1 . Super computers are very large classical computers with thousands of CPUs (中央处理器). They are so powerful that they can help scientists study big problems much easier, such as the origin (起源) of the universe.
But for some problems, even supercomputers seem too slow. So scientists are trying to make a new type of tool: quanturn (量子) computers.
In 2020, Chinese scientists created the world’s first light-based quanturn computer, called Jiuzhang. Compared with today’s best super computers, Jiuzhang can calculate (计算) 100,000 billion times faster. Now, there are an even faster one: Jiuzhang 2.0. It made a big breakthrough with a difficult math problem. It calculated an answer in just millisecond (毫秒), according to Xinhua. The fastest classical super computer would take 30 trillion (万亿) years to do that!
Why is there such a big difference? The secret is that quanturn computers work in a totally different way from classical ones. In classical computers, like our laptops, the information is stored as 0s and 1s. These are called “bits”. But quanturn computers use “quits” it (量子比特). They can be 0.1 or 0 and 1 at the same time — or anything in between!
This way, quanturn computers can receive information much faster. A classical computer’s calculation is like looking for a lost dog by searching one street after another, but quanturn computers can do it by searching lots of streets at the same time!
What can we do with it? Since the technology is still in its early stages, it’s hard to predict. “But it can improve our computing capabilities (能力) and help research in many fields, such as drug design and code breaking (密码破译),” team member Lu Chaoyang told the People’s Daily.
1. Compared to classical super computers, the quanturn computer, Jiuzhang ________.| A．is easier to make | B．calculate faster | C．never fails | D．is much smaller |
| A．休息 | B．毛病 | C．突破 | D．改变 |
| A．Because they work in different fields. | B．Because they work in different ways. |
| C．Because they are made of different materials. | D．Because they are made in different countries. |
| A．Jiuzhang 2.0 won’t be replaced. | B．Jiuzhang 2.0 hasn’t been put to use yet. |
| C．Jiuzhang 2.0 might not be useful in real life. | D．Jiuzhang 2.0 will help in many fields. |
| A．a newspaper | B．a guidebook | C．a letter | D．a notice |
2 . The successful people all have certain habits in their daily lives. These habits help them succeed. Maybe forming a new good habit is a struggle, but it is well worth the effort. Here are some steps you can follow to form good habits.
Set your goal. Before you begin to develop your new habit, it is important to think about your goal carefully. Think out exactly what you hope to achieve. And make sure that your goal isn’t too difficult to achieve in order to increase your chances of success.
Find the habit you want to have. Having good habits that are in line with the goals can improve your chances of achieving your goals. After you have set your goal and worked out all of achieving that goal, find a habit that is part of achieving that goal, and consider what good habit would help you achieve that goal.
Consider your motivation. You need to take some time to consider your motivation. Your motivation is the reason why you want to form this new habit. Good motivation can be the key between success and failure, so take your time to consider your motivation.
Give yourself time. Forming a new habit can take a long time. Some people can form a new habit in as little as a few weeks, while other people will spend several months. As you work to form your new habit, just keep in mind that it may be a while before it comes true. Try to be patient with yourself as you form your new habit.
1. How many steps can you follow to form good habits from the passage?| A．Four. | B．Three. | C．Five. | D．Two. |
| A．considering your motivation | B．finding the habit you want to form |
| C．thinking about your goal carefully | D．giving yourself time |
| A．困难 | B．动机 | C．权力 | D．想法 |
| A．The goal you set should be as easy as possible to achieve. |
| B．Having good habits can improve your chances of achieving your goals. |
| C．It’s unnecessary to take some time to consider your motivation. |
| D．Give yourself some time and be patient as you form a habit. |
| A．tell us how to be a successful person | B．tell us the importance of good habits |
| C．call on students to form good habits | D．tell us how to form good habits |
What is the world’s highest waterfall (瀑布)? Who is the oldest man in the world? To find out the answers, you can open Guinness Book of World Records (《吉尼斯世界纪录大全》). Guinness World Records (GWR) began to record the finest human achievements in 1954.
The main purpose of GWR was to solve arguments. “Many people will argue about things like ‘who is the tallest man’ or ‘who runs the fastest’,” HuffPost said. “Sometimes an argument, no matter how small the topic is, can lead to a fight, and that’s what Guinness was for.” Knowing “the biggest, the smallest, the fastest, the most and the least” also helps us understand our own position in the world.
However, GWR is about more than just amazing facts. Setting world records can make people feel satisfied. GWR can help people test their own limits (极限) and achieve something great.
More Chinese are taking on Guinness challenges now. Guinness World Records has even made a special set of records just for China. It is called China Pride. For example, the Xinhua Dictionary is the most popular dictionary in the world. Chinese artist Zheng Chunhui made the world’s longest wood carving (木雕). It’s 12.286 meters long.
How to apply for (申请) a world record? If you want to apply for a world record, first you should go to the official Guinness World Records website and complete an application form (申请表). Next, get an idea of the things you need to provide. For example, if you want to set the “longest marathon” record, you need to film your whole run. Then, hand in the things online. The GWR team will assess (评估) it. If you’re successful, you will get a certificate (证书) and become a record holder!
1. To solve some arguments is the main purpose of GWR.2. GWR is just about amazing facts.
3. The world’s longest wood carving is 12.268 meters long.
4. If you apply for a world record, you should hand in something online.
5. The passage mainly tells us something about GWR.
The Wonder Boy-Mozart | |
| Family name: Mozart | Given name: Wolfgang Amadeus |
| Birthday: Jan 27th, 1756 | Date of death: Dec 5th, 1791 |
| From: Salzburg, Austria | Job: composer |
| 1. At the age of three, he was able to play the piano by himself. | |
| 2. At the age of four, he started taking music lessons and his father taught him to play the piano. | |
| 3. At the age of five, he began to write music by himself. | |
| 4. At the age of seven, he began to play music for other people with his sister. | |
| 5. At the age of eight, he wrote some wonderful music. | |
| 6. At the age of eleven, he wrote his first opera. | |
Mozart was an amazing child, a born musician. | |
2. Mozart was 34 when he died on Dec. 5th, on 1791.
3. Father Mozart taught him to play the piano when he was four.
4. When Mozart was nine, he began to play music for other people.
5. Mozart wrote his first opera at the age of eleven.
5 . In Chinese tradition, it is said that getting a haircut during the first lunar month would cause one’s mother’s brothers to die. Although this is not true, some people still choose not to cut their hair during this time. They wait until Dragon Head-Raising Day（龙抬头）, the second day of the second lunar month, to get a haircut.
Nobody knows why haircuts have anything to do with one’s uncles. One popular theory（理论）says the tradition might have started during the early years of the Qing Dynasty（清朝）. At the time, as new rulers, the Manchu people forced the Han people to cut their hair in the Manchu style. Many Han people refused to do it. They decided not to cut their hair during the first lunar month, saying it was to “remember the former dynasty”, or in Chinese, “思旧”. Since “思旧” sounds very similar to “dead uncle”, there may have been a misunderstanding and thus the “no haircut” tradition.
Ancient（古代的）Chinese people thought that the human body, including one’s skin and hair, was naturally given by one’s parents and should not be changed. Therefore, they cherished their hair very much and considered cutting hair to be a great insult（侮辱）to one’s parents.
But this doesn’t mean they never took care of their hair. They would wash, comb and trim（修整）their hair and beards regularly.
1. Some Chinese people refuse to cut their hair during the first lunar month.2. According to one popular theory, the “no haircut” tradition started in Qing Dynasty.
3. During the early years of the Qing Dynasty, Manchu and Han people had the same hair style.
4. Ancient Chinese people didn’t cut their hair regularly.
5. The writer mainly talks about how Dragon Head-Raising Day started in this passage.
The first floating (漂浮的) city will be in French Polynesia. That’s an island in the South Pacific Ocean. Builders hope to finish much of it by 2022.
This floating city will be near French Polynesia’s shore. Its people will live by the laws of French Polynesia. Other floating cities might be built in the open ocean. These cities could create their own laws. The first floating city will be environmentally friendly. Its energy will be from the sun. People will drink recycled rain and seawater.
Floating cities will be safe from flooding. Built on platforms (平台), they will rise with the sea level. They could be moved, if needed. They would allow more people to live near the ocean. At the beginning, the first floating city will be the same size as a soccer field. Gradually, it will grow into a much larger city with homes, parks, schools, shops and restaurants in it. Would you like to live in a floating city?
1. There will be a floating city in French Polynesia.2. People in floating cities will live by the laws of French Polynesia.
3. The energy of the first floating city will be from the wind.
4. The floating cities could move up with the sea level.
5. At the beginning, you will find a soccer field in the first floating city.
7 . A long time ago, somebody gave Paris the name “City of Light”, and for years, artists have tried to put the light and colors of Paris into pictures.
The River Seine which winds through the center of Paris is a favorite scene because it’s a peaceful place in the heart of the busy city. Old men spend hours fishing from the banks of the river. They don’t catch many fish, but they don’t mind. They enjoy just being by the river. Many people spend hours walking along the river or relaxing under the old trees. It’s so pleasant to buy some cheese, some wine and a long loaf(条) of French bread and then have a picnic here on a sunny day. Sometimes you see an unusual sight, like a man padding a kayak(小艇) down the river. A bridge crosses the river to the Latin Quarter, which is the home of many artists and writers.
根据短文内容，正确（T），错误（F）。1. Because of its peace and beauty, Paris was named “City of Light.”
2. France is famous for the River Seine.
3. Old men want to go fishing along the river to spend their time.
4. In order to relax, all people spend much time walking along the River Seine.
5. A kayak is a kind of boat.
8 . Having a healthy eating habit is not only important to children but also to their parents. When parents have unhealthy eating habits, their children usually do, too. After all, children eat the same way as their parents. When parents eat healthy food, the children will learn to enjoy it, too. Then they’ll form good eating habits.
However, some parents aren’t clear about what kind of food is healthy and what kind of food isn’t helpful for their health. So, for these parents, they should learn more about healthy food.
The main food groups are these: fish and chicken, milk and juice, bread and rice, fruit and vegetables. The last group is fat and sugar. Doctors advise that parents should give their children the following healthier kinds of foods. They’re fish and chicken, milk and juice, bread and rice, fruit and vegetables.
In fact, knowing what to eat is very useful for people in life. We know that the food we eat affects（影响）us in different ways. For example, fruit and vegetables can really keep people away from many different diseases. Besides, animal fat can cause lots of diseases. We can change our eating habits now and enjoy a healthy life.
1. Parents’ eating habits are important to their children.2. Children had better not eat too much fat or sugar according to the passage.
3. Good eating habits develop only when we’re young.
4. People who eat more fruit and vegetables must live longer.
5. The passage mainly talks about the importance of a healthy eating habit.
9 . Computers help humans with a lot of things, from searching information to math. Now, they may be able to help us in more complex (复杂的) ways. Recent research has showed a new computer program that can recognize human emotions (情感) , simply based on how they type.
Researchers from the Islamic University of Technology in Bangladesh asked a group of people to type two paragraphs from Lewis Carroll’s novel Alice in Wonderland. The participants (参与者) then chose an emotional state they felt while typing. Moods tested were joy, fear, anger, sadness, disgust (反感) , shame and guilt (内疚).
Then the researchers put the text into the computer to study. Surprisingly, the computer was right 70 percent of the time in telling the participants’ emotional states. The most correct emotions it guessed correctly were joy (87 percent) and anger (81 percent). The least accurate emotion the computer guessed was sadness (60 percent).
However, the computer program is limited in what it can do. But scientists believe that it will help humans in the future.
“If we could build any system that is intelligent enough to communicate with humans that involved emotions... then using machines could be more effective and friendly,” the researchers wrote in study. For example, when looking for a movie online, perhaps a computer program could make suggestions for films that would match your mood.
And as the researchers said, this type of computer program could also help humans in a number of ways. First, with online teaching, emotionally intelligent computers could change its teaching style or content (内容) to help students learn better. Second, with online chatting, doctors could be able to tell the emotion of a patient.
1. What did the researchers ask the people to do?| A．To search information. | B．To work out math problems. |
| C．To make a computer program. | D．To type paragraphs from the novel. |
| A．Three. | B．Five. | C．Seven. | D．Nine. |
| A．Sadness | B．Fear | C．Anger | D．Joy |
| A．Change the teaching style. | B．Learn better. |
| C．Tell a patient’s feeling. | D．Keep healthy. |
| A．Human body feels computer. | B．Computer feels human body. |
| C．Human emotions feel computer. | D．Computer feels human emotions. |
10 . In China, there is a long history of using knots(结) for decoration(装饰品) on clothes or to hang on a wall.
Chinese knots can be in different shapes. Each shape has its own symbolic(象征性的) meaning, and nowadays you can find them as gifts for special celebrations, and decorations on clothes. Each kind of knot is named after its shape or the symbolic meaning that it carries. Though knots are made in many kinds of colors, red is the most popular color because red means good luck in China.
It’s known that knots were used for artistic(艺术的) decoration and to express thoughts and feelings in the Tang Dynasty(618－907). And the traditional art form was carried on by generations as part of their culture.
Even today, Chinese knots are rich in symbolic meaning. Knots mean love and marriage in Chinese culture. In ancient times and even now, lovers may give a knot as a symbol of their love. The “true love knot” and the “double happiness knot” are given or used at weddings(婚礼) to express love and getting old together.
Also, knots are still used if they wear traditional Chinese clothing. They are used as good luck charms(护身符). They are also used as jewelry(珠宝) such as earrings and necklaces. They are sold as handicrafts(手工艺品), too.
1. In China, knots are used for making clothes.2. Chinese knots in different shapes have different symbolic meaning.
3. Knots are made in many kinds of colors, but red is the most popular color.
4. Now people can’t give or use knots at weddings to express love.
5. According to the passage, we know knots are not only used as jewelry but also sold as handcrafts.
