假设你是明启中学高三张华，在某报纸上看到一则报道，寒冬腊月，一名老人因不会使用手机扫描通信大数据行程码，被公交车司机呵斥要求其下车。互联网的发展便利人们生活的同时，却让很多老年人无所适从，就如何让银发族跨越“数字化”鸿沟的问题报社征集现广大读者的建议。请你写一封信给该报。在信中，你必须：
1. 你对老年人“数字化”鸿沟的看法；
2. 就如何帮助老年人跨越“数字化”鸿沟提出建议。
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2 . Sometimes modern problems require ancient solutions.
A 1,400-year-old Peruvian method of diverting water could supply up to 40,000 Olympic-size swimming pool’s worth of water to Lima each year. It is one
Peru’s capital, Lima, depends on water from rivers high in the Andes Mountains. It takes only a few days for water to flow down to the city. So when the dry season begins in the mountains, the water supply quickly disappears. The city
Water diverted,
The 1,400-year-old system is designed to increase the water supply during the dry season by diverting and slowing water as it travels down the mountains. This
Its aim was to increase the water’s travel time from days to months in order to provide water throughout the day season. The researchers
The researchers next considered how using a larger version of the system could help Lima. They combined what they learned in Huamantanga with the knowledge of physical
The system is also
| A．sign | B．example | C．explanation | D．theory |
| A．manage | B．fail | C．operate | D．work |
| A．equips | B．finances | C．resolves | D．constructs |
| A．furthermore | B．however | C．therefore | D．moreover |
| A．promoted | B．distributed | C．dried | D．delayed |
| A．nature | B．economy | C．welfare | D．technology |
| A．swiftly | B．deeply | C．slowly | D．rightly |
| A．reappears | B．reserves | C．reverses | D．resumes |
| A．foretold | B．measured | C．estimated | D．assumed |
| A．freeze | B．fade | C．surface | D．flow |
| A．priority | B．decline | C．concern | D．improvement |
| A．Considerate | B．Slight | C．Predictable | D．Sizable |
| A．personalities | B．qualities | C．altitudes | D．populations |
| A．geologically | B．socially | C．geographically | D．economically |
| A．simpler | B．costlier | C．better | D．safer |
3 . Up-skilling is the future - but it must work for everyone
Automation and job replacement will be one of the most significant challenges for the global economy of the coming decades. A 2017 Mckinsey report established that 375 million workers will need to switch occupational categories by 2030. The World Economic Forum suggests that by 2022, automation will replace 75 million jobs globally - but create 133 million new ones.
Research into the likelihood that a job will be impacted by digitization has largely focused on the "auto-matability" of the role and the following economic regional and political effects of this. What this research doesn't take into account is something more important for the millions of taxi drivers and retail workers across the globe: their likelihood of being able to change to another job that isn't automatable. Recent research suggests that the answer to this may be that the skills that enable workers to move up the ladder to more complex roles within their current areas might be less important than broader skills that will enable workers to change across divisions.
In July, Amazon announced that it would spend $700 million retraining around 30% of its 300,000 US workforce. While praiseworthy, it will be interesting to see the outcome. In the UK, the National Retraining Scheme has largely been led by employers, meaning that those on zero-hours contracts and part-time workers - often low-skilled --- will miss out. Governance will be a crucial element of ensuring that such schemes focus on individuals and life-long learning, rather than upskilling workers into roles that will soon also face automation.
According to the Mckinsey report, "growing awareness of the scale of the task ahead has yet to translate into action. Public spending on labour-force training and support has fallen for years in most member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development," which impacts more than just the low-skilled.
The global impact of automation is also put into relief by research demonstrating that, between 1988 and 2015, income inequality increased throughout the world. Billions of people do not have the essentials of life as defined by the UN Sustainable Development goals.
Alongside climate change, automation is arguably tech's biggest challenge. As with globalization, governments and employers -- and us workers -- ignore its potential consequences at risk to ourselves.
1. It can be known from Paragraph 2 that ________.| A．recent research has found ways to face automation |
| B．broad skills are of great significance in changing jobs |
| C．regional economy can affect the automatability of a job |
| D．it is even harder for workers to move up the social ladder |
| A．Supportive. | B．Critical | C．Doubtful | D．Sympathetic |
| A．Less spending on training | B．A slowdown of globalization |
| C．Social unrest and instability. | D．An increase in income inequality |
| A．argue the urgency of creating new jobs |
| B．compare globalization with automation |
| C．analyze the automatability of certain jobs |
| D．stress the important of upskilling workers |
4 . Culture can affect not just language and customs, but also how people experience the world on surprisingly basic levels.
Researchers, with the help of brain scans, have uncovered shocking differences in perception(感知) between Westerners and Asians, what they see when they look at a city street, for example, or even how they perceive a simple line in a square, according to findings published in a leading science journal
In western countries, culture makes people think of themselves as highly independent entities(实体) .When looking at scenes, Westerners tend to focus more on central objects than on their surroundings. East Asian cultures, however emphasize inter-dependence. When Easterners look at a scene, they tend to focus on surroundings as well as the object.
Using an experiment involving two tasks, Dr Hedden asked subjects to look at a line simply to estimate its length, a task that is played to American strengths. In another, they estimated the line's length relative to the size of a square, an easier task for the Asians.
The level of brain activity, by tracking blood flow, was then measured by Brain Scanners. The experiment found that although there was no difference in performance, and the tasks were very easy, the levels of activity in the subjects’ brains were different. For the Americans, areas linked to attention lit up more, when they worked on the task they tended to find more difficult--estimating the line's size relative to the square. For the Asians, the attention areas lit up more during the harder task also--estimating the line's length without comparing it to the square. The findings are a reflection of more than ten years of previous experimental research into east-west differences
In one study, for instance, researchers offered people a choice among five pens, four red and one green. Easterners were more likely to choose a red pen while Westerners were more likely to choose the green one.
Culture is not affecting how you see the world, but how you choose to understand and internalize(使内化) it. But such habits can be changed. Some psychological studies suggest that when an Easterner goes to the West or vice versa, habits of thought and perception also begin to change. Such research gives us clues on how our brain works and is hopeful for us to develop programs to improve our memory, memory techniques and enhance and accelerate our learning skills.
1. According to the passage, Chinese people are most likely to_________.| A．emphasize independent thinking more |
| B．always focus more on their surroundings |
| C．focus on the context as well as object |
| D．think of Westerners as highly independent entities |
_________.| A．the task is much easier |
| B．the blood flow is tracked |
| C．people begin to choose colors |
| D．the task is more difficult |
| A．They indicate that culture has a great impact on the way people talk and behave. |
| B．They show that Easterners and Westerners have great differences in perceiving the world |
| C．They suggest that people's habits of thought and perception can be changed in different cultures. |
| D．They make it clear that Easterners and Westerners lay emphasis on different things |
| A．Easterners prefer collectivism to individualism |
| B．East Asian cultures lay more emphasis on independence |
| C．It took over ten years to find out how to improve our brainpower |
| D．Americans will change their habits of perception when they're in Britain |
5 . “Deep reading” —as opposed to the often superficial reading we do on the Web —is an endangered practice, one we ought to take steps to preserve as we would a historic building or a significant work of art. Its disappearance would jeopardize(危及) the intellectual and emotional development of generations growing up online, as well as the preservation of a critical part of our culture: the novels, poems and other kinds of literature that can be appreciated only by readers whose brains, quite literally, have been trained to understand them.
Recent research in cognitive science and psychology has demonstrated that deep reading —slow, immersive, rich in sensory detail and emotional and moral complexity—is a distinctive experience, different in kind from the mere decoding of words. Although deep reading does not, strictly speaking, require a conventional book, the built-in limits of the printed page are uniquely helpful to the deep reading experience. A book’s lack of hyperlinks(超链接), for example, frees the reader from making decisions —Should I click on this link or not? —allowing her to remain fully immersed in the narrative.
That immersion is supported by the way the brain handles language rich in detail, indirect reference and figures of speech: by creating a mental representation that draws on the same brain regions that would be active if the scene were unfolding in real life. The emotional situations and moral dilemmas that are the stuff of literature are also vigorous exercise for the brain, propelling us inside the heads of fictional characters and even, studies suggest, increasing our real-life capacity for empathy (认同).
None of this is likely to happen when we’re browsing through a website. Although we call the activity by the same name, the deep reading of books and the information-driven reading we do on the Web are very different, both in the experience they produce and in the capacities they develop. A growing body of evidence suggests that online reading may be less engaging and less satisfying, even for the “digital natives” to whom it is so familiar. Last month, for example, Britain’s National Literacy Trust released the results of a study of 34,910 young people aged 8 to 16. Researchers reported that 39% of children and teens read daily using electronic devices, but only 28% read printed materials every day. Those who read only onscreen were three times less likely to say they enjoy reading very much and a third less likely to have a favorite book. The study also found that young people who read daily only onscreen were nearly two times less likely to be above-average readers than those who read daily in print or both in print and onscreen.
1. What does the author say about “deep reading”?| A．It serves as a complement to online reading. |
| B．It should be preserved before it is too late. |
| C．It is mainly suitable for reading literature. |
| D．It is an indispensable part of education. |
| A．It helps promote readers’ intellectual and emotional growth. |
| B．It enables readers to appreciate the complexity of language. |
| C．It helps readers build up immersive reading habits. |
| D．It is quickly becoming an endangered practice. |
| A．It ensures the reader’s cognitive growth. |
| B．It enables the reader to be fully engaged. |
| C．It activates a different region of the brain. |
| D．It helps the reader learn rhetorical devices. |
| A．Onscreen readers may be less competent readers. |
| B．Those who do reading in print are less informed. |
| C．Young people find reading onscreen more enjoyable. |
| D．It is now easier to find a favorite book online to read. |
6 . ON AUGUST 2nd Magdalena Luczak and her partner, Mariusz Krezolek, were jailed for life for the murder of her four-year-old son, Daniel. The pair starved him for months, locked him in a small unheated room, and left him there to die. As with the deaths of Victoria Climbié in 2000 and Peter Connelly in 2007, the boy’s fate has prompted questions about how the authorities missed the abuse (虐待). Attention has again focused on social workers. Recent years have seen numerous attempts to reform and revitalize the profession. In May, a new fast-track training programme, Frontline, was launched in the hope of improving things. It is inspired by Teach First, which sends bright graduates into tough schools for at least two years.
Participants will attend an intensive five-week summer school before taking on two years of closely supervised work in local-authority children’s services. If they measure up, they will qualify as social workers at the end of the first year and gain a master’s degree after the second. Funding will come from private donors, the Department for Education and local authorities. Recruitment(招募)for a pilot scheme, targeting leading universities, begins in September.
Its founders want to boost the status of this profession. “We are dealing with a crisis,” says Lord Adonis, chair of Frontline’s board. Both recruitment and keeping staying on the job are problems: the expected working life of a social worker is eight years, compared with 14 for nurses. Last year some local authorities reported that a third of their positions were unfilled.
Unsurprisingly, given the blame often heaped on the profession, ambitious graduates tend to steer clear. Of the 2,765 people who began master’s courses in social work in 2011, just five had completed undergraduate degrees at Oxford or Cambridge. And too many courses fail to give sufficient practical grounding in hard child-protection work. Frontline recruits will work in small teams with dedicated supervisors in council children’s services.
Reactions to the initiative have been mixed. Some in the profession are angry that it has been set up by outsiders. Boosters, such as Donald Forrester of Bedfordshire University, think the newcomers will bring in much-needed fresh thinking. Another worry is that the programme is too specialized and too short. Focusing just on children’s services is like training doctors only in pediatrics(儿科).
Teach First was set up on the basis that participants would teach first and then go on to other jobs. In fact, over half stay in education. There is no “first” at Frontline. At the end of their course, recruits will be offered the opportunity to pursue further professional training, or encouraged to move up the ranks. But Mr MacAlister hopes that many will stay. This year 9% of all final-year students from Oxbridge applied for Teach First. Frontline hopes to achieve a similar result for social work.
1. The author presents the topic of this article by ______.| A．giving cases of child abuse |
| B．urging us to care for children |
| C．attracting our attention to child abuse |
| D．showing concern for the abuse of children |
| A．Their training lasts for 8 years. |
| B．They are prospective in the future. |
| C．They receive little practical grounding. |
| D．They should graduate from top universities. |
| A．be involved | B．stay away |
| C．touch on | D．clear out |
| A．A topic which starts heated debates. |
| B．An uncertain fate of a much-needed market. |
| C．A promising field with strong supporters. |
| D．An initiative to revive an unfavorable profession. |
Sneakers (运动鞋) Made from Old Chewing Gum
Dutch fashion and shoe label Explicit Wear is hoping to solve one of life’s sticky situations—the annoyance of stepping in waste chewing gum on the pavement—while helping to keep Amsterdam’s city streets clean. The brand has partnered with local marketing organization Iamsterdam and sustainability firm Gumdrop
Chewing gum causes an incredibly serious ecological problem,
The waste gum will be put to good use to make stylish kicks,
Available for preorder now, the new Gumshoe sneakers—offered in both a bubblegum pink and a black/red colorway—
Nearly 2.2 pounds of gum
To help spread their sustainability message,
8 . Amazon has suddenly withdrawn its plans to build a satellite headquarters in New York City, citing growing opposition of local elected officials in a shifting political climate.
The decision marks a stunning reversal just three months after Amazon crowned Long Island City, Queens, one of two winners of a highly public nationwide search in which hundreds of communities vied for the tech group’s investment.
By losing Amazon, New York will sacrifice an estimated 25,000 jobs -paying an average annual salary of $150,000 each- as well as a signature victory in a broader effort to transform the financial services capital into a technology hub to rival Silicon Valley.
Amazon’s about-face is a particular setback for governor Andrew Cuomo, who led the company’s recruitment and touted its November decision as the city’s biggest-ever economic development win.
At the same time, it appeared to confirm the dominance of a progressive wing of the Democratic party, led by the recently elected Queens representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who was suspicious of Amazon’s arrival. Ms, Ocasio-Cortez questioned its opposition to organized labor and whether local citizens would benefit from its jobs.
Amazon officials said the decision to abandon New York had been taken recently, and would not discuss what role, if any, Jeff Bezos , the company’s founder, played in the move.
“The commitment to building a headquarters required positive, collaborative relationships with state and local officials who will be supportive over the long term,” Amazon wrote in a blog post. “While polls show that 70 percent of New Yorkers support our plans and investment, a number of state and local politicians have made it clear that they oppose our presence and will not work with us.”
Amazon said it did not intend to reopen the search process for a replacement. Instead , company officials expect to spread the jobs they planned to locate in Queens around existing Amazon facilities in Boston, San Diego, Vancouver and the Bay Area.
1. Amazon drew back from setting up a satellite headquarters in that __________.| A．there is a widespread public objection. |
| B．the political climate is favorable to revolution. |
| C．a number of state and local politicians changed their tunes. |
| D．Long Island lost the fierce competition for the investment. |
| A．victory | B．reversal |
| C．investment | D．support |
| A．Amazon reoriented itself from a financial center to a technology hub. |
| B．Jeff Bezos was to blame for his mistakes in decision-making. |
| C．Andrew Cuomo had prejudice against Amazon’s new headquarters plan. |
| D．Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez was cautious in response to Amazon’s plan. |
| A．Amazon relocate its new facilities in Queens. |
| B．Amazon drops plans for headquarters in New York City. |
| C．Amazon seeks to cooperate with state and local politicians. |
| D．Amazon is under fire for withdrawing the plan for a facility. |
9 . Over the last 15 years, digital communication has ushered（引入）in more changes than the printing press did in 1570. And the stand-out early adopters in this world are teenagers, whose brains appear to have an extraordinary
We are now proving that as a species, our brains are still flexible and
In the US, teenagers are spending 8.5 hours using computers, mobiles and other devices to learn, interact and play. This jumps to 11.5 if you take into account all of the
There are
There is possible
| A．activity | B．capacity | C．responsibility | D．opportunity |
| A．operating | B．promoting | C．adjusting | D．establishing |
| A．functions | B．options | C．restrictions | D．positions |
| A．opposed | B．imposed | C．limited | D．extended |
| A．keep up with | B．come up with | C．put up with | D．end up with |
| A．entertaining | B．multitasking | C．interacting | D．gossiping |
| A．curiosities | B．criticisms | C．concerns | D．shortcomings |
| A．memorize | B．internalize | C．realize | D．socialize |
| A．changed | B．controlled | C．troubled | D．interrupted |
| A．attitudes | B．prospects | C．trends | D．skills |
| A．advantage | B．distraction | C．indication | D．tuition |
| A．narrow-minded | B．global-minded | C．absent-minded | D．quick-minded |
| A．keen | B．addicted | C．obsessed | D．enthusiastic |
| A．however | B．hence | C．moreover | D．instead |
| A．Consequently | B．Additionally | C．Nevertheless | D．Thus |
The price of a piece of history
A fresh lemon can be purchased for less than $1. But in 2008, Cowan's Auctions in Cincinnati sold a lemon blackened with age for $2,350.
What was so special about this lemon?
Two thousand dollars is a lot to pay for produce, even from the estate of a founding father. This sale, however, just might be considered a bargain compared with prices paid for other historical collectibles in recent years.
Collecting a piece of history, or an object associated with a famous person, is not brand new. Ordinary objects with extraordinary stories have increasingly been coming to auction and achieving high prices, says Thomas Venning, director of Christie's department of books and manuscripts in London. Prices are being driven up, he says, by collectors in the U.S. and, increasingly, in Asia. The Hawking wheelchair, for example, was purchased by a private museum in China.
Katie Horstman, head of Cowan's American History department, says she could find no comparable items for the lemon as she prepared the piece for its auction. Ms. Horstman nevertheless eventually arrived at the estimated value at $3,000 to $4,000, she says, by researching auction records for objects somehow associated with Washington that had appeared on the market.
Cowans ended up estimating the value of the lemon at $3,000 to $4,000, according to description on its website. Objects associated with Washington these days, Ms. Horstman says, can sell for anywhere from 1,000 up to tens of thousands of dollars.
| A．Stephen Hawking’s wheelchair fetched 296, 750 at a sale at Christie's in London last November. |
| B．Yet determining potential values of such objects isn't easy. |
| C．It was said to be from a tree planted by George Washington at Mount Vernon. |
| D．The auction result surely drew the attention from both the business and economics worlds. |
| E．The uniqueness of many of these objects further complicates efforts to put a value on them. |
| F．Therefore the unique value of many objects proved the worth of collection. |
