1 . When you ask people to judge others by their speech, a trend emerges: Listeners dislike disfluency. Slow talkers producing loads of ums and pauses(停顿)are generally perceived as less charming. But science tells us there may be even more to disfluency.
Disfluencies do not occur in arbitrary positions in sentences. Ums typically occur right before more difficult or low-frequency words. Imagine you’re having dinner with a friend at a restaurant,and there’re three items on the table: a knife, a glass, and a wine decanter(醒酒器). Your friend turns to you and says, “Could you hand me the...um...” What would you assume they want? Since it’s unlikely that they will hesitate before such common words as knife, and glass, chances are you’ll pick up the decanter and ask, “You mean this?”
This is exactly what we demonstrated through controlled eye-tracking studies in our lab. Apparently, listeners hear the um and predict that an uncommon word is most likely to follow.Such predictions, though, reflect more than just simple association between disfluencies and difficult words; listeners are actively considering from the speaker’s point of view. For example, when hearing a non-native speaker say the same sentence but with a thick foreign accent, listeners don’t show a preference for looking at low-frequency objects. This is probably because listeners assume non-native speakers may have as much trouble coming up with the English word for a common object, like a knife, as for unusual ones and can’t guess their intention.
In another experiment, listeners were presented with an atypical speaker who produced disfluencies before simple words and never before difficult words. Initially, participants displayed the natural predictive strategy: looking at uncommon objects. However, as more time went by, and they gained experience with this atypical distribution of disfluencies, listeners started to demonstrate the contrary predictive behavior: They tended to look at simple objects when hearing the speaker say um.
These findings represent further evidence that the human brain is a prediction machine: We continuously try to predict what will happen next, even though not all disfluencies are created equal.
1. What does the underlined word “arbitrary”mean in paragraph 2?| A．Random. | B．Strategic. | C．Obvious. | D．Consistent |
| A．They can be understood easily. | B．They actively put themselves in others’ shoes |
| C．Their vocabularies are limited. | D．Their disfluencies are a little less predictive. |
| A．Simple things are difficult in some cases. | B．Listeners can adjust predictions accordingly. |
| C．Distribution of disfluencies is changeable. | D．Disfluencies in communication can be avoided. |
| A．Pauses Coexist with Prediction. | B．Brains Are Powerful Prediction Machines. |
| C．Active Listeners Simplify Talks. | D．Disfluency Says More Than You Think. |
2 . On a long trip to Brisbane we stopped into a service station in Kilcoy for a bathroom break and some fuel. We went into the shop to the bathroom first and then the
He told my son that he loved his moves and it was a
Not many people
| A．company | B．counter | C．apartment | D．hall |
| A．tending | B．pointing | C．singing | D．adapting |
| A．used | B．addicted | C．devoted | D．opposed |
| A．clear | B．change | C．read | D．cross |
| A．expanded on | B．concentrated on | C．commented on | D．insisted on |
| A．mistake | B．delight | C．pity | D．comfort |
| A．frustrated | B．pleased | C．annoyed | D．tired |
| A．thanked | B．accepted | C．invited | D．assisted |
| A．prize | B．treasure | C．treat | D．pleasure |
| A．tough | B．significant | C．typical | D．small |
| A．take | B．draw | C．waste | D．use |
| A．outgoing | B．willing | C．optimistic | D．energetic |
| A．hopefully | B．slightly | C．curiously | D．obviously |
| A．gesture | B．attitude | C．thought | D．determination |
| A．help | B．build | C．make | D．ruin |
I must admit, I haven’t always liked animals. In fact, I distrusted them greatly while growing up, and I still fear the ones I don’t know personally. What set my beliefs in stone was being attacked—not once but many times, including the summer after second grade when I was bitten by a rabbit. Then, when I was nine and riding my dirt bike down the road, a large dog charged me and tried to bite my ankle. After all those negative experiences, there was one thing I knew for sure: All creatures, great and small, were no friends of mine.
After college in California, I returned to live the single life in Las Vega. Then I met Lisa. In no time at all, we fell in love, married and moved into a new house. Despite my avoidance of animals, Lisa had a dog called Bailey. Bailey didn’t like me, but he tolerated my existence once he realized I wasn’t going anywhere.
Things changed as spring came. We welcomed a new member of our family: our son Evan. One evening Evan grabbed hold of the dog’s tail. The irritated dog paused and turned to look at his stuck tail but waited patiently until being released. Still the stories I’d heard of animals attacking babies worries me.
Then my worst fear occurred. I sat on the couch (沙发) reading after a long day while my wife worked at the dining-room table paying the bills. I saw Evan crawl across the family-room carpet as he made his way behind the couch. One minute, all was quiet and then Bailey entered the room and headed to where Evan had crawled. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard the dog start a fearful barking behind me.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Throwing the book away, I rushed around the couch with great fear.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Having witnessed our dog killing a scorpion (蝎子) and saving my son, I was speechless.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4 . Michael and his wife, new residents in a San Francisco apartment, learned about their neighbor Jeff Dunan’s volunteer work for Bangladesh Relief, an organization that provides food, clothing and essential supplies for disadvantaged people in northern Bangladesh. Inspired, Michael donated $150 to Dunan’s GoFundMe campaign. However, a credit card notification alerted him to an unintended $15,041 charge.
When he saw the five-figure number, he was confused. Soon, it all made sense. Michael’s credit card number started with four and one. Clearly, he accidentally began typing his credit card information while his cursor (光标) was still in the donation box.
Michael planned to call Dunan to explain, but before he had the chance to do that, he started receiving Facebook messages from Shohag Chandra, the charity’s Bangladesh-based program manager, thanking him for his generous donation. After he looked through the photos of people holding thank-you signs that read his name, Michael’s heart sank. He felt terrible that he had to withdraw his handsome donation. Once his original contribution was refunded, he decided to donate $1,500.
Although Michael had told his family and friends about the tale, he decided to share it publicly on social media, after Dunan told him the organization was desperately in need of funds. “The least I could do was take the time to post this story online and see if I could inspire other people to donate to the cause,” Michael said.
Little did he know, though, that the story would be seen far and wide, ending up raising more than $120,000 for Bangladesh Relief in the span of only a few weeks—about eight times Michael’s mistaken donation. According to Dunan, more than 3,700 people have contributed because of Michael’s post. Michael has been stunned (震惊) by the ongoing outpouring of support. “Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine this reaction,” he said. “People can be amazing when they come together for something like this.”
1. How did Michael make the large donation?| A．He input an incorrect amount. | B．He encountered a system error. |
| C．He was greatly inspired by Dunan. | D．He entered wrong credit card details. |
| A．He saw people in despair. | B．He failed to offer enough money. |
| C．He didn’t receive the full refund. | D．He realized the scale of his mistake. |
| A．Dunan’s request for publicity. | B．A desire for personal recognition. |
| C．The organization’s urgent need for funds. | D．Pressure from his family and friends. |
| A．Actions speak louder than words. | B．Many hands make light work. |
| C．Always prepare for a rainy day. | D．A good beginning is half of victory. |
5 . Mirthy hosts over 80 online events every month. You can enjoy them from the comfort of your home. All you need to do is visit our dedicated page on the Mirthy website.
Learning to rug hooking on a budgetFriday 4th and Friday 18th November at 2:30 pm
Participants will learn a brief history of rug hooking. Participants will also be encouraged to try their hand at this multi-generational art form, have two weeks to complete the small project and then come back to the second session to learn how to finish it off and prepare it for display.
The disappearance of Heneage BloxhamWednesday 9th November at 7:30 pm
In 2001, Sam Eedle was approached by an elderly woman in Tewkesbury. Her uncle, Heneage Bloxham, had disappeared on the Western Front and nobody in her family was able to tell her what actually happened to him. By accessing the available records, maps and war diaries, and by taking a diversion to the battlefield while on a trip to France, Sam was able to find out what happened to the woman’s uncle.
African danceMonday 2lst November at 5:15 pm
African dance allows us to express ourselves individually while also being part of a collective. Creative expression is encouraged and our uniqueness is celebrated. Kenzi will be reminding you that movements can be adapted and explored to find a way that works for your body and movement style. Making a wild foraged wreath Monday 28th November at 2:30 pm
In this workshop, you will be learning how to make a wreath! Through winding twigs and vines to find forest textures into a festive sampling of nature, this will be an artistic nature-based experience. The wreath is free-form and adds a naturalistic winter atmosphere to your door with a minimal, organic style.
1. Where do the activities take place?| A．On the Internet. | B．In public places. |
| C．At school. | D．In a lecture hall. |
| A．Sam Eedle. | B．An elderly woman. |
| C．Heneage Bloxham. | D．Kenzi. |
| A．18th November at 2:30 pm. | B．9th November at 7:30 pm. |
| C．21st November at 5:15 pm. | D．28th November at 2:30 pm. |
6 . Aeronautics (航空学) specialists from the University of South Australia spent months studying the dragonfly’s flight, creating 3D models from digital images, to build a winged drone (无人机). Study leader Javaan Chahl believes that winged drones based on the dragonfly’s shape and movement will simply be more flexible and energy efficient.
Chahl’s team used a special photography technique to classify the wing shapes of 75 different dragonfly species from museum collections. Their wings are long, light and hard. Plus, their long bodies give them excellent stability and balance, making it possible for winged drones to deliver awkward loads and undertake long observation missions.
Investigating the way that dragonflies remain stable during flight actually reveals the techniques they use to get themselves out of tricky situations. Dragonflies are found to be able to perform upside-down backflips to regain balance and normal flight, when they find themselves upside down mid-air. This special skill can even be performed while dragonflies are unconscious, meaning it is a passive stability mechanism similar in concept to planes that are designed to glide to safety with their engines turned off. Engineers are looking to copy dragonfly wings to create safer drones that can right themselves.
Of course, not all attempts to build dragonfly-like drones are successful. TechJet’s air vehicle was supposed to operate as an aerial camera, observation and security drone, but it failed before production got underway. Similarly, Insectothopter, an American dragonfly spy drone built in the 1970 s was deserted.
Yet the principles behind winged drones are solid. In fact, NASA has settled on a nuclear-powered autonomous craft called Dragonfly to explore the surface of Saturn’s moon Titan in 2034. NASA’s project is actually an air vehicle, rather than a winged drone, but engineers are still convinced they can crack the code of nature’s most gifted flying insect and revolutionize unmanned flight along the way.
1. Why did aeronautics specialists spend months studying the dragonfly’s flight?| A．To build 3D models from digital images. |
| B．To make winged drones modelled after it. |
| C．To clarify the flexibility and efficiency of drones. |
| D．To display the shape and movement of the dragonfly. |
| A．glide to safety | B．avoid tricky situations |
| C．perform observation tasks | D．adjust themselves to stay stable |
| A．Skeptical. | B．Uncertain. | C．Supportive. | D．Conservative. |
| A．Winged Drones: Still a Long Way to Go |
| B．Javaan Chahl: An Innovative Leader of Aeronautics |
| C．A Dragonfly’s Flying Technique: Perfect for Drones |
| D．The Code of Nature: A Solution to NASA’s Space Exploration |
7 . Like most Americans in their 20s, I almost never talked to older people before last year. Then the pandemic began.
For me this may have been a professional accident, but I can`t recommend the
As I`ve
When we`re young, we hear that we`re supposed to turn to our elders for
| A．Fired | B．Chosen | C．Turned | D．Protected |
| A．Collecting | B．Teaching | C．Finishing | D．Picturing |
| A．devoted | B．found | C．depended | D．spent |
| A．mistake | B．experiment | C．event | D．experience |
| A．Instead | B．Nevertheless | C．Otherwise | D．Furthermore |
| A．free | B．thrilled | C．lost | D．satisfied |
| A．talked | B．observed | C．cared | D．interviewed |
| A．warm-hearted | B．modest | C．calm | D．proud |
| A．usually | B．only | C．constantly | D．namely |
| A．accepts | B．weakens | C．declines | D．pales |
| A．reaching | B．singing | C．exchanging | D．hoping |
| A．broke up | B．broke down | C．broke through | D．broke out |
| A．boredom | B．happiness | C．frustration | D．pressure |
| A．reminded | B．promised | C．robbed | D．realized |
| A．duty | B．task | C．strength | D．effort |
| A．hide | B．borrow | C．develop | D．impact |
| A．approaching | B．arriving | C．achieving | D．contributing |
| A．warning | B．advice | C．mercy | D．news |
| A．abandoned | B．talented | C．polished | D．continued |
| A．reward | B．surprise | C．lesson | D．excuse |
8 . The idea that the standard human body temperature is about 98.6℉ (37℃) was first presented by the German physician Carl Reinhold August Wunderlich in 1851. Since then, it’s become so widely accepted that it serves as a touchstone for health—a diagnostic tool used by physicians and parents as a basic indicator if someone is sick or well.
However, it turns out that this well-established fact isn’t, in fact, correct—or, to put it more accurately, human beings have been getting cooler over the years.
Recent studies have shown that temperature records of groups of people have tended to run low compared to the accepted norm (标准), so the Stanford team, led by Julie Parsonnet, MD, professor of medicine and of health research and policy, decided to do a more in-depth study to compare modern measurements with historical records to try to identify body temperature trends and, perhaps, uncover the reason why this cooling is happening.
For their research, the Stanford team looked at three distinct datasets (数据集) from three historical periods. One was military service records, medical records, and pension records from Union Army veterans of the American Civil War that were compiled from 1862 to 1930. The second was from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Ⅰ collected between 1971 and 1975, and the third from adult patients visiting Stanford Health Care from 2007 to 2017.
In all, the team went through 677,423 temperature measurements, making sure that temperatures recorded were accurate rather than the result of poorly designed thermometers (温度计). They did this by looking at the change in temperature inside each group over time to ensure that the curves (曲线) showing a decrease were consistent between the datasets.
At the end of the day, the team found that men born in the 21st century had an average body temperature of 0.59℃ lower than those born in the early 19th century, while modern women showed an average decrease of 0.32℃ compared to those born in the 1890s. Together, this means that human body temperatures have fallen by 0.03℃ per decade.
1. What is Wunderlich’s achievement?| A．He was the inventor of the thermometer. |
| B．He set up a standard for normal body temperature. |
| C．He discovered humans’ body temperature trends. |
| D．He put forward the theory of normal human body temperature. |
| A．By having interviews. | B．By conducting field research. |
| C．By analyzing historical records. | D．By doing experiments in the lab. |
| A．The quality of thermometers. | B．The backgrounds of the subjects. |
| C．The sorting of the collected datasets. | D．The number of adult patients involved. |
| A．Modern women’s body temperatures have risen over the past century. |
| B．The 19th century saw the greatest increase in men’s body temperatures. |
| C．The 21st century saw the greatest decrease in men’s body temperatures. |
| D．Men’s body temperatures have fallen faster than women’s over the years. |
9 . Let’s celebrate some festivals in summer.
The Cariwest Festival
It is one of Edmonton’s most colourful summer festivals! It’s three days of fun as Caribbean Canadians share their music, cuisine and carnival culture! Local performers bring you amazing dance, music and fun. Bring Cariwest atmosphere into your home this year with these amazing online events.
Indigenous Festival
The annual Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival (SSIF) in Edmonton has done a wonderful job to make their annual off-line festival a number of online events this year because of COVID-19. The events take place from June 1 to 21. SSIF has partnered with BMO to provide Education Days for students to learn together about indigenous history. These classes for which only a small fee will be charged include art workshops, book readings and museum tours.
Bluegrass Festival
Just 45 minutes from the heart of downtown Edmonton is the town of Stony Plain that works hard to keep ties to its agricultural background, and here you’ll see old-styled lamp posts and historical wall paintings with a long history everywhere. It’s also the site of Western Canada’s largest bluegrass festival, which has been a main attraction for more than 25 years and in July every year draws in all the big names, including Grammy winners.
Cowboy Festival
You like poetry, music, art and cowboys? Then you can’t miss it. Heading into its 24th year, Cowboy Festival in Stony Plain in August is a showcase of the cowboy life. The events include good old-fashioned BBQ meals and some other entertainment.
1. What is true about SSIF?| A．It takes place in two cities. | B．It focuses on students. |
| C．It is annually held online. | D．It is free of charge. |
| A．It’s a city with modern appearance. | B．It has produced many musicians. |
| C．It has deep roots in agriculture. | D．It often hosts national festivals. |
| A．Cowboy Festival. | B．Indigenous Festival. |
| C．Bluegrass Festival. | D．The Cariwest Festival. |
10 . Scientists at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore have found a new way to handle food waste. They are turning unuseddurian (榴莲) fruit coverings into anti-bacterial bandages.
The researchers took fibers from the fruit’s coverings after they were cut and dried. Then they mixed the fibers with a liquid calledglycerol(甘油). This mixture becomes a soft substance calledhydrogel (水凝胶), which is then made into bandages. The fruit’s coverings make up more than half of a durian’s structure. They are usually thrown away and burned, which adds to environmental waste.
William Chen is director of the food science and technology program at NTU. He said, “In Singapore, we consume about 12 million durians a year, so besides the flesh, we can’t do much about the coverings and the seeds and this causes environmental pollution. So we decided to do something to solve the problem.” Chen added that the technology can also turn other food waste, such as soybeans and grains into hydrogel.
The hydrogel bandages can keep wound areas cooler and moremoist (湿润的) than normal bandages which can help speed up healing. The researchers say using waste materials for the antibacterial bandages is less costly than using normal bandages, for the traditional bandages use metallic compounds like silver or copper, which are more costly than natural waste.
Fruit seller Tan EngChuan said he goes through as much as 1,800 kilograms of durian each day during durian season. He said being able to use the parts of the fruit that are usually thrown away would make enjoying durian, in his words, “more cheerful.”
1. What motivated the researchers to develop the new bandages?| A．The shortage of bandages. |
| B．The popularity of durian. |
| C．Pollution caused by durian waste. |
| D．The rapidly-developing medical industry. |
| A．They can shorten the healing process. |
| B．They contain less silver and copper. |
| C．They bring higher sales of durian. |
| D．They are better-received by customers. |
| A．Critical. | B．Objective. | C．Doubtful. | D．Favorable. |
| A．Food Waste Arousing Great Concern of Scientists |
| B．Singapore Scientists Turning Fruit Leftovers into Bandages |
| C．Fruit Sellers Witnessing a Rapid Increase in Durian Sales |
| D．Hydrogel Bandages Functioning Better than You Thought |
