【推荐1】What will restaurants look like in the future? What would your dinner taste like if a robot cooked it? A robot restaurant in Tianjin may give you the answers. Covering an area of over 400 square meters with a total of 112 seats, the X Future Restaurant is a robot restaurant opened in November 2018. The restaurant has amazed customers with its fully automated(全自动的) technology, which covers every step of the dining experience, from ordering to cooking to serving the dishes and even taking payment.

Entering the restaurant, one can order dishes by simply scanning(扫描)the QR codes on the table. There are over 40 choices of dishes. After taking the order, “robot cooks” prepare dishes using fixed time, temperature and ingredients designed by famous Chinese cooks.

“As the cooking is controlled by a computer system, the taste and quality of dishes can be good,” said Li Xiaokui, manager of the X Future Restaurant.

Robots also complete the delivery of dishes. Without following any designed route, the robot waiters serve meals thanks to automated driving technology, which helps each robot timely change its route when something is in the way.

These eye-catching technologies have received wide praise from customers. “The dishes taste surprisingly good. I couldn't believe that they were made by robots, especially dishes that were difficult to cook.” one customer said. “The application of robots has increased our efficiency(效率)and cut down our costs,” Li said, “I think robot restaurants will develop fast and have a bright future.”

1. What do we know about the X Future Restaurant?

A．It covers over 112 square meters with 400 seats.

B．Robot waiters deliver dishes following fixed routes.

C．Customers could enjoy fully-automated services.

D．Robot cooks design dishes by themselves.

2. The dishes in the X Future Restaurant are____________.

A．prepared by human cooks	B．ordered by scanning QR codes
C．not accepted by customers	D．not easy for robots to prepare

3. What is Li's attitude toward the future of robot restaurants?

A．Hopeful.	B．Doubtful.
C．Puzzled.	D．Worried.

【推荐2】Informal conversation is an important part of any business relationship．Before you start a discussion，however，make sure you understand which topics are suitable and which are considered taboo（禁忌）in a particular culture. Latin Americans enjoy sharing information about their local history, art and customs．You may expect questions about your family，and be sure to show pictures of your children．You may feel free to ask similar questions of your Latin American friends．The French think of conversation as an art form，and they enjoy the value of lively discussions as well as disagreements. For them，arguments can be interesting and they can cover pretty much or any topic ---- as long as they occur in are respectful and intelligent manner．
In the United States，business people like to discuss a wide range of topics，including opinions about work，family，hobbies，and politics. In Japan，China，and Korea，however，people are much more private．They do not share much about their thoughts，feelings，or emotions because they feel that doing so might take away from the harmonious business relationship they’re trying to build．Middle Easterners are also private about their personal lives and family matters．It is considered rude，for example，to ask a businessman from Saudi Arabia about his wife or children．
As a general rule，it’s best not to talk about politics or religion with your business friends．This can get you into trouble，even in the United States，where people hold different religious views．In addition，discussing one’s salary is usually considered unsuitable．Sports is typically a friendly subject in most parts of the world，although be careful not to criticize national sport．Instead，be friendly and praise your host’s team．
1. The author considers politics and religion ___________.

A．cheerful topics

B．taboo

C．rude topics

D．topics that can never be talked about

2. Which is typically a friendly topic in most places according to the author？

A．Sports．	B．Children．
C．Personal feelings．	D．Families．

3. Why are people from Asia more private in their conversation with others？

A．They don’t want to talk much with others．

B．They don’t want to have their good relationship with others harmed by informal conversation。

C．They are afraid to argue with their colleagues．

D．They want to keep their feelings to themselves．

4. What shouldn’t you do when talking about sports with colleagues from another country？

A．Praising your own country’s sports．

B．Criticizing your own country’s sports．

C．Praising the sports of your colleagues’ country．

D．Criticizing the sports of your colleagues’ country．

【推荐3】ChatGPT, a new chatbot model developed by US-based AI research laboratory OpenAI, has quickly become a hit globally due to its advanced conversational capabilities.

It can write emails, computer codes, even academic papers and poems, and has passed a number of tests within seconds. Educators worldwide are discussing whether AI should be used in education. Some universities have banned it. The New York City’s Department of Education, for example, banned the chatbot from its public school devices and networks, with some people warning that it could encourage more students to cheat, especially in exams.

Many more welcome this app, claiming that, like most technological improvements and cutting-edge creations in history, ChatGPT is a powerful tool for the development of higher education.

Embracing AI as early as possible is advisable. Higher education institutions should make preparations for including AI in their syllabus (教学大纲). They can start by offering related courses, because by understanding how it works, they can make better use of it. Besides, students with good knowledge of AI are more competitive when it comes to getting a good job, as an increasing number of jobs are being done by computer programmes—some in cooperation with humans. AI-powered education technologies can be employed to make the learning experience more suitable for each student based on his or her strengths and weaknesses. As for professors, AI can free them from doing some dull tasks so they can concentrate on teaching and interacting with students.

Since we cannot avoid ChatGPT and other AI-powered applications from entering the field of higher education, we should make collective efforts to ensure they have a positive impact on society and the future of education. Despite AI helping make learning much more interesting and enjoyable, humans need to work very hard to win the race with technology.

1. Why do some higher education institutions forbid ChatGPT?

A．ChatGPT can write emails and computer codes quickly.

B．Some professors might not perform their duties properly.

C．Students would have conversations with each other via it.

D．Students might seek help from it in completing the exams.

2. What does the underlined word “cutting-edge” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．advanced

B．traditional

C．average

D．typical

3. What is the author’s attitude towards AI applications in education?

A．Fearful.

B．Disapproving.

C．Supportive.

D．Uncertain.

4. How can AI benefit students of higher education?

A．It offers students an increasing number of jobs.

B．It personalizes students’ learning experience.

C．It equips students with competitive skills to cooperate with humans.

D．It handles uninteresting tasks so students can better focus on learning.

5. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．We should guard against AI apps.

B．AI will be more widely used in education.

C．The future of education depends on AI apps.

D．Humans will be left behind by technology.

【推荐2】阅读理解。
Tina Rees, 50
English teacher (Canadian)
I wanted to be a doctor and help people. I was always playing doctor with dolls, wrapping their arms and legs in tissues! My mom was a nurse, and my two sisters are now nurses, but I went into finance. The educational requirements to be a doctor are too much for me now, but I feel I'm helping people and contributing to society as a teacher.
John Podeszwa, 45
English school owner (American)
I've always loved animals, and as a little boy I first wanted to be a frog, then a chimp. When told I had to be something human, I chose zookeeper. I worked at a zoo in high school, but I wouldn't want to do that job now, although I am fulfilling my dream of helping rescued animals, since I own a honey bear, an albino snake (患白化病的蛇), a dog and some cats!
Miwa Gilligan, 48
Part­time worker (Japanese)
As a little girl I wanted to be many things, and when my grandmother suggested that as an actress I could play various roles, that stuck with me. The Takarazuka Revue (宝冢歌剧团) was popular during my childhood, so that also inspired me. Of course I would still like to become an actress.
Hiromitsu Tokunaga, 55
Sewage worker (Japanese)
My dream job both as a child and now is to be an astronaut. I grew up during the “Space Race” era and remember well the first moon landing, the famous sci­fi movie 2001, and all the rest. I still have a strong dream of going into space, and in my lifetime hope to see regular affordable space tours for people like me!
1. We know from the text that ________.

A．Tina Rees is satisfied with her present job

B．Tina Rees once received medical education

C．Tina's two sisters don’t do the same job as their mother does

D．their mother's preference to Tina's sisters disappointed Tina

2. Who would still like to do their childhood dream jobs if they could?

A．Miwa Gilligan and Tina Rees.

B．Tina Rees and John Podeszwa.

C．John Podeszwa and Hiromitsu Tokunaga.

D．Hiromitsu Tokunaga and Miwa Gilligan.

3. What can we infer from the text?

A．People like Hiromitsu Tokunaga can go on regular affordable space tours.

B．In John Podeszwa's school, students are encouraged to help rescued animals.

C．At least two of the people were influenced by others in their dream job choice.

D．The requirements didn't stop Tina Rees from realizing her doctor dream.

4. Which would be the best title for the text?

A．Children from Different Countries Share Dreams

B．What Was Your Dream Job as a Child?

C．How Was Your Dream Realized?

D．Children Have Different Dream Jobs

【推荐3】Quiet Quitting

While not a new concept, the term “quiet quitting” has recently gained popularity on social media.

What is quiet quitting?

Quiet quitting doesn’t mean an employee has left their job, but rather has limited their tasks to avoid working longer hours.     1     They stick to what is in their job description and when they go home, they leave work behind them and focus on non-work duties and activities.

    2     It may also mean they are ready to change positions or may be currently looking for another job.

    3    

Quiet quitting may be a popular term, but this practice isn’t new. Workers have quietly quit their jobs for years to look for something new, whether it was because of poor pay, unmanageable workload, burnout or lack of growth opportunities.

Working from home has also changed the dynamics of the workplace because employees and managers are communicating in different ways through online meetings. These interactions may feel more formal than the chat sessions that happen in an office. Limited meetings can cause a disconnect between employees and management.     4    

How can businesses help employees?

The biggest way to prevent disengagement is to improve the employees’ experience. Talk to employees, gather their feedback and discuss what can be done to make them feel appreciated. Make sure workloads are realistic and that there are appropriate boundaries to maintain a work-life balance.

Further, managers should clearly outline paths of career progression to each employee.    5     A recent report revealed that more than half of employees surveyed would accept 10% less pay in exchange for a “more interesting career path or more opportunities to learn new skills”.

A．Why are employees quietly quitting?

B．Why is quiet quitting beneficial to mental health?

C．They set clear boundaries to improve work-life balance.

D．Employees are more likely to be engaged when they have specific targets.

E．However, quiet quitting could be a sign that an employee is not happy in their position.

F．Regular support and praise that make employees feel valued and connected can get lost.

G．Managers must learn how to have conversations to help employees reduce disengagement and burnout.