2 .
Stephen Hawking (1942-2018)

Stephen Hawking was a famous physicist. He was born in 1942. He died at his home on March 14^th, 2018 in Cambridge, Britain.

As one of the well-known physicists on space and time in the world, Hawking devoted his whole life to discovering the secrets of the universe, and he is called the King of the Universe.

Since he was 21 years old, Hawking had been badly ill, but he didn’t give up his hope of living. He went on to study at Cambridge University after graduating from Oxford University. In 1965, he got a doctor’s degree. Then he worked as a professor at Cambridge University.

Hawking was known for his work with black holes. He also wrote several popular science books. Although he didn’t live as freely as others, he still felt he was happy and he was thankful to life. When Hawking was invited to China, he made speeches in some famous universities.

From Stephen Hawking’s whole life, we learn that no matter how bad life is, we should not lose hope. As he once said, “Life is not fair, you just have to do the best you can in your own situation.”

1. Stephen Hawking was           ．

A．a musician

B．a physicist

C．a manager

D．a reporter

2. What is Hawking called according to Paragraph 2?

A．The Father of Clock.	B．The Father of Rice.
C．The King of Comedy.	D．The King of the Universe.

3. When did Hawking get his doctor’s degree?

A．In 1942．

B．In 1965．

C．In 1976．

D．In 2018．

4. Hawking was known for his work with           ．

A．black holes

B．empty holes

C．steam engines

D．light bulbs

5. Stephen Hawking’s life tells us that no matter how bad life is,           ．

A．we should go abroad	B．we should make friends
C．we should not lose hope	D．we should not make mistakes

6 . My father was the kind of guy who could walk into a room full of strangers and leave with new best friends for life! He was a hard worker and was known as “Mr Fix-It” to everyone. He was also one of the most cheerful, affable (和葛可亲的) and gentle people you would ever meet, which made us, his beloved daughters feel proud.

But when Dad was in his fifties, my family began to notice him struggling. His work and skills began to become worse and worse, and he became depressed and withdrawn. This was not the man I knew. At the age of fifty-eight, Dad was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. As for our family, it was the worst.

Our first step was to attend a meeting hosted by the Alzheimer’s Association to learn more about the disease and programs that might help us. That meeting inspired me to start a Walk to End Alzheimer’s^® team. But I still wanted to do more. In 2017, I became a board member of the Alzheimer’s Association Delaware Valley Chapter.

The loss from this disease is gradual. My father’s decline continued for several years. Losing my father more and more each day was leaving a big hole in my heart and my life. I decided to fill that hole with action to honor my father.

That’s why I recently decided to leave a gift to the Alzheimer’s Association by naming it as a beneficiary of my retirement plan. My future gift will provide money to support research because I don’t want another person in my family or someone in other families to have to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease.

I am so proud to be able to honor my father and other family members who lost their fights to Alzheimer’s in this way. My dad was an inspiration to me, and I hope, through my gift, I can inspire others to join in the fight to end Alzheimer’s.

1. What can we infer about the author’s father before having Alzheimer’s?

A．He was an outgoing man.	B．He hiked with strangers.
C．He made a living by sales.	D．He was a popular repairer of cars.

2. What did the author initially do for her father’s disease?

A．She consulted many experts.	B．She established a research team.
C．She gained more relevant information.	D．She funded the Alzheimer’s Association.

3. What gift does the author leave to the Alzheimer’s Association?

A．Research funds for the disease.	B．A record of her father’s mental state.
C．Her research papers on families like hers.	D．Experts’ suggestions on her father’s disease.

4. What does the author focus on in the last paragraph?

A．Her precious gift.	B．Her father’s firm confidence.
C．Her future expectation.	D．Her father’s original motivation.

7 . From life-saving medical technologies to everyday household items, these four brilliant women left an indelible mark on history with their inventions.

Modern ironing board by Sarah Boone

Before the invention, clothing used to be ironed on wooden planks balanced between chairs. Though it seems like a simple invention, Bone put a lot of thoughts into it, which was evident in the end product. Aside from solving the initial problem of uneven ironing, Boone also made the ironing board’s legs folded for storage and designed a curved (弧形的) shape for the body to accommodate sleeves and curved areas. Alongside her invention, Boone also became one of the first African-American woman to receive a patent.

Silk by Empress Lei Zu

Though there is no way of confirming the account, ancient writings (including Confucius’) attribute the first invention of silk to the Chinese Empress Lei Zu, who was four-teen at the time and had been enjoying tea in the imperial gardens when a fateful incident took place. A cocoon (茧) fell into her teacup and lost its cohesiveness (粘结性) upon contact with the hot water. The fact that the cocoon was a single strand of silk had drawn Lei Zu’s attention and she wove the thread into fabric, creating silk cloth.

Caller ID and call waiting by Shirley Ann Jackson

Dr Shirley Ann Jackson broke the glass ceiling as the first African-American woman to be awarded a doctorate from MIT. She contributed to the invention of caller ID and call waiting during her research period at AT&.T Bell Laboratories, so we can now see the phone number and name of whoever is ringing our phones.

Spray-on skin repair technique by Fiona Wood

Dr Fiona Wood introduced spray-on skin repair technique to the world in the 1990s. The technique changed the way in which burn victims used to be treated, as spray-on skin repair technique can be directly applied to wounds to form a new layer of skin that promotes healing and minimises the risk of infection.

1. What can we learn about Sarah Boone?

A．She learned a lot from ironing.	B．She solved the problem of washing.
C．She created a piece of useful furniture.	D．She was the first person to receive a patent.

2. What inspired Lei Zu to find silk?

A．Her interest in drinking tea.	B．A cocoon dropping into her cup.
C．A desire to write something crucial.	D．Her working in the imperial gardens.

3. Who made a contribution to medical cause?

A．Sarah Boone.

B．Lei Zu.

C．Shirley Ann Jackson.

D．Fiona Wood.

8 . The world is full of opportunities. Ignoring them or seizing one depends on one’s attitude. Mike seized the chance and did what he wanted to do.

Mike used to be a janitor (看门人) at a (n) _______ school. He collected and cleared away the _______ for the school too. This school has a _______ place in Mike’s heart. He went to this school as a young boy and was a _______ there for 19 years. However, before his career in teaching, he _______ in the same school as a janitor. He has always been good at _______ with students. They loved chatting with him and they treated him like a _______ .

Seeing this, the teachers _______ him to pursue a teaching career. After years of hard work and fierce _______ , Mike finished his degree in 2003 and ________ a teaching job at the elementary school after he ________ with a degree. Since then, he has become a constant ________ in the school,

Mike found teaching a very ________ job, For him, it was important that the students grow up not just remembering the ________ but also how a teacher made them feel. Mike was excited to teach the children at the school and was ________ to teach the fifth grade. He was shocked when the directors offered him the ________ of principal a week before the school year started.

“I am ________ grateful. I don’t do anything special. I just ________ and try my best,” said Mike. He was also very excited to take on the challenges of being the new ________ of the school, assume new responsibilities and help ________ the school.

1.

A．secondary

B．advanced

C．particular

D．elementary

2.

A．bag

B．mouse

C．refuse

D．beggar

3.

A．special

B．formal

C．mobile

D．confusing

4.

A．guard

B．cleaner

C．teacher

D．cook

5.

A．lived

B．worked

C．studied

D．arrived

6.

A．quarrelling

B．debating

C．fighting

D．communicating

7.

A．boy

B．student

C．friend

D．citizen

8.

A．commanded

B．encouraged

C．constructed

D．allowed

9.

A．determination

B．appreciation

C．suffering

D．impression

10.

A．rejected

B．obtained

C．offered

D．reformed

11.

A．quit

B．responded

C．hesitated

D．graduated

12.

A．candidate

B．reporter

C．figure

D．cyclist

13.

A．convincing

B．rewarding

C．disturbing

D．entertaining

14.

A．sufferings

B．classmates

C．pleasures

D．lessons

15.

A．prepared

B．guided

C．pressed

D．depressed

16.

A．role

B．desire

C．concern

D．behavior

17.

A．despairingly

B．truly

C．nearly

D．exactly

18.

A．let in

B．get out

C．act aside

D．show up

19.

A．operator

B．visitor

C．leader

D．performer

20.

A．improve

B．search

C．attain

D．rebuild

9 . Conifers (针叶树) are generally better than broad-leaved trees at purifying air from pollutants. But deciduous (落叶的) trees may be better at taking in particle-bound pollution. A new study led by the University of Gothenburg shows that the best trees for air purification depend on the type of pollutants involved.

Trees and other greener in cities provide many benefits that are important for the well-being of residents. Leaves and needled on trees filter air pollutants and reduce exposure to poisonous substance in the air. But which trees purify the air most effectively? Researchers from the University of Gothenburg have collected leaves and needle from eleven different trees growing in the same place in the Gothenburg Botanical Garden (GBG) to analyse which cub-stances they have absorbed.

“This tree collection provided a unique opportunity to test many different species of trees with similar environmental conditions and exposure to air pollutants,” said Jenny Klingberg, a researcher of the GBG

A total of 32 different pollutants were analysed, some of which are bound to articles of various sizes. Others are gaseous. This project has focused on paths (多环芳烃). In cities, traffic is the biggest source of these pollutants, which are released due to incomplete burning in engines.

“Our analysis show that different species of trees have different abilities to absorb air pollutants. Conifers generally absorb morn gaseous paths than broad-leaved trees. Another advantage of conifers is that they also act as air purifies in winter, when air pollution is usually at its highest,” said Jenny Klingberg.

“This study contributes to improving our understanding of the ability of trees to clean the air and which species are best at absorbing air pollutants,” said Jenny Klingberg. This known-edge is important for urban planning when designing sustainable cities. While trees and green-era can contribute to better air quality in cities, at the end of the day, the most important measure is to reduce emissions.

1. Which is the determining factor in choosing the most suitable tries to purify air?

A．Air quality.

B．Geographical location.

C．The height of plants.

D．The kind of pollutants.

2. Why did the researchers collect leaves and needled from GBG?

A．To compare their shapes.	B．To create a tree collection.
C．To figure out what they absorb.	D．To display them on exhibition.

3. What may cause more paths to be released?

A．Fuel vehicle’s.

B．Electric engines.

C．Traffic accidents.

D．Complete burning.

4. What is the most effective way to better air quality in cities?

A．Decreasing emissions.	B．Planting more conifers.
C．Raising public awareness.	D．Designing sustainable cities.

10 . Diplomacy (外交) is an art. It requires not only strategy, but also other aspects, including intuition, persuasion, and even tricks, human skills that have long been unreachable to even the most powerful artificial intelligence (AI) approaches. Now, an AI algorithm (算法) from a high-tech company has shown it can beat many humans in a game of diplomacy, which required both strategic planning and negotiations with other players. The work, researchers said, could point the way toward virtual exercise coaches and conflict mediators (调解员) .

AI has already beaten humans in some games of strategy. It is also proving powerful at natural-language processing, in which it can generate humanlike text and carry on conversations. In the game of diplomacy, seven players vied for control of Europe. On each turn, players issued orders regarding the movement of army and naval units, following discussion with other players, whom they could attack or support.

There are two technical innovations noted by Jonathan Gratch, a computer scientist at the University of Southern California who studies negotiation agents. First, the Al agent’s com-munication is grounded in multistep planning. Second. the Al agent keeps its remarks and game play within the range of human common practice.

To test its skill, the researchers had the Al agent play 40 online games against humans. It placed in the top 10% of players who’d played at least two games. “In a game that involves language and negotiation, that agents can reach human equal level is very exciting,” said Yu, a computer scientist at Columbia University.

According to Brown, a computer scientist at the company who co-authored the paper, the work could lead to practical applications in fields that now require a human touch. One specific example is that virtual personal assistants might help consumers negotiate for better prices on plane tickets. Gratch and Yu both see opportunities for agents that persuade people to make healthy choices or open up during therapy.

1. Who is likely to benefit from the research work?

A．A famous cyber athlete.	B．A professor of civil law.
C．A professional accountant.	D．A virtual fitness instructor.

2. What does the underlined word “vied” mean in paragraph 2?

A．Accounted.

B．Apologized.

C．Searched.

D．Competed.

3. Why does the author mention AI agent?

A．To understand the thought of AI.	B．To illustrate the advantages of AI.
C．To describe the importance of AI.	D．To introduce the strategy of AI.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Diplomacy, a Popular Game	B．AI Learns the Art of Diplomacy
C．Al Will Become a Perfect Diplomat	D．An Excellent Game Player