1 . Most people can't wait for spring to arrive. It means flowers and warmer weather, all welcome changes from the dark winter days. Now we know that spring is arriving sooner in the Northern Hemisphere   (北半球）than it was in the past, thanks to a study published in Scientific Reports.

For example, Los Angeles may experience spring only a day earlier than it did 10 years ago, but further north, in Seattle or Chicago, spring will arrive four days earlier. If you lived in the Arctic, spring could arrive 16 days earlier than it used to.

To determine how springtime is starting earlier, researchers looked at temperature records and 743 earlier studies over 86 years. These studies were about various biological indicators of spring, including birds migrating, plants flowering and amphibians（两栖动物）sounding their mating calls. Researchers then studied these data to see if they were occurring earlier. The result showed that not only is spring making itself known sooner but it's warmer, too.

Before you go out in a happy springtime hike, spring arriving sooner isn't so good. The livelihood of migratory birds, for instance, may be concerned.

“The food that birds rely on when they move to the north might not be reliable if the beginning of spring at these higher latitudes（维度）is expanded by future warming." said Eric Post. He is a fellow of the John Muir Institute and a polar ecologist.

Animals relying on Arctic sea ice, like polar bears, probably aren't crazy about things warming up sooner, either, because it impacts on their ability to hunt. Spring's early arrival could cause disorder in the delicate balance of various ecosystems~~not to mention how soon you'll need to buy allergy medicine.

1. We learn from the study published in Scientific Reports that.

A．spring comes earliest in Los Angeles

B．Los Angeles is further north than Seattle

C．spring comes 12 days earlier in Arctic than in Chicago

D．the further north a place lies, the sooner spring comes than before

2. Researchers made the discovery mainly by.

A．comparing related data available

B．conducting research and test

C．calculating the exact length of each spring

D．observing animal's behavior all year round

3. What do the last two paragraphs focus on?

A．Concerns over spring's early arrival.

B．Springtime emergence of creatures.

C．Early springtime's impacts on humans.

D．Disorder in the balance of ecosystems.

4. In which section of a magazine can we read this text?

A．Medical Report.	B．Survival Stories.
C．Scientific Discoveries.	D．Natural environment

2 . China Science Daily announced Thursday that it has used software to automatically generate news stories about the latest discoveries from the world’s leading science journals. The robot science reporter, called “Xiaoke”, was co-created by the newspaper and researchers from Peking University in about half a year.

It is the latest case of Chinese news organizations using computer technology to create content. According to its inventors, Xiaoke has generated over 200 stories based on the English abstract of papers published in journals such as Science, Nature, Cell and the New England Journal of Medicine.

Before publication, the automatically generated articles will go through a review process. A group of scientists and the newspaper’s editors will check the content or give supplementary (补充的) information.

Zhang Mingwei, head of the program and vice editor-in-chief of the newspaper, said inventors would make Xiaoke a “cross-linguistic (跨语言的) academic secretary” to help Chinese scientists overcome language barriers and have easy and quick access to the latest scientific advances in English-language publication. Lead researcher Wan Xiaojun, of Peking University in charge of the system’s design and technology, stressed that the content generation tool could do far more than translation. According to Wan, Xiaoke is good at selecting complex words and sentences, which can help turn articles full of confusing technical terms into easy and readable news reports.

The readers of the robot reporter is not limited to professionals but also includes the general public. Science reporting is important in spreading information about discoveries and in popularizing knowledge to people.

1. What can we learn about “Xiaoke”?

A．It is a professional translator.

B．It has the most advanced AI.

C．It can make up fiction stories.

D．It generates science news reports.

2. What do people need to do to improve Xiaoke’s work?

A．Upgrade the artificial intelligence.

B．Select complex words and sentences.

C．Check the content and add information.

D．Help it get the latest scientific advances.

3. In which section of a newspaper may this text appear?

A．Science.

B．Education.

C．Entertainment.

D．Health.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．The robot writer of science news.

B．The readers of the science reports.

C．The editor-in-chief of the newspaper.

D．The latest case of news organizations.

3 . Why TFT is the best

Local Experiences

Our mission is authentic travel. We partner with local experts to create enriching experiences that teach teens to be savvy (有见识的) travelers. Every program is designed to be hands-on — emphasizing doing and feeling, in addition to just seeing, so teens discover what it means to live like a local in every country we visit.

Small and Diverse

Group sizes of 14-21 students allow us to travel comfortably and to make real connections to each other and the host community. Participants come from a mix of different states, regions, and countries. We also welcome solo travelers — 75% of our teens join us without a friend!

The Most Variety

We offer cultural exploration, community service, language, and photography programs to Europe, Africa, Latin America, Oceania, Asia, and North America. We have more programs in more destinations than any other teen travel company. With over 100 programs and 40+ countries to choose from, you’re sure to find a program that’s the perfect fit.

Check out what past travelers have to say about TFT and discover why we are the best.

“This is simply one of the best things we ever did for Ethan. That first trip opened him to a new world. Different cultures, food, diversity, sights, relationships, team building, confidence, independence … only a few of the positive gains for Ethan. Now, he is off to George Washington University with confidence, excitement, and an awareness for others for which we are so grateful. We are pleased and appreciative beyond words to be a member of the TFT family for a lifetime!”

1. What is TFT most probably be?

A．A youth travel organization.	B．An advertising company.
C．A cross-culture program.	D．A learning center for students.

2. Who’s Ethan in the text?

A．A tour guide.	B．An employee of TFT.
C．A university teacher.	D．A former customer.

3. Where is this text most likely from?

A．A website advertisement.	B．A newspaper report.
C．A textbook on tourism.	D．A geographical book.