TOKYOJAPAN--Whatdoyoudowhenyouseeacockroach(蟑螂)?Doyouhititwithanewspaper?Doyousteponit?
WhenresearchersatTokyoUniversityseeacockroachtheytaketheremotecontrolandmakethecockroachturnaroundrunleftorrightorgoforward.Thesescientistsarechangingthecockroachesintorobots.Eachcockroachhasaverysmallpackthathasinitamicroprocessor(微处理器).Thenresearcherscansendsignalsfromtheremotecontroltothepack.Thesignalscontrolthemovementsofthecockroaches.
Whydoesanyonewanttocontrolacockroach?“Insectscandomanythingsthatpeoplecan’t”saysIsaoShimoyamaheadofrobotresearchatTokyoUniversity.Inafewyearshesaystheserobotinsectswillcarryverysmallcameras.Theywillbeabletomovethroughearthquakerubble(瓦砾)tolookforpeopleormoveunderdoorstofindinformationaboutsomeone.
ThismayseemstrangebuttheJapanesegovernmentthinkstheresearchisveryimportant.Thegovernmentisgivingthescientists$5millionforthisresearch.
Firsttheresearchersbreed(培育)hundredsofcockroaches.TheyuseonlytheAmericancockroachbecauseitisbiggerandstrongerthanothercockroaches.Thentheychoosethebestcockroachesandremovetheirwingsandantennae(触须).Theyputsmallpackswheretheantennaewere.Thepacksweighaboutthreegramsorabouttwotimestheweightofthecockroachesthemselves.“Cockroachesareverystrong”saysRalphHolzerwhoisaresearcheratTokyoUniversity.“Theycanlift20timestheirownweight.”
Witharemotecontrolthescientistssendsignalstothepacks.Whenacockroachgetsthesignalitmoves.Theproblemisthatthecockroachesdon’talwaysmoveintherightdirection.
【小题1】Thescientistsarechangingthecockroachesintorobotsbecause______.
A.theywantcockroachestodothingspeoplecan’tinthefutureB.theywanttocontrolthemovementsofthecockroachesC.theywantcockroachestotakephotosoftheearthquakesD.theywanttosendsignalstothepacksonthecockroaches【小题2】Whatcancockroachesdotohelppeople?A.Theycanlift20timestheirownweight.B.Theycanhelppeoplet