1 . Hugging probably isn’t the first thing when thinking about what robots could help humankind with. Alexis E. Block and her colleagues have been involved in the HuggieBot project for years, trying to be trailblazers of a robot that could deliver human-like hugs.
The creators of HuggieBot 3.0 claim that it is “the first fully autonomous human-sized hugging robot”. It features a custom sensing system called “HuggieChest” consisting of two inflated (膨胀的) parts to imitate a soft chest. But there’s a lot more than a soft chest to the HuggieBot 3.0. The advanced robot delivers hugs using a pair of arms mounted to a custom metal frame (框架) that were selected for being human-like, quiet, and safe. As a hug takes place, a pressure sensor and microphone inside the artificial chest detect human touch and begin transmitting data via a board to a Robot Operating System (ROS)-based computer located in the HuggieBot 3.0’s 3D-printed head.
The team used feedback from 512 real people over 32 trials to train a machine learning system. “The HuggieBot 3.0 can stay still, move slightly vertically (垂直地), tap or pat a person’s back and squeeze with-varying degrees of pressure The team wrote in a recent study.
Alexis E. Block started working on the original HuggieBot back in 2016. The first version was built on six “hugging commandments” to autonomously enter into and end a hug. The HuggieBot 2.0 took the project a step further by integrating sensing perception, but the 3.0 version is the most advanced version with five added hugging commandments to deliver a human, like hugging experience.
In a recent test, 12 participants who hugged the robot for longer declared that they felt it was “significantly nicer to hug” than previous ones.
The HuggieBot 3.0 isn’t perfect, and its creators point out that it isn’t quite like hugging a real person just yet, but they are already working on a fourth version that should come with improved hug positioning and techniques. They hope that one day HuggieBot will be able to take the place of the sensation of human bugging to perfection.
1. What does the underlined word “trailblazers” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Trackers. | B．Protectors. | C．Pioneers. | D．Criticizers. |
| A．Its designing process. | B．Its main function. |
| C．Its working principle. | D．Its practical usage. |
| A．It works fully autonomously. | B．It perceives people’s senses. |
| C．It pats and squeezes a person gently. | D．It offers human life hugging experience. |
| A．Promising. | B．Far-reaching. | C．Profitable. | D．Uncertain. |
2 . Giving thanks is very important in our daily life — and it turns out humans have been doing it for a long, long time. As more researchers dig into the science of gratitude, they’ve found the feeling likely played a key role in helping our ancestors band together and survive.
Humans are social animals. That’s how we’ve lasted so long; not by being the biggest or the strongest, but by figuring out how to work together. A key part of building relationships is the idea of give-and-take. The animal kingdom has some similar behaviors, said Malini Suchak, an animal behavior researcher at Canisius University. In experiments with capuchin monkeys (卷尾猴) and chimpanzees (黑猩猩), Suchak found the primates (灵长类动物) became more willing to help out a partner if that individual had helped them in the past.
Thousands of years later, gratitude has taken root in humans. Studies have found gratitude may show up in a few spots in our genes and brains. And the feeling comes out early on during growth. Children as young as 2 and 3demonstrate they want to return favors.
In a study, Vaish found that when kids got help completing a task — in this case, finding a key to unlock a box of stickers — they were more likely to share their sticker reward with a new person. It’s that kind of behavior that shows gratitude is more than simple exchange. Schnitker said. It can make us more generous with other people in general — even if they didn’t help us first.
Giving thanks might be good for you, too: A 2016 study found that people who wrote letters of gratitude reported better mental health and saw changes in their brain activity. But Nelson pointed out that recognizing the giver, not just the gift, is key. So, if thanksgiving has you in a mood for gratitude, she suggested focusing on thanking the people in your life, rather than just making “gratitude lists” of the stuff you have. This is more in line with why the feeling evolved in the first place, she said. “It’s not just about stuff and materialism,” Nelson said. “It’s about relationships and the things that people do for you, and then the things that you can in turn do back for other people.”
1. What is crucial in strengthening human connection according to the passage?| A．Being grateful. | B．Being creative. |
| C．Being social. | D．Being intelligent. |
| A．To show kids like to play with stickers. |
| B．To prove humans like to share with others. |
| C．To demonstrate kids are willing to help others. |
| D．To stress gratitude extends beyond give-and-take. |
| A．Cherish the gifts you receive. | B．Write more letters of gratitude. |
| C．Offer more help to people around you. | D．Value the giver and express appreciation. |
| A．Gratitude: Part of How We Evolved | B．Gratitude: Children’s Inborn Nature |
| C．Gratitude: A Significant Human Virtue | D．Gratitude: Way to Develop Relationships |
3 . Landscape paintings of the 19th century displayed in London’s Tate Britain museum looked rather familiar to Anna Lea Albright, a climate researcher. Artist William Turner’s unique way of painting objects in foggy weather let Albright recall her early research on air pollution.
“I started wondering if there was a connection,” says Albright, who visited the museum on a day off from work. Turner — an English Romantic painter — was painting as increasing industrial plants earned London the name “The Big Smoke”. Turner’s early works were done with sharp details while later works had a dreamier aesthetic (美感).
To figure out to what extent Impressionists were reflecting the environmental conditions of that time, Albright partnered with climatologist Peter Huybers. They analyzed the contrast of 60 works created by Turner from 1796 to 1850 and 38 paintings by Monet between 1864 and 1901. It turned out that as the release of sulfur dioxide (二氧化硫) increased over time, the amount of contrast in both Turner’s and Monet’s paintings decreased. However, works set in Paris by Monet between 1864 and 1872 showed relatively higher contrast compared with Turner’s London-based works created 20 years earlier. This, Albright and Huybers say, can be due to the much slower start of the Industrial Revolution in France.
The researchers also analyzed the paintings’ visibility, or the distance at which an object can be clearly seen. Before 1830, the visibility in Turner’s paintings averaged about 25 kilometers while paintings after 1830 had the average visibility of about 10 kilometers. To strengthen their argument, the researchers also analyzed 18 paintings from four other London-and Paris-based Impressionists. Again, as outdoor air pollution increased, the contrast and visibility in the paintings decreased.
The researchers calculate that air pollution can explain about 61 percent of contrast differences between the paintings. In that respect, “different painters will paint in a similar way when the environment is similar,” Albright says. “But I don’t want to overstep the line and say: Oh, we can explain all of Impressionism.”
1. Why is Albright’s visit to a museum mentioned?| A．To connect art with research. | B．To introduce previous foggy weather. |
| C．To show impacts of Turner’s painting. | D．To explain inspiration for her new study. |
| A．His personal habits. | B．His drawing techniques. |
| C．The higher level of industrialization. | D．The influence of Impressionists. |
| A．Painting styles vary with time and regions. | B．Air pollution needs to be controlled. |
| C．Lower visibility is more popular in works. | D．Changes in it may relate to air quality. |
| A．Objective. | B．Optimistic. | C．Enthusiastic. | D．Doubtful. |
4 . Into Film is a UK film education charity, which puts film at the heart of young people’s learning, contributing to their cultural, creative and personal development. Among all its most popular courses, this filmmaking and animation course will teach you how to use simple filmmaking techniques to aid assessment and attainment across the curriculum for young people aged 5-19. You’ll discover how film can be used as powerful tools to encourage active learning and enable your pupils to establish strong connections with any area of the subjects.
How is the class arranged?
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Duration 3 weeks
Weekly study 3 hours
100% online
Unlimited subscription $349.99 $244.99 for one whole yearWhat topics will the course cover?
·Explore how to make simple films with your pupils
·Consider how to use filmmaking as a tool for assessment
·Learn how to evaluate the filmmaking process ensuring progression
·Design a range of filmmaking briefs that can ensure filmmaking projects are class-focused
·Plan how to run in-class and remote filmmaking projects efficiently
·Learn how to use filmmaking software
At every step of the course, you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments. Lola C., a course learner, says, “This course is a very useful guide to introducing the magic of films to class. It’s a very funny way for students to learn any subject.”
So if you have any interest, don’t hesitate to come and join us. You’ll be amazed by the resources shared!
1. What do we know about the course?| A．It targets specifically educators. | B．It is operated both online and offline. |
| C．It is the most popular course of Into Film. | D．It focuses on young pupils’ development. |
| A．Evaluate films professionally. | B．Create class-based filmmaking projects. |
| C．Develop filmmaking software for class use. | D．Have greater familiarity with famous films. |
| A．To show the magic power of films. | B．To stress the popularity of the course. |
| C．To promote the use of films in class. | D．To attract readers to apply for the course. |
5 . I have always been a design enthusiast and painting something never fails to fill me up with joy. Once I took my brother’s old shoes and started my creation on them on a casual afternoon. He had almost decided to throw them away, but that was when I picked them up, thinking to give it a shot with the pictures. When my brother saw the final piece, he decided to wear the shoes again.
The concept, Upcycling Is A Fun Process, occurred to me that day. I understood that if I can give a makeover to certain things, they’ll be of use again and there is nothing better than returning the use to something while protecting nature.
I shared my work online and started making notebooks, bookmarks, and name signs. Gradually I sharpened my skills. For almost a year, I have been trying my hand at upcycling things such as shoes, bags, T-shirts and so on, for many people. I make over things in different ways to suit the needs of their future owners; that is what I put before everything else in most of my works.
I see upcycling as an opportunity to give a makeover to old stuff, restore its value, reduce waste and have lots of fun. I want to normalize upcycling, especially in a world where “ring out the old, ring in the new” is so common with fast fashion trends, fast food, and our boredom with most material things.
With respect to art and upcycling, I soon start working on jeans to give them a new look. Most of us throw away our old jeans just because they’re behind the times. But they can be something that is all the rage. I’m aiming to take those pitiful pairs of pants and turn them into something worth keeping and in style. Such practices are always beneficial as they help with sustainable development. After all, we have limited resources and must use them wisely.
1. What gave the author the idea of upcycling old things?| A．Her design talent. | B．A cheer from her brother. |
| C．A painting experience. | D．Her concern over the environment. |
| A．Improving her skill. | B．Tailoring every object. |
| C．Keeping original value. | D．Avoiding material waste. |
| A．To stress the value of old things. | B．To criticize the craze for new trends. |
| C．To show difficulties with her work. | D．To explain the necessity of upcycling. |
| A．On-trend. | B．Wear-resistant. | C．Eco-friendly. | D．Good-looking. |
6 . A gap year in South Africa after high school lit Emily Parfit’s passion for education, which she loved so much that she considered remaining in South Africa and giving up a college education.
Her father talked with her about how she could have an impact on the kids that came to her classroom every year if she stayed. He also told her she could come back, get a college education and have a much broader, systemic impact. That conversation convinced Parfit to return and concentrate on mechanical engineering at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
She loved math classes, computer science classes and physics classes, as what all of those subjects have in common is finding ways of dealing with problems, and that’s been the theme that runs throughout her career. She loved addressing tricky problems, breaking them down into their component pieces, and dealing with them one at a time.
Parfit combined that love and the method to build a career settling some of the most pressing challenges in education. She’s a partner at Education Resource Strategies (ERS), a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that helps U.S. school districts promote fairness in education and improved outcomes for all of their students—especially those with the greatest learning needs and those being furthest from the educational opportunity. “I’m so glad I can apply the skills I built in the field of education,” she said.
Parfit doesn’t stop here. She teamed up with local businesses to offer internships (实习岗位) to high school students, and engaged with community partners who can offer enrichment activities. “For so long, schools have been a place where one teacher faces a fixed number of kids,” Parfit said. “Schools and systems were set up as if all students needed the same things. We’re trying to cooperate with communities to broaden available resources to create learning experiences beyond a classroom that unlock every child’s potential.”
1. What did Parfit do after her gap year in South Africa?| A．She majored in education. | B．She stayed there to teach. |
| C．She sought higher education. | D．She bonded with her father. |
| A．It made her a partner of ERS. | B．It enabled her to start a business. |
| C．It gave access to professional courses. | D．It developed her problem-solving techniques. |
| A．To combine love with teaching. | B．To bring equal education to US kids. |
| C．To meet US students’ learning needs. | D．To help US kids study with a good approach. |
| A．To enrich classroom activities. | B．To inspire students’ love for learning. |
| C．To widen students’ working experience. | D．To offer out-of-class learning opportunities. |
7 . With huge golden eyes and a distinctive call, a species of owl (猫头鹰) was finally spotted from Príncipe Island, just off Africa’s western coast. Officially named the Principe scops-owl, it is the eighth known bird species found only on that island.
“I was studying the grey parrot population of Príncipe Island with Bikegila, a local parrot harvester, who was one of the first people to spot the owl while searching for baby parrots in the early 1990s. He told me two instances where instead of finding baby parrots inside the parrot’s nests, they found a frightening-looking bird with big eyes. I immediately thought about owls,” says lead researcher Martim Melo.
Melo points out that the most interesting part of the new species is how they had hidden for so long. Their genetic (基因的) analysis shows that they are related to the very first owl that lived on one of the Gulf of Guinea islands. They arrived in Príncipe before any owl on neighboring islands but they were still the last to be discovered. “From my first conjecture about their existence, in 1998, it took me nearly 20 years to first set eyes on them!” Melo says.
While there are thought to be nearly 1,000 to 1,500 individuals of the newly described species, the researchers suggest that they are critically endangered. The main threat is that the species is found only in a single population in an area of about 34 square kilometers but they use only about half of that or less. “Although inside this area they are relatively common, they are also highly sensitive to any changes that may occur here,” Melo says. “Our results have shown that the species is very sensitive to human disturbance. A particular threat that worries us is the plan to build a hydroelectric dam. This will require construction work inside the park in an area where the owl is present.”
1. What can be learned about the Príncipe scops-owl?| A．It was mistaken for a parrot initially. | B．It was discovered purely by accident. |
| C．It was the only bird unique to the island. | D．It was first seen and studied by Martim Melo. |
| A．Guess. | B．Opinion. | C．Knowledge. | D．Concern |
| A．Their numbers are decreasing. | B．They suffer from much human disturbance. |
| C．They just live in a limited area. | D．Their living places are occupied by humans. |
| A．To show the critical role of owls in African ecosystems. |
| B．To uncover long-hidden secrets of Príncipe scops-owls. |
| C．To present growing threats to new owl species in Africa. |
| D．To introduce a new owl species found on Príncipe Island. |
8 . Watering my plants and watching my grandkids run around my vegetable garden, I was filled with joy. They are my
Six years ago, though, I
My husband and I had just changed our
I love walking through my garden, with my little
| A．way | B．chance | C．reason | D．attempt |
| A．specifically | B．barely | C．carefully | D．seriously |
| A．wasted | B．stored | C．selected | D．consumed |
| A．practices | B．struggles | C．preferences | D．tasks |
| A．wrote down | B．came across | C．went over | D．figured out |
| A．decisive | B．immediate | C．potential | D．destructive |
| A．mind | B．focus | C．identity | D．position |
| A．rebuild | B．better | C．understand | D．refresh |
| A．arranged | B．applied | C．determined | D．demanded |
| A．checked | B．translated | C．recorded | D．attached |
| A．distinct | B．safe | C．free | D．separate |
| A．customers | B．tracks | C．servants | D．shadows |
| A．rewarding | B．necessary | C．challenging | D．reasonable |
| A．regardless of | B．apart from | C．but for | D．thanks to |
| A．green | B．healthy | C．well | D．forward |
9 . For a place with a reputation for bottling up feelings, Britain is remarkably honest about mental health problems. The British are more likely than people in any other rich country to think that mental illness is a disease like any other and that support should be sought. Only the Swedes hold the idea that a history of mental health problems should not disqualify someone from public office.
Much of the rich world has struggled with rising rates of self-reported mental health problems. But the numbers in Britain are frightening. Around 4.5 million Britons were in contact with mental health services in 2021-2022, which was almost 1 million higher than five years ago. A National Health Service (NHS) survey in 2023 found that one in five 8-to 16-year-olds in England had a probable mental disorder, up from one in eight in 2017. In 17-to 19-year-olds the figure had increased from one in ten to one in four.
It is good that people do not feel they must bottle things up. Awareness of mental health has raised public knowledge of mental health disorders and revealed that many Britons’ needs are not met, but it has caused damage, too.
Despite the best intentions, campaigns intended to raise awareness are leading some people to combine normal responses to life’s difficulties with mental health disorders. Special treatment creates motivations for people to seek diagnoses (诊断) and to medicalise problems unnecessarily. The need to treat people with milder conditions competes with care for those who have the most severe ones. Medicalising mild worry may not benefit patients; instead, normal teaching is just as good for mental health. But the great harm from over diagnosis is to those who most need help.
Britons’ approaches to mental health require several changes. More money should go on research so that individuals are treated appropriately. More time and effort should be given to those most in need of help. All suffering should be taken seriously, but a diagnosis is not always in someone’s best interests.
1. What is Britons’ attitude towards mental health problems?| A．Conservative. | B．Uncaring. | C．Critical. | D．Open. |
| A．By listing examples. | B．By analyzing the causes. |
| C．By presenting the statistics. | D．By referring to professionals’ views. |
| A．Ignorance of milder mental cases. | B．Over-medicalisation of normal stress. |
| C．The lack of teaching in mental health. | D．Unnecessary treatment for most diseases. |
| A．Britain’s Mental Health Mess | B．New Social Crisis in Britain |
| C．Reform in Britons’ Mental Health | D．Britons’ Rising Mental Disorders |
10 . Travel always gives me much energy. As a new travel writer, I was
Then, a year after that trip, an
When she was six, we flew to the Riviera Maya in Mexico. I was impressed by how
| A．suitable | B．grateful | C．concerned | D．anxious |
| A．give up | B．hold back | C．talk about | D．fall into |
| A．appeal | B．popularity | C．nature | D．necessity |
| A．prepared | B．convinced | C．promoted | D．energized |
| A．advertisement | B．effort | C．invitation | D．order |
| A．Stopping | B．Keeping | C．Watching | D．Leaving |
| A．appreciate | B．prove | C．estimate | D．applaud |
| A．interviewing | B．challenging | C．testing | D．entertaining |
| A．eager | B．ready | C．likely | D．unable |
| A．agent | B．companion | C．manager | D．guide |
| A．hopeless | B．selfless | C．fearless | D．aimless |
| A．flight | B．train | C．ship | D．taxi |
| A．lead | B．bring | C．greet | D．seat |
| A．confirming | B．presenting | C．shaping | D．reminding |
| A．adaptable | B．innovative | C．knowledgeable | D．sensitive |
