1 . There are robot cleaners and robot mops to help us around the house, so why not a robot to build our houses? Wait no longer. Now there is a set of electronics to do just that, build a house from scratch, and fast.

Forget weeks to find a builder and months for house construction; a machine developed in the United States can build a 232 sqm house layer by layer in a single day. University of Southern California’s Professor Behrokh Khoshnevis has designed the giant robot that replaces construction workers with a mouth on an arm of crane, which spits out concrete and can quickly build a house according to a computer pattern. The technology, known as Contour (轮廓) Crafting, could revolutionise the construction industry.

Contour Crafting could greatly decrease the cost of homeowning, making it possible for millions of displaced people to get on the property ladder. It could even be used in disaster relief areas to build emergency and replacement housing. As Prof. Khoshnevis points out, if we look around almost everything is made automatically these days—shoes, clothes, home appliances, cars. The only thing that is still built by hand are buildings.

The Contour Crafting system is a robot that automates age-old tools normally used by hand. These are applied by a robotic crane that builds a three-dimensional object. The nature of the technology means it will also be possible to create curved walls and architecture that is both “exotic (异国情调的) and beautiful” according to Prof Khoshnevis. As a result, it could be ideal to print out expensive houses according to customers’ demands.

Furthermore, Prof. Khoshnevis believes that the technology could be applied beyond our planet. “Contour Crafting technology has the potential to build safe, reliable, and affordable structures, habitats, laboratories, and other facilities on the moon and Mars before the arrival of human beings,” his website reads.

According to the International Labour Organisation, construction employs nearly 110 million people worldwide and “plays a major role in fighting the high levels of unemployment and in absorbing extra labour from the rural areas”. What the implications are for builders is, of course, a major concern. But Khoshnevis says “the reality is that a lot of new jobs can be created in this field as well”. Instead of building the house, workmen are used to maintain the machine.

1. Which advantage does the giant robot have for the consumers?

A．It saves a great deal of time.	B．It decorates houses beautifully.
C．It provides energy-saving apartments.	D．It builds environmentally-friendly houses.

2. The underlined part “to get on the property ladder” in Paragraph 3 means “______”.

A．to print objects	B．to purchase a house
C．to predict disasters	D．to accumulate wealth

3. The new construction technology can satisfy the needs of ______.

A．low-income residents	B．people at different income levels
C．middle-income people	D．wealthy immigrants

4. What influence will Contour Crafting have on construction industry?

A．Many construction workers will lose jobs.

B．Professionals will be hired to make robot builders.

C．More rural people will engage in construction.

D．Construction workers will update their skills.

5 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

It was Mr. Morgan’s first day as a new history teacher. He was giving the students a lecture on the Great Depression and World War II, when the door suddenly opened. A boy walked in with his eyes fixed on the floor and took his seat without speaking a word or looking up at the teacher. “Good morning, young man,” said Mr. Morgan, his voice was strict. “It’s 9:15, and you’re 20 minutes late for class. Do you have a good reason?” But the boy just sat without responding. “Could you please stand up and introduce yourself?” Mr. Morgan added. “I’m Archie,” replied the boy as he rose and looked up, rubbing his tired eyes. Archie looked very untidy and dizzy (头晕目眩的), as though he hadn’t slept at all the previous nights. “Nice to meet you, Archie. I’m your new history teacher. You’re late for class. Do you mind telling me why? You just walked in without excusing yourself, and I won’t entertain such behavior.” Archie hesitated for a while. “I’m sorry, sir. I overslept. I didn’t mean to come in late. I was just tired, sir,”   he finished, unable to control his yawn, and the whole class laughed. “Silence!” Mr. Morgan demanded. “Archie, you cannot be late for class like this. Can I see your homework? I heard your previous history teacher gave you assignments every weekend. Show it to me, will you?” Archie handed over his notebook, and Mr. Morgan’s expression turned uneasy. “Umm, looks like you didn’t do your homework at all.” “I didn’t do it, sir,” the boy said sheepishly as the teacher looked through the rest of the pages. “Archie, what is this? You haven’t done any of your homework this whole term,” Mr. Morgan scolded. “I want to meet your parents tomorrow, alright? Or I’m taking you straightto the principal’s office. Is that clear?” “Yes, sir,” Archie murmured and sat on his seat.

But the boy didn’t show up the following day. The principal told him, “We’ve given Archie chances, but there’s no improvement. His presence is affecting our academic statistics.” Mr. Morgan started to worry.

注意：
1．续写词数应为150左右；
2．请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Mr. Morgan paid a visit to Archie’s home, only to discover the boy’s life was far more difficult than he thought.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Fifteen years later, successful Archie returned to his old school to thank Mr. Morgan.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . 阅读下面短文,在空白处填人1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The Internet is one of the     1     (great) creations and provides people with instant access     2     an endless supply of knowledge and entertainment. Using a search engine, you can ask almost any question     3     may confuse you, and find a web page with information about that question. There are also millions of videos on websites or social media,     4     (explain) various topics.

In the past, it would take days and sometimes even months     5     (receive) a letter from someone else. Today, with the Internet, you can send an e-mail to anyone in the world and often have it     6     (deliver) in less than a minute.

However, the Internet is not without its     7     (disadvantage). Playing games on the Internet can become very addictive, which leads to much time being wasted. And constant connectivity means some people     8       (expect) to be available to work at any time of the day, even if they previously refused to.

Despite the drawbacks, the Internet has     9     (undoubted) changed the way we live, work and communicate, and it’s here to stay. It’s up to us to use it wisely and make     10    most of its benefits while minimizing its negative effects.

8 . I grew up both a little frightened and excited by storms and tornadoes. Nearly 9 years ago, when the news reported that there would be _______ coming that night, I was well aware of the _______ of it.

While I was preparing for the storm, I heard the rumble（隆隆声）, saw power flashes and knew it was coming. After _______ the power for safety, I jumped into a bath that was right inside the door and closed the door and laid down and _______ my head and prayed for_______ and for my family.

My _______ was racing with a million thoughts, regrets, prayers, etc, but I still heard the storm_______ my house, then the sheetrock（石膏板）overhead _______ and it sounded like my roof lifted and came back down. I heard the _______ of nails being pulled out of wall, glass breaking, and then the most ________ sound I had ever heard.

I suddenly felt something ________ my head and everything went ________. When I opened my eyes again, I ________ blood on my wet head coming from a small________. I went out to check my car. I got blinded by a light as I exited the carport （车棚）. It was my neighborhood, coming to check on me. I stood there and tears poured down my face. Fortunately, we were________ that day.

1.

A．storms

B．thunder

C．clouds

D．lightning

2.

A．phenomenon

B．benefit

C．effort

D．threat

3.

A．turning up

B．keeping from

C．turning off

D．taking off

4.

A．shook

B．covered

C．raised

D．stretched

5.

A．healing

B．safety

C．happiness

D．forgiveness

6.

A．face

B．body

C．mouth

D．mind

7.

A．constructing

B．entering

C．destroying

D．cleaning

8.

A．fell down

B．broke up

C．put up

D．turned down

9.

A．sound

B．song

C．news

D．alarm

10.

A．harmful

B．passive

C．frightening

D．helpless

11.

A．touched

B．hit

C．affected

D．grabbed

12.

A．peaceful

B．noisy

C．depressing

D．exciting

13.

A．kept

B．felt

C．received

D．collected

14.

A．bar

B．cut

C．room

D．spot

15.

A．satisfied

B．unconcerned

C．blessed

D．unfortunate

9 . Before children learn to read, they need to have a good understanding of basic words and what they mean. And while that may sound a bit overwhelming (令人不知所措的), there are very easy ways that you can build a preschooler’s vocabulary.

Visit the Library

If you are looking for a great place to start building your preschooler’s vocabulary and early reading skills, look no further than your local library.     1     Children’s libraries often have fun activities, which will expose them to new words and give them an opportunity to socialize.

Teach and Strengthen the Alphabet (字母表)

    2     The bonus: it’s a great way to keep your preschooler busy on long car rides,or while waiting in lines. You can also play games using the alphabet, where you name items that start with letters in alphabetical order.

Use Descriptive Words

When it comes to increasing your child’s vocabulary, more is better.     3     For example, when describing a fabric pattern, try using words such as unusual, relaxing, or creative. By using them in the proper context (语境), they become understandable.

Make Labels

If you want your preschooler to learn more words, then make it easy.     4    Use a label maker to name commonly used items so they learn to recognize what the word looks like.

Read Aloud Together

Reading aloud is a great way to expose your preschooler to new words. Together you can work out what they mean by using context-the other words or pictures that might be on the page.     5    

A．In such cases, planning is required.

B．In addition to saying them often, show them too.

C．If you aren’t sure what to do, ask the librarian for help.

D．It is also a wonderful way to spend quality time with them.

E．The more words your children hear, the more they will learn.

F．As you can see, increasing your child’s vocabulary isn’t difficult.

G．Singing the ABC song provides children with some strong support.

10 . A planet that suffers 475 C beneath a thick acid atmosphere may be the last place you'd expect alien (外星的) life in our solar system. But one NASA scientist claims that extraterrestrials (天外来客) are most likely hiding on Venus amid conditions that are unbearable for humans. The new theory was put forward by the research scientist Dr Michelle Thaller. She says that possible signs of life have already been seen within the carbon-dioxide filled atmosphere, adding that she was absolutely certain that life exists somewhere.

Venus is often described as Earth's twin due to its similar size and structure. But their conditions couldn't be further apart, as astronomers believe it would be impossible for humans to exist on Venus. Positioned 67 million miles from the Sun, Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system, suffering temperatures that can even melt lead. Its atmosphere also adds to the uninhabitable situation.

Despite this, scientists have long debated whether Venus' clouds may host microbial (微生物的) life forms that can survive. Many scientists think that photosynthesis (光合作用) is possible on the planet's surface as Venus receives enough solar energy to pass through its thick clouds.

However, Professor Dominic Papineau, a biologist at the University College of London, believes Dr Thaller's views are “difficult to realistically assume”. He explained, “For life-related chemical reactions to take place, liquid water is necessary. Hence, to find extraterrestrial life, we need to find liquid water, and to find extraterrestrial fossils requires looking for special rocks that were associated with liquid water in the past.”

This makes life on Venus today difficult to realistically assume, because its surface is too hot, although Venus might have had liquid water in its past. Even still, both Professor Papineau and Dr Thaller agree that the icy moons of our solar system could also be sites of potential microbial life. NASA suggests there are 290 “traditional moons” in our solar system-excluding 462 smaller minor planets.

1. What can we know about Venus?

A．Its atmosphere is thin acidic.

B．It is much bigger than Earth.

C．It is 77 million miles from the Sun.

D．Venus and Earth are considered as twins.

2. Which statement would Papineau agree with?

A．Photosynthesis can happen on Venus's surface.

B．Thick clouds make photosynthesis in Venus hard.

C．Liquid water is important for the extraterrestrials.

D．Some rocks can prove life exists on Venus.

3. What can we know from the last paragraph?

A．The surface temperature of Venus is high.

B．It's very easy to confirm life on Venus.

C．Venus might have liquid water now.

D．Many icy moons go around Venus.

4. In which section of a newspaper can you find this text?

A．Education.

B．Science.

C．Culture.

D．Sports.