Can a small group of drones（无人机）guarantee the safety and reliability of railways and,at the same time, help railway operators save billions of euros each year? That is the very likely future of applying today's "eyes in the sky" technology to making sure that the millions of
kilometres of rail tracks and infrastructure（基础设施）worldwide are safe for trains on a 24/7 basis.
Drones are already being used to examine high-tension electrical lines. They could do precisely the same thing to inspect railway lines and other vital aspects of rail infrastructure such as the correct position of railway tracks and switching points. The more regularly they can be
inspected, the more railway safety, reliability and on-time performance will be improved. Costs would be cut and operations would be more efficient（高效）across the board.
That includes huge savings in maintenance costs and better protection of railway personnel safety. It is calculated that European railways alone spend approximately 20 billion euros a year on maintenance, including sending maintenance staff, often at night, to inspect and repair the rail
infrastructure. That can be dangerous work that could be avoided with drones assisting the crews'efforts.
By using the latest technologies, drones could also start providing higher-value services for railways, detecting faults in the rail or switches, before they can cause any safety problems. To perform these tasks, drones for rail don't need to be flying overhead. Engineers are now working
on a new concept: the rail drones of the future. They will be moving on the track ahead of the train,
and programmed to run autonomously. Very small drones with advanced sensors and AI and travelling ahead of the train could guide it like a co-pilot. With their ability to see ahead, they could signal any problem, so that fast-moving trains would be able to react in time.
What does "maintenance" underlined in paragraph 3 refer to?
Can a small group of drones（无人机）guarantee the safety and reliability of railways and,at the same time, help railway operators save billions of euros each year? That is the very likely future of applying today's "eyes in the sky" technology to making sure that the millions of
kilometres of rail tracks and infrastructure（基础设施）worldwide are safe for trains on a 24/7 basis.
Drones are already being used to examine high-tension electrical lines. They could do precisely the same thing to inspect railway lines and other vital aspects of rail infrastructure such as the correct position of railway tracks and switching points. The more regularly they can be
inspected, the more railway safety, reliability and on-time performance will be improved. Costs would be cut and operations would be more efficient（高效）across the board.
That includes huge savings in maintenance costs and better protection of railway personnel safety. It is calculated that European railways alone spend approximately 20 billion euros a year on maintenance, including sending maintenance staff, often at night, to inspect and repair the rail
infrastructure. That can be dangerous work that could be avoided with drones assisting the crews'efforts.
By using the latest technologies, drones could also start providing higher-value services for railways, detecting faults in the rail or switches, before they can cause any safety problems. To perform these tasks, drones for rail don't need to be flying overhead. Engineers are now working
on a new concept: the rail drones of the future. They will be moving on the track ahead of the train,
and programmed to run autonomously. Very small drones with advanced sensors and AI and travelling ahead of the train could guide it like a co-pilot. With their ability to see ahead, they could signal any problem, so that fast-moving trains would be able to react in time.
What does "maintenance" underlined in paragraph 3 refer to?
Can a small group of drones（无人机）guarantee the safety and reliability of railways and,at the same time, help railway operators save billions of euros each year? That is the very likely future of applying today's "eyes in the sky" technology to making sure that the millions of
kilometres of rail tracks and infrastructure（基础设施）worldwide are safe for trains on a 24/7 basis.
Drones are already being used to examine high-tension electrical lines. They could do precisely the same thing to inspect railway lines and other vital aspects of rail infrastructure such as the correct position of railway tracks and switching points. The more regularly they can be
inspected, the more railway safety, reliability and on-time performance will be improved. Costs would be cut and operations would be more efficient（高效）across the board.
That includes huge savings in maintenance costs and better protection of railway personnel safety. It is calculated that European railways alone spend approximately 20 billion euros a year on maintenance, including sending maintenance staff, often at night, to inspect and repair the rail
infrastructure. That can be dangerous work that could be avoided with drones assisting the crews'efforts.
By using the latest technologies, drones could also start providing higher-value services for railways, detecting faults in the rail or switches, before they can cause any safety problems. To perform these tasks, drones for rail don't need to be flying overhead. Engineers are now working
on a new concept: the rail drones of the future. They will be moving on the track ahead of the train,
and programmed to run autonomously. Very small drones with advanced sensors and AI and travelling ahead of the train could guide it like a co-pilot. With their ability to see ahead, they could signal any problem, so that fast-moving trains would be able to react in time.
What makes the application of drones to rail lines possible?
In 1916, two girls of wealthy families, best friends from Auburn, N. Y.—Dorothy Woodruff and Rosamond Underwood—traveled to a settlement in the Rocky Mountains to teach in a oneroom schoolhouse. The girls had gone to Smith College. They wore expensive clothes. So for them to move to Elkhead, Colo. to instruct the children whose shoes were held together with string was a surprise. Their stay in Elkhead is the subject of Nothing Daunted: The Unexpected Education of Two Society Girls in the West by Dorothy Wickenden, who is a magazine editor and Dorothy Woodruff's granddaughter.
Why did they go then? Well, they wanted to do something useful. Soon, however, theyrealized what they had undertaken.
They moved in with a local family, the Harrisons, and, like them, had little privacy, rare baths, and a blanket of snow on their quilt when they woke up in the morning. Some mornings,Rosamond and Dorothy would arrive at the schoolhouse to find the children weeping from the
cold. In spring, the snow was replaced by mud over ice.
In Wickenden's book, she expanded on the history of the West and also on feminism, which of course influenced the girls' decision to go to Elkhead. A hair-raising section concerns the building of the railroads, which entailed（牵涉）drilling through the Rockies, often in blinding
snowstorms. The book ends with Rosamond and Dorothy's return to Auburn.
Wickenden is a very good storyteller. The sweep of the land and the stoicism（坚忍）of the people move her to some beautiful writing. Here is a picture of Dorothy Woodruff, on her horse,looking down from a hill top: "When the sun slipped behind the mountains, it shed a rosy glow all
around them. Then a full moon rose. The snow was marked only by small animals: foxes, coyotes,mice, and varying hares, which turned white in the winter."
What is the text?
In 1916, two girls of wealthy families, best friends from Auburn, N. Y.—Dorothy Woodruff and Rosamond Underwood—traveled to a settlement in the Rocky Mountains to teach in a oneroom schoolhouse. The girls had gone to Smith College. They wore expensive clothes. So for them to move to Elkhead, Colo. to instruct the children whose shoes were held together with string was a surprise. Their stay in Elkhead is the subject of Nothing Daunted: The Unexpected Education of Two Society Girls in the West by Dorothy Wickenden, who is a magazine editor and Dorothy Woodruff's granddaughter.
Why did they go then? Well, they wanted to do something useful. Soon, however, theyrealized what they had undertaken.
They moved in with a local family, the Harrisons, and, like them, had little privacy, rare baths, and a blanket of snow on their quilt when they woke up in the morning. Some mornings,Rosamond and Dorothy would arrive at the schoolhouse to find the children weeping from the
cold. In spring, the snow was replaced by mud over ice.
In Wickenden's book, she expanded on the history of the West and also on feminism, which of course influenced the girls' decision to go to Elkhead. A hair-raising section concerns the building of the railroads, which entailed（牵涉）drilling through the Rockies, often in blinding
snowstorms. The book ends with Rosamond and Dorothy's return to Auburn.
Wickenden is a very good storyteller. The sweep of the land and the stoicism（坚忍）of the people move her to some beautiful writing. Here is a picture of Dorothy Woodruff, on her horse,looking down from a hill top: "When the sun slipped behind the mountains, it shed a rosy glow all
around them. Then a full moon rose. The snow was marked only by small animals: foxes, coyotes,mice, and varying hares, which turned white in the winter."
Which part of Wickenden's writing is hair-raising?
In 1916, two girls of wealthy families, best friends from Auburn, N. Y.—Dorothy Woodruff and Rosamond Underwood—traveled to a settlement in the Rocky Mountains to teach in a oneroom schoolhouse. The girls had gone to Smith College. They wore expensive clothes. So for them to move to Elkhead, Colo. to instruct the children whose shoes were held together with string was a surprise. Their stay in Elkhead is the subject of Nothing Daunted: The Unexpected Education of Two Society Girls in the West by Dorothy Wickenden, who is a magazine editor and Dorothy Woodruff's granddaughter.
Why did they go then? Well, they wanted to do something useful. Soon, however, theyrealized what they had undertaken.
They moved in with a local family, the Harrisons, and, like them, had little privacy, rare baths, and a blanket of snow on their quilt when they woke up in the morning. Some mornings,Rosamond and Dorothy would arrive at the schoolhouse to find the children weeping from the
cold. In spring, the snow was replaced by mud over ice.
In Wickenden's book, she expanded on the history of the West and also on feminism, which of course influenced the girls' decision to go to Elkhead. A hair-raising section concerns the building of the railroads, which entailed（牵涉）drilling through the Rockies, often in blinding
snowstorms. The book ends with Rosamond and Dorothy's return to Auburn.
Wickenden is a very good storyteller. The sweep of the land and the stoicism（坚忍）of the people move her to some beautiful writing. Here is a picture of Dorothy Woodruff, on her horse,looking down from a hill top: "When the sun slipped behind the mountains, it shed a rosy glow all
around them. Then a full moon rose. The snow was marked only by small animals: foxes, coyotes,mice, and varying hares, which turned white in the winter."
What can we learn about the girls from paragraph 3?
In 1916, two girls of wealthy families, best friends from Auburn, N. Y.—Dorothy Woodruff and Rosamond Underwood—traveled to a settlement in the Rocky Mountains to teach in a oneroom schoolhouse. The girls had gone to Smith College. They wore expensive clothes. So for them to move to Elkhead, Colo. to instruct the children whose shoes were held together with string was a surprise. Their stay in Elkhead is the subject of Nothing Daunted: The Unexpected Education of Two Society Girls in the West by Dorothy Wickenden, who is a magazine editor and Dorothy Woodruff's granddaughter.
Why did they go then? Well, they wanted to do something useful. Soon, however, theyrealized what they had undertaken.
They moved in with a local family, the Harrisons, and, like them, had little privacy, rare baths, and a blanket of snow on their quilt when they woke up in the morning. Some mornings,Rosamond and Dorothy would arrive at the schoolhouse to find the children weeping from the
cold. In spring, the snow was replaced by mud over ice.
In Wickenden's book, she expanded on the history of the West and also on feminism, which of course influenced the girls' decision to go to Elkhead. A hair-raising section concerns the building of the railroads, which entailed（牵涉）drilling through the Rockies, often in blinding
snowstorms. The book ends with Rosamond and Dorothy's return to Auburn.
Wickenden is a very good storyteller. The sweep of the land and the stoicism（坚忍）of the people move her to some beautiful writing. Here is a picture of Dorothy Woodruff, on her horse,looking down from a hill top: "When the sun slipped behind the mountains, it shed a rosy glow all
around them. Then a full moon rose. The snow was marked only by small animals: foxes, coyotes,mice, and varying hares, which turned white in the winter."
Why did Dorothy and Rosamond go to the Rocky Mountains?
Henry Raeburn（1756-1823）
The Exhibition
This exhibition of some sixty masterpieces celebrating the life and work of Scotland's best loved painter, Sir Henry Raeburn, comes to London. Selected from collections throughout the world, it is the first major exhibition of his work to be held in over forty years.
Lecture Series
Scottish National Portrait（肖像画）Gallery presents a series of lectures for the general public. They are held in the Lecture Room. Admission to lectures is free.
Exhibition Times
Monday-Saturday 10.00—17.45 Sunday 12.00—17.45
Last admission to the exhibition: 17.15. There is no re-admission.
Closed: 24—26 December and 1 January.
Admission
£4. Children under 12 years accompanied by an adult are admitted free.
Schools and Colleges
A special low entrance charge of f2 per person is available to all in full-time education, up to and including those at first degree level, in organised groups with teachers.
How can full-time students get group discounts?
Henry Raeburn（1756-1823）
The Exhibition
This exhibition of some sixty masterpieces celebrating the life and work of Scotland's best loved painter, Sir Henry Raeburn, comes to London. Selected from collections throughout the world, it is the first major exhibition of his work to be held in over forty years.
Lecture Series
Scottish National Portrait（肖像画）Gallery presents a series of lectures for the general public. They are held in the Lecture Room. Admission to lectures is free.
Exhibition Times
Monday-Saturday 10.00—17.45 Sunday 12.00—17.45
Last admission to the exhibition: 17.15. There is no re-admission.
Closed: 24—26 December and 1 January.
Admission
£4. Children under 12 years accompanied by an adult are admitted free.
Schools and Colleges
A special low entrance charge of f2 per person is available to all in full-time education, up to and including those at first degree level, in organised groups with teachers.
How much would a couple with two children under 12 pay for admission?
Henry Raeburn（1756-1823）
The Exhibition
This exhibition of some sixty masterpieces celebrating the life and work of Scotland's best loved painter, Sir Henry Raeburn, comes to London. Selected from collections throughout the world, it is the first major exhibition of his work to be held in over forty years.
Lecture Series
Scottish National Portrait（肖像画）Gallery presents a series of lectures for the general public. They are held in the Lecture Room. Admission to lectures is free.
Exhibition Times
Monday-Saturday 10.00—17.45 Sunday 12.00—17.45
Last admission to the exhibition: 17.15. There is no re-admission.
Closed: 24—26 December and 1 January.
Admission
£4. Children under 12 years accompanied by an adult are admitted free.
Schools and Colleges
A special low entrance charge of f2 per person is available to all in full-time education, up to and including those at first degree level, in organised groups with teachers.
What is the right time for attending Raeburn's English Contemporaries?
It was the day of the big cross-country run. Students from seven different primary schools in and around the small town were warming up and walking the route（路线）through thick evergreen forest.
I looked around and finally spotted David, who was standing by himself off to the side by a fence. He was small for ten years old. His usual big toothy smile was absent today. I walked over and asked him why he wasn't with the other children. He hesitated and then said he had decided not
to run.
What was wrong? He had worked so hard for this event!
I quickly searched the crowd for the school's coach and asked him what had happened. "I was afraid that kids from other schools would laugh at him," he explained uncomfortably. "I gave him the choice to run or not, and let him decide."
I bit back my frustration（懊恼）. I knew the coach meant well — he thought he was doing the right thing. After making sure that David could run if he wanted, I turned to find him coming towards me, his small body rocking from side to side as he swung his feet forward.
David had a brain disease which prevented him from walking or running like other children,but at school his classmates thought of him as a regular kid. He always participated to the best of his ability in whatever they were doing. That was why none of the children thought it unusual that
David had decided to join the cross-country team. It just took him longer — that’s all. David had not missed a single practice, and although he always finished his run long after the other children,he did always finish. As a special education teacher at the school, I was familiar with the challengesDavid faced and was proud of his strong determination.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为 150 左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答.
