A faster generation
Have you heard of 5G? It is the fifth generation of mobile network technology. These new networks are just around the corner.
China just issued commercial licenses for 5G on June 6. This means that China’s telecom companies will soon be able to offer 5G networks for mobile phone users.
Each mobile network generation is faster and more powerful than the one before it. 1G let us talk to each other. 2G let us send messages. 3G gave us data and the internet. And 4G made all of these things faster. What’s special about 5G?
5G has a very short delay between sending and receiving information. Now, 4G takes about 100 to 200 milliseconds to send and receive data. But 5G will get it down to 1 millisecond or less – this is almost real-time.
This big change will not only make our mobile internet faster. It will also deeply change our lives. Read on to find out how.
5G + entertainment
5G networks are about 100 times faster than 4G. This means you can download a movie in seconds using 5G.
Also, VR games will become more popular with 5G. The short delay of 5G will make the games feel even more real.
5G + transportation
5G will also bring us safer self-driving cars. These cars can send signals to each other. They also “talk” to traffic lights and road sensors. 5G will allow cars to react even faster than human drivers.
5G + smart homes
5G also makes the Internet of Things possible. IoT is a large network that connects everything to the internet. Smart homes are part of it.
For example, your toaster could automatically start making breakfast after your alarm rings. And if its sensor feels the air becoming dry, a smart sprinkler could water your plants by itself.
1. What does the underlined phrase “around the corner” mean?
| A．在不远处 | B．陨落 | C．即将诞生 | D．重生 |
| A．May | B．June | C．July | D．August |
| A．1G | B．2G | C．3G | D．4G |
| A．Each mobile network generation is slower than the one before it. |
| B．4G can send and receive data in real-time. |
| C．5G can be applied in various fields of life. |
| D．Self-driving cars are the safest. |
| A．5G in our lives. |
| B．The differences from 1G to 5G. |
| C．Some new technologies. |
| D．The disadvantages of 5G. |
Maps mark seas, countries, cities and our homes, and guide us through the world. To know them better, let’s take a look at how maps have changed over the centuries.
Many ancient countries used maps. One of the first is thought to have been drawn on the wall in Lascaux, France, around 16,500 years ago. Hidden among the drawings of birds and bulls (公牛) is a map of the stars. The Babylonian Map of the World is the oldest known earthly map, which shows Babylon and its neighboring towns on the stone.
Claudius Ptolemy made maps go global. Born in Egypt around 100 AD, he was the first person to try to make a world map. With the help of math, Ptolemy marked around 10,000 locations from Britain to Asia and Africa.
Perhaps the most commonly used world map is the Mercator Projection. It was introduced in 1569 by Gerardus Mercator. An important part of maps is the imaginary lines of longitude, latitude and the equator.
Mercator took the globe and made it flat (平的), but to do this he had to make the areas further north and south larger, while the areas nearer the middle stay about the right size. The reason for this is that the Earth is like a ball, but a map is flat. It is easy to find places, but some people said it was unfair because places including Canada, the UK and Europe appeared much bigger than they really were.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, modern technology allowed map makers to produce maps showing locations exactly. Today, many people view maps on their phones. Researchers are working to map the floor of the oceans and to locate every tree on Earth. Scientists are also trying to map the past by using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). This invention will collect light from stars and may find the secrets about the beginning of the universe (宇宙).
The History of Maps Maps provide us with information of * One of the first maps is a map of * The oldest earthly map is the Babylonian Map of the World. Maps go global* The first world map was drawn by using * The imaginary lines introduced to the Mercator Projection made it most commonly used, but it still needed Maps and * Maps can be used on the phone. * Maps can help us know more about the oceans, the land and the universe through JWST. |
3 . 
Diagram(图表) or Survey Result
①AI (artificial intelligence人工智能) and machine learning refer to the ability of machines to learn and act intelligently. It means they can make decisions, finish tasks, and even tell the possible future results based on what they learn from data(数据).
②AI and machine learning already play a bigger role in everyday life than you might imagine. Health care, banking, video games, every search on the Internet you make..., all are driven by AI.
③AI is going to change almost every field of modern life. Stephen Hawking said, “Success in creating AI would be the biggest event in human history.” And Hawking added at once, “Unluckily, it might also be the last, unless we learn how to avoid the risks.”
④ ▲ , especially when you consider some countries are racing to develop AI-enabled autonomous weapons(人工智能自主武器). It is also going to change and take the place of many human jobs. The same worries also come from the public. According to the survey result from Centre for the Governance of AI, 91% of the people (tend to and totally) agree that “AI is a technology that requires careful management” in Europe.
⑤But rather than agreeing with an idea of a helpless future where all human jobs are given over to robots, some people believe AI will make on working lives better. It will improve the work of humans, and new jobs will appear to take the place of the old ones.
⑥What’s more, machines become more intelligent and they are able to finish more human tasks. Things which only belong to humans lie creativity and critical(批判性的) thinking, will become even more valuable in the future.
⑦Like it or not, AI is here. Maybe changing ourselves and managing it well are the best way out. Just as Benjamin Franklin once said, “When you’re finished changing, you’re finished.”
1. Which paragraph does the diagram mainly support?| A．② | B．③ | C．④ | D．⑤ |
| A．As we know, there are possible huge risks for society and human life |
| B．Also, you can find AI serving our daily life in every possible field |
| C．Without doubt, AI is a fantastic technology to lead us into the future |
| D．Humans are surely more creative and better at many things than AI |
| A．To warn us that AI will take humans’ place. |
| B．To show us that there are a lot of uses of AI. |
| C．To tell us that many people are worried about AI. |
| D．To suggest we prepare for the changes brought by AI. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
4 . 
Summer 2022 was a hard time for many. Huge heat waves (热浪) swept across European countries and parts of China. They brought extreme (极端) high temperatures and drought (干旱).
Europe has experienced its hottest summer since 1979. In Spain, temperatures quickly increased past 40℃ and it was one of the hottest summers on record. In Italy and Greece, temperatures hit 38℃ or more. Europe also experienced its most serious drought in 500 years. The dry conditions led to wildfires. The lack of rainfall caused water shortages (缺乏). As a result, water uses became a big problem. Back in China, similar things happened in the summer. Heat waves hit many places across the country. Chongqing’s highest temperature reached 45℃, breaking its historical record. In August, more than 20 forest fires happened in the area.
Heat waves are more harmful than you might expect. If people stay in high temperatures for too long, the heat will harm their bodies and make people feel sick, pass out or even die. During the 2003 heat wave in Europe, about 70,000 people died. Besides this, heat waves make some infectious diseases (传染病) even more serious.
What caused the extreme weather event? Scientists said climate change was likely to be the reason. Countries and organizations are taking action to deal with it. The European Union has set its goal to achieve net-zero emissions (净零排放) by 2050. China also has the goal of peaking carbon dioxide emissions (碳排放达到峰值) before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality (碳中和) before 2060. Many countries have carried out policies (政策), like supporting green energy and making more efficient (高效的) use of energy.
1. What happened last summer in the passage?| A．The world faced the highest temperatures in history. |
| B．Some infectious diseases broke out (爆发) in Europe. |
| C．Huge heat waves swept across European countries and parts of China. |
| D．Many people died because of heat waves. |
①infectious disease ②high temperature ③drought ④heavy rain
| A．①② | B．②③ | C．③④ | D．①④ |
| A．去世 | B．经过 | C．流汗 | D．晕倒 |
| A．The European Union’s policies. | B．Climate change. |
| C．Carbon neutrality. | D．Efficient use of energy. |
| A．Countries and organizations are looking for ways to deal with climate change. |
| B．Heat waves brought serious problems and countries and organizations are trying to solve them. |
| C．High temperatures can bring people many health problems. |
| D．Many foreign countries have achieved their goals of net-zero emissions so far. |
5 . How many friends do you have? If you have many, you’re lucky. If you have a few good friends, you’re more than lucky. Our best friends can make our lives richer. They can teach us things. They can also challenge (挑战) us to be better people. In a word (简而言之) , they are very important to us.
Good friends can help us stay healthy, too. When we are sick, they often take care of us and support (支持) us. Without friends, we feel lonely. Loneliness can be as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes (香烟) a day. So, build up your circle of friends and keep them close.
Good friends make us more confident. Sometimes we feel bad and have doubts (怀疑) about ourselves. When you feel this way, reach out to your most trusted friends. They’ll be there to cheer you up. They will let you know how amazing you are.
Good friends push us to be better people. They challenge us to do better and be better. What’s more, a friend’s good qualities (品质) can rub off on us (感染我们). For example, if they are friendly and hard-working, you are more likely to be friendly and hard-working, too.
1. According to the article, you are more than lucky to have a few good friends because a good friend ________.| A．is able to bring better luck to you | B．helps you become a better person |
| C．trusts you more than most other people do | D．treats you better than most other people do |
| A．Having no close friends is bad for our health. |
| B．Having no close friends can feel as bad as smoking. |
| C．Having no close friends may lead us to smoke heavily. |
| D．Having no close friends may cause problems to our lungs (肺). |
| A．Good friends can solve most of our problems. |
| B．Good friends can take us out of our bad feelings. |
| C．Good friends can prevent and treat many diseases. |
| D．Good friends make us friendlier and more generous. |
①By keeping in close contact (联系) with them.
②By learning good qualities from them.
③By telling them how important they are.
④By turning to them for help when we feel bad.
| A．①②③ | B．①②④ | C．①③④ | D．②③④ |
| A．You’re Lucky | B．Stay Healthy |
| C．The Importance (重要性) of Friendship | D．Be Friendly |
6 . Education is not an end, but a means to an end. In other words, we don’t educate children only for the purpose(目的) of educating them. Our purpose is to fit them for life.
In some modern countries it has for some time been fashionable to think that by free education for all—whether rich or poor, clever or stupid—one can solve all the problems of society and build a perfect nation. But we can already see that free education for all is not enough; we find in such countries a far larger number people with university degrees; they refuse to do what they think “low” work; and in fact, work with hands is thought to be dirty and shameful in such countries. But we have only to think a moment to understand that the work of a completely uneducated farmer is far more important than that of a professor; we can live without education, but we die if we have no food.
If no one cleaned our streets and took the rubbish away from our houses, we should get terrible diseases in our towns.
In fact, when we say that all of us must be educated to fit us for life, it means that we must be educated in such a way that, firstly, each of us can do whatever work suited to his brain and ability, and secondly, we can realize that all jobs are necessary to society, and that is very bad to be ashamed of one’s work. Only such a type of education can be considered valuable to society.
1. The writer of the passage thinks that ________.| A．education can settle most of the world’s problems |
| B．free education for all probably leads to a perfect world |
| C．free education won’t help to solve social problems |
| D．all the social problems can’t be solved by education |
| A．our society needs all kinds of jobs |
| B．our society needs free education for all |
| C．a farmer is more important than a professor |
| D．people with university degree refuse to do what they think “low” work |
| A．为……感到害羞 | B．为……感到耻辱 | C．为……感到荣耀 | D．为……感到鼓舞 |
| A．to choose a system of education |
| B．to prepare children mainly for their future work |
| C．to let everyone receive education fit for him |
| D．to build a perfect world |
7 . If you’re ever apart from your children, a new study says just talking on the phone will help just as much as a hug(拥抱).
If you’re a parent who spends long hours on the job, you probably feel sorry for spending so much time away from your kids. But the results of a new study show that a mother’s voice alone can be just as comforting to an anxious child as physical contact(接触).
In an experiment, researchers from the University of Wisconsin Madison asked a group of girls between the ages of 7 and 12 to solve maths problems in front of judges—a stressful situation for anyone. Before the girls were set to give their answers, the researchers measured their levels of two hormones(荷尔蒙): cortisol, which goes up during stressful periods, and oxytocin, the “love” hormone, which goes down at the same time.
After the girls finished the problems, some of them got to meet up with their mothers right away. The mums came in and hugged the girls. Another group of the girls didn’t see their mothers, but received phone calls from them, in which their mothers told them how well they’d done. The final group had no contact with their mothers, but instead watched an animal movie, March of the Penguins.
Finally, the girls’ hormone levels were measured again. Although the movie was interesting, it did nothing to reduce the children’s anxiety—but, surprisingly, both the physical contact and phone calls from their mothers had the same effect on reducing the girls’ stress levels.
So, no matter how old you are, if you’re feeling stressed about something in your life, a phone call to Mum might be just the key to helping you feel better.
1. If a girl is under stress, ________.| A．she can’t solve maths problems | B．she will have high levels of hormone |
| C．oxytocin will remain at a high level | D．cortisol will go up with oxytocin down |
a. The girls’ levels of hormones were measured again. b. The girls solved maths problems.
c. The girls’ levels of hormones were measured. d. The girls were divided into three groups.
| A．b-c-d-a | B．d-b-c-a | C．c-b-d-a | D．d-c-b-a |
| A．it is easy for girls to solve maths problems |
| B．the girls who had watched the movie remained anxious |
| C．all mothers should hug their kids as often as possible |
| D．older girls have higher cortisol than younger ones |
| A．A mother’s voice can comfort her anxious kids. |
| B．Mothers should often hug their kids. |
| C．Mothers should spend enough time caring about their kids. |
| D．Scientists discovered why kids become stressed when having tests. |
Focus on mental health
At some point in life, many people suffer a mental disturbance. While most people get over it, for others it doesn’t go away easily.
Oct 10 was World Mental Health Day. This year, the theme was “Young People and Mental Health in a Changing World”.
The World Health Organization says that about 20 percent of children and teenagers worldwide suffer from mental illness. It’s thought that the number of children and teenagers with mental illness around the world will increase by half by 2020. It will become one of the main causes of diseases, disabilities and even death.
In China, the picture isn’t bright, either. About 30 million Chinese children and teenagers under the age of 17, or 10 percent of children and teenagers in China, have a mental health challenge, reported China Daily.
The reason for mental problems among young people may be the increasing pressure in life.
The world is changing fast. Study and relationships have always caused stress, but today the stress is much higher than before, the WHO said.
The Young Foundation, a UK-based non-profit think tank, says that young people today have huge stresses at school. For instance, they experience bullying and body image issues. In a 2017 report, the foundation noted that the internet was a special source of stress. Online, young people often see “messages about perfection” and this causes the young “great uncertainty about their adult futures”, says the foundation.
Also, according to China Daily, Chinese people don’t seek help with their mental problems. They fear that others will think less of them if they admit that they are in trouble. Elaine Peng, a US mental health educator, makes a similar point. She thinks that many Chinese people are ashamed of their mental problems. Peng told Xinhua that mental illness “is taboo in many Chinese families”.
In the UK, over three-quarters of young people believe their mental health problems have a social stigma. YouGov, a UK-based data company, reported in 2017 that a quarter of young UK people wouldn’t ask for help if they developed a mental problem.
Young people who don’t seek help for their condition may be creating problems for themselves in the future. Jagannath Lamichhane, a mental health expert in Nepal, warned that, “If we hide our mental health, it may remain a problem forever.”
“My message for young people is, if you feel something is wrong within you—seek help,” he told NPR.
1. About________ of children and teenagers suffer from mental illness in the world.| A．10% | B．17% |
| C．20% | D．30% |
| A．the picture is dark | B．the future is not clear |
| C．the situation is optimistic | D．the situation is not optimistic |
| A．Bullying | B．Body image | C．Internet | D．Social stigma |
| A．people shouldn’t pay attention to mental illness |
| B．people shouldn’t hide mental illness |
| C．people should ignore mental health |
| D．people shouldn’t tell others their mental problems |
| A．Children and teenagers who suffer a mental disturbance. |
| B．Ignore mental problems. |
| C．How to deal with bullying. |
| D．How to become health. |
Can you tell me where the bathroom is?
你能告诉我厕所在哪里了吗？
TOILET, bathroom, restroom — English has many words for the little room we all have to go to every day.
Different countries often use different words.
In the US, you will get where you need to go if you ask where the “bathroom” is. If you’re in a shopping mall, you should ask for directions to the “restroom”.
People from the US also use the word “John”. It comes from the name of a 19th century British man. He invented the flush toilet.
In Britain, people often say “toilet” and “bathroom”. You sometimes see the words “Ladies” and “Gentlemen” above the doors to public toilets. But “Men” and “Women” are more common now in Britain.
Australians say “loo”. The word is also quite popular in the UK. Canadians use the word “can”, New Zealanders “bog” and South Africans “want to go to the bathroom”.
In China, Beijing now uses the word “toilet” rather than “WC”. All over the world now signs rather than words are used.
Where does the word toilet itself come from? Well, it’s from the French “toilette” — to wash yourself.
1. What words do British people often use for the little room with a toilet?| A．Restroom and bathroom. | B．Toilet and bathroom. |
| C．Ladies and Gentlemen. | D．Men and Women. |
| A．A name of an American inventor. |
| B．A name of an Englishman who invented the flush toilet. |
| C．A common American name. |
| D．A slang word meaning toilet in the US. |
| A．电动 | B．冲刷 | C．陶瓷 | D．塑胶 |
| A．they want to show respect to the bathroom. |
| B．they are not used to some words. |
| C．the words are influenced by culture and history. |
| D．they want to confuse foreign visitors. |
| A．English words for some kinds of rooms. |
| B．Words for the room with a toilet in different countries. |
| C．The history of where English words come from. |
| D．The difference between washroom and restroom. |
Learn from your loss
从损失中吸取教训
Nobody likes to fail, even though it’s said that failure is the best teacher. However, some studies have shown that failure is not a bad thing.
Being wrong 15 percent of the time is the secret to learning new things, according to researchers at the University of Arizona, US.
In a series of experiments, they taught computers to do simple tasks, such as picking an odd or even number. They found that when the error rate was 15 percent, the computers learned faster.
In education, teachers believe that when students are faced with things they don’t know yet, they learn better. Making tasks too hard will cause students to give up easily. But if they are too easy, students will not pick up anything useful.
However, the “sweet spot” is unknown. This experiment found that the answer is 15 percent, which researchers hope will help teachers in their work. Students can keep in mind that they don’t have to be frustrated if they aren’t 100% right all the time.
If failure is normal, then how do we learn from it and succeed? Another study by Northwestern University, US, can tell us.
You’ve probably heard the saying “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” However, the study found that persistence（坚持） only works if you learn from your failures. “You have to figure out what worked and what did not, and then focus on what needs to be improved,” a researcher said.
How quickly you try again after failing affects your chances of success. If you try again quickly, you have a better chance of succeeding in the future. But if you wait too long between tries, you are more likely to fail again.
1. What happens when tasks are too hard for students?| A．The students never try to solve them. | B．The students will easily give them up. |
| C．The students will cheat to complete them. | D．The students will learn knowledge quickly. |
| A．5 percent | B．10 percent | C．15 percent | D．20 percent |
| A．Persistence always leads to success. |
| B．Persistence only works if you don't learn from your failures. |
| C．Persistence only works if you learn from your failures. |
| D．Persistence only works if you never fail. |
| A．relaxed | B．upset | C．pleased | D．calm |
| A．Think About Your Future |
| B．Learn From Your Loss |
| C．Look For Your Partner |
| D．Put Down Your Stress |
