1 . The problem of robocalls has gotten so bad that many people now refuse to pick up calls from numbers they don’t know. By next year, half of the calls we receive will be scams(欺诈). We are finally waking up to the severity of the problem by supporting and developing a group of tools, apps and approaches intended to prevent scammers from getting through. Unfortunately, it’s too little, too late. By the time these “solutions”(解决方案) become widely available, scammers will have moved onto cleverer means. In the near future, it’s not just going to be the number you see on your screen that will be in doubt. Soon you will also question whether the voice you’re hearing is actually real.

That’s because there are a number of powerful voice manipulation(处理) and automation technologies that are about to become widely available for anyone to use. At this year’s I/O Conference, a company showed a new voice technology able to produce such a convincing human-sounding voice that it was able to speak to a receptionist and book a reservation without detection.

These developments are likely to make our current problems with robocalls much worse. The reason that robocalls are a headache has less to do with amount than precision. A decade of data breaches(数据侵入) of personal information has led to a situation where scammers can easily learn your mother’s name, and far more. Armed with this knowledge, they’re able to carry out individually targeted campaigns to cheat people. This means, for example, that a scammer could call you from what looks to be a familiar number and talk to you using a voice that sounds exactly like your bank teller’s, tricking you into “confirming” your address, mother’s name, and card number. Scammers follow money, so companies will be the worst hit. A lot of business is still done over the phone, and much of it is based on trust and existing relationships. Voice manipulation technologies may weaken that gradually.

We need to deal with the insecure nature of our telecom networks. Phone carriers and consumers need to work together to find ways of determining and communicating what is real. That might mean either developing a uniform way to mark videos and images, showing when and who they were made by, or abandoning phone calls altogether and moving towards data-based communications—using apps like FaceTime or WhatsApp, which can be tied to your identity.

Credibility is hard to earn but easy to lose, and the problem is only going to get harder from here on out.

1. How does the author feel about the solutions to problem of robocalls?

A．Panicked.

B．Confused.

C．Embarrassed.

D．Disappointed.

2. Taking advantage of the new technologies, scammer can ________.

A．aim at victims precisely	B．damage databases easily
C．start campaigns rapidly	D．spread information widely

3. What does the passage imply?

A．Honesty is the best policy.

B．Technologies can be double-edged.

C．There are more solutions than problems.

D．Credibility holds the key to development.

4. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．Where the Problem of Robocalls Is Rooted

B．Who Is to Blame for the Problem of Robocalls

C．Why Robocalls Are About to Get More Dangerous

D．How Robocalls Are Affecting the World of Technology

3 . Alice Moore is a teenager entrepreneur(创业者), who in May 2015 set up her business AilieCandy. By the time she was 13, her company was worth millions of dollars with the invention of a super-sweet treat that could save kids’ teeth, instead of destroying them.

It all began when Moore visited a bank with her dad. On the outing, she was offered a candy bar. However, her dad reminded her that sugary treats were bad for her teeth. But Moore was sick of missing out on candies. So she desired to get round the warning, “Why can’t I make a healthy candy that’s good for my teeth so that my parents can’t say no to it?” With that in mind, Moore asked her dad if she could start her own candy company. He recommended that she do some research and talk to dentists about what a healthier candy would contain.

With her dad’s permission, she spent the next two years researching online and conducting trials to get a recipe that was both tasty and tooth-friendly. She also approached dentists to learn more about teeth cleaning. Consequently, she succeeded in making a kind of candy only using natural sweeteners, which can reduce oral bacteria.

Moore then used her savings to get her business off the ground. Afterwards, she and her father secured their first business meeting with a supermarket owner, who finally agreed to sell Moore’s product—CanCandy.

As CanCandy’s success grows, so does Moore’s credibility as a young entrepreneur. Moore is enthusiastic about the candy she created, and she’s also positive about what the future might bring. She hopes that every kid can have a clean mouth and a broad smile.

Meanwhile, with her parents’ help, Moore is generally able to live a normal teenage life. Although she founded her company early on in life, she wasn’t driven primarily by profit. Moore wants to use her unique talent to help others find their smiles. She donates 10% of AilicCandy’s profits to Big Smiles. With her talent and determination, it appears that the sky could be the limit for Alice Moore.

1. How did Moore react to her dad’s warning?

A．She argued with him.	B．She tried to find a way out.
C．She paid no attention.	D．She chose to consult dentists.

2. What is special about CanCandy?

A．It is beneficial to dental health.	B．It is free of sweeteners.
C．It is sweeter than other candies.	D．It is produced to a dentists’ recipe.

3. What does Moore expect from her business?

A．To earn more money.	B．To help others find smiles.
C．To make herself stand out.	D．To beat other candy companies.

4. What can we learn from Alice Moore’s story?

A．Fame is a great thirst of the young.

B．A youth is to be regarded with respect.

C．Positive thinking and action result in success.

D．Success means getting personal desires satisfied

5 . Dance Classes

Ballet

Ballet teaches grace, posture (姿势) and flexibility. Students focus on the use of proper ballet items (物品), expanding their knowledge of classical ballet techniques and improving motor skills for classical ballet practice. The class is a formal ballet class.

Age: 8 — 10

Date: September 7, 2019 — May 16, 2020

Time: 10:30 am — 12:00 am on Saturdays

Creative Movers

Students can explore creative movement, balance, focus, the development of skills, motor planning and balance. The class helps build strength, flexibility and self-confidence, and allows children to realize expression in a positive and encouraging environment. Children use their imagination to celebrate movement and have lots of fun.

Age: 3 — 5

Date: September 7, 2019 — January 18, 2020

Time: 9:00 am — 9:45 am on Saturdays

Jazz

Jazz includes movements from both classical ballet and dance techniques. This class will focus on traditional Jazz dance. Students will be introduced to jazz-style rhythms and movements. In order to ensure proper placement for your child, we invite all students to participate in a sample (示例) class. Students and parents work with program staff to meet students’ personal dance goals.

Age: 5 — 6

Date: September 7, 2019 — May 16, 2020

Time: 2:00 pm — 3:00 pm on Saturdays

Hip Hop

Students will be introduced to several different aspects of hip hop dance including Popping, Locking, Breaking and Tutting in a high-energy environment. Our hip hop instructors are highly knowledgeable and will provide students with a wonderful view of hip hop dance.

Age: 7 — 10

Date: September 7, 2019 — May 16, 2020

Time: 1:00 pm — 2:00 pm on Sundays

1. Which class is suitable for 4-year-old children?

A．Ballet.

B．Creative Movers.

C．Hip Hop.

D．Jazz.

2. What can students do in the jazz class?

A．Make use of all the ballet items.	B．Learn the long history of jazz.
C．Dance with famous modern jazz dancers.	D．Get to know jazz-style movements.

3. What is special about the hip hop class?

A．It is open in the afternoon.	B．It is available on Sunday.
C．It teaches traditional dances.	D．It has the most skilled teachers.

7 . Kristin Schell is the founder of The Turquoise Table, a movement of ordinary people who want to create community right in their own front yards. Ten years ago, she and her family moved to a new home in Austin, Texas.

One day, Kristin tried to connect with her new neighbors by hosting a party. She bought a few picnic tables but the delivery driver set one table down in her front yard by mistake. “After the party, I painted the table turquoise—my favorite color—and put it in the front yard, just a few feet from the sidewalk,” she says.

That turquoise table became the place where Kristin and her kids hung out. They played games, did crafts and ate snacks. “We got intentional about where we spent our time,” Kristin says. “We became ‘front yard people’.”

Neighbors began to stop by to introduce themselves and sit down for a chat. Kristin invited people to join her at the table for coffee or iced tea. Then neighbors asked Kristin if their family could put a picnic table in their front yard too. A movement was born. “It was a simple way to slow down and connect with others,” she says. The turquoise table was inviting and had a shared feel.

People often hesitate to invite others into their homes. They think their house is too messy, it’s not big enough or they don’t have enough time. “Our perfectionism can cause us to miss out on the joy of connecting with others,” Kristin says. Her picnic table takes away the excuses—and the pressure.

She likes how it enables her to take a small step toward easing loneliness and building relationships in her community. “People’s greatest need is to know that they are loved and that they belong,” she says.

A decade after their Texas beginnings, thousands of Turquoise Tables exist in all 50 states and in 13 countries around the world. Not all of them are actually turquoise. “No matter what color it is, it’s a friendship table,” Kristin says.

1. Why did Kristin Schell start the movement?

A．To host more parties in her front yard.	B．To entertain her friends and neighbors.
C．To engage with people in the neighbourhood.	D．To create harmonious communities worldwide.

2. Which of the following words best describe Kristin Schell according to the text?

A．Creative and sociable.	B．Friendly and humorous.
C．Generous and ambitious.	D．Cautious and responsible.

3. What can be inferred from the text?

A．People don’t like others to step into their houses.

B．The campaign has a big impact at home and abroad.

C．Kristin Schell bought the turquoise table to host a party.

D．People feel unwilling to join in the front ya rd chat at first.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．Love Your Neighbors	B．An Amazing Woman
C．Happy Front Yard Time	D．Tables Where All Are Welcome

8 . I work with Volunteers for Wildlife, a rescue and education organization at Bailey Arboretum in Locust Valley. Trying to help injured, displaced or sick creatures can be heartbreaking; survival is never certain. However, when it works, it is simply beautiful.

I got a rescue call from a woman in Muttontown. She had found a young owl(猫头鹰) on the ground. When I arrived, I saw a 2-to 3-week-old owl. It had already been placed in a carrier for safety.

I examined the chick(雏鸟) and it seemed fine. If I could locate the nest, I might have been able to put it back, but no luck. My next work was to construct a nest and anchor it in a tree.

The homeowner was very helpful. A wire basket was found. I put some pine branches into the basket to make this nest safe and comfortable. I placed the chick in the nest, and it quickly calmed down.

Now all that was needed were the parents, but they were absent. I gave the homeowner a recording of the hunger screams of owl chicks. These advertise the presence of chicks to adults; they might also encourage our chick to start calling as well. I gave the owner as much information as possible and headed home to see what news the night might bring.

A nervous night to be sure, but sometimes the spirits of nature smile on us all! The homeowner called to say that the parents had responded to the recordings. I drove over and saw the chick in the nest looking healthy and active. And it was accompanied in the nest by the greatest sight of all — LUNCH! The parents had done their duty and would probably continue to do so.

1. What is unavoidable in the author’s rescue work according to paragraph 1?

A．Efforts made in vain.

B．Getting injured in his work.

C．Feeling uncertain about his future.

D．Creatures forced out of their homes.

2. Why was the author called to Muttontown?

A．To rescue a woman.

B．To take care of a woman.

C．To look at a baby owl.

D．To cure a young owl.

3. What made the chick calm down?

A．A new nest.

B．Some food.

C．A recording.

D．Its parents.

4. How would the author feel about the outcome of the event?

A．It’s unexpected.

B．It’s beautiful.

C．It’s humorous.

D．It’s discouraging.

9 . The end of the school year was in sight and spirits were high. I was back teaching after an absence of 15 years, dealing with the various kinds of "forbidden fruit" that come out of book bags. Now was the spring of the water pistol.

I decided to think up a method of dealing with forbidden fruit.

"Please bring that pistol to me," I said. "I'm going to put it in my Grandma's Box."

"What's that?" they asked.

"It's a large wooden chest full of toys for my grandchildren," I replied,

"You don't have grandchildren," someone said.

"I don't now." I replied. "But someday I will. When I do, my box will be full of wonderful things for them."

My imaginary Grandma's Box worked like magic that spring, and later. Sometimes. students would ask me to describe all the things I had in it. Then I would try to remember the different possessions I supposedly had taken away—since I seldom actually kept them. Usually the offender would appear at the end of the day, and I would return the belonging.

The-years went by, and my first grandchild Gordon was born. I shared my joy with that year's class. Then someone said, "Now you can use your Grandma's Box." From then on instead of coming to ask their possessions back, the students would say, "That's okay. Put it in your Grandma's Box for Gordon."

I loved talking about the imaginary box, not only with my students but also with my own children. They enjoyed hearing about all the forbidden fruit I had collected. Then one Christmas I received a surprise gift—a large, beautifully made wooden chest. My son Bruce had made my Grandma's Box a reality.

1. What was the author's purpose in having the conversation with the students?

A．To collect the water pistol.	B．To talk about her grandchildren.
C．To recommend some toys.	D．To explain her teaching method.

2. What do the underlined words "the offender" in paragraph 8 refer to?

A．The student's parent.	B．The maker of the Grandma's Box.
C．The author's grandchild.	D．The owner of the forbidden fruit.

3. What did the students do after they learned about the birth of Gordon?

A．They went to play with the baby.	B．They asked to see the Grandma's Box.
C．They made a present for Gordon.	D．They stopped asking their toys back.

4. What can we infer about the author?

A．She enjoys telling jokes.	B．She is a strict and smart teacher.
C．She loves doing woodwork.	D．She is a responsible grandmother