1 . One night in 1966, Michael Chapman rushed into a folk-music club in Cornwall, England to get out of the rain, and soon found himself onstage playing the guitar.
“They offered me a job to play for the rest of the summer. And I’ve been playing ever since,” Chapman says. “I’ve told that story so many times, but it’s absolutely true. If it hadn’t been raining that night, I wouldn’t be talking to you.”
The British guitar player has spent the 50 years since then on the road. He released some praised albums in the 1970s, but his health went downhill in the 80s and 90s. Like a lot of British artists in the 1960s, Chapman taught himself to play the guitar by listening to American jazz and blues records.
Chapman actually taught photography, but quit when he was 26 to play music full time. When he was starting out, he was often compared to other British acoustic guitar heroes of the time, like John Martyn and Bert Jansch.
“The fascinating thing about Michael Chapman is that he doesn’t fit in with those guys of his generation,” says Andrew Male, a music journalist. “He’s always been an outsider. He never moved to London. ”
And while he never became part of the London music scene, Chapman was noticed by those musicians. “The 70s caught up with him in the 80s,” Male says. “He had a huge heart attack at the end of the 80s that nearly finished him off. When he made his way back into the world in the early 90s, people had forgotten about him.” But not everyone. A younger generation of musicians in America, including Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth and a younger singer and guitarist named Steve Gunn, recently rediscovered Chapman.
“We wanted to capture Michael’s voice and character where he is now. You know, it’s a little road-weary, but he still has it,” Gunn says. “For me, it was really important to get that right.” “He’s the right old musician for present times,” Male says. “I think the music he makes seems quite in tune with where we’re at.”
1. Which can best describe Michael Chapman’s first involvement in music?| A．Untrue. | B．Accidental. | C．Unfortunate. | D．Reasonable. |
| A．He has taught photography for 26 years. |
| B．He taught himself to play the guitar and did far better than John Martyn. |
| C．To some degree, he is not accepted by other people of his generation. |
| D．He is one of the best guitar players in the early 90s. |
| A．He lost his special voice. | B．He suffered from a severe heart attack. |
| C．He got tired of competing with others. | D．He was almost forgotten by everyone. |
| A．The Rise and Fall of Guitar Music | B．The Sad Story of a Guitar Musician |
| C．A New Generation Helps an Old Guitar Musician | D．A Brief Introduction to a Guitar Musician |
2 . One day when I was 15 years old, I had some friends over to hang out. While we were making food in the kitchen, my brother came in. He placed his beef next to my thick one and said, “Courtney, your beef is bigger than mine. You don’t need to eat; you’re already fat enough.” Then he walked out… laughing.
Nasty comments on my physical appearance were nothing new. Something inside me gave in to his idea that my legs were unacceptable, and that became the last day that I ever willingly wore shorts until I was 30 years old. For the next 15 years, I spent summer after summer roasting in long pants.
But then I met Ragen Chastain, and she changed everything. I couldn’t believe that this woman who, like myself, weighed almost 300 pounds was so energetic and happy in her own skin. I listened as she shared her own journey to recovery and self-love. She talked about how amazing our bodies are, just by virtue of the things they do every day — like breathing, pumping blood to every cell, blinking and walking.
Walking! I was suddenly aware of how foolish I’d been for so long. There’re people who are born without legs, or who lack properly working legs, or who lose their legs, and I’d been hiding my perfectly strong, healthy, beautiful legs in shame because I had allowed someone to convince me that they weren’t good enough. The next day. I bought three pairs of shorts and a sundress and spent the entire summer letting my legs see the sun and feel the breeze.
The next time anyone comments on your body in a negative way, look them straight in the eye, smile and say, “If what you see bothers you so much, feel free to practice the ancient art of looking somewhere else.” That’s Ragen’s original, but I don’t think she’ll mind if you use it.
1. What does the underlined word “Nasty” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Careless. | B．Unpleasant. | C．Naughty. | D．Impatient. |
| A．To keep herself from the unbearable heat. |
| B．To make her more attractive. |
| C．To follow her brother’s advice. |
| D．To cover her legs. |
| A．She has succeeded in losing weight. |
| B．She likes to make comments on others. |
| C．She pays no attention to others’ advice. |
| D．Once she wasn’t content with her body image. |
| A．Funny. | B．Useful. | C．Unreasonable. | D．Conventional. |
3 . Robots are getting better at doing human jobs. That's probably good for the economy—but there are some serious downsides, too.
Machines are expected to displace about 20 million manufacturing jobs across the world over the next decade, according to a report released by Oxford Economics, a global forecasting and quantitative analysis firm.
That means about 8.5% of the global manufacturing workforce could be displaced by robots. The report also notes that the move to robots tends to create new jobs as fast as it automates them; however, it could contribute to income inequality. The use of robots is on the rise: at this point, every new robot that is installed (安装) displaces 1.6 manufacturing workers on average, according to the Oxford Economic model.
Robots are becoming cheaper than many human workers, in part because of the falling costs of machines. And they are increasingly capable of functioning in more complex processes and varied contexts. On top of that, the demand for manufactured goods is rising.
One potential downsize to the robot revolution: automation could increase income inequality. "This great displacement will not be evenly distributed around the world, or within countries," according to the report. "Our research shows that the negative effects of robotization are disproportionately (不成比例地) felt in the lower-income regions compared with higher-income regions of the same country."
The workers who drive knowledge and innovation within the manufacturing industry tend to be concentrated in larger cities, and those skills are harder to automate. That's why urban areas will deal better with the increased automation, according to the report.
On the whole, the increased use of automation will likely create new jobs at a pace comparable to the jobs that will be lost, which cancels out fears about permanent job destruction, according to the Oxford study. That said, the poorer regions that are expected to lose the most jobs will probably not benefit equally from this new job creation due to a gap in skills. That will lead to increased income inequality between cities and rural areas, as well as between regions.
1. What "downside" does the author mainly discuss?| A．People will not be able to find jobs in the future. |
| B．Robots will finally take the place of people. |
| C．Displacement by robots will increase income inequality. |
| D．Robots are becoming cheaper than many human workers. |
| A．To make robots help them with the harder work. |
| B．To improve their innovative ability and knowledge. |
| C．To move to larger cities or more developed countries. |
| D．To make their skills faster and easier to be automated. |
| A．The increased use of automation will create more jobs. |
| B．People needn't worry about permanent job destruction. |
| C．The poorer countries will not benefit from automation. |
| D．The income gap between cities and rural regions will widen. |
| A．Robots should be banned in the future because of the disadvantages. |
| B．Robots can do more and better than humans in complicated processes. |
| C．The increasing need for manufactured goods partly contributes to robotization. |
| D．The negative effects of robotization will be evenly distributed around the world. |
4 . I was speaking to the faculty (全体教师) at John F. Kennedy Elementary School in Canton, Massachusetts, a couple weeks ago. I arrived early and decided to take a walk.
There was a Little League field nearby. I spotted a sign on the fence .
The sign, posted by the Canton Little League, read:
PLEASE REMEMBER
·These are kids.
·This is a game.
·The coaches volunteer.
·You don’t play for the Red Sox (an American professional baseball team).
I had to laugh, especially at the joke about the Red Sox. But I think the sign is a good reminder to everyone connected with youth sports－kids, parents, coaches and the folks who run the leagues－what is important about the games.
First, kids who play are just kids. They are not mini professional athletes. So youth sports leagues and coaches should take it easy on them. Kids don’t need long schedules and lots of faraway games or high-pressure tournaments.
Adults should try to set up youth leagues so more kids play with and against kids from nearby schools and neighborhoods. They should make it easier for kids to play a sport for just a few months so that they can try other sports. Kids shouldn’t play one sport year-round.
And everyone should stop worrying about which team wins or loses. A friend of mine who coached a lot of youth teams once told me, “When you coach kids, it’s not how many you win or lose, but how many sign up for next season.” According to the Aspen Institute’s latest “State of Play” report, fewer kids are signing up. Research indicates a smaller percentage of kids ages 6 to 12 (37 percent) are playing team sports on a regular basis than in 2011 (42 percent).
The aim of youth sports should be to have fun, learn some skills and enjoy being part of a team. When we lose sight of those simple goals, the games suffer, and the kids stay away.
Maybe in 2021 every field or gym where kids play should have a sign like the one in Canton. All you would have to do is change the name of the team.
1. How might the author feel seeing the sign on the fence?| A．Relieved. | B．Worried. | C．Confident. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．Go easy on kids. | B．Choose youth leagues carefully. |
| C．Encourage kids to stick to one sport. | D．Make a year-round schedule for kids. |
| A．Kids today are less athletic. |
| B．Fewer youth leagues are being set up. |
| C．Youth group sports are losing popularity. |
| D．Kids are focusing more on succeeding than trying. |
| A．Give praise. | B．Express a wish. |
| C．Offer sympathy. | D．Show determination. |
5 . Unusual shapes, ambitious designs, new materials and new different styles have come with the modern architecture into construction today. And the world owes some of its strangest buildings to the masterminds of unconventional architects. Here are some of them.
Cubic Houses, Rotterdam, Netherlands
The Cubic Houses are an architectural wonder located in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. They were designed and constructed by architect Piet Blom in the 1970s. Blom was asked by Rotterdam town planners to solve the dilemma of building houses on top of a pedestrian bridge. They’re cubes (立方形) situated in different angles over hexagonal poles (柱), so they look like trees and altogether make a forest. There are 38 small cubes and they are all attached to each other.
National Centre for the Performing Arts, China
The National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA), described as The Giant Egg, is an arts center in Beijing, China. The construction started in December 2001 and it took almost 6 years to complete. The building is surrounded by an artificial lake, seats 5,452 people in three halls and is almost 12,000㎡ in size. As one of the strangest buildings, it was designed by French architect Paul Andreu.
Forest Spiral, Germany
The Forest Spiral is a residential (住宅的) building complex in Darmstadt, Germany. It was designed by Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, and constructed by the Bauverein Darmstadt company. The building was completed in 2000. It’s a really amazing building with a green roof, resembling a spiral(螺旋).
Habitat 67, Montreal, Canada
Habitat 67, a housing complex in Montreal, Canada, was designed by Israeli — Canadian architect Moshe Safdie. Habitat 67 resembles a very interesting arrangement of cubes that kids play with. It looks so original and is a building completely stable and comfortable for living.
1. What makes the four buildings special?| A．Their sizes. | B．Their functions. |
| C．Their appearances. | D．Their building materials. |
| A．The Cubic Houses. | B．The NCPA. |
| C．The Forest Spiral. | D．Habitat 67. |
| A．They look like cubes. | B．They were built for living. |
| C．They have a green roof. | D．They were completed in 2000. |
6 . Most online fraud （诈骗）involves identity theft. Passwords help. But many can be guessed. Newer phones, tablets, laptops and desktop computers often have strengthened security with fingerprint and facial recognition. But these can be imitated. That is why a new approach, behavioural biometrics （生物统计学），is gaining ground.
It relies on the wealth of measurements made by today's devices. These include data from sensors that reveal how people hold their phones when using them, how they carry them and even the way they walk. Touchscreens, keyboards and mice can be monitored to show the distinctive ways in which someone's fingers and hands move. These features can then be used to determine whether someone attempting to make a transaction （交易）is likely to be the device's habitual user.
Behavioural biometrics make it possible to identify an individual's unique motion fingerprint"，says John Whaley, head of Unifyid, a firm in Silicon Valley that is involved in the field. When coupled with information about a user's finger pressure and speed on the touchscreen, as well as a device's regular places of use—as revealed by its GPS unit一that user's identity can be pretty well determined.
Used wisely, behavioural biometrics could be a great benefit. In fact, Unifyid and an unnamed car company are even developing a system that unlocks the doors of a vehicle once the pace of the driver, as measured by his phone, is recognised. Used unwisely, however, the system would become yet another electronic spy on people's privacy, permitting complete strangers to monitor your every action, from the moment you reach for your phone in the morning, to when you throw it on the floor at night.
1. What is behavioural biometrics for?| A．To ensure network security. | B．To identify network crime. |
| C．To track online fraud. | D．To gather online data. |
| A．By restricting and detecting the access to an account of users. |
| B．By spotting and revealing a device's regular places of use. |
| C．By monitoring and comparing the ways users interact with devices. |
| D．By offering and analyzing the operating system of devices. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Concerned. | C．Objective. | D．Favorable. |
| A．Health and wealth. | B．Science and technology. |
| C．Finance and economics. | D．Books and arts. |
7 . When an editor called to ask if I could photograph a story about fireflies in Mexico, I didn’t check my schedule before I said yes. I’d seen these insects light up the forests in Tlaxcala once before, and I jumped at the chance to go back.
While studying, I began exploring Mexico, crossing the country several times by bus. Now I work as a photojournalist in Mexico and along the border, documenting desperate situations that face everyday Mexicans. Though necessary and important, news stories don’t reflect the Mexico that I fell for and that is home to so many people I love. A task focused on the country’s natural beauty was a welcome reprieve for me.
I had three nights to film the magical scene in the forest. According to our guides, visitors are usually not allowed to photograph the fireflies because the presence of artificial light from electronics can affect their habits. As I started shooting, I adjusted my exposures constantly to account for the fading light. In order to get the composition that I wanted, I placed my tripod on a steep, rocky path and had to steady: it during the long exposures. Normally this wouldn’t be a big deal, but the fireflies were very interested in the camera and by extension in me. I stood completely still while they were all over me—my arms, my hair, my face. From what I observed, peak fireflies presence lasts for only about 20 minutes each night, so I had time for just a few tries.
On the last night everything came together. The weather cooperated. I had improved my method " for focusing and composing photos in the dark with quick flashes from a powerful flashlight--and I’d grown accustomed to insects on my face.
I was rewarded with the image you see here. Each dot of light is one of several bursts that a firefly makes as it travels within a 30-second exposure. You can track the insects paths: Some make small circles, like those in the bottom center of the frame, while others move steadily in one direction or another.
1. How did the author feel about the editor’s request?| A．Nervous. | B．Overjoyed. | C．Confused. | D．Regretful. |
| A．Memory. | B．Idea. | C．Victory. | D．Relief. |
| A．find the suitable spot and time to take photos | B．learn about the local travel rules |
| C．research the habit of the fireflies | D．communicate constantly with the guides |
| A．To tell findings about fireflies. | B．To record a travelling experience. |
| C．To show the working conditions. | D．To share the story behind a photo. |
8 . One morning, Ann's neighbor Tracy found a lost dog wandering around the local elementary school. She asked Ann if she could keep an eye on the dog. Ann said that she could watch it only for the day.
Tracy took photos of the dog and printed off 400 FOUND fliers (传单), and put them in mailboxes. Meanwhile, Ann went to the dollar store and bought some pet supplies, warning her two sons not to fall in love with the dog. At the time, Ann's son Thomas was 10 years old, and Jack, who was recovering from a heart operation, was 21 years old.
Four days later Ann was still looking after the dog, whom they had started to call Riley. When she arrived home from work, the dog threw itself against the screen door and barked madly at her. As soon as she opened the door, Riley dashed into the boys' room where Ann found Jack suffering from a heart attack. Riley ran over to Jack, but as soon as Ann bent over to help him the dog went silent.
“If it hadn't come to get me, the doctor said Jack would have died，” Ann reported to a local newspaper. At this point, no one had called to claim the dog, so Ann decided to keep it.
The next morning Tracy got a call. A man named Peter recognized his lost dog and called the number on the flier. Tracy started crying, and told him, “That dog saved my friend's son.”
Peter drove to Ann's house to pick up his dog, and saw Thomas and Jack crying in the window. After a few moments Peter said, “Maybe Odie was supposed to find you, maybe you should keep it.”
1. What did Tracy do after finding the dog?| A．She looked for its owner. | B．She gave it to Ann as a gift. |
| C．She sold it to the dollar store. | D．She bought some food for it. |
| A．By breaking the door for Ann. | B．By leading Ann to Jack's room. |
| C．By dragging Jack out of the room. | D．By attending Jack when Ann was out. |
| A．Sympathetic. | B．Doubtful. | C．Tolerant. | D．Grateful. |
| A．It would be given to Odie. | B．It would be kept by Ann's family. |
| C．It would be returned to Peter. | D．It would be taken away by Tracy. |
9 . To say there are many new holiday romantic comedies made for television every year is the kind of understatement nearly like a joke. One of the reasons they tend to be formulaic is that to tell a love story in roughly an hour and a half without challenging an audience’s settled expectations, there are only so many ways to go with the rhythm. Perhaps that’s why Netflix has better luck with Dash＆Lily, an eight-episode limited series that’s got the charm that a lot of holiday films lack.
Our story begins when a lonely Lily leaves an interesting note in a book on the shelf at The Strand, hoping a stranger will start an adventure with her. Dash finds it and reads it, and he accepts its challenge. Thus begins a correspondence in which they each write in the book and then leave it somewhere for the other, so that they never meet in person, but they get to send each other to their favorite places, sometimes to complete dares before the book can be found. Now, you do not want to think too carefully about this——the idea that Lily’s original clue would be found by an age—appropriate straight boy who likes mysteries and looks like he was born to be in adaptations almost as much as she does is the height of magic, so just stay relaxed and go with it.
These eight episodes, each around 25 minutes, never drag; they fly by joyfully. The ending, as is often the case with love stories, sort of lands with a cloud of glitter, a little messy but worth cheering for. It’s as lovely and comfortable as you could want, just about perfect for a weekend with a blanket over you.
1. What made Dash＆Lily stand out among other films?| A．Being formulaic to tell a romantic story. | B．Presenting a new romantic television show. |
| C．Attracting the audience with its typical charm. | D．Satisfying the audience’s settled expectations. |
| A．Relationship between two facts. | B．Message connecting two persons. |
| C．Course of study sending off work by post. | D．Action of writing, receiving, and reading letters. |
| A．Preferring reading. | B．Behaving strangely. |
| C．Acting romantically. | D．Enjoying adventures. |
| A．To introduce a charming movie. | B．To recommend a holiday comedy. |
| C．To praise the romantic director. | D．To explain what makes a good film. |
10 . I used to overeat. I’ve never been significantly overweight, so people are surprised to hear this. When you think of overeating, you think of someone who is above their natural weight range(范围), right? Well, I used to purposefully undereat as well. I was able to keep my weight within some control, but only through a lot of physical and mental pain.
Here’s a glimpse(一瞥)into my life as a first-year university student:
Friday: Go to a party and eat a lot of chips. Feel guilt and regret. Vow (发誓) to wake up and run an extra mile.
Saturday: Run 6 miles, come home and only eat a tiny breakfast. Eat like a bird for the rest of the day. Feel proud of myself.
Sunday: Study and snack on chocolate chips all day. Feel sick.
Monday: Head to class with no snack and no money so that I can’t buy any food. Feel hungry but full of willpower. Go home and overeat at dinner. Feel out of control.
My feelings were on a constant pendulum shift. I was proud and in control one moment, and then full of regret and out of control the next. It was exhausting.
As I studied nutrition and human anatomy(人体解剖学) in university，I started to learn just how amazing the human body is! The human body is an amazing, self-regulatory system. It knows precisely how much food it needs. When I learned this, my whole world changed. I stopped trying to manage my eating with willpower. Instead of trying to power through my hunger, I would provide my body with wholesome foods, so I would feel hungry less often.
This process definitely took some work and reflection, but after a while it became second nature. Eating has become a joyful experience, instead of a source of stress and worry in my life. All my eating is now guilt-free! I shamelessly eat unhealthy snacks without regret. Of course, the majority of my food intake does come from whole, healthy foods that are close to nature.
1. What do we know about the author when she was in college?| A．She was seriously overweight |
| B．She had unhealthy eating habits |
| C．She did little physical exercise |
| D．She got teased about her weight |
| A．easily hurt | B．growing strong |
| C．poorly understood | D．changing regularly |
| A．She exercised in order to lose weight. |
| B．She began to listen to her body’s needs |
| C．She stopped eating unhealthy food |
| D．She started to go on a diet |
| A．By giving instructions |
| B．By explaining a process |
| C．By discussing research findings. |
| D．By sharing a personal experience |
