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text one
Robotic Highway Cones
A University of Nebraska professor has developed robotic cones and barrels. These robotic cones and barrels can move out of the way, or into__________(51), from computer commands made miles away. They can even be programmed to move on their own at any particular part of the day, said Shane Farritor, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Nebraska.
For example, if workers arrived at 6 am, the cones could move from the side of the highway to__________(52) off the lane at that time. And they can return to the __________ (53) place at the end of the day. "It just seems like a very good application for robots." Farritor said. " The robotic cones would also help__________ (54) people from hazardous jobs on the highway putting barrels and cones into place," Farritor said in a report on his creation.
Work on the idea began in 2002 using a National Academy of Sciences grant. The__________(55)allowed Farritor to work on the project with graduate students at Nebraska and his assistant Steve Goddard.
The robots are placed at the bottom of the cones and barrels and are __________ (56) enough not to greatly change the appearance of the construction aides. "It would look exactly the same, "Farritor said. " __________ (57) there's a kind of rubbery, black base to them. We replace that__________ (58) a robot."
Farritor has talked with officials from the Nebraska Department of Roads about how the robots would be most __________ (59) to what they might need.
The robots could come in handy following a slow-moving maintenance operation, like painting a stripe on a road or moving asphalt,__________(60) now the barrels have to be picked up and moved as the operation__________(61). " That way you don't have to block offa 10-mile stripfor the operation," Farritor said.
__________(62) prototypes have been made, they are not in use anywhere. Farritor said he has__________ (63) for a patent and is considering what to do next. He is thinking about starting a small business. He is also thinking about(64) the robots to roads departments and others across the country who may(65) from them.
51. A. work
B. place
C. order
D. action
52. A. block
B. cut
C. set
D. turn
53. A. clean
B. important
C. entire
D. original
54. A. employ
B. observe
C. remove
D. instruct
55. A. idea
B. report
C. demand
D. fund
56. A. helpful
B. beautiful
C. small
D. huge
57. A. Kindly
B. Normally
C. Greatly
D. Strangely
58. A. at
B. on
C. in
D. with
59. A. related
B. Typical
C. useful
D. visible
60. A. why
B. Where
C. when
D. what
61. A. proceeds
B. Functions
C. finishes
D. improves
62. A. If
B. While
C. Since
D. Because
63. A. applied
B. asked
C. called
D. argued
64. A. saving
B. marketing
C. moving
D. devising
65. A. benefit
B. protect
C. learn
D. inspire
text two
Obesity Causes Global Warming
The list of ills attributable to obesity keeps growing: Last week, obese people were accused of causing global warming.
This__________(51) comes from Sheldon Jacobson of the University of Illinois, US, and a doctoral student, Laura McLay. Their study__________ (52) how much extra gasoline is needed to haul fat Americans around. The answer, they say, is a billion gallons of gas per year. It__________(53) an extra 11 million tons of carbon dioxide.
There has been__________(54) for taxes on junk food in recent years. US economist Martin Schmidt suggests a tax on fast food__________(55) to people's cars." We tax cigarettes partly because of their health cost," Schmidt said. "Similarly, leading a lazy life style will end __________ (56) costing taxpayers more."
US political scientist Eric Oliver said his first instinct was to laugh at these gas and fast food arguments. But such__________(57) are getting attention.
At the US Obesity Society's annual meeting, one person__________(58) obesity with car accident deaths, and another correlated obesity with suicides. No one asked whether there was really a cause-and-effect relationship. "The funny thing was that everyone took it __________ (59)."Oliver said.
In a 1960s study, children were__________(60) drawings of children with disabilities and without them, and a drawing of an obese child. They were asked__________(61) they would want for a friend? The obese child was picked last.
Three researchers recently repeated the study__________(62) college students. Once again,__________ (63) no one, not even obese people, liked the obese person. "Obesity was stigmatized." The researchers said.
But, researchers say, getting __________ (64) is not like quitting smoking. People struggle to stop smoking, and, in the end, many succeed. Obesity is different. But, not because obese people don't care. Science has shown that they have limited personal control over their s also __________ (65) a part.
