VIII. Read the passage, then do the tasks.               

ROBOTS

      A robot is a machine. But it is not just any machine. It is a special kind of machine. It is a machine that moves. It follows instructions. The instructions come from a computer. Because it is a machine, it does not make mistakes. And it does not get tired. And it never complains. Unless you tell it to!

      Robots are all around us. Some robots are used to make things. For example, robots can help make cars. Some robots are used to explore dangerous places. For example, robots can help explore volcanoes. Some robots are used to clean things. These robots can help vacuum your house. Some robots can even recognize words. They can be used to help answer telephone calls. Some robots look like humans. But most robots do not. Most robots just look like machines.

      Long ago, people imagined robots. But nobody was able to make a real robot. The gist real robot was made in 1961. It was called Unimate. It was used to help make cars. It looked like a giant arm.

      In the future, we will have even more robots. They will do things that we can’t do. Or they will do things that we don’t want to do. Or they will do things that are too dangerous for us. They will help make life better.

1.      As used in paragraph 1, we can understand that something special is NOT ________.

            A. normal                    B. expensive                            C. perfect                                D. tired

2.      According to the author, robots cannot be used to ________.

            A. explore volcanoes   B. make cars                           C. clean your house                 D. do the gardening

3.      What is the main purpose of paragraph 2?

            A. to show how easy it is to make a robot

            B. to tell what a robot is

            C. to describe the things a robot can do

            D. to explain the difference between a robot and a machine

4.      Which of these gives the best use of a robot?

            A. to help make a sandwich                                        C. to help tie shoes

            B. to help read a book                                                 D. to help explore Mars

5.      How does the author feel about robots?

            A. Robots are useless.                                                 B. Robots are helpful.

            C. Robots are confusing.                                             D. Robots are dangerous.

VIII. Read the passage, then do the tasks.               

ROBOTS

      A robot is a machine. But it is not just any machine. It is a special kind of machine. It is a machine that moves. It follows instructions. The instructions come from a computer. Because it is a machine, it does not make mistakes. And it does not get tired. And it never complains. Unless you tell it to!

      Robots are all around us. Some robots are used to make things. For example, robots can help make cars. Some robots are used to explore dangerous places. For example, robots can help explore volcanoes. Some robots are used to clean things. These robots can help vacuum your house. Some robots can even recognize words. They can be used to help answer telephone calls. Some robots look like humans. But most robots do not. Most robots just look like machines.

      Long ago, people imagined robots. But nobody was able to make a real robot. The gist real robot was made in 1961. It was called Unimate. It was used to help make cars. It looked like a giant arm.

      In the future, we will have even more robots. They will do things that we can’t do. Or they will do things that we don’t want to do. Or they will do things that are too dangerous for us. They will help make life better.

1.      As used in paragraph 1, we can understand that something special is NOT ________.

            A. normal                    B. expensive                            C. perfect                                D. tired

2.      According to the author, robots cannot be used to ________.

            A. explore volcanoes   B. make cars                           C. clean your house                 D. do the gardening

3.      What is the main purpose of paragraph 2?

            A. to show how easy it is to make a robot

            B. to tell what a robot is

            C. to describe the things a robot can do

            D. to explain the difference between a robot and a machine

4.      Which of these gives the best use of a robot?

            A. to help make a sandwich                                        C. to help tie shoes

            B. to help read a book                                                 D. to help explore Mars

5.      How does the author feel about robots?

            A. Robots are useless.                                                 B. Robots are helpful.

            C. Robots are confusing.                                             D. Robots are dangerous.

A robot is a machine. But it is not just any machine. It is a special kind of machine. It is a machine that moves. It follows instructions. The instructions come from a computer. Because it is a machine, it does not make mistakes. And it does not get tired. And it never complains. Unless you tell it to!

Robots are all around us. Some robots are used to make things. For example, robots can help make cars. Some robots are used to explore dangerous places. For example, robots can help explore volcanoes. Some robots are used to clean things. These robots can help vacuum your house. Some robots can even recognize words. They can be used to help answer telephone calls. Some robots look like humans. But most robots do not. Most robots just look like machines.

Long ago, people imagined robots. But nobody was able to make a real robot. The gist real robot was made in 1961. It was called Unimate. It was used to help make cars. It looked like a giant arm.

In the future, we will have even more robots. They will do things that we can’t do. Or they will do things that we don’t want to do. Or they will do things that are too dangerous for us. They will help make life better.

1. As used in paragraph 1, we can understand that something special is NOT ________.

A. normal

B. expensive

C. perfect

D. tired

2. According to the author, robots cannot be used to ________.

A. explore volcanoes

B. make cars

C. clean your house

D. do the gardening

3. What is the main purpose of paragraph 2?

A. to show how easy it is to make a robot

B. to tell what a robot is

C. to describe the things a robot can do

D. to explain the difference between a robot and a machine

4. Which of these gives the best use of a robot?

A. to help make a sandwich

B. to help tie shoes

C. to help read a book

D. to help explore Mars

5. How does the author feel about robots?

A. Robots are useless.

B. Robots are helpful.

C. Robots are confusing.

D. Robots are dangerous

Question1:  Read, then choose the correct answers  

            Prague has the population of over one million people. It is not the biggest city in Europe, but it is certainly one of the most beautiful. People call Prague the ‘Golden City’ and the ‘ Mother of Cities’ because it has many beautiful buildings and statues. Perhaps the most popular building is the Old Town Hall with its amazing 15^th century clock. People also call Prague ‘Europe’s School of Music’. There are many concert halls, and every May there is a famous music festival: ‘ Prague’s Spring’. There are also twenty theatres and many old pubs, wine bars, and restaurants. There is now a modern underground, but traffic is still a problem. It is often better to walk and feel the atmosphere of the pretty little streets.

    1. Prague has a population of over_____________

A. 1,000,000 people    B. 100,000 people                       C. 10,000,000 people

    2. It is_________________in Europe

A. not the largest city   B. one of the most beautiful    C. Both A & B

    3. There are many____________in Prague

A. buildings and statues           B. concert halls                           C. Both A & B

    4. There is a famous music festival_________________

A. Once a year                         B. Once a month                          C. Twice a year

    5. The streets in Prague are________________

A. large                                    B. small                                      C. modern

Question 2: Complete the letter using the words in the box.

Dear Nick,

I'm sorry I couldn't write to you earlier because I was very busy. Now, we're (1) .............in a small hotel near a shopping area. Near my hotel, there's (2)……….. cinema, and a supermarket. There (3).................. some big shops at the end of the street. It's also very (4)................... here because there's always a lot of traffic, day and night. In my hometown, I live in a quieter street. There are some small (5)……….., a school, a post office but there isn't a cinema. The streets are narrower but they are (6).................... and there isn't so much traffic. The (7) .......................... is much fresher, too. And every house has a backyard and a front yard.

Question1:  Read, then choose the correct answers  

            Prague has the population of over one million people. It is not the biggest city in Europe, but it is certainly one of the most beautiful. People call Prague the ‘Golden City’ and the ‘ Mother of Cities’ because it has many beautiful buildings and statues. Perhaps the most popular building is the Old Town Hall with its amazing 15^th century clock. People also call Prague ‘Europe’s School of Music’. There are many concert halls, and every May there is a famous music festival: ‘ Prague’s Spring’. There are also twenty theatres and many old pubs, wine bars, and restaurants. There is now a modern underground, but traffic is still a problem. It is often better to walk and feel the atmosphere of the pretty little streets.

    1. Prague has a population of over_____________

A. 1,000,000 people    B. 100,000 people                       C. 10,000,000 people

    2. It is_________________in Europe

A. not the largest city   B. one of the most beautiful    C. Both A & B

    3. There are many____________in Prague

A. buildings and statues           B. concert halls                           C. Both A & B

    4. There is a famous music festival_________________

A. Once a year                         B. Once a month                          C. Twice a year

    5. The streets in Prague are________________

A. large                                    B. small                                      C. modern

Question 2: Complete the letter using the words in the box.

Dear Nick,

I'm sorry I couldn't write to you earlier because I was very busy. Now, we're (1) .............in a small hotel near a shopping area. Near my hotel, there's (2)……….. cinema, and a supermarket. There (3).................. some big shops at the end of the street. It's also very (4)................... here because there's always a lot of traffic, day and night. In my hometown, I live in a quieter street. There are some small (5)……….., a school, a post office but there isn't a cinema. The streets are narrower but they are (6).................... and there isn't so much traffic. The (7) .......................... is much fresher, too. And every house has a backyard and a front yard.

Fill in each blank with a word to finish the passage

California is the ......... famous state in USA. It isn't . ...... biggest state; that's Alaska. But it ...... the largest population and it's certainly the most important state ...... the U.S. economy. it's richer ........ most countries in the world. The coast has ...... of the best climates in the USA; ...... is warmer and drier than most places. Some people would also ....... it's the most beautiful! But California has some ........; Los Angeles has one of the worst crime rates ....... any US city.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 36 to 42.

   The goal of Internet-based encyclopedia Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org) is to give everyone on the planet access to information. Like other encyclopedias, Wikipedia contains lots of information: more than 2.5 million articles in 200 different languages covering just about every subject. Unlike other encyclopedias, however, Wikipedia is not written by experts, but by ordinary people. These writers are not paid and their names are not published. They contribute to Wikipedia simply because they want to share their knowledge.

   Encyclopedias began in ancient times as collections of writings about all aspects of human knowledge. The word itself comes from ancient Greek, and means “a complete general education”. Real popularity for encyclopedias came in the nineteenth century in Europe and the United States, with the publication of encyclopedias written for ordinary readers. With the invention of the CD-ROM, the same amount of information could be put on a few computer discs. Then with the Internet, it became possible to create an online encyclopedia that could be constantly updated, like Microsoft’s Encarta. However, even Internet-based encyclopedias like Encarta were written by paid experts. At first, Wikipedia, the brainchild of Jimmy Wales, a businessman in Chicago, was not so different from these. In 2001, he had the idea for an Internet-based encyclopedia that would provide information quickly and easily to everyone. Furthermore, that information would be available free, unlike other Internet encyclopedias at that time.

   But Wales, like everyone else, believed that people with special knowledge were needed to write the articles, and so he began by hiring experts. He soon changed his approach, however, as it took them a long time to finish their work. He decided to open up the encyclopedia in a radical new way, so that everyone would have access not only to the information, but also to the process of putting this information online. To do this, he used what is known as “Wiki” software (from the Hawaiian word for “fast”), which allows users to create or alter content on web page. The system is very simple: When you open the web site, you can simply search for information or you can log on to become a writer or editor of articles. If you find an article that interests you – about your hometown, for example – you can correct it or expand it. This process goes on until no one is interested in making any more changes.

Question: Wikipedia is written by___________.

A. paid written

B. millionaires

C. normal people

D. world experts

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

The goal of Internet-based encyclopedia Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org) is to give everyone on the planet access to information. Like other encyclopedias, Wikipedia contains lots of information: more than 2.5 million articles in 200 different languages covering just about every subject. Unlike other encyclopedias, however, Wikepedia is not written by experts, but by ordinary people.These writers are not paid and their names are not published. They contribute to Wikipedia simply because they want to share their knowledge.

Encyclopedias began in ancient times as collections of writings about all aspects of human knowledge. The word itself comes from ancient Greek, and means “a complete general education”. Real popularity for encyclopedias came in the nineteenth century in Europe and the United States, with the publication of encyclopedias written for ordinary readers. With the invention of the CD-ROM, the same amount of information could be put on a few computer discs. Then with the Internet, it became possible to create an online encyclopedia that could be constantly updated, like Microsoft’s Encarta. However, even Internet-based encyclopedias like Encarta were written by paid experts. At first, Wikipedia, the brainchild of Jimmy Wales, a businessman in Chicago, was not so different from these. In 2001, he had the idea for an Internet-based encyclopedia that would provide information quickly and easily to everyone. Furthermore, that information would be available free, unlike other Internet encyclopedias at that time.

But Wales, like everyone else, believed that people with special knowledge were needed to write the articles, and so he began by hiring experts. He soon changed his approach, however, as it took them a long time to finish their work. He decided to open up the encyclopedia in a radical new way, so that everyone would have access not only to the information, but also to the process of putting this information online. To do this, he used what is known as “Wiki” software (from the Hawaiian word for “fast”), which allows users to create or alter content on web page. The system is very simple: When you open the web site, you can simply search for information or you can log on to become a writer or editor of articles. If you find an article that interests you – about your hometown, for example – you can correct it or expand it. This process goes on until no one is interested in making any more changes.

The word “approach” in the third paragraph of the passage means____. 

A. idea

B. time

C. method

D. writing