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 . Have you ever heard about Black Friday and Cyber Monday? Surely, they are all about finding the best deals on holiday gifts for yourself and family members. And have you heard about GivingTuesday? Here is something about it!
GivingTuesday is observed annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, which encourages people to help those in need by making financial donations or doing good in their local community. The “Global Day of Giving” was started in 2012 by New York City nonprofit 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation.
Unlike Black Friday, GivingTuesday serves a more altruistic purpose. In its first year, the movement brought in almost $10 million for charities, and things have only improved since. In 2019, many GivingTuesday social media campaigns worldwide helped raise an amazing $ 1.9 billion from 27 million donors! Over the past five years, many higher education institutions have also been using the Tuesday after Thanksgiving to ask alumni for donations. In 2019, the University of Michigan, which calls it Blueday, received 5887 gifts totaling over $4 million, while Pennsylvania State University raised $710 000 to benefit over 85 University programs.
Though donating money certainly helps, there are many other ways to support the great cause, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can video tutor kids struggling with online learning, or team up with an adult to get groceries or medications for an elderly neighbor. Alternatively, call on your peers to help you with a service project that addresses an issue close to your heart, or pick one from the several ideas suggested on the GivingTuesday website. You can also donate your gently-used clothes and toys to local shelters, or mail a handwritten note to a grandparent or a friend you miss seeing.
What are you going to do to make a positive difference in your community on GivingTuesday? Let us know by adding your comments below!
1. Why does the author mention Black Friday and Cyber Monday in Paragraph 1?| A．To make a comparison. | B．To lead to the topic. |
| C．To arouse readers’ interest. | D．To express his doubt. |
| A．To promote the development of economy. | B．To attract people to buy more holiday gifts. |
| C．To call on more universities to donate money. | D．To encourage people to help those in need. |
| A．Selfless. | B．General. | C．Specific. | D．Complex. |
| A．Where people can offer their kind help. | B．What people can do on GivingTuesday. |
| C．How people can stay safe during COVID-19. | D．Why people need to support the great cause. |
3 . In Asia, the car is as much a status symbol as it is a means of transport. A car’s design is not the only consideration when a vehicle has to suit the needs of everyone in the family .
This is the case for one particular group of drivers: The sandwich generation, who are stuck between caring for their children and caring for their parents. For them, the ‘family car’ is often shared with everyone from the newly licensed teens to adults with their own kids, or grandparents struggling with physical mobility.
With differing demands of so many people from boomers to Gen Z, your car has to appeal to all — and keep everyone safe in the event of a car accident.
Over 20% of serious driver accidents involving teens were caused by driving too fast for the road conditions. But it isn’t just risky driving behavior that causes teens to be the source of serious road accidents. In fact, according to research conducted by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, most speed-related teen crashes are due to inexperience and a lack of driving skills rather than intentionally risky driving behavior.
It can be challenging for newbie drivers to appropriately judge the proper speed at which to take turns, especially on less-than-perfect roads or driving conditions. Helping them along is Subaru’s Active Torque Vectoring, which makes up for any over-eagerness, ensuring you can take the car through corners in a smooth and safe manner.
For seniors with slower reaction, or having difficulty stretching out their neck to check blind spots, being able to quickly avoid danger can be critical. Subaru’s Blind Spot Detection system will alert you if there’s a vehicle in the neighboring lane. What’s more, Subaru’s EyeSight Lane Departure Warning warns the driver if they start to stray by accident from their traffic lane and endanger other vehicles in the neighbouring lane, while the EyeSight Lane Sway Warning system will remind you should you begin to move back and forth in your lane.
It can be difficult to find a car that appeals to multiple generations. But there are some things you should never compromise regardless of your age or driving experience. And at the top of that list is safety.
1. According to the text, what is the reason for most speed-related teen crashes?| A．Their risky driving behavior on purpose |
| B．Their inability to check blind spots. |
| C．A lack of experience and driving skills |
| D．The busy roads or ideal driving conditions |
| A．Subaru’s Active Torque Vectoring |
| B．EyeSight Lane Sway Warning system |
| C．Subaru’s Blind Spot Detection system |
| D．Subaru’s EyeSight Lane Departure Warning |
| A．Speed up | B．Move away |
| C．Pull over | D．Turn around |
| A．The sandwich generation mainly care about their parents’ demands. |
| B．It is challenging to design a multifunctional car to satisfy everyone. |
| C．It’s extremely important to drive safely no matter how old the drivers are. |
| D．Subaru can ensure driving safety of the drivers ranging from teens to seniors. |
4 . It was Thanksgiving Day a few years ago. My daughter was sitting on the couch watching the parade. My dogs kept lifting their noses to sniff the turkey slowly cooking in the oven. And my sons and I were secretly getting a piece of pumpkin pie with cream to hold us until dinner was done. As we lifted our forks I said, “Life is short! Eat dessert first!” Then I smiled as we ate our pie with delight and gave the outside part to the dogs.
Later I decided to take my oldest dog, Snoopy out for a walk. As we slowly walked through the ankle deep leaves I let my mind wander to memories of Thanksgivings past. I could see my grown children as babies sitting in their high chairs covered in mashed potatoes. I remembered all of those years spent visiting their grandparents and all of the special foods they made. There was sausage stuffing, noodles and cheese, and fried potatoes. There was turkey and delicious desserts made with love. And there was the three day nap (小睡) you wanted to take after dinner.
Even more than the food were the memories of joy that stuck in my mind and stayed in my heart. There were the smiles and hugs, the shared stories and laughter, the love so freely given at this time of the year. I went back inside with all of them flowing through me. I felt both glad and sad at the same time. I was happy for all the blessed times we had shared over the years and sad that they had flown by so fast. Most of all, though, I felt at peace and thankful to God for this wonderful life we are given here.
The truth is the more you love, the more thankfulness fills your heart. The more you love, the more joy you create in your life. Make the most of each day you are given here then. Be thankful for the glorious gift of life. Be the blessing you were meant to be and make every day Thanksgiving Day.
1. What do the first two paragraphs focus on?| A．The preparations for Thanksgiving |
| B．The happy memories of Thanksgiving |
| C．The various ways to celebrate Thanksgiving |
| D．The customs of celebrating Thanksgiving |
| A．Happy times spent with her family seemed short. |
| B．She wished she were young again. |
| C．She had many regrets in those happy times. |
| D．Things changed much and she never felt the same. |
| A．Desserts were the author’s favorite. |
| B．The author’s grandparents were good chefs. |
| C．Delicious food was the best part of her memories. |
| D．The get-together of the family was full of love. |
| A．We should make the best of Thanksgiving Days. |
| B．Everybody should treasure the time with their family. |
| C．People should live at present and be grateful for what they have. |
| D．Thanksgiving Days are the best time for people to express their love. |
5 . In the small village of Goss in Austria, a century-old brewery tradition had a novel transformation towards Sustainability (可持续性), Göss in home to the Gösser Brewery, the world’s first large scale zero-carbon brewery.
Owned and operated by the Heineken Group, the world's third-largest beer maker, the Gösser Brewery was relaunched as a zero-carbon facility in June. The brewery produces 1.4 million bottles of beer every day using a mix of entirely renewable energy sources, including hydropower, biogas and waste heat. This has brought its carbon emissions (排放) down from 3, 000 tons a year to zero.
Andreas Werner, brew master at Gösser Brewery said, “Our Cöss brewery may be in a small town but our goal was to make a big influence. I am proud of what we have achieved for the Heineken Group and want to help our other breweries and the wider brewing industry makes renewable energy part of their energy mix, just as we have done.”
The brewery is helping Heineken achieve its commitment to a 40 percent reduction in CO2 emissions from production by 2022, which is kept in the company’s Brewing a Better World stability strategy.
To power its production, the Gösser Brewery uses 100 percent hydropower sources for eletnicity-35 percent from biomass for heating, 10 percent from biogas from waste water, 3-5 percent from a solar plant, and 50 percent from biogas generated from the spent grain fermentation (发酵) tank.
For this creative move towards sustainability, the brewery won the EU Sustainable Energy Award and Citizens Choice Award in June. The awards cognize creative projects in energy efficiency and renewability in Europe. “The Goss brewery is the stand-out example of this work and our commitment to sustainability,” Roland Verstappen, Heineken’s director for public and movement affairs said.
1. What is special about the Gösser Brewery?| A．It’s the world’s third largest zero-carbon brewery. |
| B．No carbon will be given off during its production. |
| C．It can produce 1.4 million bottles of beer annually. |
| D．The Heineken group newly opened it to produce more beer. |
| A．The resources of making beer. |
| B．The production of beer bottles. |
| C．The examples of sustainable energy. |
| D．The composition of hydropower sources. |
| A．It has won two international awards for its creativity. |
| B．It has helped more industries turn to renewable energy. |
| C．It has led to the draft of Heineken’s Brewing a Belter World strategy. |
| D．It has played an important role in Heineken’s achieving its goal of CO2 reduction. |
| A．A brewery’s creative move to achieve sustainability. |
| B．Profits gained from the transformation of an old brewery. |
| C．The brewery industry’s responsibility for protecting the environment. |
| D．A small business making a big difference by mixing various sources. |
6 . Bird expert Stephen Kress remembers the first time he encountered puffins (角嘴海雀). “I was totally amazed from the moment I saw them,” he says. Two years after his first encounter, while teaching at a nature camp in Maine, Kress learned that the state's puffin colonies were all but destroyed by hunters in the late 1800s. The puffins were killed for their eggs, meat and feathers.
Kress decided to learn more about these “special birds.” His fascination grew into Project Puffin, a decades-long effort to bring the puffins back to Maine. Kress ran the project while working for the National Audubon Society, a major bird conservation nonprofit in the US.
Project Puffin’s origins lie on an uninhabited seven-acre island, six miles off the coast of Maine, called Easter Egg Rock. The tiny island, accessible only by rowboat, is free from predators (捕食者) and edged with rocks under which the puffins nest.
Starting in 1973, Kress’s team collected chicks from Greet Island, off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, which had a healthy puffin population. The team hand -raised puffins in artificial holes, feeding them vitamin-enriched fish twice a day. “They would come out when they were six weeks old and they would work their way to the edge of the island and swim off,” says Kress.
For four years, however, none of the birds returned to the island to breed (繁殖). The project’s supporters began to question whether they would ever succeed. “That's when I began trying to think like a puffin,” Kress says.“Puffins nest in colonies because they like being with others of their kind and large groups provide protection from predators.” He thought that the young puffins did remember the island but were not brave to come ashore. Kress’s new idea was to place wooden puffins around the island, to help the birds feel safe. It worked.
Thanks to his pioneering method, Project Puffin says there are now around 1,300 pairs of puffins nesting on islands in the Gulf of Maine. What's more, the techniques Kress developed to save puffins are now used by seabird conservationists around the world.
1. What happened to Maine’s puffins in the late 19th century?| A．They were well protected. | B．They were a tourist attraction. |
| C．They were nearly going extinct. | D．They were raised for their meat. |
| A．It is inaccessible to hunters. |
| B．It seems an ideal Puffin habitat. |
| C．It is near the National Audubon Society. |
| D．It seems a perfect place for bird-watching. |
| A．Finding proper food for puffins. |
| B．Digging artificial holes for puffins. |
| C．Moving puffin chicks from Great Island. |
| D．Getting adult puffins to breed at Eastern Egg Rock. |
| A．A New Way to Save Seabirds | B．A Bird Conservation Nonprofit |
| C．A Bird Species to Be Hand-raised | D．A Great Seabird Migration Project |
7 . Gone with the Wind was removed from the HBO Max streaming platform Tuesday, as mass protests against racism and police violence cause television networks to re-assess their offerings.
The multiple Oscar-winning US Civil War movie released in 1939 remains one of the highest-rated movies of all time, but its description of satisfied slaves and heroic slaveholders has led to criticism.
“Gone With The Wind is a product of its time and shows some of the racial prejudices that have, unfortunately, been very common in American society.” an HBO Max spokesperson said in a statement.
“These racist descriptions were wrong then and are wrong today, and we felt that to keep this title up without an explanation and criticism of those descriptions would be irresponsible."
Protests have spread like wildfire across the US since the killing of African American George Floyd while in police custody(拘留), with calls growing for police reform and the broader removal of symbols of a racist legacy, including monuments to the slave-holding Confederacy.
Floyd died last month as a white Minneapolis officer pressed a knee into his neck for almost nine minutes. The officer has been charged with second- degree murder.
12 Years A Slave writer John Ridley said in a Los Angeles Times said Monday that Gone with the Wind must be removed as it “doesn't just fall short with regard to representation" but ignores the horrors of slavery and keeps “some of the most painful stereotypes(刻板印象) of people of color.”
The film will return to the recently launched streaming platform at a later date, along with a discussion of its historical background, the company said.
No edits will be made,“because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed."
“If we are to create a more just, equal and inclusive future, we must first acknowledge and understand our history.”
1. Which of the following about Gone with the Wind is TRUE?| A．It was released during the US Civil War |
| B．It deals with the cruelty of slavery |
| C．Its content about racism was criticized |
| D．It is the best award-winning movie of all time |
| A．To show the seriousness of police violence |
| B．To compare his suffering with that of slaves |
| C．To call for the removal of racist monuments |
| D．To prove racism has been common in America |
| A．Positive | B．critical |
| C．objective | D．unconcerned |
| A．Gone with the Wind removed from HBO Max after Racism Protests |
| B．Protests over Gone with the Wind Spread Like Wildfire |
| C．Growing Calls for Police Reform in American Society |
| D．Classic Movie Gone with the Wind Mirrors Racial Prejudices |
8 . Scientists say baby sharks are at risk of being born smaller and without the energy they need to survive because of warming oceans from climate change. Scientists studied epaulette sharks, which live off Australia and New Guinea. They found warmer conditions sped up the sharks' growing process, which meant the sharks were born earlier.
John Mandelman, chief scientist of the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life said the findings could be used in the study of other sharks.
Mandelman said it is widely believed that epaulette sharks are "hardy," or able to survive difficult conditions. "What it means is that this species is more vulnerable than we thought, and this could be true of other sharks," he added.
The scientists studied 27 sharks using the New England Aquarium's reproduction program. Some were raised in average summer water temperatures. Others were raised in higher temperatures. They found the sharks raised in warmer temperatures weighed much less than those raised in average temperatures.
One study this year found that worldwide numbers of oceanic sharks and rays dropped more than 70 percent between 1970 and 2018. Overfishing is a main concern, while climate change and pollution also threaten sharks.
Carolyn Wheeler, a doctoral student at the University of Massachusetts Boston and the author of the epaulette shark study, said while all the sharks survived, those raised in warmer temperatures were not strong enough to survive for long in the wild. She added that if the sharks are born smaller than usual "they are probably going to have to start looking for food sooner — and they're going to have less time to adjust to their surroundings."
Mariah Pfleger, an ocean scientist said the study should serve as a warning to ocean governing agencies that careful supervision is needed to prevent the loss of more sharks." This study further shows that sharks will not be immune to a warming ocean," Pfleger added.
1. What does the author want to tell us in paragraph1?| A．Oceans get warmer because of climate change. |
| B．Climate change affects sharks’ growing process. |
| C．New finding on short life span of sharks is released. |
| D．Sharks are at risk of dying out. |
| A．They are sensitive to climate change. |
| B．They can survive any difficult situation. |
| C．Climate change has little effect on them. |
| D．The situation is serious even for them. |
| A．Overfishing and ocean pollution should be stopped. |
| B．Sharks have to adjust themselves to warmer surroundings. |
| C．Measures should be taken to prevent climate change. |
| D．The number of sharks will continue dropping. |
| A．Baby Sharks Struggle to Survive in Warming Ocean |
| B．Whether Sharks Can Survive or Not Is a Question |
| C．Climate Change Threatens Marine Organisms |
| D．The Premature Sharks Are Faced With Challenges |
9 . In Japan, some workers who regularly drink beer at the end of the day are giving their livers a rest by turning to beer that is free, or nearly free of alcohol.The liver is the organ that works to remove alcohol from the body. Masuda, one of beer lovers, said he is paying more attention to his health now that he is older.
Asahi is a large beverage company in Japan, which made 20 percent more money from low-alcohol beer in 2020 compared to the year before. Kirin is another company that makes things to drink. It saw sales grow by 10 percent last year and expects another increase this year.
The increase in sales of non-alcoholic beer might be the result of many Japanese people spending more time at home. In the past, they would order beers together while going out. More people are trying to stay healthy as well. Also, fewer people are drinking beer, as wine and other alcoholic drinks become more popular. But the new interest in low-alcohol beer has helped the beverage industry in Japan.
In recent years, many companies started making non-alcoholic beers. They caught on in places like Australia and Germany but not in Japan – until this year.
The chief of Suntory, another large beverage company in Japan, said people only responded to non-alcoholic beer advertising when the product started to taste better. Many people agree that today's non-alcoholic beers taste better than they used to. Asahi's "Beery" has very little alcohol. But it is supposed to have more taste than earlier versions of low-alcohol beer because of a new way of removing the alcohol. The company plans to offer more low-alcohol beers in coming years.
Kazuo Matsuyama is marketing chief for Asahi, who said most beer companies used to advertise to people who had a drink every day. That was about 20 million people. But there are about 80 million people in Japan between the ages of 20 and 60." But now we need to look at others." Matsuyama said.
1. Why do some Japanese workers turn to beers free of alcohol nowadays?| A．To appreciate a tasty flavor. | B．To ensure a healthier lifestyle. |
| C．To get rid of liver cancer. | D．To relieve stress in their life. |
| A．Beverage company traditions. |
| B．Financial reports. |
| C．Published statistics. |
| D．Public opinions. |
| A．Enthusiastic. | B．Indifferent. | C．Critical. | D．Objective. |
| A．New lifestyles in Japan. |
| B．The development of Asahi. |
| C．Introductions of different beers. |
| D．Popularity of alcohol free beers. |
10 . The prized love for an ice cream goes back thousands of years, and ice creams were enjoyed by people living all over the ancient world—from China to Mesopotamia.
As early as 4,000 years ago, Chinese people enjoyed a kind of frozen syrup—a thick sweet sticky liquid. Centuries later around 400 B.C., sherbet was a popular treat in the Persian Empire. This cold drink featured syrups made from chemise, quinces, and pomegranates that were then cooled with snow. The modern words “sherbet,” “Barbet,” and “syrup” can find their linguistic origins back Lo Shabbat.
Historic accounts tell of Alexander the Great, who took over the Persian Empire in 330 B. C., enjoying tasty ices sweetened with honey. The Greeks, and later the Romans, adopted the custom of cooling their drinks. In the early yean of the Roman Empire, Emperor Nero was known to apply fruit juices mixed with boney and snow at his banquets. Centuries later in the 1290s, Marco Polo returned from China with recipes for delicious ices, some of which included milk.
Modern ice creams were only made possible by obtaining and preserving snow and ice from cold, mountainous areas or frozen lakes and rivers. Different civilizations created icehouses with variations on the same theme: chambers free of heat and light. Deep pits were often used, and the ice would be packed separately, often with straw or branches, to keep out the heat.
Getting ice was complex and labor-consuming, which made ice highly valuable in the middle Ages, when snow was still brought from the mountains to icehouses throughout Europe. The 17th century witnessed private icehouses, and by the end of the 18th century, large icehouses were built in towns and cities. Traveling sales people sold large blocks of ice door to door.
In some cities the ice trade was regulated by the authorities, who set prices and fines for illegal sale. In Naples there were 43 “ice sellers” in 1807. Rule restricted sellers to supplying ice only during the summer.
Sorbet, sherbet, syrup, or just plain ice cream, these cold, greet treats have been cooling people of for centuries.
1. Which of the following is the fact about the development of ice cream?| A．Straws or branches were used to produce modern ice creams. |
| B．Alexander the Great had cool drinks with honey end snow at his banquets. |
| C．Marco Polo brought back from China recipes for milk -taste ices in the late 13th century. |
| D．People in the Persian Empire enjoyed frozen syrup 3, 600 years earlier than the Chinese. |
| A．Plants. | B．Rooms. | C．Packages. | D．Ice creams. |
| A．It was a tough jab to obtain ice. | B．The production took a lot of time. |
| C．Much labor was needed for marketing. | D．The producing techniques were advanced. |
| A．Historic Accounts of Preserving Ice Creams | B．Contrast of Ancient and Modern lee Creams |
| C．Chinese Contributions to Making Ice Creams | D．The History and Worldwide Love of Ice Creams |
