Washington Irving was America's first man of letters to be known internationally. His works were received enthusiastically both in England and in the United States. He was, in fact, one of the most successful writers of his time in either country, delighting a large general public and at the same time winning the admiration of fellow writers like Scott in Britain and Poe and Hawthorne in the United States. The respect in which he was held was partly owing to the man himself, with his warm friendliness, his good sense, his politeness, his gay spirits, his artistic integrity, his love of both the Old World and the New World. Thackery described Irving as"a gentleman, who, though himself born in no very high sphere, was most finished, polished, witty; socially the equal of the most refined Europeans". In England he was granted an honorary degree from Oxford—an unusual honor for a citizen of a young, uncultured nation—and he received the medal of the Royal Society of Literature; America made him ambassador to Spain. Irving's background provides little to explain his literary achievements. A gifted but delicate child, he had little schooling. He studied law, but without zeal, and never did practice seriously. He was immune to his strict Presbyterian(长老会教徒的)home environment, frequenting both social gatherings and the theater.
What is the most proper comment on Irving?
A. His works were very popular in England and the United States.
B. He was respected by many fellow writers.
C. He gained international fame by his personality and his works.
D. He is a gentleman.
An old man working in the station in the evening was______hurt by a bottle thrown by some
A. accidentally
B. casually
C. occasionally
D. carelessly
Bionics is a recently developed branch of science, which has tremendous potential for improving the life of mankind in our contemporary society. Bionics can be described as the study of systems in living creatures and the application of the knowledge gained from this study to the improvement of various kinds of man-made systems. The term bionics was coined around 1960, and much of what is known about the science of bionics has been discovered since about 1970.
Some researchers recently have studied the eyes of the common frogs and have discovered that a frog's eyes only find moving things such as insect-shaped objects and large, threatening objects. As a result of studying the eyes of frogs, scientists have constructed a simple electronic model of a frog's eyes which can track airplanes circling above an airport and then provide information to computer-run air traffic control systems. Someday such electronic eyes may provide the means to automatically guide automobiles by providing information about objects moving toward the automobile. Other scientists have studied the compound eyes of some insects and crabs and have built a seeing machine that is a simple model of the horseshoe crab eye.
The hearing of a number of creatures also has been studied extensively so that hearing machines can be developed. Bats have unusual hearing which can extend into the ultrasonic (超声的) range. The dolphin also has been studied extensively, and dolphins are able to navigate through water extremely effectively. Radar and sonar(声 纳) systems which are used to help ships and planes navigate have been based on the sonar systems of both bats and dolphins.
Which of the following could be the best title?
A. Electronic Eyes
B. The Science of Bionics
C. Sonar Systems
D. The Hearing of Some Creatures
They liked the Sligachan Inn because______.
A. it was at the foot of the mountains
B. they enjoyed mountain climbing
C. the food and service were good
D. it was a beautiful and quiet place