1 . From self-driving cars to carebots (care+robots) for elderly people, rapid development in technology has long represented a potential threat to many jobs normally performed by people. But experts now believe that almost 50 percent of occupations existing today will be completely unnecessary by 2025 as artificial intelligence continues to change businesses.
“The next fifteen years will see a revolution in how we work, and a revolution will necessarily take place in how we plan and think about workplaces,” said Peter Andrew, Director of Workplace Strategy for CBRE Asia Pacific.
A growing number of jobs in the future will require creative intelligence, social skills and the ability to use artificial intelligence.
The report is based on interviews with 200 experts, business leaders and young people from Asia Pacific, Europe and North America. It shows that in the US technology already destroys more jobs than it creates.
But the report states: “Losing occupations does not necessarily mean losing jobs — just changing what people do.” Growth in new jobs could occur as much, according to the research.
“The growth of 20 to 40 person companies that have the speed and technological know-how will directly challenge big companies,” it states.
A report by Pew Research found 52 percent of experts in artificial intelligence and robotics were optimistic about the future and believed there would still be enough jobs in the next few years. The optimists pictured “a future in which robots do not take the place of more jobs than they create,” according to Aaron Smith, the report's co-author.
“Technology will continue to affect jobs, but more jobs seem likely to be created. Although there have always been unemployed people, when we reached a few billion people there were billions of jobs. There is no shortage of things that need to be done and that will not change,” Microsoft's Jonathan Grudin told researchers.
1. We can infer from the text that in the future ________.| A．people will face many difficulties |
| B．people will take up more creative jobs |
| C．artificial intelligence will threaten people's lives |
| D．most jobs will be done in traditional workplaces |
| A．people won't necessarily lose jobs |
| B．big companies will face fewer challenges |
| C．small companies will win against big companies |
| D．most people will become interested in technology |
| A．Mixed. | B．Worried. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Optimistic. |
| A．there will be enough jobs for people |
| B．things will change a lot in a few years |
| C．many people will become unemployed |
| D．technology will totally change future jobs |
2 . Although problems are a part of our lives, it certainly doesn't mean that we let them rule our lives forever. One day or another, you'll have to stand up and say—problems, I don't want you in my life.
But good news is that all problems can be dealt with. Now read on to know how to solve your problems.
Talk, it really helps. What most of us think is that our problem can be understood only by us and that no talking is going to help.
Write your problems.
Don't lose faith and hope. No matter what you lose in life, don't lose faith and hope. Even if you lose all your money, family…you should still have faith.
Your problems aren't the worst. No matter what problem you get in life, there are another one million people whose problems are huger than yours.
Go about and solve your problems because every problem, however big or small, always has a way out.
| A．Of course, we've been fighting troubles ever since we were born. |
| B．When we have a problem, a pressing, critical, urgent, life-threatening problem, how do we try and solve it？ |
| C．Having a personal diary can also be of huge help if you don't want a real person to talk with. |
| D．But the truth is that when you talk about it, you're setting free the negative energies that have been gathering within you. |
| E．We can often overcome the problem and achieve the goal by making a direct attack. |
| F．Tell yourself：when they can deal with them, why can't I？ |
| G．With faith and hope, you can rebuild everything that you lose. |
3 . How to Keep a Relationship Healthy and Strong
Are you new to experiencing relationships? Well, let me give you advice on having a healthy and possibly longterm relationship.
Make sure you give them respect. Now respect isn’t just simply treating her or him nicely. There’s a lot more to it. You have to learn to adjust to their liking.
Make sure you have a good sense of humor with them. Laughter is the key to happiness. Laugh a lot with them, joke with them. Laughter may seem silly, but it’s the secret to a lot in life. It will keep the sparks alive.
Make sure the communication is good. This goes along with trust, but always communicate how you feel, even if it’s something that upsets you. Instead of screaming, talk to them.
| A．Show them your personality. |
| B．Be an honest person with them. |
| C．Make sure you are encouraging to your partners. |
| D．Laughter keeps the relationship strong and lasting. |
| E．Don’t start to neglect them and make them feel unwanted. |
| F．Basically, learn to study your partners’ moods, wants and needs. |
| G．If they did something that made you unhappy, tell them about it in a respectful manner. |
4 . The city of Richmond announced that Roscoe Burnems would become the city’s first poet laureate (桂冠诗人), a poet recognized for achievements in poetry
During his two-year term as a poet laureate, Burnems is responsible for being a poetry advocate by providing access to poetry throughout the city and offering opportunities to use the power of words to heal wounds, open hearts and minds, and bring people closer together. He has the freedom to create and develop his own projects during his term and will receive a $4,000 annual bonus.
Burnems’ love of poetry began at an early age when he was struggling against depression. His English teacher recommended him to read poetry, which later brought him a peaceful mental state and helped him recover from depression. He soon decided that poetry was something he would run after for his lifetime. “People gravitate to poetry because they can find themselves in the poems,” he says. “It allows readers to feel the emotional part of our experiences.”
He says poetry is a great platform to discuss mental health. depression and the emotional stresses that come with daily life. Relieving those stresses is central to some of the work he does with young people Last year. Burnems started a youth poetry producing competition for local high school students.
Burnems says he loves and supports different types of art, and his next move is to explore poetry through cooperation across media Richmond’s paintings on the wall are a good example. He says, “Richmond is getting known for these beautiful paintings on display across the city, and I want to add a literary component to that.”
1. What is Burnems’ responsibility as a poet laureate?| A．Creating more good poems. | B．Developing his own projects. |
| C．Spreading the power of poetry. | D．Bringing poetry lovers together. |
| A．Poetry made him more confident. |
| B．Poetry helped him through a tough time. |
| C．He was influenced by his English teacher. |
| D．He viewed writing poems as a lifelong career. |
| A．Take pride in. | B．Be used to. | C．Break away from. | D．Be attracted by. |
| A．To shift his focus to paintings. | B．To combine poetry with other arts. |
| C．To hold more poetry competitions. | D．To help youth with mental problems. |
5 . We have heard some interesting ways that 5G wireless(无线的) technology might change our lives in the future.
5G technology promises the internet speeds between 50 to 100 times faster than 4G systems. While 5G is set to be used in some limited areas of America this year, much of the world is not expected to receive widely used service until 2023.
One project in Britain, however, is already testing this super fast technology on an unlikely group Internet users—cows. The project was developed by American technology company Cisco Systems, Inc. It also receives money from the British government. Cisco says the program seeks to explore the future of 5G in countryside areas around the world.
Testing areas were set up at farms in 3 countryside areas of England. The cows are equipped with 5G devices(装置)that connect to a robotic milking(挤奶) system,which uses sensors(传感器) and machine learning to fully automate the process. System designers say technology takes over after a cow feels ready to be milked and walks towards an automatic gate. During the milking, machines give food for the cow as a reward.
Other 5G technology tools include automated brushes that turn on when the cow rubs up(蹭) against them. Sensors also control the amount of light to the cows living areas depending on the weather. And, an automatic feeding system makes sure the animals always have enough to eat.
Duncan Forbes, head of a government-funded agricultural engineering organization, told Reauters that the project shows the farm’s cow operation can be greatly improved with 5G technology and that the experiment provided strong evidence that 5G technology can be widely used in the future, not just on farms in Britain,but in countryside across the world.
1. What is the aim of Cisco Systems Inc’s project?| A．To win financial support from the British government |
| B．To test the effects of 5G technology on animals |
| C．To promote its technological development in Britain |
| D．To expand the future use of 5G in countryside |
| A．The project | B．The company |
| C．The technology | D．The group |
| A．It is no worse than 4G in terms of speed |
| B．It is already widely used all over the world |
| C．It has made improvements in operating the cows |
| D．It is based on sensors and machine learning |
| A．Entertainment | B．Lifestyle |
| C．Education | D．Technology |
6 . We live in a town with three beaches. There are two parts less than 10 minutes’ walk from home where neighborhood children gather to play. However, what my children want to do after school is pick up a screen — any screen — and stare at it for hours. They are not alone. Today’s children spend an average of four and a half hours a day looking at screens, split between watching television and using the Internet.
In the past few years, an increasing number of people and organisations have begun coming up with plans to counter this trend. A couple of years ago film-maker David Bond realised that his children, then aged five and three, were attached to screens to the point where he was able to say “chocolate” into his three-year-old son’s ear without getting a response. He realised that something needed to change, and, being a London media type, appointed himself “marketing director from Nature”. He documented his journey as he set about treating nature as a brand to be marketed to young people. The result was Project Wild Thing, a film which charts the birth of the World Network, a group of organisations with the common goal of getting children out into nature.
“Just five more minutes outdoors can make a difference,” David Bond says. “There is a lot of really interesting evidence which seems to be suggesting that if children are inspired up to the age of seven, then being outdoors will be on habit for life.” His own children have got into the habit of playing outside now: “We just send them out into the garden and tell them not to come back in for a while.”
Summer is upon us. There is an amazing world out there, and it needs our children as much as they need it. Let us get them out and let them play.
1. What is the problem with the author’s children?| A．They often annoy their neighbours. | B．They are tired of doing their homework. |
| C．They have no friends to play with | D．They stay in front of screens for too long. |
| A．By making a documentary film. | B．By organizing outdoor activities. |
| C．By advertising in London media. | D．By creating a network of friends. |
| A．records | B．predicts | C．delays | D．confirms |
| A．Let Children Have Fun | B．Young Children Need More Free Time |
| C．Market Nature to Children | D．David Bond: A Role Model for Children |
7 . Wildlife experts are reporting increasing numbers of Atlantic blue fin tuna(蓝鳍金枪鱼)in the Atlantic Ocean. Atlantic blue fins are highly prized by the fishing industry. The fish can weigh up to 454 kilograms. Its meat is often used in sushi products sold at Japanese restaurants.
But the Atlantic blue fin has been a concern for wildlife experts. The species was listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Improved law enforcement appears to be helping the Atlantic blue fin recover after years of overfishing. The popular fish all but disappeared from the Gulf of Maine about 10 years ago. This year, fishers set a record by catching 30 Atlantic blue fins. One of the fish weighed 363 kilograms.
International regulators have eased the catch limits for U. S. fishermen this year, increasing the quotas (限额)by more than 180,000 kilograms. But environmental groups warn increasing the new limits will undo years of wildlife protection efforts.
Scientists have been unable to determine whether or not the Atlantic blue fin population has recovered, so any decrease in the population now is bad for fishermen in the long term.
Blue fin has been at the center of a long battle between the fishing industry and environmentalists. Fishermen can make large amounts of money from a single fish. Environmentalists seek to protect the Atlantic blue fin. Yet many consumers are willing to pay high prices to eat them.
Walt Golet, a professor of marine biology at the University of Maine, says “Probably no other fish has been more politicized than the Atlantic blue fin tuna. From an environmental point of view it's always … Let's try to back off a little bit and make sure that we always have enough fish, and on the other side, we have individuals and organizations that they're making a living out of that fish and that's kind of where the assessment and management come into play. It's kind of balancing all of those opinions and viewpoints.”
1. What do we know about the Atlantic blue fin?| A．It is a treasure in fishing industry. |
| B．Its meat is sold well in Japan. |
| C．It is an endangered species. |
| D．It has recovered after 10 years of overfishing. |
| A．Ban. | B．Ruin. | C．Undertake. | D．Disapprove. |
| A．Helpful. | B．Hopeless. | C．Successful. | D．Unfavorable. |
| A．The environmental point of view should be respected. |
| B．The battle between experts and fishermen will last forever. |
| C．The balance between all those opinions should be achieved. |
| D．Individuals and organizations have the right to catch fish. |
8 . Technology use seems to be the new wave of addiction hitting people of all ages. Its extreme use can be compared to the use of drugs, which is called Plug-in Heroin.
The next time you’re in a crowded public place, look at the people around you. It’s hard to find someone who isn’t glued to the tiny screen, fingers moving at lightning speeds, texting their friends, e-mailing coworkers or listening to music. It may seem ridiculous that someone is that addicted to such a small object. I’ve seen people who seem to be at their wits’ end if their phone or iPad has been taken away, lost or left at home.
Some people may ask, “What’s wrong with technology use? It’s a way for people to communicate.” While this is true, the overuse of technology isn’t always appropriate in certain settings. Schools are becoming stricter about the use of cell phones, iPods and other electronics in classrooms. Various workplaces have signs hanging on their walls warning employees that “Cell phone use is not permitted” or “Cell phones are forbidden”. On the first warning you will be sent home, and on the second warning you will be fired.
Electronics may be a way for people to communicate and stay in touch with each other, but the disadvantages may outweigh the benefits. People are losing the ability to hold face-to-face conversations with others. However, it’s hard to avoid electronics in this day and age because almost everything is turning into an electronic format. Books, originally meant for paper design, are now being transferred to electronic forms. Photo albums, and even yearbooks, can now be viewed via the Internet. With this growing trend, future generations are bound to become even more addicted to technology.
Is there a cure for electronic addiction? Simply turning electronics off for an hour or two a day may help to an extent, but it will not completely rid electronic addiction. There only seems to be one cure left, and it may be the hardest: self control.
1. What is Plug-in Heroin?| A．The growing popularity of electronics. |
| B．The serious consequences of technology use. |
| C．The future possibility of technology development. |
| D．The unreasonable dependence on electronics. |
| A．show people’s addiction to electronics. |
| B．persuade people to quit electronics. |
| C．prove electronics are harmful to people. |
| D．tell people it is ridiculous to use electronics. |
| A．People have no interest in traditional paper designs. |
| B．More information tends to be available in electronic forms. |
| C．It is the only way people stay in touch with each other. |
| D．People have fewer chances to communicate in person. |
| A．approving. | B．indifferent. | C．critical. | D．doubtful. |
9 . An advance in electronic publishing could make the e-book you are reading seem as dated as a silent film. Publishers hope to explore the growing success of e-books by releasing versions with added soundtracks（电影配音）and musical accompaniments.
The noises in the first multimedia books — released in Britain on Friday - include rain hitting a window in a Sherlock Holmes tale. When the plot of a book reaches the most exciting part, background scores will create tension.
Supporters argue that sound effects are the next logical development for e-books and will add excitement for younger readers. Critics, however, will argue that the noise will ruin the simple pleasure of having the imagination stimulated by reading.
Caroline Michel, chief executive of the literary agency, said the new generation of computer- literate readers was used to multiple sensory input. She said, “Young people have split computer screens where they may be watching television and replying to an email at the same time. If that's what the market wants then we should respond to the market.”
Book track's sound effects work by estimating the user's reading speed. Each lime you turn a page, the software reassesses where you have reached in the text and times the sounds to switch on accordingly. If the soundtrack becomes out of synch （同步），a click on any word will reset it.
Some authors fear that a soundtrack could destroy the peace and quiet of libraries and ruin the pleasure, of reading. David Nicholls, author of Our Day, the bestseller now released as a film, said, “This sounds like the opposite of reading. I have enough trouble reading an e-book because I'm constantly distracted by emails.
Stuart MacBride, the crime writer whose novel Shatter the Bones was an e-book bestseller, sells 18% of his books as electronic downloads. He said, “If I'm reading, I will do the noise in my head. I don’t need someone to tell me what lea cups clinking sounds like. That would irritate （激怒）me.”
1. What do publishers expect an e-book soundtrack to do?| A．Help to release an e-book as a film. | B．Help readers improve reading speed. |
| C．Add tension at a book's exciting point. | D．Get readers familiar with the background. |
| A．Mr. Darcy. | B．Caroline Michel. |
| C．David Nicholls. | D．Stuart MacBride. |
| A．He was a person who was easy to get angry. |
| B．He knew a great deal about tea and tea culture. |
| C．Eighty-two percent of his books described crime. |
| D．He imagined sounds related to the story when reading. |
| A．Opinions about e-books with soundtracks. |
| B．Response to the need of the book market. |
| C．Reasons for traditional e-books becoming outdated. |
| D．Suggestions on encouraging readers’ imagination. |
10 . In the field of educational technology, some apps might be getting too smart. There are more and more apps providing help for students.
PhotoMath
The new, seemingly magic app allows users to take pictures of a math problem, and then receive a step-by-step solution. It is now the number one free app on the App Store. A PhotoMath spokeswoman says educators have welcomed the app with positive reviews, but the software causes a lot of angry public discussion and disagreement. Why? It is because students can use it to cheat when doing their math homework.
Price: Free
iHomework
Whether you’re a high school student or a college student, there’s one thing you’ve got for sure: a lot of homework. iHomework can help you keep track of all your homework. It can help you arrange it in a particular order according to types, or based on deadlines.
Price: Free
Wolfram Alpha
Wolfram Alpha is similar to PhotoMath, but it focuses on older students studying high levels of math and doesn’t support photos. The service also produces step-by-step solutions to advanced topics, making it a popular tool for college students.
Price: $2.99
Homework Helper
Chinese Internet search company Baidu has launched (发起) an app called Homework Helper with which students can get answers to homework. Users post a picture or type their homework questions onto online forums (论坛), and those who answer the questions can win e-coins that can be used to buy devices like iPhones and laptops. The app has logged 5 million downloads, much to the concern of many parents who argue that the students spend less time thinking about challenging problems.
Price: Free
1. What is the problem of the app PhotoMath?| A．It can’t recognize pictures. |
| B．It doesn’t provide a step-by-step solution. |
| C．It encourages students to use smartphones. |
| D．It makes cheating at homework more likely to happen. |
| A．Offering services to office workers. |
| B．Making students organize their school work. |
| C．Helping deal with advanced math problems. |
| D．Creating chances to discuss math online. |
| A．It is thought highly of by teachers. |
| B．It is unpopular among Chinese students. |
| C．Many parents think it harmful to children’s study. |
| D．Answering questions on the app wastes students’ time. |
