12．I expect the travel of the future to become less physical，more mental．Through the use of technology，you'll be able to let your brain experience the sensations of a new place without actual going there．Robots and computer simulation（模仿）will enable you to visit remote exotic places without ever leaving home---the wreckage of the Titanic，the Galapagos Island，even the moon．
As an oceanographer，I've spent decades developing robots to explore the depths，and now we're putting that technology to use in our JASON Project，a cooperative effort between industry，science，and educators that's designed to be a world classroom for children．In auditoriums throughout the country，we bring kids together and transmit back to them on large screens our live explorations of far-flung areas of the globe．Not only are the kids observers，but they truly participate．They have the sensation of really being at the site with us---through the"eyes"，"ears"，and motions of the robot．
This year we're taking the project to the Galapagos Islands．The Galapagos are an exceedingly fragile environment，so fragile that only 60，000people are allowed to visit them each year．But with JASON we will be able to let some 300，000children experience those unique islands．
I believe advances in robot technology will one day be the key to an entirely new kind of travel．In the next 10or 15years I foresee people having rooms in their houses that will be able to simulate other environments．I like to call these rooms"home domes"---miniature theatres with wrap-around screens and sophisticated equipment that can reproduce the sights，sounds，smells，and feel of a desert，or a forest，or a meadow in high mountains．
Today，much of the world's population never travels more than 50or 60miles from home．And even a person with abundant wealth and time can see only a fraction of the earth's sights．But this new era of travel will cost so much less in both time and money that many more people will be exposed to a lot more of the globe．And simulated travel will help protect our planet．You can't take large groups of tourists trooping up to look at Dian Fossey's gorillas．But a small robot can get very close to a silverback and send the sights，sounds，and smells back to a million people．
I like to use this analogy（類比）to compare traditional travel with future travel：riding a horse is wonderful，but I don't need to ride one to work anymore．That's how I feel about traditional travel．Sometimes I still might want to hop on a plane and see a place firsthand，but sometimes I may simply want to walk into my home dome and take the trip from there．
58．Which statement best expresses the main idea of this article？C
A．Protecting fragile environments like the Galapagos Islands．
B．Building home domes to meet people's desire of travelling
C．Traveling globally without even leaving home in the future．
D．Owning rooms called"home domes"to be put into reality．
59．According to the article，simulated travelB．
A．is a piece of equipment made for traveling
B．provides virtual access to actual traveling
C．has a negative effect on future environment
D．will be available in around fifty years'time
60．Which question is NOT answered in the article？D
A．Why is the"home dome"designed and produced？
B．When might a"home dome"be available to us？
C．What will be like in a"home dome"in future？
D．How much does a"home dome"probably cost？
分析 這是一篇說明文，介紹了利用高科技提供虛擬旅游經(jīng)歷的研究．
解答 58．C．文章主旨題．全文介紹了利用機(jī)器人和仿真技術(shù)使人們在家中就能夠體驗(yàn)到如同身臨其境的旅游經(jīng)歷．故選C．
59．B．細(xì)節(jié)理解題．根據(jù)文章第二段They have the sensation of really being at the site with us---through the"eyes"，"ears"，and motions of the robot，"模仿"旅游通過視覺聽覺和機(jī)器人的動作，給實(shí)際旅游提供虛擬的途徑．故選B．
60．D．細(xì)節(jié)理解題．由全文內(nèi)容可知，文章第一二段講述了虛擬旅行的原因和過程，第三段講述了它可能流行的時間，最后一段暢想了未來，文中沒有提及"home dome"的價格．故選D．
點(diǎn)評 科教類閱讀難度比一般閱讀較大，它存在的生詞比較多，因此考生應(yīng)當(dāng)綜合略讀、跳讀和查讀，猜詞等閱讀技巧來做題，平時也應(yīng)加強(qiáng)練習(xí)．
