1 . When people see machines that respond like humans, or computers that perform amazing functions, they sometimes joke about a future in which humanity will need to accept robot overlords(霸主). But buried in the joke is a seed of unease. Science-fiction movies have ever shown us about artificial intelligence (AI) that escapes its creators’ control.
Even in the real world, not everyone is ready to welcome AI with open arms. In recent years, as computer scientists have pushed the boundaries(界限) of what AI can accomplish, leading figures in technology and science have warned about the frightening dangers that artificial intelligence may pose to human beings, even suggesting that AI could destroy the human race. But why are people so frightened about the idea of AI?
Elon Musk is one of the famous voices that have raised red flags about AI. In July 2017, Musk told people at a meeting of the National Governors Association, “I have exposure to the very cutting-edge AI, and I think people should be really concerned about it. I keep sounding the alarm bell. But until people see robots going down the street killing people, they don’t know how to react, because it seems so impossible. ”
Earlier, in 2014, Musk had labeled AI “our biggest existential threat”, and in August 2017, he declared that humanity faced a great risk from AI.
Physicist Stephen Hawking, who died on March 14, also expressed concerns about AI, telling the BBC in 2014 that “the development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.”
It’s also less than reassuring that some programmers—particularly those with MIT Media Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts—seem determined to prove that AI can be terrifying.
1. What are top scientists in AI worried about?| A．It has wonderful functions. |
| B．It contributes too much to movies. |
| C．It may end the human race some day. |
| D．It’s ability to bury our seeds in jokes. |
| A．Disapproving. | B．Ambiguous. |
| C．Understanding. | D．Supportive. |
| A．Be a great threat to human beings. |
| B．Learn the human emotions like fear. |
| C．Predict the future of the human race. |
| D．Turn horrible tales into scary stories. |
| A．Technology. | B．Health. |
| C．Culture. | D．Nature. |
2 . Many college students turn to ADHD（注意缺陷障碍）medicine during the exam week, which is regarded as “smart drugs” that will help their academic（学术的）performance. The thinking is that if the drugs help students with ADHD improve their focus, they should provide the same benefit for people who don’t have the disorder.
But a new study shows that drugs can actually damage brain function of healthy students who take the drug hoping to boost their intelligence. “It’s not a smart drug which will suddenly improve their ability to understand information they read,” said Lisa Weyandt, a professor at the University of Rhode Island.
To test whether this effect is real or not, researchers organized 13 students to take part in two five-hour study sessions（一段时间）in the lab. The students took the standard 30mg ADHD drugs before one session, and a sugar pill before the other. Students on ADHD drugs did experience an increase in their blood pressure and heart rates. “The medicine was having an effect on their brain,” Weyandt said. The students also showed an improvement in their ability to focus, the researchers found.
However, students on ADHD drugs experienced no improvement in reading comprehension, reading fluency or knowledge reviews, compared to when they’d taken a sugar pill. “We read aloud stories to them and asked them to recall information from the stories, ”she said. “That didn’t improve.”
Worse, the ADHD drug actually harms students’ memory. It’s often misused because people pull all-nighters and they’re tired, and they think it’s going to keep them awake. Maybe it does, but it’s certainly not going to help their academic work. The brain is still developing until the mid to late 20s. It’s important to keep it healthy. There’s also a chance that ADHD drugs could endanger a student’s heart health.
1. Why do some college students take ADHD drugs?| A．To improve their sleeping. | B．To get higher marks. |
| C．To make them feel relaxed. | D．To treat brain disorder. |
| A．Analyze. | B．Affect. |
| C．Improve. | D．Understand. |
| A．They became more focused. |
| B．Their blood pressure was reduced. |
| C．Their reading fluency was greatly raised. |
| D．They could remember better and more quickly. |
| A．In a drug instruction. | B．In a biology textbook. |
| C．In a travel magazine. | D．In a news report. |
3 . Every week in China, millions of people will sit in front of their TVs watching teenagers compete for the title Character Hero, which is a Chinese-style spelling bee. In this challenge, young competitors must write Chinese characters by hand. To prepare for the competition, the competitors usually spend months studying dictionaries.
Perhaps the show’s popularity should not be a surprise. Along with gunpowder and paper, many Chinese people consider the creation of Chinese calligraphy(书法) to be one of their primary contributions to civilization. Unfortunately, all over the country, Chinese people are forgetting how to write their own language without computerized help. Software on smart phones and computers allows users to type in the basic sound of the word using the Latin alphabet. The correct character is chosen from a list. The result? It’s possible to recognize characters without remembering how to write them.
But there’s still hope for the paint brush. China’s Education Ministry wants children to spend more time learning how to write.
In one Beijing primary school we visited, students practice calligraphy every day inside a specially decorated classroom with traditional Chinese paintings hanging on the walls. Soft music plays as a group of six-year-olds dip brush pens into black ink. They look up at the blackboard often to study their teacher’s examples before carefully attempting to reproduce those characters on thin rice paper. “If adults can survive without using handwriting, why bother to teach it now?” we ask the calligraphy teacher, Shen Bin. “The ability to write characters is part of Chinese tradition and culture,” she reasons. “Students must learn now so they don’t forget when they grow up.” says the teacher.
1. What can we learn about the Character Hero?| A．It’s open to people of all ages and all walks. |
| B．It’s the most-viewed TV programs in China. |
| C．It aims to spread Chinese culture to the world. |
| D．It draws great public attention across the country. |
| A．Chinese people don’t refer to dictionaries very often. |
| B．Chinese people no longer use brush pens or practice calligraphy. |
| C．Chinese people are using the Latin alphabet instead of the characters. |
| D．Chinese people needn’t write by hand as often with the help of technology. |
| A．necessary for adults to survive in China |
| B．a requirement made by the Education Ministry |
| C．helpful to keep Chinese tradition and culture alive |
| D．an ability to be developed only when you are students |
| A．A news report. | B．A science report. |
| C．An advertisement. | D．Children’s literature. |
4 . Broken Hill was recently awarded one of Australia’s rare National Heritage (遗产) listings, but is that reason enough to make the journey?
Broken Hill, in western New South Wales, is hardly up there as a place of interest of international reputation(名声). It’s miles from anywhere, boiling hot and lacks the more attractive elements that often make a place popular---for example, beautiful beaches, great accommodation(膳宿). But Broken Hill’s reputation is growing with its recent National Heritage Listing award.
We asked Broken Hill mayor to tell us what makes Broken Hill so great. These are some reasons he gave us to visit :
Perfect light
Broken Hill offers breathtaking scenery to discover and explore. The lively colours and perfect light have attracted film-makers and artists here for decades. From the wonders of the day comes an amazing light show at night.
The locals
We are always happy to greet people from “away”. In fact we love it when people come to town to visit. We are a friendly people who make you feel welcome. And we are pretty proud of our city.
The Palace Hotel
The home of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and just a great Broken Hill iconic(标志性的) pub. You can star in your own movie in the centre of town. It is a world-famous landmark and a good water hole for those nice warm days.
The living desert and sculptures
Located 9 km from the city, Broken Hill features 12 sandstone sculptures by artists from around the world as well as local artist Badger Bates. It displays the breathtaking beauty of the real outback (内地).
1. What is the real purpose of writing this passage?| A．To encourage readers to pay a visit to Broken Hill. |
| B．To explain the causes of awarding Broken Hill. |
| C．To list the reasons for Broken Hill’s greatness. |
| D．To express the author’s pride for Broken Hill’s award. |
| A．Its friendly local people. | B．Its Palace Hotel. |
| C．Its National Heritage Listing Award. | D．Its sandstone sculptures. |
| A．Traditional food and friendly locals | B．Pleasant climate and perfect light |
| C．Beautiful beaches and lively sculptures | D．Splendid Hotel and friendly locals |
| A．World news | B．Fashion show | C．Art | D．Travel |
5 . Shuikou village, in East China's Zhejiang province, is home to 10,000 residents, and about 30 percent of them are engaged in the homestay business. The village has developed into one of the major rural tourism destinations in the Yangtze River Delta(三角洲)region over the years.
As cross-provincial tourism has resumed nationwide, locals in Shuikou are back in business and looking forward to a full recovery of the local tourism industry.
Homestay owner Zheng Yunfang has been busy answering customers' calls, taking down their information, while checking the booking status of her hostelry(旅馆)since early August. "Our 18 guest rooms were fully booked over the past few weeks, and we've received bookings up to November," says Zheng, who runs Ziming Mountain Villa(别墅)in Shuikou. Most of her guests have been to her place before, and they often bring in new guests during their visits. "By the look of things, business shouldn't be a problem in the second half of the year."
Just walking distance away from Zheng's villa, another local homestay owner, Song Chaofeng, has begun receiving visitors as well. He is starting to harvest the reward of an earlier promotion of his homestay on the short-video app Douyin, also known as TikTok.
As an experiment, Song made a video featuring local food and landscapes earlier this year and uploaded it online after a bit of simple editing. "It was a total surprise that several thousand people watched it the next day."
Tourist Qi Jia, from Shanghai, recently visited Song's place with her family after flipping(翻转)through Song's Douyin account. "My child loves playing table tennis here, and my parents love the distinctive rural-style breakfast; with fresh and nutritious food that is picked right from the field. It feels right to come here.
At the moment, Song says he will focus on maintaining the quality of his homestay operations and updating his fans online on the latest developments. "Hopefully, they can all come. here and experience what we have to offer."
1. What is the author's purpose in writing the passage?| A．To show us the homestay tourism recovery. |
| B．To tell guests how to book homestay guest rooms. |
| C．To know about Shuikou village in Zhejiang province. |
| D．To introduce the successful homestay examples. |
| A．a science magazine. | B．a travel website |
| C．a history book | D．a daily newspaper |
| A．Complex. | B．Uneasy. |
| C．Rewarding. | D．Ordinary. |
| A．No place like homestay as rural approach pays off |
| B．Douyin: The basic method of homestay operations |
| C．Two great successes in homestay business |
| D．Shuikou: The major rural tourism destination |
6 . It is in human nature to explore new things. To that end, many countries have been exploring space for many decades, particularly the US, Russia, and countries in Europe.
President Xi Jinping praised the success of the Chang’e 5 mission (使命) in bringing back the country’s first samples (样本) collected from the moon. The whole country is proud of this breakthrough. The Chang’e 5 mission has achieved many significant breakthroughs, including China’s first lunar (月球的) surface sampling, first liftoff from the moon and the first spacecraft with the ability to gather and meet in lunar orbit with samples to re-enter the Earth s atmosphere.
The success of the Chang’e 5 mission marks a conclusion of China’s current lunar exploration project. The successful re-entry and landing of the Chang’e 5 capsule (太空舱) have enabled China to obtain its first lunar samples, marking a new start for lunar and planetary research. With this achievement, China sets a new milestone in space exploration.
No matter how far China goes into space, it always stays true to its original mission-uncovering the secrets of the universe and contributing to human’s peaceful use of space. China is a peace-loving country and will use its achievements for promoting peace around the globe.
China views these efforts as part of the world’s lunar exploration. It chose a different landing site and is promising to share its samples to enrich the planet’s knowledge. Some foreign scientists have shown particular interest. The exploration is not for commercial purposes, but international scientific research. Human beings shall explore the moon together, as it will finally need large projects requiring international cooperation. China will play a leadership role in the international scientific community.
1. What made Chinese people feel proud according to the passage?| A．Landing on the moon successfully. | B．Gaining admission to exploring the moon. |
| C．Strengthening the ability to promote the peace. | D．Bringing back first samples collected from the moon. |
| A．Horrible but romantic. | B．Fearful but successful. |
| C．Challenging but rewarding. | D．Dangerous but peaceful. |
| A．The original mission remains unchanged. | B．Countries join together to explore the moon. |
| C．China takes pride in the achievements in space. | D．China sets a new milestone in space exploration. |
| A．A poster. | B．A leaflet. | C．A newspaper. | D．A guidebook. |
7 . Using Google's unique digital(数字的)technology, the stories of some English Heritage(遗产)sites around the country-from Tintagel Castle in Cornwall to Chesters Roman Fort on Hadrian's Wall-are brought to life and shared by way of the Google Arts & Culture platform.
 Stonehenge Skyscape | English Heritage's Stonehenge Skyscape enables people around the world to experience the skies above the stone circle, to learn about movements of the sun, moon and planets. Experience a live and special sunrise over Stonehenge, see the journey of the stars and the moon from within the stone circle and learn more about the design of Stonehenge and how its builders may have understood their place in the universe. |
 Osborne, Isle of Wight | Take a 360 video tour of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's palatial(豪华的)holiday home on the Isle of Wight in the company of English Heritage director Michael Hunter, including the Italian terraces(露台)with views over the Solent, which reminded Prince Albert of the Bay of Naples, and the Indian-inspired Durbar Room, designed to show Queen Victoria's position as Empress of India. |
 Audley End House and Gardens, Essex | Explore the story of one of the greatest houses of early 17th-century England, deep in the heart of the Essex countryside, and fly over the great formal gardens designed by Capability Brown. |
 Tintagel Castle, Cornwall | Explore this medieval(中世纪的)castle set high on Cornwall's north coast. Linked with the legend of King Arthur, for centuries this impressive castle and coastline has inspired the imaginations of writers, artists and even the brother of a king. Discover the Early Medieval history of a distant outpost(哨站)trading objects from Spain, North Africa and Turkey. |
1. Which heritage can you choose if you are interested in a unique sunrise?
| A．Stonehenge Skyscape. | B．Osborne, Isle of Wight. |
| C．Audley End House and Gardens, Essex. | D．Tintagel Castle, Cornwall. |
| A．Both were built for their kings. |
| B．Both were built in the same age. |
| C．Both are related to previous rulers. |
| D．Both are palatial holiday homes for the rulers. |
| A．History. | B．Travel. |
| C．Geography. | D．Culture. |
8 . Kamikatsu, a small town in Japan, has shown the world that our garbage has far-reaching effects, and not just on our environment.
The experiment in going zero waste started when the town built a new incinerator 20 years ago. But almost immediately, the incinerator was determined to be a health risk due to the poisonous gases when garbage was burned in it. It was too expensive to send waste to other towns, so locals had to come up with a new plan. Then the Zero Waste Academy was born, which helped perform this plan.
Now Kamikatsu people separate their waste into 45 different categories. But in the beginning, it wasn't easy to convince local people to do all this work, and there was some pushback. Only after that initial education period did most residents come on board.
This is all great news for waste reduction of course, but it has also had some unexpected social benefits as well. Like much of Japan, Kamikatsu's population is aging, and about 50 percent of the locals are elderly. The fact that the whole community takes their trash in to be recycled has created a local action and interaction between generations.
That idea has been purposefully expanded to include a circular shop where household goods are dropped off and others can take them, and a tableware "library" where people can borrow extra cups, glasses, silverware and plates for celebrations.
"The elderly see this not as a waste-collection service, but an opportunity to socialize with the younger generation and to chat. When we visit them, they prepare lots of food and we stay with them for a while, we ask how they are," Sakano, the founder of the Zero Waste Academy, said.
Sakano's ideas are truly revolutionary if you think about it. She's proving that community can be found through handling the stuff we no longer want and need.
1. What is mainly talked about in paragraph 2?| A．What harmful effects garbage burning has. |
| B．Why garbage sorting is necessary in Japan. |
| C．How the idea of zero waste was put forward. |
| D．What the Zero Waste Academy functions as. |
| A．Inactive response. | B．Generous reward. |
| C．Bitter suffering. | D．Beneficial guidance. |
| A．Reducing waste. | B．Creating community. |
| C．Increasing people's income. | D．Developing a new technology. |
| A．Technology. | B．Health. | C．Workplace. | D．Lifestyle. |
9 . If you don't use it, you lose it. At least, that's how the old saying goes. It refers to the idea that something which does not get used regularly quickly falls into a state of decline. Muscles, for example, will waste away without use. In order to resist this, people take regular exercise to keep their skills sharp.
Well, what about the brain? As we age, our brains can naturally begin to decline. In some cases, this can lead to certain mental conditions such as dementia(痴呆)，which I'm sure you will agree, no one wants. However, all is not lost because these days it's relatively easy to train your brain. Smart phones and apps have put programmes into our hands that can test, maintain and even improve our memories, mathematical skills and a lot of other mental abilities. With a little practice every day, we can keep our brains nice and sharp, right?
Well, no, actually. According to a report from the Global Council on Brain Health, even though many people thought it was important to play online games, such as puzzles and mind games, which are designed to improve brain health, the evidence of the benefits was “weak to non-existent”.
There are other ways to promote the old grey matter. It recommends seeking out new activities that challenge the way you think and are socially engaging，while leading to a healthy lifestyle. Among their suggestions are practising tai chi, taking photography classes, learning new technologies, gardening, art projects or volunteering.
There's more good news, too, James Goodwin, chief scientist at Age UK has said that brain decline is not inevitable (不可避免的）. As long as the activities are “new to you and require your concentrated attention”, they can provide benefits for brain health. So, hurry up, get out there and try something new. Maybe it's time to try that hobby you've always wanted to do. And as for me? I'm off to learn the piano.
1. From which is the text probably taken?| A．A biology textbook. | B．A healthy magazine. |
| C．A travel brochure. | D．A research paper. |
| A．Making more shopping. | B．Avoid brain decline. |
| C．Doing exercises alone. | D．Going out with friends. |
| A．Trying something new. | B．Using smart phone regularly. |
| C．Playing games online. | D．Doing what you are good at. |
| A．Advantages of trying something new. |
| B．Disadvantages of using smart phones. |
| C．Ways to keep our brain as sharp as possible. |
| D．How to spend time meaningfully at an old age. |
10 . We have the most friends at the age of 26 after having spent the first quarter of our lives building up our friendship circle, a new research has claimed.
The research into friendship shows that our social circle peaks at 26 years and 7 months, at which we typically have five close friends. Women are the most popular at 25 years and 10 months, with men hitting the highest friendship point a little later at 27 years and 3 months.
The research, by Forever Friends, shows that about a third of adults meet their closest friends while at school, with about a fifth saying they meet them at work.
Social networks such as Facebook and Twitter now also play a major role in building new friendship. The research points out that 25 to 34-year-olds make 22 friends via Facebook, compared to 18 to 24-year-olds who make 12, and 35 to 44-year-olds who make just four.
Forever Friends’ relationship coach Sam Owen says, “It is no coincidence that over a third of us meet our best friends at school. It is a key time in our lives when friendship is growing through sharing notes, giving gifts, seeing each other regularly and laughing a lot. As adults we can often forget how powerful these small things are and how the little things can make a difference. ”
Later in life we find ourselves losing friends. Over half of us lose friendship through moving, while 36% say that over time they grow apart from close pals. Having children also causes 19% to drift away from childhood friends.
With growing pressures being put on friendship these days, it’s important to make time for our friendship.
1. How many friends can a 20-year-old college student make via Facebook?| A．4. | B．18. |
| C．12. | D．22. |
| A．how important making friends is |
| B．that friendship is not easy to keep |
| C．how much has been done to keep friendship |
| D．that friendship at school is important |
| A．make sense of | B．lose contact with |
| C．feel sorry for | D．make up with |
| A．a brochure | B．an advertisement |
| C．a textbook | D．a newspaper |
