family and lovers at appropriate times. But few boundaries remain nowadays. The digital bread crumbs (碎屑) you leave everywhere make it easy for strangers to know who you are, where you are and what you like. In some cases, a simple Google search can leak the deepest thought in your mind. Like it or not, increasingly we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret.

　　The key question is：Does that matter? For many Americans, the answer apparently is “no”.

　　When opinion polls ask Americans about privacy, most of them say they are really concerned about losing it. And 60 percent of the respondents say they feel their privacy is “slipping away, and that bothers me”.

　　But people say one thing and do another.Only a small of Americans change any behaviors in an effort to preserve their privacy.Few people turn down a discount attollbooths (收费站)to avoid using the EZ—Pass system that can track automobile movements. Privacy economist Acquisti has run a series of tests that reveal people will give up personal information such as telephone number, address, or social security numbers just to get their hands on a pitiful 50-cents-off coupon(优惠券). But privacy does matter—at least sometimes.It's like health;when you have it，you don’t notice it.Only when it’s gone do you wish you’d done more to protect it. Without privacy, one will be naked in front of others.

　　41.What would psychologists advise on the relationships between friends?

　　A.Friends should open their hearts to each other.

　　B.Friends should always be faithful to each other.

　　C.There should be a distance even between friends.

　　D.There should be fewer quarrels between friends

　　42.Why does the author say “we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret”?

　　A.Modern society has finally developed into an open society.

　　B.People leave traces around when using modern technology.

　　C.There are always people who are curious about others’ affairs.

　　D.Many search engines profit by revealing people’s identities.

　　43.What do most Americans do about privacy protection?

　　A.They change behavior that might disclose their identity.

　　B.People turn down a discount at tollbooths to avoid using the EZ – Pass system.

　　C.They rely more and more on advanced technology.

　　D.They talk a lot but hardly do anything about it.

　　44.According to the passage，privacy is like health in that .

　　A.people will make every effort to keep it

　　B.its importance is hardly understood

　　C.It is something that can easily be lost

　　D.people don’t value it until they lose it

　　45.What would be the best title for the passage?

　　A.No privacy, no health.

　　B.Treasure your privacy.

　　C.Boundaries are important between friends.

　　D.The information age has its own shortcomings.

　　B

　　WASHINGTON – It’s a great achievement that inspires notions of robots with consciousness and independent minds.

　　When people or animals get hurt, they can usually compensate for minor injuries and keep limping along, but for robots, even slight damage can make them stumble and fall. However, a recently made robot has demonstrated a novel ability: it can heal its own damage.

　　The new robot, which looks like a splay – legged, four – footed starfish can sense injury to itself and adapt. That ability sets the new robot apart from earlier machines. Because the robot can recover from unfamiliar places. “There is a need for planetary robotic rovers to be able to fix things on their own,” says Josh Bongard, a professor in the University of Vermont, who is one of the device’s creator. “Robots on other planets must be able to continue their mission without human help if they are damaged and cannot communicate their problem back to Earth.”

　　A typical robot functions according to a computer program, but the new robot works differently. First, sensors in its four legs observe the robot’s movements and signals to its built – in computer. From the formation it collects, the robot creates its own programs that allow it to adapt to different situations. For example, when the researchers shortened one of the robot’s legs, the smart machine simply adjusted its way of walking – it used three legs instead of four.

　　The researchers are looking for other places to put the resilient robot to work. One pellicle spot is the ocean floor. That dark and dangerous undersea terrain might be a good choice for a robot the scientists call the Starfish. “We never officially named the robot, but we usually refer to it as the Starfish, even though a real starfish has five rather than four legs,” says Bongard. “Also, a real starfish is much better than our robot at recovering from injury, because it can actually grow its legs again.” Scientists have created robots that help humans in many ways: by exploring space, fighting fires, and even performing surgery.

　　46.The newly designed robot distinguishes itself from the former ones because it .

　　A.can communicate with people on the earth about their problems

　　B.works according to a certain computer program

　　C.can find its problems and solve them automatically

　　D.can explore unfamiliar places

　　47.An example is given in the fourth paragraph in order to explain that the robot .

　　A.is used to create new programs

　　B.has typical robot functions

　　C.has sensors to observe its movements

　　D.can gather information and adapt to new conditions

　　48.The underlined word “resilient” in the last paragraph means the robot is .

　　A.creative B.newly made C.able to recover D.informative

　　49.Which of the following is TURE about the robot “Starfish”?

　　A.It was spoken highly of by people for its special ability?

　　B.It will stumble and fall if damaged.

　　C.It can grow its legs again once they are broken.

　　D.It has started to work on the ocean floor.

　　50.What might be the best title of the passage?

　　A.How does the Starfish Robot work

　　B.Do – It – Yourself Robot Repair

　　C.Robots Designed to Work On Other Planets

　　D.New Robot Helping Us In Many Ways