There is an old joke among pilots that says the ideal flight crew is a computer, a pilot and a dog. The computer's job is to fly the plane. The pilot is there to feed the dog. And the dog's job is to bite the pilot if he tries to touch the computer.
Handling complex tasks to computers is not new. But recent progress in machine learning, a subfield of artificial intelligence (AI), has enabled computers to handle many problems which were previously beyond them. The result has been an AI boom, with computers moving into everything from medical diagnosis and insurance to self-driving cars.
There is a problem, though. Machine learning works by giving computers the ability to train themselves, which adapts their programming to the task at hand. People struggle to understand exactly how those self-written programs do what they do. When algorithms（运算法）are doing small tasks, such as playing chess or recommending a film to watch, this “black box” problem can be safely ignored. When they are deciding who gets a loan, or how to drive a car through a crowded city, it is potentially harmful. And when things go wrong, then customers, regulators（调控者）and the courts will want to know why.
For some people this is a reason to hold back AI. France's digital-economy minister, Mounir Mabjoubi, has said that the government should not use any algorithm whose decisions cannot be explained. But that is an overreaction. The difficulties caused by clever computers are not unheard of. Society already has plenty of experience dealing with problematic black boxes; the most common are called human beings, who can't even figure out what's going on in a brain. In response to the weakness in humans, society has evolved a series of workable coping mechanisms（应对机制）, called laws, rules and regulations. Many of these can be applied to machines as well.
Humans have worked with computers on complex tasks for decades. One lesson from such applications is that, wherever possible, people should supervise（监督）the machines. In that joke, pilots are necessary in case something happens that is beyond the scope of artificial intelligence. As computers spread, companies and governments should ensure the first line of defence is a real person who can overrule the algorithms if necessary.
AI is bound to suffer some troubles. But it also promises extraordinary benefits and the difficulties it poses are not unprecedented（无先例的）. If the new black boxes prove tricky, there will be time to toughen the rules.
1. Why is the joke mentioned in Paragraph 1?| A．To make people laugh. |
| B．To predict future airplane industry. |
| C．To introduce the latest model of airplanes. |
| D．To raise people's awareness of computers performing complex tasks. |
| A．The shortage of labor force. | B．The rise of artificial intelligence. |
| C．The encouragement of governments. | D．The development of economy |
| A．Black boxes always go wrong |
| B．AI may become too smart to be controlled by human beings. |
| C．They don't understand how AI works. |
| D．Computers are trying to replace human beings. |
| A．Stop panic and welcome AI. | B．Reduce the usage of algorithms. |
| C．Supervise AI wherever possible. | D．Deal with the "black box” problem. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Indifferent. | C．Pessimistic. | D．Neutral. |
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STOCKHOLM, Oct. 7—The 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry went to two scientists for their discovery on genome editing（基因组编辑）, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences（瑞典皇家科学院）announced on Wednesday.
The prize went to Emmanuelle Charpentier in the Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens in Germany and Jennifer A. Doudna from the University of Califomia, Berkeley “for the development of a way for genome editing,” according to the news from the academy.
The two scientists have discovered one of gene technology’s greatest tools: the CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors（剪刀）. Using these, researchers can change the DNA of animals, plants and microorganisms（微生物）clearly, and moreover, it is now possible to change the code（编码）of life over the course of a few weeks, said the release.
“There is huge power in this genetic tool, which affects us all. It has not only improved basic science, but also resulted in innovative（创新的）crops and will lead to better new medical treatments,” said Claes Gustafsson, chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry.
Since Charpenticr and Doudna discovered the CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors in 2012, the tool has contributed（贡献）to many important discoveries in basic research, and plant researchers have been able to develop good crops.
1. Who got the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry?| A．Emmanuelle Charpentier and Max Planck Unit. |
| B．Jennifer A. Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier. |
| C．Claes Gustafsson and Emmanuelle Charpentier. |
| D．Claes Gustafsson and Jennifer A. Doudna |
| A．Technology’s sharpest tools. | B．New medical treatments. |
| C．CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors. | D．Microorganisms. |
| A．Emmanuelle Charpentier is from California. | B．There is a little power in this genetic tool. |
| C．The genetic tool can only affect animals and plants. | D．Plant researchers can make crops grow better. |
| A．On a cartoon magazine. | B．On an advertisement. |
| C．In a newspaper. | D．In a novel. |
【推荐2】A research team from China’s Northwest University is developing facial recognition (面部识别) technology to identify (识别) thousands of Sichuan golden monkeys that live in Qinling Mountains in Shanxi Province.
Similar to human facial recognition, the technology that is used to identify monkeys uses their facial features to create a database (数据库) that includes every monkey.
“When the system is fully developed, we can connect it with cameras set up in the mountains. The system will automatically (自动地) recognize the monkeys, name them and analyze (分析) their behaviour,” said Zhang He, a member of the research team.
“For each monkey, we have 700 to 800 image samples, and the rate of successful recognition is 94 percent,” Zhang added.
Compared with facial recognition technology for humans, facial recognition technology for monkeys is more complicated because monkeys have hairier faces. The color of their hair causes them to get mixed up in their environment. These make it harder for computers to do the job.
“The wild environment is complicated, and golden monkeys do not cooperate with the process in the same way humans do. It is difficult to take high-quality pictures and videos of them, which are needed to improve the system,” said Li Baoguo, leader of the research team.
Currently, there are about 4,000 golden monkeys living in Qinling Mountains. They are typical animals that live in the forest at an altitude of 1,500 meters to 3,300 meters all the year round. The team’s goal is to successfully identify every monkey that lives there.
1. Which of the following is TRUE about facial recognition technology for monkey?| A．It was developed by China’s Northeast University. |
| B．It is completely different from human facial recognition. |
| C．It needs to be connected to cameras to work. |
| D．It only requires analyzing 700 to 800 pictures of every monkey. |
| A．easy | B．difficult | C．useful | D．practical |
①image samples ②hairy faces ③hair color ④the environment
| A．②③ | B．①④ | C．①② | D．③④ |
| A．has already been fully developed | B．has a high rate of successful recognition |
| C．is similar to human facial recognition | D．needs high-quality pictures to improve |
| A．A scientific study of monkeys in Qinling Mountain. |
| B．The use of facial recognition technology for studying monkeys. |
| C．The difficulties of using facial recognition technology for monkeys. |
| D．Different ways to identify monkeys in Qinling Mountain. |
H. G. Wells could only imagine the travel to the moon. In 1969, human beings really did land on the moon. People today know that there are no underground cities on the moon. However, the question that the "moon people" asked is still an interesting one. A growing number of scientists are seriously thinking about it.
Underground systems (体系) are already in place. Many cities have underground car parks. In some cities, such as Tokyo, Seoul and Montreal, there are large underground shopping areas. The "Chunnel", a tunnel connecting England and France, is now completed.
But what about underground cities? Japan's Taisei Corporation is designing a network of underground systems, called "Alice Cities". The designers imagine using surface space for public parks and using underground space for flats, offices, shopping and so on. A solar dome (太阳能穹顶) would cover the whole city.
Supporters of underground development say that building down rather than building up is a
good way to use the earth's space. The surface, they say, can be used for farms, parks, gardens, and wilderness. H. G. Wells's "moon people" would agree. Would you?
1. The explorers in H. G. Wells's story were surprised to find that the "moon people"
__________________.
| A．knew so much about the Earth | B．understood their language |
| C．lived in so many underground cities | D．were ahead of them in space technology |
| A．Discovering the moon's inner space. | B．Using the Earth's inner space. |
| C．Meeting the "moon people" again. | D．Travelling to outer space. |
| A．Offices, shopping areas, power stations. | B．Tunnels, car parks, shopping areas. |
| C．Gardens, car parks, power stations. | D．Tunnels, gardens, offices. |
| A．H. G. Wells travelled to the moon in 1901. |
| B．People today know there are a lot of "moon people" and underground cities. |
| C．In 1969, human beings landed on the moon. |
| D．Scientists are seriously thinking about how to use the moon. |
| A．Alice Cities--Cities of the Future | B．Space Travel with H. G. Wells |
| C．Enjoy Living Underground | D．Building Down, Not Up |
【推荐1】According to a recent survey in the US, teenagers are heavily influenced by the media(媒体) these days. Many of them use thousands of hours of smartphones. That is more time than they spend with teachers at school. And we have not yet considered the hours they spend watching TV and reading newspapers.
However, several studies have shown a serious problem: today’s teenagers don’t have media literacy(素养). In other words, they have difficulty critically(批判性的) thinking about the information they see. One study that was done on middle school students showed that more than 80 percent of them couldn’t tell the difference between real stories and ads that looked like news.
Professor Kevin John teaches a class called Media Effects. He tries to help his students learn media literacy. The professor gave an example that shows why media literacy is important. In the example, two news stations report a snowstorm. One pays attention to the terrible road conditions.
The other focuses(关注) on kids playing in the snow. “With a news story, news stations tell you what they feel are the important details(细节). These details mostly depend on the opinions of the news director.” said John. “A person who has media literacy would realize that each story is about one side at this time. There is more going on.”
Some experts think school is the best place to teach media literacy. Others believe everyone—from parents to reporters—should help teenagers learn the skills.
As for the best time to start learning media literacy, many experts suggest the age of 12. But some basic ideas can be taught even earlier. “It’s never too early to start learning media literacy.” John said.
1. What can we learn from Paragraph One?| A．Teenagers now spend more time using smartphones than studying at school. | B．Teenagers usually make a lot of difference to the media these days. | C．Teenagers nowadays have no interest in reading newspapers. |
| A．They have different media literacy. | B．They could not tell serious stories. | C．They could hardly think critically. |
| A．show the important of media literacy | B．report the influence of a snowstorm | C．introduce the information of a class |
| A．坚持 | B．发生 | C．前进 |
| A．media effects | B．media literacy | C．news stories |
【推荐2】Some people think only school children do not agree with their parents, however, it is not true.
Communication is a problem for parents and children of all ages. If it’s hard for you to communicate with your parents, don’t worry about it. Here is some advice for you to bridge the generation gap (代沟).
Don’t argue (争辩) with your parents. Don’t get to your parents when you are angry. Your parents probably won’t consider your ideas if you are shouting at them. And you can’t express (表达) yourself well if you are angry. Firstly keep calm. Then make sure you understand why you are unhappy. Next think about what you want to say to them. If you don’t want to talk with them face to face, try writing a letter.
Try to reach a compromise (和解). Perhaps you and your parents disagree on something. You can keep your opinions to yourself and try to accept each other. Michael’s mother didn’t agree with him about buying a toy. They argued about it. But She finally agreed with him. Michael bought the toy, but only played it on certain days.
Of course, your parents might disagree with you on something. In these situations, it is especially important to show love and respect (尊敬) to them. It will help keep your relationship strong.
Talk about your values. The values of your parents are probably different from yours. Tell your parents what you care about, and why. Understanding your values might help them see your purposes in life.
A good relationship with your parents can make you a better and happier person. It is a pleasure to have a try!
1. How many pieces of advice does the writer give us to keep a good relationship with our parents?| A．2. | B．3. |
| C．4. | D．5. |
| A．parents and teachers |
| B．teachers and their students |
| C．parents and children of all ages |
| D．only school kids and their parents |
| A．建立 | B．通过 | C．消除 | D．到达 |
| A．argue with them |
| B．keep away from them |
| C．reach an agreement with them |
| D．talk about your values to them |
| A．How to be good parents | B．How to be a good child |
| C．How to bridge the generation gap | D．How to deal with family problems |
【推荐3】As people use computers to store information, are they remembering less? If you know your computer will save information, why do you store it in your own personal memory, your brain? Experts(专家) are wondering if the Internet is changing what we remember and how.
In a recent study, Professor Betsy Sparrow did some experiments（实验）. She and her research team wanted to know how the Internet is changing memory. In the first experiment, they gave people 40 unimportant facts to type into a computer. The first group of people understood that the computer would save the information. The second group understood that the computer would not save it. Later, the second group remembered the information better. People in the first group knew they could find the information again, so they did not try to remember it.
In another experiment, the researchers gave people facts to remember, and told them where to find the information on the Internet. The information was in a computer folder. Surprisingly, people later remember the folder location better than the facts. When people use the Internet, they do not remember the information. However, they remember how to find it. This is called "transactive memory (交互记忆)".
According to Sparrow, we are not becoming people with poor memories as a result of the Internet. Instead, computer users are developing stronger transactive memories; that is, people are learning how to organize much information so that they are able to find it later. This doesn't mean we are becoming either more or less intelligent, but there is no doubt that the way we use memory is changing.
1. In Paragraph 1, the passage begins with two questions in order to ______.| A．introduce the main topic | B．show the writer's opinion |
| C．describe how to use the Internet | D．teach how to store information |
| A．They wondered if people could store information in the brain. |
| B．They wanted to know how the Internet is changing memory. |
| C．They gave people facts to remember. |
| D．They helped people become more intelligent. |
| A．Sparrow typed the information into a computer herself. |
| B．Both of the two groups remembered the information well. |
| C．The first group did not try to remember the information. |
| D．The second group did not understand the information. |
| A．keep the information in mind | B．change the information the computer |
| C．organize information like a computer | D．remember how to find the information |
| A．lazy | B．free | C．clever | D．lucky |
In a hurry to swim in the cool water, he ran out of the back door, leaving behind his shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not noticing (注意到)
that in the middle of the lake, a crocodile (鳄鱼) was swimming to the bank. His mother in the house saw the two as they got closer and closer. She quickly ran to the lake, shouting to her son as loudly as she could.
Hearing her voice, the little boy swam quickly to his mother, but he was too slow. Just as he reached her, the crocodile reached him, too.
The mother caught her little boy by the arms just as the crocodile caught his legs. There was a tug of war (拔河) between the two. The crocodile was much stronger than the mother, but the mother didn’t give up. A farmer happened to drive by. He heard her shouts, and then tried his best to kill the crocodile.
After spending weeks in the hospital, the little boy felt well. His legs were scarred (留下疤痕) by the animal and on his arms there were deep scars, too. His mother’s hands had deeper scars because she wouldn’t let go.
The newspaper reporter interviewed the boy. He asked the boy if he would show him his scars. The boy said to the reporter proudly, “Look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms. I have them because my mom wouldn’t let go.”
1. The little boy when he heard his mother’s shouts.
| A．swam to the middle of the lake |
| B．quickly ran toward the water |
| C．ran out of the back door of his house |
| D．swam quickly towards his mother |
| A．The boy. | B．A farmer. |
| C．The boy’s mother. | D．The boy’s father. |
| A．legs and hands | B．hands and arms |
| C．legs and arms | D．face and hands |
| A．The scars of love | B．In a hot summer |
| C．A scary crocodile | D．A dangero |
【推荐2】I am a karate（空手道）player. I still remember my first karate competition. Like other players，I was very excited about my event. I watched every player's techniques（技巧）so that I could carefully avoid their moves.
Somehow I got into the semifinals（半决赛）.In the semifinals，I got injured. I still didn’t give up and got into final. After all，getting the gold medal was my dream.
In the final competition，there were no supporters on my sides，as I was a new face. Instead，the crowd was cheering for my competitor. I could hear only my competitor's name.
I ignored the crowd's cheering. I kept one thing in mind: focus，wait and attack. I had confidence in myself，and I knew that no matter how strong my competitor was，I had to do my best and fight well.
When the time was up，I was leading with a 3-0 score. One thing I learned from that event is，no matter how strong your competitor is，don't think you are weak or strong. Just give your best shot，and you will make your way to success.
Win or lose，you will learn from every step you take.
1. The writer felt _______ when he took part in his first karate competition.| A．disappointed | B．excited | C．nervous | D．scared |
| A．was injured | B．gave up fighting | C．was beaten | D．got the gold medal |
| A．Good preparation | B．Having a dream | C．Self-confidence | D．All of the above |
| A．how we can do well in a competition |
| B．what is the fast way to get a gold medal in a competition |
| C．it's useful to study techniques before a competition |
| D．it's important to learn something and get experiences from what you do |
| Mc Donald’s If you are busy and want to have a quick lunch, you can go to the Mc Donald’s. You can also take it home to eat. Hamburger: $1.5 each French fries: $ 1 each bag Fried chicken leg: $ 2 each (on weekdays) $1.5 each (on weekends) Telephone: 7645321 | Cici Dessert House After dinner, would you like some dessert? Please come to Cici Dessert House. The dessert is great. And also you can enjoy music here. Strawberry ice cream: 7 RMB each Orange juice: 5 RMB each glass Green tea: 10 RMB each cup Telephone: 3678905 |
| Jiahe Dumpling House Do you like eating dumplings? Please come to Jiahe Dumpling House. There are different kinds of dumplings and they are really nice. Beef and onion dumplings: 10 yuan for 20. Chicken and tomato dumplings: 10 yuan for 30. Telephone: 3227228 | Lanzhou Noodle Room In China, many people like noodles for lunch. In our room, you can eat two kinds of noodles. Chicken and cabbage noodles: 10 yuan for a small bowl and 16 yuan for a large bowl Egg and tomato noodles: 8 yuan for a small bowl and 12 yuan for a large bowl Telephone: 4876590 |
1. How much is each fried chicken leg on Saturday?
| A．$2.5. | B．$2. |
| C．$1.5. | D．$3 |
| A．Two. | B．Three. |
| C．Four. | D．Five |
| A．¥10. | B．¥16. | C．¥20 | D．¥25 |
【推荐1】We are fascinated with ourselves. We study our history, our psychology, our philosophy. Much of our knowledge revolves around humankind itself, as if we were the most important thing in the universe.
But in the course of the centuries we have come to realize just how many wrong ideas we’ve had. We have learned of the existence of black holes, waves of space, and of the extraordinary molecular structures in every cell of our bodies.
The more we discover, the more we understand that what we don’t yet know is greater than what we know. The more powerful our telescopes, the stranger and more unexpected are the heavens we see. The closer we look at the minute detail of matter, the more we discover of its profound structure.
In a famous story told by Plato in the seventh book of The Republic, some men are chained at the bottom of a dark cave and see only shadows cast upon a wall by a fire behind them. They think that this is reality. One of them frees himself, leaves the cave and discovers the light of the sun and the wider world. At first the light, to which his eyes are unaccustomed, stuns and confuses him. But eventually he can see and returns excitedly to his companions to tell them what he has seen. They find it hard to believe.
We are all in the depths of a cave, chained by our ignorance, our prejudices, and our weak senses reveal only shadows. If we try to see further, we are confused: we are unaccustomed. But we try. This is science. Scientific thinking explores and redraws the world, gradually offering us better and better images of it, teaching us to think in ever more effective ways. Its strength is its capacity to demolish（推翻）old ideas, to reveal new regions of reality, and to construct new, more effective images of the world. This adventure rests upon the entirety of past knowledge, but at its heart is change.
The incompleteness and the uncertainty of our knowledge, hung over the abyss（深渊）of what we don’t know, does not make life meaningless: it makes it interesting and precious.
1. What does the author want to tell us in the first three paragraphs?| A．The new discoveries of the universe prove to be wrong. |
| B．Man has created splendid cultures in the course of centuries. |
| C．Our knowledge of the universe is incomplete and uncertain. |
| D．The existing technologies are enough for further exploration. |
| A．make us aware of the cruelty of reality |
| B．encourage us to explore the unknown world |
| C．applaud the heroic deeds of chasing freedom |
| D．justify our ignorance and prejudice about the world |
| A．Exploring the universe makes our life meaningful. |
| B．Leaving things as they are makes our life perfect. |
| C．New discoveries of the universe will cause confusion. |
| D．Past knowledge prevents us constructing a new world. |
【推荐2】Life has gone mostly for many people around the world. With more people going online during the COVID-19 pandemic (疫情), global (全球的) internet traffic has become a big problem. Between January and late March, a quarter of major cities around the world experienced an increase in internet traffic.
Video meetings, online classrooms, online shopping and other stay-at-home activities have become a lifeline to the outside world. This increase in traffic is testing the internet’s strength. In March, major phone networks in the UK experienced mass out outages(断供). People were not able to take calls, receive texts or use mobile data.
In the US, major telecommunication (电信) companies like AT&T said traffic was up 21% month over month. Video streaming services like YouTube, Netflix and Facebook have cut their picture qualities (质量) and download speeds. This is being done to reduce network traffic jams.
China has seen an internet traffic increase of around 50% compared to the end of 2019. The country’s network speeds went down in early February. However, they returned to normal soon afterwards and have been working well. That’s because China is developing 5G networks. By the end of February, 164,000 5G base stations had been built across China. This has given Chinese networks the power to withstand (经受住) increased traffic, China Daily said.
“If there were no such development in the internet network field, people could hardly enjoy such a colorful life at home. Online working and teaching could never be realized so smoothly (顺畅地),” Wen Ku, an official with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, told Xinhua News.
1. What problem is mentioned in the passage?| A．5G networks can’t work well. |
| B．There are serious traffic jams on the road. |
| C．Many people hardly go out during the pandemic. |
| D．There is more internet traffic because of the pandemic. |
| A．21%. | B．25%. | C．50%. | D．75%. |
| A．The US had the heaviest network traffic in March. |
| B．Many people couldn’t use phone networks in the UK in March. |
| C．YouTube and Netflix users couldn’t watch videos. |
| D．China’s network speeds went down in March. |
| A．Positive. | B．Unclear. | C．Negative. | D．Worried. |
If you arrange the 26 English letters alphabetically(按字母表的顺序)and use numbers to represent each of them, for example, 1 for a, 2 for b, 3 for c…, you can change an English word into a number. So hard-work becomes 8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11="98," meaning 98 is its mark; knowledge: 11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5="96," while love :12+15+22+5="54," and luck : 12+21+3+11="47," a small mark. None of these words can give one a full mark. What about money or prayer(祈祷)? They can’t , either.
Then what else? Don’t be worried. You can always find an answer to a problem in your life, when you change your way of looking at things or doing things, or your attitude(态度).Yes, attitude is the word. See for yourself: attitude:1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5=100，a full mark.
Different attitudes lead to different courses of life. Most times people hope for a better life. It is possible that one will have a change for the betterr after one has changed one’s attitude.
When you change your manner and became friendly towards others, you’ll meet more smiling faces towards you.In the same way, if you take a positive(积极地)attitude towards failure(失败),you’ll find it’s also rewarding though it has caused you losses.
1. In the writer’s opinion , what is the most important things in a person’s life?
| A．Hard-work. | B．Knowledge. | C．Money. | D．Attitude. |
| A．ask for helpf from others | B．say your prayers to God |
| C．change your attitude | D．try maths-solving methods |
| A．diffrent attitudes come from different courses of life. |
| B．mathematics can solve every problem easily in our daily life |
| C．failure sometimes can bring you good if you take a positive attitude |
| D．none of the English words except “attitude” equals to 100 or more |
