1 . The Best Language-Learning Apps

       Learning a new language takes a lot of time and hard work. These are the best apps (应用程序) that can help with your learning.

Duolingo Best for Free Education Score: 4.5 Pros and cons (利与弊) ☆ Free. ☆ Wonderful new short stories for some languages. ★ Not enough materials for several languages.	Busuu Best for Vocabulary Score: 3.8 Pros and cons ☆ Very clear teaching plans. ☆ Excellent value for long-term use. ★ Small number of languages. ★ Some long and boring exercises.
Quizlet Best for Personalized Study Score: 4.0 Pros and cons ☆ Simple to use. ☆ Excellent for self-study. ☆ Different study modes (模式). ★ Only proper for testing some kinds of information. ★ Some spelling mistakes.	Beelinguapp Best for Reading Score: 3.5 Pros and cons ☆ Excellent for reading in foreign languages. ☆ Lots of free materials included. ☆ 12 languages. ★ Complicated (复杂的) pricing and plans.

1. Which of the following is among the pros of Duolingo? ________

A．It has 12 languages.

B．It’s simple to use.

C．It’s free.

D．It has clear teaching plans.

2. Which app has different study modes? ________

A．Duolingo.

B．Quizlet.

C．Busuu.

D．Beelinguapp.

3. Which of the following is TRUE? ________

A．Quizlet is good for self-study.

B．Busuu has complicated pricing.

C．Duolingo has some spelling mistakes.

D．Beelinguapp has some boring exercises.

4. Which app of the following is the least popular? ________

A．Duolingo.

B．Quizlet.

C．Busuu.

D．Beelinguapp.

5. What is the passage written for? ________

A．For advertising the apps to learners.

B．For helping learners to choose the apps.

C．For comparing the apps with one another.

D．For providing free information about the apps.

2 . We can use new way’ to fight the latest virus (病毒). Let’ meet these high—tech helpers in China!

	Drones (无人机) In public, drones are used to tell people to take nucleic acid tests (核酸检测) through the loudspeaker (扬声器) . When people have to stay at home, drones can help deliver (递送) packages to people’s home.
	Smart Robots In some hospitals, smart robots help to send food to patients. The robots can also help to hand out medicine and show the way to people. During 2022 Winter Olympic Games, smart robots did many things. They served people, reminded people to wear mask and so on.
	3D “Hospitals” A company in Shanghai has produced 15 mobile rooms less than 24 hours by 3D printing technology and sent them to Hubei for patients to live in. Each room is about the size of a bedroom.
	AI System At the Mudanyuan subway station in Beijing, an AI system can check people in crowds to see if they have fevers. About three hundred people can be checked by it in one minute.

1. If you can’t go out, drones can ________ for you.

A．take nucleic acid

B．carry packages

C．do nothing

2. The smart robots can ________ in the hospital according to the passage.
①ask people to wear masks
②serve players
③send food to patients
④give out medicine
⑤give directions

A．①②③

B．③④⑤

C．①②③④⑤

3. It took the company ________ to produce 15 mobile rooms.

A．less than a day

B．less than 24 days

C．more than 24 hours

4. The AI system can check about ________ people every minute.

A．3

B．30

C．300

5. Where can we probably see the passage?________

A．In a novel.

B．In a diary.

C．In a magazine.

5 . 选择最恰当的选项填入空格。每空格限填一词，每词只能填一次。

A. courses       B. appeared       C. records       D. caused       E) widely

Wang Yue, a seventh-grader from Jiangsu, opened a study app (应用软件) which can help students work out math problems. However, a series of game advertisements     1     suddenly which made her feel bad.

In fact, that is just one of several disappointing things about study apps that are     2     used by students. Study apps aim to help students learn. For example, students can check answers for problems and take online     3    . However, with more study apps coming into the market, serious competition has     4     some apps to change. How to make good use of them has become an issue.

A. copy            B. polite            C. solve          D. once          E) better

Some study apps have social media features that can disturb students. Li Xieyichang, 14, from Sichuan, has noticed this. “I     5     joined a chat group to learn from others. However, hundreds of gossipy messages bombarded (轰炸) my phone,” she said. So, she quit (退出) the group chat.

In addition, some students simply     6     answers from study apps. Zhang Shiyuan, 14, from Shanghai, often sees her classmates do so. But she has a     7     way to use study apps. “They show many ways to     8     one problem. I try them one by one and see how they work. Then I use the things I’ve learned to work out the problem again,” she said.

6 . Complete the following passage with the words or phrases in the box. Each word or phrase can only be used once（将下列单词或词组填入空格。每空格限填一词，每词或词组只能填一次）

A.directions       B. part        C.signs       D.easier        E.active

Every now and then, you may hear satellites sent into space.Why do we need so many satellites? What do they do for us?

At present, there are more than 3,000     1     satellites moving around the earth. Satellites have all kinds of roles, from transmitting TV signals giving you     2     on the road, to helping scientists with their research.

For example, the 22 satellites China sent up on February 27 are     3     of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System. Shared bikes that use BeiDou chips can provide more accurate positioning. It will make them     4     to find Drowes (无人机)can also use BeiDou to fly.

A. predict       B.united          C.disasters       D.block        E.distances

Before we have satellites, TV signals didn’t reach very far. Mountains or tall buildings would     5     the signals. Phone calls to faraway places were also a problem. Setting up telephone wires over long     6     is difficult. With satellites, TV signals and phone calls can be sent directly to the satellite and back to different locations on Earth.

Satellites can also provide information about clouds,oceans,land and ice. They help scientists     7     changes in weather and climate. By monitoring wildfires and volcanoes(火山) satellites help deal with natural     8    . Farmers can use satellite images to decide the best time to water their fields. Some satellites fly near other planets. They may look for water on Mars or take close-up pictures of Saturn's rings.

7 . Choose the best answer and complete the passage (选择最恰当的选项完成短文)

What’s in your face?

Your face might be the most unique (特别的) part of your physical appearance. ________ has something about their face that’s a little different. And that difference makes facial recognition (面部识别) possible.

This technology can be seen in many films. In the science-fiction classic: A Space Odyssey, a powerful AI-controlled computer called HAL 9000 is able to “________” the emotions of human astronauts by scanning (扫描) their faces. And in the 1987 action classic: Robocop, a half-robot police officer identifies (识别) a criminal by scanning his ________ and finding it in a computer.

Today, facial recognition tech has become reality. It is mainly used as a ________ method to identify criminals. In 2018, facial recognition technology was used to identify and catch criminals who were attending concerts by Hong Kong singer Jacky Cheung. And if you have a recent model of Apple’s iPhone, you probably already known that you can unlock the phone with your face. But those are ________ a few of the things we can use facial recognition for. The possibilities, it seems, are endless.

Take Grab for example. Grab is a ride-hailing (叫车服务) company in southeast Asia that uses facial recognition technology to protect passengers from danger. The technology works by scanning the faces of both the driver and the passenger, allowing passengers to make sure that they have been matched up with the ________ driver.

Facial recognition is more common than you might realize.

1.

A．Someone

B．Anyone

C．Everyone

D．No one

2.

A．read

B．draw

C．show

D．speak

3.

A．information

B．figure

C．photo

D．apartment

4.

A．amusement

B．science

C．politics

D．safety

5.

A．still

B．just

C．nearly

D．hardly

6.

A．careful

B．correct

C．close

D．confident

8 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入适当的单词，单词的第一个字母已给出。

When Goldie Nejat began developing robots in 2005, she spent much of her time knocking on doors to let people know how her robots w    1     , but few showed interest. “But now, it’s different.” says Nejat, “People calling from around the world ask when my robots are going to be r    2    .” Nejat’s robots are made to meet a growing n    3    : care-giving for the old. The population(人口) of the people over age 80 will be 426 million in 2050, three times l    4     than that now.

Such robots could be especially useful for patients with Alzheimer’s disease(阿兹海默症). They can help with everyday activities from preparing food to telling patients to take m    5    .

Some w    6     that care-giving robots might cut down human communication and make more humans lose their jobs. “But they are made to help humans not to take the p    7     of them.” says Brian Scassellati. He tested robots with different patients, and found that daily communication with robots can help children with autism spectrum disorder(自闭障碍症) i    8     social skills.

As the field grows, scientists try to u    9     human-robot relationships better. Are robots useful because they don’t have f    10     and don’t give opinions? “One thing is clear,” Scassellati says, “robots help people a lot.”

9 . Useful inventions

Inventions change how we live, work, play and think about what’s possible. Every year, TIME magazine lists (列出) the 100 best inventions based on their creativity (创造性) and impact (影响) on our lives. What did the magazine choose this year? Let’s take a look.

Easier to read

Reading can be a big challenge for tens of millions of people. They may have poor vision (视力) or reading difficulties. But OrCam Read can help them! It’s the first of its kind reading pen with a smart camera and an AI system. After scanning (扫描) a page of text with the click of a button (点击按钮), it can read the text aloud to the user. You don’t need to connect (连接) it to the Internet. You can use it offline at home, work, school, or eve in stores when you need to read a price tag (标签).

Sweet idea

Honey is produced by bees. But today’s beekeeping business (养蜂业) is not good for these hard-working insects. Bee farmers may kill them after harvesting (收获) honey because it’s cheaper than feeding the bees through the winter. To save bees, US company MeliBio has found a way to make the world’s first bee-free honey. They used synthetic biology (合成生物学) to create honey directly from plants. This kind of honey tastes just like the real one, and it is healthy, too.

Keep you calm

When you feel angry or unhappy, what do you do about it? Scientists say you can try to calm others. This can help you calm down. That’s why Purrble was invented. This furry (毛茸茸的), bear-like toy has 9 sensors (感应器). It has a quick “heartbeat (心跳)” and can respond to your touch.

As you hold and pet it, its heartbeat slows. And it purrs (发出咕噜声) like a cat. It sounds like it really enjoys your touch! Through petting Purrble, you will become more aware of your own feelings and learn how to feel calm yourself.

1. How should people with reading difficulties use OrCam Read?

A．Use it to scan text they need to read.	B．Use it to scan images they can’t see.
C．Connect it to a small camera.	D．Connect it to the Internet.

2. What does “bee-free” mean?

A．Bees can do what they want.	B．Spend less money feeding bees.
C．Bees can be set free after working.	D．No bees are needed.

3. What do we know about the new kind of honey?

A．It is not good for human health.

B．It has the same taste as real honey.

C．It is made from real honey.

D．It helps beekeeping businesses make more money.

4. How can Purrble help calm you?

A．Its sensors can sense your anger.	B．It can touch you with its furry hands.
C．Its purrs can slow your heartbeats.	D．It can help you know your feelings.

5. Which one should you support if you are an animal protector?

A．OrCam Read.	B．The new kind of honey.
C．Purrble.	D．Bear-like cats.

10 . PowerPoint Presentations (PPT) are taking the place of writing on the blackboard with chalk. Someday, will robots take the place of human teachers?

In Japan, a robot is going to enter classrooms to help teachers. Last week the Japanese company Honda Motor Co. showed the public its robot at a Tokyo museum. The robot’s name is Asimo. Students will see Asimo in science classes and learn the wonders of science.

Asimo is 130 centimetres tall with a round head. It can jog, walk up stairs and wave. It can also avoid things on its way and have simple talks with you. Asimo is an experienced worker for humans. It has worked as a guide in showrooms. But this will be the first time it works as a teaching assistant in classrooms and in formal teaching!

How will Asimo help in class? A teacher explained the way Asimo works to students in last week’s show. Asimo has sensors (感应器) inside its body to keep its balance.

The smart Asimo tilted (倾斜) its body when it stood on a shaking platform (平台). Asimo kept its balance. But a wooden person beside Asimo fell (See the above picture).

When you walk, you pass your weight from the heel to the toe. The Japanese teacher explained this with Asimo at the museum. He moved the robot in slow move. Asimo made learning science more interesting for students!

Asimo will soon help teach thousands of primary students and junior high schools in two Japanese cities. Hopefully, robot teachers will arrive at our classrooms in China one day.

Teachers will be helped by a robot     1     Asimo in Japan
Appearance	Asimo is 130 centimetres in     2     with a round head.
3	*It can jog, walk up stairs and wave. *It can also avoid things on its way and have a     4     talk with you. *It can     5     a guide in showrooms. *It works as a teaching assistant in classrooms and in     6     teaching! *It will help teachers in     7     classes. *It can keep its balance     8     it has sensors inside its body.
Advantage	Students will     9     learning science more interesting with the help of Asimo.
Conclusion	It’s    10     that robot teachers will arrive at our classrooms in China one day.