【推荐1】They say that "seeing is believing", but when it comes to TV commercials, this is not always the case.

The world's leading mobile phone maker, Nokia, released its latest model Lumia 920 on Sept. 5. The smart phone was supposed to possess an advanced camera, which let customers shoot better pictures at night and record stabilized videos. To show how well these features work, the Finnish company released an ad showing a man and a woman riding bicycles side by side, with the man taking a video of the woman on the phone. However, several hours later, technology website The Verge uncovered that the video was neither shot with the new product, nor shot from someone riding a bicycle. Instead, someone in a lorry next to the woman took the video using a professional video camera.

The next day Nokia apologized, "In an effort to demonstrate the benefits of visual image stabilization, we produced a video that simulates(看起来像)what we will be able to deliver." Indeed, what we have seen in ads is more or less a simulation-a practice called "advertising photography".

McDonald's video in June explained the "art". It showed how its burgers get dolled up(装扮)before going on camera. Like models preparing for a magazine cover shoot, burgers also get designed in a photography studio. They are prepared for hours and put together with absolute precision so they look their best before photo shoots. Each ingredient, such as onions and sauce, is carefully put into place to make the burger look much juicier, bigger and tastier. Computer software Photoshop is also used to add visual effects.

So don't feel ____________________when you get a burger that never looks like what you see in ads.

1. What do the underlined words "the case" in Paragraph l refer to? (within 5 words)
____________________
2. For what purpose did Nokia create the video? (within 8 words)
____________________
3. Why did Nokia apologize based on the text? (within 10 words)
____________________
4. Why does the author give the example of McDonald's video in Paragraph 4? (within 10 words)
____________________
5. Fill in the blank in Paragraph 5 with proper words.(within 2 words)
____________________

【推荐3】Microsoft has developed a new smartphone app that interprets eye signals and translates them into letters, allowing people with motor neuron（运动神经元）disease to communicate with others from a phone.

The GazeSpeak app combines a smartphone’s camera with artificial intelligence to recognize eye movements in real time and change them into letters, words and sentences.

For people suffering from ALS（渐冻症）, also known as motor neuron disease, eye movement can be the only way they are able to communicate.

“Current eye-tracking input systems for people with ALS or other motor problems are expensive, not strong under sunlight, and require frequent re-calibration(校对) and abundant, relatively immobile setups,” said Xiaoyi Zhang, a researcher at Microsoft who developed the technology. “To change the situation…we created GazeSpeak, an eye-gesture communication system that runs on a smartphone.”

The app is used by the listener by pointing their smartphone at the speaker. A chart that can be stuck to the back of the smartphone is then used by the speaker to determine which eye movements to make in order to communicate.

The sticker shows four grids(格) of letters, which each match a different eye movement. By looking up, down, left or right, the speaker selects which grids the letters they want belong to. The artificial intelligence algorithm is then able to predict the word or sentence they are trying to say.

1. Which is necessary to install GazeSpeak for use according to the passage?

A．a smartphone with a camera.

B．a smartphone with re-calibration system.

C．a smartphone with a sticker on the back.

D．a smartphone connected with other setups.

2. Compared with the disadvantages current input system for ALS sufferers have, GazeSpeak will be_________.

A．low-cost, strong in system, easy to take with users

B．affordable, lightweight, environmentally friendly

C．easy to operate, movable, able to check itself

D．available under strong light, rich in resources, inexpensive

3. The most possible design of the grids will be________.

A．	B．
C．	D．

4. What’s the purpose of writing the passage?

A．To advertise a new app.	B．To call for attention to ALS sufferers.
C．To share the information of an.app.	D．To show respect to the programmer of the app.

【推荐1】We are lucky to live in a world that is full of incredible technology. Our living rooms are packed with computers, LCD TVs, video game systems, and Blue-ray players that help us enjoy the latest entertainment. Although these items bring us joy and convenience, they also create a lot of junk. Each device needs its own plug and adaptor to keep its batteries recharged, and over time these wires get tangled (缠绕在一起的). Thankfully, something has come along to help rid our homes of this mess while still supplying these devices with the power they need. It’s called wireless charging and this trend is just starting.

Wireless charging has a lot of potential for smartphones and other electronic devices. Electronic devices can absorb the electricity once they’re placed on a special charging mat. There are several advantages that wireless charging offers over traditional methods. For starters, cords (电线) have a tendency to wear out with use. Wireless charging users never have to worry about buying replacement cords. Wireless charging is also far more convenient for medical implants, as patients won’t need to recharge their devices through the skin using cords. In turn, this cuts down on the risks of infection. Wireless charging can also bring safety benefits, as wired charging devices that come in contact with water can increase the chances of getting an electric shock. Wireless charging gets rid of that danger completely.

Still, there are a few drawbacks to wireless charging. The first is speed. It takes a bit longer to charge devices wirelessly than it does if the device is plugged in. The process also requires more heat, so devices tend to get a bit hotter, which could create other safety issues. Also, since devices must be left on a special pad while charging, it is harder to operate them while they are powering up. This limitation may be gotten rid of in the future, as researchers are developing transmitters (发射器) that can charge several different devices in a room without the need to connect to a charging pad. Although wireless-charging technology may be far from perfect, it seems like a step in the right direction as we move towards a less-tangled future.

1. What is a problem with many modern appliances?

A．Most people can’t afford to pay for them.

B．They can cause a lot of junk around the house.

C．They go out of style too quickly.

D．They are not very entertaining.

2. Why is wireless charging beneficial for medical patients?

A．It often brings down the cost for their medical bills.

B．Wireless charging has shown to cure people of serious diseases.

C．It is more convenient to check or repair their devices.

D．It’s being used as a replacement for many pills.

3. Which of the following is a disadvantage of wireless charging?

A．Wireless charging means devices take up more space.

B．People can now buy fewer devices for their homes.

C．It takes longer to charge your battery wirelessly.

D．People can’t plug in their devices conveniently.

4. What seem to be the author’s attitude towards wireless charging?

A．Cautious.	B．Uncaring.
C．Disapproving.	D．Favorable.

【推荐2】A drug used to treat severe bleeding could save thousands of lives for mothers giving birth. A global trial of the drug found it reduced the risk of bleeding deaths during childbirth by nearly one-third. The study involved 20,000 women in 21 countries, mainly in Africa and Asia. The trial was carried out by London’s School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The drug is called tranexamic acid(氨甲环酸）. It is low-cost and researchers said it does not cause serious side effects for mothers or babies.

The drug is used to treat mothers for severe bleeding during childbirth, also known as postpartum hemorrhage (产后出血).It is the leading cause of mother’s death worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

Haleema Shakur is the project director of the trial. She says despite medical advances in many countries, severe bleeding after childbirth remains a big problem in some parts of the world. “It's one of the biggest killers of mothers. In Africa and Asia. about 10 percent of women will end up with severe bleeding. " The drug works by stopping blood clots（血凝块） from breaking down after a mother gives birth. The treatment can prevent the need for doctors to perform surgery to find the source of bleeding.

Shakur said the best results were reported when the drug was given to women as soon as possible after childbirth, “The earlier you give it- so within the first three hours of giving birth—the better the effect is. ”

The next step will be to get the drug where it is needed provide training for doctors and nurses on how to use it. During the trial, women were given the drug in a hospital. But researchers are looking for easier ways to administer the drug so it can be more widely used in small clinics and rural areas.

1. What is the reachers’ next plan?

A．To know how much the drug is.

B．To get permission to use the drug.

C．To let more people know the drug.

D．To make medical staff know how to use the drug.

2. What can we learn from the text?

A．The more mothers use the drug, the better its effect is.

B．African and Asian countries made great progress in medicine.

C．Postpartum hemorrhage is the leading cause of women’s death.

D．There is a long way to go before the drug can be used more widely.

3. What may be the best title for the text?

A．Care for the Health of Mothers

B．How Can We Use Tranexamic Acid Well?

C．Childbirth Drug Greatly Reduces Bleeding Deaths

D．What's the Biggest Killer of Mothers?

【推荐3】Concerns about health, animals and the environment are leading more people to remove meat from their diet. Plant-based meat alternatives(替代物) increasingly appear in supermarkets and restaurants. But what some people call clean meat—meat grown from cells in a laboratory—is still an idea that is just beginning.

More than 24 companies are testing lab-grown fish, beef and chicken. These business hope to enter the alternative meat market, which could be worth $140 billion by 2029. One of the companies, Shiok Meats, grows its product by taking shrimp(虾) cells and keeping them at a fixed temperature. They are then given nutrients(养分) in a solution. The cells become meat in four to six weeks.

This lab-grown meat’s price is high. One kilogram of it now costs $5,000, said Shiok Meats’ chief executive Sandhya Sriram. At that cost, a single pork and shrimp dumpling could be as much as $300. Sriram, a vegetarian, hopes to cut the cost to $50 for one kilogram by the end of this year. “We are looking at next year, so we might be the first ever company to launch a cell-based meat product in the world,” Sriram said. “Shiok Meats still needs approval from the city’s food regulator, and that matters the most at present.”

Although people increasingly demand meat alternatives, cell - based meat companies still face resistance to their products. In Singapore, some people said they would give lab-grown meat a second thought. “I may not exactly dare to eat it, but I do find the idea appealing because the animals in the oceans are declining,” said 60-year- old Pet Loh, while she shopped for shrimps in a Singapore market.

Any alternative wav of making animal protein without harming the environment is positive, said Paul Teng, a specialist in agriculture technology at Nanyang Technological University. But, he added, more studies are needed to understand any negative result of making cellular protein.

1. Why are more people eating less meat?

A．Because lab-grown meat has more nutrition.

B．Because plant-based food is getting popular.

C．Because meat in the market is increasingly expensive.

D．Because health and the environment are their concerns.

2. What is the most important for Shiok Meats at present according to Sriram?

A．Bringing down the price.	B．Gaining consumers’ acceptance.
C．Obtaining official permission.	D．Getting ahead of other companies.

3. Which word best describes Pet Loh’s attitude towards lab-grown meat ?

A．Doubtful

B．Uncaring

C．Ambiguous

D．Positive

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．A new way to make a fortune.	B．Negative results of lab - grown meat.
C．New research findings on healthy diet.	D．A meat alternative grown in labs.

【推荐2】Some students get so nervous before a test. They do poorly even if they know the material. Sian Beilock, a professor at the University of Chicago in Illinois, has studied these highly anxious test-takers. The students start worrying about the results. And when we worry, it actually uses up attention and memory resources（资源）.

Professor Beilock and another researcher, Gerardo Ramirez, have developed a possible solution. Just before an exam, highly anxious test-takers spend ten minutes writing about their worries about the test.

The researchers tested the idea on a group of twenty anxious college students. They gave them two short maths tests. After the first one, they asked the students to either sit quietly or write about their feelings about the upcoming second test.

Professor Beilock says those who sat quietly scored（得分） an average of 12% worse on the second test. But the students who had written about their fears improved（提高） their performance by an average of 5%. Next, the researchers used younger students in a biology class. They told them before final exams either to write about their feelings or to think about things unrelated（不相关的） to the test. Professor Beilock says highly anxious students who did the writing got an average grade of B+, compared to a B-for those who did not.

"What we showed is that for students who are highly test-anxious, and who'd done our writing intervention（干预）, all of a sudden there was no relationship between test anxiety and grades. They were performing just as well as their classmates who don't normally get nervous in these tests."

But what if students do not have a chance to write about their fears immediately before an exam? Professor Beilock says students can try it themselves at home or in the library and still improve their performance.

1. What do the students start worrying about before an exam?

A．Whether they can pass the exams.

B．What other students do during the test.

C．Whether they have remembered the materials.

D．What kind of problems they will meet on the test paper.

2. What is the solution developed by researchers?

A．Making the students focused on the test.

B．Asking the students to sit quietly before the test.

C．Having the students write about their worries about the test.

D．Asking the students to direct the attention away from the test.

3. According to Professor Beilock, those who thought about things unrelated to the test ____________.

A．became less nervous before the test

B．were better at controlling their feelings

C．did worse than those who wrote about their feelings

D．did better than those who wrote about their feelings

4. We can infer from the last paragraph that ____________.

A．writing about our worries before an exam can work a bit

B．we can only write about our worries right before an exam

C．the best place to write about our worries is in the test room

D．it doesn't matter where we write about our worries before an exam

【推荐3】Now the Bush team is pushing hard an idea which is inherited from the Clinton administration and which, in some way, builds on the debt-relief initiative. For the very poorest countries, America strongly favors moving from loans   to   grants,   though   other   industrial-country donors are still doubtful of the wisdom of this. Giving grants, they argue, will cut future aid flows because some of the funding for loans on generous terms comes from money which has been repaid to donors.

America takes the view that, since many developing—country loans will never be repaid, mainly because the recipients cannot afford to make large payments to their creditors, it makes more sense to treat them as grants in the first place. The Bush administration has threatened to hold up the provision of the funds used for this sort of aid. International Development Assistance (IDA), if it cannot persuade everyone else to come on board. All members talked about having made progress in this area, but it remains a stumbling block.

Work is also under way in the IMF and the G7 to reform the international financial system. This now has two objectives.   One is to make it harder for terrorist organizations to obtain   funding by cracking down on money—laundering and increasing financial   transparency.   The other is to reduce the occurrence and severity of financial crises in emerging—market countries. On this,   American views seem to have prevailed.     The G7 meeting on April 19th and 20th     ended with an unexpected decision to proceed with an American plan to include collective action clauses in future loans taken out by emerging- market governments.   The idea is that in the event of a delay of payment—such as that by Argentina last December--a government could negotiate with a “super-majority” of its creditors to restructure its   debts,     rather than, as now,     have a     small minority of creditors able to weaken such attempts.

This market--based approach is still controversial and implementing it could be difficult given the previous reluctance of governments to include such clauses in loan contracts (lest they appear to be signaling a readiness to default   (拖欠)even as they borrow).   Work on IMF plans for more far —reaching reforms of supreme debt, on which the Bush team recently appeared to pour cold water, is to proceed at the same time. The two approaches, said the G7, are “complementary”.

1. According to the passage,   America   favors   moving   from   loans   to   grants   on   the   purpose of____

A．making more money for the donors

B．relieving debt of the poorest countries

C．solving the problem of poverty completely

D．collecting more money for future aid to other countries

2. It can be seen that the undertaking of moving from loans to grants____

A．makes no progress at all

B．makes progress smoothly

C．still face some difficulties

D．will achieve its success in near future

3. The purpose of the reform of the international financial system includes____.

A．relieving the debt of poor countries

B．establishing a global financial market

C．distributing money more fairly in the world

D．preventing the possible financial crisis and terrorists to raise money through the system

4. It can be inferred from Para. 3 that at present .

A．a country can never expect to reconstruct its debts

B．a country can reconstruct its debt with the permission of IMF

C．a country in default cannot reconstruct its debts without the permission of all of its creditors

D．a country in default can reconstruct its debts by acquiring the permission of most of its creditors.

【推荐1】For art, the year 2115 will be one full of events. In May of that year in Berlin, the philosopher-artist Jonathon Keats' "century cameras'' — cameras with a 100-year-long exposure（曝光）time — will be brought back from hiding places around the city to have their results developed and exhibited Six months after that, the Future Library in Oslo, Norway, will open its doors for the first time, presenting 100 books printed on the wood of trees planted in the distant past of 2015.

As Katie Paterson, the creator of the Future Library, puts it: **Future Library is an artwork for future generations/' These projects, more than a century in the making, are part of a new wave of "slow art'' intended to push viewers and participants to think beyond their own lifetimes. They aim to challenge today's short-term thinking and the brief attention spans of modern consumers, forcing people into considering works more deliberately. In their way, too, they are fighting against modern culture — not just regarding money, but also the way in which artistic worth is measured by attention.

In a similar fashion, every April on Slow Art Day, visitors are encouraged to stare at five works of art for 10 minutes at a time — a tough task for the average museum visitor, who typically spends less than 30 seconds on each piece of art.

Like the Future Library, the century cameras are very much a project for cities, since it's in cities that time runs fastest and the pace of life is fastest. "Since I started living in a city, I've somehow been quite disconnected/' Anne Beate Hovind, the Future Library project manager, who described how working on the library drew her back to the pace of life she knew when she was growing up on a farm in her youth, told the Atlantic magazine.

1. What will NOT happen in2115 according to the first paragraph?

A．A camera which was produced 100 years ago will be exhibited.

B．The Future Library will be open to the public for the first time.

C．Photos with a 100-year exposure time will be developed and exhibited.

D．Books printed on the wood of trees planted in 2015 will be displayed.

2. What can we learn about people's attitude towards works of art nowadays?

A．They spend little time on works.

B．They pay more attention to works.

C．They spend much money on works.

D．They stare at works for 10 minutes at a time.

3. What is the purpose of the wave of slow art?

A．To advocate creating works of art slowly.

B．To protect works of art from being damaged.

C．To promote works of art for modern culture.

D．To encourage people to consider works more deliberately.

4. How does Anne Beate Hovind feel about the city life?

A．It's discouraging.	B．It's awful.
C．It's busy.	D．It's developed.

【推荐2】Fireflies flash not just for mating (交配), but survival, a new study suggests. Scientists wanted to find out if there’s more to the lightning bug’s signature blinking glow (一闪一闪的亮光) than finding a mate. Some experts had assumed it was a glaring signal to predators (捕食者), like bats, that fireflies taste bad.

To test out whether the glow acted like that, researchers at Boise State University in Idaho put bats and fireflies in front of high-speed cameras. They published their results in Wednesday’s journal Science Advances.

The painstaking experiment required researchers to introduce western bats, which had never seen lightning bugs before, to the insects. Later, they hand-painted firefly bellies black, turning off their night lights but avoiding the holes the insects breathe through. When the bats first saw the unfamiliar lit-up fireflies, they acted excitedly and ate a lot of the bugs, only to get a bad taste in their mouths.“They shake their heads and spit and generally hate their caretakers for giving them such a rude meal,” said study author Jesse Barber, a Boise State biology professor and author of the study. After a few tries, the bats then avoided the glowing fireflies. Despite the popular misconception, bats aren’t blind, a study author noted.

Once the fireflies essentially taught bats that they taste bad, Barber and his colleagues introduced the darkened fireflies. About 40 percent of the painted ones were eaten, while none of the normal fireflies were eaten. Researchers also think the way lightning bugs fly signals what they are. To test that they put fireflies on fishing lines and the bats went after them, despite already knowing that fireflies don’t taste good. The results make sense and are valuable, said Nick Dowdy, a Purdue University researcher in Indiana, who was not involved in the study.

Scientists already knew that fireflies have distinctive flash patterns that tell others who they are and where they are. And some females prefer males that flash at higher rates, according to study co-author Marc Branham of University of Florida. Barber noted that even in their larval (幼虫) stage, the bugs glow and don’t get eaten. So he theorized that when it comes to evolution, fireflies’ glowing trait (特点) may have developed first as protection from predators and later became a mating signal.

So, Barber said, “Bats may have invented fireflies.”
1. The purpose of the researchers’ study is to see________

A．whether fireflies flash to warn their predators away

B．how fireflies react to high-speed cameras

C．how fireflies flash to attract a mate

D．when fireflies make a bright light

2. Why did the researchers put fireflies on fishing lines?

A．To hide their flashes.

B．To make them fly faster.

C．To make them more energetic.

D．To change their flying patterns.

3. What does Barber mean in the last paragraph?

A．Bats have influenced fireflies’ evolution.

B．Bats and fireflies depend on each other.

C．Bats have similar traits to fireflies.

D．Bats tend to avoid larval fireflies.

【推荐3】What makes a gift special? Is it the price you see on the gift receipt? Or is it the look on the recipient's face when they receive it that determines the true value? What gift is worth the most?
This Christmas I was debating what to give my father. My dad is a hard person to buy for because he never wants anything. I pulled out my phone to read a text message from my mom saying that we were leaving for Christmas shopping for him when I came across a message on my phone that I had locked. The message was from my father. My eyes fell on a photo of a flower taken in Wyoming. and underneath a poem by William Blake. The flower, a lone dandelion standing against the bright blue sky, inspired me. My dad had been reciting those words to me since I was a kid. That may even be the reason why I love writing. I decided that those words would be my gift to my father.
I called back. I told my mom to go without me and that I already created my gift. I sent the photo of the cream-colored flower to my computer and typed the poem on top of it. As I was arranging the details another poem came to mind. The poem was written by Edgar Allan Poe; my dad recited it as much as he did the other. I typed that out as well and searched online for a background to the words of it. The poem was focused around dreaming, and after searching I found the perfect picture. The image was painted with blues and greens and purples, twisting together to create the theme and wonder of a dream. As I watched both poems passing through the printer, the white paper coloring with words that shaped my childhood. I felt that this was a gift that my father would truly appreciate.
Christmas soon arrived. The minute I saw the look on my dad's face as he unwrapped those swirling black letters carefully placed in a cheap frame, I knew I had given the perfect gift.
1. The idea for a special gift began to form when the author was______.

A．doing shopping	B．having a debate
C．reading a message	D．leaving for Wyoming

2. The author's inspiration for the gift came from_____.

A．a photo of a flower	B．a story about a kid
C．a call from the mother	D．a text about Christmas

3. The underlined word "it" in Paragraph 3 refers to a poem by_____.

A．the father	B．the author
C．William Blake	D．Edgar Allan Poe

4. The author made the gift by_____.

A．searching for the poems online

B．drawing the background by hand

C．painting the letters in three colors

D．matching the words with pictures

5. What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To show how to design images for gifts.

B．To suggest making gifts from one's heart.

C．To explain how computers help create gifts.

D．To describe the gifts the author has received