1 . Smart cities are coming. And you can be sure that hackers (黑客) won’t be very far behind. We’ve already gotten a glimpse of that future, as cities across the globe start to use technology to connect their services and people in ways that were science film just a few years ago. They are using sensors to collect data — such as traffic, garbage collecting, and road conditions —and then using that data to deliver services to more people and more efficiently.
But this rush to become a smart city has a major weakness: The more connected a city is, the easier it is to cyber-attacks. Hackers have, in recent years, effectively held cities hostage through ransom ware (赎金器), sometimes damaging critical systems for months at a time. The damage can cost millions to repair, as Baltimore and Atlanta have discovered.
And this is just the beginning. As cities add connectivity to their streetlights, power grids, dams, transit lines and other services, they are adding more targets that are possible to be hacked. What’s more, as additional information on people is collected, officials worry the result —lots of data could attract nation-states or terrorists who could use the data to launch physical and cyber war.
What cyber security lesson can’t be taught in this hack? For example: Don’t open email attachments from unfamiliar sources; don’t click on unrecognized links; don’t leave sensitive information visible on the walls or surfaces of your office.
But let’s just stick to the most important lesson: The information you share on social media can be used to profile and target you, whether that’s by engineering click bait (点击诱饵) aimed at your particular interests, guessing your password based on your birthday or figuring out your schedule and travels so that an intruder can access your home or office.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019 THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
1. What did people use to think of smart cities?| A．It was the product of science. | B．It was sure to be popular. |
| C．It existed in imagination. | D．It improved people’s life. |
| A．Introduce the harm of hackers. |
| B．Show the danger of a smart city. |
| C．Add some background information. |
| D．Summarize the previous paragraphs. |
| A．It is convenient to provide service. |
| B．It is certain to bring about progress. |
| C．There are actually potential dangers. |
| D．There’s competition in high technology. |
| A．Describe. | B．Protect. | C．Impress. | D．Fund. |
2 . New Zealand plans to forbid foreigners to buy existing homes. The ban is expected to become law this year. It aims to slow the rising housing prices and protect New Zealanders interested in buying a home.
The Labour Party government believes that foreign investors have pushed many possible first-time home buyers and families out of the housing market. Last year, housing prices across the country rose by 5.8 percent, to over $405,000. Housing prices rose even more in New Zealand’s capital city, Wellington. Price there rose by more than 18 percent over a 12-month period that ended in June 2017.
The rising prices have pushed home ownership outside the reach of many possible buyers. One home owner told VOA he feels sorry for the younger generation. “I just believe the market has made it impossible for them to get into the housing.” Just 25 years ago, three out of every four New Zealanders lived in their own homes. Now the rate is 64 percent — and falling.
The ban on forbidding foreigners to buy existing homes has yet to be approved. But the measure, called the Overseas Investment Amendment Bill, passed its first reading in parliament (国会)in December. Limiting foreign ownership of housing has been tried in other countries, including Switzerland, “ If foreign investors are looking to put their cash into New Zealand, if it then forces up the price of property, people cannot afford to live anymore.” says Norman Gemmell, chair of public finance at Victoria University.
Critics say foreign investors have had only a small effect on the cost of housing. Low interest rates, limited supply and immigration have also driven up house prices.
Housing prices continue to rise across the country. And for many New Zealanders, the dream of owning a home is as distant as ever.
1. Which is the main factor of the high housing prices, according to the Labour Party government?| A．Low interest rates. | B．Investors at home. |
| C．Immigration. | D．Foreign buyers. |
| A．Housing prices rose by over 18 percent over a year. |
| B．The housing prices of the capital city rose the least. |
| C．The rate of New Zealanders living in their own houses is decreasing. |
| D．The country has witnessed the highest rise in housing prices up to now. |
| A．has been approved in New Zealand |
| B．will encourage foreigners to buy a house |
| C．has been tried in other countries |
| D．will make local people harder to own a home |
| A．It is hard for the locals to buy a house in New Zealand. |
| B．New Zealand will prevent foreign buyers from buying a house. |
| C．The prices of houses in New Zealand have been rising sharply. |
| D．There are many reasons for high housing prices in New Zealand. |
3 . The term “boomerang kids” refers to adult children who move back into their parents’ house after a period of living on their own.
Traditionally, Americans expect to finish their schooling, get a job, and then move out of their parents’ home as soon as they become financially independent. Unlike in other countries where it is common for adult children to live with their parents until they marry, or even after they are married, in the U.S., adults living with their parents after graduating and getting a job is not the typical pattern.
However, things may be changing. The current generation of young adults are being called the “boomerang generation” because the lack of jobs has driven many of them to move back in with their parents, after having lived on their own while in college or after getting a full-time job. Fewer parents are experiencing what we sometimes call an “empty nest”, a home where the adult children leave and only the parents remain.
In a study conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2011, about 30% of people aged 25 to 34 reported that they had moved back with their parents at one time or another. While many of these adult children say that this is a satisfactory situation, with over 75% of these young adults saying they like their living arrangement, sometimes it’s not easy for the parents. 65% parents say that it is difficult to adjust to the return of their children, especially when deciding how much help to give them.
How does this living arrangement affect the relationships between parents and adult children? About a quarter of the young adults say that their relationship with their parents has improved, a quarter say it has worsened, and about 50% say it hasn’t had any effect either way.
1. What does the underlined phrase “boomerang kids” in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．People who are adults but mentally childish. |
| B．People who can save little money every month. |
| C．People who live on their parents when they’ve grown up. |
| D．People who take care of their parents by living with them. |
| A．Young adults live with their parents after graduation. |
| B．Young adults find a full-time job with their parents’ help. |
| C．Young adults go to college to get a degree. |
| D．Young adults live on their own and support themselves. |
| A．Parents’ overprotection. | B．The tight employment market. |
| C．Lack of life experience. | D．Parents’ fear for the “empty nest”. |
| A．About two thirds of the parents found it hard to live with their adult kids. |
| B．All the kids in the study wanted to live with their parents. |
| C．Roughly 30% of people moved back with their parents. |
| D．65% of the parents gave financial aid to their kids. |
4 . A campaign in the United Kingdom that seeks to pressure publishers to stop labeling children’s books according to gender(性别) is being given a push, with leading writers and at least one newspaper expressing support.
“We’re asking children’s publishers to take the ‘Boys’ and ‘Girls’ labels off books and allow children to choose freely what kinds interest them.” says the statement by the Let Books Be Books campaign. The organizers of the campaign say, “Such labels send out very limiting massages to children about what kinds of things are appropriate for girls or for boys.”
On Sunday, the movement got an important advance when the newspaper The Independent announced it would no longer comment on such books, or even blog about them. “Happily, as the literary editor of The Independent, there is something that I can do about this. So I promise now that the newspaper and this website will not be reviewing any book which is aimed at just girls, or just boys. Nor will The independent’s books section.” wrote editor Katy Guest.
The Guardian reports that one of Britain’s biggest bookstore chains, Waterstones, as well as U.K. Children’s Laureate Malorie Blackman, and U.K. Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy have also announced their support. “The campaign is attacking titles such as Usborne’s Illustrated Classics for Boys, described by the publisher as ‘a collection of action, adventure and daring-do stories suitable for boys,’ while its Illustrated Stories for Girls contains ‘brand new stories about princesses and dolls,’ ” The Guardian wrote.
But such a movement would also affect many popular and beloved books, such as the best selling The Dangerous Book for Boys. It’s clear not everyone thinks removing “for boys” and “for girls” from book titles is such a good idea. Many of The Independent’s readers are criticizing the newspaper’s announcement that it is banning reviews of such books.
“This is just stupidity,” wrote one reader on The Independent’s website. “The Independent has been an intelligent publication in my mind since I was a very young boy. So sad to see that change.”
1. What is The Let Books Be Books campaign?| A．It teaches kids about appropriateness. |
| B．It opposes gendered children’s books. |
| C．It aims to offer help to writers and newspapers. |
| D．It advises publishers to help children choose books. |
| A．Stop reviewing books labeled with “Boys” or “girl”. |
| B．Publish more children’s books on its website. |
| C．Provide more book reviews every Sundays. |
| D．Encourage children to review books. |
| A．They aren’t suitable for children. |
| B．They shouldn’t have similar titles. |
| C．They include too many adventure stories. |
| D．They should be open to kids of either gender. |
| A．To comment on some popular children’s books. |
| B．To report the recent progress of a cultural campaign. |
| C．To discuss some big changes in the world’s book market. |
| D．To explain the differences between books for boys and girls. |
5 . Quite a few people choose certain kinds of food to stay slim. In fact, food can do more than that. Not only does a healthy diet help control your waistline, but smarter food choices may also help ward off symptoms of depression.
Fish is one healthy food that can help fight depression. Fish plays a role in many traditional regional diets, such as the Mediterranean, Norwegian, and Japanese diets. Try eating a 3-ounce serving of fish two or three times a week.
Eat a wide array of vegetables, with lots of leafy greens and high-fiber root vegetables. It is suggested that higher vegetable intake reduces depression risk. When you’re feeling blue, a carrot might be the last thing on your mind.
Research published in May 2013 in Psychopharmacology looked at the mood and cognitive benefits of drinking hot cocoa every day for a month.
A cup of caffeinated(含咖啡因的) coffee could boost your mood, both short and long term.
| A．Chew on them and you feel better |
| B．Those who had more of it were calmer |
| C．However, it may help deal with low mood |
| D．Some foods are helpful in lifting the mood |
| E．In the short run, it delivers immediate refreshment |
| F．The way that food reduces health risks is highly complex |
| G．The more fruit you eat, the lower your risk of depression |
6 . Yawning is something we all do—maybe because we’re bored carrying out tedious tasks or because we’re tired. Sometimes, just seeing other people yawn can set you off. But is this biological function really contagious, and why do we do it in the first place?
Many of us think we open our mouths when we yawn to take in more oxygen, but in fact it appears there is no clear biological reason. A new research suggests it might be because yawning cools the brain down and prevents it from overheating, much like the fan in your laptop. This might be why we’re more likely to feel drowsy and yawn in warm temperatures.
What is clear is that we yawn more when we’re exhausted and ready for a nap, and we can’t control when we do it—once we start, there’s no stopping us! But it’s also true that yawning is a very contagious behaviour. John Drury, a researcher from Sussex University, told the BBC that “dogs yawn when their owners yawn. Animals yawn to each other. It happens whether you want to or not.”
His research into this cognitive behaviour found that there is a connection with our social group and how close we are to the people in it. If we identify with the person who exhibits the behaviour, we are likely to copy it too.
Other researches by the University of Nottingham in 2017 found similar results. They asked volunteers to watch other people yawn. They found their ability to resist yawning when others around them yawned was limited. And the urge to yawn was increased when people were told they couldn’t. They also found, when using electrical stimulation(刺激), that they were able to increase people’s desire to yawn. These findings, they say, could be useful because it could help treat other conditions like Tourette’s, which involve the same area of the brain.
1. According to the new research, why are we more likely to yawn in warm temperatures?| A．Because we need to breathe more oxygen. |
| B．Because we are more likely to feel tired. |
| C．Because we need to make the brain cooler. |
| D．Because we are more likely to feel bored. |
| A．Powerful. | B．Infectious. | C．Similar. | D．Influential. |
| A．They will have stronger desire to yawn. |
| B．They will immediately stop yawning. |
| C．They will yawn less than before. |
| D．They will yawn more lightly. |
| A．A novel. | B．A diary. | C．A magazine. | D．A handbook. |
7 . The Scientific Reason Why Your Dog Is Helping You Live Longer
Are you one of the 44 percent of Americans with a dog? You have a lot of things to thank your dog for, including getting a great night’s sleep. But as it turns out, man’s best friend isn’t just a great life companion; he (or she) can also help you live longer, according to new research.
A study published in the journal Scientific Reports gathered data on 3.4 million subjects aged 40 to 80, comparing them to Swedish registers of dog owners over an 11-year period. Overall, owners of dogs (especially hunting breeds) have a lower risk of death from cardiovascular(心血管) disease or other causes, the researchers found.
That even goes for people who live alone, which a previous study has found could shorten your life. Single dog owners were 33 percent less likely to die and 11 percent less likely to have a heart attack during the study period, compared to single non-owners.
According to the researchers, the benefits can go both ways: While dog ownership can encourage people to be more physically active, active people may also be more likely to own dogs. Owning a dog might also increase peoples’ social interaction and overall well-being, leading to a longer life. What’s more, a family dog could change the owner’s bacterial microbiome(细菌微生物群) by exposing them to foreign bacteria, which boosts their immune systems against disease. Find out more secrets your pet won’t tell you.
“Dog ownership has many benefits, and we may now be able to count better heart health as one of them,” Dr. Mike Knapton of the British Heart Foundation told the BBC. “However, as many dog owners may agree, the main reason for owning a dog is the sheer joy.”
1. What will probably allow people to enjoy a longer life?| A．Living alone without a dog. |
| B．Owning a dog. |
| C．Following the dog’s living ways. |
| D．Being single. |
| A．influence | B．break |
| C．weaken | D．strengthen |
| A．Healthier immune system. |
| B．Longer life of the dogs and their owners. |
| C．More social interaction and well-being. |
| D．Lower risk of heart diseases. |
| A．change their life style |
| B．better their heart condition |
| C．bring them a lot of fun |
| D．help them to live longer |
8 . The secret to eating less and being happy about it may have been found years ago — by McDonald’s. According to a new study from Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab, small non-food rewards — like the toys in McDonald’s Happy Meals — stimulate the same reward centers in the brain as food does.
The researchers, led by Martin Reimann, carried out a series of experiments to see if people would choose a smaller meal if it was paired with a non-food item.
They found that the majority of both kids and adults chose a half-sized portion when combined with a prize. Both options were priced the same.
Even more interesting is that the promise of a future reward was enough to make adults choose the smaller portion. One of the prizes used was a lottery ticket (彩票), with a $10, $ 50 or $100 payout, and this was as effective as a tangible gift in persuading people to eat less.
“The fact that participants were willing to substitute part of a food item for the mere prospect of a relatively small monetary award is interesting,” says Reimann. “One explanation for this finding is that possible awards may be more emotionally inspiring than certainty awards. The uncertainty of winning provides added attraction and desirability through emotional ‘thrills’. The possibility of receiving an award also produces a state of hope — a state that is in itself psychologically rewarding.” In other words, there’s a reason why people like to gamble.
How might this knowledge be used to help people eat more healthily?
One possibility is a healthy option that offers the chance to win a spa weekend. Or maybe the reward of a half-sized portion could be a half-sized dessert to be claimed only on a future date. That would get you back in the restaurant — and make you eat a little less.
1. What do we learn about McDonald’s inclusion of toys in its Happy Meals?| A．It may throw light on people’s desire to find a secret. |
| B．It has proved to be key to McDonald’s business success. |
| C．It appeals to kid’s curiosity to find out what is hidden inside. |
| D．It may be a pleasant way for kids to reduce their food intake. |
| A．Reducing food intake is not that difficult if people go to McDonald’s more. |
| B．Most kids and adults don’t actually feel hungry when they eat half of their meal. |
| C．Eating a smaller portion of food does good to the health of kids and adults alike. |
| D．Most kids and adults would choose a smaller meal that came with a non-food item. |
| A．Kids preferred an award in the form of money to one in the form of a toy. |
| B．Adults chose the smaller portion on the mere promise of a future award. |
| C．Both kids and adults felt satisfied with only half of their meal portions. |
| D．Neither children nor adults could resist the temptation of a free toy. |
| A．People should eat much less if they wish to stay healthy and happy. |
| B．More fast food restaurants are likely to follow McDonald’s example. |
| C．We can lead people to eat less while helping the restaurant business. |
| D．More studies are needed to find out the influence of emotion on behavior. |
9 . A little boy almost thought of himself as the most unfortunate child in the world because poliomyelitis (小儿麻痹症) made his leg lame and his teeth uneven. He seldom played with his classmates; and when the teacher asked him to answer questions, he always lowered his head without a word.
One spring, the boy’s father asked for some saplings (树苗) from the neighbor. He told his children to plant a sapling each person. The father said, “Whose seedling grows best, I will buy him or her a favorite gift.” The boy also wanted to get his father’s gift. But seeing his brothers and sisters carrying water to water the trees happily, anyhow, he hit upon an idea: he hoped the tree he planted would die soon. So watering it once or twice, he never attended to it.
A few days later, when the little boy went to see his tree again, he was surprised to find it not only didn’t wilt, but also grew some fresh leaves, and compared with the trees of his brother and sister, his appeared greener and more vital. His father kept his promise, bought the little boy his favorite gift and said to him: from the tree he planted, he would become an outstanding botanist when he grew up.
Since then, the little boy slowly became optimistic. One day, the little boy lay on the bed but couldn't sleep. Looking at the bright moonlight outside the window, he suddenly recalled what the biology teacher once said, plants generally grow at night. Why not go to see the tree? When he came to the courtyard on tiptoe, he found his father was splashing something under his tree with a ladle (勺子). He returned to his room, tears running down his face.
Decades passed. The little boy didn’t become a botanist, but he was elected President of the United States. His name was Franklin Roosevelt.
1. Why didn’t the boy answer the teacher’s question?| A．He couldn’t concentrate on the class. |
| B．All the students looked down on him. |
| C．He lacked confidence because of his illness. |
| D．He was an unfortunate boy with learning disability. |
| A．The neighbor required him to do it. |
| B．He expected them to be botanists. |
| C．He wanted to encourage the disabled boy. |
| D．The children asked for their favorite gifts. |
| A．Become weak. | B．Become strong. |
| C．Become beautiful. | D．Become green. |
| A．An Unfortunate Boy |
| B．Nutrition of Growth |
| C．A Loving Father |
| D．The Unselfish Love |
10 . Though it’s somewhat mysterious, sleep talking is a common phenomenon.
If a friend or family member has ever told you that you talk in your sleep, your first concern might be whether you said something offensive or let out a long-held secret.
Sleep talking is considered a sleep disorder. In terms of what causes it, inadequate sleep, alcohol or drug use, illness, stress, anxiety, and depression are common causes of such unconscious thinking.
If you’re frequently waking up tired, or you feel overwhelmed or sad most of the time, it's worth talking to your doctor about sleep talking.
| A．It can be annoying to be a sleep-talker |
| B．Sleep talking can vary considerably in its content |
| C．About half of kids talk in their sleep at least once a year |
| D．Just make sure that it isn’t a red flag or another health problem |
| E．Therefore, for most people it is a rare and short-lived occurrence |
| F．Your second thought might be whether sleep talking is something to worry about |
| G．Sometimes this nighttime chatter accompanies other sleep disorders such as sleepwalking |
