1 . While many countries love their tea, UK citizens are particularly proud of being "tea people". The average UK citizen consumes nearly 2 kilograms of tea each year.Tea only made its way to England in large quantities in the first years of the 17th century. Tea from China and a few other Asian countries was being sold more widely in England at that time. Then tea became more and more popular among different social classes.
There are many varieties of tea. Black tea mixtures are still the most common type drunk in the UK. Black tea is dark in colour,because the leaves have been allowed to oxidize(氧化）before drying. This is why we usually serve it with milk,although it is not uncommon to drink it black or with lemon.
You may still find tea made with loose tea leaves, served up in a pot, and poured into the best china cups with saucers(茶托）for visitors.
Tea is still a large part of daily life in the UK today, but it seems to be on the decrease . The amount of tea sold in the UK fell by more than 10% in the five years leading up to 2002, and has been dropping ever since. Tea sales fell by 6% in 2014 alone, and most restaurants report selling more than twice as many cups of coffee as they do tea. More than 1 billion was spent on coffee in high street stores in 2013, more than twice what was spent on tea bags.
Still, what goes around comes around ; it's sure to become fashionable again.
1. Which of the following is true according to the first three paragraphs?| A．Tea made its way to England in the early years of the 16th century. |
| B．The UK usually serves black tea with lemon. |
| C．Tea from China is being sold more widely in England now. |
| D．UK citizens take pride in being "tea people". |
| A．Tea sales fell by 6% in 2014 alone. |
| B．The sales of tea have been on the decrease for about 20 years. |
| C．In 2013, the money spent on tea was f 3 billion. |
| D．Most restaurants like selling tea than coffee. |
| A．It can never succeed again. | B．Tea can become popular again. |
| C．Coffee is more popular than tea. | D．Tea is becoming less popular. |
2 . The Japanese have always been at the forefront at deploying robots to perform jobs that are traditionally done by humans. Over the past year, humanoid robots have been seen helping customers at the Mitsubishi Bank and even filling in for human science communicators at museums. Therefore, it is not surprising to hear that the country has the world's first hotel that is staffed almost entirely by the Androids!
The aptly(巧妙地)named Henn-na ("strange" in Japanese)Hotel which opened its doors on July 17 is located at Nagasaki's Huis Ten Bosch theme park. It is the idea of Hideo Sawada, a Japanese businessman who is fascinated by the possibility of replacing humans with robots. His aim is to have this futuristic hotel be run mainly by the intelligent humanoids .
Guests checking-in are welcomed by a family friendly English-speaking robot wearing a bow tie and bell-hop(侍者)hat. Though experienced at his job, he does request guests not to ask him "a difficult question" since he is after all, "just a robot! " Those seeking a more "regular" experience, can approach the human-like Japanese-speaking robot.
When ready, visitors can request the robot "porters" to help carry belongings to their room. Those that need to stow away valuables can hand them to a helpful robot who will place them inside an individual safe box in exchange for a small fee. A one-foot-high concierge is available to provide information about the hotel's amenities, nearby attractions, and even order a taxi if needed.
So how much does it cost to live in this crazy cool hotel? It depends on when you decide to go. During the low season, guests can get away with paying as little $ 60 a night for a basic room. However, during the peak season when rates are determined by an online auction, the price can get as high as $153.
1. What is Hideo Sawada interested in?| A．Making different kinds of robots. | B．Taking the place of humans with robots. |
| C．Setting up more hotels run by robots. | D．Making robots more intelligent. |
| A．purchase | B．change | C．store | D．replace |
| A．World's first robot-staffed hotel is open for business. |
| B．Japanese tops the first in making robots. |
| C．Robots can replace humans in Japanese hotels. |
| D．The aptly named Henn-na Hotel at a theme park. |
3 . Humans have little difficulty recognizing one another. And we know that no two faces are exactly alike. Even identical twins have slightly different faces. Each human face is truly unique, and now we've invented machines that are able to recognize faces for numerous purposes.
Governments, employers and security and police services are increasingly using facial recognition technology. This allows them to quickly confirm an individual's identity. Systems are becoming so advanced that a wanted criminal can instantly be picked out of a crowd of thousands of people. All that's required is an image in a database to compare with the image of any number of people in a crowd. Ordinary people, too, are using facial recognition to unlock their phones, their computers and other devices.
Personal facial recognition protection has several benefits. It is instantaneous, and it relieves us of the need to memorize passwords. However, a device will require a password in the rare event that it doesn't, for whatever reason, recognize the user's face.
There are numerous concerns about the use of facial recognition. Primarily, the concern is that it threatens privacy. The installation of more and more cameras in public and private places is now part of everyday life. This means people can be observed and recognized wherever they go. Cameras may make public spaces safer, but keeping law-abiding(守法的) citizens under constant watch is disturbing to many.
In the age of the coronavirus and the widespread wearing of masks, facial recognition systems are having some difficulty. A mask covers many of the facial data points used by recognition software to confirm a person's identity. In response, facial recognition systems are being trained to use less facial data. That could affect how dependable it is as a method of identity detection.
1. What's the author's purpose of writing Paragraph 2?| A．To further explain the importance of facial recognition. |
| B．To describe the powerful functions of facial recognition. |
| C．To list in detail various advantages of facial recognition. |
| D．To state the unique advanced features of facial recognition. |
| A．The cameras may be occasionally out of order. |
| B．Too many cameras disturb people's daily life. |
| C．People's personal life might be exposed to others. |
| D．The cameras make law-abiding citizens feel stressful. |
| A．Getting more accurate with less information. |
| B．Becoming faster with more facial data. |
| C．Protecting personal information if necessary. |
| D．Responding more quickly to unexpected events. |
| A．The wide popularity of facial recognition. |
| B．The rapid development of facial recognition. |
| C．The benefits of facial recognition. |
| D．The introduction to facial recognition. |
4 . On Monday, a scientist and doctor Robert Winston is to formally ask a question in congress about what assessments the government has made “for requiring adults riding bicycles in city centres to heave a licence and third-party insurance”. The letter below is the entirely imagined response I would like the government to make to him.
Dear Robert,
You ask what assessments we’ve made for your proposal about obliging cyclists to have licences and insurance. The brief answer is: none. Nor do we have any plans to do so.
Why? Again, the short answer is this: it’s a silly and pointless thing to suggest, as evidenced by the fact that practically no countries or territories anywhere in the world require cyclists to be licensed, or to have compulsory insurance.
I suppose it’s only fair if I explain why I think it is such a non-issue. It’s pretty simple: such a plan would achieve pretty much nothing, while causing significant problems. More widely, any sensible governments will do everything in their power to get more people cycling, not to put pointless obstacles in their way.
Let’s just take one example. As I’m sure you know as a doctor, one of the problems facing our nation is that the National Health System is likely to collapse under the caring for an increasingly overweight population. Inactive living is central to this. Even a fairly brief daily bike trip can have miraculous benefits for people’s health.
Next, how would such rules even work? Would the licensing and insurance be just for adults, or also children? How would the system even be enforced-would it also require all bikes to be registered with number plates?
Finally, what would you hope to achieve by this? If you believe licensing transport users stops wrongdoing, can I point to you the data showing how a third of drivers admit to using handheld phones while driving, despite the law forbidding it.
So, to summarize：your plan would be to introduce a hugely new administrative scheme that would most likely have limited effect on the behaviour of averagely law-abiding (守法的) transport users who rarely harm others, while putting people off from this beneficial type of transport.
I’m afraid I just don’t get it.
1. What does Robert most probably want to know by asking the question?| A．whether the government has made efforts regarding his proposal. |
| B．whether each bike rider has applied for a third-party insurance. |
| C．whether the congress has sympathy towards the cyclists. |
| D．whether doctors can receive the government’s support. |
| A．It may raise people’s insurance awareness. |
| B．It can motivate people to obey the law. |
| C．It imitates what other countries are doing. |
| D．It is difficult to implement and enforce. |
| A．to draw people’s attention to overweight problems |
| B．to prove that cycling can cause problems |
| C．to explain why governments advocate cycling |
| D．to illustrate how broken the NHS is |
| A．holds prejudices against Robert Winston |
| B．is a pleasant and good-tempered person |
| C．has the right to speak for the government |
| D．is skilled in argumentative techniques |
5 . He lived his whole life as a poor man.His art and talent were recognized by almost no one.He suffered from a mental illness that led him to cut off part of his left ear in 1888 and to shoot himself two years later.But after his death, he achieved world fame.Today, Dutch artist Van Gogh is recognized as one of the leading artists of all time.
Now,150 years after his birth on March 30,1853, Zundert, the town of his birth，has made 2003 “The Van Gogh Year” in his honor.And the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam，home to the biggest collection of his masterpieces, is marking the anniversary with exhibitions throughout the year.The museum draws around 1．3 million visitors every year.Some people enjoy the art and then learn about his life.Others are interested in his life, which then helps them understand his art.
Van Gogh was the son of a pastor.He left school when he was just 15．By the age of 27, he had already tried many jobs including an art gallery salesman and a French teacher.Finally in 1880, he decided to begin his studies in art.
Van Gogh is famed for his ability to put his own emotions into his paintings and show his feelings about a scene.His style is marked by short, broad brush strokes (绘画笔法).“Instead of trying to reproduce exactly what I have before my eyes, I use color more freely, in order to express myself more forcibly，” he wrote in a letter to his brother in 1888．
Van Gogh sold only one painting during his short life.He relied heavily on support from his brother, an art dealer who lived in Paris.But now his works are sold for millions of dollars.His portrait of Dr.Gacher sold for $89．5 million in 1990．It is the highest price ever paid for a painting.“I think his paintings are powerful and the brilliant color in them are attractive to people，” said a Van Gogh’s fan.
1. All through his life Van Gogh ________.| A．depended on his brother |
| B．worked hard on art studies |
| C．was not recognized by people |
| D．expressed himself in paintings |
| A．the likeness between his paintings and the reality |
| B．the short time for him to complete a painting |
| C．the various styles mixed together |
| D．the special strokes he made |
| A．his powerful art came from his poor life |
| B．his fellow townsmen regret treating him unfairly |
| C．all his paintings were drawn in the last 10 years of his life |
| D．most of his paintings are kept in the museum of his hometown |
6 . On a steamy July day in Bayonet Point, Florida, Gene Work and his brotherinlaw, Mark Rouco, were renewing Gene’s lawn.It had grown brown and patchy in the heat, and the homeowners’ association had threatened to heavily fine him if the situation wasn’t improved.The new sod(草皮) was sitting in the driveway on four pallets, but the job was slowgoing.Gene, then 40, wasn’t feeling right.He went inside to take a break and collapsed on the couch, clutching his chest.His wife,Melissa Work, called 911 quickly.
Even though he was staring down death, Gene had one thing on his mind:that lawn.If the sod wasn’t put down that day,it would die.“While he was having his heart attack, literally in and out of consciousness,he kept begging me to have it put down because he didn’t want it to go to waste,” Melissa wrote in a Facebook post.
Soon Pasco County Fire Rescue arrived and took Gene and Melissa to the hospital,leaving Rouco behind to tackle the yard.Within an hour,he had managed to remove the old grass.He was about to lay the new sod,which he feared would take him well into the night,when two emergency vehicles appeared.Seven men—the same ones who had treated his brother—got out.Gene had told them how badly he’d wanted to get the sod down,so they had returned to help.The job was done in under two hours.
Meanwhile, Gene had surgery to insert stents(支架) in his heart,alleviating a potentially deadly blockage.He’s home now,fully recovered—and enjoying his beautiful lawn.
The Works are still amazed that those EMTs(Emergency medical technician) went above and beyond their job description.“These men,” Melissa told tampabay.com，“saved Gene’s life,and then came back to save his grass.That’s just so awesome.”
1. Why did Gene want to renew his lawn?| A．It was in bad condition. |
| B．He was fined by the association. |
| C．The sod grew too slowly. |
| D．He disliked the color of the lawn. |
| A．perform their duties |
| B．help with Gene’s lawn |
| C．check Gene’s house |
| D．send Gene back from hospital |
| A．Removing. | B．Causing. |
| C．Easing. | D．Expanding. |
7 . From my kitchen windows, I watch colorful birds responding for black-oiled sunflower seeds, split peanuts, and cut grapes and apples on the ground. The scene is delightful and calming.
About three years ago, I noticed a newcomer to this colorful and happy display. It was a baby chipmunk（花栗鼠）, obviously on its own. Over that summer, I watched it grow. The brown and black stripes（条状）on its back darkened. The next summer, it was back, and I wondered whether it would trust me to feed it by hand or let me pet it. I decided to employ the tricks I used to persuade wild cats to come close for food: patience, a soft voice, slow moves and repetition. Before it would approach, I’d put down its favorite food--sunflower seeds, bend over and keep very still. I’d leave my open hand in place, unmoving, so the animal would know I wouldn’t seize it. I continued doing this for a few weeks. Finally, late in that second summer, it did show more trust. One day as I offered a seed on my fingertips, it approached and carefully took the seed into its mouth. It never bit my fingers. I was elated that we had made a breakthrough of trust. After about two months of this routine, I went further. With one finger, I petted its back once, but it didn’t move away. I then petted with two fingers. Again, it stayed put, eating seeds.
Today, the Chipmunk comes out of hiding when I call its name, and lets me pet its soft, silky body. Whenever I am doing this, I feel calmer. To my surprise, I also feel a sense of greater respect for nature and its creatures and the opportunity to observe, protect and save wildlife. Most of all, I’ve saved the wonderful memories gathered during these glorious summer months in my Long Island garden.
1. What did the writer do before the Chipmunk trusted him enough to get closer?| A．Petted its back. | B．Offered it food. |
| C．Called its name. | D．Watched it play |
| A．disappointed | B．excited |
| C．frightened | D．puzzled |
| A．A furry friend and a bond of trust | B．A lovely animal and an adventure |
| C．A stress reliever and a calm mind | D．A newcomer and its protection |
8 . The AlphaGo program’s victory is an example of how smart computers have become. But can artificial intelligence (AI) machines act ethically(合乎道德地), meaning can they be honest and fair?
One example of AI is driverless cars. They are already on California roads, so it is not too soon to ask whether we can program a machine to act ethically. As driverless cars improve, they will save lives. They will make fewer mistakes than human drivers do. Sometimes, however, they will face a choice between lives. Should the cars be programmed to make a sudden turn to avoid hitting a child? What if the only risk is damage to the car itself not to the passengers?
Perhaps there will be lessons to learn from driverless cars, but they are not super-intelligent beings. Teaching ethics to a machine even more intelligent than we are will be the bigger challenge.
About the same time as AlphaGo’s victory, Microsoft’s ‘chatbot’ took a bad turn. The software, named Taylor, was designed to answer messages from people aged 18-24. Taylor was supposed to be able to learn from the messages she received. She was designed to slowly improve her ability to handle conversations, but some people were teaching Taylor racist ideas. When she started saying nice things about Hitler, Microsoft turned her off and deleted her ugliest messages.
AlphaGo’s victory and Taylor’s defeat happened at about the same time. This should be a warning to us. It is one thing to use AI within a game with clear rules and clear goals. It is something very different to use AI in the real world.
Eric Schmidt is one of the bosses of Google, which owns AlphoGo. He thinks AI will be positive for humans. He said people will be the winner, whatever the outcome. Advances in AI will make human beings smarter, more able and “just better human beings.”
1. What’s the second paragraph mainly about?| A．Whether AI machines are capable to predict possible risks. |
| B．What AI machines will do to save human lives. |
| C．Whether AI machines can make ethical decisions. |
| D．What AI machines will do to avoid damages to themselves. |
| A．How to prevent AI machines doing harm to humans. |
| B．How to avoid being over-dependent on AI machines. |
| C．How to ensure that super-intelligent AI machines act ethically. |
| D．How to make super-intelligent AI machines share human feelings. |
| A．She could not tell good from bad. |
| B．She could turn herself off when necessary. |
| C．She was not made to handle new situations. |
| D．She was good at performing routine tasks. |
| A．negative | B．unconcerned |
| C．positive | D．doubtful |
9 . Described as the world’s most environmentally friendly protein, Solein is made by applying electricity to water to release bubbles of carbon dioxide and hydrogen. Living microbes(微生物) are then added to the liquid to feed on the carbon dioxide and hydrogen bubbles and produce the Solein, which is then dried to make the powder. It’s a natural fermentation(发酵) process similar to beer brewing. The dried Solein has a protein content of 50 percent and looks and tastes just like wheat flour.
“It is a completely new kind of food, a new kind of protein, different to all the food on the market todav in how it is produced as it does not need agriculture.” Dr Pasi Vinikka, the chief executive of Solar Foods told The Guardian. The process used to produce Solein — converting hydrogen and carbon dioxide to calories — is amazing, as the wonder food can be produced anywhere in the world. It’s also 10 times more energy-efficient per hectare than photosynthesis (光合作用), and 10 to 100 times more environment and climate-friendly in water use than animal or plant based food production.
“Solein also contains all the essential amino acids(氨基酸), but because it is produced using carbon dioxide and electricity, it does not require large amounts of land to produce,” the Solar Foods website explains. “Another unique characteristic of Solein is that it is able to take carbon directly from carbon dioxide without needing a source of sugar.”
While Solar Foods does not expect Solein to challenge conventional protein production methods in the next two decades, it does expect it to become a “new harvest” for humanity, which is significant considering so far we have only relied on plants and animals for sustenance. The Helsinki-based company plans to open its first Solein factory at the end of 2021 and scale up production to two billion meals per year by 2022.
1. Which of the following statements best describe the features of Solein?| A．It is a new kind of food containing all the nutrition. |
| B．It is made from water and carbon dioxide by applying electricity. |
| C．It is produced without consuming much land and energy. |
| D．It is a kind of man-made wheat flour. |
| A．relating | B．changing |
| C．contributing | D．adapting |
| A．The company thinks Solein would have a rewarding future. |
| B．Solein is supposed to challenge traditional protein production. |
| C．There is still a long way for Solein to be put into production. |
| D．Humans can completely rely on Solein to survive. |
| A．To promote a new kind of technology. |
| B．To introduce a new kind of food. |
| C．To make an ad for a new kind of protein. |
| D．To call on people to protect the environment. |
10 . High blood pressure, a common condition, rarely has noticeable symptoms, which make the condition difficult to identify, and that is why many people don't know they have it. The best way to find out whether you have the condition is to have your blood pressure（BP） checked with a monitor.
This is important because spotting any problems as early as possible reduces the risk of complications（并发症），which include cardiovascular disease such as stroke（中风），heart attack and heart failure, and kidney disease.
So how often should we check your blood pressure to find out whether you have the condition?
Dr Sarah Brewer, medical director of Healthspan, said if you haven91 had your blood pressure checked in the last year, make this a priority.
She explained, "If the reading is below 130/80 mmHg, then you go forward and have your blood pressure checked at least once every 5 years as it tends to increase slowly with age. If your BP is on the high side of normal （130/85mmHg to 139/89mmHg） or if you are aged 40 or over, it's best to have an annual check. If your blood pressure is 140/90mmHg or higher, see your doctor for advice on high blood pressure."
How often should you check your blood pressure if your BP is high?
If you have hypertension（高血压），check your blood pressure as often as your doctor tells you to, said Dr Brewer.
She added, "Guidelines suggest your doctor review you every 3 to 4 months until your blood pressure is well controlled. Once your blood pressure is stable on medication, you may be reviewed less often, every 6 months or annually. It's a good idea to check your blood pressure with a home monitor so you can ensure it isn't increasing or affected by changes in diet, lifestyle and stress?"
1. Why are many people unaware they have high blood pressure based on the passage?| A．Because its symptoms are difficult to identify. |
| B．Because they don't consider high blood pressure risky. |
| C．Because the way to identify high blood pressure is not found yet. |
| D．Because it is difficult to get a monitor used to check blood pressure. |
| A．it is impossible to spot it as time goes by |
| B．patients won't have to see a doctor regularly after that |
| C．uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to serious health problems |
| D．it will take doctors less money to treat patients with high BP by doing that |
| A．A 41-year -old adult should have BP checked at least once a month. |
| B．BP will never change if you have it checked with a monitor. |
| C．It is good for you to consult a doctor if your BP is 140/90 mmHg or higher. |
| D．You don't have to worry about BP if your age is below 40. |
| A．Health. | B．Style. | C．Life. | D．Sport. |
