1 . People will do all sorts of crazy things for their loved ones, and 72-year-old Raynor is a case in point. The American elder has been devoting a lot of his time to his
Six years ago, Raynor’s grandson Jason was diagnosed (诊断) with a rare and cruel disease — spinal muscular atrophy (脊髓性肌萎缩). The boy was only five at the time, and doctors
Strong
| A．unusual | B．normal | C．important | D．routine |
| A．produces | B．orders | C．applies | D．designs |
| A．quality | B．solution | C．behavior | D．belief |
| A．touching | B．typical | C．special | D．similar |
| A．doubted | B．approved | C．promised | D．predicted |
| A．expectations | B．explanations | C．imagination | D．inspiration |
| A．hard | B．easy | C．successful | D．beneficial |
| A．examined | B．transported | C．imported | D．exported |
| A．decision | B．chance | C．trust | D．desire |
| A．took off | B．took up | C．took in | D．took away |
| A．Suddenly | B．Obviously | C．Gradually | D．Usually |
| A．delighted | B．surprised | C．embarrassed | D．anxious |
| A．popularity | B．knowledge | C．understanding | D．curiosity |
| A．Despite | B．Because of | C．Without | D．Instead of |
| A．sending | B．providing | C．donating | D．promoting |
Pan Yuzhen,
In 2016, Pan and other embroiderers from Guizhou went to the United Kingdom to participate in
“Miao embroidery is not only the
3 . I walked through the market for diapers (纸尿布), the thing we needed the most; they were the first thing I
“Nanas!”
I pulled out my wallet only to find the lonely bills: a five and two ones, with no coins. If the bananas didn’t weigh too much, I had just enough cash to
The total
It was already halfway written, while a
Trying my best to
I’ll never forget that day,
| A．picked out | B．gave out | C．worked out | D．turned out |
| A．confused | B．alarmed | C．curious | D．disappointed |
| A．announced | B．argued | C．roared | D．cried |
| A．cover | B．measure | C．charge | D．cut |
| A．bought | B．grabbed | C．removed | D．refused |
| A．quality | B．debt | C．amount | D．balance |
| A．note | B．message | C．recipe | D．cheque |
| A．embarrassing | B．puzzling | C．inspiring | D．surprising |
| A．sound | B．noise | C．voice | D．yell |
| A．change | B．reward | C．discount | D．award |
| A．spending | B．extra | C．budget | D．donation |
| A．go through | B．burst into | C．take in | D．hold back |
| A．but | B．since | C．yet | D．though |
| A．treatment | B．benefit | C．effect | D．charity |
| A．in fact | B．in particular | C．in turn | D．in case |
4 . The ranking of universities and colleges at the national global level is a well-known doubtful practice. Imperfect approaches generate inaccurate results of these institutions. Nowadays, prestigious (有威望的) law and medical schools have started to walk away from this “evaluation”.
There are two obvious methodological problems with all of this. One is that the numerical rankings suffer from false precision. Is there really a difference between No.10 and No.11 in the undergraduate (本科生) school rankings? Johns Hopkins University famously had a plan called“10 by 20”with the goal of getting to No.10 by 2020. Hopkins is a great undergraduate institution — whether it’s No.10 or No.11 is meaningless, but it did indeed make it into the top 10 ahead of schedule, which no doubt delighted its trustees and students.
The other methodological problem is that rankings reward those schools that promote measurements by admitting students who have had the advantages of better pre-college education and test preparation coaching, and whose wealth will make them likely future donors. Equally worthy applicants without such resources will fail to enter the schools.
The good news is that in recent months, a reckoning (清算) has begun. Last September, Columbia University chose not to participate in the undergraduate rankings after an enterprising professor discovered that the school was fudging its own numbers. If Columbia’s data were corrected, it would drop from No. 2 to No. 18. Two months later, law schools began pushing back. Yale and Harvard Law Schools announced that they would refuse to provide data to U. S. News, and several outstanding law schools followed suit.
This resistance to rankings has now begun in the world of science. This is a great sign. In announcing its decision, the dean of Washington University’s medical school said, “…it is time to stop participating in a system that does not serve our students or their future patients.”
1. Why does the author mention Johns Hopkins University?| A．To share an experience. | B．To give specific example. |
| C．To make a detailed comparison. | D．To illustrate a complicated concept. |
| A．Its data was not based on facts. |
| B．It was left behind by other universities. |
| C．It didn’t think the system served their students. |
| D．Other universities chose to refuse to participate in the rankings. |
| A．Objective. | B．Indifferent. | C．Supportive. | D．Opposed. |
| A．Resistance to Educational Rankings |
| B．The Ranking of Universities and Colleges |
| C．Educational Rankings: Scientific or Imperfect |
| D．Reasons for Universities’ Refusal of Rankings |
5 . Music is an international language, spanning cultures across the world, and, in fact, across time. Looking at today’s musical landscape, certain cities truly stand out for their music scenes. Here we’re naming some of our favorite cities for music.
NashvilleWith the nickname “Music City”, Nashville makes our list of best music cities. You’re bound to hear live music anywhere, whether at your hotel bar, or at the historic Ryman Auditorium. Nashville is not only home to the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Johnny Cash Museum, but it’s still active in the recording studio scene.
ViennaIf you’re after classical music on your next vacation, be sure to head to Vienna. Once the capital of the Habsburg Empire, the city was the center of all societal affairs which included music. The greatest classical composers—from Mozart to Haydn to Beethoven to Mahler—all lived and worked in Vienna at one point or another.
New YorkNew York has been described as a “melting pot (熔炉)” of cultures, and that applies to its music, too. The 20th century was particularly fruitful for New York’s music scene. During this time, it became the birthplace of hip-hop, disco, and salsa music, among other styles. The list truly goes on and on.
New OrleansThe city is filled with jazz, where you can listen to the great music every night. Of course, you can catch jazz at venues across town—the genre was born here, after all. If you’re a huge jazz fan, you might want to consider visiting during the annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
1. Which city is more attractive to visitors who want to know the classical musicians?| A．Nashville. | B．Vienna. | C．New York. | D．New Orleans. |
| A．It is a meeting pointing for various styles of music. |
| B．It is recognized as the birthplace and hot area of Jazz. |
| C．It holds musical festivals for hip-pop and disco fans each year. |
| D．It enables people to enjoy the live shows inside and outside hotel bars. |
| A．A poster. | B．A news report. | C．An encyclopedia. | D．A magazine. |
6 . England Tours
Rick Steves England tours provide the best value for your trip to Europe. Browse Rick’s best England tours and vacation packages.
Family Europe: London to Florence in 13 Days Tour
$4,485 per person
Family Europe: London to Florence in 13 Days delivers a colorful mix of must-see cities. Along the way, you will encounter some fascinating bits of art, history, and culture — as well as a couple of castles, a boat, plenty of hiking, and even a swimming pool or two. Our stress-free Europe vacation package provides great guides, central hotels, all sightseeing — and memories to last a lifetime. And on this tour, kids aged 8 —19 get a $200 discount!
Best of London in 7 Days Tour
$4,495 per person
London has just what you need for a quick escape: direct flights, the best live theater scene on the planet, and an inviting pub on every corner. During your week-long stay in London, your Rick Steves guide will lead to the Tower, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s, and even take you on a train trip to Windsor Castle.
Best of England in 14 Days Tour
$4,395 per person
Our two-week tour of England offers a delightful mix of big-city thrills and village charm. Your Rick Steves guide will welcome you in the elegant Georgian town of Bath. From there you’ll be guided to King Arthur’s Glastonbury, flower-boxed Cotswold villages, and Caernarfon Castle. You’ll also be treated to the spectacular scenery of the Lake District.
Best of South England in 10 Days Tour
$4,595 per person
Starting in Canterbury and ending in Bath, our Best of South England tour brings you to the very roots of British history and culture. Your Rick Steves guide will introduce you to locals who have talents to share and stories to tell. You’ll also learn about and taste the delicious seafood and traditional Cornish pasties.
1. Which tour is probably the cheapest for a teenager?| A．Family Europe: London to Florence. | B．Best of London. |
| C．Best of England. | D．Best of South England. |
| A．Sea bathing. | B．Local school visits. |
| C．Local stories. | D．North Ireland’s history. |
| A．Direct flight. | B．Guided tour. |
| C．Village walk. | D．Delicious seafood. |
“We’re leaving!” Dad called.
Cody grabbed his flip-flops (平底人字拖鞋). He was about to race downstairs when he noticed the tiny airplane on his cousin’s desk. “That would be fun to take to the beach,” he thought, “I don’t think Quinn will mind if I borrow it.” Quinn didn’t really play with toys these days anyway. He had a summer job now. Cody quickly put the airplane into the pocket of his bathing suit.
He could hear the waves crashing as he, Dad, and Uncle Jeff unloaded the car. Cody put down his towel and made a runway in the sand. Then he took out the airplane and imagined taking off. After a steep climb, he put the plane through a series of loops, rolls, and dives (俯冲).
“Cody, are you coming with us?” Dad called. Dad and Uncle Jeff were eager to catch some waves.
Cody carried his bodyboard and ran after them. They dived and swam out to where they could stand to catch the waves. When Cody spotted the coming wave, he turned toward shore and started kicking. As the wave picked him up and shot him forward, he felt as if he were flying. Dad and Uncle Jeff caught the same wave and they all cheered with joy. They rode wave after wave.
Soon Cody’s teeth were chattering. He was glad when they decided to head back to their place on the sand. He lay down on his towel, enjoying the warm sunshine. But in a sudden panic, he sat up. “Where is the airplane?” He murmured and searched the sand around him, but found only broken seashells.
Cody walked around and kept looking for the airplane wherever it may be. But as it became clear that the air plane was lost, he was thrown into fear, wondering what to tell Quinn. On the way back home, he felt more and more upset.
注意：1.续写词数应为80词左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Just when Cody stepped off the car, he felt something sharp in his pocket.
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8 . Tucker’s adventure began in early November, when McCall, a retired electrician, spent the night in a hotel in the town of Cleveland, Tennessee. McCall’s budget was tight, and her head was full of questions. In the
“Honestly, after all the
McCall planned to spend the night in Cleveland and
As
The next day, Lillard, 27, was jogging just down the road from the hotel where McCall had stayed when she spotted Tucker. She took him home, certain he was someone’s missing friend, and
| A．present | B．precious | C．previous | D．preferable |
| A．violence | B．cancer | C．joy | D．revival |
| A．unwilling | B．unnecessary | C．unable | D．inconvenient |
| A．diseases | B．accidents | C．injuries | D．deaths |
| A．ride | B．drive | C．walk | D． run |
| A．clean up | B．take up | C．pick up | D． pack up |
| A．looked | B．researched | C．searched | D．surveyed |
| A．somewhere | B．nowhere | C．elsewhere | D．anywhere |
| A．dawn | B．noon | C．dusk | D．night |
| A．afford | B．offer | C．remain | D．ensure |
| A．Bad-tempered | B．Heartbroken | C．Helpless | D．Homeless |
| A．posted | B．wrote | C．blogged | D．told |
| A．touch | B．apology | C．connection | D．announcement |
| A．sorrow | B．panic | C．satisfaction | D．relief |
| A．awarded | B．delivered | C．offered | D．donated |
9 . Playing Minecraft, a video game, could be key to creating adaptable (可调试的) artificial intelligence models that can pick up a variety of tasks the way humans do.
Steven James at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa and his colleagues developed a test within Minecraft to measure the general intelligence of AI models. This MinePlanner test rates an AI’s ability to ignore unimportant details while solving a complex multi-step problem.
Lots of AI training “cheats” by giving a model all the data it needs to learn how to do a job and nothing related to it, says James. Future AI models will need to deal with confusing problems, and he hopes that MinePlanner will guide that research. AI working to solve a problem in the game will see everything involved, including objects and other details that aren’t necessarily needed to solve a problem and must be ignored. It will have to survey its surroundings and work out by itself what is and isn’t needed.
The virtual test consists of 15 construction problems, and each one can be easy, medium and hard. To finish each task, the AI may need to take some steps in between, like building stairs to reach a certain height. This means the AI has to think about the whole picture and plan what to do next.
State-of-the-art planning AI models were unable to complete any of the tough problems and they only do a little better on the easier ones, suggesting there is room for improvement.
“We can’t require a human designer to come in and tell the AI exactly what it should and shouldn’t care about for each and every task it might have to solve,” says James. “That’s the problem we’re trying to address.”
1. Why is playing Minecraft important for creating adaptable AI models?| A．Because it offers tasks that require human-like ability. |
| B．Because it provides different situations for AI training. |
| C．Because it is an easy game for AI to learn and master. |
| D．Because it is a video game popular among AI scientists. |
| A．AI models are trained in a dishonest way. |
| B．AI models are only taught to perform simple tasks. |
| C．AI models are offered all the necessary data for a task. |
| D．AI models are given wrong information during training. |
| A．It solved all the 15 construction problems. |
| B．It performed poorly in handling hard tasks. |
| C．It was completely unable to deal with any task. |
| D．It performed excellently in solving easy problems. |
| A．Adaptable ability. | B．Computing speed. |
| C．Communicative skills. | D．Data-processing power. |
The long summer vacation only lasted a few days, and I stayed at home doing nothing So I decided to call my little buddy to find a summer job. The hot wind blowing in the hot summer, and my body began to sweat constantly. We know that the job is not easy to imagine now, but we still insist, finally it paid off, we finally got a suitable job interview, and I was excited. We didn’t have any work experience. This was our first interview.
When waiting for the interview, we found that many students like us were there, too. When the manager came out, I was so nervous that I could feel my heart beating fast, and I was relieved when he read my name. I was picked up with my little friends, but in fact, we found that most of the students were selected. When we are hesitant to work in the daytime or night, there are a lot of students chose the night shift, because they feel it’s cooler at night than during the day. So we decided to take the night shift, too. When I told my mother that I was going to work on the night shift, and my mother was in a bad mood. She said it was hard work on the night shift and asked if I could hold on. I was full of confidence and said there was no problem.
Although it was a little cooler than the daytime, the workshop was quiet and terrible at night. When I thought it was about daybreak, I took a look at the time before I found out it was less than 12 in the middle of the night. Oh, my God, how long is it? What time does it break? After midnight we can go to the dining hall, but in front of the dish we have no appetite, we hurriedly picked a few mouthfuls of rice, or we’ll be hungry all night. Although this work looks very easy, which is to give the milk packing, but only a few days later, my fingers began to blister, and it is very difficult to sleep during the day.
注意：1.所续写短文的词数应为100左右；
2.续写部分为一段，段落的开头语已为你写好；
Just after a week, I decided to quit.
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