1 . Overhear any conversation or pay close attention to your own, and you will hear laughter. You will probably also notice that, more often than not, the laughter is in response to something that was not very funny—or was not funny at all. Take Hillary Clinton’s strategic laughter during heated exchanges with Donald Trump in the presidential debates.
In one research in my Vocal Communication Lab at UCLA, we played recorded laughs to listeners and asked them, “Is this laugh ‘real’ or ‘fake’?” Our recorded laughs were either taken from real conversations between friends in a laboratory setting, or produced by request, also in the lab. It turned out that about 70 per cent of the listeners were able to tell the “real” laughs from the “fake” ones. Quite a few fake laughs sound pretty good, but why are fake laughs not as convincing as we expect? We can detect part of a laugh that is hard to fake—and that part has to do with the control of our breath.
Laughs could essentially be broken up into two different vocalisation (发声) systems: speech and emotion. Although both kinds of laughs are vocalised as “ha-ha-ha,” the intermittent breaths a person takes in—between the sounds give away a fake laugh. Real laughs have a higher proportion of breathy parts in between. Think about every time you force a laugh. You have to actually say the “ha-ha-ha,” and probably never consider how you breathe while doing it.
A fake laugh is basically an imitation of a real laugh. If you slow down a real laugh about two and a half times, it sounds like an ape (猿). But a slowed fake laugh sounds more like human speech. We put this observation to the test with the slowed-down versions of the laughs used for our first experiment, and asked participants whether the recordings were from a human or an animal. Though they couldn’t tell the origin of the real laugh, they were able to tell that the fake laugh came from a human.
Real laughs are produced by an emotional vocal system that humans share with all primates (灵长目动物), whereas fake laughs are produced by a speech system that is unique to humans. Laughter in humans likely evolved from play vocalisations in our primate ancestors. If one animal bites another during a rough-and-tumble (小打小闹的) play, it could be taken as an attack. But if they signal while panting (喘气) that they are just playing, the play can continue without being interrupted by an unnecessary real fight. In this way, real laughter reveals our animal nature.
1. Fake laughter is easy to detect because _________.| A．it is not in a real conversation |
| B．it responds to something that is not funny |
| C．its control of breath is different |
| D．it sounds too good to be true |
| A．human emotion | B．human speech |
| C．ape emotion | D．ape nature |
| A．Fake laugh is an imitation of real laugh. |
| B．Real laugh demonstrates our animal nature. |
| C．Humans and apes share an emotional vocal system. |
| D．A speech vocal system is unique to primates. |
2 . As is known to all, a large number of Chinese students are studying abroad. The United States has always been a hot choice for Chinese students to begin their college studies. But now more and more Chinese parents are
Wenhui Daily carried an article on Sunday saying that
The article quotes Zhang Hengrui, a consulting expert,
But the expert says
The expert offers two
| A．wondering | B．considering | C．thinking | D．expecting |
| A．this | B．that | C．it | D．what |
| A．turn down | B．look up | C．apply for | D．apply to |
| A．because | B．although | C．unless | D．while |
| A．put up | B．take up | C．turn up | D．make up |
| A．telling | B．talking | C．saying | D．speaking |
| A．patient | B．careful | C．independent | D．curious |
| A．valuable | B．competitive | C．clever | D．effective |
| A．since | B．until | C．even if | D．in case |
| A．allow | B．predict | C．operate | D．avoid |
| A．totally | B．normally | C．specially | D．generally. |
| A．ways | B．views | C．instructions | D．suggestions |
| A．in order | B．in turn | C．in advance | D．in return |
| A．told | B．informed | C．said | D．mentioned |
| A．guidance | B．effect | C．service | D．position |
3 . As hundreds of thousands of people continue to die each day from this disease, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic(流行病) continues to impact almost every aspect of daily life for the global population.
The COVID-19 has devastated economies and caused great challenges to healthcare and food systems around the world. Globally, billions of people have been ordered to stay at home as a result of lockdowns. Social distancing and lockdowns have reduced diagnosis(诊断) rates of infectious diseases by reducing social contact.
However, individuals have avoided seeking help for other health problems due to lockdowns and avoidance of medical settings, leading to reduced diagnosis and treatment despite the problem still being there. Meanwhile, even in diagnosed cases, treatment for diseases and conditions such as cancer had to be put off in many cases due to the immediate threat of COVID-19 consuming health systems and their resources. Scientific research around the world has also focused on COVID-19, potentially delaying research and breakthroughs on other diseases.
Before the pandemic, around half of the world’s population did not have access to essential healthcare, and this number has been increased by the pandemic. Healthcare systems across the globe need to become more accessible and need to be prepared for future pandemic-like events in a way that will reduce the impact on the management of other diseases.
Overall, it is generally believed that no country was fully prepared to handle a pandemic, particularly one at the degree of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the most significant lessons that can be learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is the importance of political will in its role in protecting people from pandemic diseases. In order to ensure that the world is better prepared for the next new infectious agent, public health systems must remain committed to developing adequate surveillance (监察) programmes and prompt diagnostic techniques.
1. The underline word “devastated” in Paragraph 2 most probably means “_________”.| A．destroyed | B．resisted |
| C．secured | D．boosted |
| A．In order to lighten people’s mental health burden. |
| B．Reducing social contact can make it less likely to infect COVID-19. |
| C．Because the bad weather prevents people from going out. |
| D．Because all public transport is halted. |
| A．People should learn to protect themselves from infection. |
| B．Health systems need to become more accessible and improve their technologies. |
| C．Government should take more strict prevention measures. |
| D．People should stay at home and reduce social contact. |
| A．How the COVID-19 infects people. |
| B．The measures used to prevent the spread of the COVID-19. |
| C．The effects of the COVID-19 and lessons learned from it. |
| D．The causes of the outbreak of the COVID-19. |
4 . O. Henry was an American writer whose short stories are known for wit, wordplay and clever twist endings. He wrote nearly 600 stories about life in America. He was born on September 11, 1862, in Greensboro, North Carolina. His father was a medical doctor. When Henry was three his mother died and he was raised by his grandmother and aunt.
Like many other writers, O. Henry’s early career aspirations were unfocused and he wandered across different activities and professions before he finally found his calling as a short story writer. He left school at the age of 15 and then had a number of jobs, including bank clerk. In 1896 he was accused of embezzlement(挪用公款). Although there has been much debate over his actual guilt, he was convicted of embezzling funds from the bank that employed him, he was sentenced to 5 years in jail.
While in prison he began writing short stories in order to support his young daughter. He published 12 stories while in prison. After serving 3 years of the five-year sentence, he was released for good behaviour. He moved to New York City in 1902 and wrote a story a week for the New York World and also wrote for other magazine.
His first collection of stories was Cabbages and Kings (1904). The next collection, The Four Million (1906), included his well-known stories The Gift of the Magi, The Cop and the Anthem and many others.
Unfortunately, O. Henry’s personal tragedy was heavy drinking. By 1908, his health condition became worse and his writing dropped off. He died in 1910. The funeral was held in New York City, but he was buried in North Carolina, the state where he was born. He was a gifted short story writer and left us a rich legacy of great stories to enjoy. All of his stories are highly entertaining, whether read for pleasure or studied in classrooms around the world.
1. Why was O. Henry sentenced in jail?| A．He was the murderer of his wife. |
| B．He was accused of embezzlement. |
| C．He stole jewellery from the bank. |
| D．He was sentenced for drink-driving. |
| A．support his daughter |
| B．make a living by himself |
| C．realise his dream of being a writer |
| D．make money for travel |
| A．O. Henry’s father was a medical doctor. |
| B．O. Henry’s sentence of five years was shortened. |
| C．O. Henry was buried in a different place from where his funeral was hold. |
| D．O. Henry had a great life in his later life. |
5 . Have you tried to run or walk for exercise and then given up? If you answered yes, you should try a new kind of exercise: aquatic (水中的) exercise. Aquatic exercise is like exercise on land, but you do it in a swimming pool. More and more people are trying aquatic exercise now.
Aquatic exercise feels easier than exercising on land. Why? You weigh about 90% less in the pool. It is better for your knees than running or walking. Water is about 1,000 times thicker and heavier than air. To move through the water, your body has to work four times as hard. As a result, you can burn more calories (卡路里).
In fact, most people say they feel more relaxed in the water. They stop thinking about the things that make them worried. They feel in control of their bodies. The cool, quiet environment makes them feel good.
But what if you are afraid of the water? No problem! There is nothing to worry about. Aquatic exercise is safe and easy to learn. It doesn’t require any special skills. You don’t even need to know how to swim. Aquatic exercise is for everyone.
1. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．Difference between air and water. |
| B．Weight change of one’s body. |
| C．The advantages of aquatic exercise. |
| D．The ways to do aquatic exercise. |
| A．Relaxing. | B．Worrying. |
| C．Challenging. | D．Boring. |
| A．done in groups | B．fit for everyone |
| C．difficult to learn | D．done with special skills |
| A．Culture. | B．Health. |
| C．Nature. | D．Travel. |
6 . Every table tennis player has a memorable and unforgettable childhood. Ma Long is the
At the age of 13, Ma Long was brought to Beijing to have a
The first impression on Ma Long is usually a
Just like most of the kids, Ma Long would cry
| A．same | B．different | C．unique | D．special |
| A．standard | B．specific | C．certain | D．possible |
| A．made up | B．put up | C．turned up | D．picked up |
| A．easy | B．typical | C．interesting | D．boring |
| A．won | B．succeeded | C．lost | D．drew |
| A．established | B．attained | C．broke | D．explained |
| A．rather | B．very | C．quite | D．fairly |
| A．settled | B．took | C．left | D．entered |
| A．creative | B．outspoken | C．silent | D．patient |
| A．till | B．despite | C．when | D．before |
| A．whatever | B．however | C．whenever | D．wherever |
| A．managing | B．making | C．disappear | D．perform |
| A．As to | B．So far from | C．Far as | D．As of |
| A．excitement | B．motivation | C．experience | D．independence |
| A．trouble | B．possibility | C．thought | D．courage |
7 . Have you ever heard of Nollywood? Nollywood is the name of the Nigerian (尼日利亚的) film industry. Nigeria is one of the largest film industries in the world based on the quantity of films produced, placing them right below India’s Bollywood and above USA’s Hollwood!
Born in around 1992. Nollywood is the youngest compared with the other two “woods”, and uses new forms of financing and production. Now it’s in adulthood. and bigger productions have become more regular. However, this was not always the case. Although movie theaters were rare in Nigeria during earlier period, original stories were not. Despite lack of funds and experience, self-made directors began to use commercial video cameras to shoot their movies and sold them for home viewing. Even though this resulted in movies with low production value, the original stories instantly made them a hit. Today, the film industry is the largest employer after agriculture and makes up 5% of Nigeria’s GDP.
Nigeria is a big player in the industry and it is constantly improving its craft, taking on new challenges. Nollywood is known mainly for its comedies and dramas, but we are increasingly seeing horror movies and musicals.
Although sometimes heavily criticized for low production values. Nollywood continues to grow fans worldwide. Nigerian movies now make up 11% of Nigeria’s non-oil exports! The average movie is produced in 7-10 days on a budget between ￡7,000-12,000 (Hollywood’s average is around ￡60 million per movie with one year production time).This is changing, however, as more filmmakers are receiving proper training and are aiming to make films up to the international standard.
1. What is the advantage of Nollywood?| A．Commercial support. | B．Original stories. |
| C．Dominant comedies. | D．Fast production. |
| A．Bollywood produces more films than the other two “woods”. |
| B．Nollywood is known as the youngest among the three “woods”. |
| C．Hollywood’ s budget for an average movie is much less than Nollywood’s. |
| D．It takes much less time to produce a Nollywood film than a Hollywood one. |
| A．Nollywood’s contribution to Nigera’s GDP is second only to agriculture |
| B．Nollywood makes fewer comedies and dramas than horror movies and musicals |
| C．movies made by Nollywood occupy more than 11% of Nigeria’ s export industry |
| D．more filmmakers in Nollywood are attempting to improve the quality of its films |
| A．films worth enjoying in Nigeria. |
| B．major differences among the “woods”. |
| C．promising future of Nollywood. |
| D．features and changes of Nollywood. |
8 . Technology is the application of knowledge to production.
Will mankind
Therefore, in the final analysis, the three major factors of production(land, labor and capital)are all
| A．In addition to | B．Instead of | C．In spite of | D．Thanks to |
| A．cut off | B．cut down | C．take down | D．take off |
| A．standard | B．profit | C．stage | D．range |
| A．inferior | B．blind | C．available | D．close |
| A．extended | B．transformed | C．saved | D．developed |
| A．refuse | B．plan | C．pretend | D．continue |
| A．gives up | B．makes up | C．depends on | D．insists on |
| A．temporarily | B．definitely | C．willingly | D．equally |
| A．fashion | B．data | C．attention | D．category |
| A．However | B．Furthermore | C．Or | D．So |
| A．on | B．into | C．without | D．through |
| A．retained | B．applied | C．influenced | D．introduced |
| A．needs | B．issues | C．studies | D．dreams |
| A．illegal | B．inefficient | C．inexact | D．illogical |
| A．appeals | B．turns | C．responds | D．objects |
9 . A technology company is developing a lie detector app for smartphones that could be used by parents, teachers and Internet daters.
The app measures blood flow in the face to assess whether or not you are telling the truth. Its developers say that it could be used for daters wanting to see if somebody really is interested in them. Parents could use it on their children to see if they are lying and teachers could work out which of their pupils are truthful.
The app is being developed by Toronto startup NuraLogix and the software is called Transdermal-Optical Imaging.
The idea is that different human emotions create different facial blood flow patterns that we have no control over. These patterns change if we are telling the truth or telling a lie. Using footage from the smartphone camera, the software will see the changes in skin color and compare them to standardized results. A study found that anger was associated with more blood flow and redness while sadness was associated with less of both.
Kang Lee, who has been researching the field for 20 years, said that the lie detector test will let you find out the truth “non-invasively, and remotely, and sometimes it can be covertly”
He said, “It could be very useful, for example, for teachers. A lot of our students have math anxiety but they do not want to tell us, because that’s embarrassing.”
Lee added that the technology would not replace lie detectors used in a court of law. He said, “They want the accuracy to be extremely high, like genetic tests, and a one-in-a-million error rate. Our technique won’t be able to achieve an extremely high accuracy level, and because of that I don’t think it’s useful for the courts.”
He added that it will be a few years before the dating app is available to consumers.
1. How does the app work?| A．By monitoring the heartbeat. |
| B．By analyzing the blood flow in the face. |
| C．By measuring one’s blood pressure. |
| D．By checking the words one says. |
| A．A consumer buying a smartphone. |
| B．A student working on a math problem. |
| C．A judge in court. |
| D．A parent concerned about his child. |
| A．violently | B．artificially |
| C．secretly | D．confidently |
| A．it takes some time for the dating app to be put to use |
| B．it has been proved that the app is more effective in court than at school |
| C．the app matches genetic tests in accuracy |
| D．the app comes from the idea that we can control our facial blood flow patterns |
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? If you were like most children, you probably let your imagination run
If that’s the case, then today’s the day for you. January 13th is Make Your Dreams Come True Day. If you’ve been
It’s important to dream because dreams can give us the
What is the
Dreams can be very
Many successful people have spoken about dreams. Former U. S. Secretary of State Colin Powell stressed the
If you’ve been dreaming about doing something for years, start today. Write down yo dream, and
| A．fast | B．high | C．well | D．wild. |
| A．colorful | B．amazing | C．realistic | D．attractive |
| A．putting off | B．taking off | C．getting off | D．paying off |
| A．opportunity | B．direction | C．energy | D．access |
| A．pressure | B．doubt | C．sense | D．need |
| A．seek | B．achieve | C．explain | D．design |
| A．really | B．almost | C．always | D．hardly |
| A．concept | B．similarity | C．comparison | D．difference |
| A．unreal | B．general | C．changeable | D．flexible |
| A．specific | B．abstract | C．common | D．complicated |
| A．imaging | B．avoiding | C．reaching | D．believing |
| A．process | B．benefit | C．consequence | D．importance |
| A．blood | B．determination | C．intelligence | D．loyalty |
| A．age | B．extra | C．space | D．normal |
| A．transfer | B．convert | C．establish | D．devote |
