1 . Wouldn’t it be wonderful to travel to a foreign country without having to worry about the headache of communicating in a different language?
In a recent Wall Street Journal article, technology policy expert Alec Ross argued that, within ten years or so, we would be able to communicate with one another through small earpieces with built-in microphones. That’s because technological progress is extremely fast. It’s only a matter of time. Such is the belief among certain parents that the technology is imminent and they’re wondering if their kids should learn a second language.
It’s true that an increase in the quantity and accuracy of the data loaded into computers will make them cleverer at translating “Noes Bueno dormer mucho” into “It’s not good to sleep too much”. Replacing a word with its equivalent (对等词) in the target language is actually the easy part of a translator’s job. But even this seems to be a difficult job for computers.
It’s so hard for computers because translation doesn’t — or shouldn’t — involve simply translating words, sentences or paragraphs. Rather, it’s about translating meaning. And in order to infer meaning from a specific expression, people need to understand a lot of information all at once. Think about all the related clues that help us understand what someone is trying to say: volume, gesture, situations, and even your culture. All are likely to convey as much meaning as the words you use.
Therefore, we should doubt a machine that can’t understand our world like we do. If people from different cultures can upset each other without realizing it, how can we expect a machine to do better? Unless engineers actually find a way to breathe a soul into a computer, undoubtedly when it comes to conveying and interpreting meaning using a natural language, a machine will never fully take our place.
1. What does the underlined word “imminent” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Ready. | B．Confusing. | C．Unpractical. | D．Coming. |
| A．The real meaning of words can vary. |
| B．Their data is not rich enough. |
| C．Their accuracy needs big improvement. |
| D．A man’s soul hasn’t been breathed in them. |
| A．Proper translation can be difficult for computers. |
| B．Slight differences doesn’t matter in translation. |
| C．Machines will translate our world properly. |
| D．Cultures need more attention than words used. |
| A．An Expert’s Prediction. | B．Travel without Headache. |
| C．The Pleasure of Translation. | D．Will the Language Barrier (障碍) Actually Fall? |
2 . Edwin Hubble made his most important discoveries in the 1920s. Today, other astronomers continue the work he began. Many of them are using the Hubble Space Telescope that is named after him.
Edwin Powell Hubble was born in 1889 in Marshfield, Missouri. He spent his early years in the state of Kentucky. Then he moved with his family to Chicago, in Louisville. He attended the University of Chicago. He studied mathematics and astronomy. Hubble was a good student. He was a good athlete, too. He was a member of the University of Chicago championship basketball team in 1909. He also was an excellent boxer. Several people urged him to train for the world heavyweight boxing championship after college. Instead, he decided to continue his studies. He went to Queen’s College at Oxford, England.
At Oxford, Hubble studied law. He was interested in British Common Law, because his family had come to America from England many years before. He spent three years at Oxford. In 1913, Hubble returned to the United States. He opened a law office in Louisville, Kentucky. After a short time, however, he decided he did not want to be a lawyer. He returned to the University of Chicago. There, once again, he studied astronomy. Edwin Hubble was the first person to use the Hale Telescope.He died in 1953 while preparing to spend four nights looking through the telescope at the sky.
Hubble’s work led to new researches on the birth of the universe. One astronomer said scientists have been filling in the details ever since. And, he said, there is a long way to go.
1. According to this passage, what was Edwin Hubble most interested in?| A．Sports. | B．Law. |
| C．Astronomy. | D．Mathematics. |
| A．Because he was interested in British Common Law. |
| B．Because he was eager to be a famous judge in future. |
| C．Because his parents had been to Britain a few years before. |
| D．Because he wanted to go on with the study of astronomy. |
a. He joined the University of Chicago championship basketball team.
b. He studied astronomy at the University of Chicago once again.
c. He moved to Louisville with his family.
d. He used the Hale Telescope to look at the sky.
e, He became a lawyer in Louisville for a short period of time.
| A．c, a, b, d, e | B．a, c, b, e, d | C．c, a, e, b, d | D．a, b, d, e, c |
| A．The Hubble Space Telescope was made by Hubble himself. |
| B．Edwin Powell Hubble went to Oxford, England in 1910. |
| C．Edwin Powell Hubble grew up in Marshfield, Missouri. |
| D．Hubble died while he was looking at the sky. |
3 . Tea culture is varied in different countries by the way tea is made and drunk, and by the places for tea drinking. How to make tea may be different. According to the ways of making tea, tea is classified (分类) into white tea, green tea, black tea, etc. And how to prepare tea may be different, too. In Tibet, tea is commonly boiled with salt and butter. People may drink tea at home or in public, for example, at tea houses.
As part of culture, tea has a relationship with history, health, education, communication and so on. It is commonly used at social activities. For example, afternoon tea is a British custom. Families or friends can communicate with each other while having afternoon tea.
Tea has remained a way of daily life in China and drinking tea has a lot of advantages. It makes people less tired, clears heat in the human body and helps people lose weight.
Chinese people are good at using tea to make other things delicious. Tea, originally (最初) served as a medicine in ancient times, is now not just a kind of drink, but also excellent seasoning (调味品). Here are two delicious dishes made with tea:
Tea Eggs: You can find them cooked and sold in street markets in almost every city in China. Dragon Well Tea Shrimp (龙井虾仁). It’s one of the most well-known dishes in Hangzhou. Before you drink tea, please check the following tips:
♦ Drink tea hot.
♦ The best time to drink is in between meals. It is bad for your stomach if you drink tea just before meals, during meals or soon after meals.
♦ Do not drink too much strong tea.
1. Afternoon tea in Britain is a _________ according to the passage.| A．way of communication | B．hobby |
| C．game | D．weekend activity |
| A．a medicine | B．a drink | C．seasoning | D．a dish |
| A．just before meals | B．during meals |
| C．soon after meals | D．in between meals |
| A．ways of making tea | B．places to drink tea |
| C．tools for drinking tea | D．advantages of drinking tea |
4 . Dr. Mantri is an India-born British woman. As she grew up, a teacher used an abacus (算盘) to help her
Dhruv was in fifth-grade when his mother started to notice he was
In just six days he started to show
Now Dr. Mantri is using the abacus to
“Seeing Dhruv’s
Dhruv has
| A．fully | B．correctly | C．normally | D．visually |
| A．advanced | B．ancient | C．senior | D．standard |
| A．deal with | B．bring up | C．run into | D．go around |
| A．beginning | B．meeting | C．working | D．struggling |
| A．balance | B．memory | C．performance | D．judgement |
| A．developing | B．designing | C．improving | D．employing |
| A．patience | B．progress | C．relation | D．satisfaction |
| A．change | B．thought | C．fame | D．decision |
| A．comment | B．advice | C．agreement | D．feedback |
| A．tutor | B．monitor | C．examine | D．treat |
| A．although | B．if | C．because | D．when |
| A．difficulties | B．conflicts | C．connections | D．competitions |
| A．landed | B．offered | C．refused | D．requested |
| A．abandoning | B．seeking | C．finishing | D．risking |
| A．curious | B．concerned | C．confident | D．particular |
5 . One of my wonderful memories is about a Christmas gift. Unlike other gifts, it came without wrap (包装).
On September 11th, 1958, Mum gave birth to Richard. After she brought him home from hospital, she put him in my lap, saying, “I promised you a gift, and here it is.” What an honour! I turned four a month earlier and none of my friends had such a baby doll of their own. I played with it day and night. I sang to it. I told it stories. I told it over and over how much I loved it!
One morning, however, I found its bed empty. My doll was gone! I cried for it.Mum wept and told me that the poor little thing had been sent to a hospital. It had a fever. For several days, I heard Mum and Dad whispering such words as “hopeless”, “pitiful”, and “dying”, which sounded ominous.
Christmas was coming. “Don’t expect any presents this year,” Dad said, pointing at the socks I hung in the living room.“If your baby brother lives, that’ll be Christmas enough.” As he spoke, his eyes filled with tears. I’d never seen him cry before.
The phone rang early on Christmas morning. Dad jumped out of bed to answer it. From my bedroom I heard him say, “What? He’s all right?” He hung up and shouted upstairs. “The hospital said we can bring Richard home!”
“Thank God!” I heard Mum cry.
From the upstairs window, I watched my parents rush out to the car. I had never seen them so happy. And I was also full of joy. What a wonderful day! My baby doll would be home. I ran downstairs. My socks still hung there flat. But I knew they were not empty; they were filled with love!
1. What happened to the author on September 11th, 1958?| A．He got a baby brother. |
| B．He got a Christmas gift. |
| C．He became four years old. |
| D．He received a doll. |
| A．Impossible. | B．Boring. |
| C．Difficult. | D．Fearful. |
| A．Excitement. | B．Happiness. |
| C．Sadness. | D．Disappointment. |
| A．A sad Christmas day. |
| B．Life with a lovely baby. |
| C．A special Christmas gift. |
| D．Memories of a happy family. |
6 . Mia Samolinski attended the same school as Anthony Zhongor, an 18-year-old freshman, but the two had never met. That night, their paths crossed in the most remarkable way.
Mia had just gotten into her car and was about to drive away, but she hit the gas instead of the brakes. Security footage (录像) shows the car rushing over a sidewalk, hitting a trash can, and then plunging (突然前冲) into the dark, cold water of the bay in just a few short seconds. People rushed to look in the water, but only one person jumped in after Mia, and it was Anthony.
“She went pretty deep in there,” the teenager recalled. “She was striking the door and the window, trying to break the window, of course, and that got me nervous and scared for her, so I just took my clothes off and went into the water.”
Mia’s car began to sink rapidly, but she couldn’t get the doors or windows open. Anthony tried to get the doors open from the outside, but couldn’t quite manage it. As the seconds ticked by, the teenage hero realized he could use his own body weight to push down the heavy front end of the car, making the back end stick out of the water. Mia climbed into the back and managed to escape through the rear hatch (后备箱盖). She and Anthony swam to the shore together. As soon as they were safe, tearful Mia thanked Anthony sincerely for saving her.
Like so many heroes, Anthony did not set out to save a life that night. But he was in the right place, at the right time. “It doesn’t matter who it was, he or she was suffering,” he said, “I couldn’t watch anybody suffering in front of me.”
1. What led Mia into the accident?| A．The brake’s failing. |
| B．Her wrong operation. |
| C．Her awkward driving skill. |
| D．The complex traffic situation. |
| A．He opened the back door. |
| B．He broke one of the windows. |
| C．He kept the back of the car out of the water. |
| D．He managed to push the car to the shallow end. |
| A．Brave and helpful. |
| B．Creative and gifted. |
| C．Lucky and friendly. |
| D．Generous and careful. |
| A．Heroes are never accidental. |
| B．Heroes come from teenagers. |
| C．Heroes are not born but made. |
| D．Behind every hero hides a tragedy. |
7 . Never climbed before? It doesn’t matter! Boulders Indoor Climbing Centre is a fantastic outing for the whole family that’s guaranteed to pack your day with fun and adventure! No experience is necessary.
Under the guidance of qualified instructors, you will step outside of your comfort zone in a safe and controlled environment. All equipment is provided — just bring your spirit of adventure and your willingness to challenge yourself! Boulders specializes in introducing people of all abilities into this vertical (垂直的) world in a fun, safe and inclusive way!
With climbing walls that reach between 4 to 12 metres in height, Boulders, whose task is to teach you all the skills required to climb safely, is designed to train the bravest explorer. You will learn how to move around the climbing wall in a safe manner, and how to differentiate (区分) between grades and varieties of techniques.
There’s even a café on site with free Wi-Fi, so send the children to climb and check in with the office while you’re enjoying a skinny latte! Boulders offers a wide range of climbing activities, including:
Climbing classes for children, families, students and adults
Birthday parties for all ages
Children’s holiday activities
Soft play for children 7 years old and under
Climbing-Introduction courses
Opening hours: Mon.-Thur. 10:00-22:00
Fri. 10:00-21:00
Sat.-Sun. 10:00-18:00
Price: Adults £15 Children £10
The price includes entry to the wall after the session, your one-off registration fee and shoe hire.
Family pass: £38
Up to 4 persons. Rental shoes & chalk included.
1. Which is the requirement for the climbers in Boulders Indoor Climbing Centre?| A．Awareness of safety. | B．Being brave and adventurous. |
| C．Previous experience of rock climbing. | D．Abilities to communicate with others. |
| A．To instruct the climbers to gain skills of climbing safely. |
| B．To help instructors to enjoy the spirit of adventure. |
| C．To guarantee the climbers out of their comfort zones. |
| D．To equip learners with abilities to design climbing walls. |
| A．Having soft play at 10 am on Wednesday. |
| B．Attending a birthday party at 8 pm on Saturday. |
| C．Taking climbing classes at noon on Sunday. |
| D．Attending climbing classes at 9 am every Friday. |
8 . Enjoy Fresh Air
Namba Parks, Osaka, Japan
Architects creating Namba Parks shopping mall in Osaka showed that you needn’t sacrifice (牺牲) green spaces for commercial (商业的) development.
The shopping center, built in 2003, provides eight floors of commercial space for cinemas, stores, events and restaurants.
The garden at its top begins at street level. Visitors are treated to green spaces and there is no money necessary to enjoy the simple pleasures.
Promenade Plantee, Paris, France
The space was developed on a disused railway line and runs from the Opera Bastille to the Bois de Vincennes in the city.
Around 1.5 km of the park is higher than the street, with other parts at street level, even passing through disused railway tunnels (隧道).
The project began in 1988 and finished in 1994 and the space is now home to many trees and plants, including bamboo and cherry trees.
Jurong Lake Gardens, Singapore, Singapore
Jurong Lake Gardens is a 90-hectare green space in the heart of Singapore. Although some areas are still under development, the first part opened in 2019.
The gardens were developed with nature and community in mind — with a large 2.3-hectare play area for children. The park has also developed a learning program to help educate students about biodiversity (生物多样性).
The High Line, New York, USA
You’ve probably heard of Central Park in New York. But did you know this is only the fifth largest park in New York, a city that has 180 state parks in total?
Wanting to increase its biodiversity further, city planners also created a city park known as the High Line between 2009 and 2019. This 2-kilometer public park was built on a disused railway line and is now home to over 150,000 plants and trees.
1. Why is Namba Parks special?| A．It serves as a shopping center. | B．It is still under development. |
| C．It is the fifth largest park in Japan. | D．It includes different parks in Osaka. |
| A．They were created by architects from Singapore. |
| B．They are famous for learning programs. |
| C．They were private gardens at first. |
| D．They are ‘on old railway lines. |
| A．Namba Parks. | B．Promenade Plantee. |
| C．Jurong Lake Gardens | D．The High Line. |
9 . I spent this summer with my sister.
I really valued this
What did I learn about my sister from this vacation?
She likes to
She is an excellent planner. The ability to plan is one trait (品质) we share. We are both able to
She is more
Sisters can be different and still enjoy each other’s
| A．luck | B．choice | C．information | D．chance |
| A．lived | B．rested | C．shared | D．met |
| A．students | B．friends | C．kids | D．sisters |
| A．climb | B．run | C．compete | D．play |
| A．kept up with | B．come up with | C．put up with | D．caught up with |
| A．introduce | B．attend | C．enjoy | D．organize |
| A．thankful | B．hopeful | C．thoughtful | D．successful |
| A．agreeable | B．new | C．close | D．important |
| A．abroad | B．together | C．online | D．alone |
| A．creative | B．honest | C．popular | D．active |
| A．finished | B．slept | C．arrived | D．left |
| A．neighbors | B．users | C．visitors | D．hosts |
| A．follower | B．guide | C．partner | D．guest |
| A．confidence | B．life | C．change | D．company |
| A．report | B．repeat | C．remember | D．discover |
10 . For eight years, Handshouse Studio has worked to create toys for Emily and Ruth, two Asian elephants at the Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford.
The founders of the organization, Rick and Laura Brown, are both art teachers and created the “Toys for Elephants” program to challenge their students to make toys for Emily and Ruth and raise the quality of their lives at the zoo. Emily and Ruth were saved from a failed circus (马戏团) in Asia and were badly treated in their youth.
In the spring, the art students make the toys out of wood and other materials (材料). At the end of the semester, the class sends them to Emily and Ruth at the zoo.
This year, the Norwell Fire Department gave away old fire hoses (消防水龙带) to the class. “It’s interesting what use people find in old hoses,” Fire Chief Andrew Reardon said. “To create toys for elephants was certainly a first.” Reardon said they were happy to give Handshouse the old hose to make toys for the elephants and that it was a special chance to be a part of that. “It’s not every day you get to help make toys for elephants,” Reardon said.
Once at the zoo, the students set up their toys around the empty elephant house and quickly leave so Emily and Ruth may come in to play with their new toys. “The students have really embraced this and they really want to have a part to play in solving the serious problem of keeping animals in captivity (圈养),” Rick said.
Handshouse Studio decided to work with other zoos and art and design organizations around the world with the “Toys for Elephants” program. Already, they have been getting calls from all over the world, including New Zealand, Germany and Thailand.
1. What is the purpose of the program from Handshouse Studio?| A．To teach students how to design handmade toys. |
| B．To attract visitors to the Buttonwood Park Zoo. |
| C．To save wild elephants from circuses in Asia. |
| D．To improve the lives of elephants at the zoo. |
| A．By volunteering at the park. |
| B．By making toys with the students. |
| C．By providing toy-making materials. |
| D．By raising money for Emily and Ruth. |
| A．Missed. | B．Accepted. | C．Needed. | D．Helped. |
| A．It has drawn worldwide attention. |
| B．It has made the zoo very-famous. |
| C．It has been a big step in art education. |
| D．It has shown the public the value of zoos. |
