2 . If your in-box is currently reporting unread messages in the hundreds or thousands, you might have a hard time believing the news: e-mail is on the decline.

At first thought, that might seem to be the case. The incoming generation, after all, doesn’t do e-mail. Oh, they might have an account. They use it only as we would use a fax machine: as a means to communicate with old-school folks like their parents or to fulfill the sign-up requirements of Web sites. They rarely check it, though.

Today’s instant electronic memos — such as texting and Facebook and Twitter messages — are more direct, more concentrated, more efficient. They go without the salutation (称呼语) and the signoff (签收); we already know the “to” and “from.” Many corporations are moving to messaging networks for exactly that reason: more signal, less noise and less time. This trend is further evidence that store-and-forward systems such as e-mail and voicemail are outdated. Instead of my leaving you a lengthy message that you pick up later, I can now send you an easily-read message that you can read — and respond to — on the go.

The coming of the mobile era is responsible for the decline of e-mail. Instant written messages bring great convince to people. They can deal with them at about any time: before a movie, in a taxi, waiting for lunch. And because these messages are very brief, they’re suitable for smart phone typing.

Does this mean e-mail is on its way to the dustbin of digital history? Not necessarily. E-mail still has certain advantages. On the other hand, tweets and texts feel ephemeral — you read them, then they’re gone, into an endless string, e-mail still feels like something you have and that you can file, search and return to later. It’s easy to imagine that it will continue to feel more appropriate for formal communications: agreements, important news, longer explanations.

So, e-mail won’t go away completely. Remember, we’ve been through a transition (过度) like this not so long ago: when e-mail was on the rise, people said that postal mail was dead. That’s not how it works. Postal mail found its smaller market, and so will e-mail. New technology rarely replaces old one completely; it just adds new alternatives.

1. What would the incoming generation like to do with their e-mail accounts?

A．Check bank accounts.	B．Send long messages.
C．Fill in some forms.	D．Communicate with their colleagues.

2. Which of the following is mainly discussed in paragraphs 3 and 4?

A．The possible reasons behind the decline of e-mail

B．The likes and dislikes of the young generation

C．The rapid development of e-communication channels

D．Evidence about the uncertain future of easily-consumed messages

3. What does the underlined word “ephemeral” in paragraph 5 mean?

A．Automatically-sending.	B．Randomly-written.
C．Hardly- recognized.	D．Shortly-appearing.

4. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?

A．It’s too early to determine the decline of e-mail.

B．E-mail has reasons to exist with its own advantages.

C．E-mail, just like postal mail has come to its end.

D．We should feel sorry for the decline of e-mail.

3 . The next time a giant Big Mac or Coke flashes into your mind when you’re walking home from the pub, you may not simply have the snacks. And that picture of the model putting on Chanel — no, you’re not daydreaming.

A British startup has created a new advertising system that uses lasers to project images up to 200 metres tall from the sides of tall buildings, enabling advertisers to reach people from virtual billboards（广告牌）in the sky. Passers-by will see each image for only between one tenth and quarter of a second, as their eye eye catches the light from certain angles.

Advertising agencies and big businesses have already signalled their interest, but Skyline campaigners have branded the technology “greedy” and said that it could fill our skies with showy and tasteless brands.

The Echo system, from Lightvert, uses a high laser projector to bounce light off a narrow reflective strip fixed to the side of a building, visible up to 1km away. This creates large-scale images that are captured briefly in the viewer’s eye as a result of the “persistence of vision” effect: the same effect that leaves an imprint of a light source on your vision after you’ve turned away.

Daniel Siden, the technology’s inventor, explained: People often think this could be subversive, but it’s not subliminal advertising（隐性广告）as the imagery registers on the conscious level. It’s actually less invasive and more fun than traditional advertising. Mr.Siden said that planning experts have indicated that planning permission should not be a problem outside of conservation area. He said that the system was safe because of the distance between the projector and passers by. And images would be above the line of sight of drivers and cyclists

and below the field of vision of airline pilot. The images have been tested and shown not to cause epileptic seizures（癫痫发作）.

Because it uses only one strip of reflected light, the system needs a small amount of the power, about one-twentieth of a standard 96-sheet digital outdoor display for an image of the same height.

The owners of high-rise properties could use the system to make large returns from installing the laser projector and reflective strip. The company puts the cost of a unit measuring 100 metres at under ￡750,000, based on the present design, anticipating that costs will drop.

Still, some Skyline campaigners dislike the technology and believe it delivers subliminal advertising. Barbara Weiss of the Skyline Campaign, said: “It’s actually offensive. London’s latest tall buildings are not particularly well-built or well designed, but unfortunately people are forced to look at them. Adding stupid advertising that’s invasive in its nature will only make it worse.”

1. Why does the writer cite the example of Big Mac, Coke and Chanel in paragraph 1?

A．Because he attempts to promote these products to potential consumers.

B．Because he studies the association between products and images in advertising.

C．Because he tries to illustrate the effectiveness of flashing images of advertised goods.

D．Because he wants to introduce a new advertising technology to readers.

2. Which of the following statements about the Echo system is true according to the passage?

A．Pedestrians can see the flashing images on one side of the building from specific angles.

B．The system is composed of a laser projector, a reflective strip and a physical billboard.

C．The image lasts between one tenth and quarter of a second in vision even if you turn away.

D．It’s a new advertising system developed by a time-honored British company.

3. The underlined word “subversive” in paragraph 5 probably means ________.

A．Subconscious	B．trouble making
C．harmless	D．imaginative

4. Which party is likely to set obstacles to the application of the Echo System?

A．Environmentalists worried about energy consumption.

B．Drivers, cyclists and pilots whose sight might be affected.

C．The Skyline Campaign regarding the image as flashy.

D．The patients who suffer from epileptic seizures.

5 . One rainy afternoon, I was on a crosstown bus when a young woman jumped on. She had a child with her who must have been about 3 or 4 years old.

The bus was full, bumpy, and it soon got noisy as her kid began crying because he couldn’t sit next to his mother. There were a couple of open seats, but they weren’t together. She was flustered and looked embarrassed.

Then another woman, a little older, stood up and moved so that the mother and child could sit together. The mom smiled as a thank-you. And then three words came out of the older woman’s mouth that elevated the entire energy of that bus ride: “I’ve been there”.

Simple, undramatic and honest. In that moment, it seemed to unite people. Why? Because almost all experiences are shared human experiences. We forget that, as we forge (前进) through life, focused on our own troubles and needs—which are actually less unique than we think. How can these three words create more connection in your life? Ask yourself: “Where am I holding back?

One thing I know for sure is this: Healing others helps heal yourself. I noticed this recently with my friend, Tracy, who took a new friend who had suffered a miscarriage under her wing. Tracy had three of them before having her daughter two years ago. Our intellect needs a doctor to explain the medical side of things, yes. But our souls need human connection to help us along. No one can do that better than someone who has been exactly where you are.

Can the essence of these three words help you make a small difference right now? It can be as simple as volunteering your seat, sharing some helpful advice or even lightening the mood with a joke when you notice that someone’s uncomfortable—because we’re all in this together.

1. The underlined word “flustered” in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to _______.

A．angry

B．anxious

C．scared

D．upset

2. What does the woman mean by saying “ I’ve been there”in the third paragraph？

A．The woman was on the bus and saw what had happened to the boy.

B．The woman got to her destination and was ready to get off the bus.

C．The woman once had the similar experience with that mother.

D．The woman took the exact seat that the boy was on just now.

3. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Everyone has his or her own unique problem that is difficult to solve.

B．Doctors can help us get through when we have mental or physical problems.

C．The author’s friend Tracy felt better after she was comforted by her new friend.

D．One can indeed make a difference to those in need of help by doing simple things.

4. The passage is intended to _______.

A．show a harmonious world by telling some touching stories

B．praise those who are willing to help others in emergencies

C．appeal to readers to give timely help to those in need

D．illustrate some ways of helping others in detail

6 . Hazel Mayfield usually cooks the Thanksgiving meal for her extended family in Houston, Texas. She usually welcomes friends and neighbors who are eager to taste her fried turkey, green bean casserole, candied yams, homemade cornbread dressing, and dirty rice-just a few of her signature dishes. Known as Sugar Mama, because her grandchildren think she’s so sweet, the 91-year-old typically likes to do her own shopping for the ingredients to make her special dishes.

“My mother is the head cook of the family,” said Panulette Mouton, Mayfield’s daughter. “Because of her reputation, you know, there’re people in and out all day and every family comes through. They want to get some of Sugar Mama’s cooking, and some of them would like to learn from her how to cook the food.”

But Mayfield hasn’t been to the grocery store since March. And there is little about Thanksgiving in 2020 that’s usual. Because of Covid-19, the deadly virus that has killed millions in the U.S. and spoiled life around the world, everything is different. Since limiting close face-to-face contact with others is the best way to reduce its spread, hundreds of thousands of American families have re-imagined the holiday with virtual celebrations and canceled or delayed travel plans. There can only be small gatherings with people in their households in response to COVID-19.

This year, Mayfield’s family members, without exception, are lamenting the absence of a big gathering. They’ve explained to their young children and grandchildren why this year’s Thanksgiving is different. Mayfield’s youngest daughter, Michelle Sanders, says it’s tough to help her grandchildren understand why they can’t see some of their other family members and why they have to stay at home, celebrating Thanksgiving all by themselves.

“It’s really hard, trying to explain to them,” Sanders said. “When-you’re talking to them and they want to come over, you have to tell them no. They really don’t know how to be careful.” Sanders added, “And, they don’t understand that, being three, four, and six, you know they don’t really understand that. So, it’s...it’s really, really hard, and heartbreaking.”

1. According to the passage, Hazel Mayfield is ________.

A．helpful and kind-hearted	B．stubborn and enthusiastic
C．talented and instructive	D．grateful and sensitive

2. The underlined word in paragraph 4 can be best replaced by ________.

A．fascinated by	B．upset about
C．ignorant of	D．embarrassed at

3. What can we infer from what Sanders said in the last paragraph?

A．Children are too young to understand the situation.

B．Children are always careless on Thanksgiving Day.

C．It’s tough to help children overcome their problems.

D．Adults should show patience when talking with kids.

4. What do we know about the effect of COVID-19 according to the passage?

A．People are cutting down holiday celebration expenses.

B．People are trying hard to get together to have more fun.

C．People have to make changes in their lifestyle to stay safe.

D．People have put more emphasis on the traditional customs.

7 . The first thing we notice about new people are their faces. The next time we see these people, we remember them because we remember their faces. This seems like a simple process. However, scientists found that it is not such a simple process. The section of the brain that is responsible for face recognition seems to work differently for different people. Some people have great difficulty remembering and recognizing faces, while others almost never forget a face.

Normal babies are born with a natural ability to recognize faces. In fact, their face recognition abilities are much better than their parents. Babies are highly skilled at face recognition at six months. But by nine months, they lose this skill, By nine months, a baby’s face-recognition skills are about the same as an adult’s.

Unfortunately, some people are not born with this ability to recognize faces. The part of the brain that is responsible for face recognition doesn’t work for them. This condition is called face blindness. People with very severe face blindness cannot even recognize their own faces. In fact, people with this condition can sometimes be frightened when they look in the mirror. They don’t recognize their own face, so for a second they are startled when they see this unfamiliar face.

Face blindness is not always severe. Scientists believe up to 10 percent of the population may be affected by face blindness to some degree, yet many people with mild face blindness might not even know they have it. They have no reason to know they are different from anyone else until someone points it out. This is similar to people with color blindness.

Colorblind people can’t see the difference between certain colors such as red and green, until someone tells them that green and red are two different colors.

There is no cure for face blindness. So for the time being. people with face blindness need to find simple techniques to compensate for their problem. They can try to recognize people by their hairstyle, their voice, or their glasses. Hopefully, in the future as scientists learn more about this condition, they will find a cure.

1. The first paragraph is mainly about ____________.

A．the way to improve one’s face-recognition skills

B．the fact that some people have face-recognition problems

C．the simple process of the brain to recognize others’ faces

D．the importance of face recognition in human communication

2. When do people have the keen skills of face-recognition?

A．At birth.	B．In adolescence.
C．Half a year old.	D．Nine months old.

3. The bold word “startled” in the 3rd paragraph is closes in meaning to _______________.

A．confused	B．surprised
C．excited	D．depressed

4. What does the author think of the problem of face blindness?

A．People need to take it seriously.	B．It affects a great number of people.
C．It can be cured in the near future.	D．Certain techniques can make up for it.

8 . People worry that developments in Artificial Intelligence, or A.I., will bring about a point in history when A. I. overtakes human intelligence, leading to an unimaginable revolution in human affairs. Or they wonder whether instead of our controlling artificial intelligence, it will control us.

The situation may not arise for hundreds of years to come, but this doesn’t mean we have nothing to worry about. On the contrary, The A. I. products that now exist are improving faster than most people realize and promise to fundamentally transform our world, not always for the better. They are only tools, not a competing form of intelligence. But they will reshape what work means and how wealth is created.

Unlike the Industrial Revolution and the Computer Revolution, the A. I. revolution is not taking certain jobs and replacing them with other jobs. Instead, it is believed to cause a wide - scale elimination of jobs -- mostly lower - paying jobs, but some higher - paying ones, too.

This transformation will result in enormous profits for the companies that develop A.I., as well as for the companies that adopt it. We are thus facing two developments that do not sit easily together; enormous wealth concentrated in relatively few hands and enormous numbers of people out of work. What is to be done?

Part of the answer will involve educating or retraining people in tasks A.I. tools aren’t good at. Artificial intelligence is poorly suited for jobs involving creativity, planning and “cross - field” thinking. But these skills are typically required by high - paying jobs that may be hard to retrain displaced workers to do. More promising are lower - paying jobs involving the “people skills” that A.I. lacks: social workers, barmen, doormen -- professions requiring human interaction. But how many barmen does a society really need?

The solution to the problem of mass unemployment will involve “service jobs of love.” These are jobs that A. I. cannot do, that society needs and that give people a sense of purpose. Examples include accompanying an older person to visit a doctor, helping at an orphanage and serving as a sponsor at charity organization. The volunteer service jobs of today, in other words, may turn into the real jobs of the future.

Other volunteer jobs may be higher - paying and professional, such as compassionate medial service providers. In all cases, people will be able to choose to work fewer hours than they do now.

1. In what aspect is the

A．I. revolution different from the Industrial or the Computer revolution? A. The A.I. revolution will finally become one beyond human’s control.

B．A. I. is believed to lead to a point in history when it takes over human intelligence.

C．Higher - paying jobs will take the place of lower-paying ones in the A.I. revolution.

D．It may bring about mass unemployment to matter how much employees are paid.

2. The underlined word “promising” in paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to _______.

A．promotional	B．demanding
C．guaranteed	D．potential

3. What does the author suggest in the face of the A.I. revolution?

A．It is sensible to encourage people to take volunteer jobs.

B．People should be instructed to do less demanding jobs.

C．The problem of job loss can be solved by creating lower-paying jobs.

D．Jobs requiring knowledge in different fields are suitable for displaced workers.

4. Which of the following may serve as the best title of the passage?

A．The A.I. Revolution Creates New Job Opportunities.

B．Challenges the A. I. Revolution Brings to Job Market.

C．A Double - edged Sword: the A.I. Revolution.

D．Interrelationship between A.I. and Unemployment.

9 . 5G, the fifth generation of wireless, promises lightning-fast download speeds and could lay foundation for high-tech advancements like self-driving cars. But like many new technologies, it's causing concern about potential health issues.

The first generation of wireless introduced mobile phones, and 2G brought texting. 3G laid the groundwork for smart-phones, and 4G allowed video streaming and more. 5G is expected to download data 20 times faster than its predessor(前任)，and some experts argue it could be much faster.

Too much of a good thing?

It's not just about streaming data faster, it's about streaming more of it. On a 5G network, a user can download a movie instantly, and data will flow between connected objects without delay. The amount of data people use on mobile devices has gone up 40 times since 2010 and is only expected to increase. 5G networks are wireless companies attempts to satisfy that demand.

Uncertain effects

The untested nature of 5G, and the extensiveness of its infrastructure( 基础设施） has some   worried   that   the   increased   exposure   could   have   serious   health   effects.   Wireless   safety advocates（倡议人士）have called for more studies on the effects of the exposure, and one group is trying to stop the installment of 5G networks in Chicago's neighborhoods.

The federal government has safety rules that wireless companies must obey that limit human exposure to radio waves, including frequencies uses with 5G.

Wireless industry association CTIA says typical exposure to 5G infrastructure is comparable to Bluetooth devices and baby monitors, and there is no scientific evidence   of negative health effects.

Still, assurances from government agencies and industry operators are not enough for Chicago resident Judy Blake. Additional studies on 5G’s health impacts likely wouldn’t soothe her either. She said, “People can't choose whether or not to be exposed to this radiation.”

“I don’t need another test. The only test that’s going to happen now is people’s lives,” said Blake, 67.

Only time will tell?

Though little is known about the long-term health impact of the millimeter waves that 5G operates on, some research has shown short-term exposure could be problematic, said Joel Moskowitz, a public health expert at the University of California at Berkeley.

The eyes and sweat glands(腺体）are among several body parts studies have shown could be at risk. Moskowitz said. Insects and plant life could also be affected, he added.

The millimeter waves used in SG are absorbed by the upper layers of skin, potentially causing the temperature of the skin to rise, said Suresh Borkar, senior lecturer in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology. The effects of extended rises in skin temperature “become a big unknown,” he said.

This isn't the first time people will come into contact with millimeter waves: They're also used in airport body scanners, said Lav Varshney, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Still, it's the first time the high- frequency waves will he used on such a scale, and concerns surrounding new technologies are common throughout history.

“When cars first started replacing horse-drawn carriages, people were afraid of what the health impacts of traveling at high speeds would be,” Varshney said. “There has always been occurrence of this fear.”

1. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．5G is faster but not safe to human beings.

B．5G features faster and more in transiting.

C．5G can meet people's any demand in theory.

D．5G just makes little impact on people's health.

2. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Millimeter waves certainly affect people's health seriously

B．Millimeter waves will cause the skin’s temperature to rise.

C．It's obvious that many scientists object to 5G technology.

D．It's hard to say whether millimeter waves do damage to health.

3. The word soothe in the last but 7 paragraphs most probably means ______ .

A．to make somebody feel calm or less worried.

B．to make somebody feel happy or more excited.

C．to make somebody feel disappointed or less satisfaction

D．to make somebody feel inspired or more energetic.

4. The best title for this passage is ______.

A．5G’s Advantages and Disadvantages

B．The Development of Wireless

C．5G Health Concern

D．5G Future Prediction

10 . On August 29th, as Hurricane Dorian tracked towards America’s east coast, Elon Musk, the boss of Tesla, an electric-car maker, announced that some of his customers in the storm’s path would find that their cars had suddenly developed the ability to drive farther on a single battery charge. Like many modern vehicles, Mr. Musk’s products are best thought of as internet-connected computers on wheels. The cheaper models in Tesla’s line-up have parts of their batteries disabled by the car’s software in order to limit their range. At the tap of a keyboard in Palo Alto, the firm was able to remove those restrictions and give drivers temporary access to the full power of their batteries.

Mr. Musk’s computerized cars are just one example of a much broader trend. As computers and connectivity become cheaper, it makes sense to bake them into more and more things that are not, in themselves, computers, creating an “internet of things”.

Such a world will bring many benefits. Consumers will get convenience, and products that can do things non-computerized versions cannot. Businesses will get efficiency, as information about the physical world that used to be uncertain becomes concrete and analyzable.

In the long term, though, the most obvious effects will be in how the world works. Ever more companies will become tech companies; the internet will become everywhere. As a result, a series of unresolved arguments will spill over from the virtual world into the real one.

Start with ownership. As Mr Musk showed, the internet gives firms the ability to stay connected to their products even after they have been sold, transforming them into something closer to services than goods. That has already made the traditional ideas of ownership unclear. When Microsoft closed its ebook store in July, for instance, its customers lost the ability to read titles they had bought (the firm offered refunds). That shifts the balance of power from the customer to the seller.

Virtual business models will jar in the physical world. Tech firms are generally happy to move fast and break things. But you cannot release the beta version (测试版) of a fridge. Apple, a smartphonemaker, provides updates for its phones for only five years or so after their release; users of Android smartphones are lucky to get two. But goods such as washing machines or industrial machinery can have lifespans of a decade or more. Firms will need to work out how to support complicated computerised devices long after their original programmers have moved on.

Data will be another flashpoint. For much of the internet the business model is to offer “free” services that are paid for with valuable user data, collected with consent (同意) that is half-informed at best. In the virtual world, arguments about what should be tracked, and who owns the resulting data, can seem airy and theoretical. In the real one, they will feel more urgent.

Predicting the consequences of any technology is hard — especially one as universal as computing. The emergence of the consumer internet, 25 years ago, was met with starry-eyed optimism. These days the internet’s faults dominate the headlines. But the people have the advantage of having lived through the first internet revolution — which should give them some idea of what to expect.

1. From the passage we can tell that Tesla can ______.

A．drive faster than usual in extreme weather	B．adjust the range of its battery power
C．charge the battery at the tap of a keyboard	D．operate when the battery is fully drained

2. Which of the following is NOT an example of the “unresolved arguments” mentioned in the passage?

A．Early adopters of certain apps find that they ceased to work after the firm lost interest.

B．The insurance company uses data from fitness trackers to adjust customers’ premiums(保费).

C．Computerized machinery can’t predict its breakdowns or schedule preventive maintenance.

D．A high-tech fridge company restricts its customers from repairing their fridges themselves.

3. The underlined word jar probably means _______ in this context.

A．boom

B．conflict

C．vanish

D．expand

4. This passage is mainly about _______.

A．how the world will change as computers spread into everyday objects

B．the adoption of electric vehicles and the possible problems to expect

C．what should be done to prevent the breakdown of computerized devices

D．different views on the current application of Internet Technology