1 . For people who struggle to read text, technology can be a lifeline. Actually, assistive technology (AT) tools for reading can also be useful to students who just need some extra assistance to aid reading fluency or comprehension. These tools are inexpensive and easy to find. They open up the wonderful world of reading, making text accessible to students of all abilities. But with so many tools out there, it’s not always easy to know which ones to use.
To help, here’s a guide to some best ones.
Graphic organizers
They are visual representations, like diagrams and mind maps, of ideas and concepts. You can use graphic organizers to help with comprehension while reading. Graphic organizers can be digital or pen and paper.
Annotation aids
They let you take notes and write comments while reading. This can make it easier to keep information. Annotation aids can be part of software or apps, or they can be traditional pens, markers, and sticky notes.
Display control
It allows you to control how text is displayed. When reading on a screen, you can change the font(字体), font size, and spacing of text. You can also cover parts of the screen to lessen distractions(干扰) while reading.
Text-to-speech (TTS)
It lets you see text and hear it read aloud at the same time. To use this tool, you click on words, and you’ll hear the words read by computer-generated voices. You can even read after it and record your own voice. TTS can also be used to change any digital text files into audio files.
Optical character recognition (OCR)
It can read aloud text from images and pictures. You can use OCR by taking photos of worksheets, paper documents, and even objects like street signs. Like TTS, OCR uses computer-generated voices.
Keep in mind that using AT reading tools won’t prevent people from learning to read. For example, experts say audiobooks can actually help kids become better readers.
1. If a reader prefers taking his feelings down while reading, he’d better use ________.| A．graphic organizers | B．annotation aids |
| C．display control | D．text-to-speech |
| A．Changing file types. | B．Editing photos of documents. |
| C．Reading words in pictures. | D．Using computer-generated voices. |
| A．accessible and beneficial | B．expensive but worthwhile |
| C．helpful and energy-efficient | D．innovative but complicated |
There are two different ways to think about an old shipwreck(沉船). Some people value its financial worth. They’ve spent a lot of time and money searching for the wreck. When they
Wind is one of our cleanest and most abundant power sources. Europe is leading the way in wind power. Nearly 75% of all turbines(风力发电机)
I grew up in a remote village. There was no such thing as a book in most families. It was at the school library that I
5 . Last week, I drove to Joe’s Hardware to get a few items. Upon returning to my
After this fact sank in, I was about to call the bank and have them
So I held back and I was going to give it a day. Then, early that evening, I was surfing the Internet for a new wallet when I heard a knock on the door. There was a man who I did not
After we exchanged greetings, he
He told me his
David, thank you so very much for returning my wallet and reinforcing my belief that there are some good and
| A．car | B．home | C．bank | D．shop |
| A．broken | B．empty | C．stolen | D．missing |
| A．recovered | B．recorded | C．retraced | D．reduced |
| A．loan | B．send | C．show | D．pass |
| A．Come on | B．Cheer up | C．Slow down | D．Look out |
| A．doubt | B．recognize | C．admire | D．remember |
| A．awarded | B．found | C．brought | D．handed |
| A．happened | B．decided | C．intended | D．hesitated |
| A．age | B．hobby | C．name | D．job |
| A．decent | B．courageous | C．cautious | D．humble |
Face it
In much of the western world, governments now require people to wear masks when they are in crowded public spaces. That is good news, for masks could both save lives and allow people to get back to work. And to help economies restart safely, government should require people to wear face coverings in crowded public spaces.
People think of masks as something protecting them from dirty things in the air. But in the case of COVID-19, their more important job is to protect others from an infected wearer. That is because of one of the unusual characteristics of this disease: it seems likely that infection by people who have not, or not yet, developed symptoms(症状) makes up about a third to a half of the cases. So even if everybody with symptoms stays at home, the virus will still spread. Masks block the respiratory droplets(呼吸道飞沫) that carry the virus, so make risky situations safer.
There are signs that masking is useful. Even home-made face coverings can block droplets.
Experiments show that a piece of cloth over the mouth and face can block 60% of droplets—not as good as a medical mask, but much better than nothing.
East Asian countries’ success in controlling the disease argues in favour of masks. Wearing masks to protect against pollution or disease is common there, so people covered their faces as soon as they were informed of COVID-19. In the West, mask-wearing is alien. And in all of the countries where mask-wearing is common practice, the epidemic (流行病) was quickly controlled. This is not unquestionable evidence in favour of masks. Other factors distinguish those mask-wearing countries from bare-faced Western nations: some, such as China and South Korea, have strict track-and-trace systems and carry out mass coronavirus testing.
Yet the combination of this natural global experiment, laboratory studies and asymptomatic transmission(无症状传播) suggests that masks can help keep people safe. Lockdown destroys economies. Social distancing damages them. Masks cost next to nothing. They will not by themselves stop an epidemic. Hand-washing, track-and-trace systems and widespread testing are all crucial, too. But masks can do their bit to protect people and rebuild economies.
1. What is the key job of masks in COVID-19 epidemic according to the writer?2. Please paraphrase the underlined sentence in your own words.
3. Please underline the inappropriate part in the following statement and explain why.
Wearing masks is important and is considered the determining factor in the fight against the epidemic.
4. Please briefly present what can be done to fight against COVID-19. (about 40 words)
7 . Huang Danian, the well-known Chinese geophysicist, was born in 1958 in Guangxi, China. As a keen and able student, Huang went to the UK in 1993 to further his studies.
By the time Huang moved back to China in 2008, he had been living and working in the UK for 15 years. He had a good job and a life there, but he gave it all up to return to home driven by the idea that he needed to contribute to his country. As one of the world’s leading experts in deep earth exploration technology, Huang was invited to participate in the “Thousand Talent” programme. He took up a position at Jilin University, Changchun.
Huang was named lead scientist on China’s deep earth exploration programme, developing advanced cameras that can see through the Earth’s crust(外壳) so that it can be analysed without having to dig into it. He set up an advanced lab, sometimes paying for equipment with his own money. Some described him as a “lunatic” (a “madman”), but this passion and drive enabled Huang to push forwards China’s deep earth exploration technology into a world-leading position. Huang’s devotion contributed to China’s lunar probe(月球探测器) Yutu being landed on the moon in 2013 and the launch of the spacecrafts Shenzhou-11 and Tiangong-2 in 2016.
Huang's health also paid the price for his commitment to his work. He began having fainting fits(昏厥) in 2012, but paid them little attention, stating he did not have time to go to see a doctor— his work always came first. In November 2016, Huang fainted and was taken to hospital, where he was diagnosed with cancer. The disease was so advanced that he had just a couple of months to live.
Like the true scientist he was, Huang never gave up, but always tried to push forwards. Even from his hospital bed, he continued his work, writing letters of reference for his colleagues and replying to questions from his students. Huang died in January 2017, aged just 58. More than 800 people attended his funeral to celebrate a life that burned so bright, but was so short.
1. Huang returned to China in 2008 because________.| A．he desired to devote himself to his motherland |
| B．the “Thousand Talent” program attracted him |
| C．Jilin University offered him a top position |
| D．he wasn’t satisfied with the life in the UK |
| A．China’s aerospace development. |
| B．Huang’s working attitude and style. |
| C．Huang’s great contributions to China. |
| D．China’s deep earth exploration technology. |
| A．The working environment caused Huang’s disease. |
| B．Huang worked continuously despite his poor health. |
| C．Huang was taken to hospital after he fainted in 2012. |
| D．A large sum of money was paid to treat Huang’s illness. |
| A．Generous and honest. |
| B．Passionate and patient. |
| C．Modest and courageous. |
| D．Patriotic and committed. |
8 . Improve Cloud Security
Sensitive customer data has constantly been found exposed on cloud servers without password protection. To ease the problem, database software makers have been trying to make security easier for cloud database managers. At the Enigma Conference in San Francisco, Kenn White, a security manager at database software maker MongoDB, will describe a new technique, called field level encryption, to make data safer on the cloud.
Field level encryption works by scrambling data before it’s sent to a cloud database and rearranging it in order when the data is needed for use. The promise of the product is to protect the contents of a cloud database, even if bad guys access it.
MongoDB’s new feature comes as more and more companies move user data to cloud servers, rather than run their own costly data centers. It was predicted that cloud computing would be a $214 billion industry by the end of 2019. That would be up more than 17% from 2018, when it was $182 billion.
Companies have rushed to the cloud without understanding all of the possible security consequences. Many companies have left countless databases exposed, revealing personal data. A database containing details about who lives in 80 million US households was left unprotected in 2019, just like the data on Facebook users.
Database managers want to store their data in an unreadable form, but they also want to be able to find specific pieces of information in the database with a simple search term. For example, someone might want to look up health care patients by their Social Security numbers, even if those numbers are stored as random characters. To make this possible, field level encryption lets database managers encrypt a search term on their machine and send it to the database as a query. The database matches the encrypted version of the search term with the record it’s storing and then sends it back to you.
This approach only works with specific kinds of data. For example, field level encryption isn’t useful for long text entries, like notes in a patient’s medical chart, because you can’t search for individual words.
Still, for data like account numbers, passwords and government ID numbers, field level encryption protects data and maintains a usable database.
Most importantly, White said, it’s simple to set up. Database managers turn it on with a one-time configuration change when they set up the database. “That’s really powerful,” he said in an interview.
1. The underlined word “scrambling” in paragraph 2 probably means________.| A．mixing | B．collecting | C．hiding | D．storing |
| A．Secure the safety of Internet pages. | B．Protect files with a unique style of storage. |
| C．Stop bad guys from accessing the database. | D．Enable companies to store files on the cloud. |
| A．Companies should move user data to cloud servers. |
| B．Cloud computing achieved a 17% increase in 2019. |
| C．Companies may be unaware of the risks of the cloud. |
| D．No companies were willing to run their own data centers. |
| A．present some facts | B．offer security advice |
| C．introduce a technique | D．recommend a product |
Digital Inclusion for Older Adults
As a researcher in the behavior of older adults, I regularly hear complaints from them like, “I’m just not part of this world anymore. In certain parts of society, I just can’t join… Some things just are not possible if you are not in the flow of the Internet.” or “We feel like we’re standing outside a building that we have no access to.”
Today, mastering digital technology has become a key component of what it means to fully participate in society. But one area in particular threatens to prevent some older adults from making connections: the digital divide.
As a recent study shows, one-third of adults aged 65 and older say they’ve never used the Internet, and half don’t have Internet access at home. Of those who do use the Internet, nearly half say they need someone else’s help to set up or use a new digital device.
In contrast to concerns about technology use increasing isolation(孤立；隔离) among younger populations, the communication and connection possible online can be especially valuable for older adults who are homebound, live far away from family, or have lost the loved ones. Older adults can use online tools to connect with friends and family via messaging platforms, video chat, and social media even if they can no longer physically visit them. And they can engage with the outside world through news, blogs, streaming platforms, and email, even if they are no longer able to move about as easily as they once could.
For older adults in particular, the risks associated with social isolation are profound. Loneliness among older adults has been associated with depression, functional decline, and death. Technology can serve as an important tool to help reduce these risks, but only if we provide older adults with the skills they need, to make inclusion in the digital world accessible to them.
The importance of digital inclusion is not going to disappear with the generational changes of the coming decades. Technology is continuously developing, and with each new digital innovation come challenges for even younger adults to adapt.
1. What prevents some older adults from connecting with society?2. What do the statistics in Paragraph 3 indicate?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
●Enabling older adults to access the digital world can help them recover from depression and functional decline.
4. Please briefly present your opinion on digital inclusion. (about 40 words)
10 . Liu Jichen, founder and CEO of Clear Plate®, designed a mini-program that recognizes empty plates and rewards users with points. These points can be exchanged for gifts like books and cellphones, or better yet, they can be used to purchase charity meals donated to poor children in rural areas of China.
In 2016, Liu, a then student of Tsinghua University, noticed a popular campaign called “Leftover Party”, where people brought their leftovers to eat together, intending to raise awareness of food waste. Liu and his classmates organized one such event, which was attended by hundreds of people. The success encouraged him to spread the concept of reducing food waste to a wider audience.
The idea of a mini-program struck him at a dinner in 2017 when Liu dined at a restaurant, which rewarded diners who finished off their food. Liu found that the restaurant would give these diners a card every time and offer them small gifts when they collected a certain number of cards. “Everyone who values food can enjoy a sense of gain at a lower cost,” Liu said, noting that such an idea could be realized online.
He formed a team to work on the project. Yet it was quite a challenge for the AI system to identify the uploaded photos. Liu and his team, assisted by more than 1,000 others, spent half a year collecting over 100,000 samples across the country to train the digital brain.
“There were so many uncertainties in research and development. For our team members, the biggest challenge was whether we were confident enough to complete it,” Liu said. They not only achieved their goal, but now, the mini-program has more than five million registered users. “We hope to inspire everyone to take action against food waste and to contribute Chinese wisdom and solutions to global food security challenges,” he added.
1. What inspired Liu Jichen to create the mini-program?| A．A restaurant’s practice. | B．His interest in high tech. |
| C．A campaign concept. | D．His classmates’ advice. |
| A．To increase awareness of charity. |
| B．To encourage people to save food. |
| C．To collect photos of empty plates. |
| D．To promote books and other gifts. |
| A．Generous and optimistic. | B．Loving and easy-going. |
| C．Determined and responsible. | D．Grateful and considerate. |
