1 . Imagine that you’ve got a robot that looks like a human, talks like a human, and even interacts like a human. Although you know it’s just a machine, you can relate to it. But would you consider it as a friend?
This is just one of the questions that you may find difficult to answer. Sooner or later artificial intelligence (AI) will bring many moral challenges. But AI is here to stay and will have a big impact on our future. As Li Fei-Fei, professor of computer science at Stanford University put it, “If our era is the next industrial revolution, as many claim, AI is surely one of its major driving forces.”
Merriam-Webster defines AI as “the capability of a machine to copy intelligent human behavior”. But what makes us want to create “thinking machines”? After all, thinking and consciousness are inimitable things of human beings – at least at present. They separate us from all other creatures on Earth.
For one thing, humans constantly desire to develop new technology just because they can. The desire to create AI is the ultimate expression of this: We want to test the limit of human intelligence by building a brand new intelligence. For another, AI has all sorts of practical benefits to offer us. It would free us from repetitive work and make our lives easier. Imagine getting to your destination with an AI-guided self-driving car. Imagine having an AI tutor that could help you with your homework.
However, as AI becomes more important in life the worries will begin. Will AI effectively start to take over us? Today, with online shopping sites and social networking platforms, AI already influences many of our choices. Algorithms (算法) determine the content we see on the Internet, and make recommendations about everything from what we watch on TV to where we travel. Some fear that machines will become better at making decisions than humans are, and that therefore we will lose our control of AI.
But it’s not all doom and gloom(前景黯淡). Max Tegmark, author of Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, believes that with careful planning, AI can become a powerful tool. “I’m optimistic that we can create an inspiring future with AI if we win the race between the growing power of AI and the growing wisdom with which we manage it,” he told Motherboard.
But like it or not, AI is shaping the society and will dramatically change the way we live.
1. Which is closest in meaning to the underlined word “inimitable” in Paragraph 3?| A．Unique. | B．Precise. |
| C．Common. | D．Essential. |
| A．The influence of AI on our future. | B．The reasons for man to develop AI. |
| C．Different voices on developing AI. | D．Worries arising from the use of AI. |
| A．Concerned. | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Objective. | D．Subjective. |
| A．AI won’t pose a threat to human beings. |
| B．AI will surely bring us a promising future. |
| C．Humans are wise enough to take control of AI. |
| D．Humans must keep up with the growing power of AI. |
2 . To advance wind turbine (汽轮机，涡轮机)technology to meet the requirements of extremely rough environments like that on Mars, Ames partnered with NSF (the National Science Foundation) and the Department of Energy. " It was clear that a lot of the same features were also found in the cold regions of the Earth,“ says Bubenheim. "NASA took the leadership on the team because we had the longest-term technology—a Mars turbine.”
Years before, NSF had worked with a company called Northern Power Systems ( NPS) , based in Barre, Vermont, to build a 3-kilowatt wind turbine on Black Island off the coast of Antarctica. The main purpose of this turbine was to power communications to the NSF's South Pole station. In 1993 , Ames awarded the same company a Small Business Innovation Research ( SBIR) contract (合 同)to construct a similar wind turbine at the South Pole.
Jonathan Lynch, the chief technology officer at NPS, says the South Pole has less wind than Black Island but is even colder. " It's hard to have steels that work in those temperatures,“ he says. " The cold affects the parts and everything gets extremely fragile. We looked at which materials were appropriate for flexible wires, irons, and steels, and what lubrication (润 滑) systems were going to work and for what temperatures over a long period of time.”
In 1997, NPS made a 3-kilowatt turbine at the South Pole, and then began developing a 100-kilowatt turbine that could function in the same extreme conditions. The first types of the larger turbine were successfully deployed in Kotzebue, Alaska and Golden, Colorado. " They were fully tested in loads to make sure they worked, and we then built a lot of them, " says Lynch.
By 2000, the wind turbine technology had won an R&D 100 Award from R&D Magazine , and since then, says Bubenheim, "It's been copied and put in a lot of places around the globe. "
1. From the first paragraph, we can infer that_____.| A．the team wanted to build a wind turbine used on Mars |
| B．Mars and the Earth have the same features |
| C．NASA played the most important part in the team |
| D．the team was made up of Ames, NSF, the Department of Energy and NASA |
| A．The wind turbine technology was invented by Ames. |
| B．NPS made wind turbines for NSF and Ames. |
| C．NSF and Ames both used the wind turbines at the same place. |
| D．The wind turbine technology was only used in America. |
| A．The South Pole has worse condition than the Black Island. |
| B．NPS had confidence to build a wind turbine for the South Pole. |
| C．The materials for the turbines have to stand the extreme cold. |
| D．NPS had more challenges in building a wind turbine for the South Pole. |
| A．made | B．invented | C．used | D．advanced |
3 . Misfortune sneaked into my family when I was thirteen.First, my mother fell ill and was hospitalized; then my father, in poor health himself, was filled with anxiety and worry.Both had to stay in the hospital, leaving my younger sister and me alone at home.
As the sun set in the west, fear rose in my heart.In the dim of night,the hills beyond the village loomed in a ghostly shape on the windows of our spacious room; the frightening howls of wolves often scared us out of our sleep.
Our cries for help were unlikely to reach the villagers, for our home was located in the school some distance away from the village.Suddenly I thought of the whistle my mother used for PE classes.I took out the whistle and, drawing a deep breath,I blew it as loudly as possible.Before long,a bustle of footsteps and voices came nearer and nearer,and flashlight beams crisscrossed outside our windows.Hearing my name called,I went to open the door, and there in front of me stood a group of familiar villagers, each with a hoe on the shoulder.The very sight of their kind faces and deeply concerned eyes drove the fear away from my heart.
“Now go to sleep, kid.We are staying out here tonight!” said one old man.Resting their hoes against the wall, they sat or squatted nearby,smoking Chinese pipes or chatting in loud voices....Gradually,I fell asleep.They didn't leave until daybreak; and at dusk they came again, banging their hoes on the flagstones as if to tell me: Don't be afraid, kid,we are here with you.No one dares to hurt you!
Afterwards, the bustle of footsteps and the clatter of hoes could be heard every night around our home as if on schedule.I know what they actually meant by making the "noises" was to remove fear from my mind and reassure me: they were right outside our windows!
Ever since then,I have been convinced that sound has "temperature" and that it can warm the hearts of lonely, fear-stricken people.
1. Which of the following is true according to the passage?| A．The "noises”made by villagers outside the author's windows accompanied the writer and his sister to sleep. |
| B．The author's home was far away from the village, and that's why he didn't dare to seek help from villagers. |
| C．At the sight of villagers' faces,the author still felt fearful from the bottom of his heart. |
| D．The author was left alone at home because both his parents fell ill and were in hospital. |
| A．surrounded | B．appeared | C．happened | D．reached |
| A．A Life-saving Whistle |
| B．The Story of Wolves and Villagers |
| C．The Temperature of Sound |
| D．The Misfortune of My Childhood |
| A．In a popular culture magazine |
| B．In a collection of literature |
| C．In a news report |
| D．In a tour guide |
4 . One of the easiest ways to stop the spread of disease is to simply wash your hands. Twenty seconds of handwashing with soap and water can reduce illnesses and save lives. But, many people, especially children, do not have good handwashing habits. One problem is that children do not wash their hands often enough or long enough. Children may think that it is a tiresome thing to do.
To help handle this problem, two businesswomen from India created a product to turn handwashing into a fun activity. Amanat Anand and Shubham Issar created a tool called SoaPen, aimed at teaching kids good handwashing habits and encouraging kids to wash their hands with soap appropriately and regularly.
“It’s such a simple habit to do, but the fact is that people aren’t doing it, and it’s resulting in actual deaths---which is shocking. So, we decided to come up with a fun method, said Issar.
As the name suggests, SoaPen is a pen made out of soap. The children draw on their hands with the soap pen and then wash the drawing off. If they don’t spend enough time washing it off, the colors remain on the children’s hands. Issar said it makes sure that children take enough time to wash their hands. This may be especially helpful in a classroom. Often a teacher does not have the time to make each child wash his hands properly.
Kids actually wash their hands for the proper amount of time because they’re drawing on their hands. To obliterate the drawing, they actually wash their hands instead of just going under water and, you know, a one-second wash and off.
Good news is that the school children in Mumbai, India, will soon most likely wash their hands after handling a pet. Issar and Anand stated that SoaPen to be created everywhere will help promote good habits through handwashing in the city across the globe.
1. Why is SoaPen invented?| A．To teach kids the importance of handwashing. |
| B．To make money from children consumers. |
| C．To help kids wash their hands correctly. |
| D．To rid kids of some kinds of diseases. |
| A．SoaPen is designed for classrooms. |
| B．Handwashing is anything but little. |
| C．Some teachers ignore kids’ health in school. |
| D．Kids don’t know the right way of handwashing. |
| A．Remove. | B．Reserve. | C．Learn. | D．Show. |
| A．SoaPen has become popular worldwide. |
| B．Kids’ health should be paid more attention to. |
| C．SoaPen has been applied in Mumbai schools. |
| D．The inventors think SoaPen has a bright future. |
5 . When the first visitors to Yellowstone tried to report what they saw, news magazines responded, “Thank you, but we do not print fiction.” Established in 1872 and located primarily in Wyoming, Yellowstone National Park (YNP) was famous for its natural scenery and biodiversity. As America’s first national park, it remains one of the most popular tourist attractions.
This year, YNP has reported that it had the most-ever September visitors. The increase contrasts sharply with May, when visitation rates were 90% lower compared to the same month last year. The park recorded about 837,000 visits in September, a rate 21% higher than September 2019 and 15.6% higher than the park’s second-busiest September on record in 2018, when it hosted 724,000 people.
Yellowstone was closed due to the coronavirus pandemic from March 24 to May 18, when its two Wyoming entrances reopened. In June, the park opened its three other entrances and visitation rates improved slightly. The park reported a 32% decline in visitors compared to the same month last year. Visitation rates through June were down 49% compared to numbers from the first six months of 2019. However, a rapid uptick saw an increase of 2% in visitation rates in July compared to the same month last year. The park hosted 955, 645 visitors in July compared to 534,000 people in June.
The national park’s peak season is typically from May through September. Most lodges, restaurants, stores and other services close for the year in October, followed by all park roads in early November.
Sara Fleming, a spokesperson for the Gardiner Chamber of Commerce, said the increase in tourists could be caused by an increase in the amount of young people who have visited the park in recent months. She said more young people between 20 and 50 have visited the park than in previous summers.
1. In which of the following months visitation rates dropped most?| A．May. | B．June. | C．July. | D．September. |
| A．Rise. | B．Decline. | C．Close. | D．Reopen. |
| A．The government encourages people to visit it. | B．YNP is the best destination for holiday takers. |
| C．The number of young visitors is on the rise. | D．The admission fee has declined greatly. |
| A．America’s first national park | B．YNP got its busiest September |
| C．The best season to visit YNP | D．Visitors lost interest in YNP |
6 . A 1930s-ancient restaurant in my town has done little to update itself over the past 80 years. This is part of its charm, as is the wooden phone booth（亭）sitting neglected in the age of the cellphone. And we need it now more than ever.
For me it symbolizes that phone calls were once private affairs, even if the information being shared was not sensitive. In public places this meant resorting to the phone booth—a private space where one could converse in peace without being overheard.
When I grew up in the 1960s, phone calls used to be regarded as something private, even at home. However, within the space of very few years, private conversations have become public broadcasts, and being overheard seems to be the point. The problem, of course, is that we now carry our phones with us and answer the device as soon as it rings, but at the price of our privacy being disclosed!
Not long ago I was sitting in Boston's South Station, waiting for my train while a man was on his cellphone. I silently recited every detail of his phone conversation including his card number and its password. I stared at the fellow. He glanced at me, asking, "What?” My immediate response： Reciting all I had overheard to him, which left him opening his eyes wide.
There is no more privacy, no longer a sense of personal borders or limits. The cellphone has become a megaphone, making our privacy known so easily to others.
To return to phone booths： Why did they disappear? They used to be everywhere in my childhood and can readily serve as cellphone shelters today. A Mr. Riley had one in his small, struggling candy store where I grew up. Even at the age of 9, before I had acquired any life experiences, I would have labeled “private”, I would sometimes separate myself from my friends, close its door, and call home in peace and quiet.
Should you think a phone booth has no value today, I saw one on eBay going for $ 4,750.
And Mr. Riley would have flipped.
1. How does the author support the theme of the passage?| A．By listing various reasons. | B．By comparing differences. |
| C．By sharing his own experiences. | D．By proving study results. |
| A．A loudspeaker. | B．A headset. |
| C．A game player. | D．A calculator. |
| A．The place the old phone booth holds. |
| B．The money value of the old-fashioned booth. |
| C．The good interpersonal relationships. |
| D．The privacy boundaries people should keep. |
| A．The Return of the Old Phone Booth |
| B．Does the Privacy Matter Now? |
| C．My Story of Old Phone Booths |
| D．Old Phone Booths, Still Valuable? |
7 . SpaceX's first-ever passenger flight to the International Space Station (ISS) ended successfully on August 2,2020,when Crew Dragon Endeavour landed into the Gulf of Mexico. After a series of safety checks, the recovery teams unlocked the capsule's hatch and moved NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to shore. During their total 64 days in space, they completed 1,024 orbits around Earth and traveled 27,147,284 miles.
In a press conference the astronauts described the crucial final minutes of the historic mission when Crew Dragon fired its rocket pusher to slow its descent for re-entry into the outer atmosphere."It came alive,"Behnken told of the 12-minute pusher burn. “It sounds like an animal coming through the atmosphere."
Hurley told reporters that following the successful landing, the astronauts had to complete one final task-"making satellite phone calls to whoever we can get a hold of'”。 The scientists said the fun attempt had a serious purpose- to ensure that future crews could use the emergency phone to contact mission control in case the spacecraft landed in an unexpected part of the ocean.
Crew Dragon Endeavour was launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on May 30, 2020. After19 hours,the spacecraft autonomously pulled up at the forward port of ISS. Hurley and Behnken spent their 62 days aboard the station conducting scientific experiments alongside Expedition 63's crew and participating in numerous public engagements. Behnken also accompanied ISS Commander Chris Cassidy on four spacewalks to upgrade two power channels.
The journey marked the first time astronauts have been launched to orbit aboard a privately-built spacecraft. It was also the first crewed orbital piloted launch from American soil since the US Space Shuttle program ended in July 2011.
With the final test flight complete, NASA will spend the next few weeks analyzing all performance data. If everything is satisfactory,SpaceX will become the first private company to be certified to transport astronauts to the ISS. In anticipation of the approval, Space-X is already preparing for its first two operational missions.
1. What does the underlined word “descent” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Crash. |
| B．Launch. |
| C．Falling. |
| D．Burning. |
| A．Orbit Earth,experiment,issue certificates. |
| B．Experiment, improve channels, make calls. |
| C．Spacewalk, repair, analyze data. |
| D．Interpret, spacewalk, interview. |
| A．Obtaining public recognition. |
| B．Completing the final test flight. |
| C．Getting licensed for crewed flights to the ISS. |
| D．Releasing their latest news about space technology. |
| A．Crew Dragon Endeavour:A Private Spacecraft. |
| B．First-ever Manned Space Flight Ends in Success |
| C．NASA Astronauts: Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley |
| D．SpaceX's Spacecraft Returns NASA Astronauts to Earth |
8 . Bees are essential for the pollination of flowers, fruits and vegetables. Sadly, over the past 15 years, the global population of the hardworking insects has been dropping worldwide at alarming rates due to loss of food and habitat. Now, Dutch cities are coming up with creative ideas to help stem the population decrease of these all-important insects.
In Amsterdam, bees can live for free in specially built “hotels” — tall wooden structures — across the city. While they may not look like much to the untrained eye, they provide perfect homes for members of the over 200 known species of solitary bees. As the name indicates, the insects spend their lives alone. The smart insects nest inside holes like the ones provided by the insect hotels, marking their occupancy by covering the entrance with a mud “door”. Though unable to produce honey, solitary bees are excellent pollinators and perform an essential role in many ecosystems.
Additionally, city officials are also educating people on the use of harmful chemicals and are providing prize money to encourage developers to build green roofs and populate them with local plants. In 2015, they set a goal to change some plants in public green spaces to native plants. Geert, one of eight ecologists working for the city, says, “Our idea is when we design a park, we use native species but also the species that give a lot of flowering and fruit for bees.” Many people, with help from the government, are replacing the sidewalks outside their homes with small gardens featuring flowers.
In Utrecht, bus stop roofs are gradually being turned into beautiful, living gardens designed to attract varieties of bee species. The green roofs, which naturally collect both rainwater and dust, are also beneficial for the environment.
These cities’ collective efforts seem to be working. A recent study found that the variety of bee species there has increased by an astonishing 45 percent since 2000.
1. What does the underlined word “stem” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Review . | B．Stop. | C．Monitor. | D．Improve. |
| A．They’re not social insects. |
| B．They make high-quality honey. |
| C．They like to nest together in woods. |
| D．They’re scared of other species of bees. |
| A．Collect rainwater for future use. |
| B．Plant flowers for enjoyment. |
| C．Draw bees to them. |
| D．Clear dust away. |
| A．Protecting the environment. |
| B．Importance of bees in ecosystems. |
| C．Design ideas of insect hotels and bee stops. |
| D．Dutch cities’ attempts to restore bee population. |
9 . As reported in JAMA Surgery, the researchers discovered that e-scooter(电动摩托车) injury rates had increased dramatically in just four years, rising from 6 per 100,000 in the population to 19 per 100,000. Of the estimated 14,651 e-scooter-related injuries in 2018, 4,658, or 32%, involved the head. “While most people recover from head injuries, there is going to be a subset with long-term disability and life changes,” said Dr. Benjamin Breyer.
Dr. Benjamin Breyer of the University of California, Los Angeles, pointed to a 2019 analysis of the data from two hospitals in Southern California, which found just 4.8% of injured e-scooter riders were wearing helmets.
Dr. Joann Elmore, a professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, believed that most e-scooter users are probably unaware of the risks. To make the point, she described a photo taken by a colleague. “There were two riders on an e-scooter,” she said. “No one had shoes on. There were no helmets. And the woman in front had a baby in a baby carrier.”
The new report highlights the need for more research on new technologies, said Dr. Guohua Li, a professor of epidemiology(流行病学).
“Just as there is a global network of experts working on infectious diseases, there needs to be a similar program devoted to the surveillance(监视，监察) and prevention of injuries caused by merging technologies products and lifestyles, such as e-scooters, e-sports, etc.,” Li said in an email.
“The challenge for researchers and policymakers is to keep up with the ever-changing society and protect the public from unnecessary harm caused by new technologies and products without hindering innovation,” he added.
1. What can we know from the passage?| A．E-scooter injury rates had increased due to speeding. |
| B．32% of injured e-scooter riders weren’t wearing helmets. |
| C．There is a program devoted to the prevention of injuries caused by advanced technologies. |
| D．Protection and innovation are of equal importance. |
| A．She is an anti-scooter. |
| B．The woman in front was pregnant. |
| C．She is concerned about the e-scooter users. |
| D．Most e-scooter riders often drive at high speed. |
| A．Preventing. | B．Limiting. |
| C．Developing. | D．Making progress. |
| A．To arouse people’s awareness of the risks and self-protection. |
| B．To introduce a new way of transport — e-scooters. |
| C．To ask people not to ride e-scooters any more. |
| D．To urge policymakers to make laws as soon as possible. |
10 . Many of the world’s largest brewers (啤酒商) are using new technologies to replace single-use, plastic six-pack beer rings with more sustainable materials. Though mostly being used in small test trials, full adoption could have a positive environmental impact. Carlsberg, for example, is using glue to adhere cans in a production method that the Danish brewer says would avoid using 1,200 tons of plastic yearly, or the equal of 60 million plastic bags, once fully adopted.
Brewers have zeroed in on plastic six-pack-ring packaging partly because most consumers can recall the miserable image of a seagull, turtle, or some other aquatic (水生的) creature trapped or killed by the plastic rings. The packaging is so deep-rooted in our culture that many children were taught to cut up the rings to lessen the chance that an animal might choke itself to death.
The rings developed by E6PR (Edible Six Pack Ring) programme, which is led by another brewery called Saltwater, are now used by 35 brewers across the globe, including in Africa, Europe, and Australia. These rings are made of waste wheat in beer production. The final goal is to ensure that the rings can be eaten harmlessly by aquatic creatures or break down in nature within a matter of weeks rather than the years it would take for plastic.
Giving up plastic straws and beer rings may help consumers feel better about their carbon footprint, but some experts say we should focus on other efforts. Recycling rates in the U.S.stand at just over 34%. Glass, in which many brewers bottle their beer, can be difficult to recycle and large to transport. If brewers were to focus on using thinner glass, some experts say, the improvement could prove even more beneficial to the environment than giving up plastic rings.
There’s also the risk that if consumers think their E6PR rings are less harmful, they’ll be more likely to litter. “The idea of creating something that’s litter-friendly is an issue in my mind,” says Nina Goodrich, executive director of environmental nonprofit GreenBlue. “What we need in North America is a better system to encourage collection and sorting.”
1. What does the underlined word “adhere” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Collect. | B．Stick. | C．Open. | D．Reuse. |
| A．To collect the rings for recycling. |
| B．To make the rings break down more easily. |
| C．To prevent the rings harming aquatic animals. |
| D．To increase children’s awareness of loving nature. |
| A．Low recycling rates in the U.S. |
| B．Benefits of giving up plastic beer rings. |
| C．Difficulty in transporting beer glass bottles. |
| D．Another way to protect the environment. |
| A．They will be thrown away more casually. |
| B．They will not be accepted by consumers. |
| C．They will be more difficult to recycle. |
| D．They will be still made of plastic. |
