Do you ever feel no one really understands you? Well, “Pepper”, a robot could change all that. Pepper is the first robot to read human’s feelings. Using its emotional recognition (情感识别) functions, Pepper can react (反应) to people when it is close to them—making jokes, dancing and even singing in Japanese.
The man-like robot looks like a small girl. It is four-feet tall with a table computer set to its chest (胸膛). It has human-like hands, a girl-like body and baby-like voice. It was shown to curious (好奇的) people in Tokyo stores on Friday by Softbank, a Japanese robotics company.
Pepper can examine face expressions, human voice and signs, then make an answer. Pepper is designed to be a family robot, but it isn’t like Rosie who can do housework on the cartoon. Pepper is used at home or in the store, where we provide fun and entertainment (娱乐).
Pepper gets power from love inside a family. Not only is he making jokes, making them laugh, also it helps people when they are in trouble. In a natural accident, it can help make those people who are sad or lonely feel relaxed, encourage them or make them laugh.
Pepper was on sale in Japan for around $2,000 in February, 2015. For now, several Peppers are at Softbank stores in Tokyo for people to visit. The creators say before selling Peppers, they want the robots to store more knowledge, so it can get along better with humans.
1. Where was Pepper shown to curious people on Friday?2. What kind of robot is Rosie?
3. How much did a Pepper cost in 2015?
4. Do you think you’ll have your own robots at home in the future? Why? Write more than 30 words.
What is adolescence (青春期)? When does it start? It starts when you are aged between about ten and thirteen. Here are some changes about you during adolescence. You may not want to spend as much time with your parents as you used to. You want to do more things on your own. In the past, your parents made decisions for you. But now you want to decide for yourself and don’t want to be told what to do.
All these changes are completely normal, but they will influence your relationship with your parents. So what can you do to make it better?
Firstly, your parents will feel much better if you let them know that you still love them. Remember that they don’t have the small child you used to be. They may not say so, but they probably feel something is missing. So try to show your love to them from time to time.
Secondly, try to agree to rules. You may feel these rules are not necessary, but your parents just want to make sure you stay safe. Once you agree to the rules, try to follow them.
Thirdly, try to understand why they feel upset about your behavior. Do your parents get angry when you spend three hours talking with friends and leave your homework till the last minute? That’s probably because they want you to do well at school.
Finally, it’s all about communication! Keep talking to your parents, tell them about what you did today, let them know where you are going, and ask for advice if you need.
1. When does adolescence usually start?2. What does the writer think of the changes during adolescence?
3. How many suggestions does the writer give us to have a better relationship with parents during adolescence?
4. Which suggestion is the most helpful to you? Why? Write 30 words or more
When you’re a teenager, it seems that every time you say “I want to …”, someone answers “No, you can’t”. Also, no part of your life is safe from the prying (窥视的) eyes of your parents.
A 15-year-old girl, Debbie says, “My dad always wants to know where I am, and what time I’m going to be home.”
Most parents do that. Do they have to know everything? They should give us more freedom. Young people further complain that their parents do not respect them. When something goes wrong, more parents just don't believe in their children. Without asking why, they think their kids are wrong. And not many parents allow their kids to choose for themselves. Yes, it is true that your parents sometimes treat you like a little child. But remember that not too long ago you were really a child. Your parents still remember those childish mistakes that you used to make. They want to protect you though you do not want them to do so.
So, if you want to get more freedom, please try to understand your parents and do not lie to them. Try a more friendly way. If you want them to allow you to stay out late, don't just say, “All the other kids can stay out late.” Tell them as much as you can about what you want to do and where you'll be and why it's important for you to stay out late. Then they might just say “yes”.
1. Who always wants to know where Debbie is?2. What do young people want to get from their parents?
3. What do young people further complain according to the passage?
4. If your parents don’t allow you to play with your friends outside on weekend, what should you do? Write 30 words or more.
The undersea world is very beautiful. Now more and more people want to dive in the water to find the secrets there. Scuba diving is a new sport today. It can take you into a wonderful undersea world.
You will find many strange animals in the sea. Some are as large as a school bus. Many sea animals give out light in the dark and some have sharp teeth.
During the day, there is enough light. Here, under the sea, everything is blue and green.
When fish swim nearby, you can catch them with your hands. When you have bottles of air on your back, you can stay in deep water for a long time. However, you can’t dive too deep. And you must be very careful when you dive in deep water.
The deep sea is not an easy place to live in. It’s cold, and it’s dark, too. The deeper it is, the less sunlight there is. At about 3,000 feet, there is no light at all. It is very dark in the sea. Many fishes have no eyes. Some have big eyes. A few have eyes on one side.
Besides the cold and the darkness, deep-sea animals face a third danger—other animals.
Animals eat! They must find food to eat. Many animals eat plants. However, some animals eat meat. This means these sea animals have two big jobs. They need to find animals as food, and they have to try not to become other animals’ meal.
1. Why do people want to dive in the sea?| A．They want to catch fish. |
| B．They want to find the secrets of the undersea world. |
| C．The sea is deep. |
| D．There are all kinds of plants in the sea. |
| A．Everything is cold. | B．Everything looks beautiful. |
| C．Everything is dark. | D．Everything is blue and green. |
| A．We can stay in deep water for a long time. |
| B．We can dive very, very deep. |
| C．We can live in deep water easily. |
| D．We can dive freely without any dangers. |
| A．Enough food. | B．Bottles of water. | C．A pair of glasses. | D．Bottles of air. |
| A．One animal finds something to eat, and it may be eaten by others. |
| B．At the depth of 3,000 feet under the sea, many animals can find their way by hearing and feeling. |
| C．The deeper the sea is, the darker and colder it is. |
| D．At the depth 3,000 feet under the sea, all animals can find their way by seeing. |
“May we all blessed with longevity. Though miles apart, we are still able to share the beauty of the moon together (但愿人长久，千里共婵娟)”, wrote Su Shi, a poet during the Song Dynasty, in his well-known poem to his younger brother Su Zhe.
The moon is at its brightest on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar (阴历). On this day, people celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival. It has been enjoying great popularity all over the country.
In ancient China, that day was a harvest (收获) festival because crops (庄稼) were harvested during that period. It was a time for relaxation and celebration.
Just like Thanksgiving in Western countries, families also try to get together for the Mid-Autumn Festival in China. Usually, no matter how far away or how busy they are, people will try to return home for the celebration.
The Mid-Autumn has its own special food just as other traditional Chinese holidays. People eat moon cakes with fillings such as sugar and eggs. The round shape of the cake makes it look like the full moon. The full moon and moon cakes stand for family reunion (团聚).
With the beautiful moon up in the sky, people sit together, enjoy the full moon, eat moon cakes and fruits, share the stories, and express the best wishes for the family members and friends who live far away.
1. Who did Su Shi write the poem to in Paragraph One?2. Why was the Mid-Autumn Festival a harvest festival in ancient China?
3. Do Thanksgiving and the Mid-Autumn Festival have anything in common?
4. What other traditional Chinese festivals do you like? List one of them and tell the reason. (Write 30 words or more)
6 . Being outgoing is good for your life. Those more outgoing people like to meet lots of interesting people and have more fun in life. In fact, being outgoing is not so hard as you think. Even the shy people can be outgoing.
You can start becoming outgoing with your best friend or a group of friends. But the real challenge (挑战) comes when you meet strange (陌生的) people or new friends. Smile more, and usually they will return (回报) your smile. In this way, you may have some talks.
Start a talk. Just a simple “Hello” or “How is it going” is a good start. If you want to make interesting talks, you should read the news and prepare (准备) your views. Surf the Internet for new information and then keep that in mind.
The easiest way to become more outgoing is to go out. This is also the most important step. Go to a park, beach, club, party or any other place that you think can be fun, and you may make new friends there.
1. Is being outgoing good for your life?2. When does the real challenge come if you want to become outgoing?
3. How can you start a talk with a stranger?
4. What is the easiest way to become more outgoing?
5. What’s the passage mainly about?
7 . We spoke to three students from around the world about different national holidays. There are different customs for each festival.
| Xiaodong, 15, Hong Kong | “It’ll soon be the Chinese New Year. Before it, we’ll clean the house and decorate it for good luck. Every shop is going to close for a few days and we’ll go out a lot to celebrate on the streets. We might go and see the lion and dragon dances in the city center. I love this festival.” |
| Wendy, 16, Sydney | “Australia Day is on 26th January and it’s an important holiday here. We always have a Monday off, so we celebrate for three days. My parents and I go to the countryside for a picnic and friends always come over. Many people go to beach parties or street parties and there is quite a lot of music and dancing. What fun!” |
| Amy, 14, New York | “The first Thanksgiving was celebrated hundreds of years ago when Europeans who came to America thanked God for his help. It’s still a very important day for families to be together. This year we’re going to visit my grandparents and we’ll eat a delicious meal of turkey. Thanksgiving Day is on the 4th Thursday in November every year.” |
1. How many festivals are mentioned in the passage?
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
| A．do a lot of shopping | B．eat turkey | C．go to beach parties | D．see lion and dragon dances |
| A．have a meal in the countryside | B．go to a swimming pool |
| C．have a party at school | D．clean the house and dance |
| A．A country. | B．A festival. | C．A kind of food. | D．A kind of drink |
Do you still remember the cultural TV show National Treasure hosted by Zhang Guoli on China Central TV? As a cultural show, this program is to show the background stories about some national treasures. The treasures in the show are presented by national treasure keepers who tell their stories with the collections in a special way. Today, I’ll introduce two treasures to you.
| Name | Sword of Goujian (越王勾践剑) | Tiger﹣Shaped Tally (杜虎符) |
| Material | Bronze (青铜) | Bronze |
| When it was made | The Spring and Autumn Period (770﹣476 BC) | The Warring States Period (475﹣221 BC) |
| Length | 55. 7cm | 9. 5cm |
| Width | 4. 6cm | |
| Height | 4. 4cm | |
| Weight | 875g | |
| When and where it was discovered | 1965, Jiangling, Hubei Province | 1975, Shenjiaqiao in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province |
| Museum | Hubei Provincial Museum | Shaanxi History Museum |
| National treasure keeper | Duan Yihong | Liu Yijun |
| A．CCTV | B．Shaanxi TV | C．Hubei TV | D．Hunan TV |
| A．steel (钢) | B．bronze | C．gold (金) | D．silver (银) |
| A．shorter than | B．the same as | C．longer than | D．half of |
| A．30 | B．40 | C．50 | D．60 |
| A．Wang Kai | B．Liu Yijun | C．Zhang Guoli | D．Duan Yihong |
9 . Spring Festival is one of the most important traditional festival s in China. It comes on the first day of the first Lunar month. It is the day for family reunion（团圆）. Here are some folk customs（习俗）for the Spring Festival.
One custom is putting up red couplets（对联）on the doors. And you can see Chinese “fu” on the doors and the windows, too. Both of them show the best wishes to the life for the new year. People also set off fireworks on Spring Festival eve in the yard. It is said that people in the past wanted to send the monster “Nian” away by doing it.
In north of China, duplings are necessary. They are really delicious. People think the more dumplings you eat on Spring Festival, the more money you will have in the new year. And the shape of dumplings is just like the ingots（元宝）, a form of currency made of gold and silver that was once used in China.
Although with the development of the society, some traditional customs for the Spring Festival have dissappeared, the festive atmosphere（年味）will not change.
1. When is the Spring Festival in China?2. What do people usually put up on the doors and windows for the Spring Festival?
3. Why do people eat dumplings on Spring Festival in north of China?
4. What do you usually do during the Spring Festival? How do you feel them? Please tell us. （At least 30 words）
10 . Cambridge, London and England
I come from Cambridge, a beautiful city in the east of England. It is on the River Cam and has a population of about 120,000. My home town is especially famous for its university. Many famous people studied here. There are lots of old buildings and churches to visit. Students and tourists enjoy trips along the river by boat.
Cambridge is 80 kilometres from London. London is in the south of England and it is on the River Thames. It has a population of about seven and a half million, so it is bigger and busier than Cambridge. It is about 2,000 years old, and it is famous for Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and Tower Bridge.
England itself is part of an island, and you are always near the sea. The small villages and beaches on the coast are popular for holidays. Tourists like the areas of low mountains and beautiful lakes in the north, and the hills and pretty villages in the south. Everywhere in England, you will notice how green the countryside is.
It is never very hot in summer or very cold in winter. So come and see England any time of the year, but bring an umbrella with you. You will need it most days.
1. Cambridge is _________ according to the text.| A．on the River’ Thames | B．in the east of England |
| C．in the south of England | D．far from the River Cam |
| A．Cambridge is much busier than London. |
| B．London is 800 kilometres from Cambridge. |
| C．Cambridge has more famous buildings than London. |
| D．There are much more people in London than in Cambridge. |
| A．the famous universities | B．the big mountains |
| C．the pretty villages | D．the beautiful lakes |
| A．It’s very hot in summer. | B．It’s very cold in winter. |
| C．It’s often snowy in winter. | D．It rains many days of the year. |
