Located in Guanghan city of Southwest China’s Sichuan province and covering an area of 12 square kilometers, Sanxingdui Site is the remains of the ancient Shu culture, which dates back
In fact, as a cultural site, Sanxingdui had come into the notice of archaeologists as early as in the 1930s, and
After sleeping for 3, 000 years, their awakening has shocked the world. When our eyes
2 . Cold rains, icy sidewalks and gray skies can make winter travel a trial. But hot drinks, snowy slopes, frozen lakes and blue skies full of fresh air? That’s the kind of winter we can all have a try. Here are some cities around the world that make for a great cold-weather destination.
Prague, Czech Republic
With its snow-capped towers and cobbled winding streets, Prague is a fairytale city that remains relatively tourist-free in winter. The unusual and impressive architecture looks even prettier under a sheet of snow. Gas street lamps throughout the city center add a romantic color to evenings. Cafes here are ideal for escaping the bitter cold. The fascinating Estates Theatre, where Mozart conducted the world premiere(首演) of “Don Giovanni” in 1787, is a must.
Tromso, Norway
Tromso, known as the capital of the Arctic, is great in winter. It’s widely regarded as Norway’s most beautiful city and is a base for spotting the northern lights. There are also fascinating museums, including the Polar Museum, which offers an insight into the history of Arctic expeditions, and the Tromso Museum, famous for its Sami exhibitions.
Amsterdam, Netherlands
In winter, Amsterdam’s museums are much less crowded, making it the time to visit attractions such as Rijksmuseum or the Anne Frank House. Built originally to house a circus, the Royal Carré Theatre is more than 130 years old. Children will love the spectacular performances.
Edinburgh, Scotland
Cobbled streets, a beautiful castle and lovely public gardens make Edinburgh a beautiful city any time of year, but in winter it’s breathtaking. Princes Street Gardens is transformed into a wonderland, with ice skating rinks, enormous Christmas trees and a Ferris wheel. On the edge of the city, Arthur’s Seat is the perfect location for a winter walk and the views from the top are second to none.
1. What is one of the attractions of Prague in winter?| A．No charge for all tourists. |
| B．Iconic architectures covered by snow. |
| C．Colorful gas lamps for street lighting. |
| D．Mozart’s performance “Don Giovanni”. |
| A．Prague, Czech Republic. | B．Tromso, Norway. |
| C．Amsterdam, Netherlands. | D．Edinburgh, Scotland. |
| A．A tour blog. | B．A travel magazine. |
| C．A geography textbook. | D．A government website. |
3 . Few businesses can run without computers, giving keyboard shortcuts an incredible importance. Schools view typing courses as necessary. But what are we giving up as handwriting loses its significance?
Brain power, according to science. Researchers from Princeton University and the University of California conducted a series of studies to demonstrate the differences between students who wrote out their notes and those who typed them. Study participants took notes on a lecture using one of the two methods and were tested 30 minutes after the lecture, and again a week later.
The results showed both types of notetakers did well on the first test. The longhand notetakers had a stronger grasp of the overall concept. Students with the handwritten notes were also able to better remember and understand the concept of the lecture a week later, and were more open to understanding new ideas.
According to Pam Mueller, lead author of the study, “Our findings suggest even when laptops are used as intended, they may still be harming academic performance.” Part of the reason is that it was faster to take notes on the laptop, using exactly the same words meant they weren’t truly engaged in the content. But notetakers using pen and paper tended to digest the material better and could rephrase it in their own words.
Although typing notes using exactly the same words can help in recalling facts in the short term, it takes the focus away from the main points of the lesson. “Ironically, the feature that makes their laptop notetaking so attractive— the ability to take notes more quickly —was what weakened learning,” educational psychologist Dr. Kenneth Kiewra told the Wall Street Journal.
Computers aren’t going away soon, but that doesn’t mean paper notebooks become outdated. In fact, it is best to start using them at an early age. University of Indiana researchers compared brain scans of five-year-olds -some who practiced the printing letters, and some who just looked at the letters. Those who wrote out the letters had more enhanced and adult-like brain activity.
1. In the study, what were the participants asked to do?| A．Compare typing and handwriting. |
| B．Take notes by typing or handwriting and take tests. |
| C．Take two tests right after taking notes on the lecture. |
| D．Take notes using exactly the same words on the lecture. |
| A．Fast. | B．Flexible. | C．Typing. | D．Handwriting. |
| A．Using the exact words. | B．Introducing modern tools. |
| C．Writing as quickly as possible. | D．Rephrasing the learning material. |
| A．Typing matters in a way. | B．A Pen is better than a keyboard. |
| C．Handwriting builds your brain power. | D．Handwriting or typing is a question. |
4 . Around 1870, the world entered an era of sustained rapid technological development that was unlike anything that had happened before; each successive generation found itself living in a new world, utterly transformed from the world into which its parents had been born.
Brad DeLong, an economics professor at the University of California, argues that there are two great puzzles about this transformation in his forthcoming book “Slouching Towards Utopia.” The first is why this happened. DeLong thinks there were three great “meta-innovations”- innovations that enabled innovation itself: the rise of large corporations, the invention of the industrial research lab and globalization. The second is why all this technological progress hasn’t made society better than it has. One thing I had not fully realized until reading this book is the extent to which progress hasn’t brought felicity. Over the 140 years surveyed, there have been only two eras during which the Western world felt generally optimistic about the way things were going.
The first such era was the 40 or so years leading up to 1914, when people began to realize just how much progress was being made and started to take it for granted. Unfortunately, that era of optimism died in fire and blood, with technology enhancing rather than lessening the horror. The second era was the “30 glorious years”, the decades after World War II when social democracy(民主)-a market economy with its rough edges smoothed off by labour unions and a strong social safety net-seemed to be producing the most decent societies humanity had ever known. But that era, too, came to an end, partly in the face of economic setbacks and bitter politics.
It would be silly to say that the incredible progress of technology since 1870 has done nothing to improve things; in many ways, today’s average American has a far better life than the richest people of the Gilded Age. But the progress hasn’t made us satisfied or optimistic. DeLong offers some explanations for this disconnect. His book definitely asks the right questions and teaches us a lot of crucial history along the way.
1. What does Brad DeLong say about the transformation in his book?| A．It brought about a better society. |
| B．It could be divided into three types. |
| C．It resulted from technological progress. |
| D．It inspired many commercial innovations. |
| A．Emotional satisfaction. | B．Global development. |
| C．Social justice. | D．Economic stability. |
| A．Unique but painful. | B．Sweet but short-lived. |
| C．Glorious but violent. | D．Democratic but long-lost. |
| A．Benefits of Technology to Society |
| B．Technology Makes Us More Human |
| C．Technology and the Rise of Pessimism |
| D．How Technology Transformed Our Lives |
5 . The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, completed in 1436, is the most important landmark in Florence, Italy, and the fourth largest church in the world.
The most famous part of the church is the dome (穹顶). It was created by the genius of the Renaissance (文艺复兴), Filippo Brunelleschi, who showed a great mastery of technical knowledge. Interestingly, Brunelleschi had been a trained goldsmith (金匠) and had never built anything in his life before building the masterpiece. This may sound crazy, but in many ways we look at the relation between Brunelleschi and the church, it seemed that he was “the chosen one” to complete the construction.
When he was born in 1377, the church had been under construction for 80 years with no solution to the dome-shaped roof. The building of the church had grown so larger and grander than the original plans that no one had any idea how it would or could be done. In 1418 a public competition was announced for the construction of the dome. Of course, there was the possibility of building the dome with a wooden structure to support it, but that would end up being costly requiring over 400 trees, lots of manpower and time. When Brunelleschi entered the competition, he was the only one with an idea that did not use wood, which caught the attention of the judges. Brunelleschi did many mathematical calculations and invented a lot of new tools and machines for the project, which was started two years after he won the competition. He finished the dome in only sixteen years, which was shockingly fast back in his time.
Always known as a secretive person, Brunelleschi didn’t leave a single building plan, drawing, or even a letter behind on how he managed to come up with such an amazing design. For years, the structure was a huge mystery about how the dome was built.
1. Why did the church remain unfinished for a long time?| A．It was waiting for the chosen one for the task. | B．It went too far away from the original plan. |
| C．The wood, labor and time were not enough. | D．The tools and machines had not been invented. |
| A．He was a trained goldsmith. | B．He had a gift for invention. |
| C．He raised a different design. | D．He was good at calculation. |
| A．1418. | B．1420. | C．1434. | D．1436. |
| A．Not outgoing in personality. | B．Creative in imagination. |
| C．Not afraid when making decisions. | D．Energetic when working. |
6 . There are plenty of concerns about robots stealing jobs from hard-working, flesh-and-blood humans. However, Japan’s Henna “Strange” Hotel has fired half of its 243 robot staff, because these labor-saving machines were causing more problems than they were solving— and requiring humans to come in and fix things as a result.
One of the victims of the robot layoffs was a doll-shaped robot called Cheri, which functioned as an artificial intelligence assistant. Unfortunately. Cheri tuned out to be pretty poor at answering questions from hotel guests. A pair of dinosaur robots, which worked at the hotel check-in, were also made non-existent by the firings since they wound up being unable to do many of the jobs required of 8 receptionist. A concierge (服务台职员) robot, meanwhile, was replaced by a human better able to answer important questions about nearby tourist attractions. Humans are also now going to carry luggage to the rooms, one quarter of which the previous porter robots were only able to reach—and only in excellent weather conditions.
Not surprisingly, the hotel, recognized in 2016 as the world’s first robot-staffed hotel by Guinness World Records, allured curious visitors from all around the world. Encouraged by the success the hotel s owner, Sawada opened seven additional locations across Japan and announced plans to build at least 50 more.
In the end, though, it seems that—as great as robots can be—they’re simply not suitable for every role just yet. With the rise of robot bar-tenders, robot-staffed restaurants and the like, it will be interesting to see how many similar concepts fall apart in the coming years. After all, once the novelty of a dinosaur robot on reception wears off, you’re just faced with a receptionist who can’t properly understand you and lacks an effective number of fingers on each hand to properly photocopy your passport.
1. Which of the following was used to answer such questions as scenic spots?| A．A porter robot. | B．A dinosaur robot. |
| C．A concierge robot. | D．A doll-shaped robot. |
| A．attracted | B．relaxed | C．thrilled | D．upset |
| A．They did better than humans. |
| B．They couldn’t replace humans entirely. |
| C．The rest of them will be fired. |
| D．They were a big challenge for humans. |
| A．World’s First Robot-staffed Hotel. |
| B．Robots Perform Various Functions. |
| C．Humans Will Replace Robots Eventually. |
| D．Japanese Hotel Fires Half Its Robot Staff. |
7 . In one of the more unusual experiments we’ve seen recently, researchers attached a large pair of cartoonish huge eyes to the front of a small, self-driving vehicle—and it turns out that this kind of adaptation could actually improve pedestrian (行人) safety.
A pair of eyes on the front of driverless vehicles could, according to the researchers, give people standing by the road a better idea of whether they’ve been seen. That’s one useful bit of information to have when it comes to determining the perfect moment to cross in front of oncoming traffic. “If the car is not looking at the pedestrian, this implies that the car does not recognize the pedestrian,” said one of the researchers. “Thus, pedestrians can judge that they should not cross the street, thereby avoiding potential traffic accidents.”
For the purposes of this study, the researchers used a car which seemed as if no one was inside. A pair of large, swiveling (旋转的) eyes on the front were controlled by researchers, but in the future could be controlled by the car’s AI on an actual self-driving vehicle.
To keep the 18 participants safe, experiments were conducted in virtual reality. The volunteers—nine men and nine women—were asked to decide whether or not to cross the road as the car approached. Four scenarios(方案) were tested in total; two when the car was fitted with eyes, and two when it wasn’t. The researchers measured how often people hesitated to cross when it was in fact safe to do so, and how often they chose to cross when it was dangerous. Overall, the presence of the eyes led to safer and smoother crossing experiences for the participants.
However, there was a gender split in the results. For men, the eyes only really helped in dangerous situations, warning them to pause when they might otherwise proceed. For women, the eyes boosted confidence by signaling it was safe to cross.
1. What is the function of cartoonish huge eyes?| A．Improving the safety of self-driving vehicles. |
| B．Helping people decide when to cross the road. |
| C．Keeping pedestrians in a complete safe state. |
| D．Promoting the appearance of self-driving vehicles. |
| A．There was a robot in the car. |
| B．The pair of large eyes were controlled by AI. |
| C．The experiments were designed by 18 volunteers. |
| D．Experiments weren’t conducted in real surroundings. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Objective. | C．Negative. | D．Positive. |
| A．To advertise a new self-driving technology. |
| B．To enhance pedestrians’ awareness of safety. |
| C．To inform us of a new research on driverless vehicles. |
| D．To introduce the influence of a new type of car. |
8 . Mallory Haske surfs nearly every day in the summer, and it really annoys her to see trash in the water or on the beach. So when her high school English teacher assigned a passion project, Haske came up with a creative idea that connected surfing and trash.
She collected litter on the beach and used it to create a surf board in an effort to raise awareness about ocean pollution. “The feeling of catching a wave is fantastic. It’s such a mental release,” said Haske, standing on the beach waxing(上蜡) her newly finished trash board. “I really hope it floats.”
Her teacher assigned the project months ago and was surprised to see how Haske’s enthusiasm about it grew throughout the school year. “Not every student found her passion, but she did,” said the teacher. “I’m super proud of her.”
Over the winter, Haske, who would graduate soon, collected litter including cigarette butts, bottle caps, fast-food containers and masks along the resort area beach. “It was definitely a unique challenge,”Haske said.
She landed a sponsor and raised money from friends to create the surf board, which cost about $1,000. Haske took custom orders and helped people build their own surf boards. Making one out of trash was a first for her. Nearly the entire board was made from recycled material and litter.
On Tuesday after school, Haske went out and attempted to ride a wave on her new board, but the mostly flat conditions made it difficult. The nose of the surfboard made by herself kept going under the water, but Haske stayed upbeat. “It’s pretty heavy up front, but it’s going to be my best friend,” Haske said after coming out of the water. “It’s made for large waves.”
1. Why did Haske make the surf board?| A．To put trash to the best use. | B．To take a surfing competition. |
| C．To pursue her passion for surfing. | D．To draw attention to ocean pollution. |
| A．Proud and reliable. | B．Responsible and innovative. |
| C．Tough and faithful. | D．Imaginative and desperate. |
| A．With the help of environmentalists. |
| B．By cooperating with her parents. |
| C．By using the trash collected from the beach. |
| D．Under the guidance of her teacher. |
| A．Optimistic. | B．Cautious. | C．Peaceful. | D．Discouraged. |
US President Joe Biden formally started his reelection Campaign
According to a new NBC News national poll, 70% of Americans think that Biden should not run for
It January 2021, Biden started his presidency amidst the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the aftermath of the Capitol Hill riot. He carried out economic stimulus (刺激) policies
10 . The turning point of my life was my decision to give up a promising business career and study music. My parents, although sympathetic (同情的) and
Before my graduation from college, the family met with severe financial defeats and felt it my
I continued to make money, and finally, bit by bit, enough to
| A．sharing | B．approving | C．discovering | D．hiding |
| A．tough | B．unusual | C．frank | D．understandable |
| A．nearly | B．hardly | C．mostly | D．possibly |
| A．flexible | B．illegal | C．uncertain | D．fixed |
| A．insisted on | B．tended to | C．picked up | D．set off for |
| A．joyfully | B．virtually | C．gradually | D．unwillingly |
| A．award | B．duty | C．burden | D．turn |
| A．But | B．Otherwise | C．Thus | D．While |
| A．quit | B．impact | C．disrespect | D．abandon |
| A．money | B．fame | C．balance | D．entrance |
| A．dropping | B．passing | C．standing | D．getting |
| A．inspire | B．adapt | C．prove | D．enable |
| A．prison | B．college | C．cave | D．company |
| A．significant | B．simple | C．mild | D．typical |
| A．land | B．ice | C．moon | D．air |
