1 . The time that cars could go completely driverless is coming “very soon”, according to Jianxiong Xiao, CEO and founder of AutoX, a Shenzhen-based start-up developing autonomous driving technology.
Now, most regulations across various cities in China still require the presence of a safety driver in vehicles, but the company foresees that as more data gets captured over time, that requirement would be reduced, Xiao told CNBC's “Street Signs Asia" on Wednesday.
The autonomous driving tech firm chose to partner with Alibaba's AMAP — a Chinese mapping service provider --- to roll out its RoboTaxi ride hailing service in Shanghai on Monday. AMAP is a "super mobility app" with almost 500 million active monthly users, according to Xiao.
AutoX had received support from Shanghai authorities to roll out a fleet of 100 autonomous ride-hailing cars in Shanghai's Jiading district in September last year.
Earlier this month, AutoX announced that it had set up an 80,000 square feet RoboTaxi operations center in Shanghai to help facilitate (使容易)operations of its driverless fleet, as well as act as a center to collect data from daily operations.
Backed by investors such as Alibaba, Shanghai Motor and Dongfeng Motor, AutoX is one of the players in the trillion U.S. dollar Chinese autonomous driving vehicles market alongside others like DiDi Chuxing.
Xiao said they were working with the technology to ensure the vehicles were "very, very safe" and are carrying out a lot of testing.
Over a hundred vehicles have been arranged on roads daily to obtain enough data needed to validate the software and system, according to Xiao.
He added that the company was also running a hundred times more simulations (模拟)in the car every day, and the “huge amount of data" would help to prove that the vehicles could be used in "full safety".
“Our goal is not to just make (it) as safe as human beings, but going one step forward to really make...a superhuman safety standard; (cars) that (can) drive much safer than any human being ever,“ Xiao said.
1. What will be most required to go driverless according to CEO of AutoX?| A．Traffic regulations. | B．Driving technology. |
| C．Enough data. | D．Mapping service. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Optimistic. | C．Disappointed. | D．Uncertain. |
| A．test | B．invent | C．develop. | D．design |
| A．Driving Technology |
| B．Science Achievement |
| C．No Driver in the Future |
| D．The Development of Driverless |
2 . It may sound a bit “Dr. Doolittle,” but it turns out kangaroos can communicate with humans. Researchers found that kangaroos communicated with humans “on purpose”--a behavior that was thought to only belong to domesticated(驯养的)animals, like dogs, horses or goats.
Experts from London's University of Roehampton and the University of Sydney set up a task. This task was known as “the unsolvable problem task”・ During the task, they presented kangaroos with food trapped inside a plastic container.
After trying, and failing, to open the boxes, the kangaroos turned their gaze(注视)on a nearby human - and sometimes even pushed or scratched(抓) them to ask for help, researchers said.
“Their gaze was pretty powerful, co-author Alexandra Green said. "We've previously thought only domesticated animals try to ask for help with a problem. But kangaroos do it too. If they can't open the box, they look at the human and back to the container. Some of them use their nose to push the human and some get close to the human and start scratching at him asking for assistance.,,
Based on these new findings, the team believe kangaroos - considered social animals, like dogs and goats --may be able to change their behavior to interact with humans.
“Through this study, we are able to see that communication between animals can be learnt and that the behaviour of gazing at humans to get food is not related to domestication lead author Alan McElligott said.
“Indeed, kangaroos showed a very similar pattern of behaviour we have seen in dogs, horses and even goats when put to the same test,“ McElligott added.
1. What have the researchers found about kangaroos?| A．Kangaroos can become domestic animals. |
| B．Kangaroos can communicate with humans. |
| C．Kangaroos can learn from domestic animals. |
| D．Kangaroos have the same habits as domestic animals. |
| A．Removed. | B．Hidden. | C．Kept. | D．Saved. |
| A．Observations. | B．Previous data. |
| C．Making comparison. | D．Making a survey. |
| A．Travel. | B．Education. | C．Technology. | D．Science. |
3 . When Mike Coots was 18, he lost his leg to a shark bite. It was near his home on the island of Kauai - a typical fall morning with friends. The waves were really good. Suddenly a large shark came right up under Mike and sank his teeth into Mike's lower leg and Mike felt no pain.
As he struggled(挣扎), the shark bit down harder. He beat the shark in the face again and again until the shark let him go. As Mike swam back into shore he realized the shark had bit his lower right leg off. Mike's friends rushed to his aid. The doctors later told Mike that's probably what kept him alive during the drive to the hospital.
As soon as Mike was given the OK by his doctors, he started riding the waves again. In fact, his first time back was near the site o£ his attack. Mike was unshaken. He was curious -why was he attacked?
His curiosity led him to research sharks, and while he never figured out why he became a target, Mike did learn something that would change his life: Humans are far more dangerous to sharks than the other way around. "I watched a documentary, and I learned about the fact that 70 million sharks a year are killed for their fins(鳍)alone.
He began working with the Hawaii state government to help pass a ban on shark-derived products. He also likes using his photos to spread the message about what's happening to sharks and why it matters. ^Sharks are here on earth for a very important reason, holding together the web of biodiversity, and without them, our seas cannot survive.,,
1. In the doctors, opinion, what helped Mike Coots survive?| A．His good swimming skill. |
| B．His struggle with the shark. |
| C．Timely treatment by doctors. |
| D．The first aid offered by his friends. |
| A．Nervous. | B．Strong-minded. | C．Excited. | D．Afraid. |
| A．He worked hard to protect sharks. |
| B．He was curious about many things. |
| C．He found out why he was attacked. |
| D．He made documentaries on sharks. |
| A．Curious and humorous. | B．Honest and confident. |
| C．Brave and caring. | D．Patient and adventurous. |
4 . If there is one person who has left a deep impression on me，it’s my teacher，Mrs Pathak，who was my class teacher for three years. In my childhood，how I wished I had a mother or a sister like her. One moment she could be tough (严厉的) and strict，another moment caring and compassionate (富有同情心的)．
She always encouraged us to tell the truth. For instance，if one had not done the homework，he need not lie. She allowed us to make mistakes，saying we couldn’t be perfect all the time，but we should try.
Another thing she taught me early on was punctuality. She set a good example with her own behavior. She was always on time，so we students tried our best to be on time.
She surprised us with her sense of humour. Her classroom teaching was always humorous. After class，she talked to us and told us jokes.
We really felt free to ask questions and Mrs Pathak would give the answers. If she did not know—there had been some occasions (场合)—she would say so. We all then tried to find out the answers. Whoever came up with the answer was appreciated and given the due credit (应有的称赞)．Now I sometimes wonder whether Mrs Pathak was pretending just to encourage us to explore and find answers by ourselves.
1. According to the passage，which of the following is NOT suitable for describing Mrs Pathak?| A．Tough. | B．Humorous. | C．Compassionate. | D．Careful. |
| A．being on time | B．being honest | C．being patient | D．being clean |
| A．Because she didn’t like answering the questions. |
| B．Because she didn’t know the answers to the questions. |
| C．Because she wanted the students to find them out by themselves. |
| D．Because she thought the students knew the answers already. |
5 . By now it's almost common knowledge that spending time in nature is good for you. Areas with more trees tend to be less polluted, so spending time there allows you to breathe easier. Spending time outdoors has been linked with reduced blood pressure and stress and seems to motivate people to exercise more.
“So it'll come as surprise that there's research showing that spending time in nature is good. There are dozens of papers showing that,” University of Exeter Medical School researcher Mathew P.White said.“We get this idea-patients are coning to us and they are asking, ‘Doctor, how long should I spend? ’And the doctor is saying,‘I don't really know.’”
So White and his team decided to find out by using data collected from nearly 20,000 people in England through the Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment Survey. And their answer? Two hours a week. People who spent at least that much time in nature either all at once or totaled over several shorter visits were more likely to report good health and psychological well-being than those with no nature exposure.
Remarkably, the two-hour standard applied to men and women, to older and younger folks, to people from different ethnic backgrounds, occupational groups, socioeconomic levels, and so on. Even people with long-term illnesses or disabilities benefited from time spent in nature- as long as it was at least 120 minutes per week.
While the findings are based on a vast number of people, White cautions that it's rally just a correlation. Nobody knows why of how nature has this benefit, or even if the findings will stand up to more strict investigation.
“I want to be rally clear about this. This is in very early stages.We're not saying everybody has to do 120. This is really to start the conversation, saying, what would athresholdlook like? What research do we need to take this to the next step before doctors can have the true confidence to work with their patients? But it's certainly a starting point.”
1. What does White want to figure out in the survey?| A．The benefits of being outside. |
| B．How long we should stay in nature. |
| C．The significance of outdoor activities. |
| D．Whether the British spend enough time in nature |
| A．The two-hour standard applies to everyone. |
| B．The reason why nature is beneficial is clear. |
| C．Further study is needed to confirm White's result. |
| D．The findings of White's survey have bee widely used. |
| A．Strict investigation. | B．Following step. |
| C．Healthy lifestyle. | D．Staring point. |
| A．Nature and Health | B．Two-hour Staying in Nature |
| C．Tips to Improve Health | D．The Starting Point |
6 . This activity will melt away the pounds, build your body and leave you on an emotional high. Yet the form of exercise, the fitness trend of the year, does not require gym membership or a personal trainer. All you need to do is walk.
"Walking is a refreshing alternative to complicated aerobic （氧）routines and overpriced gym membership," says personal trainer Lucy Knight, author of a new book on the exercise. “It is free, enjoyable and already a part of everyday life. All you need to do is correct your technique, walk faster and for longer and you will lose weight?"
There is much evidence of the benefits of walking. Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh recently discovered that overweight people who walked briskly （快）for 30 to 60 minutes a day lost weight even if they didn't change any other lifestyle habits. Another American study found that people who walked for at least four hours a week gained less weight than couch potatoes as they got older. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts medical school found that people who walked every day had 25 percent fewer colds than those who sat a lot. Best of all, walking makes you feel good about yourself "For people suffering from depression, walking three to four times a week for 30 minutes has been shown to lift their mood,” says Knight.
But how to walk your way to weight loss and wellness? Health experts recommend that we should walk 10,000 steps a day to stay healthy. Actually, you would probably need to walk at least 16,000 steps a day to lose weight. "Your workout plans depend on your level of fitness. You should aim to progress by increasing your walking time by five minutes every two weeks, and walk a bit faster. In just three months, the results should speak for themselves," says Knight.
1. What is the latest fitness trend according to the passage?| A．Brisk walking. | B．Losing weight. |
| C．Working out in a gym. | D．Exercising with a personal trainer. |
| A．expensive | B．worthy |
| C．prepaid | D．discountable |
| A．is gaining increasing popularity | B．benefits people in different aspects |
| C．is an enjoyable way to lose weight | D．involves different groups of people |
| A．1600 steps a day is needed for weight losses |
| B．the effect of walking is noticeable over time |
| C．your fitness level depends on your health experts |
| D．changing the walking time every day is necessary |
7 . As the climate warms, birds are shrinking and their wingspans are growing, according to a new study. Researchers analyzed 70,716 birds from 52 kinds of North American migratory（迁徙的）bird species collected over 40 years. The authors say the study is the largest of its kind and that the findings are important to understanding how animals will adapt to climate change.
"We found almost all of the species were getting smaller." said lead author Brian Weeks, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan.
"The species were pretty diverse, but responding in a similar wav." he said. "The consistency was shocking."
He said studies of animal responses to climate change often focus on shifts in geographical range or timing of life events, like migration and birth. But this study suggests body morphology（形态）is a crucial third aspect.
"That's one major implication," he said, "It's hard to understand how birds will adapt without taking all three of these things into consideration."
The findings showed that from 1978 to 2016, the length of the birds' lower leg bone shortened by 2.4%. Over the same time, the wings lengthened by 1.3%.
The evidence suggests warming temperatures caused the decrease in body size, which in turn caused the increase in wing length.
"Migration is an incredibly taxing thing they do," Mr. Weeks said, explaining that the smaller body size means less energy available for the birds to complete their long journeys.
He says the birds most likely to survive migration were the ones with longer wingspans and smaller bodies.
The scientists aren't exactly sure why warmer temperatures cause birds to shrink. One theory is that smaller animals are better at cooling off, losing body heat more quickly.
1. What's the best title for the text?| A．All of the Birds Are Getting Smaller |
| B．Animals Are Adapting to Climate Change |
| C．Climate Change Is Causing Birds to Shrink |
| D．Scientists Are Finding Causes of Warm Climate |
| A．It took 40 years to collect 70,716 birds from North America. |
| B．Many birds are shrinking when responding to the climate change. |
| C．All migratory bird species were collected to do the important research. |
| D．So many researchers take part in the largest study to work out the findings. |
| A．Tiring. | B．Important |
| C．Easy. | D．Pleasant |
| A．The migratory birds aren't big. |
| B．The temperatures will be higher. |
| C．The scientists will go on further study. |
| D．The smaller animals will surely live longer. |
8 . People often ask how I decide where to go, and I usually get hesitated with my response, as I don’t actually have an answer to that. For more than three years, I have been making movements with the universe, traveling from location to location at seemingly random intervals.
A friend of mine posted a Facebook status asking if anybody was interested in a job teaching English in China. So I jumped on a coming plane. Walking into my first class, I was bombed by 16 strange children who couldn’t understand a single word out of my mouth. When I walked out of my last class, six months later, I had made a personal connection with them. Some of my students could barely speak Chinese or English. But somehow, through determination and force, we connected.
Every class was not only a lesson in English, but in good fellowship, being a role model, being a parent, and being a friend. I became a father to some, an older brother to others. I was loved and adored, feared and hated. I had to learn discipline, and not only how to deal it out, but how to discipline and conduct myself as a role model. But in between the discipline, I had to make learning a fun experience. And they forgave me when I yelled or got upset. And when they threw temper or bruised their knee or missed their mommy, I forgave them, kissed their bruises better, and gave them a shoulder to cry on.
Teaching English in China is, by far, the most emotionally rewarding and fulfilling thing I’ve ever challenged myself to do. I have walked away from this job with a softened heart, knowing that I have made a difference in so many lives. I want that. I want my teachings to be reciprocal because they taught me how to unconditionally open my heart and how to be a more 1oving and patient person.
1. What can we learn about the writer before he came to China?| A．He didn’t have a fixed job. | B．He was a professional writer. |
| C．He worked in a travel agency. | D．He taught in a language school. |
| A．Hard. | B．Exciting. |
| C．Touching. | D．Inspiring. |
| A．He was casual and patient. |
| B．He was responsible but sensitive. |
| C．He was cautious but bad-tempered. |
| D．He was self-reflective and considerate. |
| A．Beneficial. | B．Interacted. |
| C．Encouraging. | D．Acceptable. |
9 . World Consumer Rights Day is celebrated annually by consumer organizations worldwide.It honours the historic declaration on March 15,1962 by John F.Kennedy,the former US President,of the basic rights of consumers,which include:”the right to safety”“the right to be informed”“the right to choose”,and “the right to be heard”.
This declaration has led to international recognition by governments and the United Nations that all citizens,regardless of their incomes or social standing,have certain basic rights as consumers.Officially, World Consumer Rights Day was first observed on March 15 ,1983 and has since become an important occasion for mobilizing( 动员) citizen action ,with recognition of consumer rights taking off around the world.On April 9,1985,the United Nations General Assembly(联合国大会) adopted the UN Guidelines for Consumer Protection that provide a framework for strengthening national consumer protection policies around the world.
The guidelines include Kennedy’s four basic consumer rights plus another four : the right to satisfaction of basic needs,the right to redress(赔偿),the right to education ,and the right to a healthy environment.Currently,the fundamental consumer rights are recognized globally.
World Consumer Rights Day normally has a theme associated with an activity or development that is relevant to consumers. Whatever its objectives , it shares the same underlying aim of bringing about important and needed benefits to consumers.
In recent years , progress has been made for recognition and protection of consumer rights in developing countries. At least, March 15 is a day when consumers are filled with pride and satisfaction. However , there are many reports on violation of consumer rights by unethical( 不 道 德 的 ) marketing practices.
1. When was World Consumer Rights Day first celebrated?| A．On March 15,1962. | B．On March 15,1983. | C．On March 15,1985. | D．On March 15,1986. |
| A．Four. | B．Six. | C．Eight. | D．Ten. |
| A．becoming popular | B．removing quickly | C．flying away | D．leaving soon |
| A．Consumers in different countries have different basic rights. |
| B．Consumers still have some difficulty in protecting their basic rights. |
| C．On March 15,consumers don’t need to worry about their basic rights. |
| D．It was John F.Kennedy who declared that March 15 was the World Consumer Rights Day. |
This is Life, all right, but we do treat it like a rehearsal (排演) and, unhappily, we do miss so many of its best moments.
We take jobs to stay alive and provide homes for our families, always making ourselves believe that this style of life is merely a temporary state of affairs along the road to what we really want to do. Then, at 60 or 65, we are suddenly presented with a clock and several grandchildren and we look back and realize that all those years waiting for Real Life to come along were in fact real life.
In America they have a saying much laughed at by the English：“Have a nice day!” They speak slowly and seriously in their shops, hotels and sandwich bars. I think it is a wonderful phrase, reminding us, in effect, to enjoy the moment: to value this very day.
How often do we say to ourselves, "I'll take up horse-riding (or golf, or sailing) as soon as I get a higher position," only to do none of those things when I do get the higher position.
When I first became a reporter, I knew a man who gave up a very well paid respectable job at the Daily Telegraph to go and edit a small weekly newspaper. At the time I was astonished by what appeared to me to be his completely abnormal (反常的) mental state. How could anyone turn his back on Fleet Street in central London for a small local area？I wanted to know.
Now I am a little older and possibly wiser, I see the sense in it. In Fleet Street the man was under continual pressure. He lived in an unattractive London suburb and he spent much of his life sitting on Southern Region trains.
1. The first paragraph of the passage tells us that____________.
| A．we always try to find some time to write a book |
| B．we always make plans but seldom fulfill them |
| C．we always enjoy many of life's best moments |
| D．we always do what we really want to do |
| A．leave for | B．return to | C．give up | D．rely on |
| A．in an abnormal state | B．under too much pressure |
| C．not well paid | D．not respected |
| A．Provide Homes For Our Family | B．Take Up Horse-riding |
| C．Value This Very Day | D．Stay Alive |
