1 . The use of AI (artificial intelligence) is becoming more common in many branches of industry and online shopping. Traditional lines of work, such as goods transport and driving, are developing in a similar direction although mainly out of public view. Scientists at the University of Göttingen have now investigated how efficient (高效的) the use of AI can be in the commercial management of trucks.
“Digital applications—as well as machine leaning, a kind of AI—are increasingly applied to operations and courses in the transport area,” explains Professor Matthias Klumpp from the Faculty of Economics. “The question in the commercial area, however, is whether or not this contributes to achieving goals.”
To answer this question, the researchers compared the work efficiency of truck drivers with their main use of AI applications. Looking at trade delivery by truck, they studied three groups: the first drove completely following human decision-making models; the second used a combination of human and machine; and the third depended completely on fully automated decisions.
The researchers found that an intelligent combination of human work and decision-making abilities with AI applications promises the highest transport and driving efficiency. “On average, the second group achieved the most efficient transport trips, with the fewest interventions (干预) and off-course from the best path.” one researcher said, “Clearly, neither a completely human decision-making structure nor a fully automated driving system can promise to meet current goods transport requirements.” The scientists therefore summarized that despite the progress of AI in the field of transportation by truck, human experience and decision-making abilities will still be necessary in the longer term. However, the challenge is that a wide range of training and qualification (资格) needs will come along by working with Al applications, especially for simple goods transport activities.
1. What does Matthias Klumpp focus on?| A．The efficiency of AI. |
| B．The advantages of AI. |
| C．The problems caused by AI. |
| D．The wide applications of AI. |
| A．By providing examples. |
| B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By using different trucks. |
| D．By listing three experiments. |
| A．Al is better at making decisions. |
| B．A balance is needed between human and AI. |
| C．Human will soon be replaced by AI in driving. |
| D．Al applications meet the current requirements. |
| A．The future of transport. |
| B．Artificial intelligence as a co-driver. |
| C．Artificial intelligence-a better choice in driving. |
| D．The strengths of artificial intelligence in transport. |
2 . Some Questions About Coronavirus
How long does coronavirus last?
Every case of coronavirus is different, but experts have a general idea of how long the typical course of the illness lasts. Most people can expect to recover within two weeks after the onset of symptoms, but more severe cases could last up to six weeks — and for some, dubbed “Covid long haulers,” symptoms can linger for months.
What are the symptoms of the coronavirus?
Symptoms of the coronavirus can seem a lot like the flu. Initially, a fever, cough, and shortness of breath emerged as the three most common symptoms of COVID-19. Now, other signs such as muscle pain, fatigue, and loss of taste and smell are on the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) symptoms checklist.
How long does coronavirus live on surfaces?
Though the conronavirus is typically transmitted through the air via respiratory droplets (from an infected person sneezing or coughing) rather than by touching objects and materials, the virus can still remain viable on variety of surfaces, according to the CDC, though it’s not exactly clear for how long.
How is coronavirus spread?
According to the CDC, COVID-19 is spread mainly from person to person, usually through close contact (within six feet). Being near an infected person who coughs, sneezes, or talks can expose you to their respiratory droplet carrying the virus — and they can spread the virus even if they don’t have any symptoms yet. If those virus-containing particles are inhaled (吸入) or land in your eyes, nose or mouth, you could become infected.
1. How long does coronavirus stay on surfaces?| A．Two weeks. | B．Six weeks. | C．Months. | D．Unclear. |
| A．contacting close (within six feet) |
| B．being near an infected person |
| C．talking with a healthy person |
| D．inhaling some virus-containing particles |
| A．Entertainment. | B．Health. | C．Education | D．Travel. |
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 . Female scientists with PhDs earn substantially less than their male counterpart (职位相当的人). A survey tracked more than 55,700 people who earned PhDs between 2018 and 2019. Overall, about 35% of all PhD recipients reported having a permanent job lined up at graduation, among which men reported an average annual salary of $95,000. Women reported a salary of $72,500, a gap of $22,500. In a similar survey in 2020, the overall gender gap in salaries was $18,000.
Men were over-represented in relatively high-paying fields such as computer science and engineering, but inequality continued to exist even within fields. Men with permanent jobs in the life sciences, for example, reported an expected median salary of $87,000, compared with $80,000 for women. In mathematics and computer science, men reported an expected median salary of $125,000; for women, that figure was $101,500.
Salaries and career paths can vary greatly from one scientific discipline to another, says Michael Roach, an economist at Cornell University. Roach is looking closely into differences in career outcomes for US PhD holders. Roach says it’s clear that women, on average, earn less than men even when all other factors are taken into account. In industrial research and development, there are differences that can’t be explained by ability or degree or the status of a university.
The root causes of those differences remain unclear, Roach says. One possibility is that men are more willing to negotiate for higher salaries. Roach notes that some women might have to make sacrifices to start families, but it would be a mistake to blame all income gaps on lifestyle decisions. “A lot of men want to spend more time with their families too,” he says.
The report shows that a PhD improves overall career and salary prospects, but the actual value clearly depends on the field of study, the demands of the marketplace and, for reasons that still aren’t clear, the person holding the degree. Researchers are still looking at the factors that might keep women from achieving the same level of success that equally qualified men are able to achieve.
1. Which of the following is NOT a cause of the salary differences?| A．Gender. | B．Negotiation skills. |
| C．The field of study. | D．Earning a PhD. |
| A．A man working in mathematics. |
| B．A woman working in computer science. |
| C．A man working in the life sciences. |
| D．A woman working in the life science. |
| A．The income gaps are mainly caused by lifestyle decisions. |
| B．Lifestyle decisions may not be the only cause of income gaps. |
| C．Men are more likely to spend time with their families than women. |
| D．Women are more likely to spend time with their families than men. |
| A．To discuss methods to prevent salary differences. |
| B．To praise the researchers’ effort. |
| C．To raise awareness of gender pay gap. |
| D．To stress the importance of educational backgrounds. |
5 . At eleven, I decided to learn to swim. There was a pool at the Y. M. C. A. offering exactly the opportunity. My mother continually warned against it, and kept fresh in my mind the details of each drowning in the river. But the Y. M. C. A. pool was safe.
I had a childhood fear of water. This started when I was three years old and father took me to the beach. The huge waves knocked me down and swept over me.
The pool was quiet. I was afraid of going in all alone, so I sat on the side of the pool to wait for others. Then came a big boy. He yelled, “Hi, Skinny! How'd you like to be ducked?” With that he picked me up and threw me into the deep end. I landed in a sitting position, and swallowed water. But I was not frightened out of my wits—when my feet hit the bottom, I would make a big jump, come out of the surface. It seemed a long way down. I gathered all my strength when I landed and made what I thought was a great spring upwards. Then I opened my eyes and saw nothing but water. I tried to yell but no sound came out. I went down, down, endlessly.
When I came to consciousness, I found myself on bed in hospital. I never went back to the pool. I avoided water whenever I could. This misadventure stayed with me as the years rolled by. It deprived(剥夺) me of the joy of boating and swimming. Finally, I decided to get an instructor. Piece by piece, he built a swimmer. Several months later, the instructor was finished, but I was not. Sometimes the terror would return.
This went on till July. I swam across the Lake Wentworth. Only once did the terror return. When I was in the middle of the lake, I put my face under and saw nothing but bottomless water.
I laughed and said, “Well, Mr. Terror, what do you think you can do to me?”
I had conquered my fear of water.
1. Which of the following brought about the author's fear of water?| A．An unpleasant memory of the pool. | B．An outing to the beach with his father. |
| C．His mother's warning of drowning. | D．His poor skill in swimming. |
| A．He felt that the Y. M. C. A. pool was safe. |
| B．He knew how to swim in the pool. |
| C．He came up with an idea to go upwards. |
| D．He was waiting for others to save him. |
| A．Diligent and cautious. | B．Determined and far-sighted. |
| C．Dependable and adaptable. | D．Demanding and courageous. |
| A．When swimming across the Lake Wentworth, the author's still awfully scared. |
| B．Recovering from hospital, the author showed no interest in water activities. |
| C．At first the author dare not swim on his own and wanted others' company. |
| D．Under the guidance of the instructor, the author could swim freely and bravely. |
6 . 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. |
7 . In summer 2007, I joined the British Red Cross at 15. After several days of training. I was attending my first event as a fully qualified Red Cross volunteer. Our team was providing medical cover for a large martial arts grading event.
Although I'd passed my first aid course with flying colours, I was nervous before the event began. There's quite a difference between the classroom and the real thing! Two experienced adult volunteers would be working with me for the day.
Rosie was taking part in the under-16s event. This was supposed to be non-contact, and she was wearing full protective clothing just in case. All these precautions didn't help, however, when her competitor misjudged a move and delivered a violent blow to her head.
“Guys, we need some help over here!” Over we went, all three of us carrying various bits of kit. Rosie was lying on the ground. As we approached we could see she was conscious. Brian, my colleague took the lead.
“Hey there, stay nice and still for me. Chris here is just going to hold your head. Don't worry; it's just a precaution.”
I helped, painfully aware that hundreds of sets of eyes were following our every move. However I soon forgot all about this as I focused on the task at hand.
Rosie was complaining of pain in her neck. These are all classic signs of a possible spinal injury. Quickly, Brian found there were no other injuries and an ambulance was called. I was still holding her head and doing my best to comfort her.
The doctors arrived and we put Rosie carefully into the ambulance for a trip to hospital. Then we went back to the first aid post quickly.
Ten years on I've met many more people like Rosie—in need of help. I've moved on from being a trainee to a trainer, from an inexperienced first aider to being part of an emergency ambulance team.
When a call comes in, that slight feeling of nervousness is still there. However, so is the feeling of making a difference, being there during a painful moment in someone's life.
1. What does the underlined part “with flying colours” probably mean?| A．Slowly. | B．Successfully. | C．Poorly. | D．Carefully. |
| A．She was hit by mistake. | B．She made a wrong move. |
| C．She didn't take precautions. | D．She was not herself and fell. |
| A．She took her to hospital. | B．She held her head and calmed her. |
| C．She checked her injuries. | D．She did something for her pain. |
| A．She often receives first aid training. |
| B．She's working as a professional doctor. |
| C．She feels a sense of achievement about her work. |
| D．She's no longer nervous when performing first aid. |
8 . Fu Cong, a Chinese-born pianist, died on Monday at a hospital in London, where he had lived for many years.
A lover of classical music from a young age, Mr. Fu began taking piano lessons when he was 7. He made his first stage appearance in 1952. The concert caught the attention of officials in Beijing, who selected him to compete and tour in Eastern Europe. Mr. Fu soon moved to Poland, where he studied at the Warsaw Conservatory (音乐学校) on a scholarship. To prepare for the fifth Chopin Competition in Warsaw in 1955, he practiced so hard that he hurt his fingers and was nearly cut from the first round of the competition.
Mr. Fu was one of the first Chinese pianists to achieve global fame when he took third place in the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1955. He also won a special prize for his performance of Chopin's mazurkas. Almost overnight, he became a national hero. To China, Mr. Fu's recognition in a well-known international competition was evidence that the country could stand on its own artistically in the West. Chinese reporters came to interview Mr. Fu, while many others went to his father, Fu Lei, for advice on child-raising.
In 1981, a volume of letters written by his father, was published in China. Full of advice, encouragement, life teachings and strict paternal love, the book Fu Lei's Family Letters became a best-seller in China. Besides influencing a generation of Chinese, Mr. Fu's words resonated (引起共鸣) long after his death with the person for whom they were intended.
“My father had a saying that 'First you must be a person, then an artist, and then a musician, and only then can you be a pianist,'" Mr. Fu Cong once recalled in an interview. "Even now, I believe in this order-that it should be this way and that I am this way.”
1. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．Fu Cong's achievements in music. | B．Fu Cong's stage performances. |
| C．Fu Cong's experiences of learning music. | D．Fu Cong’s efforts for competitions. |
| A．It earns Chinese arts a place in the West. |
| B．It promotes the spread of Chinese culture. |
| C．It proves Chinese people's love for music. |
| D．It enables Chinese art education to be recognized. |
| A．Fu Lei's Family Letters. | B．Young people of China. |
| C．Fu Cong and his family. | D．Readers of Fu Lei's Family Letters. |
| A．It's easy to be an artist. |
| B．It requires various qualities to be a pianist. |
| C．Everyone should develop an interest in art. |
| D．Talent is of greatest importance for a pianist. |
9 . When it comes to sitting properly, we all know the correct way even if we don' t do it to the letter. No crossed legs, bottoms touching the back of the chair and feet on the ground. But even if you' re doing it right, sitting for long periods is shockingly bad for you. It has been described as the new smoking, linked to heart disease and even cancer. There is no doubt we should all try to do less of it. But perhaps we could also do it better.
A classic survey, published in 1953, described 100 different sitting postures adopted by 480 cultures around the world. Among the most common were sitting cross-legged, kneeling and the deep squat (深蹲), with feet flat on the ground and bottoms resting on or just above it. Even in Western cultures, these are preferred sitting positions among young children. But Westerners tend to prefer chair use from an early age, insisting children sit on seats in school.
One big problem with this desire for chairs is that they make sitting so, well, sedentary (久坐不动的). Consider the Hadza, a group of hunter-gatherer people in Tanzania. They spend around 9 hours a day sitting. However, they squat and sit on the ground in various positions, and this involves high levels of muscle activity. The supportive nature of chairs, with their high backs and armrests, removes this effort perhaps the reason that people love them.
So what' s the best way to sit? Josette Bettany-SaItikov at Teesside University, UK has found that kneeling can help keep the spine in a better position as does squatting. We might also take inspiration from traditional cultures like the Hadza. "Use a variety of postures and preferably not just still postures but some which allow movement," says Bettany-Saltikov.
Bettany-Saltikov believes that we should be rethinking what it means to do a desk job. "We still need to design workplaces that enable people to be productive while being lightly active, like with under-table cycling or walking desks," she says. For now, if your job is sedentary, don' t forget to stand up regularly and move around.
1. What does the author think of sitting properly for long?| A．It still does some harm. | B．It improves body shape. |
| C．It can prevent heart disease. | D．It may cause smoking-related illnesses. |
| A．Children should sit in their preferred manner. |
| B．Children should take their seats while sitting. |
| C．Children should practice sitting cross-legged. |
| D．Children should learn different sitting postures. |
| A．They sit for short periods of time. | B．They sit for the purpose of exercise. |
| C．They use some muscles while sitting. | D．They remain generally still while sitting. |
| A．Combine exercise and their work. | B．Improve their productivity at work. |
| C．Kneel or go cycling as often as possible. | D．Start exercising as soon as they leave work. |
10 . As more and more people speak the global language of English, Chinese, Spanish, and Arabic, other languages are rapidly disappearing. In fact, half of the 6,000-7,000 languages spoken around the world today will be likely to die out by the next century, according the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
In an effort to prevent language loss, scholars from a number of organizations — UNESCO and National Geographic among them — have for many years been documenting dying languages and the cultures they reflect.
Mark Turin, a scientist at the Macmillan Center, Yale University, who specializes in the languages and oral traditions of the Himalayas, is following in that tradition. His recently published book, A Grammar of Thangmi and Their Culture, grows out of his experience living, working, and raising a family in a village in Nepal.
Documenting the Thangmi language and culture is just a starting point for Turin, who seeks to include other languages and oral traditions across the Himalayan reaches of India, Nepal, Bhutan, and China. But he is not content to simply record these voices before they disappear without record.
At the University of Cambridge Turin discovered a wealth of important materials —including photographs, films, tape recordings, and field notes — which had remained unstudied and were badly in need of care and protection. Now, through the two organizations that he has founded — the Digital Himalaya Project and the World Oral Literature Project — Turin has started a campaign to make such documents, found in libraries and stores around the world, available not just to schools but to the younger generations of communities from whom the materials were originally collected. Thanks to digital technology and the widely available Internet, Turin notes, the endangered languages can be saved and reconnected with speech communities.
1. Many scholars are making efforts to ________.| A．promote global languages | B．rescue disappearing languages |
| C．search for languages communities | D．set up language research organizations |
| A．having detailed records of the languages | B．writing books on language users |
| C．telling stories about language speakers | D．living with the native speakers |
| A．The cultural studies in India. | B．The documents available at Yale. |
| C．His language research in Bhutan. | D．His personal experience in Nepal. |
| A．Write, sell and donate. | B．Record, repair and reward. |
| C．Collect, protect and reconnect. | D．Design, experiment and report. |
