Ghostrider
The resources of teams like TerraMax or Carnegie Mellon University, which has two vehicles in the race this year, are a far cry from those of some of the other competitors, including inventors, electricians, and even a high school team.
One entry, from a Southern California team of engineers, racers, and hot-rodders, is called It Came From the Garage. It has a beer keg(小桶)stuck on the back and an on-off switch that says "brain."
"Most of the schools and organizations we're up against are just accessorizing conventional vehicles," said team leader Chris "C.J." Pedersen, a former actor. "Our [vehicle] is a custom-built, 21st-century hot rod... complete with hood scoop and exhaust coming off the side."
Anthony Levandowski, a robotics builder from Berkeley, California, is back with Ghostrider, the only motorcycle robot in the qualifications. Studded with sensors and computers, it toppled (翻倒)over after 3 feet (1 meter) in last year's race.
Levandowski, who had to postpone his graduate studies when he couldn't find a faculty advisor who believed it would be possible to build the motorcycle robot, says his vehicle has some distinct advantages.
"We're smaller and go a lot more places," he said while tinkering with the robot before another trial run. "We're also a lot less expensive. This bike costs as much as a tire or a wheel of some of these other guys' machines."
Smart Money
Neither Ghostrider nor It Came From the Garage made the final cut this week's qualifying races.
However, another crowd-pleaser, Cajunbot—or the Ragin' Cajun—a converted all-terrain vehicle developed by a team from the University of Louisiana in Lafayette, did.
The smart money in Saturday's race may be on Stanley, a converted Volkswagen Touareg made by a team at California's Stanford University. It was the only vehicle that didn't hit an obstacle in the trial runs.
Even if none of the vehicles finishes the race this year, DARPA's Kurjanowicz said, the event has succeeded in galvanizing robotics developers and pushing the creation of new technologies.
"The beauty of the Grand Challenge is that it doesn't tell people how to solve the problem," he said. "The community has come up with its own elegant solutions."
1. The passage mainly describes the advantages and disadvantages of robot car races.
2. Last year's robot race in Nevada was a great success.
3. It is a surprise that up to 43 teams came for this year's race called the Grand Challenge.
4. The Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency(DARPA) is sponsoring the race.
5. The aim of the Grand Challenge is to spur development of autonomous ground vehicles.
6. Ghostrider and It Came From the Garage both made the final cut at this week's qualifying races.
7. TerraMax will finish the race and win the grand prize of two million U.S. dollars.
8. The obstacles on the Fontana qualification course are made to resemble the ________________.
9. The only motorcycle robot in the qualifications is ________________.
10. The only vehicle that didn't hit an obstacle in the trial runs is ________________.
Part III Listening Comprehension (35 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked [A], [B], [C] and [D], and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
11. [A] At the department store. [C] In the restaurant.
[B] At the office. [D] In the drug store.
12. [A] The man shouldn't expect her to go along.
[B] She doesn't think she has enough money.
[C] She'll go even though the movie is bad.
[D] The man should count the number of people going.
13. [A] She wasn't really studying.
[B] She hadn't finished writing her articles.
[C] She had furnished her house.
[D] She could write beautifully.
14. [A] The problem may have been a very complicated one.
[B] No one can do it.
[C] The woman thinks that the problem is too easy.
[D] The man can solve the problem himself.
15. [A] The janitor is too busy to do his work.
[B] The sanitary conditions of an apartment.
[C] The relationship between the janitor and the two speakers.
[D] The architecture of a building.
16. [A] He can't tear either piece of cloth. [C] The pieces of cloth are made by a secret process.
[B] He wants part of each piece of cloth. [D] The pieces of cloth seem identical to him.
17. [A] Tuesday. [C] Thursday.
[B] Wednesday. [D] Friday.
18. [A] A photographer's camera. [C] A movie camera.
[B] A television camera. [D] The man's own camera.
Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
19. [A] Memories of a recent storm. [C] Weather patterns that can affect Florida.
[B] How strong winds develop into a hurricane. [D] Planning a summer vacation.
20. [A] Late summer is sunny season. [C] Late summer is rainy season.
[B] Late summer is hurricane season. [D] Late summer is cloudy season.
21. [A] Wind speed. [C] Water temperature.
[B] Rainfall. [D] Direction of approach.
22. [A] By name. [C] By location.
[B] By number. [D] By month.
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