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 . It is quite apparent that competition surrounds every aspect of human life whether in the United States or the Amazon rainforest. Without it we would not have grown into primates (灵长类动物) . Or we would probably still be struggling to sharpen a bronze tool while crawling around on four legs in search of meat. Without competition, Columbus wouldn’t have discovered America and Edison would never have invented the light bulb.
Friendship, like all relationships between two people, involves competition. It isn’t competition in a traditional sense because there are no goals to be scored and no prize. Perhaps the ecological definition --- the simultaneous (同时) demand by two or more organisms for limited environmental resources, such as nutrients, living space, or light --- better explains it.
As in nature, high school life is governed by a set of laws, similar to a shortened version of Darwin’s theory of evolution, overpopulation, and competition. There is an abundance of high school students and to distinguish them, ranking and categorizing (分类) take place. In high school, friendships learn to coexist with competition even though at times the relationship is rough. In fact, in some circumstance, competition is too much of a burden for a friendship to bear, causing it to fall apart. College admission is the final high school objective. Four years of hard work is to achieve good grades, and a student’s fate is determined not only by these achievements, but by the records of thousands of other seniors trying to achieve a similar recognition.
Nevertheless, by necessity, competition between students exists in all aspects of high school life. It sets and improves the standards in everything from sports to schoolwork. A healthy, friendly competition can have only benefits, but when it becomes too fierce, jealousy (妒忌) can tear friendships apart. Yet, despite all this, without competition, we would be lost.
1. What does the ecological definition mainly explain?| A．How to win the competition. | B．What competition exactly is. |
| C．What the result of competition is. | D．How friends compete with each other. |
| A．They know the laws of nature well. | B．Friendship is a burden for them. |
| C．The number of them is too large. | D．They are divided into different groups. |
| A．Friendship is always based on competition. |
| B．Competition is a result of lost friendship. |
| C．Competition is terribly harmful to friendships. |
| D．The degree of competition is vital to friendship. |
3 . Researchers continue to show the power behind our sense of smell. Recent studies have found, among other things, that the smell of foods like pizza can cause uncontrollable anger in drivers on roads.
The study explains that smell is unique in its effects on the brain. According to Conrad King, the researcher who carried out the study, “more than any other senses, the sense of smell goes through the logical part of the brain and acts on the systems concerned with feelings. This is why the smell of baking bread can destroy the best intentions of a dieter.”
Smell, which determines the unbelievable complexity of food tastes, has always been the least understood of our senses. Our noses are able to detect up to 10,000 distinct smells. Our ability to smell and taste this extremely large range of smells is controlled by something like 1,000 genes (基因), which make up an amazing 3% of the human genome.
According to Conrad King’s study, smelling fresh pizza or even the packaging of fast foods can be enough to make drivers feel impatient with other road users. They are then more likely to speed and experience uncontrollable anger on roads. The most reasonable explanation is that these can all make drivers feel hungry, and therefore desperate to satisfy their appetites. In contrast, the smells of peppermint （薄荷）and cinnamon（桂皮香料） were shown to improve concentration levels as well as reduce drivers’ impatience. Similarly, the smells of lemon and coffee appeared to promote clear thinking and mental focus.
However, the way genes control smell differs from person to person. A study by researchers in Israel has identified at least 50 olfactory(嗅觉) genes which are switched on in some people and not in others. They believe this may explain why some of us love some smells and tastes while others hate them. The Israel researchers say their study shows that nearly every human being shows a different pattern of active and inactive smell-detecting receptors.
1. What does the author think of human sense of smell?| A．It is complex. | B．It is uncontrollable. |
| C．It is changeable. | D．It is powerful. |
| A．To find out how smell influences people. |
| B．To teach people how to choose proper food. |
| C．To study why some food like pizza harm people. |
| D．To explain why different people love different foods. |
| A．Only a few genes decide our sense of smell. |
| B．Different genes have different effect on people. |
| C．Different people are sensitive to different smells. |
| D．Every person owns at least 50 different olfactory genes. |
| A．Logic and behavior. | B．Smell and its influence. |
| C．Sense ability and food tastes. | D．Olfactory genes and our olfactory system. |
4 . The Notre Dame fire has been put out, but its spire and a large portion of its wooden roof have been damaged. The terrible destruction causes a sudden sharp pain to people around the world. On Chinese social media network Wechat a common comment on the disaster is: "What a pity that we cannot see the damaged parts of the wonder anymore. "
But the good news is that there is at least one way of seeing them, namely via a video game called Assassin's Creed: Unity. In this game, the player can travel to one city after another and enter the buildings exactly like what they are in reality, and see Notre Dame as it was before the fire. Further, with virtual reality technology, which is already quite mature, one can even look around the undamaged Notre Dame as if it is still there. Maybe digital technology could help to better protect architectural cultural heritage.
The idea of digitizing ancient buildings, making digital models of them so their data can be saved，dates back to the 1990s and the necessary technology has continued to advance since then. By scanning the ancient buildings with lasers，building 3D models with multiple images，as well as measuring everything precisely，engineers can make a copy as accurate as the real one.
As computers and smartphones are hugely popular，the digital replica（复制品）has great use value. First，it allows tourists to feel the cultural relics without touching them，which helps protect them. The virtual tour of Dunhuang Grottoes in Gansu Province is a good example of this as tourists can view the paintings without standing near them. Furthermore，it can make the digitized cultural relics more famous by spreading awareness about them via the Internet. In 2000，a virtual tour of the Great Wall became very popular at the Hannover World Expo，which increased the number of foreign tourists visiting the site in the following years. Above all，it preserves all the information of the cultural relics. Even if the original ones are damaged one day，people can still know what they were like and can build a replica if desired.
Of course，however precise a model is，it is not the original. Time is the biggest threat to a country's architectural heritage，which will always become ruins with the passing of time. Maybe we will have better technologies in the future，but the digital technology offers a practical way to preserve architectural cultural heritage at the moment.
1. What can we see about Notre Dame in the game？| A．The damaged parts. | B．Its wooden shape. |
| C．Its original look. | D．The big fire. |
| A．Improve the technology needed. | B．Scan the photos of the buildings |
| C．Build 3D models of full size. | D．Measure all the parts exactly. |
| A．It keeps the relics safe. | B．It helps to guard the relics. |
| C．It gathers data of the relics. | D．It advertises the history of the relics. |
| A．By comparison. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By classification | D．By listing data. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Delighted. |
| C．Supportive. | D．Conservative. |
5 . A growing number of Chinese tourists are helping to save a dying town，after a like-known tourist attraction was featured on a number of Chinese travel blogs.
The residents of Sea Lake，a town of just 600 people，barely see travelers stop at their gas station while driving by，but the sudden influx of Chinese tourists is helping keep the town's economy alive.
The tourists come to see Lake Tyrrel—a shallow，salt crusted and often dry lake just out of town. According to a local teacher，Rachel Pearce，the extremely beautiful nightscape combined with the mysterious appearance of stars reflected on the salt lake gives people the impression of walking among the stars. Besides，the town is so far away that no light pollution ruins the particularly attractive views，and as it is situated in a barren（寸草不生的），dry part of the country，there are rarely any clouds to spoil the night sky.
The attraction's growing sought-after status has resulted in the town's motel rooms being full almost every night，and while local famers are suffering in a two-year drought，tourism is keeping the town's agricultural-based economy stable.
Despite the popularity of the town and its attraction，locals are still confused as to why their little town deserves so much attention. Sea Lake's population has fallen from around 1，200a decade ago to 600 today. “We're still unsure why Lake Tyrrel is such a big，big tourist attraction，”one local says. “It's quite a shock. ”
1. Which of the following best explains "influx" underlined in paragraph 2？| A．Assistance. | B．Adventure. |
| C．Arrival. | D．Advertisement. |
| A．Population，stars，clouds，cleanness and weather. |
| B．Nightscape，stars，salt，remoteness and clear sky. |
| C．Population，darkness，salt，remoteness and clear sky. |
| D．Nightscape，darkness，clouds，cleanness and weather. |
| A．Business. | B．Education. |
| C．Lifestyle. | D．Culture. |
6 . I can proudly say that last year I broke the record for the oldest person in the world to ride a roller-coaster. I'm 105, but I feel younger. Even the doctor agrees I'm in good condition. I'm a bit deaf and my legs feel weak, but they are the only issue.
I rode the Twistosaurus at Flamingo Land, which spins you round quite fast. I didn't choose to go on that. I'd have preferred a really fast one that went upside down. But I was told I couldn't ride something like that, because my blood pressure could drop and I might have some danger.
I wasn't nervous - I don't get frightened of anything. I was securely fastened， so I knew I wouldn't fall out. The roller-coaster ride went on for three or four minutes, and it couldn't be a better experience. And I raised a lot of money for the Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland Air Ambulance fund, which was fantastic.
People were saying I'd got a place in the Guinness World Records. Later， someone came to present me with the certificate. I had it on the wall in my living room, with another one that got a year earlier.
My record-breaking ways really began a couple of years ago, with the ice-bucket challenge. It turned out that I was probably the oldest person in the world to do it, and the video was very popular. After that, I stared to think about what else I could do to raise money for different charities.
I'm not sure if anyone admires all the fun I'm having. They just say I'm daft and that's about it. But I've had many good days and many exciting times. I've had a really good life. I don't think I've wasted any of it.
1. Why didn't the author choose to go on riding the Twistosaurus？| A．Because he was told not to do so. |
| B．Because he considered it too gentle. |
| C．Because he thought it spun too fast. |
| D．Because he was in a bad physical condition. |
| A．He really enjoyed himself. |
| B．He was very worried at first. |
| C．He couldn't think much about it. |
| D．He got frightened as it started moving. |
| A．He was eager to get certificates. |
| B．He disliked showing off his success. |
| C．He was the oldest person in the world. |
| D．He set a record the year before last year. |
| A．Cooperative. | B．Optimistic. | C．Generous. | D．Intelligent. |
7 . It's not easy feeling like you're always under the spotlight being judged for each little mistake you make. Your mind is in an endless circle playing what you said and did over and over again. You wish you had a time capsule to go back and make things fight if you find mistakes. You fear what others will think about you and that they will reject and dislike you. You seek to be socially perfect.
Academically，you work long endless hours just to make those excellent marks. Although most would say "it's good to have high standards，"they have no idea about the internal hell you put yourself through to achieve perfection. If you come up less than your desired goal you feel as though you have failed, but you're far from failing, you just don't see it that way. So instead you are telling yourself that you're stupid, and not smart. The pressure you place on yourself weighs you down and you wear the "not good enough" label each and every day.
You not only have high standards for yourself but you also have them for others. If people don't perform up to your expectations, then you think them incompetent. This causes a lot of frustration because you can't trust anyone to get things right. So instead of being a team player you fly solo(单飞)and try to do two or three jobs at once. Your unrealistic expectations cause you to criticize and judge others and that leads to problems in other areas of your life.
The attempt to be perfect is called perfectionism and it's the unachievable American dream that's damaging our emotional and mental health. We strive for perfection with our body, in our performance，and in our relationships. In a society that overstates mistakes, is it any wonder that so many young people attempt the impossible task of being perfect？
We all have flaws, fears, and make mistakes, and that's perfectly OK. It's our imperfections that make life interesting and they help us grow into a stronger more adaptable person. We don't have to strive to achieve the impossible. We are designed to be perfectly imperfect.
1. Where is this text most likely from?| A．A diary. | B．A magazine. | C．A novel. | D．A guide book. |
| A．Be generous with praise. |
| B．Nobody is perfect. |
| C．There is no best, only better. |
| D．A contented mind is an everlasting feast. |
| A．The society is partly to blame for perfectionism. |
| B．More and more people are tolerating mistakes. |
| C．Many young people find it impossible to be perfect. |
| D．It's unusual for a society to seek perfectionism nowadays. |
| A．It's unbearable. |
| B．It's part of our life. |
| C．It deserves to be overcome. |
| D．It does harm to our mental health. |
8 . The sun was slipping down through the trees and it was time to go home. Time was running out. His mother would look at him and she would know. She always knew. A hot tear ran down his cheek. She trusted him. This was the first year she had left him alone for three hours between school and the time she got home from work. She had to work to buy his clothes and to pay for their food and for a place to live. He remembered the nice way she said, “You are a little man now, Joy.” It made him sad when his mother’s words came back to him. She trusted him.
Remembering this, he felt as if someone had stuck a sharp stick into his side. Her trust in him was all he could think about now. It drove everything else from his mind. “She trusted me.” He kept saying to himself. “She trusted me.” This was most important. Next to this, the pipe and its magic power meant nothing.
Joy looked at the long shadows coming toward him. He now knew what he had to do. And he was in a hurry to get it done. When he took the pipe, he left the store with slow unsure steps. Now his feet were quick, decisive, taking him straight back to the store like an arrow. He was out of breath when he reached the store.
Mr. Dow was just inside the door. The big man smiled. Joy wished he had not. Somehow, a bad friendly smile made it more difficult for Joy to do what he wanted to do. Joy was lost for a moment. His feet felt heavy. Suddenly, blindly, he held out the pipe. His voice struggled to come out from deep inside of the painful chest.
“Mr. Dow,” he said at last, “I didn’t mean to take it.”
“Thanks, Joy.” Mr. Dow said as he gently took the pipe from the boy’s hand. “How about staying around and helping me close up the shop?”
Joy felt Mr. Dow, s big hand on his shoulder. And Joy felt his shoulders had become a little broader and stronger.
1. What kind of a life did Joy and his mother live?| A．A poor life. | B．A new life. |
| C．A happy life. | D．A modern life. |
| A．He felt sorry for his mother. |
| B．He couldn’t help the family. |
| C．He had run away from school. |
| D．He disappointed his mother’s expectations. |
| A．It’s broad. | B．It’s warm. |
| C．It’s false. | D．It’s secret. |
| A．An Interesting Pipe | B．A Powerful Smile |
| C．Unconditional Love | D．Magic Trust |
9 . China is a land of bicycles. At least it was back in 1992 when I traveled the country. Back then everyone seemed to be riding a bicycle. Millions of them, all black. Cars were rare. Yet since my arrival in Beijing last year, I’ve found the opposite is true. There are millions of cars. However, people still use their bicycles to get around. For many, it’s the easiest and cheapest way to travel today. Bicycles also come in different colors --- silver, green, red, blue, yellow, whatever you want.
It’s fun watching people biking. They rush quickly through crossroads, move skillfully through traffic, and ride even on sidewalks. Bicycles allow people the freedom to move about that cars just can’t provide.
Eager to be part of this aspect of Chinese culture, I decided to buy a bicycle. Great weather accompanied my great buy. I immediately jumped up on my bicycle seat and started home.
My first ride home was orderly (守秩序的). To be safe, I stayed with a “pack” of bikers while cars on the streets came running swiftly out of nowhere at times. I didn’t want to get hit. So I took the ride carefully.
Crossing the streets was the biggest problem. It was a lot like crossing a major highway back in the United States. The streets here were wide, so crossing took time, skill and a little bit of luck.
I finally made it home. The feeling on the bicycle was amazing. The air hitting my face and going through my hair was wonderful. I was sitting on top of the world as I passed by places and people. Biking made me feel alive.
1. According to the author, why are bicycles still popular in China today?| A．Because they are traditional and safe. |
| B．Because they are convenient and inexpensive. |
| C．Because they are colorful and available. |
| D．Because they are fast and environment friendly. |
| A．to ride it for fun | B．to use it for transport |
| C．to experience local culture | D．to improve his riding skills |
| A．It was boring. | B．It was difficult. |
| C．It was lively. | D．It was wonderful. |
| A．The author enjoyed showing off his biking skills. |
| B．The author was annoyed by the air while riding. |
| C．The author was praised by the other bikers. |
| D．The author took great pleasure in biking. |
10 . LONDON — A British judge on Thursday sentenced a businessman who sold fake bomb detectors (探测器) to 10 years in prison, saying the man hadn’t cared about potentially deadly consequences.
It is believed that James McCormick got about $ 77.8 million from the sales of his detectors — which were based on a kind of golf ball finder — to countries including Iraq, Belgium and Saudi Arabia. McCormick, 57, was convicted of cheats last month and sentenced Thursday at the Old Bailey court in London.
“Your cheating conduct in selling a great amount of useless equipment simply for huge profit promoted a false sense of security and in all probability materially contributed to causing death and injury to innocent people,” Judge Richard Hone told McCormick. “You have neither regret, nor shame, nor any sense of guilt.”
The detectors, sold for up to $ 42, 000 each, were said to be able to find such dangerous objects as bombs under water and from the air. But in fact they “lacked any grounding in science” and were of no use.
McCormick had told the court that he sold his detectors to the police in Kenya, the prison service in Hong Kong, the army in Egypt and the border control in Thailand.
“I never had any bad results from customers,” he said.
1. Why was McCormick sentenced to prison?| A．He sold bombs. |
| B．He caused death of people. |
| C．He made detectors. |
| D．He cheated in business. |
| A．increased the cost of safeguarding |
| B．lowered people’s guard against danger |
| C．changed people’s idea of social security |
| D．caused innocent people to commit crimes |
| A．They have not been sold to Africa |
| B．They have caused many serious problems. |
| C．They can find dangerous objects in water. |
| D．They don’t function on the basis of science. |
| A．sold the equipment at a low price |
| B．was well-known in most countries |
| C．did not think he had committed the crime |
| D．had not got such huge profit as mentioned in the text |
