1 . Computers have become amazingly exact at translating spoken words to text messages and searching a large supply of valuable information for answers to difficult questions. At least, that is, so long as you speak English or other world's main languages. But try talking to your phone in Yoruba, Igbo or any number of widely spoken African languages and you'll find difficulty in accessing information, trade and other benefits of the global tech economy.
American tech giants don't have a long history of making their language technology work well outside the wealthiest markets, a problem that has also made it harder for them to discover dangerous misinformation on their platforms. Google, for instance, upset members of the Yoruba community when its language app mistranslated a nice African god as a devil. Part of the reason is that there's just not enough online data in those languages for the Al systems to effectively learn how to get better at understanding them.
“We are getting to the point where if a machine doesn't understand your language, it will be like it never existed,” said Vukosi Marivate, who has devoted some of his Al research to the southern African languages of Xitsonga and Setswana. “Considering our history, some of the bias (偏见) is intentional. The history of the African continent and in general in colonized (殖民化的) countries, is that when language had to be translated, it was translated in a very narrow way,” Marivate added.
However, Google and Microsoft are among the companies that say they are trying to improve technology for so-called "low-resource" languages that Al systems don't have enough data for. Computer scientists at Meta announced a breakthrough on the path to a "universal translator" that could translate multiple languages at once and work better with lower-resourced languages. Meanwhile, Marivate and other researchers have founded a research project across Africa. Increasingly, people are joining hands to develop a variety of language approaches.
1. What can we learn from Paragraphs 1 and 2?A.Yoruba and Igbo are widely spoken in the world. |
B.English speakers fail to access online information. |
C.The online data of African languages is limited. |
D.Computers can translate all text messages exactly. |
A.To make a prediction. | B.To draw a comparison. |
C.To reach a conclusion. | D.To give an example. |
A.Friendly. | B.Unconcerned. | C.Dissatisfied. | D.Proud. |
A.Joint Efforts to Improve AI in African Languages | B.Computers Good at Translating Spoken Language |
C.US Tech Giants Misunderstand African Languages | D.African Researchers Exchange Ideas with Tech Giants |
2 . “Changing the world” might seem like an unrealistic goal. When faced with huge problems such as air pollution or energy shortages, where do you start? Taoyuan-based Gogoro believes you start with a scooter.
Proof of concept In 2015, Gogoro broke onto the scene by releasing an electric scooter called the Smart-scooter. Unlike most electric scooters. This one wouldn't need to plugged in to recharge. Instead, users would stop by GoStations to exchange drained batteries for fully charged ones. Gogoro was taking a risk. If people were not happy with the system of changing batteries, the whole project could fail. They didn't need to worry, though. Only one year later Gogoro sold their 10,000th Smart-scooter! |
Setting the bar Fast forward to 2019 and the release of the Series 3 Smart-scooter. Gogoro scooters are as popular and revolutionary as ever. Their bright colors are chosen by Beatrice Santiccioli, a famous color designer who helped shape major brands like Apple, Nike and Swatch. In addition to the scooters' bright colors, plenty of cool accessories are available so you can make your scooter your own. But most important of all, Gogoro continues to pave the way toward a future of responsible energy consumption. |
Looking forward Multiple cities and countries have committed to making their transportation all-electric in the coming years, and Gogoro is helping make it possible. Ordered a package? Companies like DHL and Taiwan Post now have fleets of Smart-scooters to make deliveries. Need a ride? Unlock a Gogoro in Beilin, Paris or Madrid, thanks to scooter sharing services. The Smart-scooters is definitely creative, but there's more. "At Gogoro, I think the essential thing is that we want to change how people use energy. And the Smart-scooters is only the beginning." says Horace Luke, Gogoro co-founder and CEO. This is where the GoStation comes in. |
1. Compared with other electric scooters, the Smart-scooter___________.
A.can recharge itself in Gostations in mega-cities | B.only needs to change batteries in Gostations |
C.wouldn't need to be recharged at all in life | D.can be recharged by its users in Gostations |
A.their colors are chosen by a famous color designer | B.their colors are different from those of others |
C.it is a good way for people to consume energy | D.it can help us solve the problem of energy short |
A.More GoStations may appear in more and more cities. |
B.GoStations will soon entirely take the place of traditional stations. |
C.People need not go to GoStations especially during peak hours. |
D.More big cities will appear throughout the world in the future. |
3 . “Mirror,mirror on the wall.Who's the prettiest of them all?”Everyone is. Including you.No matter what TikTok's beauty trends want you to believe.
The popular video-sharing platform needs no introduction. Anyone in the world can create anything and post it on the widespread platform. But what happens when more and more fault-finding contents - especially in regard to people's looks-are created?
“You're attractive if you have 8 to 10 teeth showing when you smile.”
“Apparently, this filter (滤镜) shows how good your eyebrows look.”
“Use this effect to adjust the size of your features.”
We are born with a tendency to follow the crowd to gain approval. As a result, we look at the huge number of views on these posts and think following these trends is the right thing to do. So we hurriedly download the filters or rush to the mirror to pretend to smile broadly and curiously count our teeth.
Media has been keeping western beauty standards for generations and has failed to consider that different cultures and countries have their own beauty standards. You might not believe it, but I find dark circles (the proof you worked hard until late at night) and scars (the proof that you've survived battles) beautiful. And I'm sure there are plenty of others who do, too.
TikTok beauty standards sort people into groups according to the sizes of their noses, foreheads, or lips. They judge a person by their looks. Actually, people are whole individuals with far more interesting qualities than their forehead size.
It's the way your eyes light up when talking about your favorite book or the way you take care of your sad friend that makes you beautiful. As we age and grow wrinkles, it's the things we did that we'll be remembered for, not what we looked like 20years ago. Trust me, no one's actually counting and committing to memory how many teeth are in your smile.
1. Why is the famous line from a story used at the beginning of the passage?A.To remind readers of the magic mirror. |
B.To make the beginning understandable. |
C.To introduce the author's beauty attitude. |
D.To display popular belief towards TikTok. |
A.To get acceptance. | B.To satisfy curiosity. |
C.To put on more posts. | D.To create a better self. |
A.Scars from a bar fighting. | B.Dark circles from playing games. |
C.Eyebrows shown through the filter. | D.A lame leg from saving a child in a fire. |
A.Worrying Future for TikTok Followers. | B.Unique Beauty Standards on TikTok. |
C.Harmful TikTok Beauty Trends. | D.Dangerous TikTok Platform. |
4 . In Chicago, the USA, there was a girl called Jenny. She was very polite and ready to help everybody. One day she found a brown paper bag on the way to school. She opened it and saw there was a lot of
When she went to the office, her teacher wasn't in. As it was time for class, she hurried to the classroom. After class, she told her friend, Linda, about the money that she
The next day when the children were playing a game, Linda fell down and was hurt very badly. The other children stood around her and didn't know
Three days later, Linda came to Jenny's house. Her
At the end of the term Jenny was given a
Once wrong, never be wrong forever.
1.A.bread | B.paper | C.money | D.fruit |
A.got | B.kept | C.sent | D.caught |
A.lost | B.found | C.saved | D.made |
A.took | B.brought | C.put | D.moved |
A.workers' | B.teachers' | C.doctors' | D.headmaster's |
A.where | B.how | C.when | D.what |
A.nothing | B.everything | C.something | D.anything |
A.leave | B.treatment | C.action | D.help |
A.office | B.classroom | C.hospital | D.school |
A.popular | B.healthy | C.proud | D.quiet |
A.eyes | B.face | C.nose | D.ears |
A.lie | B.story | C.truth | D.result |
A.honest | B.polite | C.generous | D.friendly |
A.got up | B.cheered up | C.gave up | D.woke up |
A.report | B.gift | C.prize | D.reply |
5 . A team of researchers from several institutions in the UK and one in Estonia has created a type of buoy(浮标)that has proven to be effective at frightening seabirds, thus preventing them from getting caught in gillnets - a type of vertical fishing net that is made of a material that makes it nearly invisible underwater.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of seabirds die when they get caught in gillnets. Some estimates suggest that up to a half-million birds are caught in them each year. Over the years, researchers have created devices to prevent the birds from trying to catch fish near or in gillnets, but those didn’t work well.
To find a way that would work for all seabirds, the researchers first studied seabirds in a general sense, looking to find things that they would avoid. They noted that seabirds avoided eye contact with other creatures. Then the researchers came up with a simple idea - they put a small pole to a regular buoy and then attached a pair of googly eyes(金鱼眼) to the top of it. They made the eyes big enough so that even birds with poor eyesight, such as geese, would see them. Adding to the effectiveness of the device, waves made the eyes move back and forth. And the wind made the buoy spin very slowly, making sure that birds from every direction would get a good look at the eyes.
To test their idea, the researchers selected several sites near gillnets and counted how many birds approached and how many attempted to catch fish near the nets. They then set up their googly-eyed buoys and once again counted birds. Over the course of 62 days, they found the number of birds that tried to catch fish near the gillnets dropped by approximately 25% for a distance of up to 50 meters. They also found that the birds were less likely to fish near where the buoys had been for up to three weeks after they had been removed.
1. What is the function of Paragraph 2?A.Introducing a new topic to discuss. |
B.Providing background information. |
C.Summarizing the previous paragraph. |
D.Pointing out the main idea of the text. |
A.To clearly observe seabirds’ eye contact. |
B.To ensure all the seabirds can see them. |
C.To effectively identify the right direction. |
D.To allow them to survive the strong wind. |
A.The new device still needs improving. |
B.Gillnets are a death valley for seabirds. |
C.The googly-eyed buoy proves effective. |
D.Seabirds hardly catch fish near the nets. |
A.A device keeping seabirds safe from gillnets. |
B.A way to help seabirds catch fish effectively. |
C.A googly-eyed buoy guiding seabirds to hunt. |
D.A group of researchers interested in seabirds. |
6 . Each year people are crazy about different ceremonies. Many graduation ceremonies look special and different. But for Melody, it looked so unique because of the classmate who graduated alongside her — her grandmother, 75-year-old Pat Ormond. They both went to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) and graduated together.
Pat took her first college class 42 years ago. After one semester, she dropped out to move to Chattanooga, where she spent the next several decades working as an accountant and raising a family. While she did take an occasional class at UTC, she says her family continued to encourage her to go back to finish her degree, especially after she retired. She agreed when her granddaughter decided to move to study psychology at UTC after a year at Berea College. They both entered UTC with enough college credits to make graduating together a possibility.
Pat and Melody graduated on November 20 as part of UTC’s 2020 class. The achievement has also made Pat somewhat of a celebrity.
“We are so proud to have graduates like Melody and her grandmother, Pat Ormond, in the UTC class of 2020,” said Steven, UTC Chancellor. “Together, they personify the determination, commitment and love for lifelong learning we encourage in every UTC graduate.”
Pat hopes that she can be an example to other non-traditional college students who want to get their degrees. “Learning never stops,” Pat said. “That’s something that my father taught me when I was young. No matter what you do, learning never stops.” Pat isn’t planning to stop anytime soon. She’s already working on another degree-a bachelor’s degree in history.
Meanwhile, her granddaughter, who is hunting jobs, is interested in getting a master’s degree in clinical psychology so she can become a lawyer. But she says she’s in no rush. Her nanna has taught her that she has plenty of time.
1. Why was Melody’s graduation ceremony so special?A.Because her grandmother graduated alongside her. | B.Because her grandmother was 75 years old. |
C.Because it looked quite different from others. | D.Because she celebrated it with all her classmates. |
A.They are anxious to be celebrities. | B.They prefer attending non-traditional colleges. |
C.They never stop creating opportunities. | D.They support and encourage each other. |
A.Repeat. | B.Represent. | C.Identify. | D.Follow. |
A.Love me, love my dog. | B.Passion gives life power. |
C.A good beginning is half done. | D.It’s never too late to learn. |
7 . Some Sightseeing Tours
Tour A: Bath & Stonehenge, £39
It includes entrance fees to the ancient Roman bathrooms and Stonehenge. Visit the city with over 2,000 years of history and Bath Abbey, the Royal Crescent and the Costume Museum. Stonehenge is one of the world’s most famous monuments dating back over 4,000 years.
Tour B: Oxford & Stratford, £36
It includes entrance fees to the University St Mary’s Church Tower and Anne Hathaway’s house. Oxford: It includes a guided tour of England’s oldest university city and colleges. Look over the “city of dreaming spires (尖顶)” from St Mary’s Church Tower. Stratford: It includes a guided tour exploring much of the Shakespeare wonder.
Tour C: Windsor Castle & Hampton Court, £37
It includes entrance fees to Hampton Court Palace, a guided tour of Windsor and Hampton Court, Henry Ⅷ’s favourite palace. Free time to visit Windsor Castle (entrance fees not included). With 500 years of history, Hampton Court was once the home of four kings and one queen. Now this former royal palace is open to the public as a major tourist attraction. Visit the palace and its various historic gardens, which include the famous maze (迷宫) where it is easy to get lost!
Tour D: Cambridge, £33
It includes entrance fees to the Tower of Saint Mary the Great. It also includes a guided tour of Cambridge, the famous university town, and the gardens of the 18th century.
1. Which tour is the most expensive?A.Tour A. | B.Tour B. | C.Tour C. | D.Tour D. |
A.They include a free tour of a church. |
B.They offer a chance to visit some gardens. |
C.They include a guided tour of a university. |
D.They encourage visitors to know Shakespeare. |
A.Meet a king. | B.Visit a palace. | C.Build a maze. | D.Live in a castle. |
8 . Sam is a fourth-year student at Harvard Medical School,but poetry is still a big part of his life,now with a new teacher,Rafael Campo,who believes poetry can benefit every doctor’s education and work. Rafael is a physician,professor and a highly respected poet.
“Poetry is in every encounter(邂逅)with my patients. I think healing is really in a very great way about poetry. And if we do anything when we’re with our patients,we’re really immersing(使沉浸于)ourselves in their stories,really hearing their voices. And,certainly,that’s what a poem does,”he said.
Rafael worries that something important has been lost in medicine and medical education today:humanity,which he finds in poetry. To end that,he leads a weekly reading and writing workshop for medical students and residents(住院医生).
He thinks medical training focuses too much on distancing the doctor from his or her patients,and poems can help close that gap.
Third-year resident Andrea Schwartz was one of the workshop regulars. She said. “I think there’s no other profession other than medicine that produces as many writers as it does. And I think that is because there’s just so much power in doctors and patients interacting when patients are at their saddest. ”Not everyone believes that’s what doctors should do,though.
Rafael said,“I was afraid of how people might judge me,actually. In the medical profession,as many people know,we must always put the emergency first. But,you know,that kind of treatment,if it’s happening in the hospital,very regrettably,sadly,results in a bad outcome. The family is sitting by the bedside. The patient hasn’t survived the cancer. Don’t we still have a role as healers there?”
In a poem titled“Health”,Rafael writes of the wish to live forever in a world made painless by our incurable joy. He says he will continue teaching students,helping patients and writing poems,his own brand of medicine.
1. What do we know about Rafael Campo?A.He works as a doctor. | B.He is under medical care. |
C.He is a literature professor. | D.He knows little about poetry. |
A.The importance of medical training. |
B.The effect of poetry in medical treatment. |
C.The similarity involved in poetry and medical work. |
D.The present relationship between patients and doctors. |
A.It comforts patients’family. |
B.It contributes to medical work. |
C.It has nothing to do with doctors. |
D.It keeps doctors away from patients. |
A.It requires a lot of spare time. |
B.It can provide a useful tool for doctors. |
C.It has little effect on patients’conditions. |
D.It should be included in emergency treatments. |
9 . Each year many people move to the Sun Belt in the southern United States.
Most of the time people use the word snowbird in reference to retirees that travel to a southern state during the winter months. However, snowbirding is certainly not limited to retirees.
For those people that have the ability to leave their homes for a few months during the winter to explore the southern areas, there are many benefits to have.
A.They choose to seek a warm and sunny climate. |
B.Retired people, of course, will take advantage of it. |
C.Many snowbirds travel in their RVs around the Sun Belt. |
D.They can build new friendships and communities over the years. |
E.People of all ages have more freedom to spend months away now. |
F.There are many ways people choose to accomplish their snowbirding. |
G.Whatever advantages or disadvantages, people will take whichever way they like. |
10 . Are you moving out for the school term when you have food that you don’t want or no longer need? Donate it through Student Food Rescue’s food drive-Holiday Food Rescue!
Student Food Rescue at the Boston University Community Service Center is collecting non-perishable(不易腐烂的)food from students across campus. Whether it’s unopened canned or boxed food you already own or you decide to buy a few extra canned goods during your next grocery store trip, all food will be donated to local soup kitchens, homeless shelters and organizations that help fight food insecurity in the Boston area.
When and Where Can I Drop Off Food?
We will be collecting food from December 13th to December 18th. To make the donation processes as easy and accessible for students of Boston University, there will be donation boxes at various places across campus:
East Campus: Myles Standish Hall
Central Campus:Community Service Center
South Campus:518 Park Dr near the mailroom
West Campus:Sleeper Hall near the entrance to West dining hall
West Campus:1019 Commonwealth Ave
Donations will be collected in big cardboard boxes on the ground. There will be a public notice attached to the box, so it is clearly identifiable.
Where Will the Donations Be Taken?
The sourced donations will be taken to select community partners in the Greater Boston Area.
Have Questions?
Feel free to reach out to the SFR Program Managers Saahil Adusumilli and Alexia Lance at sfr@bu.edu.
1. Who is the drive to help?A.The owners of nearby stores. |
B.Students in Boston University. |
C.The local people in need of food. |
D.Some food organizations around. |
A.5. | B.6. | C.13. | D.18. |
A.Myles Standish Hall. |
B.1019 Commonwealth Ave. |
C.Community Service Center. |
D.518 Park Dr near the mailroom. |