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 . MEXICO CITY, April 1（Xinhua）——Discoveries at the legendary Sanxingdui ruins in southwest China show that the region’s ancient Shu state civilization shared similarities with the Maya, according to the director of the Chichen Itza archaeological site, Marco Antonio Santos.
The Sanxingdui ruins, located in the city of Guanghan, about 60 kilometers from Chengdu, belonged to the Shu Kingdom that existed at least 4,800 years ago and lasted more than 2,000 years. China announced on March 20 that archaeologists uncovered gold, ivory and jade objects dating back about 3,000 years in six sacrificial pits.
Santos told Xinhua that the bronze-made remains of trees buried at the ruins of the Shu Kingdom recall the Maya’s sacred ceiba tree, which symbolized the union of heaven, earth and the underworld for the civilization that flourished in Mesoamerica. “They are very important similarities.” said Santos, stressing that “the representations of trees in both cultures provide us with a symbolism that is very similar”.
“One notable feature of the recent discoveries at Sanxingdui was the interdisciplinary（跨学科的）work and technology applied by teams of Chinese archaeologists.” said Santos. “The technology allowed the unearthing of artifacts as fragile as silk remains, which other types of less careful excavation methods would not have been able to manage.” he said. “Cooperation between Chinese and Mexican archaeologists could benefit projects in the Maya world, where the rainy climate and humidity are problematic for the conservation of objects.” said Santos.
“Every time our cultural knowledge increases, regardless of whether we speak one language or another, what it shows us is that we continue to be sister cultures, and, therefore, the exchange of such knowledge is fundamental.” said Santos.
1. What does the underlined word “excavation” in Paragraph 4 mean?| A．research | B．examination | C．digging | D．discovery |
| A．The sacred ceiba tree is also found at the ruins of the Shu Kingdom. |
| B．The recent discoveries at Sanxingdui featured interdisciplinary work and technology. |
| C．Only the unearthing of silk remains needs to be managed with more careful methods. |
| D．The language barrier is an issue that affects the cooperation between China and Mexico. |
| A．China and Mexico continue to exchange cultural knowledge. |
| B．The discovery of the Sanxingdui ruins in south west China shocks the world. |
| C．Cooperation between Chinese and Mexican archaeologists benefits projects in both countries. |
| D．The discovery of the Sanxingdui ruins shows similarities between ancient Shu state and the Maya. |
| A．A newspaper. | B．A historical novel. | C．A research review. | D．A guidebook. |
3 . What is the most recognizable object in the world? Could it be a football or a big computer? No, the answer is a Coca-Cola bottle. Hundreds of millions of people can recognize a Coke bottle by its shape. Unlike any other famous commercial logo, the famous Coca-Cola logo has not changed in 100 years!
In 1886, John Pemberton, a druggist in Atlanta, Georgia, invented a new type of syrup (糖浆), using coca leaves, sugar and cola nuts, plus a few other secret ingredients. Pemberton sold it as a medicine; and with coca (the source of cocaine), it must have made people feel good! Nevertheless, Pemberton's medicine was not very successful, so he sold his secret formula (配方) to another druggist, Asa Candler, Candler was interested, because he had another idea; he thought that Pemberton's "medicine" would be much better if it was mixed with soda. Candler was thus the man who really invented the drink Coca-Cola. At first he sold it in his drugstore; then he began selling the syrup to other drugstores, where it was used with their soda fountains. Candler also advertised his new drink, and soon people were going to drugstores just to get a drink of Coca-Cola. Before long. other people became interested in the product, including a couple of businessmen who wanted to sell it in bottles. Candler sold them a license to bottle the drink, and very quickly the men became millionaires. Then in 1916 the famous bottle, with its very distinctive shape, was designed.
During the First World War (1914-1918), American soldiers in Europe began asking for Coca-Cola, so the Coca-Cola company began to export it to Europe. It was so popular with soldiers that they then had to start bottling the drink in Europe. Today. Coca-Cola is made all over the world, including Russia and China; it is the world's most popular drink.
As for the famous formula, it is probably the world's most valuable secret! The exact ingredients for making Coca-Cola are only known to a handful of people. And as for the coca that was in the original drink, it was removed in 1903, for it was a dangerous drug. Today's Coca-Cola contains caffeine, not cocaine!
1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?| A．The key ingredient of Coca-Cola. |
| B．The distinctive shape of Coca-Cola bottle. |
| C．The ever-changing logo of Coca-Cola. |
| D．The development of Coca-Cola. |
| A．John Pemberton. | B．Asa Candler. |
| C．An American soldier. | D．A couple of businessmen. |
| A．The formula of Coca-Cola is still a well-kept secret. |
| B．The ingredients for making Coca-Cola is of great value. |
| C．Coca wasn't removed from the drink until the First World War. |
| D．Caffeine has the same effect on patients as cocaine. |
| A．A biology textbook. | B．A life magazine. |
| C．A research paper. | D．A travel brochure. |
4 . Scientific research on yoga has found that yoga practice can help with problems such as back pain, depression and anxiety. Still, yoga studies tend to be of uneven quality, often relying on self-reported survey data. However, a 2019 review paper focused on a more objective measure: brain scans. Though far from definitive, the findings show that the practice may improve brain health, and they indicate a way to bring yoga and science more convincingly together.
The review, led by Neha Gothe, director of the Exercise Psychology Lab, examined 11 papers that used various types of brain scans to assess the impact of yoga practice on the brain. Gothe and her colleagues limited their review to studies in which all three major elements of yoga were included: the physical poses, breathing exercises, and meditation or mindfulness. Three patterns emerged with some consistency: yoga practice could be linked to increased gray matter volume(体积) in the hippocampus, a key structure for memory; increased volume in certain regions of the prefrontal cortex, the seat of higher-order-cognition(认知); and greater connectivity across the default mode network. This network plays a role in processing memories and emotions.
Jessica Damoiseaux, a co-author of the review paper, focuses her research on aging-related changes in the brain, and she notes that the structures that seem to be strengthened by yoga are ones that tend to shrink with aging. The greater volumes linked to yoga are similar to those seen in studies of aerobic (有氧的)exercise. This raises a question: Is there really anything special about yoga or is it just another brain-preserving workout?
At this point it’s hard to say. Clearer answers will come with better studies that build on the smaller experiments. Gothe, for example, recently received government funds for a study that will assign 168 old adults to six months of classes of yoga, aerobic exercise, or stretching and strengthening. “It’s exactly the kind of trial we need,” says Gothe.
1. What do we know about the 2019 review paper on yoga?| A．It is far from objective. | B．It is centered on brain scans. |
| C．It proves to be of low quality. | D．It relies on self-reported data. |
| A．Three major elements of yoga. | B．The key structure for memory. |
| C．The finding of the review by Gothe. | D．The emotion processing network. |
| A．Take aerobic exercise. | B．Apply for government funds. |
| C．Assign old people to jobs. | D．Carry out smaller experiments. |
| A．Yoga back in fashion. | B．Age can affect brain power |
| C．Brain trials on the way | D．Yoga may boost brain health |
5 . Sometime back, after a six-year-old lioness named Magigi repeatedly killed cattle, Botswana authorities caught and moved her into Central Kalahari Game Reserve, far from people. Magigi spent most of her time within the reserved protective boundaries, but after a year she escaped outside and was shot dead by a farmer. New research Maude and his colleagues have conducted confirms that Magigi's unfortunate story is common for many relocated lions. For decades, wildlife managers in a number of African countries have used such a kind way to deal with lions that repeatedly kill livestock (牲畜).But the new research shows that after lions are moved, most continue to kill livestock and endanger villagers' living.
Across Africa, lion numbers have fallen by 43 percent in the past two decades, to as few as 23,000 animals today. About 3,000 remain in Botswana. The sharp declines are primarily driven by development-lions now occupy just 8 percent of their historic habitat. With less space set aside for conservation, lions are more frequently coming into contact with humans. These are usually farms, expanding around the edges of the protected areas. The lions eat livestock, which negatively impacts the livelihood of the farmers in these rural areas. Without a proper way to prevent these attacks, the dinners often turn to deadly force, shooting or poisoning the lions, which has resulted in the decrease in lion population.
Rather than trying to move lions, wildlife conservationist Glyn Maude says, emphasis should be placed on reducing the chances of lions encountering and killing livestock in the first place. Many preventative measures are being tested in various African countries, including hiring lion guardians (护卫者) to monitor these big cats, creating lion-proof fences, sending out lion text alerts, and teaching herders to keep livestock away from high-risk areas.
1. Why was Magigi moved to a reserve?| A．To stop her from being caught. |
| B．To prevent her from killing cattle. |
| C．To get her to stay with her family. |
| D．To train her to get along with people. |
| A．Illegal wildlife trade. | B．Human-lion conflict. |
| C．A natural disaster. | D．The lack of food in their habitat. |
| A．Lions will be fenced in to avoid meeting people. |
| B．The relocation of lions has proven to be effective. |
| C．Prevention is the cure for lions' attacking livestock. |
| D．It's impossible for lions to live with humans in harmony. |
| A．Big Cats' Relocation Proving Deadly |
| B．Lions Shot Dead after Attacking a Man |
| C．The Tragic Story of a Magical Lioness |
| D．Conservation Status of the African Lion |
6 . In the world of Chinese archaeology (考古学), a sign of a dig's importance is the sight of Zhou Mingsheng at work. A field technician who has worked at archaeological sites all around China. Master Zhou is credited with the gentlest touch in his profession. Born into a farming family, he is a “national-level craftsman” with a talent for using simple tools to get relics (遗物) that would crumble in other hands, says his current boss, Wang Xu, director of an archaeological site at Shuanghuaishu, a Neolithic (新石器时代的) settlement near the Yellow River in the central province of Henan.
It is not beauty that attracts visitors to Shuanghuaishu. At 5, 300 years old, the settlement is the work of a culture too simple to have left behind many buried treasures. The single most precious find, to date, is a finger-length sculpture of a silkworm. Nor is the setting lovely: an area surrounded by deafening insects, between a highway and two power stations. Rather, the site's importance is historical. For since the birth of Chinese archaeology in the 1920s, it has been inseparable from claims that China has the oldest unbroken civilisation on Earth.
Leading archaeologists say that the site has the right combination of location, age and distinctive cultural elements to be the capital of an early Chinese kingdom. That would make it a bridge between China's written history and the era of the Yellow Emperor, who is said to rule over these central plains almost 5,000 years ago, though many foreign scholars doubt his existence. Chinese media call the site proof of China's 5,000 years of history.
Foreigners complain about a lack of written records, Mr Wang notes. Perhaps they are missing symbols that will one day be understood, for instance in patterned pottery. Outsiders "can't keep using Western standards to apply to Chinese ruins," he argues.
1. What does the underlined word “crumble” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Result. | B．Break. | C．Wait. | D．Shine. |
| A．It is of great historical significance. | B．It has various precious treasures. |
| C．It has appealing scenery. | D．It is easily accessible. |
| A．Ambiguous. | B．Tolerant. |
| C．Disapproving. | D．Sympathetic. |
| A．Chinese history amazes the world | B．Chinese archaeology catches on |
| C．China follows its tradition | D．China digs its past |
7 . Shetara Sims experienced some tough years. In 2012, her eldest daughter was murdered during an argument in Kansas City, Missouri. Last year, the single mother lost her job in the recession. She had only $7 in her pocket as she headed into the grocery store one day last July with her 12-year-old daughter, Rakiya Edmondson.
And then lady Luck finally cut Sims some slack. She and her daughter found a dollar bill in the parking lot. Maybe this was their day, they told each other. So they bought a lottery ticket and won $100.
But before they could spend their windfall, Rakiya had an idea. The news in Kansas City that week had been filled with stories about a police officer, Tyler Moss, who had been shot in the head in the line of duty. He was in critical condition. Rakiya and her mother had never forgotten how kind the police had been after their own family member was killed. “The detectives were really there for us.” Sims said, “They came to see my kids. They were fathers, therapists. They were everything.” Rakiya wanted to give their lottery winnings to Officer Moss’s family. Her mom readily agreed.
On July 10, Sims called the police and made an anonymous donation. Moved by her generous expression of thanks, the officers did what they could do best-they tracked Sims down. When she explained the family’s motivation, the officers could hardly believe it. “With her current financial hardship, we encouraged her to keep the money,” the department later explained. “She refused, saying the officer’s family needed it and the police needed to know they were supported.”
By then, that feeling of support was mutual. The police set up a GoFundMe page for Sims, whom they dubbed “The Woman with the Heart of Gold”. Their goal was $10,000. As of January 11,2021, they had raised $165,405. Even better: Officer Moss, who had a 1 percent chance of survival, is out of the hospital and recovering.
1. Why could the police hardly understand the family’s intention?| A．Because Sims was out of job. |
| B．Because Sims refused to keep the money. |
| C．Because Sims’s donation was not made public. |
| D．Because Sims was in financial difficulties at present. |
| A．They served as therapists and fathers. |
| B．They praised her for the act of kindness. |
| C．They established a GoFundMe page to raise money for Sim’s family. |
| D．They assisted Moss’s family with lottery winnings to get through hardships. |
| A．Kind-hearted and hardworking. | B．Creative and caring. |
| C．Grateful and kind. | D．Optimistic and devoted. |
| A．Just the Ticket. | B．Money isn’t Everything. |
| C．Story of Rakiya’s Family. | D．The Woman with the Heart of Gold. |
8 . The AI project intends to use artificial intelligence to create an innovative (创新的) theatrical performance, which is expected to premiere (首演) early next year. Head of the research team Rudolf Rosa said: “The main idea behind our study came from Tomáš Studeník, an innovator who noticed the centenary of the play ‘RUR’ is approaching. “This was a key moment for robotics, as the idea of a robot, including the word ‘robot’ itself, was invented by Karel Capek and his brother Josef wrote this play.
“Tomáš believed this should be properly celebrated and formulated the idea of turning the story around: 100 years ago, a man wrote a play about robots; what if today, robots wrote a theatre play about men?”
While there are now numerous papers focusing on machine-produced art, including some where computational techniques were used to produce dialogues or story ideas for plays, the automatic generation of an entire theatrical performance is an extremely complex task never-before attempted.
Rosa’s team decided to split the production of their play into several sub-parts. Although other research teams have used this approach to generate dialogues, few have attempted to produce an entire play. Dr Rosa said: “Thanks to the approaching anniversary, our main target is clear and fixed: by January 2021, we need to have a play ready for premiere. As it will be performed by a professional theatre group, we need to have the script ready in September, so that there is enough time for rehearsals (彩排).”
The researchers started experimenting with pre-trained language model called GPT-2. Once adequately trained, GPT-2 is able to complete unfinished texts using similar language and covering related themes. For example, if GPT-2 is fed the first paragraph of a news article, the model will try to continue to write a few additional paragraphs on the same topic, using the existing text for inspiration, while generating sentences about new concepts.
1. How did Rosa’s team plan to do the project?| A．By cooperating with other research teams. |
| B．By dividing their work into few small sections. |
| C．By exploring the possibility of creating dialogues using AI techniques. |
| D．By staging an entire play directly performed by professional theatre group. |
| A．The play will be on show in September. |
| B．GPT-2 can perform an entire play with ease. |
| C．Machines are still not smart enough to create art. |
| D．AI techniques have been applied to create dialogues for plays. |
| A．GPT-2 can practice continuation writing. |
| B．The play RUR was written by Karel Capek. |
| C．The idea of a robot was born half a century ago. |
| D．The word “robot” was coined by Tomáš Studeník. |
| A．“Robotre” Staged Successfully |
| B．“Mechatre” Trained Inadequately |
| C．“Mantre” Story Completed by Humans |
| D．“AItre” Play Written Entirely by Machines |
9 . In 2010, a terrible earthquake occurred in China’s Qinghai province, causing tremendous damages. With the aid of the central government and people throughout the nation, the rescue and recovery lifted the survivors further and further from hell.
But there was still much room for improvement. Qinghai taught me to create light when there seems to be none to be found—literally.
I started working on the highland region by installing solar panels in an isolated school without electricity. We also provided metric tons of clothes, computer labs, libraries food, medicine, coal and even yaks. Indeed, when first arrived in China, never imagined I’d’ end up buying, riding, milking and getting kicked by yaks-let alone harvesting their waste for fuel. Even there, on the “planet’s third pole”, Chinas’ poverty alleviation miracle means that the Qinghai I’ve returned to recently is different place than I first saw in 2011. Since the government has brought unthinkably rapid development, we’ve shifted toward providing surgeries for nomadic children and university scholarships for nomads.
One surgery was for girl with a severe cleft palate. She’d lived in such a remote area that she was amazed when she first rode an escalator in Beijing. She was shocked by the “stairs that move themselves”. A friend paid to fly her home after the surgery. She was amazed because she didn’t know that planes flew above the clouds. She felt like an angel. And I, too, felt closer to heaven.
My book, Closer to Heaven, published in English and Chinese by China Intercontinental Press, is the highlight of my life’s mission to contribute to and tell the story of China’s poverty alleviation miracle from the front lines.
These journeys have been adventures. They’ve brought me from the darkness of the quake zone toward the light, from the United States to the “roof of the world” and closer to heaven. And they’ve been firsthand exploration of how China, in turn, has lifted so many people from the hell that is poverty and closer to heaven, as it exists on this Earth.
1. What does Paragraph 2 tell us?| A．Electric breakdowns happened all the time. |
| B．In some remote areas, the sun actually never rises. |
| C．In some places, people had no access to electricity. |
| D．People suffered from power failure from time to time. |
| A．He flew above the clouds. | B．He wrote Closer to Heaven. |
| C．He lived on the planet’s third pole. | D．He was happy to bring happiness to others. |
| A．A science fiction, picturing China’s future high-tech development. |
| B．An adventure book, recording China’s tough battle against poverty. |
| C．A travel brochure, describing China’s breathtaking tourist attractions. |
| D．A personal diary, telling about the author’s lifelong experiences in the USA. |
| A．The author has never been to western China before. |
| B．Little has been done to improve people’s well-being. |
| C．The girl had an unforgettable experience during the Beijing trip. |
| D．The author has done little voluntary work while staying in China. |
10 . The winners of The Cultural City of East Asia in 2021 have been chosen, with four cities in China, Japan and South Korea winning the title, the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced on Sunday.
Shaoxing of East China’s Zhejiang Province, Dunhuang in Northwest China’s Gansu Province, Suncheon in South Korea and Kitakyushu in Japan were selected through votes held in their respective countries in 2020. Choosing Dunhuang and Shaoxing at the same time marks the first time that one country has selected two cities in the program.
These four cities are major cultural landmarks in their respective countries. Dunhuang was a major stop on the ancient Silk Road and is best known for its nearby Mogao Grottoes, which contain some of the finest examples of Buddhist art from a period extending 1, 000 years. Suncheon is an eco－city in South Korea that is a major agricultural and industrial center and also known for Suncheon Bay. Kitakyushu city was formed in 1963 through a combination of five big cities centered around the ancient city of Kokura. It is also where the already delayed 12th meeting of the three countries’ culture ministers will be held in 2021. Suncheon and Kitakyushu also won The Cultural City of East Asia in 2020.
These four cities are active centers for art and cultural communication. According to the announcement, the four cities will work closely together to promote cultural development and prosperity in East Asia through sustained cultural cooperation and close exchanges, and will jointly support the preparation and hosting of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo in 2021 and the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing in 2022.
The “The Cultural City of East Asia” program was created based on an agreement reached at a meeting of ministers of culture from Japan, China, and South Korea in 2013. Every year one or two cities in each country are selected with the aim to develop their ties through culture and arts; those cities host a variety of cultural and artistic events to introduce traditional and modern arts and culture as well as different lifestyles to visitors.
1. What’s special about the selection of The Cultural City of East Asia in 2021?| A．All the cities were on the list for the first time. |
| B．All the cities are well－known all over the world. |
| C．Two cities of one country were selected in a year. |
| D．Three countries work together to make the selection. |
| A．Shaoxing. | B．Dunhuang. | C．Suncheon. | D．Kitakyushu. |
| A．The culture of the four cities. | B．The mission of the four cities. |
| C．The history of the four cities. | D．The comparison of the four cities. |
| A．To preserve local traditional arts, culture and lifestyles. |
| B．To support the preparation and hosting of the Olympics. |
| C．To strengthen the city relationship through culture and arts. |
| D．To host various cultural and artistic events to attract visitors. |
