His brother was rushed to the operation room; he stood outside,
I have to
Remember:
I
| come across; make the most of; in panic; give sb. a hand; over and over again be different from; speaking of; be short for; turn around; go all out |
2. My neighbour is always willing to
3.
4. When walking down the street, I
5. WTO
6.
7. American English
8. I read the letter
9. You will be a lot happier if you
10. The customers all rushed out of the store
6 . You saw the video, right? The 45-second recording of a kid dancing in the rain? There was something inspiring about it. In a moment when our social media channels have been flooded with unsettling news, here was a kid whose love for dance couldn’t be stopped by the rain. Or by the concrete (混凝土) ground he was dancing on. Or the fact that he was barefoot (赤脚的).
Since it was uploaded to Instagram in June, the video of Nigerian ballet dancer Anthony Mmesoma Madu gathered thousands of views, likes, and comments. People seem to be absolutely stunned by the boy’s dedication (献身), elegance (优雅), and talent.
Madu is one of a dozen students between the ages of 5 and 12 at Leap Academy of Dance in Badagry. Daniel Ajala Owoseni, Anthony’s teacher, founded this school in Lagos in 2017. Unfortunately, even after 5 years, the school still doesn’t have a dedicated space for its students. Because of that, most of the time, they practice in Owoseni’s tiny home as well as public spaces in the community.
“We are trying to change the traditional thought around ballet dance. Boys can actually do ballet,” the teacher told the BBC. “Male ballet dancing is here to stay and it is not only supposed to be for females.”
“Where I live, there are no male ballet dancers like me,” young Anthony told a BBC reporter. When he is dancing, he said, “the feeling that comes over me is as if I am dreaming.”
The video eventually caught the attention of Cynthia Harvey, the current artistic director of the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School of Dance, one of America’s most famous ballet schools. Fortunately, she succeeded in tracking Anthony down. Moreover, she had arranged for full scholarships (奖学金) so Anthony could attend the ABT virtual Young Dancer Summer Workshop, a three-week intensive program.
“A child who shows this much dedication, you just have to help,” she said. “You are not only changing your world there in Africa but you’re changing the hearts and minds of so many people.”
1. Why did Anthony’s video become so popular? (no more than 10 words)2. What does the underlined word in Paragraph 2 mean? (no more than 2 words)
3. What’s Paragraph 3 mainly about? (no more than 5 words)
4. What made Anthony qualify for the unusual scholarship? Give two of the facts. (no more than 10 words)
5. Do you consider Anthony as your role model? Please explain. (no more than 25 words)
7 . Maya Ackerman just wanted to write a song. She tried for years — song after song. In the end, she didn’t like any of the tunes (曲调) she wrote. she says, “All the melodies (旋律) that came into my mind were so boring that I couldn’t imagine wasting time performing them.” Maybe, she thought, a computer could help. Nowadays, computer programs are already useful for recording songs that people come up with. Ackerman now wondered if a computer could be more — a songwriting partner. It was a flash of inspiration. “I knew immediately that it would be possible for a machine to give me ideas,” she says. That inspiration led to the creation of ALYSIA, a songwriting program that uses algorithms (算法). When first-time songwriters type in lyrics, this computer program can produce new melodies, based on the lyrics.
As a computer scientist at Santa Clara University in California, Ackerman has a lot of experience using algorithms. These are step-by-step math ways to solve problems and make predictions (预测). Algorithms are useful in programming computers. They can also be useful for everyday tasks.
When a computer runs software, it’s completing tasks by following algorithms written as computer language. Computer scientists like Ackerman analyze (分析), study and write algorithms to solve a series of problems. Some of them use algorithms in the field of a new technology, AI, which teaches computers to carry out tasks or activities that the human brain usually deals with.
Ackerman isn’t the only one using AI for songwriting. Some programs produce music for many instruments. AI is also finding its way into other arts. Painters, dancers and photographers have found new ways to make use of Al algorithms. Ahmed Elgammal runs a computer-science lab that focuses on using AI to influence art. “AI is a creative tool that will be accepted as an art form,” he says. “It will influence the way art is made, and what art will be.”
1. What did Maya Ackerman think of the song she wrote?| A．Surprising. | B．Satisfactory. | C．Disappointing. | D．Wonderful. |
| A．By copying other songs. | B．By attracting partners online. |
| C．By giving songwriters inspiration. | D．By using algorithms according to the lyrics. |
| A．Making use of algorithms. | B．Making scientific predictions. |
| C．Recording her own songs. | D．Recommending new songs. |
| A．Making people write better algorithms. | B．Doing things that people often do. |
| C．Letting computers follow algorithms. | D．Inventing a variety of creative tools. |
| A．AI has been used mainly in singing. | B．AI can take the place of instruments. |
| C．Ahmed Elgammal is a famous artist. | D．Ahmed Elgammal thinks highly of AI. |
8 . After taking part in 53 rescue operations (救援行动), saving a dozen lives and finding over 40 bodies in disaster zones (灾区), Frida, the beautiful and brave 65-pound and 10-year-old yellow Labrador rescue dog has retired from active duty(现役)in the Mexican Navy.
The Mexican Navy celebrated the dog’s contributions (贡献) by honoring her in a ceremony on Monday, as part of the International Rescuers Day. “Her bark (吠声) always gave hope, and in moments of pain and uncertainty she brought comfort,” said Deputy Naval Minister Eduardo Redondo. The postal service honored three search-and-rescue dogs, Frida, Evil and Ecko, in a stamp, showing them wearing protectors.
As a local hero, her professional and tireless work won the love, support and respect of the people of Mexico. Mexico also put her painted picture on a huge advertising board. Frida’s stop board can also be seen on the roads of Mexico. A cartoon book and toy dolls are also designed for her.
The Mexican Navy said in July that Frida was a veteran of more than 9 years of rescue efforts across Mexico, Guatemala, Haiti, and Ecuador Frida helped with rescue efforts after the deadly earthquake in Port-au-Prince in 2010. But it wasn’t until September 2017 that she gained more international attention on social media after the Mexican Navy shared a video of her. Frida went with the first Search and Rescue team to look for the children reported missing in a school in Mexico City during the strong earthquake. The images traveled the world and became a hot topic to the point that famous actor Chris Evans shared the video saying, “What did we do to deserve (应得) dogs?”
Today, her protectors which she had worn to carry out tasks in Mexico and abroad were taken down and sent to EIBorcegu Shoe Museum Collection for exhibition. Her trainer Arauz Salinas awarded her a toy to play with as a new beginning. Frida is expected to move to the countryside and help with the training of the next-generation rescue dogs.
What a good girl!
1. What can we know about Frida from the text?| A．She is a special rescuer in Mexico. |
| B．She is a sign of hope for Mexicans. |
| C．Mexico set up a festival in her honour. |
| D．She is the only specially trained dog of the Mexican Navy. |
| A．Someone who is smart. | B．Someone who is green. |
| C．Someone who is generous. | D．Someone who is experienced. |
| A．After a rescue video was spread widely. |
| B．After she saved all the children’s lives in a school. |
| C．After a star applied to keep it as a pet. |
| D．After she completed international search-and-rescue tasks successfully. |
| A．She will live out her life in peace. |
| B．She will serve as a model for all the dogs. |
| C．She will continue to contribute to society. |
| D．She will settle down and start a family. |
| A．An introduction to Frida. |
| B．Why people like Frida so much. |
| C．How Frida influences the culture and history of Mexico. |
| D．What people have done to give something back to Frida. |
9 . I waved goodbye to my senior high school life just six months ago and now I am a college freshman. However, my memory of high school life is so fresh that I feel as if it were only yesterday.
My senior high school is called Yantai No. 1 Middle School with a long history, which can date back to 1931. When I recall my memorable high school life, I feel blissful and impressed.
To be honest, my senior high school life was very tiring but I really enjoyed it. I was asked to put study in the first place all the time by both my parents and my teachers. At that time, I got up at 5:30 a.m. and went to bed late in order to have more study time to review what I had learned in the day. In addition to study, I also took part in some activities like English speech contests, calligraphy competitions and so on.
Our class was like a big family. I got along well with my classmates. We always discussed issues of all kinds after class. I made many friends in the family and we still keep in touch with each other after we graduated. Luckily, my teachers were also very enthusiastic and friendly. We were seen as their children. They not only taught us knowledge but told us how to do better.
What’s more, dormitory life is also worth mentioning. Living far away from my home, I became quite independent by the end of the first semester at senior high. My roommates and I worked as a team to do some cleaning every day. We had a good time living as a family together, and my social skills were gradually improved.
This is my high school life, busy but fulfilling. I will never forget it.
1. It seems that the author’s high school life is anything but ______.| A．memorable | B．impressive | C．tiring | D．bitter |
| A．The author was unhappy about what she was told to do by her parents and teachers. |
| B．The author was a hardworking student when at high school. |
| C．The author had no time for other hobbies other than study. |
| D．The author won a lot of prizes in competitions during high school. |
| A．She lived far from her home. | B．She learned to do things on her own. |
| C．She had a better understanding of teamwork. | D．She learned how to get along with others. |
| A．In a newspaper covering breaking news. | B．In a fashion magazine. |
| C．On a college composition website. | D．In a guidebook. |
| A．should have got | B．can’t have got | C．will have got | D．must have got |
