【推荐1】Accents are an important part of our identity. An accent gives clues about who we are, and the community we belong to or wish to belong to.     1    .

What is the difference between accents and pronunciation?

    2    . A French person may speak English flawlessly (完美无瑕地), just with a French accent. That’s fine because there is no wrong or right with an accent. However, pronunciation is something that — as a learner — you can get right or wrong. If your pronunciation is correct, you can communicate effectively with others whatever your accent is.

    3    ?

If you think back historically people were much more localized with generation after generation of families living in the same small villages and few people traveled out of that area during their lifetimes. So over many generations differences in accent emerged and became very distinct to particular areas. Mountainous villages that are not easily accessible often develop very strong and distinctive accents.

How important is it to get an accent right?

If you’re moving to a certain part of a country, you might want to integrate better with your new community.     4    . That’s because it shows a sense of belonging to the community you are trying to fit in with.

How to improve your accent?

Learners should first think about which sounds don’t exist in your native language. And then learners should consider which sounds exist in the language you’re learning and then spend some time in front of the mirror practicing moving your tongue and mouth to get those new and different sounds.     5    , which can sometimes even change the meaning of words.

A．Where does pronunciation emerge

B．They’re also important for those learning a new language

C．Try to adapt your speech to sound more interesting

D．The best way is to learn the specific accent of that region

E．Where do different types of accents come from

F．Accents are about localized ways of speaking a language

G．And learners should be aware of stress and tone

【推荐2】Putting a microchip (芯片) into one’s brain brings the world a super hero, which is common in sci-fi movies. However, we may find it possible in reality.

Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX and co-founder of electric car maker Tesla — has been working on this technology. On Aug 28, Musk gave a livestream demonstration of the chip, which was implanted into the head of a pig named Gertrude.

The chip, developed by Musk’s company, is the size of a coin. But don’t let its size fool you. The tiny chip has over 3,000 electrodes (电极) attached to flexible threads, which can monitor about 1,000 neurons (神经元). It collects neural signals from an area of the brain, and then transmits those signals wirelessly to nearby computers. In the livestream, Gertrude could be seen walking around sniffing the ground while a monitor showed her brain activity.

Though the technology is still in its early stage, it is encouraging for humans. This technology “would solve a lot of brain injuries”, which allows the human brain to combine with an artificial intelligence, Musk said.

When the device can be applied to humans, its main goal will be to help those who have mobility issues, such as those suffering from paralysis. Musk hopes this technology could also be used to help those with hearing and eyesight issues and one day lead to a cure for epilepsy (癫痫).

Although such a device could, in principle, repair those problems, putting it into practice is by no means a piece of cake. Currently, the device can transmit signals from about 500 neurons in the pig’s brain. Compared to 80 billion neurons in a human brain, this number is tiny. And to cover the whole human brain also means the electrodes have to be much smaller. Also, implanting the chip into the brain poses a potential danger. There is a possibility of the immune system attacking this foreign body.

Right now, the hope of controlling the brain via controlling a few neurons seems overly optimistic. “There are many technological challenges...to overcome before Neuralink can put its devices to the purposes,” Yuan Lanfeng, an associate professor at the University of Science and Technology of China, told China Daily.

1. What do we know about Elon Musk’s microchip according to the first three paragraphs？

A．It is able to collect wireless signals.	B．It was inspired by sci-fi movie plots.
C．It is tiny in size but powerful in function.	D．It has no more than 1, 000 electrodes.

2. What is the major goal of the microchip in human applications？

A．To develop a cure for epilepsy.

B．To monitor animals’ brain activity.

C．To contribute to the research in Al technologies.

D．To help people with difficult in moving freely.

3. What do paragraphs 6 mainly talk about？

A．Key differences between pigs’ and humans’ brains.

B．Hidden challenges and risks in practice.

C．Implanting the chip costs a lot.

D．The immune system is the major problem to the implant.

4. How does Yuan Lanfeng feel about implanting the chip into the human brain？

A．Excited.

B．Cautious.

C．Optimistic.

D．Worried.

【推荐3】If you like sun and heat, summer may be the best time to visit Italy, when you can expect lots of both! During summertime in Italy, you can enjoy plenty of bright sunshine, visit one of its many beaches, join in a summer festival, attend outdoor concerts and plays, and have more hours of daylight for adventures.

Summer is the height of tourist season in popular cities like Rome, Florence, and Venice, whose rich cultures and fine dining experiences offer visitors a chance to truly see and taste the beauty of Italian living. Keep in mind that in these cities, as with most places in Italy, you have to spend a lot of time outdoors in order to see them properly. Many museums are not air-conditioned, so ducking into a museum might not be a guaranteed way to cool off. If air-conditioning is a necessity for you, be sure to book a hotel that has it. Most hotels, even budget ones, offer it now, but be sure to verify (核实) — some might ask you to pay extra for the service.

Summer temperatures in Italy, especially in the south, can rise above 100 degrees (37.78 degrees centigrade) for days in a row. The climate is generally dry but central and northern Italy can be humid and afternoon thunderstorms are not unusual. To escape the heat, visitors can head to the beaches or mountains — be sure to check Italy Travel Weather before you begin packing for your trip.

Chances are that Italian cities can be extremely hot in summer, so it’s important for tourists to pack for the seasonal heat as well as be prepared for the sudden summer showers and thunderstorms.

However, many religious sites, including the Vatican Museums in Rome, won’t allow you in wearing shorts, miniskirts or sleeveless shirts.

1. It can be learned from the passage that ______.

A．it is rather wet and hot in southern Italy in summer

B．not all hotels in Italy supply air-conditioning service

C．summer is the best season to explore Italy for tourists

D．museums are a wise choice to avoid summer heat in Italy

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

A．Checking the weather to escape the terrible summer heat.

B．Going to beaches or mountains despite a thunderstorm.

C．Booking a hotel without air-conditioners to save money.

D．Appreciating Italy’s true beauty by spending much time outdoors.

3. What is likely to happen if you visit Italy in summer?

A．You are caught in a sudden snowstorm in southern Italy.

B．You are scheduled to spend more nighttime for adventures.

C．You are turned away by religious sites due to your dressing.

D．You are requested to pay extra for the good service at hotels.

4. Where is the text probably taken from?

A．An official document.	B．A travel magazine.
C．A science report.	D．A history book.