【推荐1】The twentieth century saw greater changes than any century before: changes for the better, changes for the worse; changes that brought a lot of benefits to human beings; changes that put man in danger. Many things caused the changes.     1    

Scientific research in physics and biology has vastly broadened our views.     2     It also has brought us a better understanding of the nature of life and of its continuous development, Technology in the application of science has made big advances that have benefited us in nearly every part of life.

The continuation of such activities in the twenty-first century will result in even greater advantages to human beings: in pure science — a wider and deeper knowledge in all fields of learning; in applied science — a more reasonable sharing of material benefits, and better protection of the environment.

    3     The creativity of science has been employed in doing damage to mankind. The application of science and technology to the development and production of weapons of mass destruction has created a real danger to the continued existence of the human race on this planet.     4     Although their actual use has so far occurred only in the Second World War, the number of nuclear weapons that were produced and made ready for use was so large that if the weapons had actually been used, the result could have been the ruin of the human race, as well as of many kinds of animals.

William Shakespeare said, “The web of our life is of a mingled yarn (纱线), good and ill together.” The above brief review of the application of only one part of human activities — science seems to prove what Shakespeare said. But does it have to be so?     5     Are we biologically programmed for war?

A．What can we do to handle it?

B．Must the ill always go together with the good?

C．Sadly, however, there is another side to the picture.

D．We get a better understanding of the world around us.

E．We have seen this happen in the case of nuclear weapons.

F．However, in my opinion, the most important was the progress in science.

G．It has given us a deeper knowledge of the structure of matter and of the universe.

【推荐2】Brooke wanted a dollhouse and some sugar cookies. So the 6-year-old asked Alexa to get them. Alexa wasn't her mom or babysitter. It was a voice-activated(声控的) home assistant powered by artificial intelligence(AI). Alexa comes with the Amazon Echo device(回波装置). And it made Brooke's wishes come true. After being reported on TV, Alexa devices in many listeners' homes woke up and tried to order dollhouses!

Alexa isn't the only AI willing to order up treats for you. Apple Homepod has Siri, Google Home has its Assistant, and the upcoming Galaxy Home device will have Bixby. People who own these devices use them mainly for listening to music, checking the weather, and setting timers. According to a report from The Information, people don't often do voice shopping. They do it mainly to order simple things like paper towels. But many experts predict a boom(繁荣) in voice shopping in the near future.

Convenience is the main benefit of voice shopping. You can shout out an order as soon as you think of it, even if you're cooking or driving. Besides, people who are unable to use a keyboard or mouse can shop without assistance.

But voice shopping has its downsides. Unwanted things aren’t the biggest problem. It's usually very easy to cancel an order or return items. The surprising thing is that these assistants are always listening. They have to be able to respond when you want them. So they listen for ''Alexa'' or ''OK Google'' or another command. When they hear it, they start recording the conversation. Some have worried about what happens to these recordings. Should companies be allowed to use them to learn about people's shopping habits? What if someone hacks(非法侵入) the device? What if someone hacks smart TVs to turn them into spies that listen all the time?

1. What is Alexa?

A．A TV reporter.	B．A friend of Brooke.
C．A voice-activated device.	D．A cookie maker.

2. What can you learn from paragraph2?

A．Alexa is the best AI device.

B．People buy various things through voice shopping.

C．People use Bixby mainly for listening to music.

D．Voice shopping may have a bright future.

3. What is the author's attitude towards Alexa devices?

A．Optimistic.	B．Doubtful.
C．Objective.	D．Negative.

4. What's the best title of the text?

A．How did Brooke' wishes come true?	B．The voice-activated home assistant-Alexa
C．How can we start voice shopping?	D．What convenience do Alexa devices bring?

【推荐1】You can never imagine the social distancing policy resulted in some lifelong friendships between people who would have otherwise never met during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The unlikely friendship began at the peak of the lockdown in May 2020. The lockdown was particularly hard for Mary O’Neill, who has been living alone since her husband passed away 37 years ago. Though she has two children, four grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren, most live out of state. The 99-year-old spent her days watching television game shows and playing Yahtzee. Benjamin Olson, a then one-year-old who lived next door, was also stuck at home and unable to play with kids of his age.

The unusual friendship developed gradually. At first, Mary would wave at Benjamin from her window whenever she saw the young boy in the yard. Then, she ventured outside to greet him in person. The routine eventually expanded to daily gatherings by the fence that separated the two homes. The unlikely pair even invented a socially distanced game that Mary calls “cane ball.”

“I came out of the house one morning, and he threw his ball toward the fence,” she told the journalist. “I got my cane, and I reached over the fence and hit the ball toward him, and he’d throw it back. That’s how it started.”

When the weather turned, the two were unable to meet in the yard as regularly. But Benjamin’s mother, Sarah, kept the friendship alive by frequently stopping by Mary’s house with the bundled-up toddler. The bond between the two has blossomed even further since Mary got vaccinated (接种疫苗). The two give each other hi-fives across the fence and often sit outside Mary’s house, blowing bubbles. This spring, Mary gifted Benjamin with a colorful toy truck collection that had once belonged to her son. The young boy returned the favor with a gift of his own— a pile of dirt that he carefully carried in his small palm and dropped at her door.

Certainly, you wouldn’t guess that a 99-year-old and a 2-year-old would be friends, but they can be.

1. What can we learn about Mary O'Neill?

A．Mary lived alone because of the lockdown.

B．Mary likes watching TV and playing Yahtzee most.

C．No family members looked after Mary in the lockdown.

D．Mary herself created a socially distanced game.

2. What does the underlined word “ventured” mean in the third paragraph?

A．risked

B．shouted

C．rushed

D．escaped

3. What can we infer from paragraph 5?

A．Sarah was confused about the relationship.

B．Sarah stopped Benjamin visiting Mary’s house.

C．Sarah hoped to keep the friendship longer.

D．Sarah was not satisfied with the unlikely friendship.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Getting vaccinated is a good way to make friends.

B．The lockdown leads to a heart-warming friendship.

C．A ball game benefits the development of friendship.

D．Exchanging gifts helps people build true friendship.

【推荐2】In the fall of 1985, I was holding a dream to Howard University, so that one day I could sit on a Supreme Court bench somewhere and make some just sentence.

Twenty-one years later, I am still a dreamer and be with quite a different experience to go through.

My grandma developed cancer, so I made the choice to leave the college to care for her. It meant that school and my personal dream would have to wait.

Then I got married with another dream. In 1999, we adopted (收养）our first son. To lay eyes on him was fantastic. A year later came our second adopted boy. Then followed son No. 3.In 2003, I gave birth to another boy.

You can imagine how busy I became, raising four boys under the age of 8 .Our home was a complete zoo---a joyous zoo. As a result, I never did make it back to college full-time. But I never gave up on the dream either. I had only one choice: to find a way. That meant talking as few as one class each term.

The hardest part was feeling guilty about the time I spent away from the boys. They often wanted me to stay home with them. There certainly were times I wanted to quit, but I knew I should set an example for them to follow through the rest of their lives.

In 2007, I graduated from the University of North Carolina. It took me over 21 years to get my college degree and finally become a judge!

I am not special, just single-minded. It always struck me that when you're looking at a big challenge from the outside it looks huge, but when you're in the midst of it, it just seems normal. Everything you want won't arrive in your life on one day. It's a process. Remember: little steps add up to big dreams.

1. When the author went to Howard University, what was her dream?

A．To be a writer.	B．To be a teacher.
C．To be a judge.	D．To be a doctor.

2. Why did the author quit school（离校） in her second year of college?

A．She wanted to study by herself.

B．She fell in love and got married.

C．She suffered from a serious illness.

D．She decided to look after her grandma.

3. What can we learn from paragraphs 4 and 5?

A．The author was busy yet happy with her family life.

B．The author just felt guilty for her sons.

C．The author wanted to remain a full-time housewife.

D．The author was too confused to make a correct choice.

4. What does the author mostly want to tell us in the last paragraph?

A．Failure is the mother of success.

B．Little by little, one goes far.

C．Every coin has two sides.

D．Well begun, half done.

【推荐3】There was once a famous scientist who made several important discoveries. Once he was asked how he was able to be creative, he replied that it all came from an experience he had with his mother when he was 2 years old. He was trying to take a bottle of milk out of the fridge. But the bottle was too slippery (滑的) and he dropped it. The milk was running all over the kitchen floor.

When his mother came into the kitchen, instead of shouting at him or punishing him, she said, “Robert, what a great and wonderful mess you have made! I have never seen such a huge puddle of milk. Would you like to play in the milk for a few minutes before we clean it up?”

So he did. After a few minutes, they cleaned it up together Then his mother said, “This was a failed experiment in how to carry a big bottle of milk with two tiny hands. Let go out in the backyard and fill the bottle with water and see if you can find a way to carry it without dropping it.”

He learned that if he held the bottle at the top near the lip with both hands, he could carry it without dropping it. What a wonderful lesson!

The scientist then added that it was at that moment that he knew he didn’t need to be afraid to make mistakes. He learned that mistakes are just opportunities to learn something new-which is, after all what scientific experiments are all about Even if the experiment doesn’t “work”, we can still learn something valuable from it.

1. Robert made a mess on the kitchen floor while he was            .

A．doing a creative experiment	B．drinking a bottle of milk
C．throwing bottles around	D．taking a bottle of milk out of the fridge.

2. What did Robert’s mother do after he made the mess?

A．She shouted at him.	B．She punished hi.
C．She allowed him to play in the mess.	D．She asked him to clean up the kitchen.

3. Which of the following can best describe Robert’s mother?

A．Impatient.

B．Wise.

C．Warm-hearted.

D．Hard-working.

4. What’s the main idea of this passage?

A．It’s easier said than done.	B．He who makes no mistakes will do nothing.
C．Actions speak louder than words.	D．If you can’t beat them, join them.

【推荐1】Going to school can be a demanding obstacle for many, but some people are well prepared for the challenge. For Dylan Kuehl, being a student has been a challenging joy. The 38-year-old has had a passion for studying, and believes that the more he learns, the more he learns to see the world differently. This open-minded approach and enthusiastic mindset are all the most inspiring as Kuehl has Down syndrome (唐氏综合征).

He knows the struggle of breaking new ground from a lifetime of experience of being different. He has sustained his ability to shine as a unique individual by graduating from The Evergreen State College in Washington State. Kuehl is the first person with Down syndrome in the college’s 51-year history to earn a four-year degree. Not only that, but this also makes him the first person with Down syndrome in Washington state to achieve this remarkable milestone.

Kuehl’s passion for creativity led him to study for a Bachelor of Arts degree. He enjoyed classes in painting and dance as part of his curriculum, but his primary focus was writing. Out of 900 graduates, he was one of three to be selected to give an address at the graduation ceremony.

“Celebrate your abilities,” Kuehl tells his fellow students in his speech. “Live your life with ambition and pride.”We can all take a leaf out of this inspiring man’s book which is about enthusiasm, positivity, determination and a whole lot of motivating hard work.

Aside from graduating college, Kuehl is also an entrepreneur (企业家). He started his own visual and performing arts company called DK Arts in 2005, where he sells his own artwork and glass jewelry. He plays the drums in a band called Living the Dream, advocating for inclusion through his music.

1. What does Kuehl think his studying is?

A．A must for his own business.

B．A way of viewing the world.

C．A relief from his Down syndrome.

D．An approach to showing his gifts.

2. What can we say about Kuehl from the last paragraph?

A．He has a gift for invention.

B．He is good at selling things.

C．He leads a colourful life.

D．He makes music as his career.

3. Which of the following can best describe Kuehl?

A．Wealthy.

B．Generous.

C．Strict.

D．Inspiring.

4. In which section of the website can we find the text?

A．Art.

B．Academy.

C．Business.

D．People.

【推荐3】阅读下面的短文，请根据短文后的要求答题。
Rock climbing requires not only physical strength, but also complete mental concentration. So it is not an easy sport. But this may not be true for 20-year-old Sasha diGuilian. This fearless girl who has been dominating the sport ever since she entered this field is just getting warmed up.
The youngster who is also studying for a creative writing degree at Columbia University says that she began climbing even before she could walk. As a baby, she constantly escaped from her bed and led her friends to the nearest rocks or hills. Then at the age of seven she attended brother’s birthday party at a local rock climbing gym and found her gift for it.
Soon after, she joined the local center in her hometown of Alexandria, Virginia and began climbing— first once a week, then twice and soon, almost every day. At the age of nine, she won her first climbing competition by participating in an event that she hadn’t even been aware of, until she went to the gym for her normal climbing routine. Her competitive nature and love for the sport immediately reached the peak and she began training seriously, but this time outside the gym—climbing real mountains.
As a youngster, she dominated the Junior Continental Championships from 2004 to 2010. Then she went on to catch the Pan American Championship and the US National Championship as soon as she was old enough. And in 2011, at just 18 years old, she was crowned(加冕)Female Overall World Champion in Arco, Italy in her first attempt.
Sasha diGuilian is also the youngest woman who has completed the 5.14d graded climb in which climbers must climb rocks that are vertical. The 5.14d graded climb is regarded as the most difficult climb and it is something that even the most experienced climbers are a little afraid to take on, because a small slip could result in a severe injury or even death.
1. What does the underlined word “dominating” (Paragraph 1) mean?
(1 word)
________________________________________________________________________
2. Where and when did Sasha diGuilian find she had the talent for rock climbing? (No more than 12 words)
________________________________________________________________________
3. What made Sasha diGuilian begin training seriously to climb real mountains? (No more than 10 words)
_________________________________________________________________________
4. Why is the 5.14d graded climb considered the most difficult climb?
(No more than 7 words)
_________________________________________________________________________
5. Please explain how you are inspired by Sasha diGuilian.(No more than25 words)
_________________________________________________________________________