1 . If you’ve reached the end of the year feeling as though you didn’t read enough, we’ve got you. Here are some of the best books of the year according to notable artists, image-makers and other cultural taste makers.
Emily Ratajkowski, model: Ghost Lover’“This collection of nine short stories probes into many of the same themes in Lisa Taddeo’s beloved ‘Three Women’, but discusses them in a sharper, more disagreeable way. She ruthlessly explores jealousy relationships between women, aging, revenge and, of course, desire. Taddeo never lets you come up for air -- making you laugh while simultaneously horrifying you all when you least expect it.”
Hans UIrich Obrist, artistic director: ‘I Always Knew’“This is a portrait of artist and writer Barbara Chase-Riboud, through the letters she wrote to her mother, Vivian Mae, between 1957 and 1991. In this remarkable title, Barbara Chase-Riboud tells her mother about her development as an artist, her love stories, and her trips around the globe, from Africa to China. In these memoirs (回忆录), Chase-Riboud frankly and passionately describes her aspirations, her ambitions and creative inspiration，while also showcasing love and tenderness to her mother.”
Avan Jogia, actor and director: ‘Who is Wellness For?’“‘Who is Wellness For?’ is a book that works as part social observation and part memoir. It explores the commercialization of healing and ritual and asks questions about the industry of wellness I found the read insightful, thoughtful, and unafraid. Wellness isn’t for anyone if it’s not for everyone.”
1. What sets “Ghost Lover” apart from “Three Women”?| A．The focus on themes. | B．The setting of stories. |
| C．The structure of books. | D．The tone of narration. |
| A．Barbara Chase-Riboud. | B．Hans Ulrich Obrist |
| C．Vivian Mae. | D．Avan Jogia. |
| A．They bring laughter to readers. | B．They share the same writing type |
| C．They center on the theme of love | D．They stand out as the best reads of the year. |
2 . Liu Jichen, 23, a student from Tsinghua University, has developed a WeChat mini-program called “Clear Your Plate”. After a meal, users can open the mini-program and take a picture of their empty plates. Once the image is recognized by the AI(Artificial Intelligence), students can collect points and use them to buy gifts or purchase charity meals to children in impoverished(贫困的) rural areas.
Liu and his team, together with other organizations, launched the “Clear Your Plate” campaign in November for the third year. It has swept over 1,017 universities across the country. The one-month campaign attracted almost 1.6 million participants and collectively reduced food waste by 862 tons and carbon emissions(碳排放) by 3,337 tons.
“Technological innovation is a good way to reduce food waste,” Liu thought. He organized a team of 20 members to work on the project at the end of 2017. To solve the AI’s problem of identifying photos of empty plates, the team spent half a year collecting over 100,000 samples in canteens and restaurants. In 2018, the mini-program was officially put into operation on Oct 16, World Food Day. They then launched a campaign later that year.
“There were so many unknowns in research and development. For our team members, the biggest challenge was whether we were confident enough to complete it,” Liu said. They not only achieved their goal, but now, the mini-program has more than 5 million registered users, according to Liu. “We hope our efforts can start a new trend among the younger generation by encouraging them to cherish(珍惜) their food and develop the habit of thrift(节约),” Liu added.
1. What can we know about the “Clear Your Plate” mini-program?| A．It aims to put an end to waste and encourage thrift. |
| B．Its 6 million users are mostly students. |
| C．It helped reduce food waste by 3,337 tons. |
| D．It is an exchange of food for rewards to help poor children. |
| A．They found it tough to promote the campaign. |
| B．They felt uncertain whether they could complete the project. |
| C．They lacked professional technical support. |
| D．They had difficulty gathering enough samples. |
| A．Optimistic and demanding. | B．Generous and responsible. |
| C．Talented and humorous. | D．Creative and determined. |
| A．A guidebook. | B．A news report. | C．A book review. | D．A textbook. |
3 . Famous People Who Begin With Difficulties
Oprah Winfrey
Probably having one of the most famous success stories, Oprah was born into a poor family in Mississippi, raised by a single mother living on welfare. She was physically, and mentally abused during her childhood. Despite her initial struggles as a young girl, she turned herself into one of the most successful talk show hosts of our time.
Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey has been the star of some of the most successful movies of all time. But Carrey grew up extremely poor in Canada. When he was a teenager, his family took security jobs in a factory to help pay the bills. And during his first stand-up comedy performance, he was booed off （喝倒彩） the stage. Not shortly after, he made it big on In Living Color and then went on to star in Dumb & Dumber, The Mask, and Ace Ventura in the same year!
James Dyson
If you thought Thomas Edison’s failures were bad, let me introduce you to James Dyson, the famous inventor of the Dyson vacuums （真空吸尘器） you see all over the television. Dyson developed over 5,000 failed prototypes （原型） before finding the bagless vacuum brand. Not only that, he put his entire savings account into his prototypes over fifteen years! Luckily, the bagless vacuum worked.
Stephen King
Before Stephen King became known as a great living writer—having written over 60 novels, many of which have been adapted for film and television—King was rejected over and over again. In his memoir, On Writing, King describes how he used to post his rejection letters on the wall for inspiration. His first novel, Carrie, was rejected 30 times.
1. What do Oprah and Jim have in common?| A．They were abused by parents. | B．They grew up in poor families. |
| C．They were hired as comedians. | D．They found jobs in a factory. |
| A．He repaired the failed prototypes. | B．He developed over 5,000 brands. |
| C．He put all efforts into marketing. | D．He invented the bagless vacuum. |
| A．Oprah Winfrey. | B．Stephen King. | C．James Dyson. | D．Jim Carrey. |
4 . Computers are pretty good at answering questions. Just ask Alexa, Amazon’s voice assistant, who can tell you the weather or directions. Computers are good at spitting back facts, but haven’t shown the same critical or creative thinking that humans have. That could be changing, at least when it comes to reading, because of advances in AI(artificial intelligence).
Research teams at Microsoft and Chinese tech company Alibaba reached what they described as a milestone earlier this January. Their AI systems outperformed the estimated human score on a reading comprehension test.
The test was developed at Stanford University. It showed that, in at least some situations, computers can beat humans at quickly “reading” hundreds of Wikipedia articles. AI machines could come up with accurate answers to questions about warrior-king Genghis Khan, or the Apollo space program.
The computers, however, also made mistakes that many people wouldn’t have. Microsoft, for instance, failed an easy football question. The computer was asked which member of the Carolina Panthers football team intercepted the most passes in the 2015 season. The correct answer was Kurt Coleman, not Josh Norman. Any person who carefully read the Wikipedia passage would have discovered the right answer. However, the computer made a mistake in the word “most” and didn’t understand that seven is bigger than four.
“We’re still a long way from computers being able to read and comprehend general text in the same way that humans can, ” Kevin Scott, Microsoft’s head of technology, wrote. He praised the AI system for passing the test, calling it a major achievement by the company’s researchers.
“It strikes me for the kind of problem that they’re solving that it’s not possible to do better than people, because people are defining what’s correct,” Littman said. “The impressive thing here is that they met human performance, not that they’ve exceeded it.”
1. Why did the research team describe their work as a milestone?| A．Because their computers showed critical and creative thinking like humans. |
| B．Because their AI systems beat humans in reading comprehension. |
| C．Because their AI systems could tell you weather and direction. |
| D．Because their computers are good at answering questions. |
| A．AI machines could propose incorrect answers to Genghis Khan. |
| B．Smart AI machines were answering questions. |
| C．AI machines did better than humans in reading. |
| D．AI machines can do everything that human can’t do. |
| A．AI still struggles with logical reasoning. | B．Computers often mistake seven for four. |
| C．Computers seldom make stupid mistakes. | D．The Wikipedia passage was controversial. |
| A．visited. | B．contacted. | C．greeted. | D．satisfied. |
5 . Engineering researchers at the University of Waterloo are successfully using a robot to help keep children with learning disabilities focused on their work. This was one of the key results in a new study that also found both the youngsters and their instructors valued the positive classroom contributions made by the robot.
“Overall, the findings demonstrate that the robot has a positive effect on students,” said Dr. Kerstin Dautenhahn, a professor of electrical and computer engineering.
Educators have in recent years explored the use of social robots to help students learn, but most often, their research has focused on children with autism (孤独症). As a result, little work has been done on the use of socially assistive robots for students with learning disabilities.
Along with two other Waterloo engineering researchers and three experts from the Learning. Disabilities Society in Vancouver, Dautenhahn decided to change this, conducting a series of tests with a small humanoid (仿人的) robot called QTrobot.
Dautenhahn said the robot’s ability to perform gestures using its head and hands, accompanied by its speech and facial features, makes it very suitable for children with learning disabilities.
Building on promising earlier research, the researchers divided 16 students with learning disabilities into two groups. In one group, students worked one on-one with an instructor only. In the other group, the students worked one-on-one with an instructor and a QTrobot. In the latter group, the instructor used a tablet to direct the robot, which then autonomously performed various activities using its speech and gestures. While the instructor controlled the sessions, the robot took over at certain times to lead the students.
Besides introducing the session, the robot set goals and provided self-regulating strategies, if necessary. If the learning process was getting off- track, the robot used strategies such as games, riddles and physical movements to redirect the students back to the task.
“Students who worked with the robot,” Dautenhahn said, “were generally more engaged with their tasks and could complete their tasks at a higher rate compared to the students who weren’t assisted by a robot.
1. What can we know about Dautenhahn’s research?| A．It seeks to provide a treatment for autism. |
| B．It attempts to replace teachers with robots in teaching. |
| C．It intends to educate students to be creative and productive. |
| D．It studies the effects of robots on students with learning disabilities. |
| A．The role the robot played. |
| B．The process of the research. |
| C．The outcomes of the two groups. |
| D．The range of the participants involved. |
| A．It warned the student directly by speech. |
| B．It assigned tasks for the student to complete. |
| C．It informed the instructor to intervene in the learning process. |
| D．It attracted the student’s attention through interesting activities. |
| A．Robots promote students’ academic performance greatly. |
| B．There is great potential for using robots in the education system. |
| C．Teachers are defeated by robots when it comes to motivating students. |
| D．Students are becoming more independent with the assistance of robots. |
6 . One day my 10-year-old son, Kavi, left his typewritten math homework at school. He came to me in
Together, we
I wanted to help—which parent doesn’t want to make the
I never sent that email to Kavi’s teacher. I
I think it’s necessary for parents to let their children stay with worry but
| A．silence | B．comfort | C．panic | D．amazement |
| A．convinced | B．remembered | C．announced | D．considered |
| A．copy out | B．clear away | C．point at | D．pass down |
| A．touched | B．inspired | C．bothered | D．probed |
| A．replace | B．ignore | C．correct | D．notice |
| A．cooperation | B．explanation | C．guarantee | D．definition |
| A．embarrassment | B．homesickness | C．hurt | D．dream |
| A．simple | B．essential | C．ridiculous | D．intense |
| A．complicated | B．permanent | C．illegal | D．wrong |
| A．principles | B．comments | C．situations | D．contests |
| A．otherwise | B．but | C．because | D．nevertheless |
| A．tried | B．spotted | C．hesitated | D．pretended |
| A．setting aside | B．benefiting from | C．figuring out | D．focusing on |
| A．criticize | B．support | C．assign | D．contact |
| A．willingly | B．flexibly | C．crazily | D．healthily |
7 . The scene of nearly 30 bikers queuing up at a young girl’s lemonade stand is remarkable on its own. But the heartwarming story behind this moment is even more touching. It involves the girl and her mother helping several of the motorcyclists out after an accident last year.
It was September 2 when Daryn Sturch, a nurse, and her daughter Bryanne, came across an accident involving several motorcyclists from the Milwaukee Iron. Sturch quickly jumped into action. She did the best she could to comfort them and keep them awake and calm. All five bikers involved in the crash had suffered severe injuries.
After the accident, Sturch began receiving thank-you messages from some bikers associated with the Milwaukee Iron.They sent Sturch updates on the recovery of those injured, and have kept in touch with her ever since.
Fast forward to nearly a year later, when Bryanne, 8, decided to set up a lemonade stand to raise money to buy equipment for her horse. Her mom announced the sale on Facebook. A biker saw the post and commented, asking whether there would be a good place to park motorcycles if some club members were to stop by. But Sturch never expected to see nearly 30bikers come over to the stand. “My daughter was over-the-moon excited,” she says. “She thinks they’re the nicest people in the world.” The stand also provided a place for reunion between Sturch and the motorcyclists she’d aided, some of whom she hadn’t seen since the accident. The moment she reconnected with a rider called Lumpy brought tears to her eyes. “I remember trying to help him and him telling me ‘I’m fine. Please check on and take care of the others,’” Sturch recalled.
1. What happened on September 2 last year?| A．Bryanne decided to start her own lemonade stand. |
| B．Daryn Sturch took part in Milwaukee Iron’s activity. |
| C．Some motorcyclists were seriously injured in an accident. |
| D．Daryn Sturch was called in to treat some injured motorcyclists. |
| A．From a website. | B．From a group of bikers. |
| C．Through his friend’s comment. | D．Through contact with Daryn Sturch. |
| A．Moved. | B．Appreciative. | C．Puzzled. | D．Surprised. |
| A．He always came to her daughter’s aid. | B．He volunteered to help treat the injured. |
| C．He cared about others despite his own injury. | D．He did his best to comfort the injured motorcyclists. |
8 . Four Historic American Theatres
Today, theatres remain a key part of a city’s lifeblood. The following are four historic theatres in America.
Pantages Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
The Pantages Theatre, which now seats 1,014, opened in 1916 as part of Alexander Pantages’s well-known group of theatres. It was designed by the local firm Kees and Colburn. In 1922, the theatres was rebuilt by Scottish theatres architect Benjamin Marcus Priteca. After going through several owners, in 1984, it was closed and remained unopened until 1996. Some theatre supporters had it repaired and improved, resulting in its reopening in 2002.
Saenger Theatre, New Orleans, LA
New Orleans’s Saenger Theatre was built two years before the Great Depression, in 1927, and cost a then unheard-of $ 2.5 million. It was designed by Emile Weil, featuring a 15th-century Florentine courtyard and gardens, and Greek and Roman statues. Although the theatre was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, after a $ 53 million renovation (修葺), it reopened in 2013.
Thalian Hall, Wilmington, NC
Thalian Hall has been in almost continuous use since its opening in 1858. It is the only surviving theatre designed by John Montague Trimble, one of America’s foremost 19th-century theatre architects, and originally housed the town government, a library, as well as an “Opera House”, seating 1, 000 people. Some repairs in 1909 led to the removal of the side balconies and the installation of electric stage lights.
Providence Performing Arts Center, Providence, RI
It was originally opened as a movie palace in 1928, and the silent movies it showed were accompanied by a $ 90, 000 Robert Morton organ. After several decades, the theatre suffered from the increased popularity of television, as well as damage by two hurricanes. Over the past decade and a half, it has undergone extensive renovations and modernization.
1. What can we know about the Pantages Theatre?| A．It has a seating capacity of 1, 916. | B．It will be turned into a movie house. |
| C．It was designed by Alexander Pantages. | D．It was once shut down for over a decade. |
| A．Pantages Theatre. | B．Saenger Theatre. | C．Thalian Hall. | D．Providence Performing Arts Center |
| A．They went through major renovations. |
| B．They were hit by terrible natural disasters. |
| C．They were built by American theatre architects. |
| D．They belong o Alexander Pantages’s group of theatres. |
9 . The Tibet autonomous region has placed nearly half its land area under the strictest ecological supervision (监督).It was announced at an annual meeting of the regional People's Congress, which kicked off on Wednesday.
The ecological protection area, which covers more than 539,000 square kilometers, makes up 45 percent of the region's area, and 22 ecological reserves have been built and are operational.
According to the government work report, the rate of days with good air quality in Tibet's cities has reached 99.4 percent, and all the region's drinking water sources have met applicable standards.
The report also said that the number of Tibetan antelope (羚)in the region has risen to more than 200,000, wildlife species to 1,072 and black-necked cranes to more than 8,000. Five rare new species have been discovered in recent years. The region has spent 12.2 billion yuan ($1.9 billion) on ecological protection projects in recent years. Five cities and three counties have been named as national-level ecologically civilized model cities and counties, and more rural residents have benefited financially by undertaking part-time ecological protection work.
More advanced monitoring facilities have been in place in the reserve, with more ecological protection inspectors employed to undertake protection work. The professional ecological inspectors are provided with basic tools such as motorcycles, telescopes and paging receivers, and they provide feedback regularly. Professional inspectors also receive one week of training every year from professors at Tibet University.
Kunsang Darje, a railway maintenance worker in Nagchu, said that apart from maintaining the railway and highway, he also collects trash along the section with his colleagues. “The place I work is in a no-man's land, and I think it's very important to protect the animals there without affecting them with human activities, and we are also bound to take responsibility there," he said.
1. What is the main idea of the text?| A．The ecological situation in Tibet has been totally improved. |
| B．Almost half Tibetan land has been ecologically supervised. |
| C．Many more operational ecological reserves have been built. |
| D．More Tibetan protection inspectors have been employed. |
| A．Larger protection areas. | B．Numerous rare new species. |
| C．More days with quality air. | D．Global capital investments. |
| A．protection inspectors can employ other people |
| B．protection inspectors are supplied with cars |
| C．Tibet's rural residents can get annual training |
| D．Tibet's rural residents can earn extra money |
| A．He asks his colleagues not to litter everywhere. |
| B．He attaches importance to raise animals there. |
| C．He keeps railway and highway in good condition. |
| D．He has a sense of duty to protect animals there. |
10 . A recent study suggests that vitamin D pills can help speed up the time taken for burns to heal, and prevent scarring(结疤). The vitamin, which is produced naturally in the body when the skin is exposed to sunshine, is believed to help protect against burning.
Previous studies have shown that vitamin D pills help decrease redness and swelling after sunburn, and may be one of the reasons why the body produces the chemical.
The research from Birmingham University, has found they may also help relieve other types of burn. Researchers monitored 38 patients who had suffered serious burns for a year and recorded their levels of vitamin D. They found that those with the highest levels of vitamin D had better wound healing and fewer scars.
Professor Janet Lord said: “Low vitamin D levels were associated with worse results in burn patients including life-threatening infections(感染),death and delayed wound healing. Major burn injury severely reduces vitamin D levels and adding this vitamin back may be a simple, safe and cost-effective way to improve the condition for burn patients.” Professor Lord and her team are now focusing on finding out why there is a rapid loss of vitamin D in patients immediately following burn injury and hope that they may be able to prevent this in future.
The amount of reduction in patients’ vitamin D levels was not related to the severity(严重程度) of the burn, so levels may also be decreased in minor burn injury, suggesting taking vitamin D pills could also help people with everyday burns. Public Health England now recommends that all Britons take vitamin D pills in the winter because it is impossible to make sufficient quantities in the darker months.
1. What does the new study find?| A．People with low vitamin D levels get burned easily. |
| B．Vitamin D helps with the recovery from burn injury. |
| C．Vitamin D pills aid in reducing the swelling from burns. |
| D．Vitamin D is more beneficial to serious burns than minor burns. |
| A．The severity of one's burn reflects his vitamin D levels. |
| B．Vitamin D pills are more needed in the autumn months. |
| C．Burn patients lacking vitamin D are at high risk of infection. |
| D．Minor burns have no effect on patients’ vitamin D levels. |
| A．The researchers. | B．Vitamin D pills. |
| C．Previous studies. | D．Some kinds of vitamins. |
| A．Vitamin D: A Necessity for Our Health |
| B．Vitamin D Pills: When Are They Needed? |
| C．Vitamin D: How Much Does the Body Need? |
| D．Vitamin D Pills: Heal Burns &. Prevent Scarring |
