【推荐1】The outstanding biography portrays the life of the complicated Renaissance artist with details. We come to see da Vinci as not only an inventor of musical instruments and early flying machines, but also a notebook keeper and vegetarian, who had trouble finishing many of the projects and paintings he started.

Yet what is most thrilling is getting to know da Vinci the scientist. Isaacson explains how loving science and applying the scientific method to observing the world was really what made da Vinci a great artist and, Isaacson argues, a genius. Da Vinci was fascinated with observing and understanding phenomena in nature. He wanted to know about everything around him, in minute detail, Isaacson writes. He wondered about questions “most people over the age of ten no longer puzzle about”—for instance, how the tongue of a woodpecker works.

To learn about the world, da Vinci combined his own observations with experimentation. Never formally schooled, “he preferred to induce from experiments rather than deduce from theoretical principles,” Isaacson explains. He recorded his observations, looked for patterns among them, and then tested those patterns through additional observation and experimentation.

When he became fascinated with the idea that he could invent flying machines, he observed various birds and filled notebooks with the function and speed at which their wings flapped. That’s why Isaacson calls da Vinci an exemplar of this scientific method. He goes on: “Galileo, born 112 years after Leonardo, is usually credited with being the first to develop this kind of approach and is often regarded as the father of modern science.” There can be no doubt that this honor would have been bestowed on Leonardo da Vinci had he published his scientific writings during his lifetime.

Da Vinci’s emphasis on empirical observation also helped him improve his art. First, he was able to use what he learned from looking at nature to paint and draw. His studies of the body, animals, motion, shadow and light, perspective and proportion helped him better understand what he was seeing in front of him, and render it in art more accurately and finely than anyone else of his time. Most importantly, his ability to connect art and science, helped him innovate in his work. Da Vinci made surprisingly diverse series of discoveries, including conceptualizing the helicopter and solar power and advancing knowledge about everything from the reproductive organs to botany. This genius is also what drew Isaacson to Albert Einstein and Steve Jobs as subjects: They’re all innovators who were inspired by and drew connections between art and science.

“Leonardo da Vinci is the ultimate example of the main theme of my previous biographies: how the ability to make connections across disciplines-arts and sciences, humanities and technology—is a key to innovation, imagination, and genius,” Isaacson writes. And this wonderful book is a reminder, in a time of increasingly narrow specialization and focus, that the methods of Renaissance men like da Vinci are as relevant as ever.

1. What made da Vinci a great artist?

A．Viewing the world from the perspective of science.

B．Combining experimentation with theoretical principles.

C．Attempting to know about the world like a child.

D．Being filled with ambition to become an artist and inventor.

2. Why does Isaacson mention Galileo in the book?

A．To introduce his important findings.

B．To memorize the father of modern science.

C．To show the prejudice faced by da Vinci during his lifetime.

D．To illustrate the significance of da Vinci’s research method.

3. Which of the following statements is true?

A．Da Vinci improved his art and drew more accurately by painting mostly in the natural world.

B．The methods of Renaissance men like da Vinci can still apply to contemporary scientific research.

C．Albert Einstein and Steve Jobs are as famous as da Vinci because they all have a talent for combining art with science.

D．Da Vinci failed to publish his scientific writing because the scientific method kept in it was too complicated to understand at that time.

4. What might be the best title for the passage?

A．How a Genius Changed the World

B．The Features of Renaissance Art

C．How Science Shaped His Art

D．The Comparison between Induction and Deduction

【推荐2】America's businesses are getting older and fatter, while many new businesses are dying in infancy.

A study last month by the Brookings Institution found that the proportion of older firms has grown steadily over several decades, while the survival rate of new companies has fallen. In addition, young people are starting companies at a sharply lower rate than in the past.

A new report from the National Association of Manufacturers shows a major cause: The cost of obeying government regulations has risen to more than $2 trillion（12.26 trillion yuan） annually, or 12 percent of the GDP, and this cost falls disproportionately on smaller, newer businesses.

It's risky, difficult and expensive to start a business, and getting more so. Governments are imposing various new rules on a seemingly daily basis: health insurance, minimum wage increases and, most recently in California, compulsory paid sick days for even hourly employees. These regulations shift huge social welfare costs directly onto often-struggling small businesses, while being proportionally much less costly for larger companies.

This is partly an unintended issue of resources — established companies can cope with new costs more easily — but it's also deliberate. For instance, big insurance companies got a seat at the table to help write Obama care, but less politically powerful firms — like medical device manufacturers — got squeezed.

Mature, successful corporations can employ ex-lawmakers with connections, distribute campaign contributions and even write regulations for themselves. They are also more likely to want to protect steady revenue streams than revolutionize their industry.

Major companies that have been so ill-managed they would otherwise collapse — airlines, car companies and banks — stagger（蹒跚）on because politicians ride to the rescue with bags of taxpayer money.

The genius of our unique system of government is the determination to protect and defend the rights of the individual over the rights of the nation. As such, the rise of a well-connected oligarchy that protects big business at the expense of small business, and the established over the new, is opposite to American ideals.

Income inequality — which is directly caused by faulty government policy — is being promoted as the reason to impose more of that bad policy. But let's be perfectly clear, we do not have a free market but one where government picks winners and losers through regulations and financial aids.

Politics is, and always has been, about balancing competing interests seeking to benefit themselves, and that's as it should be, but the force of government should never be used to reduce competition, kill innovation or support and extend artificial monopolies（垄断）by harming the consumer, the taxpayer and the economy. Policy must breed our new and small businesses or see the as-yet undreamed of innovations that could be our bright future die in infancy.

1. We can learn from the passage that ______.

A．over several decades, new companies have grown steadily.

B．mature, successful corporations prefer to maintain their stable incomes.

C．less politically powerful firms also have their voice in making regulations.

D．The cost of obeying government regulations falls equally on all businesses.

2. We can infer from the last three paragraphs that ______.

A．the state economy may depend on those innovative businesses.

B．the rise of a well-connected oligarchy is contrary to American ideals.

C．income inequality is what the government should take action to resolve.

D．the government picks winners and losers through the law of free market.

3. It can be concluded from the passage that ______.

A．big insurance companies have better relationship with Obama.

B．most of the ex-lawmakers work in mature, successful corporations.

C．larger and older firms have a command of resources of various aspects.

D．politicians like providing financial aids to the companies of worse operation.

4. As to the development of smaller businesses, the writer is ______.

A．satisfied

B．confident.

C．convinced.

D．concerned.

【推荐3】What kinds of rooms are your favorite spots for studying? We are going to guess that they are probably not painted bright red or yellow. But maybe they should be. Imagine. You are suddenly asked to prepare for an exam. You have two rooms to choose from. One is a pale blue, and the other is a bright red. Which one do you settle into for study? Is one going to get your brain fired up for learning, or let you relax into the best state of concentration?

According to researchers at Curtin University in Australia, it might be best to camp out in the bright red room when you are looking to store information. It might sound strange, since we often think of pale rooms — soft blues or light greens — are relaxing. And they seem to be: The Curtin University study showed that pale colors made participants feel more relaxed and calm, while bright colors increased heart rate. But calming and relaxing, it turns out, may not always be the best environment for deep concentration or knowledge gaining. Reading comprehension was much better in the bright rooms than in the pale rooms. Although participants reported that they generally preferred the pale rooms to study in as an approach to relax into work, the researchers saw just the opposite — that the bright - colored rooms seemed to lead to greater concentration.

While this might seem only surprising, the findings get into a rather controversial (有争议的) area of psychological study. The Yerkes — Dodson Law says that a little bit of stress is good for achieving best performance, while too much stress negatively affects it. The higher heart rate and the reports of the bright colors creating a heavy atmosphere might just suggest that a little stress was good for the brain.

1. What is the common idea mentioned in the first paragraph?

A．Pale colors appeal to all tastes.

B．Few people like bright red or yellow.

C．Light — colored rooms make you feel nervous.

D．Bright — colored rooms are not good for studying.

2. What might directly affect the research results according to Para 2?

A．How participants react to colors.	B．Participants’ preferences in colors.
C．What participants read in the rooms.	D．Time participants spent in the rooms.

3. What can be concluded from the study by Curtin University?

A．Higher stress leads to better performance.

B．Most people know how to make use of colors.

C．Stress is necessary when you want to concentrate.

D．Being relaxed is very important for people studying.

4. What’s the main idea of the text?

A．Findings about people’s favourite room colors.

B．Room colors can affect one’s academic performance.

C．Bright — colored rooms can create a heavy atmosphere.

D．Light — colored rooms help people feel relaxed into work.

【推荐2】Commuting to and from work can be a nightmare. Cars advance slowly in stop and go traffic, crawling from one traffic jam at stoplights to the next. At peak rush hour especially, there is no chance of sailing through a series of green lights. Now, thanks to artificial intelligence, German researchers have found a way to reduce time spent at the crossroads.

Called the KI4LSA project and funded by the Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, the innovation is being tested. Scientists first studied algorithms taken from a busy intersection to learn about traffic patterns and where improvements were most needed. Then, the technology, using high-resolution cameras and radar sensors, more precisely captured the actual traffic situation and detected the average speed of the cars and their waiting times. Finally, the AI uses deep enhanced learning algorithms to calculate the best switching behaviour for the traffic lights and determine the best phase sequence to shorten waiting times at the crossroads.

The results are encouraging when it is being tried out at a busy intersection in Lemgo, Germany. The intelligent lights are said to improve traffic flow by 10 to 15 percent, which results in money saved; the EU estimates that traffic jams create economic damage that adds up to 100 billion euros a year. Aside from reducing commuting time, these traffic lights will reduce noise and CO2 emissions from cars waiting at the crossroads.

Another exciting development in this research is the K14PED project, which studies pedestrians crossing the crossroads. Using AI as well as a 3D points cloud, researchers can identify how many people are waiting at a pedestrian crossing and whether some of the disabled or elder people will need extra time to cross the street. Such a needs-based system could reduce pedestrian waiting time by 30 percent, which could then decrease jaywalking (乱穿马路) by 25 percent.

Researchers are optimistic that it will be adopted by many countries after the tests in the German towns of Lemgo and Bielefeld. This technology is exciting news for pedestrians and drivers alike. It encourages safety, protects the environment, and may even give you more time to enjoy your morning coffee before heading off to work!

1. Why is AI used in the KI4LSA project?

A．To study traffic algorithms to control CO2 emissions.

B．To detect road conditions to reduce jam or speeding.

C．To remind people to pass in sequence for a shorter wait.

D．To adjust traffic signals to ensure efficiency at the crossroads.

2. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．The intelligent lights serve the mere purpose of reducing commuting time.

B．The better traffic flow is improved, the less economic damage is caused.

C．The more cars are waiting at the crossroads, the more noise is reduced.

D．The effect of traffic jams is heavier on environment than on economy.

3. What is the function of K14PED project?

A．It monitors traffic conditions at intersections.

B．It helps to estimate the number of jaywalkers.

C．It ensures flexible crossing time for pedestrians.

D．It improves the speed of vehicles on busy roads.

4. What is the main idea of this passage?

A．The intelligent lights offer a blessing to transportation.

B．The AI technology is bound to be a promising industry.

C．Attentive traffic service lends a helping hand to seniors.

D．Digital traffic systems mark the beginning of smart cities.

【推荐3】Amazon’s Alexa will be able to revive the voices of deceased relatives, allowing users to feel as if they are speaking to lost ones beyond the grave.

In a video shown on stage, Amazon demonstrated how, instead of the robot Alexa’s signature voice reading a story to a young boy, it was his grandmother’s voice.

Rohit Prasad, an Amazon senior vice president, said the updated system will be able to collect enough voice data from less than a minute of audio to make personalization like this possible, rather than having someone spend hours in a recording studio like how it’s done in the past.

The concept starts from Amazon looking at new ways to add more “human features” to artificial intelligence, especially “in the post-pandemic era, when so many of us have lost someone we love,” Prasad said. “While AI can’t rid that pain of loss, it can definitely make their memories last.”

Amazon has long used AI recreations of people’s voices to voice Alexa. But they have also increasingly improved over the past few years, particularly with the use of AI and deepfake (高仿真的) technology.

However, Amazon’s attempt at personalized Alexa voices may struggle most with the weird valley effect—recreating a voice that is so similar to a loved one’s but isn’t quite right, which leads to rejection by real humans. “For some, they will view this as creepy or outright terrible, but for others it could be viewed in a more profound way, perhaps for the first time and in a way that isn’t a strict recording from the past.” said Michael Inouye of ABI Research. He believes, however, the varying reactions to announcements like this speak to how society will have to adjust to the promise of innovations and their eventual reality in the years ahead.

The technology is also likely to lead to fears that it could be used to impersonate living people, which could be used to bypass security systems. In 2019, a manager at a British energy company lost almost￡200,000 after criminals used AI to fake his boss’s voice, directing him to transfer the company’s funds to a foreign bank account.

1. What is the feature of the updated system of Amazon’s Alexa?

A．It will use AI recreations of people’s voices.

B．It will free the grandmother from reading a story.

C．It will be highly efficient in collecting voice data.

D．It will make a breakthrough in deepfake technology.

2. What would Michael Inouye probably agree with?

A．We should tolerate the limitations of new technology.

B．Technology should meet the promises it made before.

C．Technology should recreate exactly our loved ones’ voice.

D．We should constantly increase our demand for technology.

3. What does the underlined word “impersonate” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Interact with.	B．Prove to be.
C．Have command of.	D．Pretend to be.

4. What’s the author’s attitude towards Alexa’s personalized voices?

A．Critical.

B．Objective.

C．Supportive.

D．Skeptical.