1 . The future of the city is here. Sidewalk Labs, a company owned by Alphabet(which also owns Google), won a competition to design a neighborhood by Lake Ontario, Canada. The competition was held as a way to improve the building, public spaces, and transportation in the area .
The city of Toronto has promised $1.25 billion for roads, sidewalks, electricity, water, and so on. Sidewalk Labs has already put $50 million into the project.
The neighborhood has already been given the name "Quayside. "When finished, it will include many high-tech and environmentally friendly designs. These include heated sidewalks and cycle tracks to melt（融化）snow and self-driving buses. There will also be narrower street with less car and more room for public spaces like parks. The buildings will be made of plastic to make them more affordable and easier to change. Underground passages will be used for rubbish collection and for repair.
There will also be environmentally friendly energy use, changeable traffic lights, and continuous improvement through data (数据) collection and studies. This data will come from sensors(传感器) collecting information about traffic or noise levels, energy use, waste output, etc.
There are, of course, some worries about the project. One is that there is already a housing shortage in Toronto, and making an expensive, high-tech neighborhood won't help with that. It is important for Quayside to be used by the elderly, the disabled, the poor and people of different races, not only by people who work at tech companies.
Another worry is about data collection and people' s privacy. Dan Dctoroff, the CEO of Sidewalk Labs, said that the data collection will only be used to improve people's life in Quayside. He added that privacy can be put into every part of the neighborhood.
Since this kind of neighborhood is new, no doubt there will be many problems, and new laws will have to be made for this kind of high-tech housing. But hopefully, we will be able to see such a futuristic neighborhood soon.
1. How will Sidewalk Labs carry out its project?| A．By developing advanced technology |
| B．By cooperating with the city of Toronto |
| C．By collecting enough money. |
| D．By calling on people to take part in it. |
| A．Details of upcoming neighborhood. |
| B．Technologies offered by project |
| C．High-tech designs of Quayside |
| D．Equipment in the unique neighborhood |
| A．Because they have to spend much time on it |
| B．Because Quayside is only available to the elderly, the disable and the poor |
| C．Because they fear their privacy will be probably given away |
| D．Because not all people want to live in such a neighborhood. |
| A．Positive | B．Negative. | C．Worried | D．Doubtful |
2 . In 2011, the old style Malta buses were taken off the road and replaced by modern vehicles. Most of the old buses were deserted, a few were sold, and about 100 of them were put into storage in the hope of showing them in a museum at some stage.
A pre-2011 visit to Malta wouldn’t have been complete without a ride on one of the colorful buses. Until 1973 you could tell the destination of the bus just by looking at its color--Sliema was green and white, Zabbar was red and white with a blue stripe(条纹)etc. Later, the buses all had numbers. For a while, they were all painted green and white before the ‘final’ orange, yellow and white.
In their prime, walking around the Triton fountain at the Valletta bus station, you would have found it very difficult to see two buses of exactly the same design. Most of them had locally built bodies. On the front of the buses carried names like Dodge, Leyland, Bedford etc. You were equally likely to find football pennants(锦旗)and the like decorating the cabs. Real bus experts would have recognized that these were there mainly for decorative reasons, and were seldom an exact idea of the vehicle’s origins.
Nowadays much more modern buses are to be found at the Floriana bus station. They are more environmentally friendly and possibly even more comfortable than the older types. However, I miss the old buses. I remember, when you boarded your bus, you had to prepare the correct change to pay the usually bad-tempered driver as you got on. If you were seated anywhere near the front, you would have noticed that most drivers sat well to the right of their steering wheel. The reason for this, as any Maltese would tell you, was to leave space for their pet to sit alongside them. I wonder where the pet sits these days.
1. What makes a pre-2011 visit to Malta special according to Paragraph 2?| A．Traveling in colorful buses. |
| B．Using buses with stripes. |
| C．Painting buses bright colors. |
| D．Telling destinations by different colors. |
| A．the most painful time. | B．the loudest time. |
| C．the most disappointing time. | D．the strongest time. |
| A．They were of the same pattern. |
| B．The decorations showed their origin. |
| C．Most were uniquely designed. |
| D．Only football pennants decorated the cabs. |
| A．Comfortable. | B．Environment-friendly. |
| C．Safe. | D．Memorable. |
注意：1. 词数100左右。
2. 开头已给出，但不计入总词数。
Now let me predict what my life will be like in five years.
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1、电脑科技的迅速发展；
2、机器人对人类生活的可能影响；
3、询问他的看法。
注意：
1、词数80左右；
2、可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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5 . What will man be like in the future-in 5,000 or even 50,000 years? We can only make guesses, but we can be sure that he will be different from what he is today, for man is slowly changing all the time.
Let us take an example. Man, even five hundred years ago, was shorter than he is today. Now, on average（平均），men are about three inches（英尺）taller. Again, in the modern world we use brains a great deal. Even so, we still make use of only about 20% of the brain’s capacity（容量）.As time goes on, however, we shall have to use our brains more and more, and eventually we shall need larger ones! This is likely to bring about a physical change to the head, especially the forehead, will grow larger.
Nowadays our eyes are used very often. In fact, we use them so much that they become weaker and we have to wear glasses. But over a very long period of time it is likely that man’s eyes will grow stronger.
On the other hand, we tend to make less use of our arms and legs. These, as a result, are likely to grow weaker. At the same time, however, our fingers will grow more sensitive because they are used a great deal in modern life.
But what about hair? This will probably disappear from the body altogether in course of time because it does not serve a useful purpose any longer. In the future, then, both sexes are likely to be bald（光头的）.
Perhaps all this shows that future man will not be a very attractive being to look at! This may well be true. No matter how great the change is, future man will still have a lot in common with us.
1. The passage mainly tells us that________.| A．man’s life will be different in the future |
| B．future man will look quite different from us |
| C．man is growing taller as time passes |
| A．weight and ears | B．brain and height | C．arms and legs |
| A．he makes use only 20% of the brain’s capacity |
| B．the other 80% of his brain will grow with time |
| C．he will use his brain more and more as time goes on |
| A．纤细的 | B．灵敏的 | C．笨拙的 |
| A．He may be hairless because hair is no longer useful. |
| B．He has smaller eyes and wears better glasses. |
| C．His fingers grow weaker because he doesn’t have to make use of them. |
6 . “How are you feeling, Klinker?” Dr. Blooper asked his new robot. “Well, I can see out of one eye,” said Klinker. “I can hear out of one ear. But my left shoulder keeps falling down, my belly has a hole in it, one knee feels funny, and my fingers are missing something at the ends. Otherwise, I feel fine.”
Dr. Blooper laughed. “ I have made a list of your missing parts,” he said. “When I have finished my experiment, I will buy them. Then you will be finished, and I will let you see yourself in the mirror.” Dr. Blooper went into the next laboratory.
After a few minutes Klinker began to feel bored. He looked at the list. Suddenly he had an idea. “I will surprise Dr. Blooper and buy these things myself,” Klinker said.
Klinker came to the store. He chose a small blue ball and a toy drum and gave them to the clerk. “Please charge these to Dr. Blooper,” he said. Then he chose a knife with a sharp blade(刀片), ten long steel nails and a small red button. “This is going to be easy,” he said. “One thing is for sure ---I have a good brain. If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.”
When Klinker got back, he had an idea.“I will put all my parts together by myself,” he said. “What a surprise Dr. Blooper will have!” After he finished, he was about to look in the mirror when Dr. Blooper walked into the room. He stared at Klinker. “No wonder you are so surprised,” said the happy robot. “I have finished myself. I have an eyeball, a shoulder blade, fingernails, a belly button, and a kneecap. But I still don't feel quite right.”
Dr. Blooper patted Klinker on the head. “I will fix you right away,” he said. “I think I will adjust your brain, just a little.”
1. The first two paragraphs suggest that ________.| A．Dr. Blooper needed to experiment on Klinker. | B．Klinker lost something in the experiment. |
| C．Klinker was in fact an unfinished robot. | D．Klinker worked as an assistant in the lab. |
| A．refused to pay for things he bought. | B．went secretly out of the laboratory. |
| C．chose everything he needed carefully. | D．was confident of his intelligence. |
| A．was still unsatisfied with himself. | B．felt proud in front of the mirror. |
| C．was surprised at his own image. | D．went to greet Dr. Blooper gladly. |
7 . In the future, people may travel to Mars（火星)by water-powered spaceship! Today's spaceships are fine for getting things into space, but they are not so good at travelling long distances. These spaceships burn chemical fuels(燃料)and they are very expensive. Scientists say that a water-powered spaceship could make the trip to Mars much cheaper. The idea is just in the planning stages now, but scientists think such a spaceship could be developed soon.
The key to the water-powered spaceship is the engine(发动机).Regular engines push spaceships by burning fuel. The water engine will use steam, created by solar panels(太阳能板)that heat water to a high temperature. Of course, the spaceship will have to carry a lot of water for the long trip to Mars.
Today's spaceships could not carry that much water. But scientists think that a spaceship blown up like a balloon will be able to.
One Us company has already developed a spaceship like this. These spaceships are made of a strong material. Two of them have already been sent up into space, using rockets and then later filed with air. “Balloon” spaceships could be very large and carry enough water for a long trip. With the “Balloon” spaceships, enough water could be carried to power the engines and grow food during the trip. And the people on the spaceship might even get to take a hot bath!
Scientists say the biggest advantage of such a spaceship would be cost. The “Balloon” spaceship uses water to push it through space and costs about one thirtieth of a normal spaceship. Such savings naturally encourage continued research into balloon spaceships and water engines. If these scientists are correct, we may soon be on our way to Mars in a spaceship powered by water.
1. Which sentence best describes the main idea of the passage above?| A．The key to the water-powered spaceship is the engine. |
| B．In the future, people may travel to Mars by water-powered spaceship. |
| C．One US company has already developed a spaceship like this. |
| D．Scientists say the biggest advantage of such a spaceship would be cost. |
| A．use steam. |
| B．push spaceships. |
| C．heat water. |
| D．carry that much water |
| A．Take a hot bath. |
| B．Freeze dangerous things. |
| C．Blow up a balloon. |
| D．Change the surface of Mars. |
| A．www. freedictionary. com/power. |
| B．www. mooc. cn/music. |
| C．www. chinadaily. com. cn/culture. |
| D．www. space. com/spaceflight. |
8 . What will man be like in the future? How about in 5,000 or even 50,000 years from now? We can only make a guess, of course, but we can be sure that he will be different from what he is today.
Let's give an example. Man, even 500 years ago, was shorter than he is today. Now, on the average, men are about three inches taller. 500 years is a relatively short period of time, so we may guess that man will continue to grow taller. Again, in the modern world we use our brains a great deal. Even so, we still make use of only about 20% of the brain's capacity(容量). As time goes on, however, we shall have to use our brains more and more---and finally we shall need even larger ones!
But what about hair? It will probably disappear from the body altogether in course of time because it does not serve a useful purpose any longer. In the future, then, both sexes are likely to be bald.
Perhaps all this gives the impression that future man will not be a very attractive creature to look at!
| A．Nowadays our eyes are in constant use. |
| B．This probably brings about mental changes. |
| C．These, as a result, are likely to grow weaker. |
| D．This is likely to bring about physical changes, too. |
| E．That's because man is slowly changing all the time. |
| F．As a result, future man will have little in common with us. |
| G．In spite of all these changes, future man will still have a lot in common with us. |
9 . Everybody hates rats. But in the earthquake capitals of the world—Japan, Los Angeles, Turkey—rats will soon be the new best friends of humans.
What happens after an earthquake? We send in rescue dogs. Why? Because they can smell people. Dogs save lives. They help rescuers to find living people. But dogs are big and they can’t get into small spaces. So now a new research project is using a smaller animal to save lives: the rat.
How does it work? First the rat is trained to smell people. When this happens, the rat’s brain gives a signal. This is sent to a small radio on its back and then the rescuers follow the radio signals. When the rat’s brain activity jumps, the rescuers know that someone is alive. The rat has smelled that person.
Although there are already robots which can do this job, rats are better. Christian Linster at Cornell University, New York, says, “Robots’ noses don’t work well when there are other smells around. Rats are good at that.” Rats can also see in the dark. They are cheaper and quicker to train than dogs and unlike robots, they don’t need electricity!
The “rat project” is not finished, but Julie Ryan of International Rescue Corps in Scotland says, “It would be fantastic. A rat could get into spaces we couldn’t get to and a rat would get out if it wasn’t safe.” Perhaps for the first time in history people will be happy to see a rat in a building.
1. In the world earthquake capitals, rats will become man’s best friends because________．| A．they can fully take the place of man’s rescue jobs to save more people |
| B．they can find the position of people alive who are trapped in buildings |
| C．they can serve as food for people alive who are trapped in buildings |
| D．they can get into small spaces that the dogs may fail to get into |
| A．they left the room at an agreed signal |
| B．the policeman raised his hand to signal the driver to stop |
| C．he seemed to signal important changes in the US government policy |
| D．a signal failure resulted in the car accident |
| A．they are more fantastic than other animals |
| B．they are less expensive to train than dogs |
| C．they don’t need electricity |
| D．they are small and can get into small spaces |
| A．rats have already taken the place of dogs in searching for people |
| B．the “rat project” has already been completed |
| C．people are very happy to see a rat in a building |
| D．people now still use dogs and robots in performing rescues |
10 . Smart cities are coming. And you can be sure that hackers (黑客) won’t be very far behind. We’ve already gotten a glimpse of that future, as cities across the globe start to use technology to connect their services and people in ways that were science film just a few years ago. They are using sensors to collect data — such as traffic, garbage collecting, and road conditions —and then using that data to deliver services to more people and more efficiently.
But this rush to become a smart city has a major weakness: The more connected a city is, the easier it is to cyber-attacks. Hackers have, in recent years, effectively held cities hostage through ransom ware (赎金器), sometimes damaging critical systems for months at a time. The damage can cost millions to repair, as Baltimore and Atlanta have discovered.
And this is just the beginning. As cities add connectivity to their streetlights, power grids, dams, transit lines and other services, they are adding more targets that are possible to be hacked. What’s more, as additional information on people is collected, officials worry the result —lots of data could attract nation-states or terrorists who could use the data to launch physical and cyber war.
What cyber security lesson can’t be taught in this hack? For example: Don’t open email attachments from unfamiliar sources; don’t click on unrecognized links; don’t leave sensitive information visible on the walls or surfaces of your office.
But let’s just stick to the most important lesson: The information you share on social media can be used to profile and target you, whether that’s by engineering click bait (点击诱饵) aimed at your particular interests, guessing your password based on your birthday or figuring out your schedule and travels so that an intruder can access your home or office.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019 THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
1. What did people use to think of smart cities?| A．It was the product of science. | B．It was sure to be popular. |
| C．It existed in imagination. | D．It improved people’s life. |
| A．Introduce the harm of hackers. |
| B．Show the danger of a smart city. |
| C．Add some background information. |
| D．Summarize the previous paragraphs. |
| A．It is convenient to provide service. |
| B．It is certain to bring about progress. |
| C．There are actually potential dangers. |
| D．There’s competition in high technology. |
| A．Describe. | B．Protect. | C．Impress. | D．Fund. |
