【推荐1】At a conference on self-driving cars, Mike Harp, a government official, asked a seemingly simple question about what happens when his own car meets a driver-less vehicle. “If I honk(按喇叭), will it do any good?” Harp wanted to know. Unfortunately, manufacturers didn't have an answer. “We haven’t reached that point of deciding how and whether it would be appropriate for vehicles to react and in which way to honking,” said one of them. The brief exchange highlights a thorn in the side of automakers and policymakers alike: Self-driving cars will have to share the road with human drivers, likely for decades to come. Those vehicles must therefore respond and adapt to the peculiarities and mistakes of humans behind wheel.

Self-driving technology has already come a long way. Cars being tested on the road today use cameras and radar, for example, to detect the movements of nearby cyclists and pedestrians. There are already driver-assist technologies built into some cars that monitor the speed of vehicles around you, detect potential accidents before they occur, and automatically slow or stop the car to avoid a wreck. In a world where all cars drive themselves, the technology could operate at peak efficiency. Supporters of self-driving cars say that speed limits could be raised and fatal crashes largely avoided as no traffic laws are broken and poor drivers become a thing of the past.

But the change to driver-less vehicles is expected to be gradual, and will likely start with ride-sharing services, as the costs of personally owning a self-driving car remain extremely high. That means man and machine will have to play nice on roadways. “There are so many interesting situations,” such as honking a horn, Harp said. When “another car with a driver meets a self-driving car without a driver in there and they realize that, it will frighten some people. How that’s going to be dealt with will be part of the fun part of this process.

Any driver can tell you that driving involves a lot of social interaction, particularly the hand gestures and eye contact of fellow drivers. Much of that interaction between drivers will eventually be digital as cars increasingly collect data and share it with the vehicles around them. If a car speeds up, slows down or prepares for a stop, for example, that would be communicated immediately and electronically to the other vehicles on the road. Like self-driving technology however, it will be years before the vehicle-to-vehicle communication is common.

That challenge is being taken into account as driver-less vehicles are tested on public roads. But the honking issue is particularly tricky because it’s subject to interpretation. It’s going to be really hard for a driver-less vehicle, even if it hears the honk, to figure out what that honk means.

1. In paragraph 1, “a thorn” refers to ____________.

A．the issue that human drivers have peculiarities and make mistakes

B．the prediction that self-driving cars will be common in the future

C．the fact that driver-less cars co-exist with cars driven by humans

D．the technology that ensures driver-less cars are safe on the road

2. Which of the following can be inferred from the last two paragraph?

A．Most people don’t advocate self-driving technology

B．Inter-vehicle communication is superior to inter-personal interaction

C．Social interaction will decrease among drivers behind the wheel

D．More data is needed to make self-driving technology a reality much sooner

3. Which example is used to illustrate that self-driving technology is not something new?

A．A car communicates its speed to the other vehicles

B．A driver-less ear is likely to frighten human drivers

C．Speed limits are raised in a world of self-driving cars

D．Car cameras and radar are used to detect moving people.

4. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

A．The simple question about self-driving cars we still can’t answer

B．A golden opportunity for driver-less cars we can’t afford to miss

C．Hidden secrets of self-driving cars we can’t reveal

D．Potential risks of driver-less cars we can’t ignore

【推荐2】Kiley Crisp, a 15-year-old teenager, has Williams syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes learning and developmental issues. Despite her outgoing personality, Kiley sometimes struggles to make friends. Last year, however, she met two amazing girls at a summer camp she went to. The girls, who live far away from her, daily contact Kiley. They call her, check in on her using social media, and make her feel deeply loved.

Kiley was out to dinner with family to celebrate her turning 15. She was extremely moved to find that her friends drove three hours to celebrate her birthday! In a video posted by her sister Ashley on social media, Kiley is seen moved to tears at how kind her friends were to surprise her on her birthday.

In the video, the 15-year-old is seen happily dancing around in a cafe. Then she feels two girls coming towards her. She realizes they are her two good friends. Kiley widens her eyes, unable to believe it, because both had told her that they felt sorry for not being able to come to observe her birthday. Then the two friends are seen comforting Kiley as they offer her hugs and wish her a happy birthday!

The video has acquired over 5.2 million views since it was posted, through which Kiley has received a lot of love. And in an update, she expressed her hearty thanks to those who left sweet comments. One of them said, “Really sweet of those girls to support their friend like that.” Another said, “The world would be a much better place if more people were like these girls. They are inspiring role models. We should all try to be so nice.”

1. Why is it difficult for Kiley to make friends?

A．She is hard to get along with.	B．She suffers from a disease.
C．She lives far from other children.	D．She seldom uses social media.

2. What impressed Kiley most at her birthday party?

A．Her friends’ unexpected appearance.	B．Observing her birthday with families.
C．Her success in making friends online.	D．The surprise given by the cafe.

3. How did Kiley feel in the video mentioned in paragraph 2?

A．Overjoyed but ashamed.	B．Shocked and embarrassed.
C．Satisfied but confused.	D．Surprised and touched.

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Kiley reminded people to view her video.

B．Kiley promised to help teenagers make friends.

C．Their friendship has inspired many people.

D．More people intend to join in her birthday party.

【推荐1】The movie Home Coming《万里归途》took the lead in the box office (票房) during the National Day holiday in 2022.

It tells a story that happened in North Africa. After a war breaks out there, two Chinese diplomats (外交官) are ordered to help evacuate the overseas Chinese. After completing the first task successfully, they learn that another group of Chinese citizens (公民) are still in great danger. Realizing that these people will die if they don’t give a hand, the two men travel through the war area. They risk their lives to help over 100Chinese citizens go to a safe place. The movie not only shows how the two diplomats protect the people with courage, but also shows their deep love for the country and people.

Home Coming reminds many people of a similar real event which truly happened in Libya in 2011. Chinese Embassy (大使馆) helped the evacuation of more than 30, 000 Chinese citizens. Behind this event were many efforts of Chinese diplomats. After watching the film, a man recalled his personal experience. “We are the lucky ones because we have a strong country and are well protected,” he said.

Home Coming is a success partly because of the growing national pride and confidence Chinese people have in our country. A comment (评论) reads, “Chinese passport might not get you anywhere you want, but it can always bring you back home.”

1. The movie Home Coming is about a story that happened in ______.

A．North America

B．South America

C．South Africa

D．North Africa

2. What does the underlined word “evacuate” mean in the second paragraph?

A．躲藏

B．逃避

C．撤离

D．评价

3. How many Chinese citizens were evacuated in the real event in 2011?

A．Over one hundred.	B．Over thirty thousand.
C．Over three million.	D．Over three thousand.

4. According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT right?

A．The two diplomats protect the people with courage.

B．The two diplomats love the country and people deeply.

C．We Chinese have a strong country and are well protected.

D．Chinese passport can get you anywhere you want.

【推荐3】In the heart of the war-torn city, where buildings stood like wounded soldiers, Emma waited inline for her weekly ration. The line moved slowly, a somber procession of gaunt (瘦削憔悴的) faces and threadbare coats. When her turn came, the ration officer handed her the allotted food with a detached efficiency. “Two loaves, half a pound of sugar, and a tin of powdered milk,” he recited. The portions seemed to shrink each week, mirroring the dwindling hope in people’s hearts.

Clutching her meager supplies, Emma hurried through the bombed-out streets, dodging craters and debris. The city, once vibrant and bustling, now lay in a hushed surrender to scarcity and fear. At home, her family’s small garden offered a sharp contrast to the desolation around. Here, amidst the rows of struggling vegetables, her father toiled.

“Dad, let me help,” Emma offered, taking the shovel from his weary hands. Together, they dug into the earth, creating a hidden cache for extra food. It was a secret they guarded fiercely, knowing that in times of shortage, even neighbors could turn against each other out of desperation.

As they worked, Emma’s mind wandered to the days before the war, when food was abundant and their garden was a source of joy, not just survival. She remembered her mother’s cooking, the aromas that filled their kitchen, the laughter that accompanied their meals. Now, each bite of their bland rations was a reminder of what had been lost.

In the evenings, the family gathered around a small table, sharing their rationed food. Conversation flowed, weaving tales of better times, igniting sparks of hope. Emma’s younger brother, Tom, would often ask, “When will we have chocolate again?” It was a question loaded with longing, not just for the sweetness of chocolate but for the return of normalcy.

Despite the hardship, they found reasons to smile. Emma’s father would recount stories from his youth, tales of adventure that seemed like fairy tales in their grim surroundings. Her mother would hum old tunes, filling their home with a semblance of warmth and normalcy.

As winter deepened, the rations grew scarcer, and the hidden cache in the garden became their lifeline. Each day, Emma and her father would check the hole, ensuring their precious supplies were safe. The hole, a mere cavity in the ground, symbolized their resilience, a refusal to succumb to despair.

1. How did the amount of weekly rations appear to change each week?

A．Significantly increased	B．Dramatically decreased
C．Remained the same	D．Decreased each week

2. What does the term “hidden cache” in the third paragraph refer to in the article?

A．A treasure map	B．A buried capsule
C．A secret food storage spot	D．A mysterious box

3. How does the family’s gathering around the table for meals illustrate the impact of war on their lives?

A．Abundant food showshow the war has unexpectedly brought prosperity to their family.

B．The family’s conversations about a war-free future reflect their enduring hope.

C．Meals at the table are silent and rushed, highlighting their fear and anxiety.

D．The table becomes a place of conflict where family members argue over limited food.

4. Tom’s longing for chocolate is symbolic in the story. What does this longing represent?

A．It’s a simple craving for a treat, unrelated to the broader themes of the story.

B．The desire for chocolate symbolizes a yearning for the comforts of life before the war.

C．His wish for chocolate indicates his dislike for the food rationing and nothing more.

D．It is a secret code used by the family to communicate about their hidden food.