1 . Faster, cheaper, better-technology is one field many people rely upon to offer a vision of a brighter future. But as the 2020s dawn, optimism is in short supply. The new technologies that dominated the past decade seem to be making things worse. Social media were supposed to bring people together, but they are better known for leaking privacy. E-commerce, ride-hailing (网约车) and the gig economy (零工经济) may be convenient, but they are charged with underpaying workers, worsening inequality and blocking the streets with vehicles.
Today's pessimistic mood is centered on smart phones and social media, which took off a decade ago. Yet concerns that particular technologies might be doing more harm than good have arisen before. The 1920s witnessed a criticism against cars, which had earlier been seen as an answer to the problems caused by horse-drawn vehicles which filled the streets with noise and animal waste and caused accidents. And industrialization was criticized in the 19th century by Romantics who worried about the replacement of skilled workers, the robbing of the countryside and the suffering of factory hands.
However, that pessimism can be overdone. Too often people focus on the drawbacks of a new technology while taking its benefits for granted. Worries about screen time should be weighed against the much more substantial benefits of convenient communication and the instant access to information and entertainment that smartphones make possible. A further danger is that Luddite (反对技术进步者) efforts to avoid the short-term costs associated with a new technology will end up denying access to its long-term benefits-something Carl Benedikt Frey, an Oxford academic, calls a "technology trap". Fears that robots will steal people's jobs may discourage their use. Yet in the long run countries that wish to maintain their standard of living as their workforce ages and shrinks will need more robots, not fewer.
Any powerful technology can be used for good or ill. It is the choices people make about it that shape the world. Perhaps the real source of anxiety is not technology itself, but growing doubts about the ability of societies to hold this debate, and come up with good answers. So as the decade turns, put aside the pessimism for a moment. To be alive in the tech-obsessed 2020s is to be among the luckiest people who have ever lived.
1. What phenomenon is described in Paragraph 1?| A．The seriousness of social inequality. |
| B．The rapid development of technology. |
| C．Problems brought by personal privacy leaks. |
| D．Worries about the influence of new technologies. |
| A．Negative. | B．Uncertain. | C．Sympathetic. | D．Enthusiastic. |
| A．A lack of good jobs in the job market. |
| B．An increase in the number of Luddites. |
| C．A decrease in the number of skilled workers. |
| D．An interruption to the advancement of a new technology. |
| A．Pessimism vs Progress | B．Technology vs Civilization |
| C．2020s: The Age of Technology | D．Robots: Our Future Caretakers |
2 . The great 18th-century author Montesquieu once put it, “I have never known any stress that an hour’s reading does not reduce." And now many argue for a return to this view of literature as therapy, even using the word “bibliotherapy"（阅读疗法）to describe it.
So what does literature provide, beyond entertainment? It can act as a guide.Those who show great respect for Shakespeare, Milton or Proust should keep in mind that even the most famous author was still a human being.In other words, great writers have been through the same things as you.Like you, they found themselves in this strange world and they tried to make sense of it.And this is what most literature consists of: people trying to make sense of the world.
No matter what your fears or concerns may be, chances are some great writer has written about them.Before seeking （寻求）suggestions, cither from a professional or a well-read friend, be clear about what is troubling you.For example, let's say you were raised in a religious （信仰宗教的）family but now, in later life, have lost your faith （信仰）.This is painful to you and you feel empty and alone.Countless writers have gone down this path before you and have found a way out — the German poet and novelist Hermann Hesse, for example, wrote the wonderful little novel Siddartha about this search for spiritual peace.
It would also help to consider your particular life stage.Someone from a poor background about to set off for a great college will want a different set of reading from a retired woman whose husband has died.To take another example, let's imagine you had a childhood of abuse （虐待）.For years you have suffered from depression.In that case, you could try Edward St Aubyn's The Patrick Melrose Novels.St Aubyn's father abused him, while his mother escaped into drink, but Aubyn wrote a series of splendid novels based on his life, charting a man's journey through the hard situation of abuse and out the other end.
1. Why does the author quote Montesquieu?| A．To stress the effect of bibliotherapy. | B．To explain what bibliotherapy means. |
| C．To tell us when bibliotherapy came into being. | D．To argue for the use of literature as therapy. |
| A．Find out which writer has written about your problem. |
| B．Know what authors have gone through. |
| C．Find out how to seek spiritual peace. |
| D．Know what your trouble is. |
| A．Aubyn's novels suit people who have retired. |
| B．Aubyn's novels are mainly read by young readers. |
| C．People should choose novels according to their interest. |
| D．People of different ages need different works of literature. |
| A．What novels best suit you. | B．A form of therapy: literature. |
| C．The great influence of literature. | D．The experiences of great writers. |
3 . It is important to protect yourself from harmful rays. But if you think a high-factor sunscreen keeps you safe from harmful rays, you may be wrong. Research in this week’s Nature shows that while factor 50 reduces the number of melanomas(黑素瘤)and delays their occurrence, it can’t prevent them. Melanomas are the most aggressive skin cancers. You have a higher risk if you have red or blond hair, fair skin, blue or green eyes, or sunburn easily, or if a close relative has had one. Melanomas are more common if you have periodic intense exposure to the sun. Other skin cancers are increasingly likely with long-term exposure.
There is continuing debate as to how effective sunscreen is in reducing melanomas—the evidence is weaker than it is for preventing other types of skin cancer. A 2011 Australian study of 1,621 people found that people randomly selected to apply sunscreen daily had half the rate of melanomas of people who used cream as needed. A second study, comparing 1,167 people with melanomas to 1,101 who didn’t have the cancer, found that using sunscreen routinely, alongside other protection such as hats, long sleeves or staying in the shade, did give some protection. This study said other forms of sun protection—no sunscreen—seemed most beneficial. The study relied on people remembering what they had done over each decade of their lives, so it’s not entirely reliable. But it seems reasonable to think sunscreen gives people a false sense of security in the sun.
Many people also don’t use sunscreen properly applying insufficient amounts, failing to reapply after a couple of hours and staying in the sun too long. It is sunburn that is most worrying—recent research shows five episodes of sunburn in the teenage years increase the risk of all skin cancers.
The good news is that a combination of sunscreen and covering up can reduce melanoma rates, as shown by Australian figures from their slip-slop-slap campaign. So if there is a heat wave this summer, it would be best for us, too, to slip on a shirt, use sunscreen and slap on a hat.
1. What’s people’s common expectation of high-factor sunscreen?| A．It will protect them from sunburn. |
| B．It will keep their skin smooth and fair. |
| C．It will work for people of any skin color. |
| D．It will delay the occurrence of skin cancer. |
| A．Sunscreen can prevent all kinds of skin cancers. |
| B．The studies are based on direct observation of the subjects. |
| C．The studies may help people select the most effective sunscreen. |
| D．Daily application of sunscreen helps reduce the incidence of melanomas. |
| A．Staying in the shade whenever possible. |
| B．Using covering up instead of sunscreen. |
| C．Using both covering up and sunscreen. |
| D．Applying the right amount of sunscreen. |
| A．No Way to Stop Harmful Rays! |
| B．Does Sunscreen Prevent Skin Cancer? |
| C．Did You Use Sunscreen in the Right Way? |
| D．Skin Cancer—The Biggest Threat to Human Beings! |
4 . On my fourth day in a self-driving car, I finally felt comfortable enough to let it stop itself. Before then, Id allowed the car- a Volvo S90 sedan to control the direction, with my hands still on the wheel, and to adjust speed in traffic. By Day 4, I was ready to make a jump into the future.
With the car traveling on a busy road, I activated the driverless mode. Soon, a traffic light turned red. For a split second, I prepared to get on the brakes. There was no need. The cameras and computers in the Volvo recognized the traffic conditions and smoothly began applying the brake.
If you're anything like most people, you're familiar with this anxiety. Almost 80 percent of Americans fear traveling in a self-driving car, a recent survey found.
Researchers at the University of Chicago have conducted some clever experiments studying the phenomenon. They asked participants to complete tasks and compared their performance with a computer system's. After the computer made a mistake, people were unwilling to use it again. After the people made mistakes, their self-confidence wouldn't change. It didn't matter that the human beings made more mistakes than the computer. So it is with driving. More than 37,000 Americans died in crashes last year, most from human error. The death count from cars goes beyond that from guns. So if you are shocked and angry by guns and want things to change, you should feel the same about car crashes.
Technology creates an opportunity to save lives. Computers don't get drunk or distracted by text messages, and they don't have blind spots. Just look at commercial airlines: Automation has helped all but get rid of deadly crashes among American air carriers. The last one happened in 2009.
The technology for self-driving cars still isn't good enough. But it is improving rapidly. Within a few years, many cars will have advanced crash-avoidance systems and driving will be revolutionized sooner than many people now understand.
1. How does the author introduce the topic?| A．By offering a piece of news. | B．By describing an experience. |
| C．By giving background information. | D．By introducing a latest car. |
| A．The participants lost self-confidence after making mistakes. |
| B．The participants would ignore the mistakes made by the computer. |
| C．Car crashes is no less shocking than gun incidents. |
| D．The death count from cars is the same as that from guns. |
| A．to advertise for the commercial airlines. | B．to assess the security of driverless cars. |
| C．to find fault with computers. | D．to prove the advantage of technology. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Indifferent. |
| C．Skeptical. | D．Concerned. |
5 . "Our coffee is loved by millions worldwide." Do you often see this kind of advertising in your country? Statements like these that no one can prove are called puffery. Puffery is legal, even though it cannot be proved. In fact, puffery has been called "a license to lie", as it is regarded as an opinion rather than an objective statement.
Using puffery to raise awareness of products and to increase sales, is a common advertising method. Some people, however, worry about puffery. One of the concerns is whether consumers are misled by false advertising. Therefore, advertisements containing puffery sometimes can be tested in the courts, and the decisions that are made help to tell the difference between acceptable puffery and illegal advertising.
On the one hand, if a company tells the public that it sells the country's best-loved" or favorite product, this is thought to be puffery, rather than an objective description of market share. Similarly, the company does not have to produce proof that such puffery is actually supported by numbers or facts. In other words, advertisements such as the world's best cup of coffee" are impossible to prove. They are too good to be true and thus it is expected that any consumer will understand how subjective they are. Such advertisements are therefore not thought of as misleading. In fact, puffery like this in these advertisements is often considered to add to the entertainment value.
On the other hand, a company that states their products is the safest" or cheapest" needs to show proof, because statements that are objective need to be supported by proof or statistics. Consumer rights organizations can run tests to examine whether or not such statements agree with the fact. Companies should thus be very careful when making factual statements about a product.
A primary function of advertising is to create product awareness. As consumers, we need to know -about competing products, so we can make wise decisions on which one to buy. While it is important that advertisers are monitored to ensure they do not mislead consumers, it can be argued that puffery is a good way of raising awareness of new products. As long as there are effective ways of monitoring advertisements to prevent deliberate deception (欺骗) in safety and quality, it seems that most puffery is relatively harmless. Rather, it has become part of advertising, which most consumers can laugh at rather than being misled.
1. By “ Our coffee is loved by millions worldwide", the passage intends to ______.| A．describe a fact | B．introduce the topic |
| C．present an argument | D．provide background information |
| A．describe products' market share | B．raise awareness of new products |
| C．test the advertisement in the courts | D．run tests to examine the new products. |
| A．It is acceptable with effective monitoring. |
| B．It is misleading for it uses the false information. |
| C．It is harmful for it plays tricks on consumers. |
| D．It is convincing for it helps consumers to choose wisely. |
| A．Functions of Advertising | B．Puffery in Advertising |
| C．Consumers and Advertising | D．The Art of Advertising |
6 . Like most people, you have probably lost count of the number of perfect-looking shoes you have thrown away simply because the rubber soles (橡胶鞋底) are broken. In addition to the expense, it is also harmful to our environment. Now, thanks to a revolutionary self-healing 3-D printed rubber material, broken shoe soles may be a thing of the past.
The magical polymer (聚合物) is developed by the researchers at the University of Southern California’s (USC) and the University of Connecticut (UConn) . The team, led by USC Assistant Professor Qiming Wang, created it through a process called photopolymerization, which uses light to solidify the liquid used to create 3-D printed plastic. The researchers found that adding the right amount of oxidant (氧化剂) to the liquid allowed the 3-D polymer to heal (愈合) without slowing down the hardening process.
“When we gradually increase the oxidant, the self - healing behavior becomes stronger, but the photopolymerization behavior becomes weaker,” explained Wang. “There is competition between these two behaviors.”
The team, who published the findings in the journal NPG Asia Materials on February 1st,2019, state that the repair time can be reduced by increasing the room temperature. “If you just put a broken shoe on a bench at room temperature, the rubber will heal itself in six to eight hours,” Wang said. “If you apply heat at maybe 60℃, that expedites the healing process to about two hours.”
Given the material s huge potential, it is not surprising to hear that Wang and his team have been approached by several shoe-making companies eager to be the first to use the technology, which is still in the early stages. Once perfected, the scientists also hope to apply the technique to hard plastics that can be used to create self-healing toys, electronics, vehicle parts, and, if Wang has his way, even tires.
1. How do the researchers make 3-D printed plastic self- heal?| A．By changing the amount of light used. |
| B．By raising the temperature at which it is used. |
| C．By increasing the hardening speed of the liquid. |
| D．By adding the proper amount of oxidant to the liquid. |
| A．The creation of 3-D printed plastic doesn’t need light. |
| B．The surrounding temperature determines the speed of healing. |
| C．Many shoe making companies got the right to use the technology. |
| D．Throwing away broken shoe soles has been a thing of the past. |
| A．Strengthens. | B．Delays. | C．Accelerates. | D．Worsens. |
| A．Self - healing shoes may be in our future. |
| B．3-D printing technology makes a difference. |
| C．Self - healing technology will serve many fields. |
| D．A revolution of rubber soles has changed our life. |
7 . If you think that running marathons will help you live a long and healthy life, new research may come as a shock. According to a recent scientific study, people who do a very strenuous workout are as likely to die as people who do no exercise at all.
Scientists in Denmark have been studying over 1,000 joggers (慢跑者)and non - joggers for 12 years. The death rates from the sample group indicate that people who jog at a proper pace two or three times a week for less than two and a half hours in total are least likely to die. The best speed to jog at was found to be about 5 miles per hour. The research suggests that people who jog more than three times a week or at higher speeds of over 7 mph die at the same rate as non - joggers. The scientists think that this is because strenuous exercise causes structural changes to the heart and arteries(动脉). Over time, this can cause serious injuries.
Peter Schnohr, a researcher in Copenhagen, said, “If your goal is to decrease risk of death and improve life expectancy(寿命)，jogging a few times a week at a proper pace is a good strategy. Anything more is not just unnecessary, and it may be harmful. “
The implications (暗示 ) of this are that moderate forms of exercise such as tai chi, yoga and walking may be better for us than “iron man events, triathlons and long - distance running and cycling. According to Jacob Louis Marott, another researcher involved in the study, “You don't actually have to do that much to have a good impact on your health. And perhaps you shouldn’t actually do too much”.
1. The underlined word “strenuous” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to “____“.| A．regular | B．hard | C．practical | D．flexible |
| A．suggest giving up jogging | B．show risks of doing sports |
| C．provide supportive evidence | D．introduce the research process |
| A．It may injure the heart and arteries. | B．It can make the body tired out. |
| C．It will bring much pressure. | D．It consumes too much energy. |
| A．No exercise at all is the best choice. | B．More exercise means a healthier life. |
| C．Marathons runners are least likely to die. | D．Proper exercise contributes to good health. |
