1. Where is the woman going?
A.To the shop. | B.To the museum. | C.To the post office. |
A.Go straight forward along this street. |
B.Go down the street and turn right. |
C.Go down the street and turn left. |
A.10 minutes by taxi. | B.10 minutes by bus. | C.10 minutes on foot. |
2 . Soap (肥皂) might seem like a reasonable way to avoid mosquito bites (蚊子叮) on the basis that if mosquitoes can’t smell you, they can’t bite you. However, a recent study has found that rather than protecting you, certain soaps might actually make you more attractive to mosquitoes.
In the study, conducted at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, four volunteers were asked to wear a sleeve before and after washing with four different brands of soap. The researchers then watched female mosquitoes as only females feed on blood landing on the fabric sample to show their preference. They found that some people washing with some brands of soap, increased their attractiveness to mosquitoes, while washing with other brands of soap tended to repel (驱除) mosquitoes. The repellent effect of some soap may be due to its coconut scent, as coconut oil is known to act as a natural mosquito repellent. The reason behind this attraction is believed to be related to mosquitoes’ sugar intake. When mosquitoes are not feeding on blood, they add their diet with plant juice or sweet water from flowers, “The fact we are taking those flowery and fruity smells and putting them on our bodies means that now the same object smells like a flower and a person at the same time,” said Clément Vinauger, who led the study. It would be like waking up and smelling the smell of coffee and bread, very attractive.
Interestingly, the effects of the soap varied among people, possibly due to the interaction (相互作用) between the soap and each person’s unique body scent. “It’s remarkable that the same person that is extremely attractive to mosquitoes when he is unwashed, but he becomes even more attractive to mosquitoes with one soap, and then become repellent to mosquitoes with another soap,” said Vinauger. Further research is needed to better understand the interaction between different soap and body scents, as well as to develop more effective mosquito repellents.
1. What has the study found?A.Soap attracts many mosquitoes. | B.Male mosquitoes feed on blood. |
C.Some plants drive away mosquitoes. | D.Not all soap can stop mosquito bites. |
A.By observing the mosquitoes’ behaviour. | B.By exploring the history of mosquitoes. |
C.By interviewing a lot of volunteers. | D.By examining old studies. |
A.To stress the importance of breakfast. |
B.To discuss their probable health benefits. |
C.To compare the difference of objects used in the study. |
D.To prove the attractiveness of some soap to mosquitoes. |
A.Health. | B.Chemistry. | C.Sports. | D.Tour. |
3 . The design theory behind a pair of tiny robots may one day find its way into environmental monitoring, as well as search and-rescue tasks. Modeled after a water strider (水黾), an insect, the two robots each weigh in at 8 and 55 milligrams, and may mark the smallest, lightest, and fastest fully functional micro-robots in the world, according to Washington State University (WSU).
Developed by a team of WSU researchers, the robots’ tininess largely relies on a material known as a shape memory alloy (合金). Although shape memory alloys change form when heated, they can “remember” their original shapes and return to them after cooling. Because of this, the two micro-robots do not require standard motors, and they use light and small ones instead of bulky moving parts.
Both the robots’ motors are each made up of two shape memory alloys, allowing them to move their fins as fast as 40 times a second while also lifting over 150 times their weight. “They’re very technologically sound. The development of the very lightweight robots opens up new possibilities in micro-robotics,” said Conor Trygstad, a material engineering PhD student and study lead author. “Although the robots are impressive when compared to other robots, the pair still fall behind their biological relatives’,” Trygstad said. They can currently move at a speed of about six millimeters a second; a water strider, by comparison, speeds along at about a meter per second. For now, the robots also require wired (连线的) power sources, thus seriously preventing any real-world applications for the moment.
Going forward, however, the team plans to copy other small insect species while also creating a new water strider robot which can move at a higher speed. Depending on using small batteries could also greatly increase the robots’ areas of use, If the breakthrough designs continue improving, similar micro-robots could one day be employed to monitor hard-to-reachor dangerous environments.
1. What is the inspiration for the two robots?A.A special monitor. | B.The lightest micro robot. |
C.An insect species. | D.A search-and rescue task |
A.Cheap. | B.Huge. | C.Cool | D.Fast. |
A.Both robots can identify sound. | B.Both robots need wireless power sources. |
C.Both robots work better than water striders. | D.Both robots have weaknesses besides strengths. |
A.Robots Are Saving Environment | B.Shape Memory Alloys Are The Key |
C.Human Beings Learn From Animals | D.Two Micro robots Can Play A Big Part |
4 . Dallas-based Knit Wits is made up of a group of grandmothers with a strong love for knitting (编织) who tum their love for crafting into a purposeful attempt. Meeting regularly, they pour their collective love into every stitch (针法) they make. The group has been working for over ten years, meeting every Friday, to support organizations that help others, locally and around the world. Over the years, they’ve crafted thousands of items insupport of the important things.
Recently the Knit Wits member Mary Ann Stover was inspired to have the group knit hats for infant (婴儿) patients with heart disease at Children’s Health Hospital. The hats, each a unique work of art, designed with holiday themes, reflect the skill of the Knit Wits. More importantly, the special of Knit Wits is its understanding of the emotional effect these small objects can have on the infants experiencing medical treatments.
Bealle, a certified child life specialist at Children’s Health Hospital, explained how the hats are making a difference to the tiny patients and their families. “Caregivers are able to wear the hats on their body to move their smells before placing the hats back on the infants, encouraging connecting and making the infants less stressful,” he said.
Throughout the infants’ admission, many holidays are celebrated. At times, some infants are seriously ill and unable to dress up for holiday photos the families have planned. Thanks to the donations from Knit Wits, the hospital team is able to prove the family with a suitable themed infant hat the family can use for their photos and holiday celebrations.
1. What do we know about the hats from paragraph 2?A.They centre on spiritual comfort. |
B.They have holiday food subjects. |
C.They are knitted by the caregivers |
D.They are worn on child parents’ birthdays. |
A.To hold an artistic activity. |
B.To see off the recovered patients. |
C.To relax the infants for treatments |
D.To welcome the arrival of various holidays. |
A.Why some holiday celebrations are held. |
B.What the hats can be used as on holidays. |
C.Why some special photos are important. |
D.What the hats can be matched with. |
A.Unsuccessful | B.Impractical. | C.Warm-hearted | D.Dishonest. |
In the summer of 1405,Zheng He set sail from Taicang on his first voyage. His ships
Columbus was born in a port city of Italy in 1451. As a teenager, he loved
6 . As an immigrant from China, my mother loves Chinese culture deeply. She
Why is American Chinese food not
My mother has a deep feeling for authentic Chinese food and restaurants, so I decide to open a restaurant where she and other immigrants can feel the
A.orders | B.cooks | C.donates | D.receives |
A.However | B.Therefore | C.Besides | D.Otherwise |
A.alternatives | B.restrictions | C.meals | D.comments |
A.unwilling | B.illegal | C.ambitious | D.quick |
A.agreeable | B.contemporary | C.massive | D.complicated |
A.complex | B.actual | C.expensive | D.previous |
A.believe | B.find | C.deny | D.conclude |
A.deserves | B.helps | C.hates | D.refuses |
A.make | B.prepare | C.defend | D.distinguish |
A.process | B.cuisine | C.mood | D.discount |
A.differently | B.generously | C.abnormally | D.vividly |
A.build | B.equip | C.accept | D.monitor |
A.careers | B.platforms | C.ranks | D.tastes |
A.decrease | B.atmosphere | C.reflection | D.duty |
A.spied on | B.called on | C.handed down | D.broken down |
7 . London Theatre Shows
Alice In Wonderland
Each ticket to the show includes free entry to Kew Gardens., Alice in Wonderland is playing at the Kew Gardens from 22 July to 28 August 2023.
Running time: 1 hour 10 minutes with no interval (幕间休息)
Performance days
Matinees (日场): Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Important information: Children under 2 years old go free.
Back To The Future: The Musical
It is based on the iconic Back ta the Future films. Back to the Future: The Musical tickets at the Adelphi Theatre, London are available to book for performances up to 11 February 2024.
Age restrictions: Suitable for general audience aged 6+. Children under 3 will not be admitted.
Running time: 2 hours 40 minutes (including interval)
Performance days
Evenings; Monday, Wednesday. Thursday. Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Matinees: Thursday, Saturday, Sunday.
Blippi: The Wonderful World Tour
This show sees Blippi in the ultimate curiosity adventure. Dance, sing, and learn with Blippi as he discovers what makes different cities unique and special. Blippi: The Wonderful World Tour runs at Rose Theatre, Kingston from 29 August to 9 September 2023.
Age restrictions: Recommended for ages 2+.
Running time: 1 hour (no interval)
Performance days
Matinees: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Dinosaur World Live
Join our brave explorers across unchartered territories to discover a pre-historic world of remarkably life-like dinosaurs. Dinosaur World Live runs from 11 August to 3 September 2023 at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, London.
Age restrictions: 3+
Running time: 50 mins + a 15-minute post show
Performance days
Matinees: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
1. What do we know about Back to the Future: The Musical?A.It has no performances on Tuesdays, |
B.Booking starts on 11 February 2024. |
C.Children under 3 years old can go free. |
D.It lasts 2 hours 40 minutes without intervals. |
A.Kew Gardens. |
B.Adelphi Theatre. |
C.Rose Theatre, Kingston. |
D.Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. |
A.Alice In Wonderland |
B.Dinosaur World Live |
C.Back To The Future: The Musical |
D.Blippi: The Wonderful World Tour |
8 . Science fiction has long entertained the idea of artificial intelligence becoming conscious (有意识的). Many researchers say that AI systems aren’t yet at the point of consciousness, but the pace of AI evolution (发展) has got them considering: how would we know if they were?
To answer this, a group of 19 neuroscientists (神经系统科学家), philosophers and computer scientists have come up with a checklist of standards that, if met, would indicate whether a system has a high chance of being conscious. The authors made the effort because “it seemed like there was a real lack of detailed, thoughtful discussion of AI consciousness,” says co-author Robert Long, a philosopher at the Center for AI Safety.
The team says that a failure to identify whether an AI system has become conscious has important moral implications. If something has been labelled “conscious”, according to co-author Megan Peters, a neuroscientist at the University of California, “that changes a lot about how we as human beings feel that entity (独立存在的个体) should be treated”. Long adds that, as far as he can tell, not enough effort has been made by the companies building advanced AI systems to evaluate the models for consciousness and make plans for what to do if that happens.
One of the challenges in studying consciousness in AI is defining what it means to be conscious. Peters says that for the report, the researchers focused on “phenomenal consciousness”.
Many neuroscience-based theories describe the biological basis of consciousness. But there is no agreement on which is the right one. To create their framework, the authors therefore used a range of these theories. The idea is that if an AI system functions in a way that matches aspects of many of these theories, then there is a greater likelihood that it is conscious.
They argue that this is a better approach to assessing consciousness than simply putting a system through a behavioural test — say, asking ChatGPT whether it is conscious, or challenging it and seeing how it responds. That’s because AI systems have become remarkably good at mimicking (模仿) humans.
1. What does Robert Long say about present research on AI consciousness?A.It is far from enough. |
B.It is progressing rapidly. |
C.It has shown promising insights into it. |
D.It has learnt a lot from previous research. |
A.Their final applications. |
B.How humans treat them. |
C.Their moral responsibilities. |
D.How humans make future; plans. |
A.Providing a definition of it. |
B.Uncovering the reason behind it. |
C.Measuring AI’s ability to mimic humans. |
D.Comparing AI consciousness and human consciousness. |
A.By observing its responses to digital signals and online questions. |
B.By checking its understanding of some neuroscience-based theories. |
C.By comparing its functional patterns with neuroscience-based theories. |
D.By conducting experiments and tests to measure its level of self-awareness. |
9 . Traveling is a great way to experience new cultures and landscapes, learn about different ways of life, and simply have an adventure. It can also help you open your mind to new ideas and perspectives.
One book that perfectly captures (描述) the spirit of travel is The Distance Between Us by Reyna Grande.
Her book has a great impact on readers.
One of the greatest benefits of traveling to places inspired by books for students is the opportunity to explore and learn about many different cultures. Immersing (使沉浸) yourself in unfamiliar surroundings can help open your eyes to different ways of life.
Being able to communicate effectively with those from different backgrounds is essential for any student, especially in today’s international society.
Lastly, by traveling to places inspired by books, students will gain a deeper understanding of the works that inspired them to take the journey in the first place.
A.Meeting new people can be invaluable. |
B.That’s why there are so many books about traveling. |
C.Literary works often include ideas beyond a reader’s imagination. |
D.It can even help you gain insight into why people live differently from you. |
E.It’s an inspiring story that will stay with them long after they finish the last page. |
F.Traveling abroad helps students practice using their language skills in real-life situations. |
G.In this book, Grande describes her journey from Mexico to America and how it shaped her life. |
10 . More than 170,000 people in California are unhoused. Even as the state has poured resources into fighting against the problem, the number of people without homes has ticked upward in recent years. On the surface, the state has one key advantage for people without a reliable roof over their heads: relatively consistent and livable weather. So one of my first thoughts when I heard news of a horricane attacking Los Angeles was just “What will happen to the city’s homeless population?”
City agencies quickly took action. As it became clear that the Los Angeles region could experience an extreme downpour and subsequent flooding, outreach teams fanned out across the river bank and dam areas across the city that have become home to a significant unhoused population, offering support to move them into shelters and motels (汽车旅馆).
Despite that, it’s obvious that the effects of climate change will hit the most vulnerable (脆弱的) hardest. We see this globally as extreme weather events hit countries that have contributed the least to the problem.
The most notable connection between climate change and the US housing crisis is the threat extreme weather poses to unhoused people. More unhoused people are affected as climate change drives increasingly unpredictable weather. People without homes know how to respond to expected seasonal events. But events like a near-hurricane in Los Angeles or a wildfire in ‘Maui can catch populations with limited access to information off guard.
Another link worth considering is the way in which climate change creates more homelessness and further stresses on housing systems. Hurricane Katrina, for example, displaced 800, 000 people. Four years later, 12,000 people remained without shelter.
Housing has been — and will continue to be — a key issue in Maui too as it recovers from the wildfire that killed more than 100 people. Maui has already had a housing crisis, the result of a high cost of living driven in large part by the tourism industry. And, now, many more are left looking for places to stay. Ashley Kelly, the chief operating officer at Hawaii’s Family Life Center, said: “Finding housing for any new clients is just not possible right now.”
1. What contributes to the increase of the unhoused population in California?A.Its mild weather. |
B.Its inclusive local culture. |
C.Its limited basic facilities. |
D.Its relaxed state policies. |
A.They built dams to prevent flooding. |
B.They moved homeless people to safe places. |
C.They sought low-cost housing from city agencies. |
D.They surrounded the river bank to keep people away. |
A.Mysterious. | B.Exceptional. | C.Changeable. | D.Difficult. |
A.Ways of Americans relocating disaster-affected populations. |
B.The significance of timely weather updates for the homeless. |
C.The link between climate change and the housing crisis in the US. |
D.Approaches of homeless Americans to dealing with natural disasters. |