1 . “Two centuries ago, Lewis and Clark left St. Louis to explore the new lands acquired in the Louisiana Purchase,” George W. Bush said, announcing his desire for a program to send men and women to Mars. They made that journey in the spirit of discovery. America has ventured forth into space for the same reasons.
Yet there are vital differences between Lewis and Clark’s expedition and a Mars mission. First, they were headed to a place where hundreds of thousands of people were already living. Second, they were certain to discover places and things of immediate value to the new nation. Third, their venture cost next to nothing by today’s standards. A Mars mission may be the single most expensive non-wartime undertaking in U.S. history.
Appealing as the thought of travel to Mars is, it does not mean the journey makes sense, even considering the human calling to explore. And Mars as a destination for people makes absolutely no sense with current technology.
Present systems for getting from Earth’s surface to low-Earth orbit are so fantastically expensive that merely launching the 1,000 tons or so of spacecraft and equipment a Mars mission would require could be accomplished only by cutting health-care benefits, education spending, or other important programs—or by raising taxes. Absent (缺乏)some remarkable discovery, astronauts, geologists, and biologists once on Mars could do little more than analyze rocks and feel awestruck (敬畏的) staring into the sky of another world. Yet rocks can be analyzed by automated probes without risk to human life, and at a tiny portion of the cost of sending people.
It is interesting to note that when President Bush unveiled (公开) his proposal, he listed these recent major achievements of space exploration: pictures of evidence of water on Mars, discovery of more than 100 planets outside our solar system, and study of the soil of Mars. All these accomplishments came from automated probes or automated space telescopes. Bush’s proposal, which calls for reprogramming some of NASA’s present budget into the Mars effort, might actually lead to a reduction in such unmanned science—the one aspect of space exploration that’s working really well.
Rather than spend hundreds of billions of dollars to hurl (投) tons toward Mars using current technology, why not take a decade or two or however much time is required researching new launch systems and advanced propulsion (推进力)? If new launch systems could put weight into orbit affordably, and advanced propulsion could speed up that long, slow transit (运输) to Mars, the dream of stepping onto the red planet might become reality. Mars will still be there when the technology is ready.
1. What do Lewis and Clark’s expedition and a Mars mission have in common?| A．Instant value. | B．Human inhabitance. |
| C．Venture cost. | D．Exploring spirit. |
| A．great achievements have already been made in Mars exploration in America. |
| B．American people’s well-being will suffer a lot if it is carried out. |
| C．its expense is too huge for the government to afford. |
| D．unmanned Mars exploration sounds more practical and economical for the moment. |
| A．Going to Mars using current technology is quite sensible. |
| B．A Mars mission will in turn promote the development of unmanned program. |
| C．Bush’s proposal is based on three recent great achievements of space exploration. |
| D．The achievements in space exploration show how well manned science has developed. |
| A．Risky as it is, a Mars mission helps maintain America’s position as a technological leader. |
| B．A Mars mission is so costly that it may lead to an economic disaster in America. |
| C．Someday people may go to Mars but not until it makes technological sense. |
| D．A Mars mission is unnecessary since the scientists once there won’t make great discoveries. |
I’m smaller than everyone else my age. When I walk in the halls at school, I have to squeeze in between the bigger kids to get by. At the playground, sometimes even little kids try to boss me around. Mia, my best friend, is so tall that when she walks, I have to jog to keep up with her.
I used to try to make myself taller whenever I could. My posture was perfect, straight as an arrow. I hung from the tree in our backyard to stretch out my arms and legs. I even ate all my vegetables. Every day I measured myself, but I was the same height every time. Frustrating!
“Don’t worry,” Mom always said. “Being small has its advantages.” “Really? I could never notice any.”
One day, Mrs. Alvarez announced to the class that we’d be putting on a spring play. I practiced all the lines. But at the audition (试演), when I walked up to the stage, Mrs. Alvarez cried, “You’ll be perfect as the elf (小精灵)! You’re just the right size for the costume.” I even never got a chance to deliver the practiced lines. Back home I grumbled (咕哝) to mum that I was made an elf. But she bet I would be the best elf. To please her, I went to rehearsals (排练), though I only had two lines.
Mia got the lead role-a girl wandering through a magical fairy forest in search of her lost dog. In the last scene, she finds a box under a giant mushroom, and when she opens it, her dog jumps out. Mrs. Alvarez’s dog, Prince, played the dog role. She brought him to all the rehearsals, and when he wasn’t onstage, we got to play with him, but he seemed to like me best.
The night of the show, my first line came early, “Let’s ask the Fairy Queen!” Since my only other line was toward the end, I waited offstage, playing with Prince.
注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Finally, the grand end came, and Prince was brought onstage inside the box.
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“How can we get Prince out from beneath the stage?” Mrs. Alvarez asked.
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We had just relocated to Germany and moved into a big and old country house with a mysterious abandoned wine cellars (地窖), which my husband warned me many times not to explore without him. After settling down, we began slowly releasing our large family of rescue cats and dogs into the woods behind our house so that they could get used to the area and venture out on their own. So, it wasn’t long before we gained a reputation for having lots of rescue animals with us in the neighborhood.
One day, the doorbell rang and I was sure some of my Christmas packages had arrived. I ran to the door and swung it open, but no one was there. I sensed something and looked down, only to find a beautiful calico (有斑点的) kitten sitting there, looking up at me with big, intelligent eyes. There was no way that she could have rung the doorbell by herself, was there? Were my new neighbors playing tricks on me? Perhaps, someone had found the kitten somewhere and left her there, and then rang the doorbell and ran away. They accurately guessed we would welcome an additional family member and take care of her.
My husband called her our little angel, so we named her Angelica accordingly. It seemed as if she was always meant to be in this big family and she turned out to be a perfect companion. Always by my side, she was more like a puppy than a kitten. Wise beyond her years, she enjoyed exploring through the mysterious house as much as I did, but with much less fear. Angelica was courageous.
So, I decided to be brave, too. I had promised my husband that I wouldn’t explore dangerous areas unless he or someone else was around, but he was away on a business trip for a week and I figured that Angelica would count as my companion. I was ready to explore the cellar, and so was she.
The only way in was through a hatch (盖子) that was partially hidden by the grass that covered it, then down a shaky ladder to its dark depths, probably twelve feet deep. I equipped myself with a good flashlight and warm clothes. Angelica sat on the edge and watched me carefully start down the ladder. Suddenly, there was a crash at the foot.
注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。
I woke up with a splitting headache and pieces of the broken ladder lying around me on the stone cellar floor.
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Angelica could sense my dilemma.
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增加:在缺词处加一个漏字符号(A)，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除:把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改:在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意:1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
You must have heard about Dolly and have been amazed by the first cloned animal. But here came a problem; should we clone humans? When being asked about this question, a large number of people which are interested in the topic hold the view that it’s beneficial to clone humans. Therefore, some other people, me including, are against this idea. Cloning humans can bring negative effects and wrong informations. In the first place, they may not be treated equal as normal people, which I believe will make him suffer a lot. In second place, human cloning may lead in some social disorder, and it is quite dangerous.
5 . Experienced⁃Based Education
Everyone is familiar with traditional education. You sit in a class and a teacher teaches. This is an important part of development. But at some point, every individual has to take charge of their own education. To do this, one must look at the root of learning.
Basically, unfamiliar experiences usually add more value than experiences that are familiar.
High school is a new experience. College is a new experience. However, at some point traditional education becomes repetitive. It is not that you won’t learn anything else, but that the environment is so familiar.
To solve this, an individual needs to introduce new experiences into their life. You may spend a summer in a different part of the country or learn a new language through trial and error. You can also go to a drive⁃in movie（or some other entertainment event that is new to you）.
These types of experiences often result in very little“book knowledge”. Instead, they will often provide you with a better understanding of yourself as you experience your reaction to different situations.
| A．Has education changed so much in the last decade? |
| B．They will also provide you with a better understanding of others. |
| C．Those new experiences may not lead to great personal development. |
| D．These are all things that can stretch and expand your experience in life. |
| E．This is because unfamiliar experiences require much more of our attention. |
| F．As a result, you can easily become less aware of your experience and not learn as much. |
| G．What makes some experiences add great value to our lives while other experiences do not? |
6 . If you wear glasses, chances are you are smarter. Research published in the famous British journal Nature Communications has found that people who displayed higher levels of intelligence were almost 30 percent more likely to wear glasses.
The scientists studied the genes of thousands of people between the ages of 16 and 102.The study showed intelligence can be connected to physical characteristics. One characteristic was eyesight. In out of 10 people who were more intelligent, there was a higher chance they needed glasses. Scientists also said being smarter has other benefits. It is connected to better health.
It is important to remember these are connections which are not proven causes. Scientists call this correlation. Just because something is connected to something else does not mean one of those things caused the other. And it’s worth noting that what constitutes intelligence is subjective and can be difficult, if not impossible, to measure.
Forget genes though. Plenty of proof shows wearing glasses makes people think you are more intelligent, even if you do not need glasses. A number of studies have found people who wear glasses are seen as smarter, hard-working and honest. Many lawyers use this idea to help win their cases. Lawyer Harvey Solves explained this. Glasses soften their appearance. He said Sometimes there has been a huge amount of proof showing that people he was defending broke the law. He had them wear glasses and they weren’t found guilty.
Glasses are also used to show someone is intelligent in movies and on TV. Ideas about people who wear glasses have begun to shift. People who do not need glasses sometimes wear them for fashion only. They want to look worldly or cool. But not everyone is impressed by this idea, though. GQ magazine said people who wear glasses for fashion are trying too hard to look smart and hip (时髦的). However, that hasn’t stopped many celebrities from happily wearing glasses even if they do not need them. Justin Bieber is just one high-profile fan of fashion glasses.
1. What does the new study show?| A．People wearing glasses are smarter. |
| B．People wearing glasses are healthier. |
| C．Wearing glasses can make people cleverer. |
| D．Wearing glasses is associated with higher IQ. |
| A．Shift. | B．Link. | C．Proof. | D．Consequence. |
| A．Because it can create a moral image. |
| B．Because it can mislead the witnesses. |
| C．Because it can highlight clients’ qualities. |
| D．Because it can prove the clients’ innocence. |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. | C．Mixed | D．Indifferent. |
The Forgotten Pages
Once upon a time, in a land far away, there was a small village. Surrounded by the majestic mountains, the villagers happily lived a life of bliss.
All of them were used to their robotic daily tasks and none of them had the imagination or the will to try something new, except for one girl named Hannah. Very few people in the village could read let alone write, and Hannah was one of them. Her parents had made sure that their only child got everything possible.
Hannah was an adventurous spirit with an imagination far beyond her time. One afternoon, when Hannah was on one of her adventurous quests, she came upon an abandoned cottage. The cottage looked very old in its condition. Even though Hannah’s mother had strictly warned her not to go wandering in abandoned places, her curiosity got the best of her.
She tip-toed slowly to the door and slowly opened it and she was left stunned. In front of Hannah was a room full of books! Books glistering in the dust, basking in the warm sunlight just waiting to be explored. Hannah gasped (倒吸气) as she realized that she had found a hidden treasure. Hannah broomed and dusted all day long until she realized it was dark and she had to go back. So Hannah picked two books and decided to read them at her home.
She went home and all night long, she read the adventurous tales hidden in the book cover. The next day, she quickly gulped her breakfast and made her way to the cottage again. Hannah devoured the books.
They were too interesting filled with stories about different creatures. Each page was just an adventure waiting to be embarked on. Hannah’s imagination took her to a world of talking animals, mystical creatures, and daring nights. The little girl was so inspired by the books and she learned the power of love and friendship! With the good in heart, she decided to share the tales with the people of her village.
注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
She knew it would be a difficult journey, but she wanted to share the gold with everyone.
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Soon, the words of Hannah’s storytelling spread to far-off towns.
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8 . At a young age, Darrius Simmons fell in love with the piano. As he watched others play, he was
“I decided at age 10 that I wanted to learn how to play the piano,
The Warren, Ohio teenager was born with a genetic
Simmons knew he would have to
The now 18-year-old not only learned how to play and read music but also began composing.
His mother, Tamara Simmons, isn’t surprised by Darrius’
From mastering music to beating
| A．frightened | B．amazed | C．interested | D．disturbed |
| A．challenge | B．opportunity | C．fortune | D．trouble |
| A．while | B．but | C．and | D．therefore |
| A．more | B．much | C．fewer | D．less |
| A．surprised | B．worried | C．sure | D．glad |
| A．condition | B．environment | C．situation | D．tendency |
| A．one | B．two | C．three | D．five |
| A．encourage | B．prevent | C．remove | D．change |
| A．actions | B．roads | C．instructions | D．passions |
| A．reach | B．repair | C．remove | D．clean |
| A．adopt | B．abandon | C．develop | D．change |
| A．by | B．in | C．through | D．on |
| A．support | B．run | C．operate | D．work |
| A．why | B．because | C．when | D．whether |
| A．easy | B．tough | C．funny | D．stupid |
| A．ideas | B．creations | C．difficulties | D．achievements |
| A．kind | B．determined | C．talented | D．generous |
| A．spiritual | B．mental | C．physical | D．emotional |
| A．please | B．persuade | C．inspire | D．cheer |
| A．partner | B．symbol | C．aim | D．motivation |
9 . As the train picked up its speed, the passengers slowly settled down on their seats, I
It was 4:50 pm, evening time. So,
She looked at me and friendly said, “
Suddenly my enthusiasm
She smiled and said, “Yes!”
Just to continue the conversation, I talked to her in a very cheerful
I was shocked hearing her heartbreaking story! But I
| A．preferred | B．reserved | C．overlooked | D．substituted |
| A．beauty | B．fantasy | C．impression | D．miracle |
| A．back | B．front | C．window | D．best |
| A．undertook | B．occupied | C．controlled | D．possessed |
| A．heads | B．hands | C．faces | D．eyes |
| A．silent | B．amazed | C．considerate | D．concerned |
| A．supper | B．bed | C．play | D．chat |
| A．balance | B．commit | C．excuse | D．resist |
| A．City | B．Neighborhood | C．School | D．Army |
| A．shrank | B．accelerated | C．doubled | D．chanced |
| A．mourning | B．visiting | C．hunting for | D．thinking about |
| A．mood | B．rhythm | C．condition | D．situation |
| A．curious | B．tentative | C．excited | D．sincere |
| A．However | B．Eventually | C．Hopefully | D．Perhaps |
| A．cast away | B．called up | C．picked up | D．brought in |
| A．distribute | B．spare | C．collect | D．weave |
| A．disappointment | B．embarrassment | C．sorrow | D．delight |
| A．worn | B．polished | C．dyed | D．worshiped |
| A．saluted | B．recognized | C．understood | D．memorized |
| A．broken | B．fascinating | C．stubborn | D．brave |
10 . 
News anchors(主播) must have been reluctant to read out the following news: Xin Xiaomeng began working as the world’s first female artificial(人工的) intelligence news anchor at Xinhua News Agency on Sunday, three months after a male robot joined the profession.
Unlike previous news robots though, Xin does not read news like a cold machine; she reads it almost like a human being. The muscles on her face stretch and relax-and her reactions change-as she continues reading. That’s why many news anchors were worried: Will AI replace us in the near future?
To find the answer, we have to analyse the technologies that support Xin at her job. Three key technologies are used to support Xin. First, samples of human voices are collected and synthesized (合成). This is followed by the collection and synthesis of human muscle movement samples. And third the voices and movements are married in a way that when the Al news anchor reads, the micro -electric motors behind her face move to make her expressions seem more human.
Yet we need a thorough knowledge of deep leaning technology to make a robot imitate a person’s voice. The developer needs to collect tens of thousands of pieces of pronunciations, input them Into the machine and match them with the text or the Al to lean and read. The process for imitating facial movements is similar. The developer has to analyse the movements of the 53 muscles in the human face, make a model set from the collected data for the AI news anchor to lean, and imitate the movements of facial muscles via programs
Both the technologies used to make Xin’s performance impressive are mature. The real difficulty lies in the third -the technology to match the pronunciations with facial movements so that Xin expressions vary according to the content of the news report. In fact, Xins expressions don' t always change according to the content. As a result, her expressions look anything but human. Actually. AI is still no match for human qualities.
1. What does the underlined word "reluctant "in the first paragraph mean?| A．Delighted. | B．Unwilling. | C．Confused. | D．Optimistic. |
| A．They read news without expressions. | B．They looked like a human being |
| C．They could interview sports stars | D．They could interact with audience. |
| A．This technology is very perfect so far |
| B．This technology is quite popular now |
| C．This technology remains at the theoretical stage |
| D．This technology is far from mature. |
| A．human news anchors should learn from AT anchors to save their jobs |
| B．Al anchors perform much better than human news anchors at present |
| C．Al news anchors won 't replace human news anchors in the near future |
| D．Xin Xiaomeng s expressions vary so naturally that they are true to life |
