1 . Each year, the world loses about 10 million hectares of forest—at area about the size of Iceland — because of cutting down trees. At that rate, some scientists predict the world’s forests could disappear in 100 to 200 years. To handle it, now researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have pioneered a technique to generate wood-like plant materials sin a lab. This makes it possible to “grow” a wooden product without cutting down trees.
In the lab, the researchers first take cells from the leaves of a young plant. These cells are cultured in liquid medium for two days, then moved to another medium which contains nutrients and two different hormones (激素). By adjusting the bormone levels, the researchers can tune the physical and mechanical qualities of the cells: New the researchers use a 3D printer to shape the cell-based material, and let the shaped material grow in the dark for three months. Finally, the researchers dehydrate (使脱水) the material, and then evaluate its qualities.
They found that lower bormone levels lead to plant materials with more rounded, open cells of lower density (密度), while higher hormone levels contribute to the growth of plant materials with smaller but denser cell structures. Lower or higher density of cell structures makes the plant materials softer or more rigid, helping the materials grow with different wood-like characteristics. What’s more, it’s to be noted that the research process is about 100 times faster than the time it takes for a tree to grow to maturity!
Research of this kind is ground-breaking. “This work demonstrates the great power of a technology,” says lead researcher, Jeffrey Berenstab. “The real opportunity here is to be at its best with what you use and how you use it. This technology can be tuned to meet the requirements you give about shapes, sizes, rigidity, and forms. It enables us to grow’ any wooden product in a way that traditional agricultural methods can’t achieve.”
1. Why do researchers at MIT perform the research?| A．To grow more trees. | B．To reduce tree losses. |
| C．To protect plant diversity. | D．To predict forest disappearance. |
| A．Its scientific origins. | B．Its theoretical basis |
| C．Its usual difficulties. | D．Its main processes |
| A．They are better than naturally grown plants. |
| B．Their growth speed determines their characteristics. |
| C．The hormone levels affect their rigidity. |
| D．Their cells’ shapes mainly rely on their density. |
| A．It uses new biological materials in lab experiments. |
| B．It has a significant impact on worldwide plant growth. |
| C．It revolutionizes the way to make wooden products. |
| D．It challenges traditional scientific theories in forestry. |
2 . Technology is forever changing the way we get our news. Many people now get a lot of their news on electronic devices, instead of traditional media, such as newspapers, television or radio. Now, there is a new way we get the news: computer-created news readers.
Recently, China’s Xinhua launched(推出)the world’s first AI news presenters with the Chinese search engine Sogou. The news readers created by machine learning technology are based on two real-life newsmen. One is able to present newscasts in English; the other, in Mandarin Chinese.
Machine learning is used to examine video images and sounds of the two newsmen, which look and sound like real people. Some machine learning experts said the system showed off China’s latest progress in voice recognition, text-to-speech technology and data analysis. But several experts suggested that the term Al does not correctly describe abilities of the robotic news readers.
On social media, many Chinese noted that the AI presenters did not seem real. People blamed them for not being more lifelike. Others wondered about the effects robots might have on employment and workers. Some people argued that only low-level jobs requiring heavy labor will be easily replaced by robots. Others praised the technology as a way for companies to make money from low-cost labor machines.
Some businesses have experimented with similar technology for possible use in news operations. Britain’s BBC recently released a video that used machine learning to make it look like one of its news readers speaking different languages. The London-based company that developed the system says its goal is to “remove the language barrier” for many different kinds of video across the Internet.
1. What does the author intend to do in Paragraph 1?| A．Introduce the topic of the text. | B．Summarize the different opinions. |
| C．Add some data about the AI presenters. | D．Compare different ways of getting news. |
| A．To bring newscasts up to date every hour. |
| B．To help AI presenters speak more fluently. |
| C．To keep AI presenters from making any mistakes. |
| D．To ensure images and sounds are like those of real persons. |
| A．Robots will rule over the world in the end. |
| B．Robots will eventually replace human all over. |
| C．Robots may endanger most people’s health. |
| D．Robots may threaten some people’s employment. |
| A．BBC has done similar experiments as Xinhua does. |
| B．BBC has removed the language barrier in newscasts. |
| C．BBC shows interest in Xinhua’s AI news presenters. |
| D．BBC’s news readers can explore different technologies. |
1. 音乐对你的影响；
2. 你对音乐的感悟。
注意：
1. 词数80左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
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The International Workers’ Day, sometimes
People
A recent report was issued by the China Tourism Academy,
5 . My hometown is in a county (县) called Yongtai which is in Fuzhou of southern China.
Several days before the Chinese New Year, every family starts to prepare for the celebration. First of all, we do the spring-cleaning to welcome a new and clean year.
On the first day of the Chinese New Year, fathers will set off fireworks to “wake up the Chinese New Year”; mothers start to prepare a big breakfast.
On the first day just family members spend time together. From the second day on, every family will start to welcome the visitors and they can enjoy the get-together time, which is really nice.
| A．My favourite dishes are niangao and fish |
| B．Children will stay up late on New Year’s Eve |
| C．A fish dish is a necessity on the table every year |
| D．The next step is to prepare food for the New Year’s Eve dinner |
| E．After the spring-cleaning, every family starts to decorate their house |
| F．When the evening of New Year’s Eve comes, children will be very excited |
| G．Everyone should wake up by themselves and appear at the table in their new clothes |
6 . Whether you feel like taking a road trip, or you just need some fun, you’ll enjoy this list of popular tourist attractions.
Alabama: Gulf Coast Beaches
If Alabama wasn’t the location for your next summer beach vacation, you may want to reconsider. There are 32 miles of white sands that have washed down from the Appalachian Mountains for thousands of years. That’s probably why over six million people visit Alabama’s Gulf Coast beaches every year. Ten dollars per person.
Alaska: Kenai Fjords Wildlife Cruise
Alaska is the place to go for spotting breathtaking (令人惊叹的) wildlife. In fact, the number of visitors who travel to Alaska to see wildlife has increased 45 percent. The Kenai Fjords Wildlife Cruise will bring you up close to whales, sea lions, and sea birds. A five-hour trip that starts at noon and covers 55 miles of sea will be the best $98 you’ve ever spent.
Arkansas: Hot Springs National Park
Skip the beach and choose a new type of relaxation at Hot Springs National Park. It’s America’s oldest national and the smallest national park. There’s a no-booking policy, perfect for travelers rolling through. Doors open at 8 a.m., so get there early!
Connecticut: Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History
Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History is a must stop if you’re traveling nearby Yale University. It attracts plenty of people and has many collections including New England birds, dinosaurs, Greek and Roman antiquities, and even an Egyptian mummy. Adults pay $13 for entry, but if you want to visit for free, go on a Thursday.
Don’t miss the four best tourist attractions.1. Why do many people go to Alabama’s Gulf Coast beaches?
| A．It has a good and convenient location. | B．It has a history of thousands of years. |
| C．It has tens of miles of white sands. | D．The Appalachian Mountains are beautiful. |
| A．Five hours before it opens. | B．Five hours after it opens. |
| C．Before 8 a.m. | D．Before twelve o’clock at noon. |
| A．Many people go there to see collections. | B．You needn’t pay for it on certain days. |
| C．It makes you not want to leave. | D．It’s very beautiful and attractive. |
7 . My kids and I were heading into the supermarket over the weekend. On the way, we spotted a man holding a piece of paper that said, “
At this store, a sight like this is not normal. My 10-year-old noticed him and made a
In the store, I asked each of my kids to pick something they thought our “friend” there would
When we handed him the bag of
This has been a wonderful experience for our family. For days the kids have been looking for others we can
| A．Lost | B．Changed | C．Quit | D．Finished |
| A．suggestion | B．comment | C．decision | D．call |
| A．outside | B．proudly | C．inside | D．angrily |
| A．order | B．supply | C．appreciate | D．discover |
| A．dollar | B．job | C．hot meal | D．gift card |
| A．yet | B．even | C．still | D．just |
| A．declared | B．shared | C．ignored | D．expected |
| A．toys | B．medicine | C．food | D．clothes |
| A．sleepy | B．watery | C．curious | D．sharp |
| A．whoever | B．whatever | C．whichever | D．whenever |
| A．rely on | B．respect | C．learn from | D．help |
| A．suddenly | B．vividly | C．differently | D．perfectly |
| A．time | B．power | C．patience | D．money |
| A．fear | B．love | C．need | D．memory |
| A．strong | B．sweet | C．strange | D．simple |
8 . Fu Lei’s Family Letters is a book of letters written by Chinese translator and writer Fu Lei to his elder son Fu Cong, who is a famous pianist. Between 1954 and 1966, Fu Cong spent a lot of time away from home training as a piano player. As a result, writing letters became Fu Lei’s usual way of communicating with his elder son. Fu Min, Fu Lei’s younger son edited the letters and the book came out in 1981.
The book shows Fu Lei’s family tradition and value. To Fu Lei, the purpose of education of a person, is to make that person useful to the society. Fu Lei praised his son Fu Cong after winning a piano competition. Fu Lei wrote, “We are happy because you make your country proud. I am so excited when I think about your future. You will make great progress and serve more people, encourage them and heal them.”
In the family letters, Fu Cong was also advised to read famous Chinese texts. When reading these books, Fu Cong was told to connect ideas and feelings together, for that would help him become a better person. To Fu Lei, learning to be a good person comes before any academic training.
Fu Lei’s Family Letters has a great impact on people in China because it helps many young students understand how they should live their lives.
1. Who edited Fu Lei’s family letters?| A．Fu Lei. | B．Fu Cong. | C．Fu Min. | D．A translator. |
| A．Fu Lei’s family tradition and value are shown in the book. |
| B．People in the 1950s communicated with each other by books. |
| C．It’s difficult for parents to make their children well educated. |
| D．Praising children after taking part in a competition is important. |
| A．It would be uncertain. |
| B．It would be hopeful. |
| C．It would be difficult. |
| D．It would be interesting. |
| A．To be a richer man. |
| B．To do more academic training. |
| C．To help more people. |
| D．To become a better person. |
9 . During the early morning journey from the suburbs(郊区), we sat sleepily, with collars standing firm below our ears. Although the group of people are in the same bus every day, we never
One July morning, a small grey man, one of the
The next day, another old man
One morning, Charlie was
The summer went by, and the
| A．argue | B．like | C．tend | D．greet |
| A．passengers | B．drivers | C．colleagues | D．neighbors |
| A．annoyed | B．surprised | C．mad | D．impatient |
| A．Unfortunately | B．Unhappily | C．Unexpectedly | D．Unfairly |
| A．left | B．boarded | C．hit | D．stopped |
| A．reply | B．advance | C．danger | D．need |
| A．man | B．driver | C．girl | D．boy |
| A．destroy | B．track | C．increase | D．affect |
| A．helping | B．comparing | C．talking | D．adapting |
| A．tying | B．lifting | C．biting | D．holding |
| A．anyway | B．anymore | C．anytime | D．anywhere |
| A．terrible | B．heavy | C．unforgettable | D．unhappy |
| A．giving out | B．giving in | C．giving up | D．giving off |
| A．spring | B．month | C．year | D．autumn |
| A．disappeared | B．happened | C．began | D．continued |
10 . There are many things to do in Macao. Macao is small, but that just means you can do and see a lot in a short amount of time.
Try the Macao Tower Bungee JumpThe Macao Tower, 338 meters tall, is the world’s 10th highest tower, with a variety of entertainment activities.
One of the activities is the bungee jump, which is popular with extreme sports lovers. The bungee-jumping height is 233 meters, making it a Guinness World Record as the highest commercial bungee jump in the world.
Enjoy the Egg Tart of MacaoOne of the must-try local foods in Macao is the egg tart. This dessert is different from the Cantonese egg tart. One of the visible differences is the slightly burned caramel (焦糖) top. The creamy filling, tasty crust (酥皮) and the burned caramel top create an incredible mixture of flavor.
Gradually, the bakery has become a fixed tourist spot in Macao, where the queue outside will never be empty.
Grab a Selfie at the Ruins of St. PaulThe Ruins of St. Paul is one of the signature landmarks of Macao. The ruins consist of the St. Paul’s College and the Church of St. Paul, built in 1580. However, after three intense fires in 1595, 1601 and 1835, the church was seriously damaged.
Watch the Macao Grand PrixRacing through the small streets and roads of this tiny city, the Macao Grand Prix circuit (巡回赛) is the only street circuit racing in the world for car and motorcycle races. The Macao Grand Prix is a major worldwide car-racing event held every year, featuring over 300 top drivers a year.
1. Where should you go if you are an extreme sports lover?| A．The Macao Tower. | B．The small streets in Macao. |
| C．The Ruins of St. Paul. | D．The St. Paul’s College. |
| A．The creamy filling. | B．The tasty crust. |
| C．The slightly burned caramel top. | D．The mixture of flavor. |
| A．It is the most famous site in Macao. | B．It was built in 1595. |
| C．It was rebuilt only once. | D．It was damaged badly. |
