1 . Mother’s Day is the time to celebrate the great women who raised us.
Pick the gift of relaxation. For the mum who is always rushing around, looking after everyone but herself, a day of rest and relaxation at the spa is the perfect gift. Your mum deserves a break, and many spas offer special Mother’s Day packages with relaxing massages and facials.
Say it with flowers. Flowers are a classic Mother’s Day gift for a reason, and an arrangement of her favourite blooms is sure to bring a smile to her face.
Spend some quality time. It’s lovely to get presents, but what your mum probably wants more than everything is to spend some quality time with you. Treat her to a day out with an activity she’ll love, whether she’s into wine tasting or an elegant afternoon tea.
A.Keep the gifts coming. |
B.Show your gratitude with gifts. |
C.Book her in for a day, or buy her a gift card. |
D.Try to make something with her name or birthstone on it. |
E.However, it can be difficult to find a gift to show your appreciation. |
F.Or spend the day at home, letting her put her feet up while you cook. |
G.You don’t have to spend hundreds on expensive bouquets in the flower shops. |
2 . It was a Saturday night. I circled the neighborhood a few times, looking for a place to
Then I noticed a woman, walking her dog, who was now
We all have those
A.start | B.repair | C.fill | D.park |
A.managed to | B.failed to | C.attempted to | D.turned to |
A.individually | B.clearly | C.significantly | D.hurriedly |
A.cover | B.rate | C.check | D.reduce |
A.unharmed | B.ordinary | C.special | D.typical |
A.doors | B.functions | C.lines | D.batteries |
A.greeting | B.inspiring | C.forgiving | D.photographing |
A.upset | B.mad | C.familiar | D.generous |
A.privacy | B.performance | C.work | D.idea |
A.tough | B.rude | C.incorrect | D.capable |
A.apart from | B.in addition to | C.instead of | D.in spite of |
A.talents | B.energies | C.desires | D.approaches |
A.counts | B.depends | C.responds | D.happens |
A.time | B.responsibility | C.part | D.chances |
A.bag | B.coin | C.ID card | D.note |
3 . A total solar eclipse (日食) of the sun will have millions of people from Texas to Maine gazing up at the sky on the afternoon of April 8. If you can’t make it outside, here are some apps to track the eclipse on your computer or mobile device.
Total Solar Eclipse
Solar Eclipse is an “innovative” app developed by the Exploratorium, a museum of science, technology and arts in San Francisco, in partnership with NASA, according to app’s description in the Apple App Store. The app has a 3.8-star rating on the App Store and is designed exclusively for iPads and iPhones. You can download it here.
Eclipse 2024
This app, designed by developer Saira Creations, allows people to tap a marker anywhere on a map to see if that location will experience a total eclipse, in addition to the start time and duration. The app has a 3.1-star rating on the Apple App Store and is designed exclusively for iPads and iPhones. You can download it here.
One Eclipse
One Eclipse is an app designed by Simulation Curriculum Corp in collaboration with Astronomers Without Borders. It has a 4.7-star rating in the Apple App Store and you can download it here.
The NASA App
According to the AAS, the NASA App allows you to watch live streams of the eclipse. In addition to livestreams, the NASA App also offers the latest NASA images, news, mission information, podcasts and interactive augmented reality experiences to explore. It has a 4.8-star rating and you can download it here.
1. Who created the app Eclipse 2024?A.The Apple APP Store. | B.Saira Creations. |
C.Exploratorium. | D.Simulation Curriculum Corp. |
A.Total Solar Eclipse. | B.Eclipse 2024. |
C.One Eclipse. | D.The NASA App. |
A.A textbook | B.A newspaper |
C.A science journal | D.A website |
4 . A team at a US university trained an AI tool to examine 60,000 fingerprints to see if it could work out which ones belonged to the same individual. The researchers claim the technology could identify, with 75-90% accuracy, whether prints from different fingers came from one person.
But they are not sure how it works. “We don’t know for sure how the AI does it,” admitted Prof Hod Lipson, a roboticist at Columbia University who led the study.
Graham Williams, professor of forensic science (法医学) at Hull University, said the idea of unique fingerprints had never been set in stone. “We don’t actually know that fingerprints are unique,” he said. “All we can say is that as far as we are aware, no two people have yet to show the same fingerprints.”
The results of Columbia University’s study could have the potential to impact both biometrics and forensic science.
If, for example, an unidentified thumb (拇指) print is found at crime scene A, and an unidentified index (食指) fingerprint at crime (犯罪) scene B, the two could not currently be forensically connected to the same person — but the AI tool could be able to identify this.
The Columbia University study will be published in the journal Science Advances on Friday. But a pair of twins in Cheshire might be ahead of everyone. Their grandmother Carol told the BBC her two grandchildren can open each other’s iPhones using their own fingers.
“They showed me on Christmas day,” she said. “We were told they were identical when they were born but I can tell the difference between them as they’ve got older.”She claimed that her grandchildren can also bypass the handsets’ facial recognition feature.
Fingerprints are formed before birth. Research published last year suggested the genetic process behind them may be similar to the way animals like zebras and leopards get their markings.
1. According to the research, what can AI tools do?A.Identifying people’s fingerprints. |
B.Contributing to crime prevention. |
C.Helping lead scientific studies and experiments. |
D.Training people to tell the difference of fingerprints. |
A.Unique. | B.Healthy. | C.The same. | D.Cute. |
A.All twins share the same fingerprints. | B.People’s fingerprints may not be unique. |
C.AI will replace humans in every way. | D.Fingerprints will change as people grow older. |
A.To make an appeal to people to protect animals. |
B.To tell the difference between people and animals. |
C.To explain the formation principle of fingerprints. |
D.To show the similarity of genes between animals and people. |
5 . If you have a chance to go to Finland, you will probably be surprised to find how “foolish” the Finnish people are.
Take the taxi drivers for example. Taxis in Finland are mostly high-class Benz with a fare of two US dollars a kilometer. You can go anywhere in one, tell the driver to drop you at any place, say that you have some business to attend to, and then walk off without paying your fare. The driver would not show the least sign of being annoyed and worried.
The dining rooms in all big hotels not only serve their guests, but also serve outside diners. Hotel guests have their meals free, so they naturally go to the free dining rooms to have their meals. The most they would do to show their good faith is to wave their registration card to the waiter. With such a loose check, you can easily use any old registration card to take a couple of friends to dine free of charge.
The Finnish workers are paid by the hour. They are very much on their own as soon as they have agreed with the boss on the pay. From then on, they just say how many hours they have worked and they will be paid accordingly.
With so much carelessness in everyday life, surely Finland must be a heaven to those who love to take “petty advantages” (小便宜). But the strange thing is, all the taxi passengers would always come back to pay their fare after they have attended to their business; not a single outsider has ever been found in the free hotel dining rooms. And workers always give an honest account of the exact hours they put in.
As the Finns always act on good faith in everything they do, living in such a society has turned everyone into a real “gentleman”. In a society of such high moral practice, what need is there for people to be on guard against others?
1. What might happen when taking a taxi in Finland?A.Taxis can be stopped at any time midway. |
B.The cost of a Benz is higher than other taxis. |
C.The driver will feel angry if unpaid on time. |
D.Only Benz can be used as common taxis. |
A.Your friend’s invitation. |
B.Your registration card. |
C.Your identity information. |
D.Your good behaviour. |
A.Finns love to take “pretty advantages”. |
B.Taxi drivers can get paid after constantly asking. |
C.Outsiders are often invited to have a free meal. |
D.Finnish workers keep very honest records of their working hours. |
A.Practice makes perfect. |
B.High effort always lead to great gains. |
C.Honesty is a good principle of society. |
D.Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. |
6 . When Senait Lara, a 28-year-old video producer, was questioned by her friends about her lack of communication in their group chat, the blames were as follows: she only caught up every few days; when she did, it was hardly an interaction — Lara spent time “liking” messages instead of responding with words and sometimes she would never respond at all. Lara didn’t deny it. She knew she sometimes preferred to completely avoid her phone rather than deal with a large number of requests. Actually, in person, Lara felt comfortable talking with people, but when communication came down to a text message or an email, she wanted to tap out.
While social media and messaging apps keep us more connected to each other, many younger users are finding themselves tired out from receiving constant notices and carrying on conversations that can last all day. The after-effect? Delayed responses, forgetting to get back to someone entirely, and a need for frequent breaks.
In fact, a 2023 study exploring the effects of information overload and online conversation dynamics (动态) found that “over-exposure to information can suppress the possibility of response by overloading users.”
Smartphones have quickly changed into handheld storage units for our conversations, thoughts, music and everything else. That shift to feeling constantly attached to our phones as if they were a limb relates to the burnout, says psychologist Emily Balcetis.
As the pressure to be online and always available continues to grow in our society, in-person interactions provide far more real communication than digital ones. From body language to eye contact and all the other social clues that exist in real life that aren’t available in a text message, it’s far easier to be present when you’re face-to-face. As Balcetis notes, “At the end of the day, I think what we’re looking for is not more ways to stay connected, but higher quality ways to be connected.”
1. What dissatisfied Senait Lara’s friends?A.Lara denying her problems. |
B.Lara avoiding using her phone. |
C.Lara’s preference for digital communication. |
D.Lara’s communication style in the group chat. |
A.They are starting to have memory problems. |
B.They refuse to put down their smartphones. |
C.They are tired of frequent digital contact. |
D.They feel more connected to each other. |
A.The need to take a break from digital devices. |
B.The pressure of always being available online. |
C.The importance of face-to-face communication. |
D.The ability to understand clues behind text messages. |
A.Negative. | B.Unconcerned. |
C.Supportive. | D.Objective. |
1. 活动目的;
2. 活动过程;
3. 活动反响。
注意:1. 词数为80左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
An English Debating Competition
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1. Who is the speaker?
A.An art teacher. | B.A tour guide. | C.An artist. |
A.Daily videos. | B.Exhibitions of ancient art. | C.Painting courses. |
A.Leve1 3. | B.Level 4. | C.Level 5. |
A.It has a variety of books. |
B.It is located on Level 2. |
C.It is beside the reception desk. |
Social media is one of the fastest-growing industries in today’s world. A study
“It has changed relationships. High school student Elly Cooper from Illinois said social media often reduces face-to-face
Yet, some people believe social media has made it easier
Besides, the rise of social media has changed the way teenagers see
However, Armin Korsos,
10 . When 29-year-old artist Sophia recalls (回忆) her mother, Marilyn, she remembers her singing. “She loved karaoke and funny 80s’
After her mother’s death in 2019 at age 53, that teddy bear became Sophia’s most priceless
A.adventures | B.stories | C.topics | D.songs |
A.cured | B.robbed | C.reminded | D.informed |
A.recorded | B.made | C.sent | D.took |
A.protected | B.gathered | C.kept | D.pressed |
A.equipment | B.award | C.achievement | D.possession |
A.stolen | B.destroyed | C.burned | D.hidden |
A.disappointed | B.upset | C.inspired | D.puzzled |
A.breaking down | B.looking for | C.combing through | D.putting up |
A.effort | B.reaction | C.performance | D.determination |
A.streaming | B.exchanging | C.designing | D.sharing |
A.covered | B.noticed | C.selected | D.interviewed |
A.winning | B.offering | C.saving | D.figuring |
A.Generously | B.Hopefully | C.Amazingly | D.Originally |
A.passed | B.attracted | C.followed | D.recognized |
A.discovering | B.announcing | C.recovering | D.positioning |