1 . In “minority report”, a policeman played by Tom Cruise, gathers information from three psychics (通灵者) and arrests future criminals before they break the law. In the real world, prediction is more difficult. But it may no longer be science fiction, thanks to the growing predictive power of computers. That prospect scares some, but it could be a force for good-if it is done right.

Machine learning, a branch of artificial intelligence, can lead to remarkably accurate predictions. It works by chewing vast quantities of data in search of patterns. Take, for example, restaurant hygiene (卫生). The system learns which combinations of sometimes vague factors are most suggestive of a problem. Once trained, it can assess the risk that a restaurant is dirty. The Boston mayor’s office is testing just such an approach, using data from online reviews.This has led to a 25% rise in the number of spot inspections that uncover offences.

Governments are taking notice, A London district is developing an algorithm (运算法则) to predict who might become homeless. In India Microsoft is helping schools predict which students are at risk of dropping out. Machine-learning predictions can mean government services arrive earlier and are better targeted. Researchers behind an algorithm designed to help judges make bail (保释) decisions claim it can predict likelihood of committing crimes again so effectively that the same number of people could be bailed as are at present by judges, but with 20% less crime.To get a similar reduction in crime across America, they say, would require an extra 20,000 police officers at a cost of $2.6 billion.

But computer-based predictions are sometimes debatable. ProPublica, an investigative-journalism outfit, claims that a risk assessment in Bmoward County, Florida, wrongly labelled black people as future criminals nearly twice as often as it wrongly labelled whites. Citizens complain that decisions which affect them are taken on incomprehensible grounds.

These problems are real, but they should not spell the end for machine learning as a policy tool. Instead, the priority should be to establish some ground rules and to win public confidence.The first step is to focus machine learning on applications where people stand to gain extra help at school, say, rather than extra time in jail.

1. The example of restaurants is used in paragraph 2 in order to _________.

A．illustrate how accurate the predictions are

B．urge that the government should take action

C．stress that vague factors can make a difference

D．show how machine learning changes people’s lifestyle

2. What can be inferred about the bail decisions based on the algorithm?

A．More money would be spent to uncover offences.

B．More policemen would be required to reduce crime.

C．Less crime has been reported since the algorithm was applied.

D．Fewer people that are likely to commit crimes would be bailed.

3. What conclusion does the writer draw from the risk assessment in Broward County?

A．In which area machine learning is applied matters.

B．Machine learning as a policy tool is coming to a dead end.

C．Public confidence in computer-based predictions is increasing.

D．The government should not rely on computer-based predictions.

4. Which of the following can be the best title of this passage?

A．Clever computers	B．The power of learning
C．The government that depends on AI	D．Decisions that contribute to better algorithm

2 . Last summer, a video from Cardiff showed opera coach Mary King wet-eyed during the finals of BBC Cardiff Singer of the World.Who had moved her to tears? Mongolian baritone (男中音) Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar, towering, broad-shouldered, with a huge smile and a mighty voice, the 29-year-old sang Rossini,Verdi and Tchaikovsky and charmed everyone, including the judges, who declared him joint winner of the Song prize. “There was something so imposing about the sound,” King said. “Contained and glorious. It’s very unusual to find this combination of presence, power and effortlessness.”

Ariunbaatar doesn’t have a typical background for a contestant in one of the world’s most celebrated opera contests. He grew up in the traditional Mongolian way, living in circular tents with his nomadic (游牧的) family. As a child, he rode some 60 miles a day, and he was always singing. He won a place at university in Ulaanbaatar but dropped out after two years when he couldn’t pay the fees, became a taxi driver and one night got chatting to a customer who happened to be the chief of police. Long story short: he joined Ulaanbaatar’s police orchestra, worked his way back to university, then onwards to the grand opera houses of Russia and Europe.

That backstory aroused my curiosity — so much so that three months later I was on a flight to Ulaanbaatar with a radio producer and suitcase of audio equipment. I had the same basic knowledge many westerners share about Mongolia: Genghis Khan, Gobi desert, furry camels, wild horses, wonderful throat singers. My guidebook described a proud nation. “It is rude to turn down an offer of horse’s milk,” I read, “for it is considered a gesture of friendship.”

International wins have made Ariunbaatar famous at home. Politicians hope his career will secure Mongolia’s position on the opera map-portraying it as a modern nation. He says he has no intention to leave Mongolia. His family still travel on the plain, still ride on horseback, still packup their tents to follow new grasslands. “Being with them on the land is what gives me inspiration to sing.” he says. “Wherever I am, that is what I imagine when I sing.”

1. Ariunbaatar won the Song prize mainly because of            

A．his command of different songs.

B．his charming appearance.

C．his unusual background.

D．his impressive sound.

2. What is most likely to be Ariunbaatar’s turning point before he rose to fame?

A．He was admitted to a university for the first time.

B．He became a member of the police orchestra.

C．He moved Mary King and got the big prize.

D．He was raised in the traditional Mongolian way.

3. What can be learned from the last paragraph about Ariunbaatar?

A．He cares little about fame.

B．He hopes to become better known.

C．He wants to give his family a better life.

D．He draws inspiration from the horses.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．How Ariunbaatar became a famous star.

B．An introduction to an opera singer.

C．Why the author travelled to Mongolian.

D．A video about a celebrated opera contest.

3 . Directions:Complete the following passage by using the words in the box.Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A delivered       B management       C overlooked        D.products        E.rural     F. shifted G.strategies       H.sufficient       I. tremendous        J.urbanisation       K.worst

National governments neglecting development needs of cities

National governments around the world are neglecting the needs of their major cities with non-existent or inadequate development policies, a new report has found. National governments are key to making cities more sustainable, because cities are limited distinctly in the policy measures they can take for themselves, the report points out. However, only a quarter of the world’s governments have urban development policies at all, and most of those that do exist are far from     1     to make cities sustainable.

The report looks at the key measures of energy production, transport, waste     2     and infrastructure(基础建设)，For instance, putting in adequate public transport can transform the lives of citizens and the carbon footprint of the cities they live in. Encouraging the use of electric vehicles above petrol-driven cars can also have a(n)     3     effect, not just on greenhouse gas emissions but also on removing some of the key causes of air pollution.

The report, from the Stockholm Environment Institute and the Coalition for Urban Transitions and funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, suggests national governments have     4     the needs of their major cities even when they have in place national policies on issues such as climate change and greenhouse gas emissions.Derik Broekhoff of the Stockholm EnvironmentInstitute,the lead author of the study, said“Now is the time for national governments to put cities at the heart of their national development     5     . Countries must consider what policies need to be     6     in order to ensure their countries and cities are prepared for the unprecedented     7     and climate challenges the world is facing.”

Cities around the world are facing rapid population growth, and are likely to be among the areas     8     hit by dramatic climate change, in part because many are at risk of rising sea levels, floods and droughts. For most of human history, the     9     population was greater than those of cities, and it is only in just over the last decade that this balance has     10     with most of the world’s populations now living in urban centres, a trend that is expected to speed up even further.

4 . Directions:Complete the following passage by using the words in the box.Each word can only be used once.Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. boost       B.capabilities       C.ceaseless     D.effects     E.evolve       F. historic G.identify       H.initiative     I. interconnected     J.miraculously       K.seriously

Currently, many of the brainy gadgets being developed for the Internet of Things will anticipate our needs and make choices for us--without being told what to do--marking a(n)     1     transformation in our relationship with machine.

As we turn more of our decision-making over to the devices,they will     2     into our personal confidants (知己) and counselors, determining everything from the time we wake up and clothes we wear to the music we listen to and the route we take to work. In the process, experts say our reliance on these     3     tools will far surpass today's dependence on smart phones.These autonomous assistants are widely expected to help us stay healthier, take better care of our loved ones, live more comfortably, become more environmentally responsible and     4     our productivity by freeing us from an endless array of boring routines so we can concentrate on the most important ones.

But social scientists and others worry these computerized devices might make decisions that are     5     flawed or that we otherwise dislike, leaving us feeling less in control of our lives. More importantly, their     6     observation could result in an excessively conformist (循规蹈矩的)society, some experts fear一especially with the government and other entities (实体) exploring the use of these intelligent machines to assess and prevent "abnormal behavior."

Stanford University researchers believe society may be profoundly impacted by Internet-of-Things machines blessed with humanlike     7     . So in December they began a century-long study of the technology in part to     8     the implications “of systems that can make inferences about the goals, intentions, identity, location, health, beliefs, habits and future actions of people."

Understanding such     9     is crucial, experts say, because the technology is being rapidly adapted. About 13 percent of consumers already have got a smart thermostat, security camera or other devices installed in homes. Instead of just doing what we command, many of the devices being empowered with sophisticated software and micro-electronics to act on their own     10     as our personal advisers.

5 . Directions:After reading the passages below.fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent andgrammatically correct.For the blanks with given words,fill in each blank with the proper form of the word given:for the other blanks,use one word for each blank the best fits the context.

One of the most important New Year's resolutions     1     every parent should make for 2021 is to ensure everyone in the family spends less time with screens. Since last year, a number of new studies     2     (confirm) that the effects of technology on kids are even worse than many parents feared.

Children between the ages of 8 and 11 who spend more than two hours a day looking at screens were associated with lower cognitive function than those who engaged in less screen time, according to researchers who published a study in The Lancet in September. While researchers noted there is no causal link, they wrote,“Emerging evidence suggests that mobile device and social media uses have an unfavorable relationship with attention, memory, impulse control, and academic performance”--- perhaps     3     technology encourages multi-tasking and can cut into kids' sleep time.

The Times also reported many elite schools are moving towards eliminating or reducing screens, while many public schools are touting technology in classrooms.     4     fears of a technological divide were once centered on the high cost of technology and high-speed internet access, the concern is now that less affluent children     5     be spending more time with technology. Already, research by Common Sense Media has found that higher-income teenagers spend less time with screens for entertainment compared to lower-income teens. Of course, a total ban isn't necessarily a smart strategy, either. Some screen time can be important for helping kids learn to use technology they     6     (need) in their careers. They might also use it in beneficial ways     7     (access) educational games and programs, and stay connected to family and friends, for example.

And     8     parents blame their kids' bad behavior on their technology use, it's also important to take a look in the mirror. Moms and dads need to reduce their own screen time, too. A study published in June in Pediatric Research found that there's     9     vicious cycle: The parents' use of phones and its interference in parent-child interactions is associated with kids acting out(模仿).This might then prompt parents to continue using their phones as a way to cope with stress.

New Year's celebrations are the perfect time to get the whole family to look up from their screens       10     offering some fun alternatives like board games, scavenger hunts, baking treats or getting together with family and friends. Kids will soon discover that there are plenty of things that aren't on Facebook to "like."

6 . Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize in no more than 60 words the main idea of the passage and how it is illustrated. Use your own words as far as possible.

Long Journey

The majority of the world’s clothes, bags and shoes are manufactured in Asia. But the region’s brands have made little headway in the West. Of the ten most valuable global apparel (服装) labels ranked by Millward Brown, a market-research firm, only Uniqlo is Asian. Li-Ning, one of China’s best-selling sportswear brands, tried to enter America in 2010. It opened a flagship store in Portland, Oregon and later launched an English-language online store. Both failed.

What makes the journey so hard? Adjusting to Western tastes takes time. Although Uniqlo became the largest Japanese apparel brand by selling US-style clothing, it still encountered cultural barriers in America itself. For example, vests (背心) are one of Uniqlo’s most popular products at home, but relatively few Americans and Europeans wear an additional layer beneath their shirts, says Dairo Murata, an analyst at JPMorgan Chase, a bank. It was only two years ago the firm also realized that XL was not big enough in America; it now duly provides XXXL.

Another problem, at least outside the big cities, is price. Uniqlo takes pride in the use of high-tech, comfortable fabrics (布料)，an attempt to differentiate itself from other basic clothing brands like Gap and Old Navy. But at Danbury Fair, a Connecticut shopping mall that is a barometer for retail trends in the suburbs, people prefer Primark, a super-cheap Irish retailer (零售商) which recently opened, to Uniqlo, which shut up shop in June. Mall visitors are conservative about fashion and about spending, explains F.K. Grunert, its manager.

What still seems to work better is concentrating on urban centres, even though that means a smaller potential market. This month Uniqlo opened a stand-alone store in Manhattan’s Soho; such shops tend to do well. In 2002 it had 21 stores in Britain, dotted around the north-west, Midlands and south-east; now eight of the ten it still has are in London.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . Gyms that profit most from the January rush

Every year, like clockwork, many people go through the same routine. On December 26^th and January 1^st, as the fog of cheese, chocolate oranges and champagne lifts, regret creeps（悄悄出现）in. Online searches for “get fit” and “lose weight” increase.    1    “Intent typically takes seven to 14 days to turn into reality,” notes Humphrey Cobbold, chief executive of Pure Gym, Britain’s largest gym chain. So this week will be one of the busiest for the gym industry globally.

Many gym recruits（新成员）will have their new sportswear on for high-intensity interval training. In the basement of Another Space, a club near London’s Leicester Square, music pumps and light flash as a trainer shouts instructions to a group of mostly young women. They are pushed through bursts of burpees, handclap push-ups and various kick and punches at boxing bags. The training is murderous.    2    Such high-end gym can charge up to eight times as much as low-cost ones, based on two visits a week over a year.

They are at one end of a fitness market.    3    America’s market leader, Planet Fitness, promises “the best value on the planet”, and has over 10 million members; its shares rose in 2017. One in seven people in Britain is a gym member, and 35% of private memberships are low-cost, up from 14% in 2013, according to Leisure DB, a data firm. Mid-range clubs, meanwhile, have fared less well. Virgin Active recently sold its less luxurious facilities in Britain to avoid being squished（压扁）in the middle.

Pure Gym expects soon to reach 1 million members. Part of its appeal is that, unlike traditional gyms, members are not bound by a long contract. “We have taken a £500 decision and turned it into a £20 decision,” says Mr Cobbold.    4    Most new joiners do not plan to spend much money. But gyms proper on non-attendance. According to IHRSA, an industry body based in Boston, fewer than half of gym members in America hit the treadmill（跑步机）at least twice a week—until the exercise cycle begins anew the following January.

A．There will be other ripple effects（连锁反应）, too.

B．That will be good news for some gym goers because many will soon suffer a second round of regret.

C．However, the club’s luxurious changing rooms and bars relieve some of the pain.

D．Health clubs of all shapes and sizes stand ready to respond.

E．Spending on fashion items also increases around the time of joining a gym.

F．At the other are budget gyms, which have accounted for the big part of gym growth in recent years.

8 . On the pristine coast of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, a small fishing village called Mahabalipuram is home to Mumu Surf School, one of the most popular surfing schools in India. It is run by Mukesh Panjanathan, also known as Mumu, who lives two minutes from the school on the beach.

Every morning, he watches the sunlight sparkle on the seawater, and palm leaves sway with the breeze. Along the shore are kattumarams, which he used to sneak into the sea as a child to ride the waves. But as beautiful as it looks, the beach town has a dark side.

Mumu was only 12–the youngest of six siblings–when his father, who suffered from alcoholism-related health problems, died by suicide.

“Alcohol addiction is an immense challenge for fishing communities.” Vincent Jain, the deputy chief of the South Indian Federation of Fishermen Societies, told VICE. “Most of them start drinking when they reach their teens and start earning some money.”

It is common for fishermen to drink up to three times a day, and paying for their addiction uses up much of the money they make. As things stand, their income has been decreasing because of large-scale commercial fishing activities and the climate crisis.

Mumu, now 36, said fishermen use alcohol as a “painkiller” because of the exhausting nature of their jobs. They paddle（用桨划）their boats into the sea as early as three in the morning, sometimes in very harsh conditions, and return with a batch of fish at sunrise. That is, if they’re in luck, the rest of the day leaves them with nothing to do.

“Drinking makes them feel better. Slowly, it becomes a habit,” he said. “But things are changing.”

Over the last 15 years, the rise of surf culture in Mahabalipuram has not only transformed it into one of India’s top water sports destinations, but also opened doors for the young to pursue alternative careers. “The coming generations have much more freedom to choose what they want to do, instead of sitting around and getting drunk.” said Mumu, who is among the first surfers to emerge from the local fishing community.

1. According to paragraph 2, the underline word “kattumaarams” probably refers to           .

A．the alternative for the word “wave” in Mahabalipuram

B．a kind of boat used in Mahabalipuram

C．the animals living along the shore

D．the friends of Mumu with whom he went to the sea

2. Why does the author think Mahabalipuram has a dark side?

A．The drinking culture here causes a lot of trouble.

B．Many people died young in this place.

C．The people here are too addicted to surfing.

D．The night here is longer than other places.

3. Which of the following is not the reason why some fishermen in Mahabalipuram are addicted to drinking?

A．They have nothing to do after finishing their job.

B．Drinking reduces their physical pain caused by their job.

C．They are so used to drinking that they can’t quit it.

D．Drinking relieves them of the tiredness caused by their job.

4. In the following paragraphs, the author is probably going to write about         .

A．how Mumu became a surfer in the village and started Mumu Surf School

B．the new alternative careers the young can choose in the village

C．how surfing culture helps fishermen in the village get rid of drinking

D．other water sports destinations in India

9 . His Refresh

For me, change is in the air. The snow is thawing in the town where Susan and I are living. We both got vaccinated (I’ve never been so happy to have type I diabetes, which qualified me for early shots). And by the time you read this, our daughter will have been married, surrounded by family, on a Mexican beach. Hooyah! This is the spirit of change. In this issue, you’ll find new sections meant to delight you as much as tossing rice at your grinning daughter.

A knowledge quiz. Sharpen your pencils. Brain Games now features “Fact or Fiction” (page 117) to test your recall and worldliness in equal measure. I scored six and got the bonus question only by cheating and consulting 13 Things on page 40.

A new health section. You already our sister site, thehealthy.com. Now we’re curating its content into The Healthy (page 53), full of advice, first person narratives, and medical news.

Where, OH Where? There’s nothing like seeing a gorgeous photograph shot somewhere in the country and wanting —no, needing to know where the heck it was taken. We turn that irresistible sensation into a visual quiz (page 38).

Smile-inducing news. RD editors here and around the world are always finding never-before-seen examples of charity and ingenuity. We’re rolling them into A World of Good (page 18).

Animal stories! Because who can resist? To continue the celebration of our animals’ ability to bond, Best Pet Pals (page 44) will spotlight one priceless submission to your heart’s content.

________ Finally, on page 1,we’re creating a brand-new section, hoping to offer you a friend who brings fun ideas to your kitchen table, who helps everyone laugh and cry together about what makes us all human.

Write to let me know if you have got a flashing idea for the name of this section. And thanks for reading.

1. What may this article be from?

A．Novel.

B．Newspaper.

C．Magazine.

D．Instruction book.

2. If you are confident of your knowledge of pet, and want to check your scope, which section will you mostly read?

A．A knowledge quiz.

B．A new health section.

C．Where, OH Where?

D．Animal stories!

3. If you are writing to give a name for the new section mentioned in the last paragraph, which of the following you may submit?

A．Fun Guy in Kitchen of Fantastic Food	B．A Trusted Friend in a Complicated World
C．Hooyah to Humor and Human	D．Ideas to Laugh and Cry

10 . Aesthetic thought (美学思想, 审美理念) of a distinctively modern art emerged during the 18^th century. The western philosophers and critics of this time devoted much attention to such matters as natural beauty, the purity, and representation—a trend ______ the central position they had given to the philosophy of nature.______ that time, however, the philosophy of art has become ever more famous and has begun to ______ the philosophy of nature. Various issues ______ to the philosophy of art have had a ______ impact on the or 20th-century aesthetics. Among these are problems relating to the theory of form of art and to the distinction between representation and expression. Still another far-reaching question has to do with the value of art. Two ______ theoretical positions have taken on this issue: one holds that art and its appreciation are a ______ to some recognized moral good,______ the other maintains that art is in itself valuable and an end. Underlying this whole issue is the concept of taste, one of the basic concerns of aesthetics. In recent years there has also been an increasing preoccupation with art as the prime object of critical judgement. Corresponding to the trend in contemporary aesthetic thought,______ have followed either of two approaches. In one criticism is ______ to the analysis and interpretation of the work of art.______, it is devoted to the response to the aesthetic object and to justifying a particular way of perceiving it.

Over the years, aesthetics has developed into a ______ field of knowledge and inquiry. The ______ of contemporary aesthetic include such problems as the nature of style and its aesthetic significance; the relation of aesthetic judgement to culture; the relevance of psychology ______ the criticism of art; and the place of aesthetic judgement in ______ reasoning in the conduct of everyday affairs.

1.

A．leading

B．conducting

C．taking

D．reflecting

2.

A．Since

B．For

C．At

D．Before

3.

A．transplant

B．transmit

C．displace

D．replace

4.

A．chief

B．central

C．main

D．prior

5.

A．remarked

B．marked

C．regraded

D．considered

6.

A．opposing

B．similar

C．same

D．confusing

7.

A．method

B．means

C．mind

D．moral

8.

A．and

B．or

C．though

D．while

9.

A．artists

B．authorities

C．critics

D．psychologists

10.

A．owing

B．used

C．opposed

D．restricted

11.

A．In the other

B．In another

C．On the other

D．For another

12.

A．narrow

B．broad

C．visual

D．moral

13.

A．consequences

B．morals

C．concerns

D．believes

14.

A．to

B．on

C．for

D．by

15.

A．theoretical

B．ideal

C．technical

D．practical