1 . I never went to university but always thought about it. The only way I
My first day of school finally arrived. As I drove there, my mind was filled with
Then, suddenly, I saw it! A large billboard on the side of the road with a picture of Kermit the Frog. I slowed down a little and read the words, “Live your dreams.” Was Kermit talking about me? I didn’t turn the car around.
I drove a little
| A．attended | B．gained | C．consulted | D．contained |
| A．goal | B．idea | C．advice | D．dream |
| A．since | B．before | C．until | D．after |
| A．theme | B．system | C．programme | D．process |
| A．sign up | B．turn up | C．keep up | D．make up |
| A．negative | B．attractive | C．active | D．optimistic |
| A．tutors | B．kids | C．professors | D．guards |
| A．degree | B．praise | C．skill | D．reputation |
| A．higher | B．further | C．closer | D．lower |
| A．billboard | B．picture | C．portrait | D．cartoon |
| A．breaking | B．giving | C．pulling | D．sticking |
| A．holding | B．arriving | C．setting | D．making |
| A．Leaving | B．Squeezing | C．Approaching | D．Staying |
| A．stood | B．lived | C．lay | D．sat |
| A．slightly | B．accidentally | C．differently | D．completely |
2 . Every year, many dolphins worldwide are captured(捕获)and kept in small pools, performing for people, especially children. These dolphins are fed fish instead of having to
Thus comes the question, “Should captive dolphins be
Jeff Foster, a 55-year old expert, decided to help two captive dolphins, Tom and Misha, to reach their top physical
This program was a big success, but there have been others that failed. For example, another dolphin, Keiko, returned into the ocean in 2002, but
If people want to avoid these accidents, we must go to great lengths and put in the
| A．pick up | B．hunt for | C．look after | D．throw away |
| A．see | B．dive | C．jump | D．hear |
| A．appetite | B．shelter | C．lifestyle | D．popularity |
| A．terrible | B．nice | C．important | D．indirect |
| A．disturbed | B．released | C．protected | D．prohibited |
| A．exercise | B．pain | C．appearance | D．condition |
| A．wild | B．clever | C．helpless | D．harmless |
| A．If | B．Unless | C．Although | D．Because |
| A．hardly | B．exactly | C．possibly | D．awfully |
| A．train | B．search | C．survive | D．produce |
| A．died | B．escaped | C．returned | D．recovered |
| A．led to | B．brought up | C．got over | D．went through |
| A．suit | B．serve | C．defend | D．prepare |
| A．tank | B．time | C．water | D．effort |
| A．inspire | B．treat | C．entertain | D．change |
3 . Tired of standing in line? Wait a bit longer, and you may never have to again.
Amazon has opened 24 of its Amazon Go stores, which use cameras and artificial intelligence (AI) to see what you’ve taken off shelves and charge you as you walk out. Some companies are closely copying Amazon’s approach to using AI-powered cameras fixed in ceilings. But others are trying an entirely different way to skip the checkout: smart shopping carts. These companies have added cameras and sensors (传感器) to the carts, and are using AI to tell what you’ve put in them. Customers pay by entering a credit card, or through an online payment system. When a customer exits the store a green light on the shopping cart shows that their order is complete, and they’re charged.
The companies behind the smart carts, including Caper and Veeve, say it’s much easier to add technology to the shopping cart than to an entire store. Amazon’s Go stores rely on hundreds of cameras in the ceiling. The shelves also include sensors to tell when an item is removed. Ahmed Beshry, co-founder of Caper, believes the technology to run Go is too expensive to use in a large-format grocery store. Neither Caper nor Veeve has said how much their smart shopping carts will cost, making it difficult to compare the different formats. Shariq Siddiqui, CEO of Veeve, said, “We’re always happy when Amazon is doing something. They force retailers (零售店) to get out of their old school thinking.”
Each time a business uses AI and cameras, it raises questions about customers’ privacy and the effect on jobs. Beshry notes that the cameras in his shopping cart point down into the cart, so only a customer’s hand and part of their arm will be captured (拍摄) on camera.
1. What do we know about the smart shopping carts?| A．They are able to recognize goods put in them. |
| B．They are linked to the cameras fixed in the ceilings. |
| C．They flash the green light when the order is canceled. |
| D．They can tell customers where to find what they want. |
| A．It is likely to help retailers to think differently. |
| B．It has attracted many more retailers than before. |
| C．It is far more expensive than their shopping carts. |
| D．It may reduce the cost of running a store greatly. |
| A．That they can only buy goods online. |
| B．That goods in the stores may be more expensive. |
| C．That they have to wait in a line for a longer time. |
| D．That somebody may know their privacy. |
| A．The new technology improves retail sale. |
| B．AI-powered cameras are used in retail stores. |
| C．Artificial intelligence affects the future of job market. |
| D．Smart shopping carts will let you skip the line. |
4 . The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn’t already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand
I turned round to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that
I was curious what may have
We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk
At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. She was introduced and
At the year’s end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago. I’ll never forget what she
| A．crashed | B．touched | C．hit | D．caught |
| A．lit up | B．turned on | C．broke down | D．called on |
| A．speech | B．fight | C．smile | D．hug |
| A．continued | B．wondered | C．laughed | D．imagined |
| A．chosen | B．driven | C．recommended | D．permitted |
| A．challenge | B．stress | C．arrangement | D．experiment |
| A．always | B．hardly | C．occasionally | D．never |
| A．anyhow | B．somehow | C．nonstop | D．nowhere |
| A．fancied | B．disliked | C．stopped | D．complained |
| A．talked | B．shared | C．exchanged | D．carried |
| A．dressed | B．arrived | C．jumped | D．stepped |
| A．gathering | B．lacking | C．achieving | D．ignoring |
| A．job | B．college | C．degree | D．dream |
| A．occasion | B．dilemma | C．difference | D．similarity |
| A．congratulated | B．taught | C．greeted | D．assisted |
5 . To deal with a big environmental problem, chemists in the Czech Republic have been thinking small. They are making microrobots with special capabilities. Each new microrobot is no bigger than the tip of a sharpened pencil. When sunlight hits them, they produce chemical reactions that propel (推动) them through water in a specific direction. When they find a piece of plastic, they start to break it down. When the light goes out, they let go and are free to be used again.
Chemist Martin Pumera led the project. He studies ways to build microrobots. About a decade ago, scientists began developing tiny robots that could move in the water. Then they decided to make them do something useful. Pumera chose to focus on the problem posed by microplastics.
“We have a big plastic pollution problem now. Using less plastic is the most important step. After that, we should do some cleaning. This is where I see a role for Pumera’s robots. They’re a really interesting idea to help with cleanup efforts down the road,” says chemist Sherri Mason.
Pumera’s final goal is to make environmentally friendly robots that can be used anywhere in the world. He supposes that at first they might be the most useful in plants that treat wastewater. There they can remove the plastic before it reaches open water. His group is not there yet. But they are getting close. And they want to make the tiny garbage collectors reusable.
In fact, Pumera says they still have a long way to go. There are many types of plastics. And even these microrobots are unlikely to succeed in degrading (降解) them all. The researchers also have not yet shown how safe this system is for the environment. Blackiston, a biologist who did not work on the project, says, “They’ll need a lot of testing to show that they’re safe in open waterways.” But he thinks one day, microrobots can play a big role in a worldwide cleanup effort.
1. What is the microrobot used for?| A．Cleaning up plastic pollution in water. | B．Transforming solar energy into power. |
| C．Aiding chemists in carrying out experiments. | D．Recording the movements of underwater creatures. |
| A．Unclear. | B．Doubtful. | C．Worried. | D．Supportive. |
| A．They will replace other cleaning robots. | B．They will function normally without light. |
| C．They will be improved for wider use. | D．They will be highly praised for their operating systems. |
| A．Microrobots have reached an advanced level. |
| B．There are still many challenges concerning microrobots. |
| C．Microplastics are increasing in various environments. |
| D．It’s wise to use microrobots in open waterways now. |
6 . Researchers in Japan have created smart kitchenware that relies on electricity to make food saltier and tastier without adding any extra salt.
Salt makes food taste so much better, but it’s also a very dangerous ingredient that, consumed heavily, can cause serious health problems like high blood pressure, heart disease and other diseases. But what if we could make food taste salty without using any salt? That’s what scientists at Meiji University and developer Kirin Holdings have been working on for several years now. Back in April, they developed the first breakthrough creation: A pair of smart chopsticks, but now they have a couple of commercial products ready to hit the shelves.
The smart chopsticks did work well. They made sodium (钠) from the food to the mouth of the user to create a strong sense of saltiness, but they had a big problem as well. Because of their limited surface, the chopsticks needed to be connected to a power source on the user’s forearm. However, the newest inventions designed by the team behind the project suffer from no such limitations.
A smart spoon and bowl recently showcased by the brilliant minds behind the project features enough space for a built-in battery, so you no longer have to worry about connecting them up to a power supply every time you use them.
According to reports, the new smart spoon and bowl can make food taste 1.5 times saltier, which is welcome news to the many people who love salty food but need to watch their salt intake for health reasons. What’s better is that the new smart kitchenware is ready for commercialization and is expected to hit the Japanese market early next year. The new products will be called Erekisoruto and will have built-in batteries. The price is unknown at this time.
1. What can we learn from Paragraph 2?| A．The more salt, the better food. | B．Too much salt can be harmful to health. |
| C．Salt is beneficial to the sense of taste. | D．Salt is a very poisonous ingredient. |
| A．They are expensive. | B．They are too heavy. |
| C．They are inconvenient. | D．They are adjustable. |
| A．The businessmen who work in Japan. | B．The scientists who work on the smart field. |
| C．The researchers who like much saltier taste. | D．The patients who need to take in less salt. |
| A．Saltier Food with No Salt Added | B．Why Do People Like Salty Food |
| C．Magical Kitchenware Hit the Market | D．How Much Salt Do People Need Daily |
7 . Colette Maze has been playing the piano for over a century. She practices four hours a day and her fingers never tire. Music is her spiritual food. The piano, her passion and her friend, instills (注入) a sense of wonder in life each day, making her a source of inspiration to all.
Colette Maze was born in Paris in 1914. She started playing the piano at the age of five. As a young student, she was taught a technique by the legendary piano master Alfred Cortot, which focuses on relaxing the arms and hands when playing. To this day, the manner in which Colette Maze touches the piano while playing the tender music of Robert Schumann and Claude Debussy is still unusual and attractive.
Contrary to the social conventions of the times, Maze decided to pursue music as a career. “She decided she was an artist, a musician, not a housewife, so she married the piano,” said her son Fabrice Maze. Later she became a piano teacher and a single mother with great difficulty. The piano always brings her solace. “Music is an affective language and a poetic language. In music, there is everything—nature, emotion, love, dreams,” Colette Maze said.
Colette Maze’s talent and enthusiasm are priceless, especially during the times of the pandemic. “She helps improve morale (士气). Though at an old age, she is in good form for she has passion and can look after herself. Her sense of humor, her joy, and her love of life make other people smile,” Fabrice Maze said.
Colette Maze explained that life is not about being old or young. “Youth is inside us. Life is all about staying passionate and curious. You can’t let that slip away. If you appreciate what’s beautiful around you, you will find a sense of wonder in it,” she said. Every day she plays the piano, and her fingers lightly touch the keys, embracing life and engaging with the love and tenderness of her music.
1. How did Alfred Cortot influence Colette Maze?| A．He presented her with a special piano. | B．He invited famous pianists to train her. |
| C．He took her to enjoy some piano concerts. | D．He taught her a unique way to play the piano. |
| A．Pity. | B．Comfort. | C．Glory. | D．Trouble. |
| A．Colette has given up a lot for music. | B．Colette is highly spoken of by music lovers. |
| C．Colette inspires others to live with strength. | D．Colette feels concerned about other people’s life. |
| A．Be active and passionate about life forever. | B．Family support is important to career success. |
| C．Experience helps to promote excellence. | D．It’s never too old to learn. |
8 . 3D printing is becoming more and more popular. We are now able to create things we need very quickly and easily using 3D printers. But can you imagine printing food?
Some scientists are trying to revolutionize the dining experience by doing this. They hope that having a 3D printer in the kitchen will be as common as the microwave oven or blender.
Scientists say that it’ll be quite easy: You simply have to select a recipe and put the raw food “inks” into the printer. You can also modify the instructions to make the food exactly how you want it. This means that it would be very quick and easy to create tasty and nutritious meals.
Using 3D printers to create your meals would also be saving the environment. There would be less need for traditional growing, transporting and packaging processes as food production would be a lot more efficient. For example, alternative ingredients(原料)such as proteins from algae, beetroot leaves and insects could be converted into tasty products.
Printing food could also help people who suffer from dysphagia (a swallowing disorder). They could program the printer to print softer versions of their favorite foods so that they would not have trouble swallowing them.
However, some people think that a future of 3D food printing would be a disaster. It could take away many jobs, including those from growing, transporting and packaging food. Imagine a world where there was no need for farming or growing crops and the same tastes could be printed from a raw “food ink”. Likewise, traditional cafes and restaurants might lose business. Also, there are concerns about the nutritional value of printed food: Is it really possible to get the nutrients we need from food-based inks and gels(凝胶)?
What’s more, cooking and eating together with family and friends has long been a traditional and enjoyable activity. It is hard to imagine a world where the pleasure of cooking is dead and meals can be created at the touch of a button.
1. Which of the following best describes 3D food printing?| A．Quick and popular. | B．Easy and efficient. |
| C．Nutritious and tasty. | D．Soft and convenient. |
| A．Traditional food would disappear. | B．Many people could lose their jobs. |
| C．It would affect the people’s health. | D．We could all eat the same food. |
| A．3D food printing will replace traditional cooking. |
| B．3D printing food can treat dysphagia. |
| C．3D food printing would hurt our tradition of food culture. |
| D．3D food printing would be a failure. |
| A．3D Food “Printing”: Coming to the Kitchen. |
| B．Can 3D Printing Create Everything? |
| C．3D Printing Food Will Be in Fashion! |
| D．The Disadvantage of 3D Food Printing. |
9 . Writing Competitions
The Bristol Short Story PrizeIt’s an international writing competition founded by the editors of the quarterly cultural magazine Bristol Review of Books in 2007. The 2022 Bristol Short Story Prize is open to everyone. The first prize is ￡1,000. Entries must be unpublished stories with 4, 000 words at most. The judges are Tom Drake-Lee, Irenosen Okojie and Jessica Taylor.
Admission fee:￡9
The Bath Novel AwardSince its launch nine years ago, the international Bath Novel Award has helped spotlight and support new writers. The prize is￡3,000. In the event of a joint win, the prize money will be shared equally between winners. It’s open to unpublished and independently published novelists. This year’s judge is Nelle Andrew. All genres are welcome. Writers must submit the first 5,000 words plus one-page synopsis of the novel.
Admission fee:￡29
The BBC National Short Story AwardThe BBC National Short Story Award 2022 with Cambridge University invites entries of short stories up to 8,000 words. It’s an award that has enriched the careers of writers since it was founded seventeen years ago. The winner of the contest for single short stories will receive￡15,000. This year’s judges are author Elizabeth Day and broadcaster Katie Thistleton.
Admission fee: free
The Creative Future Writers’ AwardFounded in 2013, it’s an annual development program for talented writers who lack opportunities due to health problems or social circumstances. This year’s theme is How It Started. Prizes include￡10,000 of cash and top writing development prizes supplied by publishers and development agencies.
Writers should submit one piece of writing in one category (50-line poetry to the maximum or 2,000-word fiction to the maximum). The judges are Dorothy Koomson, Joelle Taylor, Aki Schilz and Sarala Estruch.
Admission fee: free
1. Who may act as a judge for The Bristol Short Story Prize in 2022?| A．Joelle Taylor. | B．Nelle Andrew. | C．Katie Thistleton. | D．Jessica Taylor. |
| A．They were founded in the same year. | B．They have a strict genre requirement. |
| C．They set the same cash bonus. | D．They require no admission fee. |
| A．The Bath Novel Award. | B．The Bristol Short Story Prize. |
| C．The Creative Future Writers’ Award. | D．The BBC National Short Story Award. |
10 . Gabriela worked for a multinational company as a successful project manager in Brazil. Later she was transferred to manage a team in Sweden. She was excited about her new role but soon realized that managing her new team would be a challenge.
Despite their friendliness, Gabriela didn’t feel respected as a leader. Her new staff would question her proposals openly in meetings. When she gave them instructions on how to carry out task, they would often go about it in their own way without checking with her. When she announced her decisions on the project, they would continue giving their opinions as if it were still up for discussion.
What Gabriela was experiencing was a cultural shock in expectations. Dutch psychologist Geert Hofstede uses the concept of “power distance” to describe how power is distributed in different cultures. In her previous work environment, Gabriela was used to a high power distance culture where power is respected. In such a culture, leaders make the big decisions and are not often challenged. Her Swedish team, however, were used to working in a low power distance culture where employees often work together with their bosses to find solutions and make decisions. Here, leaders act as coaches who encourage independent thought and expect to be challenged.
When Gabriela became aware of the cultural differences between her and her team, she took the initiative(主动权)to have an open conversation with them about their feelings about her leadership.
Pleased to be asked for their thoughts, Gabriela’s team openly expressed that they were not used to being told what to do. They enjoyed having more room for initiative and creative freedom. When she told her team exactly what she needed them to do, they felt that she didn’t trust them to do their job well.
With a better understanding of the reasons behind each other’s behaviour, Gabriela was able to make adjustments to her management style. Finally she effectively motivated her team to achieve their goals.
1. What problem did Gabriela face with her Swedish team at the beginning?| A．Her Swedish staff didn’t understand her instructions. |
| B．Her authority was challenged by her Swedish staff. |
| C．They were always refusing to follow her directions. |
| D．They looked down upon her because she was a female. |
| A．Professional spirit and risk-taking behaviour. |
| B．Independent thinking and friendly atmosphere. |
| C．Active participation and creative thinking. |
| D．Competitive spirit and mild character. |
| A．Kind but changeable. | B．Strict but trustworthy. |
| C．Flexible and communicative. | D．Stubborn and forceful. |
| A．Birds of a feather flock together. | B．Don’t judge a book by its cover. |
| C．Two heads are better than one. | D．When in Rome, do as Romans do. |
