1 . A new officer with the Huntington Park Police patrols (巡逻) local parks 24 hours a day seven days a week.He doesn't need rest,coffee breaks,a salary or medical insurance,and that is because it is a Robocop.
The main function of the Robocop is to scan and film the surroundings.Besides cameras with night vision that report 360 degrees,it also has a distress button which is located here,so if somebody is to need assistance or they want to contact the communication center,they can do it by way of that distress button.There are people that are monitoring on the other end.
This newest police employee is self-charging.It's easy to program it and make changes to the software if necessary.Its maintenance (维护) costs are roughly 75 thousand dollars a year.It travels the entire park.It is a programmed path,but the police are able to change the path and adapt it.
The Robocop can record the license plates (车牌) of passing cars and check them against an online database of stolen cars.It can also help locate a lost iPhone because it is able to determine a smartphone's MAC address.The police can see from the robot if something wrong happens and then come and figure it out.
The Robocop can't replace its human handlers.The whole goal is to give police more time to do things machines can't do.The police have been having some concerns about safety of the parks and want an extra set of eyes that will help patrol a 24/7.Robocop's creators believe this model known as K5 is best used for providing security at public places like hospitals, parking lots,parks and airports.So far,it seems to be working out just fine.
1. What is the distress button used to do?| A．Locate the Robocop. | B．Serve as an alarm device. |
| C．Communicate with visitors. | D．Monitor the neighbourhood. |
| A．Helpful but dangerous. | B．Intelligent but inexpensive. |
| C．Tireless and multifunctional. | D．Fashionable and good-looking. |
| A．To direct traffic. | B．To build a database. |
| C．To prevent accidents. | D．To find lost cars. |
| A．It has limitation in use. | B．It has been widely used. |
| C．Its creators need more support. | D．Its security is still under test. |
2 . It is reported that a record-breaking high-speed rail will connect Inner Mongolia in the north to Hainan in the south. According to the Shaanxi Development and Reform Commission，the proposed line will operate at a speed of 350 kilometers per hour（217 mph）．
Beginning in Inner Mongolia's Baotou city and running through southern Shaanxi， Hubei， Hunan， Guangxi and Guangdong， its final stop would be in Haikou city on Hainan Island，China's southernmost province．
Though the exact length of the proposed route has not been released，it will likely become the world's longest high-speed rail line as the journey by road between Baotou and Haikou is approximately 3，000 kilometers（1，864 miles） long． Currently， the world's longest high-speed rail line is almost 2，300 kilometers long （1，429 miles）， running from Beijing to Guangzhou．
The proposed rail is part of China's aim to create another "Silk Road of the 21st Century" and improve the country's transportation network while driving land development and urbanization（城市化） in some provincial areas．
Many of the provinces through which the high-speed trains will travel are near major bodies of water，such as the Yellow River in Inner Mongolia and Shaanxi province，the Yangtzi River in Hubei and the South China Sea， where the line would end． It will also take passengers to popular tourist attractions including Zhangjiajie，Xi'an，Guilin and minority areas in western Hunan and Hubei．
"The country is now shifting its focus and investing in the western regions and economically underdeveloped areas，making up for China's long debt to these areas，" Tan yuzhi，professor of the School of Economics and Management at Hubei University for Nationalities， told local media． " The project will significantly narrow regional disparities（差异） and solve minority issues．"
However，Deng Hongbing，director of China University of Geosciences' Center for Regional Economic and Investment Center，said that if the north-to-south railway is to go ahead，there needs to be a sound ecological program in place to ensure the protection of these underdeveloped and ecologically sensitive areas．
1. What is the passage mainly talking about？ ______| A．China has decided to invest in the western areas． |
| B．Another high-speed train line is being planned． |
| C．The train will speed up to 350 kilometers per hour． |
| D．China has produced the best high-speed train line． |
| A．9 | B．8 |
| C．7 | D．6 |
| A．It will be the most convenient high-speed rail line in China |
| B．It will benefit the underdeveloped areas a lot in the west |
| C．It will transport goods faster from north to south |
| D．It will do good to the environment alongside the line |
| A．Ironical | B．Doubtful |
| C．Puzzled | D．Supportive |
3 . Dogs may help save the day in the Philippines, as they use their noses to smell out survivors buried by Friday’s mudslide (泥石流). The team of dogs arrived in the Philippines from Spain, and this Tuesday they were just beginning their work. Search officials told CNN they hope the recent rain will wash away the smell of rescue teams so the dogs can do their job more accurately.
The dogs were brought in after sound equipment found sounds coming from deep inside the ruins, at a place where a school stood before the mudslide covered it. The sounds could mean people are still alive under all the mud or it could just be the earth resettling.
On Monday, rescue workers worked at the school site until three in the morning, trying to locate survivors, and they will begin digging again as soon as the dogs think they find someone.
Human teams from the US, Malaysia, and Australia are all trying to help, too. But so far they have yet to locate any survivors. Rescue workers told CNN that an earlier report that 50 survivors had been found was false.
How did all that mud bury the village in the first place? On Friday, 2,400-foot Mt Kanabag turned into a mudslide after two weeks of constant rain weakened it. The mountain crumbled and the mud fell onto the village Guinsaugon, burying the 1,800 people who lived there. Out of the 300 houses in the village, only 3 were not covered by the mud. The village is on a southern Philippine Island called Levte. Rescue efforts have been difficult because the village takes six hours to reach from the nearest airport. Hopefully, the dogs can help their human friends find survivors.
1. According to the search officials’ words in the first paragraph, we can learn that ________.| A．the smell of rescue teams can disturb the dogs |
| B．the dogs can follow the smell of rescue teams |
| C．the dogs can’t smell the rescue teams |
| D．the dogs can tell the smells of buried people and rescue teams apart |
| A．to show the way to rescue the victims in the ruins |
| B．to introduce the instruments to save victims in a disaster |
| C．to tell readers that dogs can smell out victims buried in the ruins |
| D．to show how to train dogs to save victims in a mudslide |
| A．50. | B．Only a few. | C．1, 800. | D．None. |
| A．the rain was heavy |
| B．so many people were buried |
| C．it was difficult to reach the village |
| D．these is little chance to save the survivors |
4 . For the first time, the World Health Organization has included Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in its globally influential medical compendium(手册), according to an international science journal.
An article published by Nature on Wednesday said that TCM will be included in the latest version of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)set to be released next year. Starting from the 1800s, the ICD has been improved and published in a series of editions,reflecting the advances in health and medical science over time. It serves as the foundation for the identification of global health trends, and the international standard for diseases and health conditions.
The latest ICD is based largely on the work of the International Classification of Traditional Medicine (ICTM) project's experts from around the world. These experts had been working on traditional medicine research and practices for years.
China has been promoting the modernization of TCM and pushing for TCM to gain acceptance worldwide. Tu Youyou, a Chinese expert focusing on the scientific study of drugs and medicines, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2015 for her research in TCM. Her discovery has saved millions of lives in developing countries in South Asia, Africa and South America. TCM is sure to grow in popularity globally.
Though the application of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture(针灸) and other traditional medical practices has been on the rise, there's still a shortage of global classification and terminology(术语) tools for traditional medicine, according to officials of the WHO.
“The decision is to promote the safe and effective use of traditional medicine by regulating, researching and combining traditional medicine products, practitioners and practice into health systems, where appropriate," the WHO was quoted as saying by Nature.
1. What can we learn about the ICD from Paragraph 2?| A．It has included TCM this year. |
| B．It has a history of over 300 years. |
| C．It is published in various languages. |
| D．It provides standards for diseases worldwide. |
| A．To imply the worldwide popularity of TCM. |
| B．To prove TCM's gaining worldwide acceptance |
| C．To introduce a breakthrough in the medical field. |
| D．To show Chinese people deserve the Nobel Prize for their contribution. |
| A．The classification of TCM. |
| B．The standard of TCM terms. |
| C．The official promotion of TCM. |
| D．The use of traditional Chinese medicine |
| A．Lifestyle. | B．Opinion |
| C．Health. | D．Tech |
5 . Volunteer Day
What better way is there to enjoy your own hobbies while helping others at the same time? Come to Volunteer Day and choose which activity you’d like to join for the day. See below for a schedule of events on Volunteer Day.
Volunteer Day schedule:
7:30a.m.: Meet at the Community (社区) Center for juice and bagels.
8:00—8:30 a.m.: Choose which activity you’d like to help with for the day.
8:30 a.m.: Board the bus to your activity site.
9:00 a.m.—3:30 p.m.: Work as a volunteer.
3:30 p.m.: Board the bus that will take you back to the Community Center.
See below for a list of volunteer opportunities for Volunteer Day so you can begin thinking about which activity you might want to join.
A list of volunteer activities:
Paint houses: Do you enjoy making art? If so, this volunteer opportunity might be just right for you! Happy Homes is a local organization that provides home repairs for needy people in the form of painting. For elderly or physically disabled people who cannot do repairs to their homes, Happy Homes provides volunteer painters to repaint old homes; outside or in. Happy Homes also provides painters to create beautiful wall paintings inside schools or community centers.
Plant flowers: Do you enjoy being outside in nature? City Parks Association has many great opportunities for people who love to be outdoors. Help plant flowers and bushes in city parks; help lay paths at Cave Springs Park, or help pick up rubbish around the river banks. These activities are very active, so remember to be prepared with plenty of drinking water!
Read to children: Do you enjoy working with young children? Do you like books? Love and Learning is an organization that provides volunteers to help children with learning disabilities. Read books out loud to groups of children four to six years old, or read one-on-one with struggling readers seven to eight years old.
Play with animals: Do you love animals? Lovely Friends is an organization that visits local animal shelters and provides volunteers to spend time with the animals while their cages are being cleaned. Play with puppies, snuggle with cats, or hand-feed rabbits.
1. At what time do volunteers leave for their activity sites?| A．7:30 a.m. | B．8:00 a.m. |
| C．8:30 a.m. | D．9:00 a.m. |
| A．Read books to children. | B．Spend time with animals. |
| C．Help plant bushes in parks. | D．Pick up garbage along the river. |
| A．educate children | B．attract volunteers |
| C．comfort the elderly | D．encourage the disabled |
6 . It's already challenging enough for environmentalists to keep beaches clear of washed up trash(垃圾) and plastic debris(残骸), but the most difficult problem lies in cleaning up all of the millions of tiny microplastics that are impossible to pick up and separate from the sand.
Fortunately, a group of engineering students succeeded in developing a massive new vacuum cleaner that can collect microplastics without removing any of the sand from the beach. The 12 Canadian students from the University of Sherbrooke in Quebec built their Hoola One plastic vacuum cleaner as a class project.
"We did some research and we realized there was no machine around the world to do this kind of job," Hoola One co-founder Sam Duval told Hawaii Public Radio. "So we told each other, 'We will invent it,' and we did it."
As a means of testing their machine's efficiency, they recently used it on the sands of Hawaii's Kamilo Beach, which is also notorious for being one of the dirtiest beaches in the world. Though their first prototype(原型)experienced a number of technical issues, the students managed to fix the problems and tidy up the beach.
Using a handheld tube, the machine sucks(吸入)up plastic and sand and dumps them all into a massive tank of water. Since rocks and sand are heavier than plastic, they sink to the bottom of the tank so they can be dumped back onto the beach. The plastic, on the other hand, floats to the top of the tank.
According to Hawaii Public Radio, the team left the Hoola One vacuum on the island as a donation to the state department- They are now researching the ecological effects of the vacuum on the beach while they search for funding and sponsorships(赞助)to produce more Hoola One vacuums.
1. What is the hardest problem of keeping the beach clean?| A．Picking up plastic debris. |
| B．Removing trash on the sea. |
| C．Separating plastics from the sand. |
| D．Clearing up all the microplastics. |
| A．It can collect plastics without removing sand from the beach. |
| B．It has been used widely on the beaches around the world. |
| C．The students tested its efficiency on Hawaii's Kamilo Beach. |
| D．The students gave up the first prototype due to several failures. |
| A．The working procedure of the vacuum cleaner. |
| B．The invention process of the vacuum cleaner. |
| C．The ecological impacts of the vacuum cleaner. |
| D．The special materials of the vacuum cleaner. |
| A．Generous and stubborn. | B．Confident and persistent. |
| C．Devoted and wealthy. | D．Admirable and humorous. |
7 . Record fires sweeping across the Amazon this month have been catching global headlines as scientists and environmental groups are worried that they will worsen climate change and threaten biodiversity(生物多样性).
As the largest rainforest in the world, the Amazon is often called “the lungs of the world”. It is also home to about 3 million species of plants and animals, and 1 million local people. The vast lands of rainforest play an important role in the world’s ecosystem because they take in heat instead of it being reflected back into the atmosphere. They also store carbon dioxide (二氧化碳)and produce oxygen, making sure that less carbon is given off, mitigating the effects of climate change.
“Any forest destroyed is a threat to biodiversity and the people who use that biodiversity,” Thomas Lovejoy, an ecologist at George Mason University told National Geographic. “The shocking threat is that a lot of carbon goes into the atmosphere,” he stressed. “Facing the global climate change, we cannot afford more damage to a major source of oxygen and biodiversity. The Amazon must be protected,” U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said.
Data from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) show that the number of forest fires in Brazil quickly increased by 82 percent from January to August this year from a year ago. A total of 71,497 forest fires were recorded in the country in the first eight months of 2019, up from 39,194 in the same period in 2018, INPE said. “It’s reported that the forest areas in the Brazilian Amazon have decreased something between 20 and 30 percent compared to the last 12 months,” Carlos Nobre, a researcher at the University of Sao Paulo, told German broadcaster Deutsche Welle.
Brazil owns about 60 percent of the Amazon rainforest, whose drop could have severe results for global climate and rainfall. The size of the area ruined by fires has yet to be determined, but the emergency has transcended(超出）Brazil’s borders, reaching Peruvian, Paraguayan and Bolivian areas.
1. What is the second paragraph mainly talking about?| A．The effects of climate change. |
| B．The role of the Amazon rainforest. |
| C．The results of the Amazon rainforest fires. |
| D．The causes of the decreasing biodiversity. |
| A．Easing. | B．Causing. |
| C．Worsening. | D．Benefiting |
| A．The biodiversity makes the rainforests unique. |
| B．The rainforest fires result in serious consequences. |
| C．The global climate crisis brings more rainforest fires. |
| D．The dry weather leads to the rainforest fires. |
| A．Sports and music. | B．Science and technology. |
| C．Nature and geography. | D．Business and culture. |
8 . Some people think that success is only for those with talent or those who grow up in the right family, and others believe that success mostly comes down to luck. I’m not going to say luck, talent, and circumstances don’t come into play because they do. Some people are born into the right family while others are born with great intelligence, and that’s just the reality of how life is.
However, to succeed in life, one first needs to set a goal and then gradually make it more practical. And, in addition to that, in order to get really good at something, one needs to spend at least 10,000 hours studying and practicing. To become great at certain things, it’ll require even more time, time that most people won’t put in.
This is a big reason why many successful people advise you to do something you love. If you don’t enjoy what you do, it is going to feel like unbearable pain and will likely make you quit well before you ever become good at it.
When you see people exhibiting some great skills or having achieved great success, you know that they have put in a huge part of their life to get there at a huge cost. It’s sometimes easy to think they got lucky or they were born with some rare talent, but thinking that way does you no good, and there’s a huge chance that you’re wrong anyway.
Whatever you do, if you want to become great at it, you need to work day in and day out, almost to the point of addiction, and over a long period of time. If you’re not willing to put in the time and work, don’t expect to receive any rewards. Consistent, toil (苦干) won’t guarantee you the level of success you may want, but it will guarantee that you will become really good at whatever it is you put all that work into.
1. Paragraph 1 mainly talks about ________.| A．the reasons for success | B．the meaning of success |
| C．the standards of success | D．the importance of success |
| A．work makes one feel pain | B．one tends to enjoy his work |
| C．one gives up his work easily | D．it takes a lot of time to succeed |
| A．Successful people like to show their great skills. |
| B．People need to achieve success at the cost of life. |
| C．People sometimes succeed without luck or talent. |
| D．It helps to think that luck or talent leads to success. |
| A．Success ― the child of talent and luck |
| B．Success ― altitude rather than attitude |
| C．Time and tide wait for no man |
| D．Time and toil make for success |
9 . Critics of “Helicopter parenting” styles adopted by middle class parents have claimed that they lead to children who are poorly prepared for the real world. Now, economists have argued that such intensive pushy parenting can bring life-changing benefits to children, particularly when it comes to academic achievement. Dr Matthias Doepke, a professor of economics in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern University, and co-author Dr Fabrizio Zilibotti of Yale University are behind the claims.
In their new book, through personal anecdotes and original research, the pair show that in countries with increasing economic inequality, such as the United States, parents push harder to ensure their children to have a path to security and success. Dr Doepke and Dr Zilibotti analysed academic tests of 15-year-olds around the world, according to reports in the New York Times. They then compared these results to reports from teenagers and their parents about how they interact. The researchers discovered that “helicopter parenting” styles were linked to higher academic attainment.
“My parents expected us to show up for meals, go to school and be home before dark, but other than that, we had a lot of freedom.” Dr Doepke said. “The reality is that I am now a much more intensive parent who spends a lot of time on parenting, just like most other American parents today.”
They also looked at data on parenting across countries and realised that their economic approach explained a lot about why parenting differs around the world.
Economics has transformed the hands-off parenting of the 1960s’ and 1970s’ into an overscheduled activity, they say. Growing inequality has also resulted in an increasing “parenting gap” between richer and poorer families.
This raises the possibility of decreased social mobility (流动) and fewer opportunities for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. “We argue that parents respond to the environment they face, and depending on what that environment is, there can be outcomes that are socially problematic even if most parents do the best they can.” Dr Doepke said.
“In the U.S. today, the biggest concern is inequality in parenting, or what we refer to as the ‘parenting gap’ between social classes.”
Both authors’ view is that most parents are doing the right thing given the economic circumstances that they and their children face.
1. “Helicopter parents” usually ________.| A．give a lot of freedom to their children |
| B．are highly involved in their children’s lives and education |
| C．come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds |
| D．lead to children poorly prepared for the real world |
| A．Economic circumstances. | B．Age. | C．Education. | D．Occupation. |
| A．should be adopted to ensure success for their children |
| B．has a negative effect on children’s fitting into the real world |
| C．is linked to high achievers academically |
| D．helps narrow the gap between richer and poorer families |
10 . We have many trips for you to explore the world your way. Our travel ideas are as diverse as the world itself and are designed to let you experience it. Please start with the following four trips.
Athens and Crete Explorer
Visit Greek’s famous capital, Athens, and its largest island, Crete, on this Greece vacation. In Athens, tour the iconic Acropolis and head to nearby Delphi to see the home of the ancient Oracle, before flying to the island of Crete where you can explore its capital, Heraklion, and enjoy its world-famous diet of seafood and cheese. Duration: 8 Days Prices From: US$ 892 Trip Type: Romance & Honeymoon, Tailor-made Travel Ideas |
London for Families
Designed to thrill people of all ages, this family London vacation explores the sights, history and magic of this great city. Visit the world of Harry Potter, the original Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum, and take the Original London Sightseeing Tour. Duration: 9 Days Prices From: US$ 634 Trip Type: Family Vacations, Stopovers/City Breaks, Tailor-made Travel Ideas |
Australia & New Zealand
Explore the two most popular cities of Australia and New Zealand on this air-land tour. Start in Sydney, where you’ll tour the Sydney Opera House, sail across the famous harbour, and see koalas and kangaroos at Taronga Zoo. Then head on to Auckland where you’ll explore the twin harbours, learn about Maori traditions, and enjoy unbeatable views of the landscape. Duration: 11 Days Prices From: US$ 1,999 Trip Type: Vacation Packages with Airfare |
Classic Egypt
This tour is a true classic designed to give the traveler with limited time a superb introduction to the civilization of Ancient Egypt, focusing on the Nile and its importance to the people. The ancient land of Egypt inspires the imagination like no other. Unlock the land of the Pharaohs on this 9 day journey along the Nile. Duration: 9 Days Prices From: US$ 1,495 Trip Type: Classics (Bestsellers), Tailor-made Travel Ideas |
1. Which trip is more likely taken by a newly-married couple?
| A．London for Families. | B．Australia & New Zealand. |
| C．Classic Egypt. | D．Athens and Crete Explorer. |
| A．the ancient Oracle | B．the world of Harry Potter |
| C．koalas and kangaroos | D．the ancient land of Egypt |
| A．have the same trip type | B．take more than one week |
| C．take more than US$ 1000 | D．enjoy their famous diet |
| A．A travel brochure. | B．A science fiction. | C．A storybook. | D．A textbook. |
