Binge-watching (刷剧) is when a person watches more than one episode of a show in a row. With developments in the speed and connectivity of the Internet, increases in technology and the rise of on-demand entertainment companies, people can now have their favorite shows stream (流播) directly to their television at their convenience.
This behavior is nothing new. In fact, binge-watching has been officially listed in dictionaries since 2015. The entertainment companies recognize this behavior and many take steps to encourage it. Often, instead of releasing each episode on a week-by-week basis, an entire series will become available concurrently. Once the episode finishes, many platforms will display pop-ups with “you might like” suggestions, or will automatically play the next episode.
However, recent research suggests that out of the more than half of British adults who watch more than one episode of a show back-to-back (一集接一集地), almost a third have admitted missing sleep or becoming tired as a result; and 25% have neglected their household chores (家务活). Next we’ll be missing work!
Bingeing has other connections — binge eating, binge drinking and binge smoking. All of them are often associated with a lack of control and a possible route to addiction. Lindsey Fussell, consumer group director, said, “The days of waiting a week for the next episode are largely gone, with people finding it hard to resist (抗拒) watching multiple episodes around the house or on the move.” If people find binge-watching hard to resist, are we witnessing the birth of a new type of addiction?
The countless number of information and entertainment that television and online media can bring us is, many would say, a good thing. However, when the activity begins to bleed into other areas, causing us to stop functioning, then it becomes a problem. So, what’s the answer? Moderation! Neither a tiny amount, nor too much. After all, as the old proverb says, “A little of what you fancy does you good.”
1. How did the writer develop the first paragraph?| A．By giving a definition. | B．By telling a story. |
| C．By listing some examples. | D．By analyzing the cause and effect. |
| A．For convenience. | B．At the same time. |
| C．In detail. | D．Free of charge. |
| A．people can’t control their feelings | B．people can’t resist the temptation of Bingeing |
| C．people have no patience to do work | D．people are addicted to waiting for a new episode |
| A．To keep online media from stopping functioning. |
| B．To enjoy entertainment as much as possible. |
| C．To learn life lessons from the episodes. |
| D．To watch episodes in a moderate way. |
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【推荐1】I’ve spent much of my life dealing with written and spoken words. Now I’m a technologist making use of natural language processing for human good. Given that I work in artificial intelligence (AI), I’m realizing something dangerous happening. Machines are ruining the way we communicate.
AI voices are normalized and yet cold, no matter which accent (口音) you set your Siri or Amazon Alexa into. It’s difficult to normalize language to be inoffensive because sometimes we do make people feel uncomfortable or even make them annoyed. Yet this is exactly what we’re asking artificial intelligence to do for us on a billion - person scale. Once these rules are carried out by machines, they’re unavoidable and create much bigger issues.
We notice that there is an active desire to only include standardized language in AI - powered tools in an attempt to avoid including potentially harmful or offensive language. And these AI-powered tools are exactly what we use to complete our thoughts almost at any given time. They are everywhere — in our emails, word processors, and web pages. The machines are pushing us into a common tongue, and we accept it as a matter of convenience. But what’s the cost? We’re trading uniqueness and accuracy for convenience. We’re also handing the power of acceptable speech to machines not people.
In the real world, people don’t communicate like a Wikipedia (维基百科) article. We use tone (语气), humor and facial expressions. We can tell where people were born based on their accents and wording. Humans are truly unique, and our communication is constantly changing. So we should demand AI systems that promote individuality and uniqueness. We should demand to know how AI is developed and the data used to build it. Because we all deserve this.
1. What is the function of paragraph 1?| A．To illustrate the function of communication. |
| B．To introduce the impact of AI on language. |
| C．To share the author’s working experience. |
| D．To stress the importance of AI on language processing. |
| A．Hateful | B．Valuable | C．Harmless | D．Beneficial |
| A．AI voice should be legalized. | B．AI voice should be modernized. |
| C．AI voice should be standardized. | D．AI voice should be personalized. |
| A．Praising. | B．Humorous. | C．Concerned. | D．Objective. |
【推荐2】What makes us happy?
There has long been an opinion that money buys happiness. However, although “we really, really tired that for a couple of generations, it didn’t work,” said Francine Jay, author of The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide: How to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify Your Life.
Thanks to a travel- inspired revelation (启发), Jay has been happily living a simpler life for 12 years. “I always packed as lightly as possible, and found it exhilarating (令人高兴的) to get by with just a small carry-on bag,” she told CNN. “I thought if it feels this great to travel lightly, how amazing would it be to live this way? I wanted to have that same feeling of freedom in my everyday life.”
Jay decided to get rid of all her excess(额外的) possessions and live with just the essentials. “I wanted to spend my time and energy on experiences, rather than things.”
Jay is a follower of a movement called “minimalism(极简主义)”. Growing numbers of people have been attracted to this lifestyle all over the world. They share the same feeling of disappointment with modern life and a desire to live more simply. Minimalists are typically progressive and concerned about the environment, Leah Watkins, a lead researcher at Otago University in New Zealand, told Stuff magazine in March.
But many simply experienced unhappiness caused by owning too many possessions. Depression with the materialism of our world isn’t new. English romantic poet Willian Wordsworth summed up how dispiriting this was back in 1802, at the beginning of the industrial age, when he wrote: “Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers”. His preference was to go back to nature. Closer to our own times, the hippies(嬉皮士)of the 1960s also sought to “drop out ”of modern life.
And for many minimalists, their key is to unload. Without objects, they “believe people are forced more and more into the present moment and that’s where life happens,” wrote Stuff. But does simplicity ever feel like a sacrifice?
“It’s eliminating the excess—unused items, unnecessary purchases—from your life. Well, I may have fewer possessions, but I have more space…Minimalism is making room for what matters most,” said Jay.
And “the real questions”, according to Duane Elgin, US social scientist, are “what do you care about?” and “What do you value?” He told CNN: “It is important for people to realize minimalism isn’t simply the amount of stuff we consume. It is about our families, our work, our connection with the larger world, our spiritual dimension. It is about how we touch the whole world. It is a way of life.”
1. What inspired Francine Jay to live a simple life？| A．A book she came across. |
| B．A follower of minimalism she met on a trip. |
| C．The pleasure she enjoyed from traveling lightly. |
| D．Her desire to keep up with modern life. |
a. be fed up with materialism
b. like saving and visiting nature often
c. be disappointed with his or her current life
d. be environmentally friendly and live with fewer things
| A．a, b | B．a, d | C．a, b ,c | D．b, c, d |
| A．removing | B．distinguishing | C．accepting | D．improving |
| A．Minimalism is a healthy lifestyle that is in conflict with modern life. |
| B．Minimalism means people have to sacrifice some pleasure to live simply. |
| C．Minimalism limits people's freedom to enjoy their lives to the fullest. |
| D．Minimalism enables people to reflect on what truly counts in their lives. |
| A．To argue whether money buys happiness. |
| B．To recommend one of Francine Jay's books. |
| C．To explore the trend of minimalism. |
| D．To give tips on how to lead a happy life. |
【推荐3】Just reading Facebook posts——without posting messages or responding to comments——makes users feel bad about themselves，some studies have discovered. A 2015 study at the University of Michigan，for example，found that students who simply read Facebook posts for 10 minutes were in a worse mood by the end of the day than those who posted messages or commented on friends' posts.
Researchers think that users who only read posts may be always comparing their own lives to others' posts and feel they're coming up short. Or users may simply be missing out on face-to-face human communication.This is necessary and important for a healthier state of mind. "In general，when people spend a lot of time passively（被动地）receiving information——reading，but not interacting（交流）with people——they report feeling worse afterward，"said an unusual Facebook blog post.
The research appears to be bad news for Facebook，but Facebook itself is getting the negative news known to the public. In fact，the findings support the company's push to get users to be more active on the site，the blog noted. Research has also found that “interacting with people—especially sharing message，posts and comments with close friends and thinking of past interactions — is connected with improvements in well-being".
One commenter to the Facebook blog post noted that it's "no surprise that your conclusions-encouraging 'active' Facebook use—are connected with Facebook's business interests. It gives Facebook chances to persuade us into sharing, commenting, and posting more than ever—for our own good!"
The company has faced a lot of negative news about Facebook. Former Facebook Vice President Chamath Palihapitiya told Stanford University graduate business students that social media are destroying society. Palihapitiya said he felt really bad for the role he played in making Facebook so outstanding."We kind of knew something bad could happen."
1. What did the 2015 study mainly show?| A．Not all users considered Facebook useful. |
| B．Using Facebook in the right way could benefit us. |
| C．Not all people loved interacting with others on Facebook. |
| D．Passively using Facebook negatively affected users' moods. |
| A．Avoiding comparing ourselves with others. |
| B．Reading the posts on Facebook positively. |
| C．Interacting with others face to face. |
| D．Sharing experiences on Facebook. |
| A．To encourage people to use Facebook more. |
| B．To show Facebook's concern about its users. |
| C．To apologize to its users for the bad influence. |
| D．To prove the importance of human interaction. |
| A．Facebook has some disadvantages |
| B．Facebook is facing serious challenges |
| C．Facebook disappoints the public deeply |
| D．Facebook is improving some students' life |
According to a new study by a British university, learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power. Researchers found that learning other languages changes grey matter. This is the area of the brain which processes information. It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles.
The study also found the effect is greater, the younger people learn a second language.
A team led by Dr Andrea Mechelli, from University College London, took a group of Britons who only spoke English. They were compared with a group of "early bilinguals" who had learnt a second language before the age of five, as well as a number of later learners.
Scans showed that grey matter density (密度) in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without a second language. But the longer a person waited before mastering a new language, the smaller the difference.
"Our findings suggest that the structure of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second language," said the scientists.
It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn.
Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales, has researched the link between bilingualism and maths skills. "Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more flexible (灵活的),"he said. "You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of different ideas."
The findings were matched in a study of native Italian speakers who had learned English as a second language between the ages of two and 34. Reading, writing, and comprehension were all tested. The results showed that the younger they started to learn, the better. "Studying a language means you get an entrance to another world," explained the scientists.
1. The main subject talked about in this passage is ______.
| A．science on learning a second language |
| B．man’s ability of learning a second language |
| C．1anguage can help brain power |
| D．1anguage learning and maths study |
| A．say language is also a kind of physical labor |
| B．prove that one needs more practice when he (she) is learning a language |
| C．to show the importance of using the language when you learn the language |
| D．make people believe language learning helps grey matter work well |
| A．the earlier you start to learn a second language, the higher the grey matter density is |
| B．there is no difference between a later second language learner and one who doesn't know a second language |
| C．the experience of learning a second language has bad effect on people's brain |
| D．the ability of learning a second language is changing all the time |
| A．a researcher on language learning |
| B．a person who is good at learning foreign languages |
| C．a person who can speak two languages |
| D．an active language learner |
【推荐2】As an up-and-coming business model, smart restaurants have been more popular across China since last year. Unlike traditional ones, these restaurants offer an all-new dining experience with robots around. They are characterized by automated (自动化的) services that reduce the need for human waiters and waitresses.
At the restaurants, processes such as ordering, preparing, cooking and serving food, as well as dining and checking out, are all helped by robots and an artificial intelligence (AI) system. The system is also able to identify food about to expire (过期) and properly clean it up before receiving a new order, explained a manager in Haidilao, a smart restaurant in Beijing.
Since last year, there has been a rising need for automated systems to support contact-less dining at restaurants. The dining type was aimed at preventing the further spread of COVID-19 after its outbreak. In China, Haidilao is one of many restaurants that have changed their services.
The changes in restaurants also benefit another industry. To take up the new business opportunity, various robot companies flourish in China, including Siasun and Keenon, which are engaged in the research and development of robots for restaurant services. Two Keenon robots are able to serve 20 to 30 tables, as the information from Keenon showed. It means that such a robot can largely save labor costs and improve efficiency. Moreover, the robots are able to show a QR code to customers to make a payment. Besides these, smart restaurants can also ensure food safety better. Compared with traditional ones, smart restaurants can provide a means for monitoring food safety information and reduce the chance of food pollution. With so many advantages, no wonder these smart restaurants have attracted more customers to dine there.
1. Why are smart restaurants so popular with customers these days?| A．They offer more delicious food. |
| B．They prevent human contact in the restaurants. |
| C．They save labor costs and improve dining efficiency. |
| D．They provide a completely different dining experience. |
① prepare food ② receive orders ③ serve customers ④make payments ⑤ identify food
| A．①②③④ | B．①②③⑤ | C．①③④⑤ | D．②③④⑤ |
| A．Appear suddenly. | B．Change gradually. | C．Develop quickly. | D．Decline rapidly. |
| A．Restaurants Are to Go Smart |
| B．Robots Are Becoming Smarter in Our Daily Life |
| C．Restaurants Have Changed Service |
| D．Robots Stepped Into Our Daily Life |
【推荐3】Ever fought with a problem? Picked up a new skill? Encountered a difficult concept? The language of learning is full of references to parts of the body outside the brain. Perhaps that’s because these phrases suggest something deeper. Researchers are detecting that learning is easier, quicker and more long-lasting if it involves the body.
“In the past, people have argued that as we grow, we become more able to think abstractly (抽象地),” says Andrew Manches, a psychologist at the University of Edinburgh in the UK. Conventional (传统的) thinking might suggest that teachers should help prevent children from using body gestures to prepare them for the adult world. But in truth, the physical world never really leaves our thinking. For example, when we process verbs such as lick, kick and pick, medical scanners show that the parts of our brain that control the muscles in our face, legs and hands, respectively, light up with activity.
Science is beginning to back up the idea that actions really might speak louder than words in the classroom. Spencer Kelly, a psychologist at Colgate University in New York, has found that people spend three times as much time gesturing when they think the message they get across is remarkably important, suggesting that even if only at the subconscious (潜意识的) level, we appreciate the communicative value of our body language. Kelly has also found evidence that a teacher is more appealing to students when he or she uses arm and hand movements to stress points.
Also, some studies indicate that young children obtain more if their teacher uses gestures when explaining a concept. Meanwhile, Sunsan Wagner Cook, a psychologist at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, has found that children pick up new concepts more effectively, if they are taught to mirror and repeat gestures their teacher uses.
1. How did people in the past understand learning?| A．The older a student grows, the less likely he will think abstractly. |
| B．Teachers are advised to encourage students to use body gestures. |
| C．Body gestures should be removed to promote adult-like thinking. |
| D．The physical world never really leaves our thinking. |
| A．By presenting different researches. |
| B．By explaining some rules. |
| C．By making some predictions. |
| D．By analyzing the theory. |
| A．People use gestures every time they convey the messages. |
| B．Body movements can increase a teacher’s popularity. |
| C．Young students like to mirror their teacher’s gestures. |
| D．Body language is more powerful than spoken language. |
| A．The Language of Learning: A Vital Approach |
| B．Body Gestures: A Sharp Tool for Fast Learning |
| C．Body Language: A Universal Language Signal |
| D．Thinking Abstractly: A Symbol of Adult World |
