1 . At every turn in the Netherlands, the future of sustainable(可持续的) agriculture is taking shape—not in the meeting rooms of big companies but on thousands of modest family farms.
You can see it vividly on the farm run by Ted Duijvestijn and his brothers. At the Duijvestjns' 36-acre greenhouse near the old city of Delf, visitors wander among the deep green tomato plants, 20 feet tall. Rooted not in soil but in materials made from leaves and stalks, the plants are heavy with tomatoes—15 varieties in all—to suit the taste of the most demanding customers.
Since 2004, the Duijvestijns have declared resource independence on every front. The farm produces all of its own energy and fertilizer and even some of the packaging materials necessary for the crop's distribution and sale. The growing environment is kept at perfect temperatures year-round by geothermal heat(地热) that can be found under at least half of the Netherlands. Only rainwater is used for irrigation. Each kilogram of tomatoes from their plants requires less than 15 kilograms of water, compared with 61 kilograms for plants in open fields. Once each year the entire crop is regrown from seeds, and the old plants are processed to make packaging materials. The few pests that manage to enter the greenhouse are greeted by an army of fierce insects that shows no interest in tomatoes. The nutrition in the soil can be improved by growing plants that work with certain bacteria to produce their own fertilizer. In short. it's an entirely self-contained food system.
“Look at the island of Bali in Indonesia!” Ted explains. “For at least a thousand years, its farmers have raised ducks and fish within the same rice field. It's irrigated by the canal systems sculpted by human hands along mountains. They are our model.”
1. What can we learn about the Duijvestijns' tomatoes?| A．Their color is deep green. | B．There are 15 on each plant. |
| C．They are very tasty. | D．They grow in rich natural soil. |
| A．does not have insects | B．is heated by solar energy |
| C．produces its own chemical fertilizer | D．consumes much less water |
| A．Independent. | B．Reliable. |
| C．Satisfying | D．Separated. |
| A．He is attracted to its canal systems. | B．He will also raise ducks in his farm. |
| C．He wants to see the beautiful island. | D．He appreciates its farming methods. |
2 . True friendship is like sound health; the value of it is seldom known until it is lost.—Charles Caleb Colton.
Just like in any other relationship, arguments and fights are also a part of friendship. You will hardly find friends who have never fought with one another. Whatever the reason is, if a person feels that he is responsible for creating the differences, it is important that he apologizes to his friend.
Though you can use the email, text messages or chat for expressing your apology, the good old way of saying sorry to your friend through a letter will surely have a great effect on him. This will make your friend realize that your efforts of saying sorry are genuine and you really care for him.
Points to Remember:
Timing: Write the letter at the proper time.It is not advisable to put off it for too long.
Words: While writing the letter, what matters the most is that you truly feel sorry.
Sequence: Always begin by apologizing and saying sorry for your mistake. Then explain to him your side of the story. In the third and last paragraph, talk about what his friendship means to you and make a promise of not repeating the mistake.
Delivery: You can either post it or deliver the letter personally or through someone else. You can also keep it at a location where your friend will be able to find it easily.
Some people may try to point out the friend’s mistake while writing the letter. Avoid this completely, as it can make matters worse. The letter has to be brief and should only talk about the subject that has led to your apology. Keep patient and do not expect immediate results. In some cases, it may take time for the person to forgive and forget.
1. The saying in the first paragraph is used to ________ .| A．let readers study a famous saying | B．introduce the topic of the passage |
| C．show who is Charles Caleb Colton | D．tell readers the importance of friends |
| A．the email | B．text messages | C．chat online | D．letters |
| A．try to point out the friend’s mistake |
| B．make the letter long and interesting |
| C．begin by apologizing and saying sorry for your mistake |
| D．write the importance of your friendship in the first paragraph |
3 . This is the moment a cleaner at a British university burst into tears after students raised $ 2,063 to send him to Jamaica on vacation to see family.
Herman Gordon, who has worked at Bristol University for more than a decade, is described as “one of the most loved” members of its cleaning staff. He is so well liked that a group of students raised money to give him a holiday. A video shows a student hands an envelope of cash to the surprised Gordan with tears rolling down his cheeks. He wipes away tears with a cleaning cloth and hugs the student who gave it to him. Gordan said: “I want to thank every one of you and God bless every one of you.”
The group of students started the fundraising because they liked Gordon so much. A post said: “The Jamaican cleaner in the biomedical library is the jolliest man I have ever met; he makes me smile even when I’m in the deepest depths of sorrow, if you want a reason to smile, go talk to him for a minute or two.”
Anyone who has been to the biomedical library knows who Herman the cleaner is. Simply put, Herman is the epitome（典范）of happiness, “All year round, this man works hours on end to provide us with a clean working space in which to study. But most importantly, his everlasting positive attitude has managed to turn many students’ dark days into positive ones filled with joy,” said a student. Whether you’re just feeling generally down or stressed out due to exams, Herman is always there to encourage you.
This legend proves that happiness is not about what you own, what job you have or how much money you’ve got, but about appreciating what you currently have in life even if it’s small.
1. What was Herman Gordon’ reaction when receiving the fundraising?| A．grateful. | B．stressed. | C．delighted. | D．astonished. |
| A．most miserable. | B．most cheerful. | C．most generous. | D．most glorious. |
| A．Building confidence. | B．Developing exam skills. |
| C．Learning self-control. | D．Gaining biomedical knowledge. |
| A．A biomedical library cleaner. . | B．A group of warm-hearted students. |
| C．Money-raising to send a cleaner on vacation. | D．The most loved cleaning staff. |
4 . Robots are getting better at doing human jobs. That's probably good for the economy—but there are some serious downsides, too.
Machines are expected to displace about 20 million manufacturing jobs across the world over the next decade, according to a report released by Oxford Economics, a global forecasting and quantitative analysis firm.
That means about 8.5% of the global manufacturing workforce could be displaced by robots. The report also notes that the move to robots tends to create new jobs as fast as it automates them; however, it could contribute to income inequality. The use of robots is on the rise: at this point, every new robot that is installed (安装) displaces 1.6 manufacturing workers on average, according to the Oxford Economic model.
Robots are becoming cheaper than many human workers, in part because of the falling costs of machines. And they are increasingly capable of functioning in more complex processes and varied contexts. On top of that, the demand for manufactured goods is rising.
One potential downsize to the robot revolution: automation could increase income inequality. "This great displacement will not be evenly distributed around the world, or within countries," according to the report. "Our research shows that the negative effects of robotization are disproportionately (不成比例地) felt in the lower-income regions compared with higher-income regions of the same country."
The workers who drive knowledge and innovation within the manufacturing industry tend to be concentrated in larger cities, and those skills are harder to automate. That's why urban areas will deal better with the increased automation, according to the report.
On the whole, the increased use of automation will likely create new jobs at a pace comparable to the jobs that will be lost, which cancels out fears about permanent job destruction, according to the Oxford study. That said, the poorer regions that are expected to lose the most jobs will probably not benefit equally from this new job creation due to a gap in skills. That will lead to increased income inequality between cities and rural areas, as well as between regions.
1. What "downside" does the author mainly discuss?| A．People will not be able to find jobs in the future. |
| B．Robots will finally take the place of people. |
| C．Displacement by robots will increase income inequality. |
| D．Robots are becoming cheaper than many human workers. |
| A．To make robots help them with the harder work. |
| B．To improve their innovative ability and knowledge. |
| C．To move to larger cities or more developed countries. |
| D．To make their skills faster and easier to be automated. |
| A．The increased use of automation will create more jobs. |
| B．People needn't worry about permanent job destruction. |
| C．The poorer countries will not benefit from automation. |
| D．The income gap between cities and rural regions will widen. |
| A．Robots should be banned in the future because of the disadvantages. |
| B．Robots can do more and better than humans in complicated processes. |
| C．The increasing need for manufactured goods partly contributes to robotization. |
| D．The negative effects of robotization will be evenly distributed around the world. |
5 . Summer job offers
Red Lemon shop Assistants(售货员)
We are looking for shop assistants for the summer. If you are a social person and good at salesmanship, we want you to join our team. Good conditions. Perfect for students.
Phone 0151-897-6643 for information about how to apply.
Cinerama Cinemas
We need people to work evenings and at the weekend. Responsibilities include checking tickets and selling popcorn and soft drinks. Watch the latest films ... free! Join our young and friendly team!
Phone 0161-754-6022 for more information about wages (工资)and conditions.
US Au Pairs
Ever wanted to visit California? Are you patient, caring and good with kids? Work as an au pair in Los Angeles this summer. Free food and accommodation(食宿).
Phone 0121-077, 2001 for information about how to get application forms(申请表).
Are You Mad About Sport?
Would you like to spend all summer teaching sport to people from around the world? Then come and work at our international sports camp Sports Star Camp!
Phone 0191-121-5533 for information about how to get and where to send application forms, etc.
1. Which number can you call if you want to get a job that provides free films?| A．0151-897-6643. | B．0161-754-6022. | C．0121-077-2001. | D．0191-121-5533. |
| A．It is a high-paid job. | B．It is perfect for kids. |
| C．It offers job-related training. | D．It requires somebody with patience. |
| A．Jill, who dreams of being a sports star. |
| B．Jack, who wants to become a sports coach. |
| C．Joe, who expects to travel around the world. |
| D．Jim, who loves to take part in sports competitions. |
6 . With summer break coming up for children across the United States，now it 's time to plan a fantastic summer trip for your family.Her are a few of the best places you can take your family to this year and any year for that matter.
Montgomery，Alabama
Montgomery is an important site for learning about the history of the Civil Rights Move-ment. Children with their families can visit the Civil Rights Memorial Center to take a tour of the exhibits and learn about the hopes and dreams and the struggle for equality in the country.
Kenai Peninsula，Alaska
If you are looking for a wonderful outdoor adventure，the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska is a fantastic trip. While visiting this region of Alaska，you can explore the Kenai Mountains in Kenai Fjords(峡湾）National Park，where your kids can see glaciers，fjords and especially the Harding Icefield Fishing is another wonderful activity to enjoy at this destination.
Channel Islands，California
The Channel Islands are an amazing archipelago (群岛）) off the coast of California. Here visitors can enjoy the Channel Islands National Park. The Channel Islands National Park protects five of the islands. Within the protection of the park there is a wide variety of wildlife，as well as natural and cultural resources. You should keep an eye out for seals，sea lions，dolphins,and many more.
Memphis，Tennessee
Memphis is a fantastic destination for families that enjoy music. This city played a great role in the evolution of Blues music. You certainly won't want to miss out on a trip to Graceland while exploring Memphis.The home of Elvis Presley is open to visitors for tours,where you can travel through the life and rise of Elvis.
1. Where can you enjoy exhibitions during your trip?| A．Montgomery. | B．Kenai Peninsula. |
| C．Channel Islands. | D．Memphis. |
| A．Listen to some music. |
| B．Explore various wildlife. |
| C．Try risking outdoors. |
| D．Watch all kinds of fishes. |
| A．To give children some instructions. |
| B．To introduce some trip sites for families. |
| C．To advertise some famous attractions. |
| D．To encourage children to learn in summer. |
7 . Elon Musk has expressed his company – Neuralink is close to announcing the first brain-machine interface (接口) to connect humans and computers. Musk told followers in Twitter the technology would be “coming soon” – though he failed to provide details.
Neuralink was set up in 2016 with the ambitious goal of developing hardware to strengthen the human brain. However, little about how this will work has been made public. Neuralink describes the interface as an extremely high-speed connection between the human brain and computers.
Musk has frequently claimed the rapid rise of artificial intelligence poses an existential risk to humanity. Such an interface, he says, is essential if humans are to compete with such technology in the future. At a technology conference in 2016, Mr Musk said humans risked being treated like house pets by AI machines if a brain-computer interface was not built. Last year on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Musk said Neuralink’s technology would allow humans to “effectively combine with AI”.
A paper published in Nature Nanotechnology in 2015 described a concept for this connection, explaining how a flexible circuit (回路) could be injected into a living brain. “We’re trying to lessen the distinction between electronic circuits and neural circuits,” said Harvard researcher Charles Lieber, who co-authored the study. Despite the technology’s potential to increase the human brain, experts have warned that brain-computer interfaces risk being controlled by vicious (恶意的) artificial intelligence.
Such an action could lead to AI controlling the thoughts, decisions and emotions of a person using a brain-computer link. “Technological developments mean that we are on a path to a world in which it will be possible to discover people’s mental processes and directly operate the brain mechanisms underlying their intentions, emotions and decision,” stated a Nature comment piece written by 27 scientists and machine intelligence engineers. “The possible medical and social benefits in it are vast. But we must guide their development in a way that respects, protects and enables what is best in humanity.”
1. What message did Musk convey about his Neuralink?| A．It sells brain-machine interfaces. |
| B．It offers rich data about interfaces. |
| C．It has followers to connect humans and computers. |
| D．Its new technology will be accessible to the public soon . |
| A．Neuralink aims to know the human brain better. |
| B．How the hardware functions is already known. |
| C．The brain-machine interface was invented in 2016. |
| D．The interface is expected to link the human brain and computers rapidly. |
| A．Because they may treat human like house pets. |
| B．Because they may make AI serve human better. |
| C．Because they build neural circuits in human brains. |
| D．Because they rapidly develop artificial intelligence. |
| A．Objective | B．Favorable |
| C．Opposed | D．Indifferent |
8 . Over the past ten years, stand-up comedy(独角喜剧) clubs have become common on college campuses in America. The culture of stand-up has gotten a lot of media attention. These clubs allow students to explore their abilities and develop interests beyond their field of study.
They give funny speeches, tell jokes and make humorous body movements. Their humor entertains and helps ease the stress of crowds of busy, young people. However, club member Ariella Shua says comedy is serious work. She says she has become a better observer of what is going on around her ever since. She does not go anywhere without bringing something on which she can take notes. Students write all their own materials. Then, in weekly club meetings, they try out that material to see what works and what doesn’t. So, it starts as an individual project for themselves and becomes a group effort.
Last year, Harry Kuperstein joined the club and discovered it was a natural fit. Noticing the funny qualities of different situations improved his way of looking at the world. Becoming an active member also helped him work on the future skills he will need as a medical doctor. It helps him talk to patients as a doctor and make him a better public speaker.
Despite the group meetings, rewrites and rehearsals, some ideas just are not funny. Club member Benjamin Monteagudo said performing in front of a group of students does not mean comedians will not receive strong criticism. Last year, they came up with an idea to keep the audience involved and get their opinions.
They called it “Tomato Show”, where if they were performing very badly on stage, they just let the audience throw tomatoes at them to kind of roll with the joke. So, they spent their entire budget on a big box of 300 soft tomatoes. They gave them to the audience, and it was the best show ever.
1. Ariella Shua thinks comedy is serious work because it ________.| A．has to be approved by all of the members |
| B．takes much time and is boring sometimes |
| C．requires her to take a lot of notes |
| D．needs personal efforts and teamwork |
| A．convenient. | B．suitable. |
| C．funny. | D．attractive. |
| A．It allowed audience to participate and respond. |
| B．Comedians avoided receiving strong criticism. |
| C．Club members were very skilled in acting. |
| D．The performance itself was very humorous. |
| A．The rise and fall of stand-up comedy clubs. |
| B．The influence of stand-up comedy clubs. |
| C．The popularity of stand-up comedy clubs. |
| D．The future of stand-up comedy clubs. |
9 . Have you ever made a mistake while trying to print from a computer? That paper probably went right into the recycling bin. From there, it is taken to a waste-handling plant to be eventually broken down and remade. But what if you could simply erase your mistake and reuse that paper? It may become available, thanks to a new technology.
It's a new type of rewritable paper that can be used more than 100 times. Words and pictures remain visible on it for at least half a year. This is nearly the first rewritable paper. But the marks on those earlier versions tended to fade away in less than three months.
Luzhuo Chen led the group that made the new rewritable paper. His team was inspired by pens that contain erasable ink. That ink disappears when heated. To make its new rewritable paper, Chen's group switched the ink from the pen to the paper. They covered one side of regular paper with the ink used in those erasable pens. Using a heated pen or printer, they can now write or print on this paper. That warmth makes the ink disappear.
This is the opposite of how writing usually works, where ink is applied to paper. With the new system, the spots where you write become white instead of colored because that heat makes the ink covering the white paper disappear.
Qiang Zhao has a creative mind behind another type of rewritable paper. He thinks Chen's paper is simple and doesn't cost much to make, so it should be easy and fairly inexpensive to produce. However, the paper will need a lot of ink. In large doses（剂量），chemicals in the ink can be bad for the environment and people's health. Zhao would like scientists to develop a safer ink. Still, he thinks this paper will have wide applications.
1. Why does the author raise the questions in the first paragraph?| A．To prove the necessity of recycling paper. |
| B．To introduce the importance of rewritable paper. |
| C．To draw readers attention to the new technology. |
| D．To show the development of paper-making technology. |
| A．It can be reused for a lot more times. |
| B．The costs of producing it are much lower. |
| C．It can be produced in a much easier way. |
| D．The contents on it can be more long-lasting. |
| A．It still needs improving. | B．It's somewhat impractical. |
| C．It does no harm to its users. | D．It's worth promoting right away. |
| A．It shows colored words or pictures. |
| B．It doesn't require ink to write on it. |
| C．It will replace ordinary writing paper soon. |
| D．It has no requirement on the writing tool. |
10 . Los Angeles is always a popular holiday destination. To fully enjoy your travel there, you should know its food, weather, and also traffic. While driving in L. A. is similar to that in other areas, there are a few specific rules to note.
HOV lanes (车道)
On many L. A. freeways, one or more lanes at the far left are used as high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. They usually have limited access and you can only enter or exit where there is a break in the double yellow line. Most HOV lanes require a minimum of two people in the car; some require three. Vehicles towing trailers (拖车) are NOT allowed in the HOV lane, regardless of how many people are in them.
Toll (收费) lanes
On certain freeways, the HOV lanes are double-purposed as toll lanes for people driving alone who have a FasTrak, an electronic toll collection system. Therefore, you also have to have one in that lane as a HOV, which is inconvenient if you’re just visiting. FasTrak is in effect on parts of the 110 freeway between the 405 and 10 freeways, and on parts of the 10 freeway east of Downtown L. A.
Cell phones
It is against the law to talk on a cell phone while driving without using a hands-free device. Holding a cell phone to your ear while driving will land you with a ticket.
Alcohol
Driving under the influence is taken seriously in L.A. The legal blood alcohol limit is 0.08%, but you can be charged with lower levels if they show you can’t function normally. Placing an opened bottle of alcohol in the passenger area while driving (or sitting) is illegal. Any opened container of alcohol has to be transported in the trunk.
1. What do you know about HOV lanes?| A．They encourage people to share cars. |
| B．They are on the far right of freeways. |
| C．They are intended for larger vehicles. |
| D．They allow cars to enter over the double yellow line. |
| A．Driving on the 110 freeway with a FasTrak. |
| B．Putting the cell phone in the car while driving. |
| C．Riding with an opened bottle of alcohol in back seats. |
| D．Going below the blood alcohol limit of 0. 08%. |
| A．A traffic law. | B．A road map. |
| C．A guidebook. | D．A report. |
