1 . The world’s coral reefs do more for the planet than provide underwater beauty. They protect shorelines from the effects of hurricanes. An estimated 500 million people earn their livelihood from the fishing stocks and tourism opportunities reefs provide. The tiny animals that give rise to reefs are even offering hope for new drugs to treat cancer and other diseases.

Despite their importance, warming waters, pollution, ocean acidification, overfishing, and physical destruction are killing coral reefs around the world. So now scientists around the world are looking for all kinds of ways to protect and maybe even revive(复苏) corals. In the Bahamas, Ross Cunning, a research biologist at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium, is focusing on corals with genes that could make them natural candidates for restoration projects. He recently published a study of two Bahamian reefs, one that seemed to survive an intense 2015 heat wave, and one that didn’t.“It sets the stage to find out which genes are responsible for thermal tolerance,” says Cunning, adding that he hopes discovering those genes will help scientists one day breed more heat-tolerant coral.

In Massachusetts, Cohen’s research has found two key elements that seem to protect corals. The first: internal(内部的) waves beneath the ocean’s surface that bring cooler currents to heat-struck corals, essentially air-conditioning them as temperatures rise. The second: adaptation, a quality that corals found in Palau’s warm lagoons(环礁湖) seem to display.On average, these lagoons submerge(淹没) coral in water that is two degrees Celsius warmer than the water outside the lagoons. “We think the fact that they can deal with these higher temperatures is built into their genetics and allows them to deal with the heat waves.”

She’s also found evidence of corals evolving more quickly in the past two decades to withstand rapidly warming temperatures. The big question scientists are now enquiring into, says Cohen, is whether there’s a cap on how much more heat corals can adapt to. Cohen calls these regions with heat-adapted corals as “super reefs,” and like Friendlander, advocates for using marine reserves to protect them.

1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?

A．The protection for coral reefs

B．The great value of coral reefs.

C．The benefits for tourism from coral reefs.

D．The relationship between animals and coral reefs.

2. What can be inferred from Cunning’s coral research?

A．Cooling down the waters is the key to their success.

B．Some corals have been genetically improved successfully.

C．He expects to identify the genes of the heat-tolerant corals.

D．Some corals that survived 2015 heat wave surprised people.

3. What is the focus of the study to save corals according to Cohen?

A．How corals survive in the warm lagoons.

B．What are the key elements to protect corals.

C．How they can use natural reserves to protect corals.

D．What is the high temperature limit of the surviving corals.

4. Which section is the text probably taken from?

A．Science.

B．Environment.

C．Animal.

D．Climate.

2 . Even if we’ve never laid eyes on a certain person, the sound of their voice can relay a lot of information: whether they are male or female, old or young, or perhaps an accent indicating which nation they might come from. While it is possible for us to randomly deduce someone’s facial features, it’s likely that we won’t be able to clearly piece together what someone’s face looks like based on the sound of their voice alone. However, it’s a different matter when machines are put to the task, as researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have discovered in developing an AI that can vividly reconstruct people’s faces with relatively impressive detail, using only short audio clips(音频片段) of their voices as reference.

Named Speech2Face, the neural(神经的) network — a computer that “thinks” in a manner similar to the human brain — was trained by scientists on millions of educational videos from the Internet that showed over 100,000 different people talking. From this dataset, Speech2Face learned associations between vocal cues(声带) and certain physical features in a human face, researchers wrote in a new study. The AI then used an audio clip to model a photorealistic face matching the voice.

However, the tool was far from perfect. Speech2Face turned out “mixed performance” when confronted with language variations. For example, when the AI listened to an audio clip of an Asian man speaking Chinese, the program produced an image of an Asian face. However, when the same man spoke in English in a different audio clip, the AI generated the face of a white man, the scientists reported.

Thankfully, AI doesn’t know exactly what a specific individual looks like based on their voice alone. Voice privacy otherwise would be a concern like face recognition for us. The neural network recognized certain markers in speech that pointed to gender(性别), age and ethnicity(种族), features that are shared by many people, the study authors reported.“As such, the model will only produce average-looking faces,” the scientists wrote. “It will not produce images of specific individuals.”

1. What can best replace the underlined word “deduce” in Paragraph1?

A．Mistake.

B．Guess.

C．Record.

D．Search.

2. What can we learn about Speech2Face?

A．It produces the results with great accuracy.

B．It allows thousands of people to talk at the same time.

C．It has learnt the connection between speech and appearance.

D．It can tell the differences between the Chinese and the Europeans.

3. What’s the author’s attitude to the AI tool according to Paragraph4?

A．Skeptical.

B．Confused.

C．Favorable.

D．Worried.

4. What can be the best title of the text?

A．MIT’s New Discovery Give a Surprise to People.

B．AI Generated Your Faces by Listening to Your Voices.

C．Your Voice Could Give Away Your Nationality with the AI Tool.

D．Speech2Face: Neural Network Recognized You Behind a Picture.

6 .

Over eight million people live in London and it has about 26 million visitors each year. So what can you see in three days? Here are some must-see places.

DAY 1

THE RIVER THAMES is the heart of the city. There are 104 bridges—London Bridge and Tower Bridge are the most famous. Cross the new Millennium Bridge on foot. It’s London’s first bridge in 100 years.

SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE THEATER was built in 1997! (A) In the summer you can see plays there. (B) You can shout during a performance just like in Shakespeare’s time! (C) Shakespeare is one of the greatest writers in the world. (D)Take an umbrella—there’s no roof!

TATE MODERN is the world’s largest modern art gallery. Located in an old power station, it’s a fantastic place to visit. However, don’t miss the British Museum with its collection of over 8 million objects. Follow the museum’s three-hour guide of the highlights.

DAY 2

THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT and BIG BEN are London’s landmarks, so don’t forget your camera. You can go inside and watch the politicians in the two chambers (会议厅) — the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Big Ben, which has four faces, sits at the top of the clock tower in the Houses of the Parliament. So no matter where you stand, you can read the face of the clock.

The King’s or the Queen’s official London home is BUCKINGHAM PALACE. It’s got 775 rooms! About 50,000 guests a year come to parties and events-sorry, invitation only! But you can see the Changing of the Guard.

THE LONDON EYE is the world’s largest sightseeing wheel and the most popular UK tourist attraction with about 3.5 million visitors a year. You can often see distances of 40 kilometers.

DAY 3

London’s cathedral, ST PAUL’S is 108 meters tall and over 300 years old. The entrance ticket isn’t cheap, but the cathedral is impressive, and the dome has got amazing views. At 309 meters tall, the new Shard building is the second tallest building in Europe. You can’t miss it!

Where’s the best place to go when it’s sunny or to relax? One of London’s many large parks such as HYDE PARK, KENSINGTON GARDENS or REGENT’S PARK. There isn’t time for LONDON ZOO, but it’s in Regent’s Park.

The best place for shopping is CAMDEN MARKET. You can find vintage (优质的) clothes, jewelry, great food and all sorts of things. Or go to Harrod’s, the world-famous department store. It’s got over 330different departments and an unbelievable Food Hall.

1. When was Shakespeare’s Globe Theater built?

A．In 1699.

B．In 1837.

C．In 1997.

D．In 2000.

2. Where is Tate Modern located?

A．On the bank of the River Thames.	B．In an old power station.
C．On Tower Bridge.	D．In Regent’s Park.

3. What kind of people work in the Houses of Parliament?

A．Businessmen.

B．Scholars.

C．Police officers.

D．Politicians.

4. Which of the following statements IS NOT TRUE?

A．The Millennium Bridge is the first bridge on the River Thames.

B．You can only attend the King’s or the Queen’s parties with an invitation.

C．St. Paul’s Cathedral in London is over 300 years old.

D．For many people Camden Market is the best shopping place in London.

5. There are four sentences marked A, B, C and D in the passage. Please choose the one which is not closely related to the main idea of the section.

A．In the summer you can see plays there.

B．You can shout during a performance just like in Shakespeare’s time!

C．Shakespeare is one of the greatest writers in the world.

D．Take an umbrella—there’s no roof!

8 . After a long day of work, we call it a day and go home.
What does the phrase “call it a day” mean in Chinese in this sentence?

9 . 请根据诗歌内容完成摘要。每空不超过三个词。

Creativity Is the Mother of Invention By Sha Azam Siddiqui

The world in which we live in This beautiful place which we belong to It’s so beautiful and so colorful But we always lack to see beauty of it and we continue to live the life which is so regretful This is the one life we have We have to live it to the fullest Not with happenings or desires of others But with the intention which truly inspires us. We have to live this life We have to create this life

This life is ours and only ours We need to realize this first It’s said that creativity is the mother of invention But it depends solely on individual intention If we are clear with our own destination It doesn’t matter then how much we get rejection Live this life as if you were the King Spend the luxuries as if you were the Queen It all starts with the only Intention If we just keep on thinking Then there is no end for this perspiration.

Creativity is the key to a bright future. We live in a     1     world. But we always tend to ignore the beauty of it and thus have many regrets in our lives. We only live     2    , so we have to live a fullest one. This life is ours, so we have to live and     3     it. We need to realize this first. Creativity is the mother of invention that depends on individual intention. If we have     4    , then the rejections we get would not be a problem. Bear this only intention in our mind and keep on thinking, and there will be     5     for this perspiration.

10 . 请阅读下面的篇章, 并根据其内容提示, 从方框中所给的8 个词语中选出5个, 并用其正确形式填空。

add, as well as, apply, be composed of, locate, divide into, continue, subscribe to

The    1     of Mogao Grottoes on the Silk Road was not only a transfer station of east-west trade but also an inter-section (交汇点) where oriental and western religions, cultures and knowledge met. Mogao Grottoes, also known as “Thousand Buddha Grottoes”, were first built in 366 A.D., the second year of the Jianyuan Period of the Former Qin of the Sixteen Kingdoms, or 1,656 years ago. The grottoes were    2     built for around 1,000 years across 11 dynasties or periods. Spanning a distance of 1,600-plus meters, the grottoes     3     736 caves.

Mogao Grottoes are among the Four Greatest Grottoes of China     4     the largest and best-preserved treasure house of Buddhist culture and arts in the world. Due to its brilliance in ancient culture, Mogao Grottoes were     5     to the World Cultural Heritage list by the UNESCO in 1987.