传统阅读—主旨大意题 典题精讲 （一） 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 didnt 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(操纵杆). 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 weve 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. 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. （二） Everyone's at it, even my neighbors. I thought I might be the only person left in the world who hadn't done an eBay deal. So, I decided to try my hand at online auction(网上拍卖). 　Buying for beginners: Sign up on www. ehay. co. uk. Most items (e.g. tables, computers, and books) ready for auction will come with a picture and a short description; others may be marked with Buy It Now and have a fixed price. You can buy these right away. If the item is being auctioned, you offer the highest price you are prepared to pay and eBay bids ( 出价) for you. The bid will be increased little by little until it goes beyond your highest bid, then you are emailed and asked if you would like to bid again. Auctions last up to 10days and when they finish you get an email telling you whether you have won the item. How to pay: Sellers decide how they would like to be paid and you need to check this before placing a bid as you might not want to post a cheque or postal orders. The easiest way is through PayPal, an online payment system that takes the money away from your credit card (信用). Selling made simple: If you plan to sell on eBay, it helps to include a picture of the item. I followed my friends' advice and put up the items I wanted to sell for a 10-day auction, starring on a Thursday. This way buyers had two weekends to bid. The big things in life: It' s easy to post a small item, but furniture is a big part of eBay and this has to be collected or sent by deliverymen. Check the ways of delivery before you bid. 2. What is the passage mainly about? 　A. How to make payment online. 　C. Advantages of an online-auction system. B. Ways of making delivery online D. How to use an online-auction system. （三） In the face of the tensions and pressures we all face every single day, a sense of humor can be helpful. The ability to laugh is very important to our fullest development and to our “mental health”. And if we can laugh at ourselves, we’re even further along the road to self-fulfillment. Consider the following example. Gordon is hoping to become a professional singer. He has a good voice, and has performed in public many times. But he’s very sensitive about his abilities. For instance, if his voice coach suggests he practice a particular song a few more times until he gets it right, Gordon falls apart, absolutely certain that the coach is implying that he isn’t any good and he has no future in mu