1 . Robots have certain advantages compared to humans. They are efficient, tireless, can be repaired when damaged and they never get sick. The last quality has made them the star during our fight against the COVID-19. While thousands of medical workers have fallen ill dealing with this highly infectious virus (病毒) and a lot more have to stay at home for fear of getting the disease, this isn’t a problem for robots. This is why the COVID-19 outbreak is seen as the “tipping point” for robots to start to replace humans in certain jobs.
In hospitals, robots are used to perform high-risk tasks. In China, for example, a hotel in Hangzhou employed a robot to deliver food to people under quarantine (隔离). In Spain, robots are about to be used to test people for the coronavirus (冠状病毒).
In non-medical companies, robots are also replacing human employees since they don’t have the problem of the social distancing and will never take sick leave. Fast-food chains like McDonald’s are not only delivering food with robots in some areas, but also looking to use them as cooks and servers. Walmart and Amazon, for example, where robots are already used in packing and shipping, are planning to increase the number of robots in these areas.
But this sudden boom in robot demand doesn’t mean that they can replace humans successfully in every aspect. According to Bill Smart, a roboticist at Oregon State University, the human contact between doctors and patients is still important. Doctors comfort the patients and guide them through hard decisions while robots are only doing daily tasks, like cleaning and giving tests.
It might be true that robots have certain advantages over humans, but they are still secondary to human’s communication and emotion.
1. Which of the following is not the advantage of robots over human beings?A.They never fall ill. |
B.They are efficient in work. |
C.They can offer the best emotion support. |
D.They can be repaired when damaged. |
A.To explain robots are more intelligent than humans. |
B.To prove robots have social ability wherever they are. |
C.To prove McDonald’s and Walmart are famous in the world. |
D.To explain how robots replace humans in non-medical companies. |
A.The demand for robots is too great to meet. |
B.Human interaction is essential in many aspects. |
C.Doctors can make more accurate judgement than robots. |
D.Robots would replace humans in the future. |
A.The Tireless Robots |
B.People’s Objection to Robots |
C.Robots Aid in Coronavirus Fight |
D.Robots Will Replace Humans |
2 . On March 14, 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic (新冠疫情) forced 57th Street Books, in Chicago, to close its doors. The store wouldn’t reopen for nearly a year and a half. During that time, director Jeff Deutsch was worried. Customers couldn’t come to the shop. His main advantage over online business had gone overnight.
Deutsch said he and his team were lucky. Customers stepped up. They offered gifts and support. “There was something very beautiful in the way our community came together,” he said. “We really supported one another’s businesses,”
Similar stories played out over the past two years in cities and towns around the country. Though independent bookstores were forced to close during the pandemic, many found ways to connect with and help their community.
Anne Holman is co-owner of the King’s English Bookshop. It’s in Salt Lake City, Utah. She said the store put books outside for reading and started doing a lot of events online. Other stores set up bookselling hotlines, and improved their tools for e-business.
Some bookstores did events that went more than bookselling. They offered COVID testing. They collected food for people in need. “Having an independent bookstore in your community is almost like a town square,” said Samira Ahmed, an author of books for young adults. “It’s an important place to build community.”
11-year-old Adele Sorkin, a fan of 57th Street Books, is on its Young Readers Advisory Board. Members receive early copies of books in exchange for writing reviews. “I think of the bookstore as a cookie jar (罐子),” Adele says. “It’s something special and fun that is always there for you.” Jeff Deutsch sees a bright future. “If we reimagine bookstores and do our best to support them,” he says, “then bookstores can thrive (兴盛).”
1. Why did Jeff Deutsch feel lucky?A.A smart team had been built. | B.He could shop on the Internet. |
C.Customers gave him a hand. | D.Online business grew overnight. |
A.How they sold books to the young. | B.When they built a town square. |
C.Why they helped people in need. | D.What they did for the community. |
A.She dreams of running a business. | B.She praises the 57th Street Books. |
C.She often brings cookies with her. | D.She tries to write a short story. |
A.They will mostly offer COVID testing. |
B.Their advantage has turned into nothing. |
C.They could take the place of e-business. |
D.Their growth is tied to the community. |
1.安慰Tom;
2.提出你的解决方法和建议;
注意:1.词数100左右,开头结尾已给出,不计入总词数;
2.可以适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
Dear Tom,
I have received your letter and
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Yours,
Li Hua
4 . As the COVID-19 appeared, many people’s life changed.
At the beginning of March 2020, Boylan, a professor of Medicine Jon Bae, went from working onsite to being another role as a health economic analyst(分析家) of Duke University Health System. And a month into the pandemic(流行病), his daughter, Elora, was born. The past two years drew Boylan closer to his wife, Katie, “During the time of the pandemic, I am not one of those people who have time to learn how to bake bread or anything,” Boylan said. “I think, in terms of personal growth, I have learned much about how to live a happy life.”
By October of 2020, the pandemic had lasted for several months, and Melanie Thomas was feeling down. “How do I have a rich and full life during this special time and keep a positive attitude?” Thomas asked herself. She decided that she needed a goal that she could work out until the world opened up. For the next several months, Thomas began running, working out at a socially distant gym, and walked as much as she could every day. While the trip to Nepal was the goal, the exercise to prepare for it became a central piece of herself-care routine.
A few weeks ago, Mary Atkinson began spending the remaining daylight after work setting up a garden in the yard of her Greensboro home. She as well as her two-year-olds on, West, often played there with the sand and his toy truck. “This is something that never happened before the pandemic, and it gives much happiness to us,” said Atkinson.
During the pandemic, John Carbuccia, instead of eating lunch out or grabbing meals in the university canteen, found himself eating homemade breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Scrambled eggs with vegetables or simply prepared salmon fillets are some of his current favorites. And without having to rush to the company, he walks and runs around his neighborhood before and after work at home.
1. How was Boylan affected by the pandemic?A.He became a cooking master. |
B.His income turned to be uncertain. |
C.He lost his job. |
D.He had a better understanding of living happily. |
A.She visited Nepal. | B.She lost weight. |
C.She did exercise. | D.She learned online. |
A.It saved much space for storing sand. | B.It provided comfortable office space. |
C.It offered a good environment for sports, | D.It improved the parent-child relationship. |
A.The features of working from home. |
B.Tips on how to fight against the pandemic. |
C.The change of people’s life during the pandemic. |
D.An experiment in studying the meaning of life. |
According to American news, a new study has found that the risk of
The study examined U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs data
“Reinfection with COVID-19 increases the risk of
Reinfected patients had a
6 . During the COVID-19 pandemic (流行病), some people found their exercise was greatly reduced. However, it was an attraction for others to increase their physical activity. With the change of working from home, some physical activity was reduced. People took this newly freed up time as a chance to add exercise to their day, with online fitness programs and health apps (应用软件) reporting an increase.
However, the early drive to exercise appears to have been short-lived for many, with a study comparing activity levels between the first and second waves of COVID-19 in Victoria finding most people reported a reduction in their physical activity levels the second time around because of a shortage of encouragement. A study found that COVID-19 has reduced physical activity and increased sedentary (久坐不动的) behavior, and the effects could be lasting.
Continuing concerns about COVID-19 have led to carefulness about returning to public spaces such as gyms. But also, with many people changing their exercise habits and setting up home gyms during the pandemic, it’s become much more convenient to exercise at home. It’s clear for many of us that COVID-19 changed how and how much we exercise. But the changes don’t necessarily have to be for the worse.
People who changed to online workouts (锻炼), fitness apps and home gyms during the pandemic said their exercise was less satisfying, less enjoyable and they felt less active com-pared with doing exercise in gyms. Besides the physical effects, people reported missing the social communication, friendship, and being avoidable of the gym. In-person classes also offer the advantages of management and instruction, which can help make sure workouts are completed safely and effectively.
However, online workouts, fitness apps and near-home workouts are likely here to stay, and offer many advantages, such as no need to travel to the gym and convenience, making it easy to fit in a workout while working and shouldering family responsibilities.
1. How do some people add exercise to their day during the pandemic?A.By returning to public places. | B.By driving to a lonely park. |
C.By turning to the Internet. | D.By taking face-to-face classes. |
A.People have changed exercise habits. | B.People like to build their home gym. |
C.People strongly wish to exercise. | D.People refuse to go back to public gyms. |
A.The disadvantages of exercising at home. |
B.The way to exercise during the pandemic. |
C.The examples of good exercise at home. |
D.The reasons for people changing home exercise. |
A.It is difficult. | B.It is worrying. |
C.It is challenging. | D.It is helpful. |
7 . The past two years has been tough for so many people. There’s been a mix of worry and annoyance due to COVID-19. And with the pandemic being still threatening, people are continuing to struggle and in need of a smile.
With this in mind, we wanted to share the story of Jaden Hayes, whose take on sadness and anxiety is totally refreshing.
When Jaden Hayes was only 4 years old, his dad passed away. Two years later his mom died in her sleep. “I tried and tried to get her awake — but I couldn’t,” the orphan (孤儿) explained in an interview. However, in his grief he realized how difficult it was for him to see others around him feeling sad. So he wanted to do something to make them smile. With the help of his aunt and guardian at the time, Barbara DiCola, he went and bought lots of little toys to hand out to passers-by in Savannah, Georgia, whose spirits needed to be raised.
All little Jaden Hayes wants in return is to make people smile. Unsurprisingly, his efforts have worked! “It’s like absolute joy came out of this child, and the more people he made smile, the more this light shone,” explained his aunt. While he readily admitted that he was still sad about his mother’s death, the smile mission had given him a sense of purpose.
Now, a few years later, Jaden is still keeping up his good work. His Facebook page, Jaden’s Journey, describes how this young “smile maker” is still bringing joy to others.
His initial aim was to make 33,000 people smile through his kind deeds, but by spreading his story we’re pretty sure he’s managed to inspire many more smiles, and perhaps a few tears.
1. What is the probable meaning of the underlined word “take” in paragraph 2?A.Influence. | B.Investigation. | C.Suggestion. | D.Opinion. |
A.He gives toys to anyone passing by. |
B.He wants people around him to be happy. |
C.He forgets the pain of his mother’s death. |
D.He does his good work without expecting anything in return. |
A.To encourage people to cheer up. |
B.To call on people to do good things. |
C.To stress the effect of COVID-19 on people. |
D.To praise those who make people smile. |
A.A Time Full of Grief |
B.Ways Out of Sadness |
C.An Orphan Who Spreads Joy |
D.Kindness That Requires No Return |
8 . During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people under lockdown feel lonely and bored. “There is a loneliness epidemic,” said John Dattilo from Pennsylvania State University, US.
So he, together with an international team of researchers, studied how to reduce loneliness and increase positive feelings during the pandemic.
According to their new study, reducing loneliness has something to do with doing enjoyable activities that require both concentration (注意力) and skill.
When people are absorbed in what they are doing, they enter a state called “flow”, Dattilo explained. “Flow can be achieved by doing activities that we value and that requires us to concentrate fully to use our skills.”
To achieve a state of flow, there must be a balance between the challenge of the task and your skill level. For example, if you’re trying to create a complex (复杂的) computer program but your skill level is low, then you’re likely to feel stressed instead of achieving “flow”. On the contrary (相反地), if the task is too easy, then boredom will set in and “flow” will not appear, either.
If you have artistic skills, for example, playing the piano or painting can lead to flow. So can things like skiing, writing and storytelling, depending on who you are.
“When we enter a state of flow, we become focused, and we experience momentary enjoyment,” Dattilo said. “When we leave a state of flow, we are often surprised by how much time has passed.” However, watching television usually doesn’t help people enter flow, according to Dattilo, because there aren’t any challenges.
“People tend to thrive (茁壮成长) on healthy activities and challenge,” said Dattilo. “We hope this research will help people live fuller, happier, healthier lives.”
1. What did Dattilo study?A.Why people feel lonely. | B.How to reduce loneliness. |
C.What enjoyable activities are. | D.Why people like a new challenge. |
A.They are lonely and bored. | B.They feel stressed and tired. |
C.They are concentrating and happy. | D.They feel time passes slowly. |
A.are good at | B.arc proud of |
C.are focused on | D.arc relaxed about |
A.Follow a healthy lifestyle. | B.Learn as many skills as possible. |
C.Complete impossible tasks. | D.Do something enjoyable and challenging. |
1.感谢关心; 2.学习情况; 3.你的感受。
注意:写作词数约为80字。
Dear Lucy,
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Yours,
Li Hua
10 . One of the luckiest things in life is that someone offers help when you are in need. Such warm stories happen these days in our city.
We’ve never depended on deliverymen for our daily needs so heavily as we do now, when we work from home to stop the spread of the COVID-19. Some of the deliverymen were afraid that they would not be able to come out to work the next day if they went home and found an overnight lockdown (封锁) in their communities. So they chose to sleep under overpasses (天桥) or on park benches. Photos of them sleeping in those outdoor places were put online. The next day, the government took action and offered them free places to live in either at hotels, at schools or at courier stations (快递站).
Another recent case that shows ordinary people are cared for was about a bun (面包) seller. The man left a message below a post on the Shenzhen Municipal Health Commission (市健康委员会)’s WeChat account. He said he had trouble running his store because of the recent spread of the COVID-19. Community workers in his area paid him a visit to see what they could do to help. On the night of the same day, the man received an unexpected large order from his community.
There is a long list of such small acts of kindness in almost every corner of the city. It tells us love and care is powerful to help us overcome the difficulties.
1. What does the underlined word “they” refer to?A.stories | B.companies | C.communities | D.deliverymen |
A.Their companies stopped them from going home. |
B.They would like to come out to work the next day. |
C.They wanted to stop the spread of the COVID-19. |
D.They discovered a lockdown in their communities. |
A.In hospitals. | B.At schools. |
C.Under overpasses. | D.On park benches. |
A.The community workers gave him a phone call. |
B.The community workers left a message to him. |
C.His community made an unexpected large order. |
D.His community offered him free places to live in. |
A.To tell us love and care can help us get through hard times. |
B.To invite us to do some voluntary work when we have time. |
C.To ask people to take action to fight against the COVID-19. |
D.To encourage more people to help the deliverymen in need. |