1 . The conductor on the podium (指挥台) has no baton (指挥棒), no tailcoat and no musical score, but Android Alter 3 is kicking up a storm as it guides a symphony orchestra's players through their paces.
The robot has a humanoid face, hands and lower arms, which gesture with what could pass for passion as it bounces up and down and rotates during the live performance of Keiichiro Shibuya's opera Scary Beauty in the Emirate of Sharjah.
Video from the recent performance in the Emirate of Sharjah showed the machine turning to face orchestra members and waving its arms. Alter 3 even sang at times.
Shibuya said the involvement of robots in the everyday lives of humans is continually increasing. But, he said he thinks people will need to decide in the future how artificial intelligence can best improve the human experience.
Shibuya added that he believes humans and robots can learn to work together to create beautiful art. "This work is a metaphor of that relations between humans and technology," he said. Shibuya noted that sometimes the music-leading robot can "get crazy", making it difficult for the musicians to keep up. But other times, the humans and machines cooperate very well.
Shibuya said the robots and AI that exist today are "far from complete". He is interested in studying how such incomplete technology can be combined with art.
"I think this is a very exciting idea…We came to see what it looks like and how much is possible," said Anna Kovacevic. Another audience member, who gave his name only as Billum, said after the show, "You know, a human conductor is so much better." Although he said he is interested in AI and looks forward to big developments, he concluded on the project: "The human touch is lost."
1. What does Shibuya think of Alter 3?| A．It is not perfect at present. | B．It teams up with humans well. |
| C．It often makes humans crazy. | D．It is better than human conductors. |
| A．The performance drew mixed reactions. |
| B．Billum took no interest in the performance. |
| C．The audience were fascinated by the performance. |
| D．The audience thought Alter 3 would have a bright future. |
| A．Positive | B．Negative. | C．Objective. | D．Critical. |
| A．Robot Cooperates with Humans |
| B．Robot Conducts Human Orchestra |
| C．The Significance of Robots in Art |
| D．The Relations Between AI and Humans |
2 . I recently gave a talk about zero waste living to university students. During the Q&A afterward, the unavoidable question of cost came up. One student pointed out that he “can’t afford to buy $30 toothpaste.” While the $30 price may be a bit generous, the student did raise a good point -that buying zero-waste products is often more expensive than the overly-packaged conventional ones.
I tried to handle the question as best I could in the moment, but I kept thinking about it afterward. I’m writing about it because I’m sure many others have similar doubts about their own abilities to reduce waste without breaking the bank.
First, once you begin to explore the zero waste world, you quickly realize how pointless many products in your life are. You start using fewer, buying less,and using them interchangeably. Soon you’ll find yourself spending less money overall, which balances the higher cost of the zero waste ones. The total number of products in my bathroom decreased by 50% when I became more focused on waste reduction.
Second, if you stop to examine those zero-waste products, you’ll see that they are usually of superior quality. Companies rarely redesign their packaging to be reusable without also upgrading them to be healthier, safer, and greener. So you’re paying extra money not just for non-disposable（一次性的）packaging, but also for a better product that does less harm.
In my experience, higher-quality skincare products last longer than cheap ones. My personal habits have developed gradually, too. Knowing an item costs more leads me to use it in small quantities and use it to the very end. Moreover, I sometimes even make my own. The price-per-unit is cheap.
To quote Lindsey Miles, a zero waste blogger, “Zero waste is not about what we can afford to buy. It is about what we choose not to buy.” To that student who got me thinking about this, I’d recommend starting with what matters to you. Over time you will figure out where you get the most value for your money. In return, you’ll gain a sense of liberation from the consumer culture, and a rewarding sense of accomplishment.
1. What can we benefit from zero waste products?| A．Saving regularly. | B．Balancing totally. | C．Living conveniently. | D．Spending -economically. |
| A．Zero-cost. | B．Top-grade. | C．Non-breakable. | D．Well-packed. |
| A．Buy what is necessary. | B．Choose what is affordable. |
| C．Consider where we save money. | D．Learn what consumer culture means. |
| A．To oppose wasting. | B．To analyze a social issue. |
| C．To promote a new product. | D．To advocate eco-consumption. |
3 . It was in my first year of work as a doctor. My mouth was dry, my palms sweaty and my voice trembling. The only thing that kept me focused was the thought that things were so much worse for the family I was talking to.
A woman in her early twenties had been brought in after a road traffic accident. She had suffered multiple injuries and had been rushed up to theatre. The surgeons had been unable to save her life and she died on the table. Ashen-faced, the consultant (会诊医生) told the woman's family the news. “Tom, I think it would be nice if it came from you,” my consultant said.
I stared blankly. “What?” I asked.
“About organ donation,” he replied. I swallowed hard. Surely this would be the last thing they'd want to talk about. It felt acutely awkward and ill-timed to be considering this kind of conversation while they were being engulfed in grief. But the problem with organ donation is that every minute counts. The clock is ticking because the sooner organs can be transplanted, the better the chance they will survive in the recipient's (接受者) body.
I began to feel sick. I opened the door and sat opposite them, convinced that I was only going to make things worse for them.
“It's what she'd have wanted,” the mother said before I'd even finished. The father nodded. “She was always so generous,” her father added.
As my consultant and I left them, it occurred to me that I'd been wrong in thinking it would be an awkward conversation. Nothing could take away the pain of having lost their daughter. Yet this last, final act had comforted them and helped them feel that the spirit of their daughter lived on m this act of generosity. Strangely, it is one of the most heart-wanning conversations I have ever had.
1. The first two paragraphs suggest________.| A．the woman died on the scene |
| B．it was hard for the author to face death |
| C．the author witnessed the traffic accident |
| D．the woman's death was told by the consultant |
| A．He was caught in a dilemma. | B．He was seriously ill at that time. |
| C．He failed to transplant the organ. | D．The woman's chance of survival was slim. |
| A．To do the author a favor. | B．To show respect for the doctor. |
| C．To follow then daughter’s will. | D．To end the awkward conversation. |
| A．The consultant’s assistance. | B．The author’s consideration. |
| C．The donor’s kindness. | D．The recipient’s appreciation. |
4 .
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1. What does tinnitus refer to?
| A．Hearing disorder. | B．Suffering anxiety. |
| C．Drumming in ears. | D．Sleeping problems. |
| A．By listening to soft music. | B．By relieving short-term depression. |
| C．By reducing brain’s activities. | D．By offering high-frequent stimulation. |
| A．To recommend a treatment for tinnitus. |
| B．To introduce the benefits of Sound Therapy. |
| C．To tell people ways of learning about tinnitus. |
| D．To explain the common problems tinnitus causes. |
5 . Sophia Gholz is an award-winning children's book author, music lover. and magic seeker. Sophia enjoys writing fiction with humor and heart. When writing nonfiction, she pulls on her love of science and her family background in ecology.
Her book, The Boy Who Grew a Forest, shares the true story of Jadav Payeng, a man in India who single- bandedly planted an entire forest over the course of his lifetime. When he was younger, Jadav Payeng was shocked by the destruction of his island home. So he took matters into his own bands and began planting one seed at a time. Jadav's forest is now over 1300 acres and provides a home to many animals, some endangered. Jadav is still planting today and his hard work has now been celebrated around the world.
To write this story, Sophia got to know more about Jadav Payeng and his forest through a documentary film called Forest Man. Influenced by her father, a forest ecologist and a scientist, she grew up learning about the importance of trees and the natural world. When she heard about a man on a m1ssion to reforest an entire island on his own, she was drawn to this story.
As for research, most of her research was done online. She read every news article that she could find about Jadav and listened to every interview. Then she reached out to several people who had met or interviewed Jadav as well, including the producer of his short documentary film.
She hopes that The Boy Who Grew a Forest lights a spark in everyone who reads it to go out and care for our beautiful planet. She'd love young readers to be inspired to plant or to learn more about animal habitats, biodiversity and science in general.
1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?| A．A story on how to plant trees. | B．Endangered animals in the forest. |
| C．Destruction of Jadav's island home. | D．A book introducing a tree- planting hero. |
| A．He has quit planting recently. | B．He is known to many people. . |
| C．He was an actor of Forest Man. | D．He planted trees with his family. |
| A．Humorous and skilled. | B．Creative and outgoing. |
| C．Determined and diligent. | D．Controversia1 and helpful. |
| A．To encourage research on wildlife. | B．To describe a boy's farming experience. |
| C．To stress the importance of planting trees. | D．To advocate the action to protect the earth. |
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1. Which is the feature of the GO?| A．It removes noises. |
| B．It has separate on/ off buttons. |
| C．It includes small batteries. |
| D．It focuses on practical functions. |
| A．To prove the GO's popularity. |
| B．To explain the GO'S function. |
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7 . I took a job at a vet clinic almost five decades ago. As an animal lover, I accepted the position on the condition that I wouldn’t have to assist with any wounded animals. I couldn’t bear to see any creature in pain.
At the end of my first week, we were closing the office when a young man ran up to us holding severely injured Doberman pinscher puppy (杜宾幼犬) in his arms and begging us to save his life. The four-month-old puppy had been hit by a car.
The doctor and I ran back into the operating room. The only place the skin was still attached to this poor little animal’s body was around one shoulder. The vet worked tirelessly, sewing him back together again. That was the easy part. The puppy had broken multiple bones, including his spine (脊椎). If he survived the next few days, we were quite sure he would never walk again.
That day forever changed my life. I became the vet’s assistant in all things medical. One of my first jobs was to give that puppy daily physical therapy. I remember moving his tiny legs to try to keep his muscles from weakening.
Weeks went by until one day. I felt this little fighter push back ever so slightly. And eventually he could finally use his legs.
Fast-forward about a year, I walked into the clinic’s crowded waiting room and called the name of the next client. Suddenly, a huge Doberman who had been standing quietly with his owner broke loose and dashed toward me. I found myself pinned against the wall with this magnificent dog standing on his hind legs, his front paws on my shoulders, washing my face with abundant and joyful kisses!
I still tear up in amazement at the display of love and gratitude the dog had for me that day all those years ago.
1. Which was the possible position the author took originally at the clinic?| A．A professional vet. | B．A medical assistant. |
| C．A regular receptionist. | D．An enthusiastic volunteer. |
| A．She fixed his spine. | B．She sewed his wounds. |
| C．She helped him to recover. | D．She taught him to jump. |
| A．He got well immediately. |
| B．He got fierce afterwards. |
| C．He was a loyal and adventurous companion. |
| D．He had great affection for the author. |
| A．A Loving Vet. | B．A Lucky Dog. | C．A Grateful Patient. | D．Life-exchanging Story. |
8 . An 8-year-old boy I know is small for his age, shorter and slighter than his friends, even smaller than his 5-year-old sister. Concerned about the increasing use and possible risks of growth hormone(生长激素), I asked his mother if she’d considered treating him with it. She replied, “Not really. He’s built like his father, who was short and slight as a boy and didn’t shoot up until college.”
His father, at 41, is now 6 feet tall, though still very slender. He recalls being a reasonably athletic child but without the physical power of his friends, making up for what he lacked in mass with speed and agility. “I enjoyed competitive sports and worked on skills others didn’t have,” he told me, and said he encourages his son to recognize and capitalize on the skills he has.
If only every parent with a short but healthy child approached the matter as sensibly. Experts estimate that 60% to 80% of children who are short for their age do not have a growth hormone deficiency(缺乏) or other medical condition that limits growth. But knowing there’s a therapy available to increase height, some parents seek a medical solution for a perceived problem, even when there is no medical abnormality. They should also know, however, that new research has linked growth hormone treatment to serious unfavorable health effects years later.
Dr. Adda Grimberg, a doctor at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, recalled that “Twenty years ago, families were focused on health. They came in with a child who was not growing right and wanted to know if there was an underlying disease. Now, more and more, they’re focused on height. They want growth hormone, looking for a specific height. But this is not like online shopping; you can’t just place an order and make a child the height you want.”
In 2003, the Food and Drug Administration approved use of recombinant human growth hormone for the condition known as “idiopathic short stature”, or short build of unknown cause, which is not a disease. But it has caused a growing number of parents to consider using the hormone to boost the height of their children.
The resulting rush to therapy reflects concerns about a widespread societal bias(偏见) against shortness, rather than a true medical need. Experts have noted that the practice backs up the belief that short stature is unacceptable, leading to an increasing demand for therapy. It is far better, Dr. Grimberg suggested, to help a short child develop coping skills than to buy inches through medicine.
1. As for the parents’ attitude to their 8-year-old boy’s shortness, the author is ________.| A．critical | B．tolerant | C．supportive | D．worried |
| A．They are eager to get the expected result. |
| B．They spare no effort to sort out the cause. |
| C．They feel disturbed by their children’s health. |
| D．They help develop their children’s coping skills. |
| A．It might be officially recommended. |
| B．It may fuel height discrimination. |
| C．It is pushed by a medical need. |
| D．It is targeted at certain diseases. |
| A．Shower the Short with Growth Hormones |
| B．Find Replacement for Growth Hormones |
| C．Assess the Effects of Growth Hormones |
| D．Weigh the Use of Growth Hormones |
9 . If you've ever watched Planet Earth, you know the ocean is a wild place to live. The water is full of different ecosystems and organisms varying in complexity from an erudite octopus to a sea star. Unexpectedly, it is the sea star, a simple organism characterized by a decentralized (分散的) nervous system, that offers insights into advanced adaptation to hydrodynamic forces — the forces created by water pressure and flow.
Researchers found that sea stars effectively stay attached to surfaces under extreme hydrodynamic loads by altering their shape. Sea stars create a "downforce" due to their shape. This mean that instead of being lifted by the flow forces, the sea stars are pushed downward toward the rock or floor surface they are on.
"Sea stars are incredibly adaptive," said Luhar, assistant professor. “When there is high wave activity and high water forces, sea stars will grow skinnier and take on a lower profile (姿态). When the sea star is transported to a sheltered environment with lower hydrodynamic forces, they pop up a bit and their cross sections get bigger."
Understanding such shape shifting could help design underwater robots that can similarly adapt to extreme hydrodynamic environments, Luhar said.
The researchers tested this understanding of sea star shape and its impact on force in the water with both computational and 3-D printed models. “Right away what we noticed," Luhar said, "is that instead of the sea stars being pulled away from the surfaces they were on, they were being pushed down- simply because of their shape."
Luhar said the researchers saw this downforce effect as key to how the sea star- and in the future, an underwater robot could stay attched to a sea bed or a rock as opposed to being lifted up away from it, even in the most extreme conditions.
1. According to the first paragraph, what impresses us most about a sea star?| A．Its simple organism. | B．Its great adaptation. |
| C．Its nervous system. | D．Is physical appearance. |
| A．By creating upward force. | B．By shifting its shape. |
| C．By lifting itself upward. | D．By expanding its size. |
| A．We can develop 3-D printed models. |
| B．We can attach sea stars to the sea bed. |
| C．We can make technological advances. |
| D．We can change the extreme conditions. |
| A．Can we make a robot adaptive underwater? |
| B．Are sea stars incredibly advanced creatures? |
| C．Are scientists able to design underwater robot? |
| D．Can we transform sea stars' shape very flexibly? |
10 . Ann started to work last summer. In order to have a holiday, she saved as much as she could and, this January, she booked a package tour to Spain. She left London airport early on the morning of the first Saturday in August. She was very excited, as this was her first trip abroad. When she arrived at Barcelona airport, the weather was beautiful.
At the hotel, she found that her Spanish money wasn’t in her handbag. All she had was a small purse with ten English pounds in it!
Ann found a place to change her English money for Spanish money. She would stay here for two weeks. After changing her money, Ann bought some cheese, some bread and some oranges. When she got back to the hotel, she told the tour guide that her doctor had told her not to eat much food, so she’d just have breakfast each day. This was all right, as she knew breakfast was included in the price of hotel.
For the rest of her holiday, Ann swam in the hotel or lay on the beach. She also went for long walks with Jane, a Scottish girl. However, when the others went to interesting places, Ann always said she wasn’t well. In fact, her holiday wasn’t bad, except that she was always hungry.
On the last day, Jane asked her why she never ate with them in the hotel restaurant. The food was excellent. Ann told her all about her money problem. Jane looked at her for a minute, and then said, “But didn’t you know? The price of this tour includes everything!”
1. Why was Ann so excited about the trip?| A．Because she had never been abroad. |
| B．Because she had saved enough money. |
| C．Because she had booked a cheap tour. |
| D．Because she had found a good job. |
| A．She didn’t find her purse. |
| B．She couldn’t find a place to change money. |
| C．She couldn’t find her Spanish money. |
| D．She didn’t understand Spanish. |
| A．she wanted to see a doctor. |
| B．she doubted the price of the hotels. |
| C．she had bought some food for her meals. |
| D．she would only take breakfast. |
| A．Ann was not allowed to eat much. |
| B．Ann’s Spanish money was stolen. |
| C．Ann missed some meals included in the tour. |
| D．Ann didn’t like the restaurant and the holiday. |
