1 . Improve Cloud Security
Sensitive customer data has constantly been found exposed on cloud servers without password protection. To ease the problem, database software makers have been trying to make security easier for cloud database managers. At the Enigma Conference in San Francisco, Kenn White, a security manager at database software maker MongoDB, will describe a new technique, called field level encryption, to make data safer on the cloud.
Field level encryption works by scrambling data before it’s sent to a cloud database and rearranging it in order when the data is needed for use. The promise of the product is to protect the contents of a cloud database, even if bad guys access it.
MongoDB’s new feature comes as more and more companies move user data to cloud servers, rather than run their own costly data centers. It was predicted that cloud computing would be a $214 billion industry by the end of 2019. That would be up more than 17% from 2018, when it was $182 billion.
Companies have rushed to the cloud without understanding all of the possible security consequences. Many companies have left countless databases exposed, revealing personal data. A database containing details about who lives in 80 million US households was left unprotected in 2019, just like the data on Facebook users.
Database managers want to store their data in an unreadable form, but they also want to be able to find specific pieces of information in the database with a simple search term. For example, someone might want to look up health care patients by their Social Security numbers, even if those numbers are stored as random characters. To make this possible, field level encryption lets database managers encrypt a search term on their machine and send it to the database as a query. The database matches the encrypted version of the search term with the record it’s storing and then sends it back to you.
This approach only works with specific kinds of data. For example, field level encryption isn’t useful for long text entries, like notes in a patient’s medical chart, because you can’t search for individual words.
Still, for data like account numbers, passwords and government ID numbers, field level encryption protects data and maintains a usable database.
Most importantly, White said, it’s simple to set up. Database managers turn it on with a one-time configuration change when they set up the database. “That’s really powerful,” he said in an interview.
1. The underlined word “scrambling” in paragraph 2 probably means________.| A．mixing | B．collecting | C．hiding | D．storing |
| A．Secure the safety of Internet pages. | B．Protect files with a unique style of storage. |
| C．Stop bad guys from accessing the database. | D．Enable companies to store files on the cloud. |
| A．Companies should move user data to cloud servers. |
| B．Cloud computing achieved a 17% increase in 2019. |
| C．Companies may be unaware of the risks of the cloud. |
| D．No companies were willing to run their own data centers. |
| A．present some facts | B．offer security advice |
| C．introduce a technique | D．recommend a product |
2 . Politician George Osborne's plans to introduce a national minimum wage have been praised by the government. But the benefits will not be felt by all. We have spoken to some people who fear the change could actually make their working life worse.
Robin, 28 : “ The minimum wage means I will no longer get overtime.”
Life on low wage is a struggle. I can't afford new clothing or shoes. And I don't have a social life outside of work. Once I've paid my rent and other bills, I'm left little.
The minimum wage isn't going to help. It just means I no longer get overtime, which I depend on to afford to live a normal life. As I work in retail, overtime isn't always guaranteed. But because of the pay increase, there hasn't been any offered.
Dave, 40: “I want to pay staff more but it's impossible.”
I want to explain the trouble faced by fruit and vegetable farmers who want to pay the minimum wage. I already pay the new minimum wage but have been told by customers that prices will not increase. A result could be the further development of rural land ownership and large farming companies in place of the remaining family farmers. Paying the minimum wage will reduce my income and job security,
Daisy, 52: “ ”
I've earned the new minimum wage. I've been working for a pet supplier store for two years. I've worked lots of overtime there and this has enabled me to pay my share of bills. The higher minimum wage means no any overtime for staff. The company has stated clearly that it cannot afford to increase wages, so workload will now be within contracted hours only.
1. What pressure is Robin confronted with？| A．Getting a pay rise. |
| B．Working overtime. |
| C．Changing a better job. |
| D．Living on a tight budget. |
| A．Family farming's decline. |
| B．Employees' losing job security. |
| C．Fanners' refusing to pay the wages. |
| D．Customers' complaint of price increase. |
| A．To pay more we have to reduce working hours. |
| B．It is a struggle to manage a store on the increased cost. |
| C．I will have to do the same work with less time. |
| D．I can't get the pay rise as I am going to retire in a few years. |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. | C．Indifferent. | D．Ambiguous. |
3 . If documentary A Bite of China presented a feast for the eyes with its appetizing images of cuisines from around the country, Aerial China, a new series that was put on CCTV on Jan. 28, offers another visual treat with its footage (镜头) of the breathtaking beauty of the country's natural landscapes.
The series has 34 episodes, each featuring a different place. The first season's episodes feature scenery from Heilongjiang, Hainan, Xinjiang, Shaanxi, Shanghai and Jiangxi. According to Beijing Daily , it took one year to film the first season, with crew using 16 helicopters and 57 drones. The total distance they covered was about 150,000 kilometers - enough to circle the earth four times.
Their efforts have paid off, however. Aerial China currently has a score of 9.4 points out of 10 on douban. com, an influential rating and review website. The majority of viewers are impressed by the amazing view of nature the show presents. From the gleaming blue of the South China Sea to the vast grassland in Xinjiang, from centuries-old city walls in Shaanxi to busy ski resorts in Heilongjiang, "every frame of this show would make a desktop wall paper," commented Beijing Daily.
But amazing views are not the only thing Aerial China wants to show to the audience. " Every footage conveys the love of our motherland," chief director Yu Le said in an interview with CCTV. “The more you know about the place where we live, the more you feel obliged to protect it. " Yu also hopes that it can bring viewers some food for thought. "It allows audiences to see the world from above with brand new perspectives. It may occur to the audience that human beings are very tiny creatures in the universe and our life is very fleeting (短暂),so we should not dwell on the worries and losses. Just think outside the routine - you'll find an enriched life."
1. What subject does Aerial China deal with?| A．Chinese cuisine. | B．Natural scenery. |
| C．Chinese festivals. | D．Geographic features. |
| A．Reviews on Aerial China from media were critical. |
| B．The crew circled the earth four times to film Aerial China. |
| C．It took a lot of money and efforts to produce Aerial China. |
| D．Most audiences were impressed by an enriched life in the show. |
| A．Lifestyle. | B．National News. | C．Culture. | D．Natural Heritage. |
| A．To present views of China from above. |
| B．To reveal audience's love of our country. |
| C．To advise readers to live an enriched life. |
| D．To attract readers to a TV documentary. |
4 . My name's Lily. I'm 35 and hardly have any friends. My family traveled a lot, meaning I lost most of my friends from childhood. Now I have only a handful of close friends, most of whom live in other countries. I feel lonely. I see lots of my acquaintances, who regularly go out with friends or other moms, and I think, "Why haven't they invited me?" What's wrong with me?
Lily
When we are young, friendships may leave little scars. As a result, you might be unwilling to dive into a close friendship as an adult. Compatibility (相容), especially in adulthood, is a complex thing.
I find that in friendship, sharing the same values and worldviews is important. But what would you need to know in order to make friends? Writing that down is worthwhile, because it can help you work out which invitations to say yes to, and which to refuse.
A well-placed conversation where you share that “you would love to be invited somewhere”, or “you are having a hard time making friends” could open up opportunities. If there is a habit that somehow troubles you, perhaps you could ask a couple of people around you (your husband? family?) to give you feedback. It could be that you are someone who has fewer friends than some, but that the one or two you do have will be long-lasting.
There is nothing wrong with you. And there are friends out there for you. The more you know what matters most to you, the more you'll be a friend others are looking for - as much as you are looking for one like them.
Alanis
1. Why did Lily write this letter?| A．Because she had a happy marriage. |
| B．Because she wanted to ask for help. |
| C．Because she had quite a few friends. |
| D．Because she longed to invite friends. |
| A．Writing down a list of possible friends. |
| B．Asking your family to give you feedback. |
| C．Figuring out whether you accept an invitation. |
| D．Talking with the one by whom you want to be invited. |
| A．Lily's friend. | B．a news reporter. | C．a columnist. | D．Lily's doctor. |
5 . China’s TikTok, which has taken the world by storm, is working its magic in its home nation, too.
The Chinese version of TikTok, called Douyin, has amassed (累积) 400 million daily active users, parent company Byte Dance (字节跳动) revealed in its annual report this week. This is an impressive growth for the addictive video app, which had 250 million daily active users in January last year.
The report, which describes users’ behavior and trends, shows the cultural difference between China and the US, said Katherine Wu, an investor at New York-based firm Notation Capital.
Things that trend in these two countries are completely different. For example, knowledge-based content is extremely popular in China, but less so in the U.S. Also, those creators that did the most dance videos in China are users born in the 60s, while in the US, it seems that it’s mostly teenagers who are creating the dances.
Byte Dance claimed that Douyin has established itself as the largest knowledge, culture and art platform in China. 14.89 million “knowledge-based content videos” were shared on the app last year, it claimed. For example, one of the world’s most valued startups claimed that the number of users who posts videos about chemistry reached 130 million people last year. “On the art and culture front, videos related to those topics had 543.1 billion plays on Douyin last year.” it claimed.
Education has become a main use case for Byte Dance. TikTok, which is estimated to have earned more than $50 million last year, already counts educational content as one of the most consumed categories on its app across the world. The app launched an educational campaign in India last year, where it has amassed more than 200 million users.
1. The difference in trends between China and the US reflects the difference in ________.| A．culture | B．education |
| C．knowledge | D．hobby |
| A．Music videos | B．Knowledge-based videos |
| C．Humorous videos | D．Videos about chemistry |
| A．analyzing reasons | B．showing survey results |
| C．stating arguments | D．providing statistics and examples |
| A．To introduce the app --TikTok. |
| B．To help customers use TikTok. |
| C．To reveal the popularity of TikTok. |
| D．To recommend TikTok to customers. |
6 . Last year, 138,000 San Francisco residents used Airbnb, a popular app designed to connect home renters and travelers. It’s a striking number for a city with a population of about 850,000, and it was enough for Airbnb to win a major victory in local elections, as San Francisco voters struck down a debatable rule that would have placed time restrictions and other regulations on short-term rental services.
The company fiercely opposed the measure, Proposition F, with a nearly $10 million advertising campaign. It also contacted its San Franciscan users with messages urging them to vote against Proposition F.
Most people think of Airbnb as a kind of couch-surfing app. The service works for one-night stays on road trips and longer stays in cities, and it often has more competitive pricing than hotels. It’s a textbook example of the “sharing economy”, but not everyone is a fan.
The app has had unintended consequences in San Francisco. As the San Francisco Chronicle reported last year, a significant amount of renting on Airbnb is not in line with the company’s image: middle-class families putting up a spare room to help make ends meet. Some users have taken advantage of the service, using it to turn their multiple properties into vacation rentals or even full-time rentals. Backers of Proposition F argued that this trend takes spaces off the conventional, better-regulated housing market and contributes to rising costs.
“The fact is, widespread abuse of short-term rentals is taking much needed housing off the market and harming our neighborhoods,” said ShareBetter SF, a group that supported Proposition F. Hotel unions have protested the company’s practices in San Francisco and other cities, saying that it creates an illegal hotel system.
San Francisco is in the middle of a long-term, deeply rooted housing crisis that has seen the cost of living explode. Actually, explode is a generous term. The average monthly rent for an apartment is around $4, 000. Located on a narrow outcropping of land overlooking the bay, San Francisco simply doesn’t have enough space to accommodate the massive inflow of young, high-salaried tech employees flocking to Silicon Valley.
As the Los Angeles Times reported, some San Francisco residents supported the measure simply because it seemed like a way to check a big corporation. Opponents of Proposition F countered that the housing crisis runs much deeper, and that passing the rule would have discouraged a popular service while doing little to solve the city’s existing problems.
1. The intention of Proposition F is to ________.| A．place time limits in local election. | B．set limits on short-term rental. |
| C．strike down a controversial rule. | D．urge users to vote against Airbnb. |
| A．It shrinks the living space of middle-class families. |
| B．Users are taken advantage of by the service financially. |
| C．It makes the house market more competitive. |
| D．It indirectly leads to high house rental price. |
| A．explosion of the living cost | B．its geographic characteristics |
| C．generosity of local enterprises | D．inflow of migrant population |
| A．objective | B．supportive |
| C．negative | D．indifferent |
7 . Remember when your mom told you not to eat too many candy bars or sweets because they can cause tooth decay (蛀牙)? However, it turns out that chocolate can be more salutary to your teeth than you might expect. Recent studies show that chocolate can effectively fight against tooth decay, as if we need another excuse to eat chocolate.
Chocolate offers protection like fluoride, a main ingredient in most household toothpastes. Not only does chocolate protect our teeth, but it can do so very effectively. Studies show that chocolate has compounds that provide strong protection for teeth. One of the compounds in chocolate, CBH, is shown to protect even more effectively than fluoride.
Tooth decay happens when bacteria work to turn sugar into acids in our mouth. This is why eating foods with high sugar content can lead to more tooth decay. The compounds in chocolate, however, are anti-bacteria and can fight against bacteria in your mouth. The CBH compound in particular also works to strengthen tooth enamel (牙釉质), and protects against tooth decay.
Does this mean you can cat as much chocolate as you want without worrying about your teeth? It depends on the types of chocolate that you like. The protective effect of chocolate is most effective when you chew on cocoa beans. Of course, this option is not very appealing to; most people. A more tasty option is to choose dark chocolate with little sugar content, ideally no more than 6 to 8 grams per serving. For other types of chocolate with higher sugar content, the effect will be lessened. However, because of the protective compounds, it is still better for your teeth than other sweets and desserts containing the same amount of sugar.
1. The word “salutary” in paragraph 1 means?| A．Beneficial. | B．Harmful. | C．Familiar. | D．Useless. |
| A．It can help chocolate cure tooth decay. |
| B．It can effectively stop teeth from decaying. |
| C．It may protect teeth better than toothpastes do. |
| D．It may soon replace most household toothpastes. |
| A．By breaking down acids. | B．By building up compounds. |
| C．By fixing up tooth enamel. | D．By fighting against bacteria. |
| A．Chocolate plays the role of toothpaste. |
| B．Chocolate protects against tooth decay. |
| C．Chocolate is the best choice for teeth protection. |
| D．Chocolate is healthier to teeth than other sweets. |
8 . Hip hop is a form of musical and artistic expression that started in urban (城市) areas in New York in the 1970s. The expression comes from joining together two words with special meanings. “Hip” means cool or current while “hop” refers to the style of dancing.
Kool Herc Campbell is considered very important in starting hip hop culture. He was from Jamaica and used the Jamaican tradition of poetry and speech over music. He started playing music and speaking poetry at outdoor basketball courts to give encouragement to the young dancers. This speech soon came to be known as “rapping”.
Then hip hop as a culture started to develop and spread throughout some areas of New York City. This culture featured graffiti (涂鸦) art as well as its own unique style and music. Artists and rap musicians came to consider hip hop as a new urban culture. As it grew in popularity, newspapers and magazines started reporting about it.
In the early 1980s, bands and musicians started experimenting with electronic instruments to make a new sound. Hip hop was starting to mature (成熟) as the art of making music in new ways spread. Rap artists also started to change their style. Many rappers talked about urban problems, showing their disappointment in drugs, unemployment, and unfair treatment by authorities such as the police.
Recently, hip hop has spread globally. In Europe, it has also become a way for many young people to express their anger at social problems and environmental issues. In many parts of Asia, hip hop has been adopted as a form of music for business, produced only with consumers in mind. Many people believe that this is not “real” hip hop music and argue that many countries have simply borrowed the “look” and “sound” of hip hop without really understanding the culture behind it.
1. Why does the writer introduce Kool Herc Campbell?| A．To inform us that he was the founder of hip hop. |
| B．To tell us how he became a world-famous singer. |
| C．To prove that he combined music with American poetry. |
| D．To explain why he inspired artists to explore urban culture. |
| A．Solving urban problems. |
| B．Developing its unique style. |
| C．Spreading around the world. |
| D．Using advanced musical instruments. |
| A．The culture behind it has changed. |
| B．It can easily cause negative emotions. |
| C．It sounds totally different from its origin. |
| D．Some people use it for improper purposes. |
| A．Hip Hop around the World |
| B．The Rise and Spread of Hip Hop |
| C．Hip Hop: The Most Popular Art Form |
| D．Kool Herc Campbell: The Father of Hip Hop |
9 . Faced with a declining population and workforce, Japan has been increasingly turning to robots for help. Over the years, the robots have carried out a large number of human tasks, including building products and providing care for the elderly.
However, the robots currently being used by companies, like Walmart and Amazon, are only able to perform single, repetitive tasks, such as stacking boxes. Model-T, on the other hand, has a wider range of movement and is able to hold, pick and place objects of several different shapes and sizes into different locations, making it ideal for convenience and grocery stores, which sell a large variety of items.
Model-T robots are operated from a distant location by human “pilots” wearing a virtual reality (VR) headset and special gloves, which allow them to feel the product the robot is holding in their hands and guide it to the right shelf.
The VR-controlled robots are ten times cheaper than automated robots, because they don’t require advanced programming and are easier to develop and maintain. And their easy-to-use controls require little training. Tomohiro Kano, a general manager in charge of development at FamilyMart, believes this will enable the chain to recruit workers who would typically not work in stores.
Though Model-T appears to be getting rapidly through the experiments, it is not quite ready to enter the workforce. Besides being a lot slower than humans, it is also only able to lift packaged items, and cannot get hold of things such as fruits and vegetables. The company is working to improve the weaknesses and hopes to introduce a faster, more skillful Model-T within the next two years. They believe that in addition to the stores, the robots could also be useful in hospitals, allowing doctors to do operations from remote locations.
1. What is one of the features of Model-T according to the text?| A．It works much faster than humans. | B．It can easily hold all kinds of objects. |
| C．It can be operated from a distance away. | D．It is harder to produce than an automated robot. |
| A．The low price of Model-T. | B．The easiness to operate Model-T. |
| C．The low-level programming of Model-T. | D．The strict training for maintaining Model-T. |
| A．Model-T is now being massively produced. |
| B．Japan’s workforce will be reduced by Model-T. |
| C．The weaknesses of Model-T have been overcome. |
| D．Model-T may be used in wider fields in the future. |
| A．Technology. | B．Economy. | C．Lifestyle. | D．Environment. |
10 . My Ph. D. adviser called me into his office, saying I needn't bring my notebook. After 15 minutes of listing my positive things, he looked me in the eye and said,“You are fired from the lab.”
I had moved to Israel from my native India the year before, excited to experience a new culture and study for a Ph. D. At first things went well in my new lab. Then, 3 months before I was fired, I ran into some problems. I made a few mistakes in the lab that slowed my research, but I wasn't aware that my adviser noticed them, and he never spoke to me about any concerns. I’m still not sure why he fired me, but I guess it was because of those mistakes. He wasn't confident that I could complete my research in time as we'd planned.
The first few days after I was fired were especially difficult. I spent hours staring at my computer screen, unable to get anything done. One day all I could do was sit on a beach, crying. I tried to change his mind with promising results, but he stuck to his decision. I could not break the news to my family in India, as the fear of disappointing them overwhelmed （压垮）me. I soon got into a state of sadness and anxiety. Meanwhile, the date for me to leave the country was drawing near, as my visa required me to be registered as a student. I was lonely and without hope.
Around that time, I watched Dasvidaniya, a Bollywood movie that's about a man who has 3 months to live. One line from the movie stuck out to me :“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade（柠檬水）” .What kind of lemonade could I make out of my present situation? My desire to complete a Ph. D. was never in doubt. After much reflection, I told myself that one failed attempt was not the end of the world, and that I needed to give it another try. With renewed confidence, I emailed expected advisers and applied to other programs. Within 2 months, I landed an offer from a Ph. D. program in Italy. I accepted it and relocated to Europe, happy that my goal of completing a Ph. D. was alive once again.
I’m thankful that I didn't give up on my dream and that I found another professor willing to take me on.
1. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．The personality of the adviser. |
| B．The author's problems in study. |
| C．The possible reason for the author's being fired. |
| D．The author's difficulty in adapting to a new culture. |
| A．He applied for a new visa. |
| B．He got addicted to computer games. |
| C．He tried to change the adviser's mind. |
| D．He shared the news with his family in India. |
| A．Persuading the adviser to let him stay. |
| B．Being responsible for different programs. |
| C．Holding the belief to get a doctor's degree. |
| D．Getting accepted by another Ph. D. program. |
| A．Direction is more important than effort, |
| B．Turn to movies for comfort when in trouble. |
| C．A doctor’s degree is important for the future. |
| D．Difficulties in life can be turned into something positive. |
