1 . I didn’t go to Santiago, Chile to look for friendship. In fact, Chile was not even on my wish list.
A mid-life crisis woman, I got a chance to study abroad. I only wanted to learn about global business, taste South American cuisine, and check “study abroad” off my wish list.
On the fifth day, I joined a group for a neighborhood work project aided by the anti-poverty (扶贫) organization. Our tasks were to build a water tower and paint the community center. Upon arrival, I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was like a scene out of a horrible film. That moment redefined poverty for me because I had never seen such terrible living conditions. As advised, I showed no signs of the motional battle going on inside me.
Just as I was about to start work on painting, a request came through for a few volunteers to help Nadia, a local resident who volunteered to cook for us. I raised my hand to help because I wanted spend time with the people of the neighborhood despite my shortage of Spanish speaking skills.
Nadia had a sincere smile but not overly friendly. Even without speaking each other’s language we started to learn about one another. We chatted about our children, our upbringing, shared picture of our family, struggled to instruct each other to communicate in the other’s language, and laugh many times.
After we fed everybody and the dishes were washed, my day was over. But I found myself hesitant to leave. It was as if I had known her my entire life. I had not predicted the unselfishness heart I would encounter, and it was moving.
As we were waiting for the car to pick us up, Nadia showed me her plants that are well-maintains. I could see that despite the hard conditions she was passionate about life. She made me long to be stronger person. She showed me that poverty was external, but happiness was internal. I was seeking to give 100 percent for a well-intentioned cause, but I left receiving 200 percent from her.
1. What was the author’s initial purpose of going to Chile?A.To find new friends while traveling. | B.To participate in an anti-poverty project. |
C.To fulfill the desire to study abroad. | D.To gain a graduate certificate in business. |
A.She decided to relieve the poverty. | B.She kept her emotions well hidden. |
C.She comforted the shocked volunteers. | D.She refused to continue the present task. |
A.She felt very sympathetic toward Nadia. |
B.She longed to interact with the local residents. |
C.She wanted to improve her Spanish speaking skills. |
D.She preferred cooking to painting the community center. |
A.True friends are never apart in heart. |
B.Happiness is defined by a positive attitude. |
C.Language is not a barrier to great connections. |
D.Unselfishness is putting others before ourselves. |
2 . As Teachers’ Day approached, I received an interview assignment to talk with a very special figure about teaching. President Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam talked with me about life’s toughest lessons and his mission of being a teacher to the Indian youth. He was now a leader and a wise old man. There was still a child in him though, and he was still curious about learning new things. To this day, he still remembered his first lesson in life and how it had changed his life.
“I was studying in fifth grade and must have been 10 years old. My teacher, Sri Sivasubramanialyer was telling us how birds flew. He drew a diagram of a bird on the blackboard, drawing the wings, the tail, the body and the head and then explained how birds flew into the sky. At the end of the class, I said I didn’t understand. Then he asked the other students if they had understood, but nobody had understood how birds flew.” he recalled.
“That evening, the entire class was taken to Rameshwaram shore by our teacher,” the President continued. “My teacher showed us sea birds. We saw wonderful formations of them flying and how their wings waved. Then my teacher asked us, ‘Where is the bird’s engine and how is it powered?’ I knew then that birds are powered by their own life and motivation. I understood all about birds’ dynamics. At last, he said to us with relief that we were very good.”
“That day from not understanding to the final understanding, as well as the gratitude to the teacher, has always impressed me. A proper education would help develop a sense of dignity (尊严) and self-respect among our youth,” said President Kalam.
1. What does the author probably do?A.A reporter. | B.A president. | C.A teacher. | D.A painter. |
A.It was a drawing class. | B.The teacher’s diagram was not complete. |
C.What the teacher taught was quite difficult. | D.The students were too stupid to understand it. |
A.By asking other teachers for help. | B.By taking them to see the real birds. |
C.By bringing a bird to explain again. | D.By drawing another diagram for them. |
A.Disappointed. | B.Stressed. | C.Angry. | D.Grateful. |
3 . During the early morning journey from the suburbs(郊区), we sat sleepily, with collars standing firm below our ears. Although the group of people are in the same bus every day, we never
One July morning, a small grey man, one of the
The next day, another old man
One morning, Charlie was
The summer went by, and the
A.argue | B.like | C.tend | D.greet |
A.passengers | B.drivers | C.colleagues | D.neighbors |
A.annoyed | B.surprised | C.mad | D.impatient |
A.Unfortunately | B.Unhappily | C.Unexpectedly | D.Unfairly |
A.left | B.boarded | C.hit | D.stopped |
A.reply | B.advance | C.danger | D.need |
A.man | B.driver | C.girl | D.boy |
A.destroy | B.track | C.increase | D.affect |
A.helping | B.comparing | C.talking | D.adapting |
A.tying | B.lifting | C.biting | D.holding |
A.anyway | B.anymore | C.anytime | D.anywhere |
A.terrible | B.heavy | C.unforgettable | D.unhappy |
A.giving out | B.giving in | C.giving up | D.giving off |
A.spring | B.month | C.year | D.autumn |
A.disappeared | B.happened | C.began | D.continued |
4 . There are many things to do in Macao. Macao is small, but that just means you can do and see a lot in a short amount of time.
Try the Macao Tower Bungee JumpThe Macao Tower, 338 meters tall, is the world’s 10th highest tower, with a variety of entertainment activities.
One of the activities is the bungee jump, which is popular with extreme sports lovers. The bungee-jumping height is 233 meters, making it a Guinness World Record as the highest commercial bungee jump in the world.
Enjoy the Egg Tart of MacaoOne of the must-try local foods in Macao is the egg tart. This dessert is different from the Cantonese egg tart. One of the visible differences is the slightly burned caramel (焦糖) top. The creamy filling, tasty crust (酥皮) and the burned caramel top create an incredible mixture of flavor.
Gradually, the bakery has become a fixed tourist spot in Macao, where the queue outside will never be empty.
Grab a Selfie at the Ruins of St. PaulThe Ruins of St. Paul is one of the signature landmarks of Macao. The ruins consist of the St. Paul’s College and the Church of St. Paul, built in 1580. However, after three intense fires in 1595, 1601 and 1835, the church was seriously damaged.
Watch the Macao Grand PrixRacing through the small streets and roads of this tiny city, the Macao Grand Prix circuit (巡回赛) is the only street circuit racing in the world for car and motorcycle races. The Macao Grand Prix is a major worldwide car-racing event held every year, featuring over 300 top drivers a year.
1. Where should you go if you are an extreme sports lover?A.The Macao Tower. | B.The small streets in Macao. |
C.The Ruins of St. Paul. | D.The St. Paul’s College. |
A.The creamy filling. | B.The tasty crust. |
C.The slightly burned caramel top. | D.The mixture of flavor. |
A.It is the most famous site in Macao. | B.It was built in 1595. |
C.It was rebuilt only once. | D.It was damaged badly. |
5 .
What do you see in the image? The image can be challenging to interpret, and most people need a clue to see the pattern. It shows a Dalmatian dog. An interesting aspect of this experience is that once you’ve perceived the pattern, you can’t unset the dog.
Whether we like it or not, our brains look for patterns in various contexts. Much of our everyday understanding is linked to the concepts we learn in school and through interaction with others. On top of this, there are learned cultural patterns to interpret works of art, music, poems, etc. Once we know the patterns, they profoundly influence how we perceive cultural products. So we see the world through patterns we have acquired.
These patterns can be applied in all forms of teaching. The great benefit of seeing a pattern in an area of knowledge is that it can be applied to new problems. A student who has understood a pattern can not only answer questions taken directly from the learning material but can use it in other types of tasks. The key question, therefore, is how a student can discover the relevant patterns and create real understanding.
There are different ways to highlight patterns. Analogies (类比) are powerful tools for creating understanding. An example is the number line (数轴) in elementary mathematics. When children learn addition, it is easy for concrete combinations of objects: three apples plus two apples make five apples. The same is true for subtraction (减法): If you have six apples and remove four, you are left with two.
But this doesn’t work when it comes to negative numbers. How do you explain that if you have three apples and remove five, two are missing? Then, an effective analogy is to see the number line as something you walk along — the line becomes a path. Addition with three is like walking three steps forward, and subtraction with five is like walking five steps backward. No wonder that if you walk three steps forward and then five steps back, you are two steps behind where you started.
In this way, the negative numbers acquire a meaning rooted in experience. More patterns of numbers can now be understood.
1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?A.The underlying effect of patterns. |
B.The ability to acquire the art skills. |
C.The way to find the Dalmatian dog. |
D.The benefit of interacting with others. |
A.It is easy for students to master them. |
B.All types of tasks have the same pattern. |
C.They can help students solve new problems. |
D.They are the necessary learning materials. |
A.There are different ways to acquire experience. |
B.Analogies are good methods for teaching patterns. |
C.Addition is much easier than subtraction in maths. |
D.The number line can solve all mathematics problems. |
A.Understanding Is Seeing a Pattern. |
B.The Best Principle for Learning |
C.Walking Back and Forth on a Number Line. |
D.Using Patterns to Learn Mathematics |
6 . The Symbolism of Chinese Foods
China is a country with a long history, and food has played an important role in the development of Chinese culture. Every year many traditional festivals and events are celebrated with special foods. Some of these foods have particular meanings, such as good luck, best wishes, unity and commemoration (纪念).
Chinese New YearSpring Festival(Chinese New Year)is the most important traditional festival in China. So New Year foods usually symbolize good luck and best wishes.
·Year cake (niángāo) means “increasing prosperity (繁荣)” because the name sounds the same as “year high” or “yearly increase”.
·Dumplings mean “wealth”, due to their traditional gold / silver ingot (锭) shape.
Lantern FestivalLantern Festival is the first full moon night in the Chinese calendar year, and the full moon as well as the food symbolizes family reunion.
·Sweet round sticky rice balls in soup (tāngyuán) mean “togetherness and reunion”.
Dragon Boat FestivalDragon Boat Festival is an important celebration in China to commemorate Qu Yuan, a famous patriotic poet of China in ancient times.
·Glutinous rice dumplings (zòngzi) wrapped in bamboo leaves symbolize Qu Yuan commemoration.
Mid-Autumn FestivalMid-Autumn Festival is the second most important traditional Chinese festival. It is a time for family members and loved ones to get together to celebrate family reunion. Therefore, people celebrate it by preparing foods with family-reunion symbolic meanings.
·Mooncakes mean “family unity”, as they’re round, like the harvest moon.
·Pomeloes (yòuzi) mean “family unity” and “abundance”, as they’re round, too, and the Chinese sounds like the word for “to have”.
1. What makes dumplings symbolic?A.The size. | B.The color. | C.The history. | D.The shape. |
A.Chinese New Year. | B.Lantern Festival. |
C.Dragon Boat Festival. | D.Mid-Autumn Festival. |
A.Year cake. | B.Sweet round sticky rice balls in soup. |
C.Glutinous rice dumplings. | D.Pomeloes. |
7 . John, 69, wanted to retire from running his small-town grocery store: However, he didn’t want to leave his local community without a grocery store to shop at. He was facing a(n)
John’s parents opened the store in 1940,and John
Then last summer, Elizabeth, who grew up in a nearby town,
In a matter-of months, the community
Johnm for his part is
A.welfare | B.opportunity | C.warning | D.dilemma |
A.handed | B.took | C.turned | D.looked |
A.changing | B.standing | C.selecting | D.developing |
A.considered | B.opposed | C.missed | D.avoided |
A.list | B.spot | C.line | D.market |
A.calls | B.comprehensions | C.offers | D.observations |
A.Impatiently | B.Eventually | C.Annually | D.Constantly |
A.addiction | B.absence | C.adaptation | D.access |
A.defended | B.blessed | C.approached | D.equipped |
A.dividing | B.downgrading | C.transforming | D.restoring |
A.stepped up | B.tore up | C.sped up | D.spoke up |
A.disrespect | B.commitment | C.ties | D.contributions |
A.earned | B.borrowed | C.saved | D.collected |
A.remove | B.recruit | C.renew | D.resist |
A.excited | B.frightened | C.annoyed | D.disappointed |
8 . Artificial intelligence (AI) is showing promise in earthquake prediction, challenging the long-held belief that it is impossible. Researchers at the University of Texas, Austin, have developed an AI algorithm (算法) that correctly predicted 70% of earthquakes a week in advance during a trial in China and provided accurate strength calculations for the predicted earthquakes.
The research team believes their method succeeded because they stuck with a relatively simple machine learning approach. The AI was provided with a set of statistical features based on the team’s knowledge of earthquake physics, and then instructed to train itself using a five-year database of earthquake recordings. Once trained, the AI provided its prediction by listening for signs of incoming earthquakes within the background rumblings (隆隆声) in the Earth.
This work is clearly a milestone in research for AI-driven earthquake prediction. “You don’t see earthquakes coming,” explains Alexandros Savvaidis, a senior research scientist who leads the Texas Seismological Network Program (TexNet). “It’s a matter of milliseconds, and the only thing you can control is how prepared you are. Even with the 70% accuracy, that’s a huge result and could help minimize economic and human losses and has the potential to remarkably improve earthquake preparation worldwide.”
While it is unknown whether the same approach will work at other locations, the researchers are confident that their AI algorithm could produce more accurate predictions if used in areas with reliable earthquake tracking networks. The next step is to test artificial intelligence in Texas, since UT’s Bureau TexNet has 300 earthquake stations and over six years worth of continuous records, making it an ideal location for these purposes.
Eventually, the authors hope to combine the system with physics-based models. This strategy could prove especially important where data is poor or lacking. “That may be a long way off, but many advances such as this one, taken together, are what moves science forward,” concludes Scott Tinker, the bureau’s director.
1. How does the AI predict earthquakes?A.By identifying data from the satellites. |
B.By analyzing background sounds in the Earth. |
C.By modeling data based on earthquake recordings. |
D.By monitoring changes in the Earth’s magnetic field. |
A.The ways to reduce losses in earthquakes. |
B.The importance of preparing for earthquakes. |
C.The significance of developing the AI prediction. |
D.The limitation of AI algorithms in earthquake prediction. |
A.Conducting tests in different locations. |
B.Applying the AI approach to other fields. |
C.Building more earthquake stations in Texas. |
D.Enlarging the database to train the calculation accuracy. |
A.Stable but outdated. | B.Effective but costly. |
C.Potential and economical. | D.Advanced and promising. |
9 . Since childhood, London-based artist Josh Gluckstein has been fascinated by the incredible diversity of our planet’s wildlife and inspired to make sculptures of animals from found materials. He often uses abandoned or recycled materials like clothing from junk shops or wood from old furniture. An important aspect of his practice is concern for the environment. “I have traveled through Asia, Latin America and East Africa, and have been fortunate enough to have some incredible wildlife encounters,” he says. “However, on my travels, even in the most remote locations, I was shocked by the huge amounts of plastic waste.”
Mach of the garbage that washes up on shorelines around the world is due to an unregulated (未受监管的) system in which richer countries export waste to developing countries because it is often cheaper than developing better infrastructures (基础设施) to handle it. Many of the thousands of shipping containers exported each year are often dumped illegally.
“I remember going to the Galapagos Islands and visiting a beach famous for a large population of sea lions. It was indeed incredible to see them in the wild, but on every inch of sand not covered by sea lions, there were plastic bottles and cans. It was a heartbreaking sight. I knew I wanted to create artworks that didn’t create waste or harm our planet,” Gluckstein says.
Gluckstein hopes his works will raise people’s awareness about the importance of protecting endangered species. His new series called “Gold” focuses on illegally hunted animals by applying gold leaves to their bodies. He plans to donate some of the sales of his sculptures to the world Wide Fund for Nature.
1. What do Gluckstein’s sculptures focus on?A.Fashion. | B.Animals. | C.Sports. | D.Travel. |
A.Poured, | B.Protected. | C.Sold. | D.Used. |
A.Where he has toured. | B.How sad he was. |
C.How he found sea lions. | D.Why he created eco-friendly sculptures. |
A.They can bring him financial benefits. |
B.They can make him famous as an artist. |
C.They can help protect endangered animals. |
D.They can improve people’s ability to appreciate art. |
10 . Technology is forever changing the way we get our news. Many people now get a lot of their news on electronic devices, instead of traditional media, such as newspapers, television or radio. Now, there is a new way we get the news: computer-created news readers.
Recently, China’s Xinhua launched(推出)the world’s first AI news presenters with the Chinese search engine Sogou. The news readers created by machine learning technology are based on two real-life newsmen. One is able to present newscasts in English; the other, in Mandarin Chinese.
Machine learning is used to examine video images and sounds of the two newsmen, which look and sound like real people. Some machine learning experts said the system showed off China’s latest progress in voice recognition, text-to-speech technology and data analysis. But several experts suggested that the term Al does not correctly describe abilities of the robotic news readers.
On social media, many Chinese noted that the AI presenters did not seem real. People blamed them for not being more lifelike. Others wondered about the effects robots might have on employment and workers. Some people argued that only low-level jobs requiring heavy labor will be easily replaced by robots. Others praised the technology as a way for companies to make money from low-cost labor machines.
Some businesses have experimented with similar technology for possible use in news operations. Britain’s BBC recently released a video that used machine learning to make it look like one of its news readers speaking different languages. The London-based company that developed the system says its goal is to “remove the language barrier” for many different kinds of video across the Internet.
1. What does the author intend to do in Paragraph 1?A.Introduce the topic of the text. | B.Summarize the different opinions. |
C.Add some data about the AI presenters. | D.Compare different ways of getting news. |
A.To bring newscasts up to date every hour. |
B.To help AI presenters speak more fluently. |
C.To keep AI presenters from making any mistakes. |
D.To ensure images and sounds are like those of real persons. |
A.Robots will rule over the world in the end. |
B.Robots will eventually replace human all over. |
C.Robots may endanger most people’s health. |
D.Robots may threaten some people’s employment. |
A.BBC has done similar experiments as Xinhua does. |
B.BBC has removed the language barrier in newscasts. |
C.BBC shows interest in Xinhua’s AI news presenters. |
D.BBC’s news readers can explore different technologies. |