【推荐2】New crime prediction software should reduce not only the murder rate, but the rate of other crimes. Developed by Richard Berk, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, the software has already used in Baltimore and Philadelphia to predict which individuals on probation(缓刑) or parole(假释) are most likely to murder and to be murdered.
“When a person goes on probation or parole he is supervised(监督) by an officer. The question is ‘what level of supervision is appropriate?’” said Berk. It used to be that parole officers used the person’s criminal record, and their judgment to make decisions.
“This research replaces those _______________,” he said.
Technology helps determine level of supervision. On average there is one murder for every 100,000 people. Even among high-risk groups the murder rate is one in 100. Predicting such a rare event is very difficult, but advances in computer technology works.
Years ago, the researchers made a dataset of more than 60,000 various crimes. Using the software they developed, they found some much more likely to commit murder when paroled or probated. They could identify eight future murderers out of 100.
Berk’s software examines roughly two dozen variables(可变因素), from criminal record to geographic location. The type of crimes, and more importantly, the age at which that crime was committed, were two of the most predictive variables.
“People assume that if someone murdered then they will murder in the future,” said Berk. “What really matters is what that person did as a young individual. Predicting future crimes sounds well. But we aren’t anywhere near being able to do that.”
“Berk’s scientific answer leaves policymakers with difficult questions. By labeling one group of people as high risk, and supervise them closely, there should be fewer murders, which the potential victims should be happy about. It also means that those high-risk individuals will be supervised more aggressively. For human rights advocates, that means punishing people who, most likely, will not commit a crime in the future,” said Bushway. “It comes down to a question of whether you would rather make these errors or those errors.”
1. The underlined words in Para.3 probably mean___.

A．calculations based on subjective opinions

B．calculations based on widespread voting

C．calculations made by advanced technology

D．calculations based on serious considering

2. From Para 7, we can infer that______.

A．the technology developed by Richard Berk will soon be widely used in the US

B．the technology would not be widely accepted in the short term

C．whether a person murders or not largely decided by his upbringing while young

D．if a person murdered when he was fifty, he is sure to murder again while on probation

3. Bushway’s attitude to the technology put forward by Richard Berk is ____.

A．positive	B．negative
C．objective	D．Indifferent

【推荐3】Faster, cheaper, better-technology is one field many people rely upon to offer a vision of a brighter future. But as the 2020s dawn, optimism is in short supply. The new technologies that dominated the past decade seem to be making things worse. Social media were supposed to bring people together, but they are better known for leaking privacy. E-commerce, ride-hailing (网约车) and the gig economy (零工经济) may be convenient, but they are charged with underpaying workers, worsening inequality and blocking the streets with vehicles.

Today's pessimistic mood is centered on smart phones and social media, which took off a decade ago. Yet concerns that particular technologies might be doing more harm than good have arisen before. The 1920s witnessed a criticism against cars, which had earlier been seen as an answer to the problems caused by horse-drawn vehicles which filled the streets with noise and animal waste and caused accidents. And industrialization was criticized in the 19th century by Romantics who worried about the replacement of skilled workers, the robbing of the countryside and the suffering of factory hands.

However, that pessimism can be overdone. Too often people focus on the drawbacks of a new technology while taking its benefits for granted. Worries about screen time should be weighed against the much more substantial benefits of convenient communication and the instant access to information and entertainment that smartphones make possible. A further danger is that Luddite (反对技术进步者) efforts to avoid the short-term costs associated with a new technology will end up denying access to its long-term benefits-something Carl Benedikt Frey, an Oxford academic, calls a "technology trap". Fears that robots will steal people's jobs may discourage their use. Yet in the long run countries that wish to maintain their standard of living as their workforce ages and shrinks will need more robots, not fewer.

Any powerful technology can be used for good or ill. It is the choices people make about it that shape the world. Perhaps the real source of anxiety is not technology itself, but growing doubts about the ability of societies to hold this debate, and come up with good answers. So as the decade turns, put aside the pessimism for a moment. To be alive in the tech-obsessed 2020s is to be among the luckiest people who have ever lived.

1. What phenomenon is described in Paragraph 1?

A．The seriousness of social inequality.

B．The rapid development of technology.

C．Problems brought by personal privacy leaks.

D．Worries about the influence of new technologies.

2. Which word can best describe Romantics' concern over industrialization?

A．Negative.

B．Uncertain.

C．Sympathetic.

D．Enthusiastic.

3. What might be a result of a "technology trap"?

A．A lack of good jobs in the job market.

B．An increase in the number of Luddites.

C．A decrease in the number of skilled workers.

D．An interruption to the advancement of a new technology.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Pessimism vs Progress	B．Technology vs Civilization
C．2020s: The Age of Technology	D．Robots: Our Future Caretakers

【推荐2】China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp launched two Kuaizhou 1A solid-fuel carrier rockets on Dee. 7th, 2019, marking the first time two flights have been made in a single day by the same type of rocket. Both were carrying satellites.

A Kuaizhou 1A set off at 10: 55 am at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi province to place a optical remote-sensing satellite into orbit. About six hours later, another Kuaizhou 1A was fired at 4:52 pm, sending up six small satellites developed by three domestic private enterprises.

The two missions marked the Kuaizhou 1A's sixth and seventh flights since January 2017, when the rocket made its debut, the company said. It was also the first time for any Chinese launch center to carry out two launches within one day, a testament to China's strong launch capabilities, experts said.

Kuaizhou is the largest soli-propellant rocket family in China. The Long March series mainly relies on liquid fuel. Nine Kuaizhou series rockets have been used since the first mission in September 2013.

Solid-fuel models such as the Kuaizhou series feature shorter preparation time, better mobility and a higher level of mission flexibility than large, liquid-propellant rockets. That's why a launch center can handle multiple fights in a short time span with such rockets, provided its ground facilities are sufficient.

Yu Zhjjin, head of the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, told Xinhua News Agency that fulfilling two missions in a single day indicated that the center has made a breakthrough in its rapid launch capabilities.

A new manufacturing complex for Kuaizhou rockets will soon be built. After the complex starts operations, Expace Technology will be able to produce at least 10 Kuaizhou 1As and 10 Kuaizhou 11s annually.

Kuaizhou 11, a larger and more powerful model, is under development at Expace and is expected to make is maiden flight soon.

1. How many satellites did Kuaizhou 1A rockets send up on Dee. 7h, 2019?

A．2.	B．11.
C．7.	D．6.

2. What's the significance of the two missions of Kuaizhou 1A?

A．It's a testament to China's strong launch capabilities.

B．It marks Kuaizhou 1A's sixth and seventh flights since January 2017.

C．It's the first time for any Chinese launch center to carry out two launches within one day.

D．All of above.

3. Which of the following is NOT the feature of Kuaizhou series?

A．Liquid fuel.	B．Solid fuel.
C．Less preparation time.	D．Better mobility.

4. What could be the suitable title for the passage?

A．Kuaizhou 11 Is Fully Developed for the Market

B．Two Rockets Lift Quite A Few Sallies in A Single Day

C．Kuaizhou 11 - Larger and More Powerful than Kuaizhou

D．First Time for China to Cary out 2 Launches Within One Week

【推荐3】Dolphins are much more intelligent than humans previously thought. Scientists have recently discovered that bottle-nosed dolphins can recognise themselves in the mirror—much like you and I can!

When you see a zit (青春痘) on your face, what do you do? Go to the mirror time and again, and wonder what it is still doing there. Well, this is exactly what two male bottle-nosed dolphins, Presley and Tab, do as well. So, these lovable animals are not just sailors, friends, but they are also aware of their bodies-almost like humans!

Presley and Tab stay in a pool with reflective glass walls in the New York Aquarium. Researchers noticed that when Presley and Tab saw their own reflections, unlike most other animals, they did not seem to think that they were looking at another dolphin. Dolphins are very social creatures, and are friendly with humans as well as their own kind. This got the researchers thinking. Perhaps the dolphins recognised their own images? So they decided to find it out.

Using special ink, they made marks on different parts of the dolphins’ bodies, changing the place every week. Every time their bodies were marked, the dolphins made more trips to the mirror than usual. If the ink mark was on their belly (腹部), they would expose their belly to the mirror and look at it for a long time. Imagine the dolphins wondering—“Now where did that mark come from? Is it dangerous? I wonder how long it’s going to stay.”

Till now, only the great apes have displayed this quality of recognising their images in the mirror. All other animals have failed this test. The researchers feel that these findings may increase human sensitivity towards dolphins, which are being hunted and killed in great numbers. Dolphin fins (鳍) are considered as deliciousness in several South-East Asian countries.

1. What is the scientists’ recent finding about dolphins?

A．Dolphins are social creatures friendly with humans.

B．Dolphins are not so intelligent as humans.

C．Dolphins can make correct use of mirror.

D．Dolphins have zits just like humans.

2. What do most animals regard their images in mirror as?

A．The competitors of them.	B．Their own reflections.
C．Their natural enemies.	D．Others of their kind.

3. Why did the dolphins look into mirror more according to the text?

A．To look for their partners.

B．To show their belly.

C．To watch their own beauty.

D．To concern for their safety.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Dolphins—sailors’ friends.

B．Dolphins, reaction to the mirror.

C．Dolphins are smarter than before.

D．Dolphins are cleverer than humans.

【推荐1】Mom was right! If you say "thank you" for even the smallest gift or slightest show of kindness, you'll feel as happy as Larry.

Gratitude, says Robert A. Emmons, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis, is an important element of happiness. In his recent book, Thanks!Emmons uses the first major study on gratitude to prove mom's point. In acknowledging and developing this much-ignored expression of thankfulness, he explains how people have benefited-even improved their health.

Expressing gratitude shouldn't be a reaction； it should be a state of mind. To feel grateful when life is a breeze and you have more than you need is easy. To feel grateful in time of crisis-anger, hatred and bitterness-is easier. Also, too many people are aware of life's blessings only after these are lost.

It's crisis and chaos-danger, disease, disability and death-that bring many individuals to realize just how dependent they are on others. Yet it's the way each of us begins life and ends it. It's too bad that so many people waste those decades in between labouring under the illusion that they are self-sufficient, says Emmons.

The abundance of voices expressing gratitude from his studies of individuals with chronic health problems is many. But Emmons goes beyond his groundbreaking" science to make his case for gratitude by including the inspirational writings of philosophers, novelists and saints, as well as the beliefs of various religions and their respective scriptures. Taken together, these observations are summed up quite nicely by famous humanist Albert Schweitzer, who said the secret of life is "giving thanks for everything".

To enable and embrace gratitude, Emmons encourages the readers of Thanks! to keep a gratitude diary. He even provides easy-to-follow directions on how to practice and develop gratitude.

I'm not a reader or advocate of self-help books, but I am thankful for the reference I found in a newspaper article to the research Emmons was conducting on gratitude involving organ donors and recipients. The chance discovery led me to this book.

Mom implied that kindness seems to find its way back to the giver because life really is all about giving, receiving and repaying. So I'll pay attention to her Professional advice and say: Thank you, Professor Emmons.

1. What is the text mainly discussed?

A．There are many ways of being thankful.	B．Mom is great for her being thankful.
C．Gratitude is important to happiness.	D．Being thankful will keep you fit forever.

2. The author mentions Robert Emmons' book Thanks! in order to prove that_________.

A．Professor Emmons supports mom's study on psychology.

B．mom is as great a psychologist as Professor Emmons.

C．Professor Emmons is a famous psychologist.

D．mom is right about her viewpoint on gratitude.

3. What is the opinion of Professor Emmons?

A．It is enough to thank others orally.

B．Whether you are thankful is always up to you.

C．Remember to be thankful anytime and anywhere.

D．It is easier to be thankful for yourself than for others.

4. In the writer's opinion, Emmons' book Thanks! on gratitude is_________.

A．helpful	B．unreasonable
C．puzzling	D．one-sided

【推荐2】In science, a theory is a reasonable explanation of observed events that are related. A theory often involves an imaginary model that helps scientists picture the way an observed event could be produced. A good example of this is found in the kinetic molecular (分子运动) theory, in which gases are pictured as being made up of many small particles (微粒) that are in constant motion.

A useful theory, in addition to explaining past observations, helps to predict events that have not as yet been observed. After a theory has been publicized, scientists design experiments to test the theory. If observations confirm the scientists’ predictions, the theory is supported. If observations do not confirm the predictions, the scientists must search further. There the scientists must search further. There may be a fault in the experiment, or the theory may have to be revised or rejected.

Science involves imagination and creative thinking as well as collecting information and performing experiments. Facts by themselves are not science. As the mathematician Jules Henri Poincare said: “Science is built with facts just as a house is built with bricks, but a collection of facts cannot be called science any more than a pile of bricks can be called a house.”

Most scientists start an investigation by finding out what other scientists have learned about a particular problem. After known facts have been gathered, the scientist comes to the part of the investigation that requires considerable imagination. Possible solutions to the problem are formulated (制定). These possible solutions are called hypotheses (假设).

In a way, any hypothesis is a leap into the unknown. It extends the scientist’s thinking beyond the known facts. The scientist plans experiments, performs calculations, and makes observations to test hypotheses. For without hypotheses, further investigation lacks purpose and direction. When hypotheses are confirmed, they are incorporated (合并) into theories.

1. According to paragraph 2, a useful theory is one that helps scientists to ________.

A．observe events.	B．make predictions.
C．publicize new findings.	D．find errors in past experiments.

2. Which of the following statements is true according to paragraphs 3 and 4?

A．Science is more than a collection of facts.

B．Hypotheses are made before an observed event.

C．Hypotheses are facts that are not proven to be true.

D．A scientist’s most difficult task is collecting information.

3. According to the last paragraph a major function of hypotheses is ________.

A．confirming known facts.

B．linking together different theories.

C．providing direction for scientific research.

D．communicating a scientist’s thoughts to others.

4. What may be the best title of this passage?

A．Hypotheses	B．Observations
C．Scientific Theories	D．Creative Thinking

【推荐3】A newly discovered lizard (蜥蜴) found in the Philippines has made scientists think there might be other never-before-seen creatures on that country’s islands. But scientists say those creatures might never be found because the islands’ rain forests are in danger.

The latest lizard was first spotted in 2001 when scientists saw local people of the island catch it for food. Scientists took some pictures of the lizard. Finally scientists caught a lizard themselves to study. They named the new lizard the Northern Sierra Madre forest monitor because it was discovered in the islands’ Sierra Madre Mountains. The 6.6-foot-long lizard has bright yellow markings that distinguish (区分) it from more boring-looking monitors. Its legs are mainly yellow, and its tail is black and yellow.

So how could scientists work in the Philippines’ rain forests for years without finding the new lizard? They say the Northern Sierra Madre forest monitor is unlike other lizards and their larger cousin, the Komodo dragon. All of those lizards are meat-eaters. But the new-found lizard eats fruit. That means it never has to come down out of the trees. Its uniquely colored skin, quiet manner, and treetop home helped it remain hidden from scientists’ view for many years.

The discovery of the Northern Sierra Madre forest monitor is making scientists realize that Philippines’ rain forests may hold many undiscovered species. But those species will not be found if the rain forests keep disappearing. Twenty years ago, forests covered about 35 percent of the Philippines’ land. But people have been encroaching on that land and building on it. Today, forests cover less than 25 percent of the country’s land.

The rain forests are a “conservation (保护) hot spot” that need to be protected, scientists say. “I hope we can make the new lizard a ‘poster child’ for conservation of the land,” said one scientist.

1. What is the scientists’ attitude to finding more new creatures in Philippines’ rain forests?

A．Interested.	B．Doubtful.
C．Excited.	D．Supportive.

2. How did scientists discover the new lizard?

A．They caught one with the help of locals.

B．The locals gave one to scientists as a gift.

C．They found it from pictures taken by locals.

D．They noticed it when locals hunted the lizard.

3. What is special about the new-found lizard according to Paragragh 3?

A．It is a cruel meat-eater.	B．It is the largest lizard in Asia.
C．It spends most time in trees.	D．It looks like Komodo dragon.

4. What does the underlined phrase “encroaching on” mean?

A．Invading.(侵略)	B．Protecting.
C．Maintaining.	D．Deserting.