Give the Senate (参议院) some credit: in shaping the current immigration-reform bill, it has come up with one idea that almost everybody hates. That’s the plan to create a new class of “guest workers” — immigrants who would be allowed to work in the U.S. for three two-year stretches, at most, provided that they return home to stay for a year after each visit. Conservatives dislike the plan because they believe that the guest workers won’t return home after their visas expire. Liberals dislike it because they believe the program will depress American wages and trap guest workers. The only supporters of the bill are businesses that rely heavily on immigrant labor, and they’re probably just looking out for themselves.
With the broader concerns about the effects of illegal immigration, the hostility to the new plan is understandable. However imperfect, the guest-worker program is better than any politically feasible alternative. Opponents of immigration sometimes imply that adding workers to a work-force automatically brings wages down. But immigrants tend to work in different industries than native workers, and have different skills, and so they often end up complementing native workers rather than competing with them. That can make native workers more productive and therefore better off.
According to a recent study by the economists Gianmarco Ottaviano and Giovanni Peri, immigration actually boosted the wages of most American workers; its only negative effect was a small one, on the wages of workers without a high-school diploma. And if by increasing the number of legal guest workers we reduced the number of undocumented workers, the economy would benefit even more.
Guest workers are also, paradoxically, less likely than illegal immigrants to become permanent residents. The U.S. already has a number of smaller—and less well-designed—temporary-worker programs, and there’s no evidence that workers in those plans routinely overstay their visas. One remarkable study found that after border enforcement was stepped up in 1993 the chance of an illegal immigrant returning to his homeland to stay fell by a third.
In fact, whatever benefits the guest-worker program brought to the U.S. economy or to particular businesses, the biggest winners would be the workers themselves. There are few, if any, foreign-aid programs that do as much for people in developing countries as simply allowing them to work in U. S. legally. This program’s costs to American workers are insignificant, the gains for the guest workers are enormous, and the U.S. economy will benefit. This is that rare option which is both sensible and politically possible.
1. According to the passage, the guest-worker program ________.| A．allows immigrants to work in the U.S. for six continuous years |
| B．has aroused criticism from conservatives, liberals and the business world |
| C．will make local workers more productive as it brings fierce competition |
| D．is a sensible approach to resolving the illegal immigration problems |
| A．is immune from negative effects |
| B．will root out undocumented labourers |
| C．has led to economic prosperity and social stability |
| D．has enhanced wages of most American workers |
| A．Illegal immigrants are more likely to stay permanently in the U.S. than guest workers. |
| B．With stepped-up border control, illegal immigrants are more likely to stay in their homeland. |
| C．Workers in temporary-worker programs usually pay no attention to their visa duration. |
| D．Guest workers will not stay too long because of the enhanced border enforcement. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Neutral. | C．Favorable. | D．Negative. |
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【推荐1】Long long ago, some have predicted there would be robots on the earth. Nowadays we are familiar with a variety of robots that have some special skills in some science fiction movies and some real robots in our daily life. Some may dream of owning one or two or more robots to free them from something dangerous or tiring, challenging... Here's some good news for them.
Zhejiang Aishida Electric Co, also known as ASD, announced plans on Monday to invest at least 500 million yuan (US $ 71. 4 million) to build an industrial robot factory which will help the company establish "a smart manufacturing ecosystem" in the Yangtze River Delta region.
"Besides the new plant in Zhejiang Province, ASD also plans to build ASD Shanghai Intelligent Valley and related logistics(后勤)and research facilities in the region. This ecosystem will cover robotics, smart manufacturing, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things,” said Chen Helin, chairman of Shenzhen-listed ASD.
Despite mounting economic uncertainties, China's robot demand will continue to grow thanks to digitalized and artificial intelligence upgrade trends, industry insiders said. China's annual sales of industrial robots will hit 150,000 units in 2020, and 260,000 units in 2025, according to the Shanghai Robot Industry Association. The new ASD factory, located in Wenling, Zhejiang Province, will produce 20,000 industrial robots annually. About 1 ,000 robots manufactured at the new factory will be used in ASD's production line for cooking pots and other devices.
"ASD will join other industry players to attend the China International Industry Fair, which opens on Tuesday in Shanghai. ASD is "still interested in” being listed on the new Shanghai STAR market through spinning off its robot or smart manufacturing business," Chen said on Monday.
1. What is the function of the first paragraph?| A．To present an argument. | B．To introduce some science fictions. |
| C．To inspire the readers to read more. | D．To draw a conclusion about robots. |
| A．Put in. | B．Take in. |
| C．Bring in. | D．Look in. |
| A．Build a factory in which workers are all robots. |
| B．Establish an industrial robot factory and related system. |
| C．Plant trees to make sure its factory has a good ecosystem. |
| D．Invest at least 500 million yuan to do research into the robots. |
| A．China needs more industrial robots. |
| B．The China International Industrial Fair is opening. |
| C．ASD will build an industrial robot factory in Zhejiang. |
| D．The development of China's industrial robots is speeding up. |
【推荐2】We’ve heard of robots and AI（Artificial Intelligence）taking human jobs, but I bet mayors（市长）don’t really think their jobs can be threatened any time soon. They were wrong, and the AI running for the mayor of a Tokyo district was clear proof of that.
AI can’t legally run for high-ranking public management positions yet, but one mayoral candidate from Tama City, Tokyo, intended to maximize the use of artificial intelligence in running city affairs. He was running his campaign （竞选运动） as “AI Mayor”. Basically, he was suggesting replacing human public officials with AI and having them collect city data and create fair and balanced policies that will benefit everyone.
“For the first time in the world, AI will run in an election,” human candidate Michihito Matsuda announced on Twitter. “Artificial Intelligence will change Toma City. With the birth of an AI Mayor, we will conduct balanced politics.”
The AI Mayor was campaigning very much like its human competitors. Posters were shown all over Tama City and campaign trucks were blaring out（大声鸣响）promises of an AI utopia （乌托邦）and asking for support.
Some people called Michihito Matsuda’s campaign a stunt （噱头）, as a human would still be the one legally in charge. However, others said that they were excited about the future of AI running things in the background, adding that it had to be a better choice.
1. What’s the advantage of the AI mayor according to Michihito Matsuda?| A．Maximizing the use of AI. | B．Replacing human officials. |
| C．Creating balanced policies. | D．Bringing him beneficial effects. |
| A．It will abolish many old policies. |
| B．It will ask for support on the Internet. |
| C．It will make public speeches, dressed like a human. |
| D．It will compete similarly to human competitors. |
| A．They believe AI will win. | B．All consider it to be tricky. |
| C．It is supposed to be a failure definitely. | D．Some think it’s worthy of expectation. |
| A．AI Runs for the Mayor. | B．The Advantages of AI. |
| C．AI Replaces Human in Management. | D．The Patterns of AI Management. |
【推荐3】I first visited China in 1979, a few months after our countries normalized relations. China was just beginning to remake its economy, and I was in the first Senate Delegation (参议院代表团)to witness it. Traveling through the country last month, I could see how much China had changed in 32 years.
Then , as now there were concerns about what a growing China meant to America and the world. Some here see China's growth as a threat. Some Chinese worry our aim in the Asia-Pacific is to contain China's rise. I don't agree to these views. We are clear about concern like China's growing military abilities. That is why we are working with the Chinese military to understand and shape their thinking. It is why the president has directed the United States to keep a strong position in the area. I am sure that a successful China can make our country more prosperous(繁荣的),not less. We share common challenges and responsibilities. The Chinese leaders I met with know their country must shift from an economy driven by exports, investment and heavy industry to one driven more by consumption and services. As Americans save more and Chinese buy more, this change will speed up, opening opportunities for us. Even as the United States and China cooperate, we also compete. I strongly believe that the United States can and will benefit from this competition.
Maybe more important, the nature of 21st century competition favors the United States. In the 20th century, we measured a nation's wealth mainly by its natural resources, its land mass, its population and its army. In the 21st century, the true wealth of a nation is found in the creative minds of its people and their ability to innovate (创新).As I told students in Chengdu, the United States is born for innovation. Competition is the base of our society. We owe our strength to our political and economic system and to the way we educate our children. We not only tolerate but celebrate free expression and debate. Our universities remain attractive to the world's students and scholars.
Fundamental rights are universal. Liberty unlocks a people's full potential , while its absence causes unrest. Open and free societies are best at promoting long-term growth. We have our own work to do. We need to ensure that any American willing to work can find a good job. We need to keep attracting the world's top talent. I've traveled half a million miles around the world. I always come home feeling the same confidence in our future . Some may warn of America's failure, but I'm not among them. And let me reassure you : based on my time in China, neither are the Chinese.
1. In the author's eyes, .| A．the growing China has become a threat to America. |
| B．there's only competition between China and America. |
| C．Chinese universities have surpassed American ones. |
| D．a bright future is waiting for both China and America. |
| A．speech | B．notice | C．announcement | D．script |
| A．critical | B．optimistic | C．pessimistic | D．indifferent |
| A．senior official of America | B．businessman of China |
| C．senior official of China | D．actor of America |
【推荐1】U. S. government officials have approved meat that is grown from cells in a laboratory to be sold in restaurants and food stores.
Companies have been developing “lab-grown” meat for years. But the California-based companies Upside Foods and Good Meat are the first to have their products approved by the Department of Agriculture. Chicken is the only “lab-grown” meat permitted in the United States. However, lab-grown meat from cattle, pigs and sheep might be available soon.
Production of meat grown in a laboratory begins by taking cells from fertilized eggs. The cells are combined with nutrients that support their growth in steel tanks. Upside Foods’s lab-grown meat is created in large sheets, which are then formed into final products. Good Meat transforms cells into several chicken products.
Lab-grown meat is different from plant-based meat such as Impossible Burgers. Those products are made from plant materials. Researchers consider lab-grown meat to be “real” meat. Company representatives say the lab-grown chicken seems like real meat. Amy Chen is Upside Foods’ chief operating officer. She told the Associated Press, “The most common response we get is, ‘Oh, it tastes like chicken.’”
Upside Foods has stated that they only can produce 22, 680 kilograms of lab-grown meat a year. Officials expect the price of lab-grown meat to be about $44 per kilogram. At such a price, only rich people will be able to purchase lab-grown meat. Therefore, it will not be available in grocery stores any time soon. Restaurants are expected to begin serving “lab-grown” meat within two to five years. Experts say it might be available in supermarkets in 7 to 10 years.
Ricardo San Martin, director of the Alt: Meat Lab told the Associated Press, “If some high-end or wealthy people want to eat this instead of a chicken, it’s good.” Then he added, “Will that mean you will feed chicken to poor people? I honestly don’t see it.”
Supporters of lab-grown meat say it does not require killing or hurting animals. They also say it helps diminish and ease the effects that feeding animals and animal waste have on the environment. But Martin said that if too little is produced, and only a small number of people eat it, it will have little effect on the environment.
1. What does the third paragraph mainly talk about on lab-grown meat?| A．Its growing process. | B．Its main component. |
| C．Its drawback. | D．Its characteristics. |
| A．Because it’s tasteless. | B．Because it’s costly. |
| C．Because it’s harmful. | D．Because it’s unprofitable. |
| A．Conserve. | B．Anticipate. | C．Tackle. | D．Decrease. |
| A．Its safety. | B．Its popularity. | C．Its output. | D．Its potential. |
【推荐2】People have come to understand the enormous impacts-beneficial as well as harmful- plastics have on human lives and the environment. As polymer (聚合物) scientists committed to inventing sustainable solutions for real-world problems, we set out to tackle the issue of plastic waste by rethinking the way polymers are designed so we could make plastics with recyclability built right in.
Everyday items including milk jug, grocery bags, and takeout containers are made from a class of polymers called polyolefins. These plastics are really durable (耐用的) because the chemical bonds in those polymers are extremely stable. In a world set up for disposable (一次性的) items, durability is no longer a design feature but rather a design drawback. Imagine if half the plastics used today were recyclable through twice as many processes as they are now. Also conventional recycling requires careful sorting of all the collected materials, which can be challenging with so many different plastics. For example, separating paper from metal doesn’t require complex technology, but sorting a container from a milk jug of a different polyolefin is difficult to do without the occasional mistake.
In a study published in Science in October 2023, we described a series of polymers with only two building blocks-one soft polymer and one hard polymer-that behave like polyolefins but could be chemically recycled. Connecting two different polymers multiple times until they form a single, long molecule (分子) creates what’s called a multiblock polymer. By changing how much of each polymer type goes into the multiblock polymer, our team produced a wide range of materials with properties that covered all polyolefin types.
Using the same strategy but by adding hydrogen, we could disconnect the polymers back into their building blocks and easily separate them to use again. When we made new polymers out of these recycled plastics, they performed just as well as the original materials even after several rounds of chemical recycling. So we were able to create materials with similar properties of the plastics the world relies on. We believe this work is a step toward more sustainable plastics.
1. What is paragraph 2 mainly about concerning plastics?| A．Their multiple uses. | B．Their chemical properties. |
| C．Their recycling challenges. | D．Their classification criteria. |
| A．mixing building blocks with long molecules |
| B．integrating chemicals into the two polymers |
| C．combining two different multiblock polymers |
| D．adjusting the percentage of the two polymers |
| A．They are made from sustainable materials. |
| B．They can be recycled by adding hydrogen. |
| C．Their reliability outperforms traditional plastics. |
| D．Their properties change with rounds of recycling. |
| A．Designing for Recycling | B．Classifying Plastic Waste |
| C．Replace Plastics with Polymers | D．Technology Creates the Future |
【推荐3】If it seems like all your friends have smartphones,you may be on to something. A new report by Common Sense Media, which reports on technology and media for children, found that by the age of 11, more than half of kids in the US have their own smartphone. By age 12, more than two-thirds do, and by 14, teens are just as likely as adults to own a smartphone. Some kids start much younger. Nearly 20% of 8-year-olds have their own smartphone!
Well, I study the effects of media and technology on kids, and I’m here to say that there is no single right answer to this question. The best I can offer is this: When both you and your parents feel the time is right.
Here are some points to consider to help you and your parents make this decision.
Be responsible. Have you shown that you are generally responsible? Do you understand the value of money, and can you save up to buy things you want?
Keep safe. Do you travel to or from school or after-school activities without an adult? This is when phones often go from a “want” to a “need”. Sometimes parents report that they feel better knowing they can reach their children directly, and that their kids can reach them, too.
Be careful. Do you treat your friends with kindness and respect? Do you know the fact that once something goes out onto the web, it can never truly be deleted (删除)?
When you have a smartphone, your parents are the No. I most important influence in your life. If parents use their phones all day, guess what? Their children probably will be like that, too.However, if parents have smartphone habits like putting the phone away during meals, that will go a long way toward helping kids develop the same habits.
1. What does Paragraph 2 mainly talk about?| A．The benefit of the phone. | B．The need for the phone. |
| C．The right age for the use of the phone. | D．The way of using the phone? |
| A．keep in touch with their parents | B．get some information online |
| C．chat with their friends online | D．send messages to their friends |
| A．Teach their children to use phones. | B．Use their phones as little as possible. |
| C．Control their children’s using phones. | D．Set a good example for their children. |
| A．The advantages of having a phone | B．How children use their phones |
| C．How old children should be to get phones | D．The problems with children’s having phones |
【推荐1】Record pressing companies are handling ongoing supply chain issues and accelerating demand for vinyl releases pushes long-playing sales to record highs.
According to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), more than five million vinyl records were bought in 2021. It means that vinyl comprised 23% of all albums sold in the UK last year, the trade body (行业机构) says that vinyl is on course to beat CDs as the dominant physical medium of choice for music fans this year.
Some big-name releases in the latter half of the year are expected to push the sales even higher. The latest release from Harry Styles, Harry’s House, broke records in May has become the quickest-selling vinyl album in the US since 1991, selling 182,000 copies in its first week.
In the US, profits from the sale of vinyl albums grew by 61% in 2021, far outpacing growth rates for paid music and streaming services like Spotify, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. But in the wake of the revival (复兴) are some significant production problems. Dozens of record-pressing factories have been built to try to meet demand in North America — and it’s still not enough.
The industry “has found a new gear, and is accelerating at a new pace”, said Mark Michaels, boss of United Record Pressing, America’s largest record producer, in Nashville, Tennessee. There are now about 40 plants in the US – most of them smaller operations – but challenges remain. Where major record labels may have once pressed the records for their artists, now the manufacture of the discs is increasingly carried out by independent plants. Some, like Jack White’s Third Man Pressing, based in Detroit, are run by musicians themselves.
Backlogs (积压的工作) are preventing new releases, however, as the capacity of smaller firms to press new vinyl releases is held up by growing demand and supply chain failures. Shortages of raw materials melted and flattened into the actual records, have caused widespread problems. It is uneasy to launch a new plant because there are a handful of companies that make record-pressing machines. Those machines are backordered, as well.
In the UK, Press On Vinyl, have been established in recent years to meet increasing demand from acts of all sizes to have their tunes preserved in a physical format. The pressing plant adapts cutting-edge technology to make records with lower energy consumption, better quality control and a smaller chance of adding surface noise to the records than other manufacturing techniques.
But Danny Lowe, co-founder of the business along with David Todd, says: “Widespread problems along the supply chain are leaving record pressers at risk of being unable to meet the growing appetite for vinyl.” “Demand has grown from all quarters,” says Lowe, “whether from smaller independent artists who only order a run of 100 or so records, up to bigger acts who can take up the plant’s capacity for a while at a time.” “We’ve just added more machinery to our production line so that we have more available capacity.” he explains.
1. Which understanding of the underlined words is WRONG?| A．Vinyl: a kind of material. |
| B．Big-name: famous. |
| C．Backorder: delay filling the order. |
| D．A physical format: a finding in physics. |
| A．Physical medium has dominated the CD industry this year. |
| B．Vinyl comprised 23% of albums’ total sale of more than five million according to BPI. |
| C．The latest release from Harry House, Harry’s Styles, sold more than 180 thousand copies in its first week. |
| D．Big-name releases contributed to even higher sales. |
① Because of fans economy.
② Thanks to paid music and streaming services.
③ It was the newly-built factories that met the huge requirement.
④ The efficiency promotion, benefited from a new technique.
| A．①④ | B．①③④ | C．①②④ | D．②③④ |
| A．Because it had advanced technology. |
| B．To fill in the industry blank. |
| C．To arouse people’s love for vinyl. |
| D．Because of considerable benefits. |
| A．David Todd pointed out that the problem was they couldn’t meet needs. |
| B．Danny Lowe thought there was a need to supplement workers. |
| C．David Todd put more effort in the foundation of Press On Vinyl. |
| D．They both held a positive attitude towards the industry prospect. |
| A．What made the record industry so low. |
| B．The importance of promoting physical medium. |
| C．Other ways adopted to improve the situation. |
| D．Where records could have a better sale. |
【推荐2】Apple and other smartphone makers will be required to support USB-C as part of a single charging standard for mobile devices across the European Union by as early as the fall of 2024 under a new law announced Tuesday by EU officials.
The requirement is aimed at reducing e-waste and reducing “cable clutter,” said Margrethe Vestager, European Commission Vice President. According to a release, “mobile phones, tablets, e-readers, earbuds, digital cameras, headphones and headsets, handheld videogame consoles and portable speakers that are rechargeable via a wired cable will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C port, regardless of their manufacture.”
Chargers that support fast charging will also be required to adopt the same charging speeds. The measure does not influence wireless charging technologies, and consumers would have to be able to buy a device without an attached charger if they choose.
The new rule stands to bring major changes for Apple(AAPL)users. Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But Apple told EU officials that the proposed rule would be out of date as a billion devices use the company’s proprietary Lightning connector. A 2021 study cited in the same report found that iPhones with the Lightning connector accounted for 18% of new mobile phone sales in 2019, with 44% using USB-C and 38% using the older USB Micro-B connector.
The writing has been on the wall for the end of Apple’s Lightning connector for some time. Apple already uses the USB-C standard in some Macs and iPads and is reportedly testing iPhone models that replace the Lightning port. But Tuesday’s announcement could quicken Apple’s change to USB-C and potentially lead to the company dropping Lightning around the world forever.
Efforts to set a single standard for charging in Europe date back more than a decade. Officials at one point had secured industry support for the USB Micro-B standard, but a voluntary, agreement among major manufacturers put that to an end in 2014 and was not replaced. The coming law to require USB-C, by contrast, is among the first of its kind.
1. What do we learn about the coming rule?| A．It can apply to small electronics with a wired cable in the EU. |
| B．It is to remind us of the threat of e-waste and cable clutter. |
| C．It will come into effect for the sales of USB-C in the EU. |
| D．It’ll affect the wireless charging technologies in the world. |
| A．Uninterested. | B．Negative. | C．Supportive. | D．Curious. |
| A．Industry support. | B．The USB Micro-B. | C．The agreement. | D．The coming law. |
| A．USB-C charger: a requirement for Apple | B．Rechargeable smartphones: potential wastes |
| C．USB-C charger: an innovative approach | D．Apple’s Fast charging: out of this world |
【推荐3】At 14, Fraser Doherty was busy making jam after his grandparents taught him a family recipe. He started selling jars of his jam door to door near his parents’ home in Edinburgh. As interest grew, his hobby stated to turn into a business. He now makes 40,000 jars of jam a month and is well on his way to making his first million.
Doherty, who has been chosen to represent Britain in the Global Students Entrepreneurs Awards in Chicago next month, said there are several advantages to having started young: “As a young person you have a different view of the world. You have a naivety and an optimism and are willing to give things a shot. The downside for me isn’t particularly scary. I don’t have a mortgage or kids to worry about so I didn’t have a huge amount to lose if my idea had not worked.”
Duncan Cheatle, founder of The Supper Club, a forum for established entrepreneurs in London, agreed that becoming an entrepreneur at a young age has a lot to recommend it.
“For young people there is no concept of thinking outside the box because there isn’t a box. There is capacity in young people to see things in a different way that older people lose. And often not being an expert in something can be helpful because if you don’t understand why something works in a certain way, you will decide to do it differently.”
Emma Jones, founder of Enterprise Nation, the home business website, said that young people were much more confident about using technology as a base for their business than the older generation. “Whole sectors that didn’t exist ten years ago are coming up now because young entrepreneurs are challenging all previous rules and saying technology means that we can do things like this. They have an open capacity to think of new ideas and as a result they are starting very interesting businesses.”
1. According to Doherty, is the competitive edge of young people starting business compared with the older generation?| A．ignorance of the reality | B．naïve pursuit of a hobby |
| C．readiness to try things out | D．parents shouldering the financial burden |
| A．are reluctant to obey the existing rules |
| B．are not bound by established ways of doing things |
| C．have superior ideas to those of the older generation |
| D．will not fall into traps that old people set up for them |
| A．Abandoning all previous rules is a must to establish new sectors. |
| B．As people grow older, they are less able to take a fresh approach. |
| C．Those lacking confidence are less able to start creative businesses. |
| D．The use of technology contributes to the creation of new businesses. |
| A．inform readers of success stories of young entrepreneurs |
| B．introduce opinions on the advantages of being young entrepreneurs |
| C．convince young people to follow the trend and start their own businesses |
| D．provide specific guidance on how to become successful young entrepreneurs |
