Ask most people how they define the American Dream and chances are they’ll say, “Success.” The dream of individual opportunity has been home in American since Europeans discovered a “new world” in the Western Hemisphere. Early immigrants like Hector St. Jean de Crevecoeur praised highly the freedom and opportunity to be found in this new land. His glowing descriptions of a classless society where anyone could attain success through honesty and hard work fired the imaginations of many European readers: in Letters from an American Farmer (1782) he wrote. “We are all excited at the spirit of an industry which is unfettered(无拘无束的) and unrestrained, because each person works for himself… We have no princes, for whom we toil(干苦力活), starve, and bleed: we are the most perfect society now existing in the world.” The promise of a land where “the rewards of a man’s industry follow with equal steps the progress of his labor” drew poor immigrants from Europe and fueled national expansion into the western territories.
Our national mythology(神化) is full of illustration of the American success story. There’s Benjamin Franklin, the very model of the self-educated, self-made man, who rose from modest origins to become a well-known scientist, philosopher, and statesman. In the nineteenth century, Horatio Alger, a writer of fiction for young boys, became American’s best-selling author with rags-to-riches tales. The notion of success haunts us: we spend million every year reading about the rich and famous, learning how to “make a fortune in real estate with no money down,” and “dressing for success.” The myth of success has even invaded our personal relationships: today it’s as important to be “successful” in marriage or parenthoods as it is to come out on top in business.
But dreams easily turn into nightmares. Every American who hopes to “make it” also knows the fear of failure, because the myth of success inevitably implies comparison between the haves and the have-nots, the stars and the anonymous crowd. Under pressure of the myth, we become indulged in status symbols: we try to live in the “right” neighborhoods, wear the “right” clothes, eat the “right” foods. These symbols of distinction assure us and others that we believe strongly in the fundamental equality of all, yet strive as hard as we can to separate ourselves from our fellow citizens.
1. By saying “the rewards of a man’s industry follow with equal steps the progress of his labor” (Line 10, Para. 1), the author means .| A．the more diligent one is, the bigger his returns |
| B．laborious work ensures the growth of an industry |
| C．a man’s business should be developed step by step |
| D．a company’s success depends on its employees’ hard work |
| A．succeed in real estate investment |
| B．earned enormous fortunes by chances |
| C．became wealthy after starting life very poor |
| D．became famous despite their modest origins |
| A．business success often contributes to a successful marriage |
| B．Americans wish to succeed in every aspect of life |
| C．good personal relationships lead to business success |
| D．successful business people provide good care for their children |
| A．The American road to success is full of nightmares. |
| B．Status symbols are not a real indicator of a person’s wealth. |
| C．The American Dream is nothing but an empty dream. |
| D．What Americans strive after often contradicts their beliefs. |
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【推荐1】The discussion on renewable energy has been going on for at least a decade and people have relied on fossil fuels almost entirely for more than a century. However, the situation when fossil fuels were the most efficient and the cheapest source of energy has been left far in the past. Many countries such as Germany and Sweden have already made significant efforts to fix this situation, employing numerous power plants working on the renewable resources of energy. The most effective among these resources is geothermal（地热的）energy.
Geothermal energy does not depend on the world’s economic and political situation as strongly as fossil fuels do. Besides, extracting（提炼）fossil fuels adds to the price of energy produced from them. Therefore, geothermal energy is much cheaper than traditional ones, saving up to 80% of the costs over fossil fuels.
Being a renewable resource, geothermal energy produces less waste and pollution than traditional energy sources. In geothermal systems, carbon dioxide makes up about 10% of air produced. Overall, in order to produce the electricity that can be used for one hour, the geothermal systems produce 0.1 pound of carbon dioxide and other harmful gases. For a comparison, a power plant producing from gas produces up to 2 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and those power plants that work on coal（煤）produce an astonishing 3.6 pounds of greenhouse gases.
Low costs is another reason why using geothermal power plants should be the first choice for many countries. Geothermal heat systems require 25% to 50% less energy for work compared with the traditional systems for heating or cooling. Besides, geothermal equipment is less big: due to the very nature of geothermal energy, geothermal power plants have only a few moving parts, all of which can be easily sheltered inside a relatively small building. What’s more, the life span of geothermal equipment is rather long. All these make geothermal power stations easy to build and keep.
1. Fossil fuels are more expensive than geothermal energy partly because _______.| A．it is free to use geothermal energy |
| B．the production of fossil fuels costs a lot |
| C．fossil fuels are nearly used up |
| D．geothermal energy doesn’t depend on political situation |
| A．Geothermal energy is environmentally friendly. |
| B．Gas and coal are often used to produce electricity. |
| C．Coal is much more efficient than gas. |
| D．The geothermal systems don’t produce harmful gases. |
| A．the life span of geothermal equipment | B．geothermal power plants |
| C．the nature of geothermal energy | D．the small buildings |
| A．Many countries have benefited from geothermal energy. |
| B．Geothermal energy is well accepted. |
| C．Fossil fuels are being run out of. |
| D．Geothermal energy has many advantages. |
【推荐2】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3】A city in Netherlands will become the first in the world to ban meat advertisements from public spaces in an effort to reduce consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The ban also covers holiday flights, fossil fuels and cars that run on fossil fuels. The ban is delayed until 2024 due to existing contracts with companies that sell the products.
Haarlem, which lies to the west of Amsterdam and has a population of about 160,000, will bring the ban into effect from 2024 after meat was added to a list of products deemed to contribute to the climate crisis. Advertisements will not be allowed on Haarlem’s buses, shelters and screens in public spaces, prompting complaints from the meat sector that the government is “going too far in telling people what’s best for them”.
Recent studies suggest global food production is responsible for one-third of all planet-heating emissions, with the use of animals for meat accounting for twice the pollution of producing plant-based foods. Forests that absorb carbon dioxide are cut down for the food of animals while fertilisers used for growing their feed are rich in nitrogen (氮), which can contribute to air pollution, water pollution and climate change. Livestock also produces large quantities of methane (甲烷), a powerful greenhouse gas.
Zlggy Klazes, a councillor from the GroenLinks party, said she had not known the city would be the world’s first to enforce such a policy when she proposed it. She told the Haarlem105 radio channel: “We are not about what people are baking and roasting in their own kitchen; if people want to continue eating meat, it’s fine. We can’t tell people there’s a climate crisis and meanwhile, encourage them to buy products that are part of the cause. Of course, there are a lot of people who find the decision shocking and unreasonable, but there are also a lot of people who think it’s fine.”
1. What does the meat sector think of the ban?| A．Neutral. | B．Disapproving. |
| C．Indifferent. | D．Positive. |
| A．Meat consumption causes more pollution. |
| B．Methane mainly comes from livestock. |
| C．Nitrogen is harmful to the environment. |
| D．People cut down trees for human habitation. |
| A．She is the first to ban meat advertisement. |
| B．She emphasizes the advantage of eating meat. |
| C．She is in favor of banning meat advertising. |
| D．She cares about what people cook in the kitchen. |
| A．Fossil fuels are banned in Dutch city. |
| B．A city in Netherlands decreases meat production. |
| C．Greenhouse gas emissions are limited in Dutch city. |
| D．A city in Netherlands bans meat advertisements in public. |
【推荐1】A child who has once been pleased with a tale likes, as a rule, to have it retold in almost the same words, but this should not lead parents to treat printed fairy stories as formal texts. It is always much better to tell a story than read it out of a book, and, if a parent can produce what, in the actual situation of the time and the child, is an improvement on the printed text, so much the better.
A charge made against fairy tales is that they harm the child by frightening him or making him sad thinking. To prove the latter, one would have to show in a controlled experiment that children who have read fairy stories were more often sorry for cruelty than those who had not. As to fears, there are, I think, some cases of children being dangerously terrified by some fairy story. Often, however, this arises (出现) from the child having heard the story once. Familiarity with the story by repetition turns the pain of fear into the pleasure of a fear faced and mastered.
There are also people who object to fairy stories on the grounds that they are not objectively true, that giants, witches, tow-headed dragons, magic carpets, etc. do not exist; and that, instead of being fond of the strange side in fairy tales, the child should be taught to learn the reality by studying history. I find such people, I must say so peculiar (奇怪的) that I do not know how to argue with them. If their case were sound, the world should be full of mad men attempting to fly from New York to Philadelphia on a stick or covering a telephone with kisses in the belief that it was their beloved girlfriend.
No fairy story ever declared to be a description of the real world and no clever child has ever believed that it was.
1. The author considers that a fairy story is more effective when it is ________.| A．repeated without any change |
| B．treated as a joke |
| C．made some changes by the parent |
| D．set in the present |
| A．in a realistic setting |
| B．heard for the first time |
| C．repeated too often |
| D．told in a different way |
| A．fairy stories are still being made up |
| B．there is some misunderstanding about fairy tales |
| C．people try to modernize old fairy stories |
| D．there is more concern for children's fears nowadays |
| A．they are full of imagination |
| B．they just make up the stories which are far from the truth |
| C．they are not interesting |
| D．they make teachers of history difficult to teach |
【推荐2】Labeling can be very helpful when determining certain things about a food item. “USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) Organic” and “raised without antibiotics (抗生素)”, for example, have specific standards, and the product will need to be true to those claims.
Natural claims like “all natural”, “100% natural”, and “made with natural ingredients (成分)” are not defined in USDA. The USDA must approve these special claims prior to food being sold, but the only standard they must meet is that artificial ingredients or colors cannot be added during processing, and the processing method cannot fundamentally alter the product. While that is certainly valuable information to know, the problem is in consumers’ understanding of what “natural” means. The definitions do not address human health, the use of synthetic pesticides (合成杀虫剂), hormones, or antibiotics in crop and livestock production.
Study after study on the topic reveals that people think a product labeled as “natural” delivers benefits far beyond what it does. Most consumers mistakenly assign health and environmental benefits to natural-labeled food.
In a 2017 study, respondents incorrectly believed that natural-labeled foods had 18 percent fewer calories across a variety of foods. In a 2010 study, respondents believed that meat products labeled as “all natural” meant no antibiotics or hormones were used to raise the animals. Some also believed the label meant animals were raised free range.
Consumers aren’t getting what they think they’re getting. But the more serious problem is how this harms food producers who are actually meeting the standards for more strict labels that are actually doing good, like ones around organic practices or animal welfare. Farmers and producers doing the work end up at a competitive disadvantage in the marketplace if consumers treat foods labeled natural as alike. The economic problem raised by natural labels is that consumers could be paying extra for product benefits they are not receiving while producers of products with those benefits lose sales.
1. Which of the following is undefined by authorities?| A．USDA organic. | B．All natural. |
| C．Artificial color free. | D．Raised without antibiotics. |
| A．Being unaware of food safety. |
| B．Paying more on over-processed food. |
| C．Buying food failing to meet the USDA standards. |
| D．Misunderstanding what is claimed on a food label. |
| A．To advocate sensible consumer behavior. |
| B．To suggest a possible solution to a problem. |
| C．To provide evidence for the author’s point of view. |
| D．To demonstrate how far studies on food safety have gone. |
| A．Wasting resources. | B．A market crash. | C．Cheating. | D．Unfairness. |
【推荐3】Mars is no stranger to life. Seven U. S. spacecraft have successfully landed there, and all of them took microbes to the planet’s surface(though the bugs probably did not survive for long). Yet the world’s space agencies continue to maintain strict spacecraft sterilization (消毒) procedures in the hope of minimizing the spread of Earth life beyond our planet. For decades this idea — known as planetary protection—is widespread. Now, some scientists say, these procedures are preventing the search for life beyond Earth by raising costs and preventing innovative missions-without meaningful benefits.
Of all missions to Mars to date, only the Vikings, the first trip to the Red Planet, were intended to test for life. Spacecraft that went later did not have that ability. But a future mission will, and the protectionist thinking goes, a spacecraft might not be able to distinguish between a life form native to Mars and one with origins on Earth. In July 2013 astrobiologists Dirk Schulze-Makuch and Alberto Fairen argued against this in Nature Geoscience.
“If Earth life can thrive on Mars, they almost certainly already do,” the authors write. “If they cannot, the transfer of Earth life to Mars should be of no concern, as it would simply not survive.”
With clear evidence of a water y history and some signs of water present, Mars could be where we find life in our solar system. And with the development of Curiosity’s precise landing system, we can finally reach the mysterious parts of the planet. But it’s these areas that require a craft sterilization process.
In the 1970s Vikings 1 and 2 revealed what seemed like a dead planet, so planetary-protection requirements were relaxed. Now, with more knowledge of Mars’ environment, missions set to visit areas with evidence of flowing water below the surface have to meet the strict-and more costly- Vikings standards.
Finally, there’s the philosophical problem of what responsibility, if any, we have to other planets and any life we leave there. The truth is we’re never going to be able to fully protect Mars if we intend to explore it. And spreading is simply what life does.
“If we want to survive for a long time, we have to expand beyond Earth,” Schulze-Makuch says. “There’s no other way.”
1. Strict spacecraft sterilization procedures are meant to ______.| A．decrease the costs of space exploration |
| B．help the search for life forms beyond Earth |
| C．contribute to innovative missions in the universe |
| D．prevent Earth life being transferred to other planets |
| A．there was no preclse landing system |
| B．Mars was considered to be a lifeless planet |
| C．the mysterious parts of Mars remained unknown |
| D．flowing water was found below the surface of Mars |
| A．Mars is now on the edge of being destroyed |
| B．human beings are too ambitious to expand beyond Earth |
| C．there is no need to worry about bringing Earth life to Mars |
| D．we need to be responsible for keeping Mars what it is like now |
| A．optimistic | B．relaxed | C．debatable | D．negative |
【推荐1】On my first round-the-world trip in 2006， I planned everything out in advance. I knew where I was going， staying for how long， and how I would get there.And then half-way through I ditched the plan and went with the flowOver the years，how I plan my travel has changed. Now， I'm a last-minute planner and seldom travel with any plan.
Traveling without a plan gives you great flexibility （灵活性）.Since nothing is booked far in advance， you can turn to something different when you change your mind or something better comes along. I changed my plans to meet a friend on an island in Thailand and stayed for a month. I wouldn't have had that experience if I had kept to my planned schedule.
However， most new travelers are the opposite-they overplan their trips.Their whole journey is scheduled. Two days here， three days there.I understand why people do that. When time is short， you want to see as much as possible.You don't want to waste a single second.
Actually， it is better to slow down your pace.Spending more time in one place allows you to get a better feel for the rhythm of life You can visit at a more relaxed pace， see more than just the attractions， and open up your schedule to the happy accidents of travel.
When I first made my travel plan，I tried to include everything in it. Then I realized it was unrealistic， and revised my plan.I came up with a list of one or two things I want to see each day and spaced everything out.It's an important lesson to learn. I think the best trip plan is to work out the general path you want to take， book the first few nights of your trip， and let your travels unfold from there. This way you are never locked into a certain place if your feelings change.
1. What does the underlined word "ditched" in Paragraph 1 mean？ ______| A．considered |
| B．discussed |
| C．abandoned |
| D．prepared |
| A．He lives an easy life. |
| B．He enjoys traveling freely. |
| C．He spends a lot of time traveling. |
| D．He prefers to follow others when traveling. |
| A．Working out a simple travel plan. |
| B．Avoiding booking in advance. |
| C．Getting prepared for the unexpected things. |
| D．Setting a goal before making a travel plan. |
| A．Traveling： A Race Against The Clock |
| B．In Travel， Less Is More |
| C．Traveling： Play More， Pay Less |
| D．Why I Enjoy Traveling Around |
【推荐2】Music is an art that almost everyone enjoys. Everyone can make sounds by singing，banging a stick, plucking(弹) a tight string or blowing through pipe. All over the world, many kinds of music have developed as people find out how to make sounds in different ways. There are so many kinds of music to hear that you can soon find a kind that you like.
People can get all kinds of feelings hearing music. Music can make you march of dance; it can make you feel happy or sad. More than other arts, music can affect your moods and feelings. This is why music is so popular.
Every country has its own kind of music. In France many people like dance music played on the accordion(手风琴), and many Americans enjoy banjo(班卓琴) music. Spain is famous for its guitar music, and India for the twanging sound of the sitar.
Many people like music in their own national style. But there are also people who enjoy classical music and pop music, which have spread throughout the world with the help of the record player and radio.
However, there are still great differences between the music of the west and that of the east. Many of the instruments are very different. The guitar and the sitar are both instruments in which strings are plucked by fingers, but they two not sound alike.
The musical differences between the east and the west are not only in the instruments, but also in ways the notes are put together.
1. Music is an art that is very popular in the world because ______．| A．everybody can make a beautiful music |
| B．people can get different feelings from music |
| C．music can only make people happy |
| D．music is much better than other arts |
| A．America | B．France |
| C．India | D．Spain |
| A．all countries and races have the same kind of music |
| B．the musical differences between the east and the west are only in the instruments |
| C．all the French people enjoy dance music played on the accordion |
| D．different people like different kinds of music |
| A．Music | B．Music—the Best Art |
| C．How to Enjoy Music | D．Different Music |
【推荐3】Head to Music City for a variety of great lodging (住宿) options. Whether you want to check out Downtown or head to the eastern part of the city, there’s something for everyone.
◎ Gaylord Opryland
Located in the downtown and Music Row area, it is home to two different fine dining options within its estate (庄园), three casual-style restaurants, and six options for fast food. Other great conveniences include an indoor pool, a hot tub, free WiFi, refrigerators and more.
◎ Hermitage Hotel
Also located in the downtown area, the Hermitage Hotel was named after the estate of late President Andrew Jackson. Guests can enjoy countless conveniences that will help to make their vacation absolutely unforgettable, including a fitness center, business center, free WiFi, and an on-site laundry facility.
◎ Radisson Airport TN
Located within miles of the International Airport, this is a fantastic option for those who are flying into the city as it offers free transportation service to and from the airport. The lodging features free WiFi, ATM machines on-site, and a free daily newspaper. Some great options for entertainment are also offered here, including an indoor heated pool, hot tub, gift shop, and fitness center.
◎ Hilton Garden Inn
Located just a mile away from the Country Music Hall, this downtown site provides convenience and wonder for any Music City adventure. Guests will be able to enjoy accommodations such as free WiFi and paid breakfasts. Plus, each room comes equipped with microwaves and refrigerators for added convenience. When you are not relaxing in your comfortable room, guests can take a dip in the indoor heated pool.
1. Which would a customer particular about food most probably choose?| A．Gaylord Opryland. | B．Hermitage Hotel. |
| C．Radisson Airport TN. | D．Hilton Garden Inn. |
| A．It supplies fast food options. |
| B．It is related to Andrew Jackson. |
| C．It is near the Country Music Hall. |
| D．It offers free transportation service. |
| A．They provide Internet service. |
| B．They offer an indoor heated pool. |
| C．They are located in the downtown. |
| D．They are equipped with microwaves. |
【推荐1】This past Columbus Day, my husband and I went fishing with some friends on their boat while our 10 and 8-year-olds were in school. We left the house all at the same time, about 7 am. My children walked to and from school every day and we knew they were OK for a couple hours by themselves anyway so we told them to go inside after school and we would be home around 4 pm.
The adults decided to go fishing offshore: we live on the Gulf Coast, since it was a beautiful day in the normally still very humid Texas fall. At around 2 pm we started back to shore and wouldn't you know, we ran out of gas. We were out of cell phone service, even 911 wasn't working, and we didn't have a radio so we were stuck waiting for someone to come by. We were out there until 10 pm. All-the-while, my children were at home, expecting us to return shortly after they got home. At about 7 pm, when it was getting dark, my 10-year-old thought something might he wrong so she walked to each house on the street until someone answered the door and asked them what they should do. This was how we were found by the game warden and “rescued”.
Talking with that neighbor the next day, I never took such pride in my children. This neighbor explained to me how calm both my children were when explaining the situation and how impressed they were with my children seeking help, even though they didn't know these particular neighbors. I never doubled them for a minute, though next time we go fishing, we'll monitor the gas more carefully.
1. How did the children go to school?| A．Bu bus. | B．By car. |
| C．By boat. | D．On foot. |
| A．They used up their gas. | B．They lost their cell phones. |
| C．They found a radio on shore. | D．They fell into the water. |
| A．Worried. | B．Proud. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Confident |
| A．It is wonderful to raise free-range kids. |
| B．One should keep calm in face of danger. |
| C．A good neighbour is better than a brother far off. |
| D．Parents should pay more attention to their children. |
【推荐2】Not that long ago, the world wondered whether clean energy could survive without government support. Now the question is how far it can spread. The number of electric vehicles, which was about 1 million in 2015, last year reached 2 million. In electricity generation, too, trend is with the greens. In the first half of this year, wind, solar and hydro generated a record 35% of Germany's power.
Greater success is breeding greater ambition. California is proposing to reach 60% renewable energy by 2030. 176 countries have clean-energy goals. Hawaii, America’s most oil-dependent state, has promised to be 100% renewable by the middle of the century and so have 48 poor countries vulnerable to climate change. This week the number of multinationals making a commitment to running their operations on 100% renewable energy rose to 100.
But not every target is helpful. To see why, consider that goal of 100% renewable energy. It makes solving climate change seem easy. In fact, though wind and solar can generate the whole country’s electricity some day, renewables still account for less than 8% of the world’s total power output. Moreover, cleaning up electricity is only part of the battle. Even though gas-fired heating and cooking can be at least as big a source of greenhouse-gas emissions, renewable heating gets little attention. Transport policy is unpredictable, too. Car manufacturers may hit their goal of annual sales of 10 million electric vehicles in a decade, but battery-powered road transport, shipping and aviation (航室) are dreams. A much-quoted claim that America could rely on wind, solar and hydro alone for its electricity has recently been bitterly criticized by a group of respected academics.
Most importantly, a 100% renewables target confuses means with ends. The priority for the planet is to stop net emissions (净排放量) of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide. Putting too much emphasis on wind, solar and other renewables may block off better carbon-reduction paths. New technologies, such as “direct air capture” systems designed to separate carbon dioxide from the air, may in time prove vital. Likewise, greater energy efficiency could reduce emissions by even more than using renewables would.
1. Why is Germany mentioned in Paragraph 1?| A．To introduce the topic. |
| B．To provide a successful example of producing clean energy. |
| C．To compare with the USA. |
| D．To prove the possibility of the 100% renewables target. |
| A．A tough fight against climate change. | B．A huge market of electric vehicles. |
| C．A promising future of clean energy. | D．A fierce competition between countries. |
| A．Car makers cannot produce enough batteries. |
| B．New energy doesn’t receive its due attention in every aspect of society. |
| C．Use of traditional energies causes air pollution. |
| D．We are lacking in enough wind and solar energy to generate electricity. |
| A．Energy efficiency is superior to using renewables. |
| B．People can only use new energy in reality. |
| C．Mixing up means with purposes matters most. |
| D．The target of 100 renewables is too high to reach. |
【推荐3】Robots aid in coronavirus fight
Robots have certain advantages compared to humans: They are efficient, tireless, can be repaired when damaged and they never get sick. This last trait has made them the star during our fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. While hundreds of thousands of medical workers have fallen ill dealing with this highly infectious virus and a lot more are forced to stay at home for fear of getting the disease, this isn’t a problem for robots.
This is why the COVID-19 outbreak is seen as the “tipping point” —noted The Independent science reporter Anthony Cuthbertson – for robots to start to replace humans in certain jobs.
In areas like hospitals and healthcare facilities, robots are used to perform high-risk tasks. In China, for example, a hotel in Hangzhou employed a robot named “Little Peanut”to deliver food to people under quarantine. In Spain, robots are about to be used to test people for the coronavirus. Ultraviolet-light-disinfection(紫外线消毒) robots are also being widely used to clean hospital corridors and wards(病房).
“Hospitals around the world are waking up to autonomous disinfection.” Per Juul Nielsen, CEO of Denmark’s UVD Robots, a leading company manufacturing(制造) disinfection robots, told Forbes. “We can’t build these robots fast enough.”
In non-medical companies, robots are also replacing human employees since they don’t have the problem of social distancing and will never take sick leave. Walmart and Amazon, for example, where robots are already used in sorting, packing and shipping, are planning to increase the number of robots in their facilities. Fast-food chains like McDonald’s are not only delivering food with robots in some areas, but also looking to use them as cooks and servers.
According to futurist Martin Ford, using more robots than human employees can prove to be rewarding for companies – even when the pandemic is over. “People will prefer to go to a place that has fewer workers and more machines because they feel they can lower overall risk, ” Ford told the BBC.
But this sudden surge(激增) in robot demand doesn’t mean that they triumph over humans in every aspect. According to Bill Smart, a roboticist at Oregon State University, the human contact between doctors and patients is still important. Doctors comfort the patients and guide them through hard decisions while robots are only doing routine tasks, like cleaning and giving tests, just to free up doctors and nurses.
It might be true that robots have certain advantages over humans. But they are still secondary to human interaction.
1. What is the text mainly about?| A．The advantages of robots compared to humans. |
| B．Different views toward applying robots to fight COVID-19 |
| C．Why the COVID-19 outbreak has fueled robot demand. |
| D．Whether robots will replace humans in certain areas one day. |
| A．They can be repaired when damaged. |
| B．They test people for coronavirus more precisely. |
| C．They never get tired and can replace doctors and nurses. |
| D．They are not vulnerable to the coronavirus. |
| A．Its benefits are appealing and lasting. |
| B．Machines are less disturbing than humans. |
| C．It poses a threat to human employment. |
| D．There are some risks with the use of robots. |
| A．The demand for robots is too great to meet. |
| B．Doctors can make more accurate judgments than robots. |
| C．Humans interactions are essential in some areas. |
| D．Robots need updating to improve contact with humans. |
