Robotic Highway Cones
A University of Nebraska professor has developed robotic cones and barrels. ____1____ They can even be programmed to move on their own1 at any particular part of the day, said Shane Fanitor, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Nebraska.
For example, if workers arrived at 6 am, the cones could move from the side of the highway to block off the lane at that time. ____2____ “It just seems like a very good application for robots,” Farritor said. “The robotic cones would also help remove people from hazardous jobs on the highway putting barrels and cones into place，” Fanitor said in a report oh his creation.
____3____The fund allowed Farritor to work on the project with graduate students2 at Nebraska and his assistant Steve Goddard.
The robots are placed at the bottom of the cones and barrels and are small enough not to greatly change the appearance of the construction aides. “It would look exactly the same,” Farritor said. “Normally there’s a kind of rubbery, black base to them. ____4____”
Farritor has talked with officials from the Nebraska Department of Roads about how the robots would be most useful to what they3 might need.
The robots could come in handy4 following a slow-moving maintenance operation, like painting a stripe on a road or moving asphalt, where now the barrels have to be picked up and moved as the operation proceeds. “That way you don’t have to block off a 10-mile strip for the operation,5” Fanitor said.
While6 prototypes have been made, they are not in use anywhere. Farritor said he has applied for a patent and is considering what to do next. ____5____ He is also thinking about marketing the robots to roads departments and others across the country who7 may benefit from them.
词汇：
cone 圆锥体 hazardous 有危险的 aide 辅助用具
rubbery 类似橡胶的 strip 条，带 asphalt 沥青
prototype 原型 patent 专利权
注释：
1.on their own：独立地，靠自己的力量
2.graduate students：研究生
3.they：指代officials。
4.come in handy：派得上用处
5.That way you don’t have to block off a 10-mile strip for the operation：可译为“采用了这种方法，施工时就不用封锁10英里的地带”。
6.while：虽然
7.who：指代roads departments and others。
练习：
A And they can return to the original place at the end of the day.
B He is thinking about starting a small business.
C Farritor was “Inventor of the Year” in 2003.
D Work on the idea began in 2002 using a National Academy of Sciences grant.
E We replace that with a robot.
F These robotic cones and barrels can move out of the way, or into place, from computer commands made miles
答案与题解：
1.F 第一段要恢复的句子的内容应该与robotic cones and barrels有关。F句中的These robotic cones and barrels正好说明F句是第一句的后续句，these这个代词把第一、二句连接起来。第一、二句内容上是连贯的，证实第二句是第一句的后续句。
2.A 本段第一句有两处与A句在内容上相连。第一句的at 6 am与A句的at the end of the day相对应;第二段第一句的move from the side of the highway与A句的return to the original place相连。所以，A句是第一句的后续句。
3.D 本段第二句有The fiind. ftmd之前用的是定冠词the，说明前面已有句子提到过fiind或其他类似资助的词。D句说的是grant，所以是答案。
4.E 这一段说机器人安装在锥形路标和路障的底部，其原来外貌几乎没有什么改变。原来的底部是黑色的，用类似橡胶的材料制成。而E句的that指的是底部(base)，E句的意思是“用机器人置换底部”。
5.B 本段的第四句He is also thinking iabout ...中的also是一个重要的线索，说明前面一定出现过he is thinking。但是在前面两句中没有找到。那么，本段中要恢复的句子一定是练习中的B句。
译文：机器人高速路锥形路标
一名耐伯拉斯卡(Nebraska)大学的教授开发出了机器人锥形路标和路障。几英里以外的电脑就可以发出指令将这些机器人锥形路标和路障移开或者移入某一地点。耐伯拉斯卡大学机械工程助教谢恩·福瑞特说人们甚至可以编程让这些机器人路标和路障在一天的某个时段自行移动。
例如，如果工人们上午6点要在高速公路上施工，锥形路障就可以在这个时候从高速公路边上移动到施工的行车道上设置障碍。并且它们还能再一天工作结束后回到原地。福瑞德说：“这看起来是对机器人非常好的应用。”福瑞德还在他的一篇发明报告中说：“机器人还可以使人们从在高速公路上放置路标和路障的危险工作中解脱出来。”
这个想法起始于2002年国家科学研究院的一个授权项目。这项基金使得福瑞德可以和耐伯拉斯卡大学的研究生以及助理史蒂文·戈达德共同开发这个项目。
机器人被安装在锥形路标和路障的底部。它们非常 小，足以不改变这些路标、路障的原貌。福瑞德说：“它们看起来和普通的路标、路障一模一样。普通的路标、路障带有一个黑色的橡胶底座。现在的底座被换成了机器人。”
福瑞德和耐伯拉斯卡大学公路系的职员曾经探讨怎样才能使机器人最有利于他们的需要。
机器人可以用于缓慢移动的维护性的操作，例如在胃公路粉刷白色的标线操作中需要随时摆放和移动路标、路障的地方。福瑞德说：“采用了这种方法，人们就不用在施工中一次封锁10英里长的地带。”
虽然发明的样机已经做成了，但还没有投入使用。福瑞德说他已经申请了专利并且正在考虑下一步的打算。他计划开一家小型公司，并打算向公路部门和其他国内能受益于这项发明的地方推销。
