【推荐1】The brain, rather than our eyes, may be more important for sight, researchers studying fruit flies have discovered. The discovery could change the way we think about vision.

Researchers in the University of Virginia have found that the very simple eyes of fruit fly larva (幼虫), with only 24 total photoreceptors (感光细胞) (the human eye contains more than 125 million), provide just enough light input to allow the animal’s large brain to make that input into images. Their discovery shows that vision may be less important to “seeing” than previously thought—and in fact it is the brain’s ability to process points of light into complex images that is key.

“It blows open how we think about vision.” said Barry Condron. “This tells us that visual input may not be as important to sight as the brain working behind it.”

Condron’s graduate students, Elizabeth Daubert, Nick Macedonia and Catherine Hamilton, conducted a series of experiments to test the vision of fruit fly larvae. They found that when a larva was tied to the bottom of a dish, other larvae were attracted to it as it attempted to free itself. After several further experiments to understand how they sensed the motion, the researchers learned that the nearly blind animals likely were seeing the action.

“The answer must be in the brain of these animals.” Condron said. “They are able to take just a couple dozen points of light and then process that into recognizable images; something like when an astronomer with a small telescope is able to use techniques to improve a limited image into useful information about a star.” Condron believes the animals are able to assemble useful images by rapidly scanning their heads and, in doing so, gather up enough light points to allow the brain to compose an image clear enough to “see”.

The researchers tested this by presenting larva with a video (therefore no sound and no smell) and found that the larvae still sensed and sought out the struggling larva on the video. This provides us with a good model for trying to understand the role that the brain plays in helping organisms, including humans, to process images, such as recognizing faces.

1. The writer mainly wants to tell us that __________.

A．the brain may be more important for sight than people thought

B．people should depend on brain rather than eyes for sight

C．using the fruit fly larva to test the eyes is the best way

D．some methods can keep our eyesight accurate and normal

2. The researchers chose the fruit fly larva because it __________.

A．doesn’t move very quickly	B．has a very wise brain
C．only has a few photoreceptors	D．doesn’t have large limbs

3. Condron used the example of “an astronomer with a small telescope” in Para. 5 to show __________.

A．how the larvae gather up enough light points

B．why the larvae moved their heads side-to-side

C．the brain helps process the light points into images

D．how we can get useful information about a star with a small telescope

4. The underlined word “assemble” in the fifth paragraph may mean “__________”.

A．observe enough actions	B．receive useful information
C．choose proper equipment	D．put together separate parts

【推荐3】A table-waiting robot cat built by a Chinese technology firm can carry plates of food, navigate a restaurant, miaow（喵喵叫）at diners—and even react to having its ears stroked.

Making its debut at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the so-called BellaBot was built for Chinese restaurants lacking enough waiters. It is the brainchild （智慧结晶）of the Chinese robotics and artificial intelligence firm PuduTech.

It features four shelves in the center of its tower-like body to carry plates. Having been loaded up with meals by its human colleagues, the cat-themed robotic waiter miaows when it delivers food to diners to encourage them to take their plates. If customers thank BellaBot by stroking its ears, it will initially respond with a look of pleasure on its on-board screen, which displays animations of a cat's face. “The owner's hand is so warm,” BellaBot has been programmed to respond.

However—much like a real cat—the robot’s reaction soon changes if it is petted for too long. “It gets mad to remind you not to interrupt its job,” the designers introduced.

The BellaBot waiter robot is a more personality-rich update to PuduTech's previous model, which featured a more utilitarian （实用主义的）design and user interface. Both BellaBot and its predecessor were designed with a particular mind to Chinese restaurateurs which are often short of waiting staff.

In a real-world food-service setting, however, BellaBot may find it difficult to operate at peak times. Nevertheless, restaurants are expected to increase their trust on automation—whether in the form of robotic waiting staff or otherwise.

Furthermore, the technology improvements of robotic waiters designs will be grown steadily, especially better at communicating with humans and tackling new activities.

1. Why did the technology firm create the BellaBot?

A．Because the restaurant can react to it.

B．Because it is the brainchild of the Chinese robotics and Al firm.

C．Because the Chinese scientists want to show their talent to the world.

D．Because it is can be used when Chinese restaurants are short of enough waiters.

2. When do the robotic waiters deliver the food to dinners?

A．The customers touch the robotic waiters’ ears.

B．The customers are encouraged to take their plates.

C．The human colleagues have loaded up the meals on robotic waiters.

D．The robotic waiters display animations of a cat's face on their on- board screen.

3. What can we infer from the robot's reaction changes?

A．It wants to remind you to get mad.

B．It wants to remind you to pet it again.

C．It wants to remind you not to help its work.

D．It wants to remind you not to stop its work.

4. What is the author's attitude to the robotic waiters?

A．Doubtful.	B．Positive.
C．Negative.	D．Ambiguous.

【推荐2】Culture means any human behavior that is learned in human society. All of the meaningful parts of a culture are passed on to different generations through tradition or social learning.     1     Culture exists in agricultural as well as industrialized societies.

Culture is necessary for the survival and existence of human beings as human beings. Practically everything humans know, think, value, feel, and do is learned through taking part in a sociocultural system.    2     Here is one of the cases of children growing up apart from human society. In the province of Midnapore in India, the director of a children’s home was told by local villagers that there were “ghosts” in the forest. Upon looking into the case, the director found that two children, one about eight years old and the other about six years old, appeared to have been living with a pack of wolves in the forest     3     In his diary, the director describes his first view of Kamala (as the older child was named) and Amala (the name given to the younger child):

Kamal was a terrible-looking being, the head, a big ball of something covering the shoulders.    4     Their eyes were bright and sharp, unlike human eyes. They were very fond of raw meat and raw milk. Gradually, as they got stronger, they began going on all fours, and afterwards began to run on all fours, just like squirrels.

Children learn human language in the same way they learn other kinds of human behavior—by taking part in a cultural community.    5    

A．From this viewpoint, all human groups have a culture.

B．Close at its heels there came another terrible creature exactly like the first, but smaller in size.

C．Human beings can only develop human abilities by the local people.

D．This statement is well supported by some well-written cases.

E．These children were the ghosts described by the local people.

F．Culture refers only to the high art and classical music of a particular society.

G．They learn a certain human language as well as certain kinds of human behavior through their membership in a certain cultural community.

【推荐3】Four schools from Beijing were in Hull to put on a show.

The schools, all from the Fengtai District in Beijing, have close ties to the city. Groups of students from Beijing and Hull regularly visit each other as part of a cultural and educational exchange programme.

Today’s special performance at Hull City Hall included various forms of traditional Chinese music, dance and acrobatics (杂技).

Lewis Anderson, 26, started learning Chinese at the age of 13 and acts as a translator and organiser when the Chinese students visit the UK. He also currently studies at a university in China.

He said, “Cultural exchanges are really important because children start to appreciate everything in life. They start to learn that there isn’t only their view on things and they start to look at other cultures and appreciate their history and beauty. For example, when Hull students visit China, they might visit the Great Wall and enjoy traditional dancing and opera, and then they come home and think ‘What do we have that is the equivalent (相等的东西) of that?’ and they look at all the different things that we have and it starts to open their minds.”

The Chinese students are on a 12-day visit to the UK, visiting eight different cities, including four days in Hull. As part of their visit to Hull, they were invited to visit various museums, galleries and tourist sites in the city.

Lewis said, “The children love exploring Hull because it’s rich in history and everywhere you look it’s old, beautiful and attractive.”

At Hull City Hall the Chinese students performed a traditional Peking Opera, which combines music, vocal performance, dance and acrobatics. The performance is famous for featuring fantastic costumes and dazzling make-up.

1. What did Lewis think of cultural exchanges?

A．They benefit students in their development.

B．They should get more public attention.

C．They inspire more children to study in China.

D．They bring tradition to life.

2. Which of the following best describes the students’ visit to Hull?

A．It put them on the road to explore the nature.

B．It was a month-long tour.

C．It changed their attitudes to the costumes.

D．It was a journey into history.

3. What did the students do at Hull City Hall?

A．They only told Chinese stories to the locals.

B．They performed Peking Opera.

C．They taught the locals Peking Opera.

D．They introduced their schools to the locals.

4. What is the text?

A．A diary.

B．A play review.

C．A news report.

D．A school notice.