北师大版初中英语八年级下册备战中考 Unit 1综合测试卷

— Once a week.

— Sorry, sir! The traffic today is much ________________ than before.

—I'm sorry, but my father and I planned _________ Beijing a long time ago.

—Why not give them away to poor children?

— He asked ________________.

    I have invented robots which improve the work of cars. My love of making things began when 1 was a kid. I really became excited about inventing after I learned about Thomas Edison.

    One day in the fourth grade, our1gave us a project in class. We had to write to a company and learn about the products. I thought and thought.2I chose the Thomas A. Edison Company. Soon after, the company sent me a book about the life of Thomas Edison. How I enjoyed reading and re-reading about his3! I like the recorder and the electric light most. The inventions were clearly printed in my brain.

    My dad noticed my interest in inventing and4me. He showed me how to turn my ideas into plans and then into new things. Once, I surprised my dad with a model plane I made. Later, we found a5model plane in a store. I learned that different inventors often invent similar things. It is not unusual for this to happen. I also learned that not all great ideas6.Failure is a7part of the inventing.

    As my father and I worked together. I began to realise that my dad was quite an inventor himself. He was always looking for a better way to do a simple job. His guiding hands, together with my8in inventing. led me to become an engineer and an inventor of course, I also thank Thomas Edison. He is my hero.

    We all know that many inventions have changed our life a lot. They play important roles in our daily life. Here are some interesting inventions.

Morpher

    People refuse to wear helmets because they're thick and heavy. Morpher is a bike helmet made of plastic. It is just as strong as traditional helmets, but it can be folded almost completely flat, making it easier to carry. Morpher may be available for sale in stores in the near future.

HyperAdapt

    Have you ever seen the movie Back to the Future? Maybe everyone wants the pair of shoes in the movie that can tighten or loosen by themselves. Now. thanks to the Shoe Factory, the dream is realised. When you push a button on the shoe, HyperAdapt can tighten or loosen around the feet.

Flyte

    Flyte is a light bulb that can float (飘浮) and turn. Flyte has been popular with most people since it came out in January. The company also introduced a lot of similar products, including a planter, Lyfe. Which came out in June.

Little Printer

    It looks lovely and is called Little Printer. This machine can print news headlines, riddles and other things on a roll (卷) of paper. If you want to make your own little newspaper, don't forget to use it.

    Jack and Betty Williams are going through some difficult times. They were both laid off from their jobs last month. As the days go by, they're becoming more and more worried about their futures, since Jack hasn't been able to find another job yet, and neither has Betty.

    The lay-offs weren't a surprise to Jack and Betty. After all, in the USA Jack's company hadn't been doing very well for a long time, and neither had Betty's. However, Jack had never expected both of them to be laid off at the same time, and Betty hadn't either. Ever since they have been laid off, Jack and Betty have been trying to find new jobs. Unfortunately, she hasn't been very successful, and he hasn't either.

    The main reason they're having trouble finding work is that there simply aren't many jobs available (可获得的) right now. He can't find anything in the wanted ads, and neither can she. She hasn't heard about any jobs opening, and he hasn't either. His friends haven't been able to help at all, and neither have hers.

    Another reason they're having trouble finding work is that they don't seem to have the right kind of skills and training. He doesn't know anything about computers, and she doesn't either. She can't type very well, and neither can he. He hasn't had any special vocational (职业的) training, and she hasn't either.

    Despite all their problems, Jack and Betty aren't completely discouraged (灰心的). She doesn't have a very pessimistic (悲观的) outlook on life, and neither does he. They're both hopeful that things will get better soon.

    A scientist named Charles had a strange idea. He wanted to invent a new kind of car which could go without a driver. It could also be used as a living room. That means you can go anywhere on your sofa in the car. You might say that it's impossible. But Charles succeeded in making it in a factory and named it Tridika.

    Tridika has no wheels and it starts working when it reaches the magnetic levitation tracks (磁悬浮轨道). It takes its energy from the tracks and it works in the same way as a magnetic train. It moves very fast. As everyone knows, cities are developing rapidly. There are more and more cars running on the road. So parking space is limited. Sometimes it's hard to find a place to park (停车). Tridika can solve this problem easily because it needn't park on the ground. Actually, it can park on the outside wall of the building with the help of an elevator system (电梯系统). In this way, much parking space can be saved. When Tridika parks itself in front of your apartment, you can get into your room directly. Of course, there must be a side door in the outside wall. Then Tridika becomes another living room. It's really amazing, isn't it?

    Tridika can hold six passengers. So you can go on vacation in it with your family in your free time. Of course it can also be used as an office while you are travelling on the road. That is to say, you can travel and work at the same time.

Robotic Pets

    I am going to predict how people are going to be with future technology in their life. I think robotic pets are going to be increasingly popular as the technology develops. At least I am going to build what I think is a strong case for this prediction.

    From a neurological point of view, I do not see anything in the way to people bonding fully with robotic pets. The human brain can attach (赋予) emotions to things and respond to emotional signaling. Being alive is simply not required. From how objects move, our brains infer that they are able to act with their own will and purpose. If they move in a way that cannot be explained simply as passive (被动的) movement, then they must be moving on their own. Therefore, they can connect to the emotional centres in our brains. We either fear them, or love them, or hunger for them, or whatever. We can respond emotionally with cartoon creatures, with animals, and yes, even with robots. Our brains treat things that act alive as if they are alive — no different.

    One of the opposite points that people often bring up is that they love the way their pets behave, not just look. This gets to AI, which has been developing at a fast pace. We have AI that can beat world masters in chess and go. I have no doubt we can build AI to mimic (模仿) the behaviour of dogs and cats, if not now then probably within a generation.

    So we will have no problem fully emotionally bonding with a robotic pet. But this doesn't mean we would prefer such a pet. One argument against robotic pets is that they will be expensive compared to a live pet- but this is likely not to be true forever. Living pets need to be fed, and they need at least basic medical care, and they may need to be boarded at times. Also, people spend hundreds of dollars on pets, or thousands of dollars on pure bred species. Robotic pets will finally cost less in total than biological ones.

    But let's get to the real reason people will prefer robotic pets at last. The possibilities for building in useful technology are endless. An advanced robotic pet could also serve as a defensive and alarm system. You could recharge your cell phone off their batteries. They could be a walking cell phone. They would be excellent companions for the elder, affording them more independence for longer. This in itself would be a huge cost saving-anything that keeps people out of a nursing home is cost-effective.

    Imagination is really the only limitation, once you have the basics of a working robot. When the technology crosses a certain limit, this will be a thing. Future generations may consider keeping a living animal in your home as primitive (原始的) and cruel. They may have a point.

Mechanical Engineering

    Do you like to build with blocks? Have you ever wondered how planes stay in the air? Do you like to design and create new things? If you do, a career (职业) in mechanical engineering might be right for you!

    A mechanical engineer is responsible for coming up with and designing mechanical systems. Mechanical systems can include the machine design, the heating and cooling equipment, and the product design.

    Mechanical engineers are in high need right now. There are a lot of job openings for mechanical engineers, but there aren't enough people to fill those jobs. Because there is a high need for engineers and the work requires specialised knowledge , engineers get paid more than some other careers.

    To be a mechanical engineer, you need to graduate from college with a bachelor's (学士) degree. In college, you will learn problem solving and critical thinking skills.

    Problem solving is very important in the field of mechanical engineering. To come up with the best solution to a problem, mechanical engineers need to think in different ways. They also need to be creative, because they may need to make something that's never been made before. Paying attention to details (细节) is important as well. Many designs depend on a lot of little details.

    Mechanical engineers also need to be able to use different tools, such as calculators, high-speed cameras, and computers. There are many computer programmes mechanical engineers use to create designs, run scenarios (方案) ,and do research.

    As with many other jobs, mechanical engineers should be able to meet deadlines (最后期限) and work well with other people. Some jobs can be done with just one person, but more often mechanical engineers work on a team to complete a project. If an engineer cannot manage his or her time well and misses a deadline, the whole team will get delayed (拖延).

    Some engineers work in an office, and some travel to different worksites while a machine or product is being built. So they can help solve any problems.

    Mechanical engineering takes a lot of thought. It is a great career for people who like to make objects and machines work, solve problems, and be creative!

为了更好地指导学生使用网络，学校正在举办“我与互联网”的征文活动。请用英文写一篇短文投稿，谈谈你经常用互联网做哪些事，以及关于使用网络,你有哪些建议。

提示词语：Internet, convenient, helpful, chat, knowledge

提示问题：●What do you often do on the Internet?

●What are your suggestions for using the Internet?