1 . Various Apps to Learn
Apps are typical digital learning tools, which can give you diverse and personalized content to meet your needs. Want to find an app that can help you learn? Here are some great ideas for you.
| Khan Academy allows you to learn almost anything for free. It covers subjects such as math, physics, biology, and even computer science. The real magic of this app is that you can learn at your own pace. You can review subjects that you are not good at, or start learning a subject you like. The app is in English. If you want to see its translation you can visit http: //open. 163. com/khan. |
| BrainPOP mixes learning and technology in a fun and simple way. It’s free and teaches you something new every day. From the solar system to DNA, each topic starts with an interesting cartoon movie. After you’ve watched it, you can take a test to see how much you’ve learned. |
| Udemy is a “learn on demand” website and app. It is for career-oriented individuals to start their course pricing at $10. 99. This app allows you the flexibility to take your time on a course you purchase over the course of several months, without worrying about recurring (重复的) payments before you finish. This flexible learning app allows you to take things slow, fast, or anywhere in-between with complete control on your end. |
| Duolingo is the premier leader in language education for learning apps. You can learn to speak 29 different languages, all at the touch of a button. You’ll be invited not only to read new words, but to speak them. You’ll learn grammar and conversational strategies. This app helps you learn to communicate with a new portion of its inhabitants! |
| A．Khan Academy and Udemy. | B．Udemy and Duolingo. |
| C．Khan Academy and BrainPOP. | D．BrainPOP and Duolingo. |
| A．Technical support. | B．Career training. |
| C．Subjects reviewing. | D．Speaking practice. |
| A．To provide various learning activities. |
| B．To help find the suitable learning apps. |
| C．To introduce the development of learning technology. |
| D．To compare the difference of different learning methods. |
2 . Blind Olympic Athletes Show the Universal Nature
Tune into any sports coverage on TV, and you will see many athletes proudly raise their arms and heads in victory, while a much larger number hang their shoulders and necks in defeat. Studies have revealed why—they are universal behaviours, performed by humans in response to success and failure.
The discovery came from Jessica Tracy from the University of British Columbia and David Matsumoto from San Francisco State University, who wanted to see how people showed feelings of pride and shame.
The answer was Athens, during the 2004 Olympic Games. Its sister competition—the Paralympics—included many athletes who were born blind.
These actions were also remarkably consistent between contestants from every part of the world. Tracy and Matsumoto argue that pride and shame deserve a place alongside other primary emotions like happiness, fear and surprise.
| A．Analyzing the data, they found that the sighted and sightless athletes behaved in almost exactly the same ways. |
| B．In fact, the culture was found to have only a very small effect on their body language. |
| C．In particular, they wanted to know whether these expressions were culturally determined and learned through observation. |
| D．The athletes’ behaviours give strong evidence that they have had the actions naturally since birth. |
| E．The result suggested that the athletes were showing their pride based on careful observation. |
| F．Therefore, they could not have witnessed how other people reacted to winning and losing. |
| G．They are inborn behaviours and are accompanied by their own distinct sets of actions. |
Shared Services Need More Imagination
Suppose you need to drill a hole in the wall to hang an item but do not own a power drill. You may regard it as expensive to buy a power drill and consider renting one. Sharing is the solution. The sharing industry is an emerging. highly flexible economic network that allows people to share resources, either free or for a fee.
The important idea of the sharing industry is that people might only need an item for a relatively short period. The private part of shared services has been moving towards this area since the beginning of the 1980s, and then the public part has taken note of the benefits and continued for best practice. The United States and Australia among others have had shared services in government since the late 1990s.
With the rise of the sharing industry, the best-known shared bikes and shared cars have got a lot of public attention. This kind of transportation is so environmentally-friendly that it is increasingly popular among people in many cities.
Of course shared services don’t need to be limited to machines. The real pay-off in shared services probably lies in renting out smaller, less heavy items. For example, in today’s casual environment, you don’t need a tie unless you’re going to a wedding or a job interview. So some companies, would let you pick up a tie when you needed it and only when you needed it. Another example is an umbrella-sharing service. Since visitors don’t want to be carrying umbrellas all the way, it would be cheaper and easier to simply borrow an umbrella on one street corner and drop it off on another.
Recently organizations that have centralized their IT functions have begun to take a close look at the technology services that their IT departments provide for customers, evaluating where it makes sense to provide technology components. E-mall and scanning (归描) operations were obvious early candidates. Many organizations are now oftering their document-intensive operations is a shared service, There is no doubt that people are calling for the expansion of shared services to more and more treas.
1. What is the sharing industry?2. Why does shared transportation receive attention from people?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
Shared services are getting increasingly popular for their convenience, but there are still calls for expansion to wider areas because they are currently restricted to machines
4. Please provide another example of shared services and explain your reason. (about 40 words)
4 . While many people aren’t getting enough calcium (钙), new research cautions that some people may have the opposite problem: they could be getting too much. Americans spend more than $1 billion a year on calcium supplements in hopes of delaying osteoporosis, a kind of bone disease that disables many elderly women and some men. Yet recent studies link calcium supplements to a higher risk of heart attacks. Last month, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force issued a draft recommendation against taking calcium and vitamin D，saying there wasn’t enough evidence of benefit to justify the risk.
For generations of Americans who grew up encouraged to drink milk to maintain strong bones, the reports raised troubling questions: Is calcium not so important after all? Are the supplements unsafe? And how much is too much? “It’s gotten very confusing but it doesn’t need to be,” says Ethel Siris, director of the Toni Stabile Osteoporosis Center in New York. How much calcium people need varies by age and gender. “Adults generally need 1,000 mg daily, rising to 1,200 mg for women over 50 and men over 70, according to guidelines issued in 2010. Children need 1,300 mg daily during the peak growing years of 9 to 18.”
People also need sufficient levels of vitamin D to absorb the calcium. The IOM recommends 600 international units a day for most adults, and 800 daily after age 70，although many physicians recommend more. It is difficult to take in that much vitamin D from food sources, so experts say many people should take vitamin D in supplement form.
Getting adequate calcium from food is easier. For example, 8 ounces of milk or 6 ounces of yogurt has 300 mg of calcium, and one cup of spinach has 270 mg.
But studies linking calcium supplements to heart attack have made experts more cautious of excess calcium than before. A study of 24,000 Germans published in the journal Heart last month, found that those who got their calcium exclusively from supplements were more than twice as likely to have a heart attack as those who took no supplements.
Exactly how calcium supplements might contribute to heart attacks baffles experts. “Nobody has associated the calcium in your bloodstream with calcification(钙化)in your arteries(动脉),” says Nieca Goldberg, medical director of the Joan H. Tisch Center. Still, she says she now urges patients get their recommended calcium from food rather than from supplements to avoid possible problems.
Osteoporosis experts also urge patients not to take more than the recommended amount of calcium. “People should definitely stop taking two big calcium supplements a day,” says Dr. Dawson-Hughes. Even if the risks remain unclear, taking more than the body can absorb doesn’t benefit bones,” so it’s not worth any risk.” She adds.
1. According to the new studies, what might be the result of taking much calcium?| A．Delaying aging. | B．Building muscles. |
| C．Causing heart problems. | D．Curing bone diseases. |
| A．Taking calcium supplements is unsafe. |
| B．Adults need more calcium than children. |
| C．It is much safer to take calcium from food. |
| D．Age and gender determine the amount of calcium taken. |
| A．Interest. | B．Puzzle. |
| C．Amaze. | D．Frighten. |
| A．It is helpful to take two calcium supplements a day. |
| B．It is important to maintain strong bones for women. |
| C．It is unnecessary to take too much calcium supplement. |
| D．It is best to take calcium and vitamin D from supplement. |
5 . Can you move 11 minutes a day? You’ll live longer if you do
There is no denying that 2020 has reduced activity levels. Between the Zoom meetings, Netflix binges and virtual cocktail hours, increased sitting is a pandemic-driven reality for many.
Taking a more objective approach, scientists at the Norwegian School of Sports Medicine based their research on the use of activity monitors to track exercise versus sedentary time. The results showed that participants who exercised 35 minutes per day saw the biggest statistical difference on life span. Yet just 11 minutes of moderate exercise — equivalent to a brisk walk — still had a noticeable positive impact.
Here is a way to consider—4 sets of a 3-minute body-weight exercise sequence. Depending on the exercises you use, you may go at a slightly different pace during each round, making it about 11 minutes. When selecting your exercises, try to pick a sequence of movements that will equate to a full-body workout of moderate effort.
See how easy it is to fit in 11 minutes of daily exercise? You can do it.
| A．In fact, you owe it to yourself after getting through this past year. |
| B．And studies have revealed the great health risks of prolonged sitting. |
| C．The simplest way is with a walk outside or on the treadmill at your local gym. |
| D．A lower barrier makes it easier to get even the most inactive among us moving. |
| E．You might wonder about the hour-per-day measurement you've been hearing about for years. |
| F．What's more, both time frames were positively impactful, regardless of the amount of sitting. |
| G．Avoid doing only upper-body movements unless you do lower-body movements the next day. |
6 . Neurotech—new, potentially revolutionary technology—promises to transform our lives. With all the global challenges of today, we need revolutionary technology to help the world cope.
There are different types of neurotech—some is invasive, some isn’t. Invasive brain-computer interfaces involve placing microelectrodes or other kinds of neurotech materials directly onto the brain or even embedding them into the neural tissue. Such technology has already improved the quality of life and abilities of people with different illnesses or impairments, from epilepsy to Parkinson’s Disease to chronic pain. There is also noninvasive neurotech that can be used for similar applications. For example, researchers have developed wearables to infer a person’s intended speech or movement. These are already quite impressive, but there is also neurotech that really pushes the envelope. Not only can it sense or read neurodata but it can also modulate—invasively and noninvasively. This research is still in early stages, but it’s advancing rapidly.
As neurotech becomes more commonplace, we must consider the risks it might present, the morals around it, and the necessary regulation. We have to anticipate and deal with the implications related to the development and use of this technology. Any neurotech applications should consider potential consequences for the autonomy, privacy, responsibility, consent, integrity and dignity of a person.
What if someone were to face employment discrimination because the algorithms（算法） that power a neurotech application used for hiring misinterpret his or her neurodata? What if a criminal gets a hold of the previous or current neurodata of the secretary of defense and steals top secret information? Concerns increase when we are not just monitoring someone’s neurodata but also interpreting it, decoding the person’s thoughts—with implications for accuracy and mental privacy.
One tricky aspect is that most of the neurodata generated by the nervous systems is unconscious. It means it is very possible to unknowingly or unintentionally provide neurotech with information that one otherwise wouldn’t. So, in some applications of neurotech, the presumption of privacy within one’s own mind may simply no longer be a certainty.
As new, emerging technology, neurotech challenges corporations, researchers and individuals to reaffirm our commitment to responsible innovation, it’s essential to enforce guardrails so that they lead to beneficial long-term outcomes—on company, national and international levels. We need to ensure that researchers and manufacturers of neurotech as well as policymakers and consumers approach it responsibly. Let’s act now to avoid any future risks as neurotech matures—for the benefit of humanity.
1. The first two paragraphs mainly ________.| A．state the quality of neurotech | B．stress the necessity of neurotech |
| C．compare the functions of neurotech | D．present the technology of neurotech |
| A．Noninvasive neurotech is much better than invasive one. |
| B．Messages within one’s mind can be safer with neurotech. |
| C．It brings more risks to privacy to have neurodata anyalyzed. |
| D．Proper rules have already been made to deal with neurodata. |
| A．interpret all neurodata to improve accuracy |
| B．use neurotechnology in a responsible way |
| C．help develop more noninvasive applications |
| D．avoid neurotech for the benefit of mankind |
| A．Neurotech Has Long-term Benefits |
| B．Neurotech Meet Moral Challenges |
| C．Neurotech Transform Human lives |
| D．Neurotech Become Commonplace |
7 . My first year living in Los Angeles, I was a birthday-party clown. I struggled a lot with my identity because, though I viewed myself as a filmmaker, everyone in my life viewed me as this ridiculous day job.
Once I was told, “Tomorrow you’re going to be Batman.” Now, keep in mind that at the time I had a giant mustache. I know a clown with a mustache is a huge red flag for parents. But I hadn’t wanted to alter my physical appearance for that job, because that would have been me subconsciously admitting I was more of a clown than an artist.
The next day, I went to the party in a huge public park, and I left my car parked far enough away so that the kids couldn’t see Batman pulling up in a PT Cruiser. Walking to the party, I started to regret my choice not to shave. “Gosh, this party is not going to go well.” Sure enough, once I got close enough for them to actually start making out the features of my face, the entire party broke out in laughter. I was so embarrassed that I wanted to turn around and run back to my Batmobile. But then the laughter kind of changed into cheering and applause. Feeling kind of warm and fuzzy inside, I wondered, “Is this what encouragement and support feel like? It’s so new.”
Then I decided to make an entrance for these kids. I was still about 20 yards away from the party when I started running. My cape was billowing in the wind, and mustache or not, in that moment, I was Batman. I ran into the party, and the kids were all high-fiving me. The dad was saying, “I told you, son. I told you Batman has a mustache.” Then he took me over to this huge birthday cake with a frosting Batman drawn on it, and the Batman has a mustache. I just stared at it in disbelief and learnt that instead of just admitting that the cake was messed up, the parents said, “Batman has a mustache. He just shaves it for his movies.”
That year, I struggled a lot with my identity; was I a filmmaker, or was I a clown? But that day, at least, there was no doubt in my mind what I was. I may not have been the hero that they ordered, and I certainly was not the hero they expected. But that day, I was the hero that they needed.
1. Why did “I” keep my mustache?| A．I struggled a lot for being a filmmaker. |
| B．I wanted to be a Batman in a birthday party. |
| C．I knew that a clown should wear a mustache. |
| D．I hadn’t wanted to change my appearance for the job. |
| A．I ran fast. | B．I high-fived. |
| C．I drove the car. | D．I walked slowly. |
| A．Satisfied. | B．Astonished. |
| C．Disappointed. | D．Ashamed. |
Pixar is one of the world’s most famous and successful film
Two-drink limit at Wetherspoon’s for parents of rowdy children
The pub chain JD Wetherspoon has insisted families are welcome but on the premises despite advising staff to make them agree a limit of two alcoholic drinks per person for parents with children in town.
The two-drink limit came to light after a member of staff at a Wetherspoon’s pub in Gravesend, Kent, put up a poster detailing its policy.
“As part of our licensing it is our responsibility to ensure that we are protecting children from harm,” read the poster at The Robert Pocock pub.
“Therefore adults in charge of children will be allowed to have one alcoholic drink and a further alcoholic drink with a sit-down meal.”
It is a crime for anybody in charge of a child under the age of seven to be drunk in a public place under the 1902 Licensing Act. A person convicted of this offence can be subject to a fine or up to one month in prison.
“It’s been around eight or 10 years.... It’s a guideline, not a policy,” said Eddie Gershon.
But while the poster stressed the need to “protect children from harm”，Mr Gershon suggested the rule had been adopted to “prevent unruly behavior” among young guests. Asked whether children were welcome in Wetherspoon’s pubs, Mr Gershon replied，“Yes, we’d be a fool to say otherwise. We have a kids’ menu, coloured pencils for kids—children in pubs is a massive part of what Wetherspoon’s does.”
However, he warned that parents believed to be “using the pub as a nursery might be asked to leave. Mr Gershon added that “it is just good manners” for parents to stop their children from misbehaving and being unruly in public places.
On its website the pub operator states: “Families are welcome to dine in the majority of our pubs; however, permitted hours for customers aged under 18 years may vary from pub to pub.”
It adds: “Some of our pubs may request that all members of a party with an under-18 present order a main meal, if alcoholic is ordered.”
1. Who does the Two-drink policy apply to?2. What is the result of disobeying the 1902 Licensing Act?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why？
To protect children and those under 18 years, the pub chain JD limits the drinks but is open to those customers at any time.
4. In daily life, how do your parents keep you away from alcohol and why? (about 40 words)
10 . The simplest smartphone ever
The Jitterbug® Smart2 from GreatCall® is the simplest phone with a simple menu, large screen and particular health and safety services.
Easy Everything you want to do, from texting and taking pictures, to emailing and getting directions, is organized in a single list on one screen with large legible letters. Plus, voice typing makes writing emails and texts effortless.
Smart Turn your Jitterbug Smart2 into a personal safety device with GreatCall’s 55tar® Urgent Response Service and particular health apps.
Affordable GreatCall has a variety of plans with data starting as low as $17.48 per month. Compared to other cell phone companies, you could save over $300 per year.
Why the Jitterbug Smart2 is your best choice for a new smartphone:
| No long-term contracts | Keep your current phone number | 100% U.S.-based customer service and technical support | No hidden monthly fees | Affordable, flexible plans |
| To order or learn more, call 1-800-410-2629 | Or visit greatcall.com/Smart | |||
25% off of $149.99 MSRP is only valid(有效的) for new lines of service. Offer valid 11/12/2020 through 1/2/2021. Monthly fees do not include government taxes or assessment surcharges and are subject to change. Plans and services may require purchase of a GreatCall device and a one-time setup fee of $35. $300 savings calculation based on market leaders’ lowest available monthly published fees. JITTERBUG are trademarks of Best Buy and its attached companies. © 2020 Best Buy. All rights reserved.
1. What makes writing emails and texts easy according to the passage?| A．The simple menu. | B．The large screen. |
| C．The single list. | D．The speech input. |
| A．November 11st, 2020. | B．January 10th, 2020. |
| C．January 1st, 2021. | D．February 10th, 2021. |
| A．To advertise a smartphone. | B．To recommend health apps. |
| C．To introduce a safety device. | D．To compare wireless networks. |
