【推荐1】If you think of the jobs robots could never do, you would probably put doctors and teachers at the top of the list. But, in some cases, they already perform better than doctors at diagnosing(诊断)illness. Also some patients might feel more comfortable sharing personal information with a machine than a person. Could there be a place for robots in education after all?

British education expert, Anthony Seldon thinks so. And he even has a date for the robot takeover of the classroom: 2027. He believes robots will do the main job of transferring(传递)information and teachers will be like assistants. Intelligent robots will read students’ faces ,movements and maybe even brain signals. Then they will transfer the information to each student. It’s not a popular opinion and it’s unlikely robots will ever have empathy(共情) and the ability to really connect with humans like another human can.

One thing is certain, though. A robot teacher is better than no teacher at all. In some parts of the world, there aren’t enough teachers and 9-16 percent of children under the age of 14 don’t go to school. Teachers all over the world are leaving because it is a difficult and lower-paid job and they feel overworked. That problem could be part solved by robots.

Perhaps the question is not “ Will robots replace teachers?” but“How can robots help teachers?” Teachers waste a lot of time doing non-teaching work, including more than 11 hours a week marking homework. If robots could cut the time teachers spend marking homework and writing reports, teachers would have more time and energy for the parts of the job humans do best.

1. What’s the function of the first paragraph?

A．Drawing a conclusion.

B．Giving an answer.

C．Presenting an example..

D．Introducing the topic

2. What does Anthony Seldon think of robots in 2027?

A．Robots can do most teaching.

B．Robots will work as assistants

C．Robots can only transfer information.

D．Robots will have empathy like humans.

3. Why are robot teachers necessary?

A．Because robot teachers cost less.

B．Because robot teachers teach better.

C．Because there aren’t enough teachers.

D．Because there are already robot doctors

4. How is a robot expected to help a teacher by the author?

A．By answering emails.

B．By marking homework.

C．By reading students’ faces.

D．By analyzing brain signals.

5. Which can be the best title for the text?

A．Illness diagnosing

B．Robot teachers

C．Information transferring

D．Education problems

【推荐2】What should you think about when you try to find your career? You are probably better at some school subjects than others. These may show strengths that you can use in your work. A boy who is good at mathematics can use that in engineering career. A girl who spells well and likes English may be good at office work. So it is important to know the subjects you do well in at school. On the other hand, you may not have any specially strong or weak subjects but your records show a general satisfactory standard. Although not all subjects can be used directly in a job, they may have indirect value.

Your school may have taught you skills, such as typing or technical drawing, which you can use in your work. You may be good at mental work or cookery and look for a job where you can improve these skills.

If you have had a part - time job on Saturday or in the summer, think what you gained from it. If nothing else, you may have learned how to get to work on time, to follow instructions and to get on with older workers. You may have learned to give correct change in a shop, for example. Just as important, you may become interested in a particular industry or career you see from the inside in a part - time job.

Facing your weak points is also part of knowing yourself. You may be all thumbs when you handle tools; perhaps you are a poor speller or cannot add up a column of figures. It is bitter to face any weaknesses than to pretend they do not exist. Your school record, for instance, may not be too good, yet it is an important part of your background. You should not feel sorry about it but instead recognize that you will have a chance of a fresh start at work.

1. The first paragraph of the passage is mainly about ________.

A．the indirect value of school work

B．the importance of being good at all subjects

C．knowing one’s strong or weak subjects at school

D．using school performance to help to choose a career

2. In the writer’s opinion, for a student to have a part-time job is probably ________.

A．a good way to find out his weak points

B．one of the best ways of earning extra money

C．of great use for his work in the future

D．a waste of time he could have spent on study

3. If a student’s school record is not good, according to the passage, he________ .

A．may do well in his future work

B．won’t be able to find a suitable job

C．may be a complete failure in the future

D．will regret not having worked harder at school

4. The whole passage centers on ________.

A．knowing oneself in looking for a job

B．developing one’s abilities useful in school

C．gaining much knowledge by working hard at school

D．choosing a career according to what one is skilled in

【推荐1】Whether you admit it or not, people’s love for Christmas jumpers (毛衣) around Christmas has increased over recent years. And while you may be less willing to get involved in the Christmas jumper trend, Christmas Jumper Day now enables you to do more with your jumper than build up sweat in an incredibly warm office.

The origin of the Christmas jumper can date back to the late 19th century in the USA. Americans in the 1930s knitted (编织) for Christmas to create an item of clothing to keep them “warm” during the tough period- the Great Depression. They copied the jumpers they saw their favorite stars wearing on the big screen. From the 1950s, it was common to see American families wearing festive jumpers as they sat down to eat their Christmas dinner.

Now, alongside wearing a festive jumper for the fun of it, there are other positive outcomes. Christmas Jumper Day has been set up to encourage people to make the world better and raise funds tor Save the Children by wearing a Christmas jumper and making a minimum donation of £1. Ladbrokes, a company, in the UK, is running a competition in which all you have to do is take a selfie (自拍) outside of one of their shops while wearing a jumper- the winner will win a good prize and for every submission Ladbrokes will donate f5 to St. Luke’s Hospital charity. For you, it’s a win-win situation.

If you’re still unconvinced that it’s about time you bought yourself a Christmas jumper, then maybe the fact that Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and Snoop Dogg have all been spotted wearing Christmas jumpers will raise your enthusiasm. Retailers (零售商) such as Topshop, Burberry and H&M have also become committed to Christmas Jumper Day and have their very own types of Christmas jumpers.

1. What can we learn from Paragraph 1?

A．Christmas jumpers serve many functions.

B．Wearing Christmas jumpers in the office has been a trend.

C．Christmas jumpers have gained huge popularity.

D．Everyone should have a Christmas jumper.

2. For what reason did Americans in the 1930s make Christmas jumpers?

A．To protect them from cold weather.	B．To lift their spirits.
C．To follow the stars they like.	D．To establish a tradition.

3. What does the author mean by saying “it’s a win-win situation” in Paragraph 3?

A．You may help others and win some money.

B．You may raise awareness and save resources.

C．You may make a donation and achieve fame.

D．You may get some aid and promote Ladbrokes.

4. Why does the author mention Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and Snoop Dogg?

A．To encourage people to donate Christmas jumpers.

B．To show the significance of Christmas Jumper Day.

C．To persuade readers to purchase a Christmas jumper.

D．To prove Christmas jumpers are popular among stars.

【推荐2】A small group of brave and curious young Irish musicians have taken it upon themselves to save a tradition of songs. Their project aims to put the elders of a nearly-past generation in front of a microphone, to protect their songs and stories for musicians to hear and study for all time.

Some experts often pass warnings about how much oral tradition the human race loses to modernity every year. In Ireland, a country famous for its singers, the Song Collectors Collective (SCC) celebrates that history by honoring the people who have kept its roots alive. Most of them are from the reclusive (隐居的) traveler communities. Rather than simply collecting words, each song can be accessed only by exploring the life and story of the person who sang it for the SCC, or the so-called “Tradition Bearer”.

Take Freda Black, for example, a great-grandmother in her mid-eighties. She kept so many songs that she admitted she couldn’t possibly count them. She would go on to feature in the recently released album by a modern folk singer and SCC member, Sam Lee. “I love spending time at the knee of these elders,” Lee said. “I am very lucky. I catch an end of an era.”

“It is a common request for the songs and stories to be recorded and shared as the old ways are not being passed on and this huge store of knowledge of an ancient way of life is forgotten. In the current era of accessible recording technology, there is no excuse for not documenting and sharing this rich but fragile (脆弱的) tradition,” wrote the SCC．Having collected hundreds of recordings from dozens of singers, the SCC is beginning to host educational events, sharing the stories and singing voices for those interested in hearing them, as well as how people can become collectors in their own way.

1. How do those young Irish musicians save the tradition of songs?

A．By spreading their new music styles.

B．By recording old folk songs and related stories.

C．By teaching young people to learn traditional songs.

D．By improving the living conditions of elderly musicians.

2. What can we infer from Sam Lee’s words?

A．He is glad to keep a valuable tradition of music.

B．His latest album carries the memory of his grandma.

C．He is lucky to have got some help in learning music.

D．His music is inspired by conversations with Freda Black.

3. What further promotes the SCC’s protection of the oral tradition?

A．Market demand.	B．The support of famous musicians.
C．High praise from the elderly.	D．Technological progress.

4. Which of the following can best describe the SCC’s work?

A．Effective and interesting.	B．Successful but confusing.
C．Necessary and meaningful.	D．Professional but dangerous.

【推荐3】Stress may be defined (限定) as the response (反应) of the body to any demand. Whenever people experience something pleasant or unpleasant, we say they are under stress. We call the pleasant kind “eustress”, the unpleasant kind “distress”.

People sometimes compare our lives with that of the caveman (穴居人), who didn’t have to worry about the stock market or the atomic bomb (原子弹). They forget that the caveman worried about being eaten by a bear or about dying of hunger — things that few people worry about today. It is not that people suffer more stress today; it is just that they think they do.

It is inconceivable (不可思议) that anyone should have no stress at all. Most people who are ambitious (有野心的) and want to accomplish something live on stress. They need it. But excessive (极度的) stress is by all means harmful. Worse, chronic(长期的) exposure to stress over a long time may cause more serious diseases and may actually shorten your life.

The most frequent causes of distress in man are psychological — lack of adaptability (适应能力), not having a code (规范，准则) of behaviour. So the secret of dealing with stress is not to avoid it but to do what you like to do and what you are made to do, at your own rate. For most people, it is really a matter of leaning how to behave (表现，举止) in various situations. The most important thing is to have a code of life, to know how to live.

1. The modern man is suffering ________.

A．more stress than the caveman	B．less stress than the caveman
C．different stress from the caveman	D．the same stress as the caveman

2. Which of the following is an example of eustress?

A．Being lack of adaptability and code of life.	B．Triumph (成功，胜利) in a contest.
C．A man who has just lost his job.	D．Learning how to do something.

3. Stress is ________.

A．always harmful to you	B．an example of human experience
C．a disease in your life	D．a normal state for everyone

4. The main idea of the passage is ________.

A．how to form a code of life	B．that life means stress.
C．how we are supposed to treat stress	D．how to prevent stress in advance