People worry that developments in Artificial Intelligence, or A.I., will bring about a point in history when A. I. overtakes human intelligence, leading to an unimaginable revolution in human affairs. Or they wonder whether instead of our controlling artificial intelligence, it will control us.
The situation may not arise for hundreds of years to come, but this doesn’t mean we have nothing to worry about. On the contrary, The A. I. products that now exist are improving faster than most people realize and promise to fundamentally transform our world, not always for the better. They are only tools, not a competing form of intelligence. But they will reshape what work means and how wealth is created.
Unlike the Industrial Revolution and the Computer Revolution, the A. I. revolution is not taking certain jobs and replacing them with other jobs. Instead, it is believed to cause a wide - scale elimination of jobs -- mostly lower - paying jobs, but some higher - paying ones, too.
This transformation will result in enormous profits for the companies that develop A.I., as well as for the companies that adopt it. We are thus facing two developments that do not sit easily together; enormous wealth concentrated in relatively few hands and enormous numbers of people out of work. What is to be done?
Part of the answer will involve educating or retraining people in tasks A.I. tools aren’t good at. Artificial intelligence is poorly suited for jobs involving creativity, planning and “cross - field” thinking. But these skills are typically required by high - paying jobs that may be hard to retrain displaced workers to do. More promising are lower - paying jobs involving the “people skills” that A.I. lacks: social workers, barmen, doormen -- professions requiring human interaction. But how many barmen does a society really need?
The solution to the problem of mass unemployment will involve “service jobs of love.” These are jobs that A. I. cannot do, that society needs and that give people a sense of purpose. Examples include accompanying an older person to visit a doctor, helping at an orphanage and serving as a sponsor at charity organization. The volunteer service jobs of today, in other words, may turn into the real jobs of the future.
Other volunteer jobs may be higher - paying and professional, such as compassionate medial service providers. In all cases, people will be able to choose to work fewer hours than they do now.
1. In what aspect is theA.I. revolution different from the Industrial or the Computer revolution? A. The A.I. revolution will finally become one beyond human’s control. |
B.A. I. is believed to lead to a point in history when it takes over human intelligence. |
C.Higher - paying jobs will take the place of lower-paying ones in the A.I. revolution. |
D.It may bring about mass unemployment to matter how much employees are paid. |
A.promotional | B.demanding |
C.guaranteed | D.potential |
A.It is sensible to encourage people to take volunteer jobs. |
B.People should be instructed to do less demanding jobs. |
C.The problem of job loss can be solved by creating lower-paying jobs. |
D.Jobs requiring knowledge in different fields are suitable for displaced workers. |
A.The A.I. Revolution Creates New Job Opportunities. |
B.Challenges the A. I. Revolution Brings to Job Market. |
C.A Double - edged Sword: the A.I. Revolution. |
D.Interrelationship between A.I. and Unemployment. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】The pandemic has given a big push to all forms of digital communication. A workplace dominated by time on screens may seem bound to favor newer, faster and more visual ways of transmitting information. But an old form of communication — writing — is also flourishing (蓬勃).
The value of writing is highly valued in management thinking. “The discipline of writing something down is the first step towards making it happen, ” said Lee Iacocca, a giant of the American car industry. Jeff Bezos banned slides from meetings of senior Amazon executives (主管) back in 2004, in favor of well-structured memos (备忘录).
The move to remote working has strengthened the value of writing. When tasks are being handed off to colleagues in other locations, comprehensive documentation is crucial. When new employees start work on something, they want the back story. When old hands depart an organization, they should leave knowledge behind.
Software developers have already worked out the value of the written words. A research programme from Google into the ingredients of successful technology projects found that teams with high quality documentation deliver software faster and more reliably. Gitlab, a code hosting platform whose workforce is wholly remote, describes its secret of success as “textual communication”.
The deep thought and the discipline required by writing are helpful in other contexts, too. “Brain writing“ is a brain storming technique, used by Slack among others, in which participants are given time to put down their ideas before discussion begins.
Writing is not always the best way to communicate in the workplace. Video is more memorable; a phone call is quicker; even PowerPoint has its place. But for the structured thought it demands, and the ease with which it can be shared and edited, the written words are made for remote work and will flourish in the post-pandemic workplace.
1. Why are Lee Iacocca and Jeff Bezos mentioned in paragraph 2?A.To support an idea. |
B.To introduce a topic. |
C.To draw a conclusion. |
D.To make a comment. |
A.The tasks are handed over quickly by telephone. |
B.An expert colleague gives an experience-sharing lecture. |
C.The new comer broadens his company knowledge through the Internet. |
D.A code hosting platform succeeds mainly by textual communication. |
A.Doubtful. |
B.Objective. |
C.Grateful. |
D.Humorous. |
A.A phone call or a letter? Think twice |
B.Video conference will fade away in new situations |
C.Writing will flourish in the post-pandemic workplace |
D.Digital information or written messages? It depends |
【推荐2】
Take Off with Historic Hiring Growth
A message from Kate Gebo
Welcome aboard!
We are so happy to have you fly with us. I’m sure you’ve thought about United as a way to travel, and with over 95,000 employees and growing, our company is also the center for rewarding careers.
I could not be prouder to lead Human Resources at United during this exciting time for our company, while we’re building the biggest and best airline in the history of aviation. Earlier this year, we announced that we are on track to hire at least 15,000 new employees by the end of this year.
When people think of career opportunities at United, they often think of being a pilot or flight attendant. In reality, our organization has a wide variety of roles in addition to our fantastic pilots and flight attendants, with jobs and functions to keep our airports running and our planes flying.
Whether it’s for operational roles, such as ramp service employees, customer service representatives, and aircraft technicians, or for corporate roles in human resources, digital technology, and social media, we’re hiring across every function of the airline, seeking strong talent that will take us to new heights.
A role at United is not just a job; it’s a career. Many of our employees have taken on new roles in different departments throughout their tenure (聘用期), which we support to develop and invest in our workforce. In the past seven years, more than 1,500 frontline employees were promoted to management roles, and 78 % of our senior leaders were promoted internally.
Beyond the traditional career paths, we’re proud to create new paths to help our talent pipelines fulfill some of the industry’s most critical job functions. Aviate, our pilot career development program, offers aspiring and established pilots a path to the United flight deck. Calibrate is our full-time, paid apprenticeship program for those wanting to go into aircraft maintenance and other technical operational roles. Our newly launched Innovate program helps provide the skills and experiences needed to succeed in a technology career at United.
We’re hiring from coast to coast, at our seven major hubs and across a broad range of positions. If you’re ready to join me and 95,000 of the industry’s best and brightest at United, I encourage you to visit careers.united.com today to see what opportunities await you. Your career is cleared for takeoff.
United with you,
Kate Gebo
Executive Vice President,
Human Resources and Labor Relations
1. What is the main purpose of this passage?A.Guarantee to provide first-class customer service. |
B.Promote frontline employees to management roles. |
C.Introduce jobs available in some departments of United. |
D.Advertise for United to enroll pilots and flight attendants. |
A.Visit careers.united.com, and you can see positions available. |
B.Employees at United can change their jobs with interest. |
C.Employees have to keep their positions throughout their tenure. |
D.The United is making efforts to be the biggest and best airline. |
A.The full-time, paid apprenticeship program. | B.The traditional United career path. |
C.The newly launched Innovate program. | D.The new paths for talent pipelines. |
【推荐3】People often imagine that a knowledge of languages is sufficient to make an interpreter. Of course it is a prerequisite, as are two hands to a professional boxer. But just as the fact of having two hands does not make a boxer, so the knowledge of different languages, be they many or few, does not make an interpreter. It is only an instrument which you must learn how to use in a particular way — for which you may or may not be gifted.
The basic qualities required of the interpreter are not exceptionally rare, but their combination is very uncommon. They are:
(1) A capacity for being passively receptive, i.e. for drinking in readily and without any personal reaction all that may be said by the speaker.
(2) The type of quick-wittedness which makes for prompt and effective repartee (妙语), interpretation being a sort of mental game of tennis.
(3) A good memory, because all the tricks of the trade are intended only to make up for its deficiencies. Two things are expected of the interpreter’s memory: first, that it should store up an exceptionally large vocabulary in the related languages and supply instantly the required word or phrase; second, that it should retain for a very brief period(seldom more than one hour) a picture as full, detailed, and accurate as possible of what has just been said after which the interpreter will be well advised to wash his mind clear of most of what he has memorized. In this latter function, the interpreter’s memory is therefore the reverse of the comedian’s. Whereas the actor has ample time to learn his part, gradually, and methodically, and is then expected to remember it over a long period and repeat it on a succession (连续) of occasions, the interpreter must wholly commit to his memory fleeting thoughts and words as they fly past, and then bring them back to mind only once, a very short while later.
The work of the translator and that of the interpreter are fundamentally different and can hardly be combined. Very rare indeed are people who can do both. The reason for this is clear: the translator can or should search at leisure for the accurate term, as well as effort to express himself in the best possible grammar and style; he may re-write the same paragraph ten times or more, improving it each time; he may consult all dictionaries and reference books, and ask for help and advice. The interpreter, on the other hand, is given hardly any time to think, can consult neither books nor friends, and must “put across”, immediately and as accurately as possible, whatever the speaker wishes to convey. But he may express nuances (微妙) by varying the tone of his voice, he may paraphrase when he does not find the exact word, he may repeat, correct or add to what he has just said, if he sees that he was not properly understood. These are in reality two contrary techniques.
1. Interpretation is similar to playing tennis in that both need _________.A.two hands | B.quick response |
C.mental fitness | D.good muscle memory |
A.memorize all that is said and remember it for a long time |
B.memorize the important part of what is said and remember it for a long time |
C.memorize for a short period all that is said and then forget about it |
D.memorize all that is said gradually and completely |
A.It is not necessary for the interpreter to possess all the basic qualities. |
B.It is uncommon for the interpreter to possess all the basic qualities. |
C.Certain qualities are more important than the others. |
D.Only two of the qualities are actually required. |
A.The qualities required of a translator are basically opposite what is required of an interpreter. |
B.Being an interpreter is more stressful because an interpreter cannot take back what has been said. |
C.Putting effort into combing the qualities of a translator and an interpreter can enhance their performance. |
D.The qualities of a translator are easier to obtain than those of an interpreter. |
【推荐1】What defines an eco-house? There are two features to take into consideration. Firstly, the energy efficiency and carbon emissions associated with running the house, and then the type of construction materials used, their associated emissions and the raw materials required.
At Baufritz, we have won awards relating to the sustainability of our houses. This is because as a company we had decided to put environmental stewardship at the core of our values way back in the 1960s. So how do we do it?
Heating is the biggest emissions factor for any house. It is really rather simple to solve this problem — make a house extremely energy efficient and this will no longer be a factor. Ultra low energy houses have become known as Passive houses, where a certain set of design characteristics help to improve efficiencies. You need a very high level of insulation in the walls and roof. Glass should be suitably positioned to optimize solar gaintucmrr (heat from the sun). The house needs to be very well engineered so no heat is lost through cracks or poorly fitted windows and doors. At Baufritz we manufacture Kit houses, and use Modern Manufacturing Methods in our factory to engineer our houses in such a way that leaks are minimized.
We have also developed “HOIZ” insulation. Manufactured from natural wood waste products, HOIZ is placed between the inside and outside layers of our timber framed houses to create the highest level of insulation. Our windows and doors use triple glazing to minimize heat loss. Overheating is one of the biggest challenges Passive houses face and our architects use some very clever ventilation systems to manage internal environmental conditions. All houses still have energy-consuming appliances, but with the addition of solar for both electricity generation and water heating, the carbon footprint of the homes we produce are further reduced.
Embedded carbon in building manufacturing materials such as concrete, as well as a historic tendency to send materials to landfills, results in a high carbon footprint and natural resource exploitation. Baufritz addresses this problem in a number of ways. Our primary manufacturing material is wood. We source from sustainable certified forests where felled trees are replanted. In fact, we believe all building materials should be as natural as possible. We say no to PU construction foams, chemical insulation materials, toxic adhesives and laminate flooring. A house constructed using only natural materials creates a healthy living environment for its residents. As all our houses are manufactured in our state-of-the-art factory, waste is kept to an absolute minimum. At the end of their life-cycle, our houses can also be recycled. Today, demolition(拆除)firms clearing the site for the new build are able to recycle nearly all of the building materials, therefore closing the manufacturing loop.
My house is old, so why is this relevant? There are still lots of things which can be done. Improve your insulation. When your appliances expire, replace based on efficiency. Consider heat pumps instead of gas boilers and explore solar to deliver electricity and water heating. By designing and building houses to ultra low energy standards, and by using natural sustainably sourced materials and recycling the waste products from our manufacturing processes, we are able to deliver Carbon Neutral Houses. This means that the total carbon footprint throughout the life-cycle of each house is zero, which is why we call ourselves eco-house pioneers. All houses are prefabricated at our state-of-the-art factory in Erkheim, Germany, and then assembled on site.
1. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT associated with the sustainability of eco-houses?A.The raw materials used. |
B.Energy efficiency of the house. |
C.Carbon emissions released by house designers. |
D.Construction materials used and their emissions. |
A.fail to optimize solar gain |
B.need to be carefully engineered to trap heat |
C.use more energy-consuming appliances than Kit houses |
D.could have less comfortable environmental conditions inside them |
A.House recycling is an additional service provided free by Baufritz. |
B.Building materials are obtained from factories to ensure their quality. |
C.Man-made materials are applied to reduce their impact on the environment. |
D.The houses are all manufactured in their factory so as to reduce costs and waste. |
A.argue for the necessity of eco-houses |
B.advertise Baufritz, an eco-house builder |
C.explain the underlying values of eco-houses |
D.expand people’s knowledge of what eco-houses are |
【推荐2】Parallel worlds exist and interact with our world, say physicists.
Quantum mechanics (量子力学), though firmly tested, is so weird and anti-intuitive that physicist Richard Feynman once remarked, “I think I can safely say nobody understands quantum mechanics.” Attempts to explain some of the bizarre (奇异的) consequences of quantum theory have led to some mind-bending ideas, such as the Copenhagen interpretation and the many-worlds interpretation.
Now there’s a new theory on the block, called the “many interacting worlds” hypothesis (假设) (MIW), and the idea is just as profound as it sounds. The theory suggests not only parallel worlds exist, but that they interact with our world on the quantum level and are thus detectable. Though still speculative (推测的), the theory may help to finally explain some of the bizarre consequences inherent in quantum mechanics.
The theory is a spinoff of the many-worlds interpretation in quantum mechanics—an assumption that all possible alternative histories and futures are real, each representing an actual, though parallel, world. One problem with the many-worlds interpretation, however, has been that it is fundamentally untestable, since observations can only be made in our world. Happenings in these proposed “parallel” worlds can thus only be imagined.
MIW, however, says otherwise. It suggests that parallel worlds can interact on the quantum level, and in fact that they do.
“The idea of parallel universes in quantum mechanics has been around since 1957,” explained Howard Wiseman, a physicist at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia, and one of the physicists to come up with MIW. “In the well-known ‘Many-Worlds Interpretation’, each universe branches into a bunch of new universes every time a quantum measurement is made. All possibilities are therefore realized — in some universes the dinosaur-killing asteroid (小行星) missed Earth. In others, Australia was colonized by the Portuguese.”
“But critics question the reality of these other universes, since they do not influence our universe at all,” he added. “On this score, our ‘Many Interacting Worlds’ approach is completely different, as its name implies.”
Wiseman and colleagues have proposed that there exists “a universal force of repulsion between ‘nearby’(i.e. similar) worlds, which tends to make them more dissimilar.” Quantum effects can be explained by factoring in this force, they propose.
When asked about whether their theory might imply that humans could someday interact with other worlds, Wiseman said: “It’s not part of our theory. But the idea of human interactions with other universes is no longer pure fantasy.”
What might your life look like if you made different choices? Maybe one day you'll be able to look into one of these alternative worlds and find out.
1. According to Paragraph 1-2, which of the following statements is true about quantum mechanics?A.It's been tested that no one in the world knows what quantum mechanics is. |
B.The theory of quantum mechanics is intuition(直觉)based. |
C.Quantum theories should be interpreted in many different ways. |
D.Quantum mechanics is valid and based on profound research. |
A.MIW develops from quantum mechanics |
B.MIW suggests the interaction can be detected |
C.The previous one is based on profound foundation |
D.The previous one proves that MIW is imagined |
A.the origin of these parallel universes |
B.the foundation of these universes |
C.the reality of these other universes |
D.the ways of how these parallel universes interact |
A.someday humans may live in different universes in one lifetime |
B.humans may make different choices simultaneously (同时地) and live in different universes |
C.humans may live again from the beginning if they regret their life in this universe |
D.life would be more unexpected, but all you expect may be true in other universes |
【推荐3】They have beaten us at chess, and now computers are taking a step into a very human territory: the reading comprehension test, which schoolchildren everywhere are suffering.
Alibaba said its artificial research outperformed mere mortals (凡人) in a global reading test that seeks answers to such pressing questions as “what was Nikola Tesla’s ethnicity?” and “how big is the Amazon rainforest?”
Luo Si referred to the machines' victory as “a milestone”. He said the technology has many uses, from customer service to museum tutorials to medical enquires-some of which are already being handled by chatbots (聊天机器人) globally.
In the test, companies subjected their artificial intelligence systems to queries from the Stanford Question Answering Dataset, which assessed reading comprehension. The computers' answers were compared against average human responses and ranked.
Tying in top place were Microsoft, the US software giant, and Alibaba, the Chinese tech group that began with ecommerce and--like its peers at home and abroad---is ploughing more funds into AI, much of it via its research arm.
While Microsoft and Alibaba won by the slimmest of margins---at accuracy levels a few basis points above humans’ 82.3 per cent in providing exact matches to questions--the tie provided a fitting symbol of the AI arms race between the US and China.
China aims to use its vast troves (宝库)of data, collected from its 1.4 billion population including 730 million who are online, and deep pockets to overtake the US in creating a $150 billion industry that is seen as the next industrial revolution. AI is already being harnessed in everything from driverless cars to customising newsfeeds.
While China’s drive is being spearheaded by government, it is cultivating homegrown tech giants including Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent to leap ahead of the US.
Baidu made an early bet on AI, and is leading its rivals in autonomous driving. Tencent, which boasts just shy of 1 billion monthly active users on its social media WeChat app, and Alibaba have adopted AI in operations such as customizing news and ads, and are investing in new fields.
1. What does Luo Si think of Al’s performance in reading comprehension?A.He feels frightened at it. |
B.He has some doubts about it. |
C.He thinks highly of it. |
D.He considers it worth a try. |
A.By allowing them to interact with humans. |
B.By asking them to answer questions. |
C.By giving them questions to analyze. |
D.By making them compete with chatbots. |
A.The new industrial revolution. |
B.The huge market of $150 billion industry investment. |
C.Massive data from its 1.4 billion population and huge amounts of treasure. |
D.The cooperation between Chinese government and Microsoft. |
A.The medical enquires. |
B.The customer service. |
C.Customer news feeds. |
D.The driverless cars. |
【推荐1】Adam Ryan, 31, has worked at Target in Christiansburg, Virginia, for three years. “I have to live with my family because I can’t afford rent on my own. I don’t have health insurance. Target has told me I don’t qualify for their benefits because I don’t get enough hours,” said Ryan, who is also an organizer with Target Workers Unite, an independent initiative of Target workers. He makes $13 an hour, the hourly minimum wage at Target since June 2022, which is scheduled to increase to $15 an hour by the end of 2023.
But Ryan and several other Target workers say Target is cutting their schedules and doubling their workload as it increases minimum wage under its ‘modernization plan’ to increase efficiency. They think that broader influences in the retail sector (零售业) are responsible for their difficulty – especially, the actions of their hard-charging rival Amazon.
“They’re responding to what Amazon is doing,” Ryan added. “They are trying to turn these stores into their own distribution centers, using brick-and-mortar stores (实体店). We have to be warehouse workers and customer service workers.”
Target Workers Unite recently released a survey of more than 500 Target workers around the US, representing 382 different stores in 44 states. Only 12.7% of the workers who responded said they could survive on the wages from Target alone, with 56% of workers citing they have ran out of food while employed at Target, and 12.8% of workers reported experiencing homelessness.
The survey also provides some insight into Target’s opposition to workers organizing. Many workers surveyed report they have been scolded by management for discussing workplace issues in the store or on social media.
As Target workers report struggling to make ends meet while experiencing cuts to their schedules, loss of benefits, and increased workloads, Target reported record share prices (股价) at the end of 2022, consistently beating predictions of sales and profits in 2022 and finding a balance between physical stores and digital commerce. The retail chain is ranked the eighth-largest retail corporation in the US based on sales. Target is preparing for the arguments against the workers’ survey’s finding and claims from workers over working conditions and schedule cuts.
1. What can we know from the modernization plan of Target?A.It has not received widespread support from employees. |
B.It means less work hours which can benefit both parties. |
C.Only a few employees can be laid off when it is in effect. |
D.New employees suffer more for lack of much experience. |
A.Half workers could not find enough food to live on. |
B.Workers’ living conditions were actually not optimistic. |
C.Target workers began to realize that they had been cheated. |
D.It was inhuman to make some employees transfer their positions. |
A.Target tried to struggle for their workers’ benefits and welfare. |
B.Target conducted the modernization plan, but failed in the end. |
C.Target raised much money to cope with workers’ financial problems. |
D.Target raised wages, but with less working hours and more workload. |
A.Target drops the plan because of workers’ claims. |
B.Details of how Target defends itself are presented. |
C.The writer explains why Target achieved a success. |
D.Amazon encounters similar problems from workers. |
【推荐2】Plastics have been found from the top of Mount Qomolangma to newly-formed beaches in Hawaii. The amount of plastic in our environment is shocking. What can we do about it? I’m inspired by Kate Nelson, who has lived without using single-use plastic for over ten years. Kate is also the founder of Sea the Mermaids, an organization focusing on stopping human-sourced ocean pollution through education and community action.
She recently wrote an inspiring and practical guidebook I Quit Plastics: and you can too, which is full of information and tips on how to cook, clean, shop, wear and live plastic-free. Upon first opening, you will see a recipe for Cashew Cheese that looks amazing! Not only does this book provide many delicious recipes, but also explores interesting problems about plastic pollution.
For example, Kate explores the problems about plastics and social justice, including plastic privilege(特权). She points out that wealthier countries, such as the USA, export their plastic waste to Southeast Asia, but many of these countries cannot process their own waste. In addition, most of the affordable food, though processed and unhealthy, is heavily packaged in plastic. People that live in “food deserts” in cities and depend on corner stores have no choice when it comes to avoiding plastics. Kate writes in the book, “Not everyone will have bulk (散装) food stores or farmers’ markets near where they live.”
Kate’s writing is easy to read without sounding preachy (说教的). Her explanations and reasoning are clear. From food to beauty to cleaning, Kate’s practical recipes and tips make it easy for everyone to reduce their chances of using single-use plastic. She develops effective strategies that others can easily adopt and offers clear steps to help people improve on the plastic quifting journey.
1. Why does the author talk about plastic in the first paragraph?A.To lead to the topic. | B.To share an experience. |
C.To doubt serious pollution. | D.To explain plastic pollution. |
A.Famous persons. | B.The latest news. |
C.Classic music. | D.Reusable shopping bags. |
A.They eat too much unhealthy food. |
B.They can’t afford to buy enough food. |
C.They can’t avoid plastic-packaged food. |
D.They prefer bulk food to packaged food. |
A.An environment report. | B.A book review. |
C.An author’s introduction. | D.A scientific research. |
【推荐3】The green movement is catching on in many pockets of the world. This is especially true in the construction industry. Today's buzz words, which include global warming and zero emissions(排放), are causing everyday people to look for ways to reduce their carbon footprint. Purchasing an environmentally-friendly home is a good investment for those who care about their own health and the well-being of our planet. Based on this trend, entire districts, known as eco-communities, are being designed with the concept of green in mind. One of these communities is Dockside Green in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Its goal is to become the world's first zero-emission neighborhood.
Dockside Green is a mostly self-sufficient community along the harbor front of Victoria, the capital city of British Columbia. The community is home to around 2,500 people and it includes a variety of environmental features, some of which can't be found anywhere else.
The planners and builders of Dockside Green have the environment in mind with every choice they make. They ensure proper ventilation (通风) and guarantee residents clean air indoors. Building materials, such as paints and wood, are natural and green.
Energy efficiency is attached great importance to in eco-communities like Dockside Green. Not only do energy-efficient appliances reduce the environmental impact of heating, cooking and lighting, they also save residents money. Dockside Green claims that home owners use 55% less energy than the average Canadian.
Eco-communities also take the future into account by recycling waste and reducing carbon emissions. At Dockside Green, waste water is treated and reused on-site for flushing toilets, and a gas plant changes waste wood into a renewable form of gas for hot water systems, stoves and gas heaters. The community also reduces carbon emissions by using local suppliers for all their transport and maintenance(维修) needs, and residents are encouraged to join the community's car share program.
1. Who are likely to buy an environmentally-friendly home?A.People interested in investment. | B.Those looking for carbon footprint. |
C.Those concerned about their health. | D.People caring about their community. |
A.an eco- community with over 2,500 people | B.a good investment for planners and builders |
C.the world’s first zero-emission neighborhood | D.a self-sufficient community in British Columbia |
A.Recycling waste and reducing carbon emissions | B.Encouraging people to join the car share program |
C.Calling on people to reduce their carbon footprint | D.Equipping people with energy-efficient appliances |
A.Climate scientists. | B.Natural gas companies. |
C.Coal mining investors. | D.Architects and interior designers. |
【推荐1】People may set an alarm on the phone or clock that sounds like this: beep beep beep. That hard, unpleasant sound may be making it harder to shake off the sleepy feeling in the morning known as grogginess. So, is there a better way to wake up? A recent study says yes. The answer is music.
The study, carried out by researchers in Australia, involved 50 people. The researchers found that people who wake up to musical alarms reported feeling more awake and alert. Stuart McFarlane, a lead writer of the study stated, “We are very surprised by these findings as one might expect a harsh beeping sound to be more successful,” at waking up a person.
Sleep inertia is another term for grogginess. It means a person has a heavy feeling when waking up, and has trouble getting moving again after sleeping. McFarlane said people need to better understand sleep inertia’s harmful effects on human performance later in the day.
Not everyone will experience the full effect. But for those who do, “care should be taken” when performing duties that require a top performance within this period, he said. This includes “dangerous tasks like driving or riding our bikes” shortly after waking up. The same is true for people who work in dangerous situations shortly after they wake, including firefighters and pilots.
So, what makes musical alarms better for waking up? The researchers think the music may be more successful in reducing sleep inertia because it has several tones, compared to the single tone of a “beeping” alarm. McFarlane said that the changes over time between the music tones may help increase a person’s attention when waking from sleep.
And is there a kind of music that is best to wake up to? There may be, McFarlane said. “We could suggest alarm sounds that are tune full and easy to hum or sing along with. The current sounds I have been using include ‘Close to me’ by the Cure and ‘Borderline’ by Madonna.”
No matter how you wake up, experts say, the amount of sleep you get also matters a lot.
1. Which of the following might be the best title for the text?A.What is grogginess? | B.Why are musical alarms better? |
C.Which music is the best? | D.How can we overcome grogginess? |
A.Sleep inertia is another cause for grogginess. |
B.How long a person sleeps is of great importance. |
C.The ‘beeping’ alarm is not effective mainly because of its noisy tone. |
D.It is dangerous for everyone to effective mainly because of its noisy tone. |
A.example of good musical alarms |
B.more finding of the application of music |
C.explanations about why music is more helpful |
D.suggestions on how to sleep well and feel fresh each morning |
A.Health. | B.Fiction. | C.Technology. | D.Entertainment. |
【推荐2】At 12, my father decided to take me on a trip to France. I had never been out of the country before, so I was very excited. My aunt, my father and I went around with my father showing us all the unbelievable sites in Paris. None of us spoke much French but we loved the city.
We had taken the subway all over the city and were congratulating ourselves on our mastering what is honestly an excellent subway design that is pretty easy to follow. We decided visit Versailles by train. We chatted happily along the way until my father realized we were into the French countryside and no one around spoke English.
We reached the end of the line and felt afraid when everyone finally left the train. An old man and his grandchild noticed us and came to help. He spoke no English, so in broken French we tried to explain. When he finally understood, this great man settled his grandson and showed us to the correct train and then boarded with us.
Later we knew the truth that there was a train transfer (转乘) and he didn't want us to miss it.
This kind man rode a train for an hour and a half out of his way to make sure that three Americans got where they wanted to be. He refused to let us pay for his ticket. He did it all with a gentle smile and patted our hands gently at the stop. Then in his quiet way, he boarded the train to return the way he had come.
What impressed me most was the man and his kindness during the amazing trip. Some Americans think the French are rude for some reason, but I always try to persuade them to change their minds with this very story.
1. What happened to the author and his family on the train?A.They missed their stop. |
B.They lost their packages. |
C.They couldn't find the right line. |
D.They argued over the nest destination. |
A.By paying for their train tickets. |
B.By showing them the returning way. |
C.By inviting them to travel together. |
D.By leading them to their place. |
A.Travelling enriches one's life. |
B.Being kind is a good manner. |
C.Seeing is believing. |
D.Helping others brings great pleasure. |
【推荐3】It is natural that young people are often uncomfortable(不自在) when they are with their parents. They say that their parents don’t understand them. They often think that their parents are out of touch with modern ways; that they are too serious and too strict with their children; and that they seldom give their children a free hand.
It is true that parents often find it difficult to win their children’s trust and they tend to forget how they themselves felt when young. They show that they have grown up and they can face any difficult situation. Older people worry more easily. Most of them plan things ahead, at least in the back of their minds, and do not like their plans to be upset(扰乱) by something unexpected.
When you want your parents to let you do something, you will have better success if you ask before you really start doing it.
Young people often make their parents angry with their choices in clothes, in entertainment and in music. But they do not mean to cause any trouble; it is just that they feel cut off from the older people’s world, into which they have not yet been accepted. That’s why young people want to make a new culture(文化) of their own. And if their parents do not like their music or entertainment or clothes or their way of speech, this will make the young people extremely happy.
Sometimes you are so proud of yourself that you do not want your parents to say “yes” to what you do. All you want is to be left alone and do what you like. It is natural enough, after being a child for so many years, when you were completely under your parents’ control.
If you plan to control your life, you’d better win your parents over and try to get them to understand you. If your parents see that you have a high sense of responsibility(责任), they will certainly give you the right to do what you want to do.
1. This article is particularly written for_____ .A.parents | B.both parents and their children |
C.young people | D.teachers |
A.ask for advice before they really start to do anything |
B.do things without thinking carefully ahead |
C.be very strict with themselves |
D.think in the same way as their parents do |
A.they want to show they have grown up |
B.they do not want to get into trouble |
C.they feel they are cleverer than the older people |
D.they don’t feel they belong to the world of the older people |
A.do everything according to his own wish |
B.do everything the way his parents do |
C.do everything under his parents’ control |
D.do everything with a high sense of responsibility |