1 . If you’ve scrolled through your Facebook feed recently, you may have noticed something surprising: lots and lots of short videos.
What makes this “Reels” feature strange is that it is hugely addictive, which I know quite well from my own personal experience. Last Friday, I took a break and hit on one short clip of someone making dinner and, well, the next time I looked up it was 20 minutes later and the blank document on my computer monitor was confirming to me that my work was still not done.
However, as silly as it seems, Reels-is actually super important, and is at the centre of a major battle between the world’s largest tech firms. The format (格式) was first pioneered by TikTok-the Chinese-owned video app that has taken the world by storm since it launched in 2016. Today, TikTok has around 23 million UK users every month-including basically every person you know under the age of 25. And that fact has made Facebook and its parent company, Meta, very nervous indeed. As TikTok has continued to boom, Facebook has actually fallen in popularity among “Gen Z”. The reason Tik Tok has proven such a powerful challenger to Facebook’s social media dominance is almost entirely down to these sorts of short-form videos.
The format is almost perfectly optimised to be as addictive as possible: Tik Tok’s app shows you a short-form video, and if you don’t like it, you can simply swipe it away and another one will start playing instantly. And because it is portrait, not landscape, videos look “right” when viewed on your phone. What’s also smart is that TikTok’s algorithm (算法) picks videos for you based on what you actually watch, and not what you say you want.
Facebook isn’t the only app trying to do what TikTok does so well. Instagram, which is owned by Facebook’s parent company Meta, has integrated Reels even more aggressively into its app. And even Google is nervous, launching its own TikTok-style video section of YouTube(which it owns)a couple of years ago. As things stand, though TikTok currently maintains a healthy lead in the category, both YouTube and Facebook have deep pockets-so expect to see even more Reels and Shorts popping up in your feed as this intense battle continues to rage. You won’t be able to take your eyes off them.
1. Why did the author mention his own experience in paragraph 2?| A．To illustrate the feature of short videos. |
| B．To stress the importance of short videos. |
| C．To prove his preference to short videos. |
| D．To introduce the functions of short videos. |
| A．It has shown the trend of the fall in popularity among “Gen Z”. |
| B．It is perceived as a potential threat to Facebook’s social media dominance. |
| C．Its number of registered UK users has reached 23 million since it launched in 2016. |
| D．It underestimates the essential role of short videos in competition with large tech firms. |
| A．The beautiful visual effects. |
| B．The high video quality. |
| C．The random recommendation. |
| D．The quick switch between videos. |
| A．The short videos have a profound impact on our daily life. |
| B．TikTok seems to be losing its advantage over short videos in the short run. |
| C．YouTube and Facebook may encounter financial difficulties in developing Shorts. |
| D．A growing number of tech firms have engaged in fierce competition for the short video market. |
2 . Explore some of New Zealand's best skiing & snowboarding field. Whatever your ability, Cardrona has the snow for you!
The 2018 winter season runs from June 16 — October 14,2018.
Half Day & 1 Day lift passes are split into Peak & Off Peak pricing:
Peak — July, August & September Off Peak — June & October
| 2018 Single Day Ski Passes | Half Day* Off Peak | Half Day* Peak | 1 Day Off Peak | 1 Day Peak | 1 Day Learner | 1 Lift |
| Adult | $80 | $85 | $99 | $115 | $65 | $35 |
| Child | $45 | $50 | $50 | $60 | $42 | $25 |
| Student | $70 | $75 | $85 | $95 | $65 | $35 |
| Senior | N/A | N/A | $75 | $85 | $65 | $35 |
* Half day passes: 8.30am — 12.30pm morning, 12.30 — 4pm afternoon
* Rocky Mountain Super Pass holders must book lodging with Cardrona to be eligible for free day passes. Please email reservations@cardrona.com with an accommodation booking request & the lift ticket benefit request.
What pass am I eligible for? Read our lift pass age definitions below to find out.
* Multi passes are valid for both consecutive & non-consecutive days & can be used any time throughout the 2018 winter season at Cardrona only.
Your lift pass will be stored on an electronic RFID pass. To make the most of your clever pass, activate your personal profile online. Once you' re logged into your profile you can:
·Top up your card with lift passes, rental gear, lift & rental packages and lessons.
·Keep track of your on-slope stats at Cardrona (days spent, run count, activities taken, etc. )
Definitions for Lift Passes:
Student: 18+yrs enrolled full time (minimum 32 weeks in a calendar year)with a New Zealand or Australian tertiary institution. Student ID & proof of full time status (letter from institution) is required. ID card must be in English & include a valid expiry date.
Child: Currently attending school, 6-17yrs inclusive. Kids under 6 ski for free in winter, & kids under 9 bike for free in summer! Photo ID will be required.
Senior: 65-74yrs of age. Photo ID will be required.
Under 6yrs &75 Years+: Under 6yrs & over 75yrs, as at June 1, 2018, ski for free. Please collect a complimentary lift pass from the ticket office. Photo ID will be required.
1. After activation of your online profile, what can you do to maximize the value of your pass?| A．You can open up the online account of your clever pass. |
| B．You can store your lift pass on an electronic RFID pass. |
| C．You can monitor what activities you have done at Cardrona. |
| D．You can participate in most tutor lessons without any charge. |
| A．Cardrona is only open to those who are skilled at snowing or skiing. |
| B．Anyone with Rocky Mountain Super Pass can have free access to Cardrona. |
| C．Those with 1 Day Off Peak pass are entitled to ski at Cardrona on Oct. 24th |
| D．One can get in Cardrona from 8.30 am to 4 pm with 1 Day Peak pass. |
| A．$295. | B．$275. | C．$320. | D．$270. |
3 . Microsoft has developed a new smartphone app that interprets eye signals and translates them into letters, allowing people with motor neuron（运动神经元）disease to communicate with others from a phone.
The GazeSpeak app combines a smartphone’s camera with artificial intelligence to recognize eye movements in real time and change them into letters, words and sentences.
For people suffering from ALS（渐冻症）, also known as motor neuron disease, eye movement can be the only way they are able to communicate.
“Current eye-tracking input systems for people with ALS or other motor problems are expensive, not strong under sunlight, and require frequent re-calibration(校对) and abundant, relatively immobile setups,” said Xiaoyi Zhang, a researcher at Microsoft who developed the technology. “To change the situation…we created GazeSpeak, an eye-gesture communication system that runs on a smartphone.”
The app is used by the listener by pointing their smartphone at the speaker. A chart that can be stuck to the back of the smartphone is then used by the speaker to determine which eye movements to make in order to communicate.
The sticker shows four grids(格) of letters, which each match a different eye movement. By looking up, down, left or right, the speaker selects which grids the letters they want belong to. The artificial intelligence algorithm is then able to predict the word or sentence they are trying to say.
1. Which is necessary to install GazeSpeak for use according to the passage?| A．a smartphone with a camera. |
| B．a smartphone with re-calibration system. |
| C．a smartphone with a sticker on the back. |
| D．a smartphone connected with other setups. |
| A．low-cost, strong in system, easy to take with users |
| B．affordable, lightweight, environmentally friendly |
| C．easy to operate, movable, able to check itself |
| D．available under strong light, rich in resources, inexpensive |
A． | B． |
C． | D． |
| A．To advertise a new app. | B．To call for attention to ALS sufferers. |
| C．To share the information of an.app. | D．To show respect to the programmer of the app. |
