【推荐1】

A new and exciting invention now allows deaf people to see conversations in real time. Using augmented reality (AR) glasses and a smartphone, deaf and hearing-impaired (听力受损的) people are also able to join in everyday conversations.

The AR glasses were developed by Dan Scarfe after he had Christmas dinner with his family. The man saw his 97-year-old hearing-impaired grandfather sitting alone in silence while the rest of the family were talking excitedly. The images of his grandfather always watching TV shows with subtitles (字幕) crossed Scarfe’s mind. He suddenly realized that maybe the AR glasses could help.

Scarfe got to work, partnering with Nreal, an AR glasses maker. Six months later, a new pair of AR glasses came out. The glasses have a microphone that receives the audio (音频) from the environment and sends it to a connected smartphone. The phone then creates subtitles from that audio. By special software, these subtitles then appear on the user’s glasses screen.

The company first tested the glasses in the UK. The UK was chosen as a testing ground as over 12 million adults in Britain have hearing loss. However, when the product goes global, it could change the lives of some 430 million people. This represents 5% of the world’s population and includes 70 million people with total hearing loss.

This is a game changer for the deaf. Mark Atkinson, who is using the AR glasses, says, “As a deaf person myself, I am blown away by this new technology. When I tried on the glasses for the first time, I was so surprised. Real-time subtitles made me become part of the conversation as never before.”

1. According to the text, people use AR glasses to ________.

A．play games

B．watch TV shows

C．join in conversations

2. Why did Dan Scarfe want to develop the AR glasses?

A．Because he got to work with the AR glasses makers.

B．Because his family members asked him to make them.

C．Because he wanted to help people like his grandfather.

3. The underlined word “it” refers to ________.

A．the audio

B．the microphone

C．the environment

4. What can we infer (推断) from the text?

A．AR glasses will have more functions in the future.

B．AR glasses may help more people with hearing difficulties.

C．AR glasses can make people hear the voice during communicating.

【推荐2】If you have problems describing people, don’t worry! We’ll use popular movie characters to help you learn some useful words.

Naive Meaning: If someone is naive, they have little experience and believe good things will always happen. Example: In the film Elf, Buddy is a naive person who grows up with elves(精灵). One day, he goes to New York City but finds things very different there. Director: David Berenbaum.	Loyal Meaning: If you’re loyal, you always help a person on a group and act honestly. Example: In the film Toy Story 3, Woody is loyal to his friends and owner, Andy. He stays with Andy, even when Andy grows up and goes to college. Director: John Lasseter
Demanding Meaning: If someone is demanding, he or she is not easily satisfied(满意) or pleased. Example: In the film The Devil Wears Prada. Miranda is very demanding. She works very hard, and expects others to do the same. And she’s always not satisfied with the things that others do. Director: David Frankel	Talented Meaning: If you’re talented, you have a natural ability(本能) to do something well. Example: In the film McFarland, USA, coach White finds some talented runners in his PE class. He forms a cross-country group that races against other schools. Director: Niki Caro

1. Who always gives hands to friends according to the films?

A．Buddy.

B．Woody.

C．Miranda.

2. Who’s the director of The Devil Wears Prada?

A．David Berenbaum.

B．Niki Caro.

C．David Frankel.

3. Which word is used to describe a person with a natural ability to do something well?

A．Naive.

B．Demanding.

C．Talented.

4. Which of the following statement is an opinion(观点)?

A．One day, Buddy goes to New York City but finds things very different there.

B．In the film The Devil Wears Prada, Miranda is very demanding.

C．Mr. White finds some talented runners in his PE class.

5. Which of the following can be the common topic of the four passages?

A．The useful words to describe people.

B．The interesting characters in films.

C．The new films this year.

【推荐3】The ancient Egyptians came up with a number of inventions. Some of their great inventions are as follows:

Papyrus(纸莎草纸)

As early as 3000 BC the ancient Egyptians developed a skill of making paper from the papyrus plant. The quality of papyrus is clear as it is still intact(完好无损) almost 5, 000 years after it was first written on. The process of making papyrus was kept a secret, for they could make more money by selling their papyrus all around the world.

Reed (芦苇) Pen

With the invention of papyrus to write on, it was necessary for the ancient Egyptians to find out how they would write on it. Reed pens were invented to meet the need. The pens have been found at several ancient Egyptian sites, showing how widely they were used during ancient times. Many of them date back to the 4th century BC.

Black Ink(墨水)

Of all the inventions by the ancient Egyptians, one of the greatest and most used was the invention of black ink. They mixed soot(油烟) with some vegetable material to make ink. These mixtures were of top quality, as some ancient Egyptian books—which were written as early as 3000 BC—are still clear enough to read.

Sundial(日晷) and Water Clock

The ancient Egyptians taught the world to tell time by inventing them. The sundial helped the early Egyptians to divide the day into morning and afternoon. The water clock was invented as early as 1417 BC, which allowed them to read time at night.

1. What do we know about papyrus?

A．Their quality was not good in the beginning.

B．The process of making them used to be a secret.

C．The ancient Egyptians sold them only in their country.

D．The ancient Egyptians spent lots of money inventing them.

2. What does the underlined word “them” refer to?

A．Reed pens.	B．Papyrus plants.
C．Ancient Egyptian sites.	D．The ancient Egyptians.

3. Black ink was used by the ancient Egyptians at least as early as __________.

A．5000 BC

B．3000 BC

C．1417 BC

D．400 BC

4. About the sundial, the writer tells us __________.

A．when it was invented	B．what it was used for
C．who invented it	D．how it worked

5. This passage is probably taken from a __________.

A．diary

B．novel

C．dictionary

D．magazine

【推荐3】Traveling in the United Kingdom without a plan costs more money and sometimes gets you into trouble.     1     With them, travelers can not only save money, but also find transport (交通), food and places to sleep every night in the U. K.

Book (预定) your hotel

If you travel in England during the tourist season, finding a hotel room can be very difficult. Cheap rooms are booked up mostly on weekends. What’s worse, even the cheapest beds are expensive. The prices of some hotels in London increase by 20% to 50% on weekends.     2    

Plan your transport well

    3     On the one hand, the U. K. train is really costly. On the other hand, buses offer bottom seats if you book in advance (提前), as low as just one pound between cities! Other bus tickets are around 10 pounds. However, a similar train ride costs about 60 pounds.

    4    

Nearly all hotels have kitchens, and they often have enough food. With that in mind, you can cook your own dinner at least a few times a week. Buy some fruit, yogurt and bread in the nearest shop and a simple but tasty breakfast will be perfectly prepared. You can even make sandwiches for lunch.

Carry an umbrella or a rain jacket

You may think it is not necessary but the United Kingdom is really wet.     5     In the U.K., rain has no holidays all year round. So travelers need a rain cover for their bags and the person. Bus stops are often not covered.

A．Cook meals for yourself

B．Make a plan for your food

C．It is even wetter than you expect.

D．Though trains are faster, buses are great ways in England.

E．Saving a few pounds every day makes you stay longer in the U.K.

F．Here are four pieces of advice for travelers.

G．So the only way you can find a cheap hotel to sleep in is to book before you travel.