1 . With the development of our society, cellphones have become a common part in our lives. Have you ever run into a careless cellphone user in the street? Maybe they were busy talking, texting or checking updates on WeChat without looking at what was going on around them. As the number of this new "species" of human has kept rising, they have been given a new name—phubbers (低头族).
Recently a cartoon created by students from China Central Academy of Fine Arts put this group of people under the spotlight. In the short film, phubbers with various social identities bury themselves in their phones. A doctor plays with his cellphone while letting his patient die. A pretty woman takes a selfie (自拍) in front of a car accident site. And a father loses his child without knowing about it while using his mobile phone. A chain of similar events will finally lead to the destruction(毁灭) of the world.
Although the ending of the film sounds unrealistic, the damage phubbing can bring is real. Your health is the first to bear the effect and the result of it. "Always bending your head to check your cellphone could damage your neck," Guangming Daily quoted doctors' words. "The neck is like a rope that breaks after long-term stretching." Also, staring at cellphones for a long time will damage your eyesight gradually, according to the report.
But that's not all. Being a phubber could also damage your social skills and drive you away from your friends and family. When getting together with family or friends, many people prefer to play their cellphones while others are chatting happily with each other and this creates a strange atmosphere, Qilu Evening News reported.
It can also cost your life. There have been lots of reports on phubbers who fell to their death, suffered accidents, and were robbed of their cellphones in broad daylight.
1. Why does the author give the example of a cartoon in Paragraph 2?| A．To suggest phubbers will destroy the world. |
| B．To call for people to go walking without phones. |
| C．To tell people the bad effects of phubbing. |
| D．To advise students to create more cartoons like this. |
① Destructing the world.
② Affecting his social skills.
③ Damaging his neck and eyesight.
④ Getting separated from his friends and family.
| A．①②④ | B．②③④ | C．①③④ | D．①②③④ |
| A．Supportive. | B．Confident. | C．Disapproving. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．Ways to avoid the risks of phubbing. | B．Bad effects of phubbing. |
| C．Daily life of phubbers. | D．Behaviours of phubbers. |
2 . Last week my youngest son and I visited my father at his new home in Tucson, Arizona. He moved there a few years ago, and I was eager to see his new place and meet his friends.
My earliest memories of my father are a tall, handsome, successful man devoted to his work and his family, but uncomfortable with his children. As a child I loved him. He seemed unhappy with me unless got straight A’s and unhappy with my boyfriends if their fathers were not as “successful” as he was. Whenever I went out with him on weekends, I used to struggle to think up things to say, feeling on guard.
On the first day of my visit, we went out with one of my father’s friends for lunch at an outdoor cafe. We talked along that afternoon, did some shopping, ate on the street table, and laughed over my son’s funny facial expressions Gone was my father’s critical (挑别的) air and strict rules. Who was this person I knew as my father, who seemed so friendly and interesting to be around? What had held him back before?
The next day dad pulled out his childhood pictures and told me quite a few stories about his own childhood. Although our times together became easier over the years, I never felt closer to him at that moment. After so many years, I’m at last seeing another side of my father. And in so doing, I’m delighted with my new friend. My dad, in his new home in Arizona, is back to me from where he was.
1. Why did the author feel bitter about her father as a young adult?| A．He did not love his children. |
| B．He expected too much of her. |
| C．He was too proud of himself. |
| D．He was silent most of the time. |
| A．nervous | B．sorry |
| C．tired | D．safe |
| A．More critical. | B．More talkative. |
| C．Gentle and friendly. | D．Strict and hard-working. |
| A．the cafe owner | B．the author’s son |
| C．the author’s father | D．the friend of the author’s father |
3 . 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 |
4 . A Service Trips for High School Students
Are you a high school student who loves to be outdoors and is eager to experience new challenges, learn new skills and meet new people? WTA offers first-time participants country trips and returning students have the option to go on trips in the back country (边远地区).
Front Country Trips
Our front country trips provide opportunities for people to experience projects near the ocean, in the scenic Cascade Mountains and in northeast Washington. Our trips also provide you with experienced leaders, a great project, some camping tents, sleeping bags and all your meals for the week.
Advanced Back Country Trips
On these trips you will be backpacking to the work site and will have a chance to advance your trail and leadership skills under the supervision(监护) of a WTA leader.
Trip Details
In 2015, trip fees for WTA members will be $195 for the first trip and $145 for each additional trip. Non-members will pay an additional $40 for their first trip and can be qualified to be members in the second trip. Due to the popularity of our trips, please submit your payment and application within two weeks. If a trip is full and you would like to be added to the waiting list, please call us at 206/625-1367 or email trail-teams@wta.org.
Scholarships
We believe no student should have to stay at home this summer because he or she can’t afford to go outside. Thanks to donations from members and supporters, WTA is proud to announce that we are able to offer a limited number of scholarships. Application Deadline: May 1, 2016.
1. If you are going on Front Country Trips, you can’t go on trips ________.| A．near the ocean | B．in northeast Washington |
| C．in the Cascade Mountains | D．in the back country |
| A．$145. | B．$185. | C．$235. | D．$195. |
| A．must submit your payment and application within two weeks. |
| B．can cancel your trip and get all your money back. |
| C．will be added to the waiting list. |
| D．will naturally become a WTA member |
5 . Around the world,people have different traditional foods to celebrate different festivals．Traditional foods also show a new year of good luck and good health:An English Christmas dinner has a meal of turkey,and it also includes pies and plum puddings(李子布丁)．In Germany,Christmas is celebrated with bread cookies and cakes,which are made like Christmas trees.In France,Christmas dessert is a cake filled with butter cream.
In southern parts of India,there is a three-day festival in mid-January called Pongal.It includes rice and a dish of rice cooked with sugar that is shared with families and friends.
Japan celebrates New Year with a seven-day festival.It begins from January 1st.Food is prepared before the festival so people don't need to cook during the festival.On New Year's Day，various dishes called Osechi ryori(御节料理) are served — each dish is a wish for the New Year.
In most Asian countries,the New Year begins with the first full moon of the first Chinese Lunar(阴历的) month．Each place has its special food to welcome the coming year:People in China prepare their food ahead of time to avoid the possibility that using a knife during New Year's time might "cut luck",Foods with lucky names are popular，such as fish,which sounds like "surplus(剩余)".
1. What do you learn from the passage?| A．people have different traditional foods to celebrate different festivals． |
| B．New Year begins from January 10th in Japan． |
| C．In France，Christmas dessert is a cake filled with butter． |
| D．Traditional foods only show a new of good luck． |
| A．Christmas． | B．Pongal． | C．New Year． | D．Lantern Festival． |
| A．different | B．same | C．expensive | D．few |
6 . Every life in Britain
The weather is the most common topic in Britain.
Men always shake hands when they meet.
British people are very superstitious(迷信). They believe in all sorts of signs they see. For them black cats are luck
| A．Shopping is another common topic in Britain |
| B．Another common thing in Britain is queue |
| C．Hundreds of years ago, soldiers began this custom. |
| D．In autumn if you catch falling leaves you are lucky |
| E．Why do the Britain talk about the weather so often |
| F．They also pay attention to tiny details like your birthday |
| G．Never walk under a ladder, and don't walk pass somebody on the stairs |
7 . Would you save a woman, a child or a dog in a car crash? An experiment has investigated human morality（道德观）and ranked countries based on who they would save in the event of a certain death situation.
The findings show the value of life varies according to different countries. French people, for example, are far more likely to save women than men. Lithuania ranks in the top 10 for saving both the young and the healthy. The four characters most people saved in the experiment are a baby, a little girl, a little boy and a pregnant woman.
The experiment put forward difficult ethical（伦理的）decisions such as choosing between the lives of a family of four crossing the road and a group of old people going the other way. Quandaries（两难境地）like this will one day be faced by autonomous vehicles that will be programmed with rules that place value on human life.
Tests into the moral decisions involving almost forty million people around the world, including the English, have found that the lives of women and men are widely held in equal regard. The French however resist the trend as they think the lives of women have far more weight than those of men.
Dr Edmond Awad, of the MIT Media Lab, who is the lead author, said, “The study is basically trying to understand the kinds of moral decisions that driverless cars might have to turn to. We don't know yet how they should do that.” He added, “we find that there are three elements that people seem to approve of the most.”
“These are that humans are saved over animals, that many people are saved rather than a few, and that the young are saved rather than the old.”
Dr Awad added, “The main preferences are to some degree universally agreed upon. But the degree to which they agree with this varies among different groups or countries.”
1. According to Para. 2, which of the following is least likely to be saved in danger?| A．A little girl. | B．A little boy. |
| C．A pregnant woman. | D．An old man. |
| A．Self-driving cars will one day face the same decisions. |
| B．It's very interesting to do this kind of experiment. |
| C．The value should be placed on human life. |
| D．It's very dangerous for a family of four to cross the road. |
| A．It treats lives of women and men equally. |
| B．It thinks the lives of the young come first. |
| C．It attaches more value to women's lives. |
| D．It shows extraordinary respect for the old. |
| A．Animals are saved over humans. |
| B．The lives of many people will be considered first. |
| C．The lives of the old are above those of the young. |
| D．The three elements are equally agreed upon. |
8 . An interesting study posted on Facebook recently shows how men and women develop new interests as they mature(成熟).
While women tend to take exercise seriously from the age of 34, men will wait until their 45th birthdays before working hard to get in shape.The average woman spends more time talking about sports, politics, career and money as she gets older.
Women’s interest in books reaches its peak(顶峰) at the age of 22, while that of men does so when they are in their 50s.
Men start to change their focus from the workplace to other things after age 30, while women do not do so until eight years later. Both, however, care most about fashion at age 16.
The research used anonymous(匿名的) data donated by thousands of Facebook users, recording the statuses, ‘likes’ and ‘interests’ they had posted on their profiles.
It found the average woman talks about television most at 44, while men peak much younger, at age 31.
Men are also most likely to see a film in a cinema at age 31, while women go out to see films most when they are only 19.
Men are most interested in travel at 29, women at 27, while women talk most about food and drink at 35, and men at 38.
And if you are middle aged, a safe topic for any audience is the weather, which is a key interest for many as they approach 60.
Stephen Wolfram, the British scientist who carried out the research, says, “It’s almost shocking how much this tells us about the changes of people’s typical interests. People talk less about video games as they get older, and more about politics.”
1. When do women love books best?| A．At the age of 50. | B．At the age of 22. |
| C．At the age of 30. | D．At the age of 15. |
| A．gain more and more weight | B．do more exercise |
| C．be less interested in their jobs | D．pay more attention to their appearance |
| A．Getting in shape. | B．Going to the cinema. |
| C．Food and drink. | D．Popular style of clothing. |
| A．People’s interests change greatly with age. | B．People’s interests are different from each other. |
| C．It is normal for people to change their interests. | D．It is not good for people to change their interests. |
9 . China is a land of bikes. At least it was back in 1992 when I traveled the country. Back then everyone seemed to be riding a bicycle. Millions of them, all black. Cars were rare. Yet since my arrival in Beijing last year, I’ve found the opposite is true. There are millions of cars. However, people still use their bicycles to get around. For many, it’s the easiest and cheapest way to travel today. Bicycles also come in different colors---sivler, green, red, blue, yellow, whatever you want.
It’s fun watching people biking. They rush quickly through crossroads, move skillfully through traffic, and ride even on sidewalks(人行道). Bicycles allow people the freedom to move about that cars just can’t provide.
Eager to be part of this aspect of Chinese culture, I decided to buy a bicycle. Great weather accompanied my great buy. I immediately jumped up on my bicycle seat and started home.
My first ride home was orderly (守秩序的). To be safe, I stayed with a “pack” of bikers while cars on the streets came running swiftly out of nowhere at times. I didn’t want to get hit. So I took the ride carefully.
Crossing the streets was the biggest problem. It was a lot like crossing a major highway back in the United States. The streets here were wide, so crossing took time, skill and a little bit of luck.
I finally made it home. The feeling on the bicycle was amazing. The air hitting my face and going through my hair was wonderful. I was sitting on top of the world as I passed by places and people. Biking made me feel alive.
1. According to the author, why are bicycles still popular in China today?| A．Because they are traditional and safe. |
| B．Because they are convenient and inexpensive. |
| C．Because they are colorful and available. |
| D．Because they are fast and environment friendly. |
| A．to ride it for fun |
| B．to use it for transport |
| C．to experience local culture |
| D．to improve his riding skills |
| A．The author enjoyed showing off his biking skills. |
| B．The author was annoyed by the air while riding. |
| C．The author was praised by the other bikers. |
| D．The author took great pleasure in biking. |
| A．Riding bikes in China can be a very dangerous and terrible thing. |
| B．China is a land of bikes, because most Chinese people are too poor to own private cars. |
| C．For many, riding bikes is the easiest and cheapest way to travel today. |
| D．It’s fun watching people biking, because of the funny people. |
10 . From the earliest times，man has been interested in art．People have often worked together to collect and save the world's art treasures．
Fine art treasures from many countries are kept in an art museum called the Louvre in Paris, France. The works of art have been collected by the people of France over many centuries．
The Louvre has not always been a museum．The first building was a fort（炮台）．In 1190，it was the king's castle with high walls and a round tower. It had a moat to keep out his enemies．
Over the years，the number of buildings around the castle grew. By 1350，the castle was no longer needed as a fort. The Louvre became a palace home for French kings and queens．
During times of peace, new treasures were brought in. During days of war, many treasures were stolen, and the buildings were damaged．
When Francis I became king of France in 1515, he brought in artists from many countries. One of the artists was Leonardo da Vinci from Italy．Da Vinci's “Mona Lisa” is the best known painting in the museum today．
In 1793, the Louvre became a public museum, just as it is now. It is a place where art treasures have been saved for everyone to enjoy．
1. Why is it good for great art to be kept in public museums？| A．It helps people remember who the King of France is． |
| B．It keeps people out of the palaces． |
| C．It gives everyone a chance to enjoy good art． |
| D．It helps people to know who is the greatest artist． |
| A．it is not possible for treasures to be stolen |
| B．old forts always make the best museums |
| C．great art should be shared with all the people |
| D．king Francis I of France brought in artists from an old fort |
| A．a high tower built in former times where soldiers watched out for enemies |
| B．a long and deep ditch dug round a castle and was usually filled with water |
| C．a cart pulled by horses on which soldiers fought |
| D．a long and high wall around the castle. |
