A
If you live in Washington D. C. or Redwood, Calif. , you may have glimpsed a small, boxy robot rolling along a local sidewalk, minding its own business, but attracting the attention of many a curious onlooker.
The robots, which look like electric rice cookers with wheels, were part of a pilot program last year by Starship Technologies focused on delivering meals from local restaurants in dozens of cities around the world.
This week, the company revealed plans to broaden its delivery service beyond food to include packages, a move that made it “the world’s first robot package delivery service”. The package delivery service is only available in some cities in the US.
The wheeled robots have a top speed of 4 mph and can detect barriers from as far as 30 feet away. “The robot can operate through just about anything, ” says Nick Handrick, head of operations for Starship’s D. C. office, “If you have something in the way, it’s able to climb it. ” By giving customers control of when deliveries occur, Starship Technologies is promoting its service as a way to combat package theft.
To sign up for the service, which costs a little more than $10 per month, customers need to download the company’s app. Customers then create a “Starship Delivery Address”, a unique address inside a Starship facility, instead of a home address, where they can have packages sent from places such as Amazon. com.
Once a package is delivered to the Starship address, customers receive a text notice that allows them to schedule a home delivery via robots. The robots are opened by customers with a mobile phone code (代码).
【文章大意】本文为说明文。文章主要讲了在美国的一些城市, 包裹可以由机器人运送了。
1. What do we know about Starship Technologies company?
A. Packages are delivered by its robots all round America.
B. Its robots have taken on package delivery for a long time.
C. It is the first to provide robot package delivery service.
D. Its delivery service is the best of all in the world.
【解析】选C。细节理解题。根据第三段This week, the company revealed plans to broaden its delivery service beyond food to include packages, a move that made it “the world’s first robot package delivery service”. (本周, 该公司公布了将送货服务从食品扩展到包裹的计划, 此举使其成为“世界上第一家送货机器人”。)由此可知星际飞船技术公司是第一家提供机器人包裹递送服务的公司, 故选C。
2. What does the underlined word “combat” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
A. Delay. B. Prevent.
C. Report. D. Discover.
【解析】选B。词义猜测题。由第四段By giving customers control of when deliveries occur(通过让客户控制何时发货), 可以推断出下文Starship Technologies is promoting its service as a way to combat package theft. 的意思是星际飞船技术公司正在提升其服务, 作为一种打击包裹盗窃的方式。combat意思是“防止”。故选B。
3. What can we learn about robot package delivery service?
A. Customers can’t open the robots without a mobile phone code.
B. Starship Delivery Address is the customer’s home address.
C. Customers have to pay a little more than $10 each time.
D. Robots themselves have control over when to deliver packages.
【解析】选A。推理判断题。根据最后一段The robots are opened by customers with a mobile phone code (这些机器人由顾客用手机代码打开), 可知没有手机代码, 顾客无法打开机器人, 故选A。
4. What may be the best title for the passage?
A. Robot Delivery Service Is Taking Off
B. Humans Are Being Replaced by Robots
C. Everything Can Be Done by Robots
D. Packages Can Be Delivered by Robots
【解析】选D。主旨大意题。第三段This week, the company revealed plans to broaden its delivery service beyond food to include packages, a move that made it “the world’s first robot package delivery service”. 是全文的主题句, 结合全文内容, 可知这篇文章主要讲了在美国的一些城市, 包裹可以由机器人运送了。故选D。
【知识拓展】长难句分析
By giving customers control of when deliveries occur, Starship Technologies is promoting its service as a way to combat package theft.
分析: 本句为简单句, By giving customers control of when deliveries occur, 是介词短语作状语, 其中when引导的句子作介词of的宾语从句; to combat package theft作a way的定语。
翻译: 通过让顾客控制什么时候投送快递, 星际飞船技术公司正在提升其服务, 作为一种打击包裹盗窃的方式。
