I wanted to be a journalist. But my parents reminded me that maths makes money, so off to an engineering school I went. In my post-university young-adult life, I’ve managed to become “conventionally successful”. As a female engineer, I worked for a big oil company and owned a home. My life was laid out in front of me, and I didn’t like what I saw.

So, I did what any respectable 24-year-old would do and left my life behind. I said goodbye to my boyfriend and pulled out my suitcase. I threw myself alone into the world with the grace and beauty of a baby deer taking its first steps with skateboards under its feet. I bloodied my knees riding a mountain bike through the red rocks of Utah. I went to a thermal (温暖的) bath party in Budapest. I spent four days trudging (费力地走) through Yellowstone with 50 pounds on my back. Two Peruvian women along my Andean trek taught me how to roast coffee and helped me practise Spanish. It wasn’t Vienna’s cultural museums; it was a sunny patch of grass beside the Danube river with someone from my hostel who quickly became a friend. It wasn’t Yellowstone’s Old Faithful Geyser (老实泉) launching into the air; it was charging through Montana’s ordinary landscape playing music so loud that the car windows shook. The truth is that I didn’t actually need to be abroad to have almost any of my favourite experiences. They were just small everyday moments that happened to happen abroad, leading me to realise that the true value of my flight tickets was not the landmarks, but rather becoming an active participant in my own life.

I now spend less time shopping online and more time lying alone on the floor listening to an album cover-to-cover. I ask my friends how they’re doing; sometimes, I surprise them with flowers to see them smile. I tell everyone to have a good day.

Maybe I’ll continue to be selfish for the next five years and touch down in more countries. Maybe I’ll stay grounded in my home city, but the idea no longer bothers me. Armed with new wisdom earned in a year of travel, I know with complete confidence that there’re adventures hiding in any aspect of my life—as long as I’m awake enough to look for them.

1. What can we know about the author from the first paragraph?

A．She preferred maths to journalism.	B．She found her work challenging.
C．She was dissatisfied with her life.	D．She dare not challenge her parents.

2. Why did the author list the journeys she went on?

A．To introduce the landmarks she loved.	B．To prove the importance of travel.
C．To express her joy of being with new friends.	D．To show what she learnt from these journeys.

3. How has the travel probably changed the author according to the text?

A．She has become more independent.	B．She begins to value her family’s opinion.
C．She begins to enjoy her daily life more.	D．She has become more interested in foreign cultures.

4. What message does the author want to convey through this article?

A．We shouldn’t pay attention to what others say.	B．We shouldn’t think life is better elsewhere.
C．It’s necessary to get out of your comfort zone.	D．Interest is the best teacher in choosing jobs.

It’s always nice to have a little help around the house. But what if you could employ the assistance of one of the greatest minds of the 20th century？

That’s the idea behind a new robot modeled after Albert Einstein. Called Professor Einstein and standing at just over a foot tall, this personal assistant can tell you the weather and keep track of your schedule like any other robots. With built-in Wi-Fi, Einstein robot has access to brain ceasing games, and can answer math problems and science questions. With natural language speech processing, you can actually interact with Professor Einstein. And because the robot is connected to the Internet, it is constantly updated with new information.

To help get the perfect replica（复制品）of Einstein, the Hong Kong-based tech company Hanson Robotics turned to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the home of the Albert Einstein archives（档案）. “We worked very closely with them to bring the product co marker,” the company’s Dr. Jeanne Lim said.

Einstein robot was introduced to the public at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and was quickly hailed by those who saw it. “He became one of the breakout stars of the convention,” wrote Melia Robinson on Business Insider. “Crowds flooded into the company to have a look at the little guy.”

“Technology is often now very cold and socially isolating（孤立的）,” explained David Hanson, the co-founder of the company behind the new robot, “By bringing an lively character into our physical world, we’re humanizing（使人性化）the technology instead of dehumanizing the humans.”

As for Hanson Robotics, the company has been building human-size robots for over a decade. But this marks the company’s first commercially available product. “Professor Einstein is just the start,” said Hanson. “We’re witnessing the arrival of conversational robots that can walk in our world. It’s a golden age of invention.”

5. What can Einstein robot do？

A．Teach you to learn any new language.

B．Have a regular conversation with you.

C．Design a number of science questions.

D．Keep track of other robots constantly.

6. Which of the following best explains “hailed” underlined in paragraph 4？

A．Broken.	B．Improved.
C．ignored.	D．Praised.

7. What can be inferred from David Hanson’s words？

A．He expects humans to be less isolated from robots.

B．He dreams of humanizing humans through invention.

C．He worries about a golden age for conversational robots.

D．He stays hopeful about the future of robot invention.

8. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．A New Robot Makes Humans Much Happier

B．The Golden Age of Invention Is Approaching

C．Albert Einstein Changes into an Assistant

D．Albert Einstein Helps to Humanize Robots

Whenever I moved to a new city, the first thing I did was to hire a bicycle. Why?     9     You travel much faster than on foot and you notice so much more of your surroundings than when in a bus or a car. It's more appealing to wander down small streets if they seem interesting, as you can quickly get back to the main road. Besides, I soon discovered more benefits of cycling.

A bicycle means that fewer places, especially in a small city like the one where I live now, feel far away. For example, cycling to work takes me half the time that it would to walk,     10    

Of course, there are obvious health benefits of cycling — a bit of extra movement as part of your daily routine can help you keep fit and healthy. Cycling on my way to work also makes me feel more energetic in the mornings.

    11     While cars pollute the environment，bicycles are carbon neutral (碳平衡的). Furthermore, thanks to being petrol-free, bicycles are cheaper to run, buy and fix than cars. Even if you don't own a car，a bicycle can pay for itself when compared to the price of bus tickets.

    12     Always wear a helmet, pay attention to other traffic and don't forget your lights at night. Make sure you know the road rules, especially in a new place. Some cities are more bicycle-friendly than others.     13     Luckily, where I live now is quite easy to ride a bicycle around, thanks to having lots of cycle lanes and not too many hills!

A．However, be careful when you are cycling.

B．But sometimes city roads are difficult for cyclists.

C．I should learn to ride safely on the right of the road.

D．Importantly, cycling also helps to decrease your carbon footprint.

E．Cycling to work is fit for whoever wants to save their pocket money.

F．Riding a bicycle also means you aren't limited by the bus timetables.

G．Seeing a city by bicycle is perfect for settling in and learning your way around.

Being admitted to hospital is boring. Since childhood Kevin Gatlin has been bored by the _______ environments of hospital rooms so he came up with a _______ solution to help with the hospital depressions as a means of making sure that his children were never forced to _______ the same boredom.

Gatlin is the inventor behind Playtime Edventures, featuring dozens of games and lessons for children _______ to their hospital beds. Several years ago, Gatlin went to visit his friend’s child in hospital. He got the _______ for the bedsheets.

It was heartbreaking to see a child spending hours and hours in a plain white room. He _______ how his wife had always played games on his son’s bed in order to help him to fall asleep. Gatlin then spent the next two years _______ the sheets so that children could be entertained from _______ of their own beds.

He also worked with teachers to make the games _______. “We put together bedsheets and sleep bags that __________ everything from geography, maths, science, grammar, word-finding games… all on a three-piece set,” Gatlin said. Up till now, Gatlin knows that his __________ are being used in 10 different hospitals. But since his customers are able to __________ the bedsheets to their own local hospitals, that number could be much higher. Therefore, more kids can __________.

Parents can also __________ the sheets for their own children at home. Gatlin hopes that his invention will soon make its way into hospitals around the world. So __________ kids lying in bed won’t get bored.

14.

A．unfriendly

B．dull

C．pleasant

D．healthy

15.

A．simple

B．peaceful

C．normal

D．complex

16.

A．escape

B．enjoy

C．experience

D．increase

17.

A．addicted

B．restricted

C．devoted

D．accustomed

18.

A．inspiration

B．money

C．material

D．permission

19.

A．dreamed of

B．thought of

C．found out

D．depended on

20.

A．developing

B．promoting

C．advertising

D．producing

21.

A．quality

B．size

C．warmth

D．comfort

22.

A．professional

B．educational

C．regular

D．profitable

23.

A．change

B．mend

C．cover

D．differ

24.

A．sheets

B．cures

C．lessons

D．games

25.

A．discover

B．connect

C．submit

D．donate

26.

A．relax

B．benefit

C．play

D．recover

27.

A．buy

B．design

C．sell

D．find

28.

A．naughty

B．lonely

C．shy

D．sick

阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Robots Attend Graduation Ceremony on the Students’ Behalf

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, many special events or gatherings have been put on hold as a way     29     （limit） viral transmission. But for Japanese graduating students,     30    ongoing virus will not prevent them from walking on stage to accept their diplomas.

Business Breakthrough University （BBT） has recently found a way to carry on with not only     31    （they）curriculum （全部课程），moving most of the classes to online platforms     32    also to continue with their schedule    33     （apparent）, they conducted a graduation ceremony on the 28th of March at Hotel Grand Palace in Tokyo in a way that allowed their students to participate without risking     34     （expose）to coronavirus.

The    35    （graduate） operated robots remotely to accept their certificates. The robots     36    （develop） by ANA Holdings each had a display screen showing the face of the student operating it, and arms which     37    （enable） them to receive the certificates on the graduates’ behalf.

The rest of the graduates participated in the graduation ceremony online via Zoom （视频会议平台）     38    they could send comments and therefore participate the ceremony in the real-time

39. 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

I walked to Mrs. Windsor’s house and waited outside. She was working with another student, and I was not supposed to bother them by ringing the bell. I stood against the wall and daydreamed what I’d rather be doing. I had been tutored enough to read, understand, and even write some musical compositions, but I just didn’t have a gift for it. Mrs. Windsor had offered to give me the lessons for free, so I felt it my duty to try.

The door opened and Wendy Barton came out. I walked in, sat down on the piano bench and began to sort through my sheet music. Today Mrs. Windsor introduced her niece Pasha to teach me.

With a smile, Pasha sat beside me on the piano bench, opened my sheet music to the beginning page and asked me to play. I arranged my fingers on the keys. Then I frowned (皱眉) and concentrated to make the notes on the page match the finger movements. I had to admit I was a rather mechanical (不加思考的) pianist.

After about a page or two, Pasha gently put her hand on top of mine as if to calm my fingers. There was a long pause. “What are you hearing in the music?” I looked at her rather strangely and admitted I didn’t know what she meant. “Like a story. Here, let me try and you listen,” Pasha advised.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting her fingers dance lightly over the keys. Then, she began to play. “See, it begins here beside some kind of river. Hear the water flowing beside you?” Her fingers rose and fell gently on the keys. “Now a princess appears and she’s picking flowers from the water’s edge.” A happy piece of music filled the air in time to Pasha’s dancing fingers.

注意：续写词数应为150左右。
Suddenly the music changed.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
That day means a lot in my musical life.
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