1 . The world's first restaurant operated by robots has attracted plenty of diners after it officially started service in Zhujiang New Town in this Guangdong provincial capital on Monday. The restaurant, which only serves Guangdong Shunde cuisine, allows robots to cook, deliver food, place orders for diners and handle most of the work in the restaurant.
“The robot chefs can actually compete with famous chefs from Shunde, which is known for its delicious dishes at home and abroad,” said a diner surnamed Chen. Chen and his friends praised the delicious food cooked by the robots after they tasted fried vegetables, steamed fish and braised pigeon in the restaurant on Monday. A local Shunde cuisine chef surnamed Ma Huiliang said he gave the fried vegetables cooked by the robot 90 out of 100 points. But Ma said he never worries that robots would replace chefs in the future. “On the contrary, it is a liberating opportunity for chefs when robots can cook,” he said. “Chefs can focus their work on innovation and research for new food to better inherit and develop Chinese cuisine when robots can cook.” Ma added.
Qiu Mi, assistant president of Country Garden Group, which runs the restaurant, said the restaurant now has 46 different kinds of robots that can do almost all the work of the restaurant, including welcoming clients, frying dishes, mixing wines, making dessert, cooking rice, operating a cloud rail system and delivering food.
And all the diners can see how their food is being cooked by robots in the kitchen, which is separated by transparent glass walls from the dining hall, Qiu said. The restaurant combines new and high technology with traditional Chinese cuisine, Qiu added.
1. What's the main idea of Paragraph 2?| A．Robots probably take chefs’ place in the future. |
| B．Dishes cooked by robots and chefs are equally tasty |
| C．The high efficiency and quality of the dishes by robots. |
| D．People's various views about robots’ influence on chefs. |
| A．Disapproving. | B．Doubtful. | C．Supportive. | D．Worried. |
| A．Mixed wines made by robots. |
| B．Cuisines from different regions. |
| C．Appreciating the cooking process. |
| D．Robots’ food delivery and welcome. |
| A．Robots are on the way to take the place of chefs. |
| B．Chinese diners have a close encouter with robots. |
| C．A newly-combined cusine draws diners’ attention. |
| D．World's first robot-operated resturant opens in China. |
2 . Zong Qinghou, the founder and chairman of Hangzhou Wahaha Group, China passed away on Sunday at the age of 79. As one of the most respected representatives of China’s first generation of entrepreneurs (企业家) since the country embarked on reform and opening-up in 1978, Zong’s down-to-earth style and innovative spirit greatly impressed the public.
Born in 1945 in Suqian, Jiangsu province, Zong took over a small grocery store at a school in Hangzhou in 1987. In 1989, he founded Hangzhou Wahaha Nutritional Food Factory. In 1996, Zong launched Wahaha AD calcium milk, which became a great hit with Chinese consumers. The company’s products now cover more than 200 categories, including purified water, milk and yogurt drinks, carbonated drinks, fruit and vegetable juice, tea and coffee drinks, with its sales revenue reaching 51.2 billion yuan in 2022. It has nearly 30,000 employees and 8l production bases nationwide. Zong was ranked as the country’s richest person in 2010, 2012 and 2013 by business magazine Forbes.
However, Zong led a simple life, and it was common to see him dressed in a white shirt and black cloth shoes. He once said, “I am an ordinary person, but luckily I was born in such an era (时代).” He said that Wahaha would not exist without reform and opening-up. He said that Chinese entrepreneurs should fulfill their social responsibilities, and create wealth for the people, adding that they should create more employment opportunities and participate in public welfare activities, contributing to the country’s economic and social development.
Moreover, Zong attached great importance to technological innovation to ensure the quality and diversity (多样性) of Wahaha’s products in a highly competitive market, and provide strong impetus to the company’s sustainable growth. It is widely acknowledged that Zong’s management philosophy has set an example for the development of China’s private economy.
1. What does the underlined word “categories” mean?| A．Sorts. | B．Sources. | C．Lines. | D．Fields. |
| A．Wahaha AD calcium milk gained great popularity worldwide. |
| B．Zong firmly believes he is an extraordinary and fortunate man. |
| C．Zong extremely values the quality and diverity of Wahaha’s products |
| D．Wahah’s success only resulted from Zong’s devotion and intelligence. |
| A．simple and responsible. | B．devoted and creative. |
| C．competitive and ordinary. | D．modest and independent |
| A．A guideline. | B．A menu. | C．A brochure. | D．A website. |
3 . In 1999, David Dunning and Justin Kruger did a series of studies evaluating people’s competence in certain areas, including grammar, humor and logic. The people in the studies were asked to evaluate their own abilities in each area. Dunning and Kruger found that people who scored low on the tests have the tendency to overestimate their abilities, indicating that people who lack skills tend to lack the ability to realize their shortcomings.
This principle has become known as the Dunning-Kruger effect. It occurs because only when people have skills in a given area are they equipped to evaluate their own skills. Admittedly, most people are overconfident in their abilities. They want to believe that they are more capable, knowledgeable and even superior to others, and when someone really wants something to be true, it can be hard for them to admit that it isn’t. By the way, the opposite of the Dunning-Kruger effect also happens: capable people have a more accurate view of their own abilities, and sometimes they even underestimate themselves.
It’s tempting (吸引人的) to think of the Dunning-Kruger effect as a problem. People may even laugh at those who think themselves more competent than they truly are, but everyone has areas where they lack competence, and the Dunning-Kruger effect means they may be relatively bad at self-evaluation in those areas. Even if someone is very intelligent in general, there are still things they don’t know much about. Expertise in one area cannot always be transferred to other areas.
That’s why it’s important to keep digging for information even when you think you’ve found answers. It can also be helpful to check your ideas with other people. Receiving negative feedback can hurt, but if you’re willing to listen, it can help you grow. Even just keeping in mind that the Dunning-Kruger effect exists can help you stay modest, accept criticism and, thus, keep learning throughout your life.
1. What did Dunning and Kruger find in their research?| A．Unskilled people tend to think too much of themselves. |
| B．Skilled people are usually more humorous and logical. |
| C．Self-evaluation makes people more logical in some areas. |
| D．Knowledgeable people sometimes think they are superior to others. |
| A．Complicated. | B．Problematic. | C．Universal. | D．Dismissive. |
| A．Evaluate yourself on a regular basis. | B．Remain humble and eager for knowledge. |
| C．Be yourself and ignore negative feedback. | D．Make friends with intelligent individuals. |
| A．A biology textbook. | B．A book review. |
| C．A feature report. | D．A. psychology journal. |
4 . Falcons are powerful birds that may be trained to hunt in cooperation with humans. The art of training falcons as “hunting dogs of the skies” is called falconry (训鹰术). It was developed in the ancient Arabian Desert around 4000 B. C. In the past, falconry mainly involved hunting with falcons to supplement one’s diet. But now, it has become the favorite sport and pastime in the Arabian Peninsula.
Falconry includes three major processes: acquiring the falcons, training them, and hunting with them. Every year, falconers begin capturing wild falcons in June and July, the migration season. The best birds to catch are the ones with naturally nurtured hunting skills, aged one or two years. Once the falcons are captured, their heads are immediately covered with a leather hood. This is essential because they imprint as their master whomever they see first after the hood is removed. Right after a bird is caught, the training process starts. It begins by depriving (剥夺) the bird of food to make it easier to tame. The birds are taught to know their own name and respond to their master when called. Arab falconers live with their birds day and night in order to build a strong relationship with them.
By the end of October or mid-November, the trained falcons are ready to hunt in the desert. They have excellent vision, 2. 6 times greater than that of a human. They are also the fastest divers on the planet. One hunting technique that sets them apart from other animals is that they can be trained to deliver their prey, without killing it first. This is vital in Islamic culture because animals used for food must still be alive to ensure that the meat is halal, that is, properly prepared according to Islamic law.
Falcons have played such a crucial role in traditional Islamic cultures that a number of countries in the Middle East have made them their national bird. Falconry has grown so popular that specialist hospitals have been established to take care of these magnificent birds. Falcons are even issued their own passports. They are the only animals in the United Arab Emirates that are legally allowed to travel inside planes, enjoying a level of luxury that some humans can only dream of.
1. What is the main reason for Arabic people to hunt with falcons today?| A．To serve as entertainment and exercise. |
| B．To supplement their diet. |
| C．To replace the practice of hunting with dogs. |
| D．To honor their national bird. |
| A．Falconers don’t give food to falcons in order to capture them. |
| B．Falcons are not allowed to see their masters during the training process. |
| C．Wild falcons with natural hunting skills are ideal for falconers to catch. |
| D．The trainers’ names are written on the hoods covering the birds’ heads. |
| A．Falcons keep their prey alive before delivering it to falconers. |
| B．Falcons can form a strong bond with their owners quickly. |
| C．Falcons’ vision is particularly suitable for hunting in deserts. |
| D．Falcons are relatively easy to train for specific hunting. |
| A．Free air ticket. | B．Passports issued by the King. |
| C．Expensive meals. | D．Access to specialized medical care. |
5 . At 13, I resolved to be an amazing teacher, overwhelmingly driven by a
In fifth grade, Ms. Charlotte, an English teacher could magically
She told us stories from books we would otherwise never
What a man! So Ms. Charlotte inspired us to fight for our own pride and defend it,
Now, dear teachers, we love you and thank you from the bottom of our heart! I will keep the
When your dreams come alive you’re unstoppable
Take a shot, chase the sun, find the beautiful
We will glow in the dark turning dust to gold
1.| A．depressing | B．burning | C．living | D．entertaining |
| A．transport | B．interpret | C．deliver | D．transform |
| A．feature | B．factor | C．function | D．flavour |
| A．attached | B．advocated | C．breathed | D．exposed |
| A．pursue | B．contract | C．emerge | D．correspond |
| A．pick up | B．put up | C．set up | D．get up |
| A．catching | B．carving | C．casting | D．ceasing |
| A．seal | B．seashell | C．fish | D．dolphin |
| A．declare | B．contain | C．encounter | D．integrate |
| A．drilled | B．soiled | C．nailed | D．covered |
| A．genuine | B．identical | C．tough | D．internal |
| A．right away | B．at once | C．on the spot | D．on end |
| A．embarrassed | B．depressed | C．disappointed | D．exhausted |
| A．in addition | B．despite | C．due to | D．given |
| A．stick | B．hit | C．strike | D．rank |
6 . Nanako Hama gets a lot of mail, mostly from strangers who live in her home city of Tokyo. In light envelopes, they send locks of their hair, hoping to recycle it.
People generate a huge amount of hair waste. Nearly all of that waste ends up in landfill, where it can release harmful greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.
But hair possesses useful qualities that it’s a shame to simply throw it away. That’s why people all around the world, like Hama, have been collecting hair and finding innovative ways to recycle it, including making mats (垫子)out of it for removing oil leaks.
Hama is part of the nonprofit Matter of Trust (MoT) members working at more than 60 centers dotted across 17 countries, using machines to make hair donated from local salons and individuals into square mats, which are then used to clean up the floating oil.
Hair is particularly well-suited for this, says MoT co-founder Lisa Gautier. “That’s because its rough sort of outer layer lets oil stick to it.” MoT’s mats have been used in major oil leaks. including the 2010 Deepwater Horizon and 2007 Cosco Busan incidents.
In a 2018 study, Murray, an environmental scientist at the University of Technology Sydney, in Australia found that mats made of recycled human hair could absorb 0.84 grams of oil onto its surface for every gram of hair—significantly more than polypropylene (聚丙烯), a type of plastic that’s typically used to clean up floating oil.
Besides, hair is also useful as fertilizer (化肥). Hair contains a relatively high nitrogen (氮), a chemical element crucial for plant growth, and each lock of hair is made of roughly 16 percent of this essential nutrient. Last year, more than 560 gallons of liquid fertilizer made from human hair was sold to farmers in northern Tanzania and the feedback from the farmers has been very encouraging.
“It’s just a great way to use hair in a productive way. Hair is an answer literally hanging in front of our eyes—for oil and soil,” Hama says.
1. How does the author introduce the topic in paragraph 1?| A．By detailing the background. | B．By presenting a scene. |
| C．By describing the feedback. | D．By supporting evidences. |
| A．Fertilize the soil. | B．Prevent oil leaks. |
| C．Clear the sea of oil. | D．Take in harmful gas. |
| A．Its color and strength. |
| B．Its length and amount. |
| C．Its weight and flexibility. |
| D．Its structure and component. |
| A．Debatable. | B．Applicable. |
| C．Irreplaceable. | D．Uncontrollable. |
Under the boundless blue sky, soft grasses wave in the breeze, herds of cows and sheep leisurely grazing on the plains, white round yurts (蒙古包) dotting throughout the endless green, and pearl-like rivers zigzagging to the mysterious distance. This is picturesque Hulunbuir Grassland, ideally
Hulunbuir’s name has been illuminated (照亮) on the national stage, with the 14th National Winter Games successfully drawing a close on Tuesday February 27, regarded as the most significant comprehensive winter sports event in China after the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. In the past month, Hulunbuir,
This grand event not only leaves behind memories of thrilling moments but acts as an example of the power of sports in enhancing unity and celebrating diversity. Hulunbuir is home
The Spring Festival holiday period witnessed an extraordinary surge in tourism, with Hulunbuir attracting
1. What are the speakers mainly discussing?
| A．Why the man gives up acting work. |
| B．What the man did after graduation. |
| C．How the man chose his present profession. |
| A．Work in a company. |
| B．Set up his own company. |
| C．Continue to study business course. |
| A．They were angry. | B．They were satisfied. | C．They were open-minded. |
| A．He is very rich and famous. |
| B．He gets lots of acting work. |
| C．He doesn’t have a full-time job. |
Chinese Loong is the fifth animal of the 12-year Chinese zodiac cycle,
Data from an e-commerce platform show that searches
Purchases by the post-1990s and post-2000s generations accounted for nearly 55%, while consumers in Guangdong province, Beijing, Jiangsu province in that order,
“Brands should capitalize on traditional Chinese culture to launch more innovative
10 . There is no doubt that when you receive a compliment, you feel good and when you receive a criticism, you feel upset and want to refuse it.
You shouldn’t be surprised by your reaction to the negative comment, as it’s human’s survival mechanism to avoid being criticized. Clearly, we don’t want to be seen as failures, so we’d rather shut our eyes and cover our ears than have to take any criticisms from others.
Imagine you’re learning to play the guitar, and you have just done your first public performance. Your teacher says, “You did well,” which may not be as useful in helping you improve your performance skills as “Your timing needs some work.” So I believe that criticisms are better than compliments.
No one would argue that healthy nutrition is a bad thing. However, too much food or drink — no matter how healthy they may be — can make us ill. Too many compliments take us away from our original enthusiasm of enjoying an activity. We start doing the activity only for the sake of receiving self-satisfying praise. Without the expectation of praise, our enthusiasm to complete things begins to be lost.
Launched in 2010, Microsoft KIN only lasted on the market for 48 days. It was very obvious that most 15 to 30-year-olds preferred Androids, BlackBerrys and iPhones to the Microsoft KIN. If criticism and feedback from the target group had been received while the phone was in development, Microsoft KIN could have avoided the huge embarrassment and its final failure.
Just to be clear, I’m talking about constructive criticism, which I like to think of as “healthy criticism”. The right kind of criticism is honest feedback that will benefit you. Feedback forces you to reconsider your actions and the way you work. If you use constructive criticism wisely, it can guide you away from bad practices, giving you support and courage to move forward to be a better person in the future.
1. What can we learn about compliment and criticism in Paragraph 1?| A．People’s response to them. | B．People’s ways to express them. |
| C．People’s understanding of them. | D．People’s different opinions on them. |
| A．More annoyed. | B．More satisfied. | C．Less worried. | D．Less interested. |
| A．To encourage growth. | B．To develop intelligence. |
| C．To avoid embarrassment. | D．To reduce enthusiasm. |
| A．Criticisms are better than compliments. |
| B．Constructive criticism contributes to better future. |
| C．Honest feedback comes from healthy criticism. |
| D．Enough enthusiasm is vital for further development. |
