1 . Google's new camera, called Clips, is a small, smart device. It comes with a case that has a clip (夹子) , but it's not designed to be worn on your clothing. Most interestingly, it uses artificial intelligence to take photography out of your hands so it can capture moments on its own.
This roughly 2-inch by 2-inch camera, with a three-hour battery life and Gorilla Glass for toughness, is intended for candid moments, like when a child does something cute that may happen too quickly for you to pull out your smartphone.
Onboard the Clips device, it uses machine learning algorithms (计算程序) to help capture scenes. Those algorithms include face recognition. "Once it learns that there's a face you see frequently, it'll try to get nice photos of those faces," said Juston Payne, the device's product manager. And they also want it to recognize facial expressions, which involved "training it to know what happiness looks like". The Google team also trained it to recognize what not to shoot—like when a child's hand is over the lens, or if it is tossed in a dark purse.
The only way to see the images is by connecting the camera with your phone, as it has no screen for viewing or editing.
Were people concerned it could seem strange? Yes, Payne admitted. But they said they addressed that by making it obvious what it is. A green light on the front signals that it is on. Besides, unlike a camera meant to monitor your home, it is not connected to the Internet.
"This product is only possible because of the way that silicon has advanced" Payne said, noting that it was only in the past year or so that they could squeeze the technology down into a device this size. Going forward, we're likely to get more assistance from the artificial intelligence packed into our apps and gadgets.
1. What is the most outstanding feature of Clips?| A．It is equipped with tough glass. |
| B．It enables easy Internet access. |
| C．It allows of hands-free photography. |
| D．It can be worn on your clothing. |
| A．brief. | B．touching. |
| C．unforgettable. | D．embarrassing. |
| A．The popularity of the Internet. |
| B．The advance in technology. |
| C．The rise of the smartphone industry. |
| D．The reduction in the price of lens. |
| A．A New Digital Camera from Google. |
| B．New Gadgets in the Age of Apps. |
| C．Artificial Intelligence in Everyday Life. |
| D．An Alternative Way to Photograph. |
2 . Around this time a few years ago, it was common to see videos of friends on social media having a bucket of icy water thrown on them. Known as the “ice bucket challenge”, it was created as a way to raise money for the medical condition ALS. But now, there’s a new challenge and this time, no water is involved.
What is it? Well, think of a fruit that you’d never normally sink your teeth into. Perhaps you’ve got it: a lemon. While we enjoy using lemons to add flavor to dishes, very few of us would actually eat one as we’d eat an apple or an orange.
But the horrible taste is the precise reason why the “lemon face challenge” is taking off. Participants bite into a lemon, taking a selfie as they do it before posting the photo online. The fun is all about expression people make as all that citric acid（柠檬酸）hits their taste buds（味蕾）. Every expression seems to say, “This is worse than freezing water.”
The serious side to this trend is the good cause it’s all in aid of. The challenge aims to raise awareness of a rare brain cancer that affects young children. It was started by Aubregh Nicholas, an 11-year-old US kid. She was diagnosed with this rare brain cancer herself in September 2017, but has since raised almost $50000 to cover her medical expenses thanks to the challenge.
If a challenge is going to raise publicity and contributions from people, it has to be something interesting and original. That way the ice bucket challenge took off in 2014 and it explains why so many people are now sharing their lemon faces. There are a lot of stories about the downside of social media these days. The charity challenges, however, show how online culture can unite the world and bring help to the people who most need it.
1. Why is the icy bucket challenge mentioned in the article?| A．to show how charity gained its popularity online. |
| B．to introduce a similar challenge that raises money for charity. |
| C．to attract people’s attention to a rare disease. |
| D．to prove its popularity around the world. |
| A．It raises more money than ever before. |
| B．It is started by the people who suffer rare diseases. |
| C．It brings people together easily and quickly. |
| D．It causes little doubt among people . |
| A．go away suddenly | B．become successful and popular |
| C．remove your clothes | D．take a break |
| A．positive | B．indifferent |
| C．negative | D．ambiguous |
3 . In modern society there is a great deal of argument about competition. Some value it highly, believing that it is responsible for social progress and prosperity. Others say that competition is bad; that it sets one person against another; that it leads to unfriendly relationship between people.
I have taught many children who held the belief that their selfworth relied on how well they performed at tennis and other skills. For them, playing well and winning are often lifeanddeath affairs. In their singleminded pursuit of success, the development of many other human qualities is sadly forgotten.
However, while some seem to be lost in the desire to succeed, others take an opposite attitude. In a culture which values only the winner and pays no attention to the ordinary players, they strongly blame competition. Among the most vocal are youngsters who have suffered under competitive pressures from their parents or society. Teaching these young people, I often observe in them a desire to fail. They seem to seek failure by not trying to win or achieve success. By not trying, they always have an excuse: “I may have lost, but it doesn't matter because I really didn't try.” What is not usually admitted by themselves is the belief that if they had really tried and lost, that would mean a lot. Such a loss would be a measure of their worth. Clearly, this belief is the same as that of the true competitors who try to prove themselves. Both are based on the mistaken belief that one's selfrespect relies on how well one performs in comparison with others. Both are afraid of not being valued. Only as this basic and often troublesome fear begins to dissolve can we discover a new meaning in competition.
1. What does this passage mainly talk about?| A．Competition helps to set up selfrespect. |
| B．Opinions about competition are different among people. |
| C．Competition is harmful to personal quality development. |
| D．Failures are necessary experiences in competition. |
| A．those who try their best to win |
| B．those who value competition most highly |
| C．those who are against competition most strongly |
| D．those who rely on others most for success |
| A．One's worth lies in his performance compared with others'. |
| B．One's success in competition needs great efforts. |
| C．One's achievement is determined by his particular skills. |
| D．One's success is based on how hard he has tried. |
| A．Every effort should be paid back. |
| B．Fear of failure should be removed in competition. |
| C．Winning should be a lifeanddeath matter. |
| D．Competition should be encouraged. |
4 . We don’t know when and where the next earthquake will hit. But we do know the importance of safety and preparation. The only way to be ready for the unexpected is to prepare ahead of time. It’s especially important if you live in earthquake zones. So here are some important steps to build your own Earthquake Action Plan.
1. Talk to your friends and families and decide on a place to meet if you’re separated after an earthquake.
2. Make an emergency（紧急情况）communication plan in case cell towers or phone lines are down. You can also ask relatives or friends outside your area to be your contacts.
3. Locate a safe place in every room of your house and discuss with your families the safest places to be during an earthquake. Remember, if you’re：
a. Inside, get under something heavy like a study table or against an inside wall and cover your head.
b. Outside, stay away from buildings and get out into the open.
c. In your car, stop and stay in your seat. If you’re stopped near a building or under an overpass（天桥），try to safely move away from it.
4. Store first-aid kits（急救箱）anywhere you spend a lot of time（house, car, workplace, etc. ）.
5. Pack plenty of batteries, flashlights, and bottles of water to prepare for power outages and water shortages.
6. Review your home’s important systems（electrical, gas, water, etc. ）and know how to operate them or shut them off in an emergency.
Although they’re somewhat unusual, earthquakes are incredibly terrible, overwhelming, and unpredictable forces of nature. But with some knowledge and preparation, we can mitigate risks and do the best we can to keep ourselves and our families safe.
1. Paragraph 1 mainly shows it’s very important to ______.| A．know the use of an Earthquake Action Plan |
| B．know when an earthquake will come |
| C．stay away from earthquake zones |
| D．prepare for an earthquake |
| A．that are very safe |
| B．where you often stay |
| C．that are under something heavy |
| D．that your friends and families know |
| A．deciding where to meet with others after an earthquake |
| B．making sure that you have contacts out your area |
| C．practicing how to escape with your families |
| D．finding safe places in your house |
| A．Lower. | B．Avoid. |
| C．Stop. | D．Treat |
5 . Apple and Microsoft each launched new products. One company astonished everyone. The other made people sleepy. Can you guess which was which? You probably guessed wrong. Because Apple, famous for its creative products, was the tech giant whose new product caused a collective shrug. While Microsoft, which stole a move out of the Apple Playbook, won cheers from high-end, creative-class consumers like business analysts, media designers and music producers.
As Hayley Tsukayama remarked at The Washington Post, the Surface Studio, one of Microsoft's new products, is really just a super-sized version of the Surface Books product that Microsoft has been selling for years. But if you've ever watched science fiction movies like Minority Report-- where Tom Cruise seems to operate pictures and data hanging on mid-air by touching them, spreading his fingers to increase on details, and sending files and information sliding from one folder to another with a click of the finger, you can see how Microsoft is trying to show the same experience.
Meanwhile, apple's new products were almost like some fine promotions for its Apple TV. They boast that the new Macbook Pro has a smaller size and more functions, and a new touch screen bar on laptop keyboards where function keys used to be.
So what's going on? In many ways, Apple is focusing on attracting the average consumers who have been attracted by Microsoft. And Microsoft is focusing on targeting the high-end professionals Apple has historically been associated with. You can even see this is the companies' ad campaigns: Microsoft's ads stress imagination and creativity, while Apple’s commercial chief performance and convenience of its Macbooks.
So Apple is trying to control the world of devices and laptops from the top down, starting with the high-end market and moving on to appeal to a broader base of consumers. Microsoft, having already strengthened itself within the bigger low-end market, is now attempting the opposite with a bottom-up strategy. Will they succeed? Time will tell...
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．Apple's products aim at high-end consumers. |
| B．Microsoft's new products made a big hit. |
| C．Apple and Microsoft developed the same products. |
| D．The design of Microsoft's products is original and unique. |
| A．To show Microsoft’s new products are inspired by the movie. |
| B．To tell us Microsoft's new products can be used in movies. |
| C．To encourage more people to see the science fiction movie. |
| D．To show how trendy Microsoft’s new products are. |
| A．to complain | B．to inform |
| C．to announce | D．to brag |
| A．Economics and Business. | B．Leisure and Entertainment. |
| C．Culture and Education. | D．Life and Fashion. |
6 . President Bush got a firsthand look at the heavily damaged Pentagon complex (五角大楼), where a hijacked (被劫持的) American Airlines Flight 77 crashed and exploded on Tuesday morning. First lady Laura Bush, visited doctors, nurses and victims of the attack at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
“It makes me sad on the one hand,” the president told rescue workers. “It also makes me angry. Our country will, however, not be cowed by terrorists.”
Before the president's tour, firefighters had finally put out the fires and put a huge American flag near the broken wing of the building to welcome him. Rescue workers searching the remains of the damaged wing all but lost hope of finding any survivors. Officials now estimate the number of dead or missing in the Pentagon at 200.
“The deadly attacks, which were carried out yesterday against our country, were more than acts of terror. They were acts of war,” Bush said. “This will require our country to unite in determination and resolve (决心).”
1. When did Bush pay his visit to Pentagon after the September 11 attacks?| A．On Monday. | B．On Tuesday. |
| C．On Wednesday. | D．On Thursday. |
| A．Frightened. | B．Attacked. |
| C．Worried. | D．Puzzled. |
| A．an interview of president Bush on the spot |
| B．a review of Tuesday morning’s attack towards USA |
| C．a report on the president’s tour to Pentagon |
| D．an editorial (社论) of the terrorist attack |
7 . Have you ever noticed that after about 6 months your perfectly new 1,000 dollar smartphone begins to slow down? What if I told you that it’s a sales strategy that pretty much all phone companies use to force people into buying new phones?
In late 2015，when Lisa Young was in charge of iOS security and beta software testing teams, her boss revealed a dark secret to her, saying that they were using a new strategy that would purposely slow down older phones every time the phone would upgrade to the latest operating system. This new method would force customers to buy the latest phone model, increasing sales by 70％.
She was a little disturbed to hear the news，but she just kept her head down and continued to do her job. After a while, the guilt of being involved with such a shady sales model started to weigh heavy on her. “How could a multi-billion dollar corporation continue to take advantage of the public like this?” she thought. In March of 2017, she contacted a reporter from CNN to finally leak the information concerning Apple slowing down phones.
The scandal (丑闻) went viral overnight，and every media outlet in the world, in every language was talking about it, making it one of the biggest controversies in consumer electronics history. A week later, she was secretly let go after her 8 years of service. Although she was taking a huge risk going against one of the most powerful corporations in the world, she felt a sense of relief exposing them. The public deserved to know and the fear became her motivation to find a way to destroy their shady sales model.
Several of her colleagues were fired with her. They quietly united，and after a year of extensive research they designed a unique product called CircaCharge that would reverse the negative effects of “software updates”. Phone companies have recently caught wind of their overnight success with CircaCharge and are trying to do everything they can to make this product illegal and ban it forever. Lisa and her team have made unbelievable progress in increasing battery life, battery health, and optimizing phone performance, and they will continue to develop new technology that will beat phone companies at their own game until they change their ways.
1. What can we learn about the new method mentioned in paragraph 2 ?| A．It is essential in the 1atest operating system． |
| B．It benefits users in upgrading their old phone． |
| C．It fool s customers into buying the latest model on purpose． |
| D．It is a successful sales strategy for advertising new soft wares． |
| A．Lowered her head． |
| B．Nodded to show approval． |
| C．Pretended to know something． |
| D．Tried not to show she knows something． |
| A．it's too tough for Lisa and her team to increase battery life |
| B．CircaCharge helps phone companies with software updates |
| C．Lisa struggles to force phone companies to change their current ways |
| D．phone companies find it essential to ban their illegal software for updating |
8 . An earthquake is one of the most common natural disasters. It may cause great damage. So it is wise to learn some simple safety tips to protect yourself or your family members.
Fragile items, like those made of glass are easily broken and should usually be placed on a lower surface, near the ground instead of placing them on cupboards higher up. Never place them near your bed, sofas and other furniture where you would be sitting or lying down. When there is a strong movement, these pieces will fall on the floor directly and not on you.
There is a strong chance of short circuits (短路) and fire breakouts during an earthquake. Make sure you turn off electrical connections and gas immediately when an earthquake happens.
During an earthquake, lie beneath an object that is not easily damaged. Do not go near objects that could directly fall on you. Never use the elevator to go down. Stay inside until the shaking stops and it is safe to go outside. Research has shown that most injuries happen when people inside buildings try to go out. Use the stairs at all times.
If you are outdoors, do not take shelter under a tree, streetlights, electric poles or tall buildings. If you are driving, stop your car and stay in a safe place. Do not park your car under a tree or any tall object.
If trapped in debris (瓦砾堆), cover your mouth with a handkerchief or clothing. Tap on a pipe or wall so rescuers can find you. Use a whistle (哨子) if one is available. Never shout for help. Shouting can cause you to breathe in dangerous amounts of dust. Do not light a match because you may burn yourself. Do not move about or kick up dust.
1. The purpose of the passage is to tell readers _____.| A．the damage caused by earthquakes |
| B．the rescue work after earthquakes |
| C．what to do about earthquakes |
| D．how to prevent earthquakes |
| A．easily broken | B．easily found | C．expensive | D．heavy |
| A．go out the building at once |
| B．turn off electricity and gas immediately |
| C．take shelter under a tree |
| D．drive to a safe place quickly |
| A．Cover their mouth with a handkerchief. |
| B．Tap on a pipe or wall for help. |
| C．Use a whistle for help. |
| D．Light a match for help. |
9 . If you wear glasses, chances are you are smarter. Research published in the famous British journal Nature Communications has found that people who displayed higher levels of intelligence were almost 30 percent more likely to wear glasses.
The scientists studied the genes of thousands of people between the ages of 16 and 102.The study showed intelligence can be connected to physical characteristics. One characteristic was eyesight.In out of 10 people who were more intelligent, there was a higher chance they needed glasses. Scientists also said being smarter has better benefits. It is connected to better health.
It is important to remember these are connections which are not proven causes. Scientists call this correlation. Just because something is connected to something else does not mean one of those things caused the other. And it's worth noting that what constitutes intelligence is subjective and can be difficult, if not impossible, to measure.
Forget genes though. Plenty of proof shows wearing glasses makes people think you are more intelligent, even if you do not need glasses. A number of studies have found people who wear glasses are seen as smarter, hard working and honest. Many lawyers use this idea to help win their cases. Lawyer Harvey Slovis explained this. Glasses soften their appearance, he said. Sometimes there has been a huge amount of proof showing that people he was defending broke the law. He had them wear glasses and they weren't found guilty.
Glasses are also used to show someone is intelligent in movies and on TV. Ideas about people who wear glasses have begun to shift. People who do not need glasses sometimes wear them for fashion only. They want to look worldly or cool. But not everyone is impressed by this idea, though. GQ magazine said people who wear glasses for fashion are trying too hard to look smart and hip（时髦的）. However， that hasn’t stopped many celebrities from happily wearing glasses even if they do not need them. Justin Bieber is just one high-profile fan of fashion glasses.
1. What does the new study show?| A．People wearing glasses are smarter. |
| B．People wearing glasses are healthier. |
| C．Wearing glasses can make people cleverer. |
| D．Wearing glasses is associated with higher IQ. |
| A．Shift | B．Link |
| C．Proof | D．Consequence |
| A．Because it can create a moral image. |
| B．Because it can mislead the witnesses. |
| C．Because it can highlight clients’ qualities. |
| D．Because it can prove the clients' innocence. |
10 . Petrol and diesel (柴油）cars may still dominate our roads, but their days are numbered. A recent university study found that current electric cars could be used for 87 per cent of daily car journeys in the US. That figure could rise to 98 per cent by 2020.
One hurdle to the widespread adoption of electric cars has been ‘range anxiety’ — drivers’ concerns about running out of juice on a journey. While petrol stations are conveniently located across national road systems, the necessary network of electric charging stations is still being developed. That said, charging points are becoming increasingly common throughout the USA.
Attitudes towards electric vehicles have changed quite considerably over the last few years. Not that long ago, electric cars were met with distrust, and their large price tags（标签） drove customers away. Thanks to improvements in battery capacity, recharging times, performance and price, the current generation of electric cars are starting to persuade critics. Plug-in cars will soon give internal combustion（燃料） engine models a run for their money.
As well as advancements on the road, electric vehicles are taking to the seas and skies. Electric boats are among the oldest methods of electric travel, having enjoyed several decades of popularity from the late 19th to the early 20th century before petrol-powered outboard motors took over. Now, the global drive for renewable energy sources is bringing electric boats back. Steps towards electric air travel are also being made, with Airbus and NASA among the organizations developing and testing battery powered planes. The experiments could soon make commercial electric flight a reality.
Electric vehicles do not produce any emissions. Were the US to act on the study’s findings and replace 87 per cent of its cars with electric vehicles, it would reduce the national demand for petrol by 61 per cent. However, because of the production processes and the generation of electricity required to charge these vehicles, they cannot claim to be completely emission-free. That said, as many countries continue to increase their use of renewable energy sources, electric vehicles will become even cleaner.
1. Which is the best title for this passage?| A．My Dream Car | B．History of Electric Cars |
| C．Problems with Petrol Cars | D．Driving into the Future |
| A．aim | B．barrier |
| C．consequence | D．step |
| A．They were expensive. |
| B．They were very poorly made. |
| C．They were not widely promoted. |
| D．They couldn’t travel at a high speed. |
| A．To introduce the history of electric travel. |
| B．To explain why the world needs more electric cars. |
| C．To show why more people have interest in electric cars. |
| D．To describe different ways electric vehicles can be used. |
