【推荐1】A satellite is about to demonstrate a new way of capturing space junk with magnets for the first time. With the frequency of space launches dramatically increasing in recent years, the potential for a disastrous collision above Earth is continually growing. Now, Japanese orbital clean-up company Astroscale is testing a potential solution.

The firm’s End-of-Life Services by Astroscale demonstration mission is scheduled to lift off on 20 March aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket. It consists of two spacecraft: a smaller “client” satellite and a larger “servicer” satellite, or “chaser”. The smaller satellite is equipped with a magnetic (磁力的) plate which allows the chaser to dock with it.

The two stacked spacecraft will perform three tests once in orbit, each of which will involve the servicer satellite releasing and then recapturing the client satellite. The first test will be the simplest, with the client satellite drifting a short distance away and then being recaptured. In the second test, the servicer satellite will set the client satellite tumbling before catching up with it and matching its motion to grab it.

Finally, if those two tests go well, the chaser will live up to its name by letting the client satellite float a few hundred metres away before finding it and attaching to it. All of these tests will be performed autonomously, with little to no human input once they are set in motion.

“These kinds of demonstrations have never been done before in space — they are very different to, say, an astronaut controlling a robotic arm on the International Space Station,” says Jason Forshaw at Astroscale UK. “This is more of an autonomous mission.” At the end of the tests, both spacecraft will burn up in Earth’s atmosphere.

If companies wanted to use this capability, they would have to attach a magnetic plate to their satellites so they could be captured later. Because of the growing space garbage problem, many countries now require firms to have a way to bring back their satellites once they run out of fuel or fail, so this could be a fairly simple likely plan, Forshaw says. Right now, each chaser can only nab one satellite, but Astroscale is working on a version that could drag three or four out of orbit at once.

1. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “dock with” in Paragraph 2?

A．Join together.	B．Keep up with.
C．Deal with.	D．Crash.

2. Why many countries now require firms to have a way to bring back their satellites?

A．Because they can earn large profits from it.

B．Because the frequency of space launches are dramatically increasing.

C．Because of the growing space waste problem.

D．Because Astroscale has found a new method of capturing the space garbage.

3. What will Astroscale do to solve the space junk problem?

A．An astronaut controls a robotic arm on the International Space to capture the “client” satellite.

B．Through a magnetic plate remotely controlled by humans on the ground to catch the “client” satellite.

C．Tumbling to match the motion of “client” satellite the drag three or four satellites out of its orbit into atmosphere.

D．Finding the “client” satellite and attaching to it with a magnetic plate automatically.

4. What can we infer from the passage?

A．people will burn the space junk up in Earth’s atmosphere in the future.

B．the demonstration mission will be divided into three phases.

C．These kinds of demonstrations have never been done before.

D．Japan and Russia will conduct space debris cleanup experiment together.

【推荐2】China is recognized as a world leader in the development of artificial intelligence and facial recognition systems. A Chinese company, the Beijing-based Hanwang Technology Ltd. , says it has created a new facial recognition system that can identify people even if they are wearing masks. Engineers at the company say their system is the first to be created to effectively identify people wearing face masks.

The company told a news agency that a team of 20 people built the system in about a month. The system is based on existing technologies developed over the past 10 years. The process involved adding a collection of about 6 million unmasked faces and a much smaller collection of masked faces, the company said.

The company is now selling two main kinds of products that use the new technology. One performs “single channel” recognition, which is designed to be used at the entrances to buildings. The other product is a “multi-channel” recognition system that uses groups of surveillance (监视)   cameras. It can identify individuals in a crowd of up to 30 people within a second.

“When people are wearing a mask that covers the mouth and nose, the recognition rate can reach about 95%, which can ensure that most people can be identified.” said Huang, vice president of the company. He added that the system’s success rate for people not wearing a mask is about 99.5%. However, the new system struggles to identify people wearing both a mask and sunglasses. “In this situation, all of the key facial information is lost. In such cases recognition is tough.” Huang said.

People were reacting differently to the new technology. While some citizens have been against using such tools, the majority have accepted the technology as an effective way to decrease crime and catch criminals.

1. What did the company do to build the system?

A．They merely used the latest technology.

B．They gathered many face images.

C．They employed hundreds of people.

D．They spent about a decade building it.

2. According to the text which of the following can be true?

A．The new system has already been used by the police.

B．The recognition rate of masked faces is about 99.5%.

C．The single channel produce can be used at the entrances.

D．It is hard to recognize people with both masks and glasses.

3. What is the author’s attitude towards the new technology?

A．Skeptical.

B．Optimistic.

C．Objective.

D．Critical.

4. Which of the following is the best title of the text?

A．Artificial Intelligence and Facial Recognition.

B．China—the First to Create Facial Recognition.

C．An Effective way To Decrease Crimes and Catch Criminals.

D．A New Recognition System to Identify People with Masks.

【推荐1】As the American population ages, the demand for services and care for older adults is growing, which accounts for the reason why SenCura is very popular. It’s a company that provides non-medical at-home care for seniors in the northern Virginia area.

But when Hollie, one of SenCura’s professional caregivers, is not around, Robertson still has a caregiver, a robot named Rudy. “You can have a conversation with him. And (he’s) somebody to talk to and who responds.” Rudy also tells jokes and plays games and dances with Robertson. In addition to keeping Robertson mentally and physically active, Rudy provides contact with emergency services 24 hours a day automatically when Robertson is in danger. He watches for lost items, reminds Robertson about her doctor’s appointments and tells her when it is time to take her medicine.

Anthony Nunez is the founder of INF Robotics, the company that created Rudy. He says, “As I grew older, I realized we weren’t the only family facing this problem. There are thousands of families facing the same issue --- most cases even worse, where they have a beloved one that they’re taking care of and the cost becomes an issue. So what we wanted to do was design a robot that’s easy to use, designed specifically for seniors, but also affordable."

SenCura’s Cliff Glier says the robot Rudy adds to what in-home caregivers do for the growing population of seniors who prefer to age at home---with a little help from friends. But Rudy is not a competitor of human caregivers. He says the robot Rudy is there to help but cannot do all the things that caregivers do, like bathing and dressing seniors.

1. Why is SenCura warmly welcomed by the seniors?

A．It improves new technologies.	B．It can meet their demands.
C．It can offer them whatever they want.	D．It helps them look after their children.

2. Which of the following can Rudy do?

A．Make an appointment.	B．Give lessons on dancing.
C．Take emergency action.	D．Serve as a doctor.

3. What does Anthony Nunez intend to tell us in Paragraph 3?

A．The price of Rudy is reasonable.	B．The working principle of the robot.
C．The powerful functions of Rudy.	D．The original intention of designing Rudy.

4. What can we infer about Rudy after reading the whole passage?

A．Rudy is not perfect in some respects.	B．Rudy can take the place of humans.
C．Rudy helps bring a great profit to the company.	D．Rudy robs caregivers of their jobs.

【推荐2】Robby Pepper can answer questions in Italian, English and German. He is Italy’s first robot caretaker. He is employed at a hotel on the popular Lake Garda to help answer simple, usual questions from visitors. During one of Robby’s first days, Mihail Slanina, a guest from Moldova, congratulated the robot on his skills. “He’s like a real person; he’s really good,” she said. “He talked; he shook my hand.”

Japan’s Softbank Robotics created Robby. The Italian company Jampaa programmed the robot. It can provide hotel guests with information they need, like where to find a restaurant and its hours of operation. The use of robots is growing in service industries like tourism. Most of the robots serve mainly as novelties. But they are expected to become more useful as better artificial intelligence, or AI, is developed.

The International Federation of Robotics says about 79,000 professional service robots were sold last year. The Frankfurt, Germany-based organization expects up to 25 percent sales growth each year through 2020. These artificial intelligence machines include defense robots, cleaning robots, and medical robots. In 2016, 7, 200 public relations robots like Robby Pepper were sold—a 135 percent increase from 2015 sales.

Richard Windsor is a technology businessman in London. He says the use of robots is not yet common because artificial intelligence is not complex enough. He says the proof is that the companies responsible for the two best AI systems, Google Assist and Baidu’s DuerOS, do not make robots.

Public acceptance is important to the robot industry. Experts say people in the United States and Japan seem more welcoming to robots than people do in Europe. Shoppers at a store in Scotland got one robot, Softbank’s Fabio Pepper, dismissed. Customers were not willing to talk to the robot. And a security robot at an office complex in Washington, DC made news last year when it rolled itself into a fountain and would not get out.

1. Why does the author mention Robby Pepper in Paragraph 1?

A．To advertise Italy’s first robot caretaker.	B．To tell us it can complete many tasks.
C．To tell us a well-developed robot.	D．To introduce the topic and attract the readers.

2. What’s mainly discussed in Paragraph 2?

A．Robby can find restaurants.	B．Robby are programmed in Italy.
C．Robots are becoming more useful.	D．Robots are only useful in service industries.

3. What can be inferred from the data in Paragraph 3?

A．The use of robots is common.	B．The producer gets great profits.
C．The robot industry has a promising future.	D．Every country is increasing its robot industry.

4. What can we learn from the text?

A．Robby was made by Jampaa.

B．Robots can serve in every industry.

C．Google Assist and Baidu’s DuerOS make the best robots.

D．There is still a long way to go for the popularity of robots.

【推荐2】Because of COVID-19, in many places, large gatherings of people aren’t allowed. In some areas, the rules are more strict, and people aren’t allowed to leave their homes unless going out is absolutely necessary.

These steps are very important for slowing the disease down. By doing this, governments can make sure doctors and hospitals are better able to deal with all the sick people, and that fewer people suffer in all. Usually, it’s called “flattening the curve”.

But if no one can go out, that means businesses which depend on visitors struggle. Many singers, bands, and other musicians would normally be giving concerts now. Instead, they have to find new ways to share their music and connect with their audiences. The Metropolitan Opera in New York has canceled(取消) its season, but it is showing a special live stream of a different opera each day on its website. Other opera companies have made similar moves. Several theater companies are either offering recorded versions of their plays online or posting videos of their actors performing.

Nick Green wrote a musical play that was canceled because of the virus(病毒). He set up a website with links that allow people to enjoy the work of artists around the world who have had their projects canceled. He called his project the Social Distancing Festival. He said it was a time when he should be doing something new, rather than feeling disappointed.

Even TV shows have to find new ways to film their shows. Some late night TV shows have continued, but without audiences. Others are showing reruns.

While their shows are on pause, some TV stars like Conan O’Brien and Jimmy Fallon have been filming short videos at home. Mr. O’ Brien plans to bring his show back on the air soon by filming with his own phone and talking with guests over the Internet.

1. What does the underlined phrase in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．Keeping patients staying at home anytime.

B．Slowing down the spread of the disease.

C．Stopping people from often gathering up.

D．Speed up the spread of disease.

2. What are opera companies’ new ways?

A．Providing live stream services.

B．Stopping sharing music with audience.

C．Trying to attract live audiences.

D．Sharing their operas with each other

3. What did the cancellation of Nick Green’s play bring him?

A．Disappointment.

B．Anger .

C．Creativity.

D．Stress.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．People staying at home .

B．The absence of audiences.

C．Entertainment going online.

D．The efforts of Nick Green.

【推荐3】Virtual reality is quickly becoming the new technological frontier. Tech companies everywhere seem to be racing to get their foot in the VR door. However, virtual reality has a set of challenges and hurdles that it must overcome in order to work well. It should be noted that VR is heavily dependent on being very fast, very accurate and very good-looking. If it isn’t, the viewer will feel motion sick or disconnected from the world that VR is trying to create.

Now that we can actually build VR headsets that begin to meet these requirements, we are seeing a rising interest in VR. As it rises, so does the interest in creating new media to be experienced in using virtual reality. Journalism is a medium built on relevance. Journalists should always be finding new ways to tell stories and deliver content. It is a goldmine for storytelling. What better ways to tell a story to someone than to put them right in the center of it?

Virtual reality is a powerful tool for journalists. The consumer isn’t just reading or watching something play out; they’re experiencing it. The immersive nature of VR allows for people to connect with the subject matter on a much deeper level than just reading about it. The experience is emotional, speaking more to our instinct than our intellect. The possibilities for storytelling here are legion, and any storyteller wanting to do something more interesting than their peers should surely be considering the sheer power of VR.

The question of virtual reality, though, is not how powerful it is. That is immediately apparent. The question of VR is one of viability and availability. Telling stories must be easy to do, and access to those stories must be readily available. This is the biggest challenge that VR faces. If the tools to tell a story with VR aren’t easy to pick up and learn, VR will fail. If VR technology isn’t both top-of-the-line and affordable, VR will fail.

Accessibility was one concern for Thomas Hallaq, assistant professor of journalism and mass communications, who said that current VR technology, is pretty exclusive right now. Despite that, he said he doesn’t think the exclusivity of this technology will be a problem in the long run.

“I think it’s very promising,” Hallaq said. “We’re seeing more technology become accessible, and more people having access to that technology. Just look at smartphones.” Like radio, TV and the Internet before it, virtual reality will change the way we tell stories.

1. Why is VR considered a powerful tool for journalism?

A．Because it is an exclusively new tool.

B．Because it is very powerful and popular.

C．Because people can experience the story in person.

D．Because it is very fast, accurate and good-looking.

2. According to the passage, what is the biggest challenge VR is facing?

A．How powerful and interesting it can be.

B．Whether people will have easy access to it.

C．Whether qualified VR headsets can be built.

D．What new ways people will find to deliver content.

3. What’s the author’s attitude towards the future of VR technology?

A．Optimistic.

B．Neutral.

C．Pessimistic.

D．Concerned.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A．The Wide Popularity of Virtual Reality

B．The Future Development of Virtual Reality

C．Challenges and Hurdles of Virtual Reality

D．Virtual Reality is the Future of Storytelling

【推荐1】Are you looking for a different place to visit this summer? Why not take a magical trip to an Earth-size planet beyond our solar system with NASA’s Planet Travel Center?

We live in a universe full of planets outside our solar system. Unluckily, even the nearest of those planets are light-years away, so sending spaceships and humans to these attracting worlds remains a distant dream. But on NASA’s Planet Exploration website, you can start a journey on an imagined globe of a new world through 360-degree visualization(可视化). As you land onto each globe’s ground, you’ll discover amazing views, like the blood-red sky of TRAPPIST-1d, or stand on a moon of the huge planet Kepler-16b, which appears larger than either of the planet’s two suns. The view from each planet’s ground is an artist’s impression based on the limited information that is reachable; no real photos of these planets exist.

The newest planet with such 360-degree visualization is Kepler-186f, an Earth-size planet rounding a star much cooler and redder than the Sun. “Kepler-186f is also so distant, and it is till now impossible to recognize their atmospheres—if they exist at all—or characterize their atmospheric qualities,” said Martin Still, scientist for NASA’s newest space-based planet-hunting program, wondering people’s reaction to their creation. “Though with such challenges unsettled, using the NASA visualization tool, you can see how the existence and disappearing of an atmosphere would change the view of the sky from the planet’s ground.” Still added.

Aaron, head of Planet Travel Center, points out that their present and future schedules of the globe visualization will find the nearest planets to our solar system and characterize their atmospheres, bridging the gap between our imagination and what’s really out there. In the near future, all the 360-degree visualizations are viewable on desktop and mobile devices, like smartphones, allowing all readers a wonderful enjoyment from the possibilities of a new world.

1. With NASA’s Planet Travel Center, you can ________.

A．take photos of unknown planets	B．gain knowledge of the solar system
C．travel in to the universe by spaceship	D．explore a created world of far planets

2. What can we learn about NASA’s latest 360-degree visualization?

A．It already wins wide praise.	B．It still needs improvement.
C．It uses the newest photos of Kepler-186f.	D．It shows a redder sky on Kepler-16b.

3. What is Aaron’s attitude towards the future of the globe visualization?

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

【推荐2】The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is mostly a desert. However, this has not stopped the country from creating great building projects. On September 26, UAE officials announced another ambitious project — Mars Science City. Expansive deserts and miles of coastline provide plenty of options for safe rocket launches (发射). And its position on the Earth makes it especially appealing as the spin of the Earth provides an extra push, meaning less fuel is needed to get payloads into orbit. All these seem to make it possible.

The Mars City Project, designed by Bjarke Ingels Group, or BIG, will provide a realistic model to simulate (模仿) living on the surface of Mars, the red planet. It is part of the UAE’s Mars 2117 Project to lead the global race to land humans on Mars and be the first to build a settlement there. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Minister and ruler of Dubai, says, “The UAE seeks international support to develop technologies that benefit humans, and lay the foundation of a better future for more generations to come.”

Built outside Dubai, the 1.9 million square feet city is expected to cost $135 million. It will consist of several dome-shaped laboratories, similar to the ones imagined for the first Mars settlers. Scientists from around the word will be invited to conduct research to come up with methods to create food, water and energy, using techniques which can be copied onto the red planet. The living spaces, where the researchers can live for up to a year, will simulate the planet’s conditions as much as possible.

The research city will also include a museum featuring famous space achievements to help educate and inspire children to undertake space exploration and discovery. To discover whether the construction method works on Mars, the museum’s walls will be 3D printed using the sand from the nearby desert. Now, if they would only add some living quarters for the general public to experience life on Mars without leaving Earth, life would be perfect.

1. What can we conclude about the United Arab Emirates?

A．It is short of fine weather.

B．It is a nice place for launching.

C．It can provide adequate fuel supply.

D．It has the greatest architects in the world.

2. What will scientists do in the laboratories?

A．Educate visitors on trips to Mars.

B．Develop the Mars settlers’ imagination.

C．Find ways to produce food, water and energy on Mars.

D．Create a climate-controlled environment for future use.

3. Why will the museum’s walls be 3D printed?

A．To show famous space techniques.

B．To make full use of the nearby desert.

C．To inspire children to love exploration.

D．To test building skills used by Mars settlers.

4. What’s the best title for the text?

A．UAE to Build Mars Science City

B．UAE’s Great Exploration of Mars

C．UAE to Build First Mars Settlement

D．UAE’s Scientistific Contribution to Humans

【推荐3】More than great drinks, great rewards

Enjoy all the benefits and more with your membership to our Loyalty Program!

Whenever you pay with your membership account, you’ll earn a Star.

Collect more Stars, earn more rewards.

Three ways to join us

Buy a Starbucks Card handy to create an account.

Track your Stars online or through the mobile app, and we’ll send an email when you’ve earned a reward.

You can also join from your phone.

Download the Starbucks? App.

One of the most exciting benefits of being a member is using our mobile app to: pay for purchases; view your Stars and rewards; access iTunes? Pick of the Week; see current offers.

Or you can join with specially marked coffee purchased at the grocery store.

Enter your Starcode (limit 2 per day).

Look for the Starcode symbol on specially marked Starbucks products where you buy groceries.

Three levels with increasingly greater rewards

To reach each level in our Loyalty Program, you need to collect more Stars. ( Remember, to earn a Star you must pay with a registered Starbucks Card. )

Welcome level

To earn your first rewards, just register a Starbucks Card.

Birthday drink or treat on us; birthday coupon (优惠券) for 15% off a purchase at StarbucksStore.com.

Green level

Collect 5 Stars within 12 months and you’ll be in the Green level.

What is included in the Welcome level plus

★Free in-store refills (续杯) on hot or iced brewed coffee or tea

Gold level

Collect 30 Stars within 12 months and you’re at the Gold level.

What is included in the Green, level plus

★A free food or drink item after another 12 Stars earned

★Personalized Gold Card

1. Which of the following is a way you can apply for membership?

A．To buy a Starbucks Card over the phone.

B．To update the Starbucks? App from the official website.

C．To buy a drink at a Starbucks on weekends.

D．To enter a Starcode from specially marked Starbucks products.

2. With a Starbucks Card of Green level, you will get ________.

A．a free cake	B．personalized Green Card
C．free in-store refills	D．all purchases 15% off

3. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．For Welcome leverl , you can buy Starbucks products at a discount of 15% at the grocery store.

B．With the Starbucks@App, you can view current offers.

C．You can enter your Starcode three times a day.

D．To earn a Star, you must pay by credit card.