1 . Get up at 6 am, arrive at the hospital one hour earlier to help patients check in, and accompany patients during consultations… In recent years, “patient escorts” has emerged as a new industry, and those who have taken on this career are known as “people who sell time”, 26-year-old Zhang Tian is one of them.
September 4 was a lucky day for Zhang Tian. On this day, Zhang Tian saw a video about patient escorts on a short video platform. The daily routine of patient escorts shown in the video fascinated her and gradually inspired her to take this on as a business. She browsed through many platforms and read multiple information and found there indeed exists a certain demand for patient escorts, especially for the elderly, children, and pregnant women. Since she had never engaged in this kind of work before, she spent two days in major hospitals in Wuhan, in order to familiarize herself with all the departments on different floors, as well as the processes of medical consultation and preparation for surgery.
After preliminary preparatory (预备的) work, Zhang Tian posted a video of myself-introduction on major social platforms, talking about the help and services a patient escort provides, as well as some tips for a quick and convenient medical consultation. At first, she was a little worried that her video would go unnoticed. However, after she uploaded the video, it got over 100 likes and she received her first ever offer as a patient escort.
The memory of her first task is still alive and fresh in her mind. She received a phone call on September 9 from a man whose father was seriously ill and might need surgery. He wanted Zhang Tian to accompany his father through his consultation and treatment.” Zhang Tian made full preparations before meeting her first client and did a very good job despite her nervousness.
“Later, the family expressed their gratitude to me over and over again, which warmed my heart and gave me a sense of achievement.” Zhang Tian said.
1. What do patient escorts do?| A．They assist doctors in hospitals. |
| B．They arrive at hospitals early to check in. |
| C．They take on this career to sell their time. |
| D．They help patients get treated in hospitals. |
| A．she enjoyed seeing an interesting video |
| B．she got inspiration for her own career |
| C．she found a demand for medical workers |
| D．she was well received on social platforms |
| A．She got familiar with the routine work in hospitals. |
| B．She spent two days in major hospitals to meet patients. |
| C．Her video on social platforms attracted her first client. |
| D．The man’s father was seriously ill and might need a surgery. |
| A．Hardworking and considerate. | B．Humorous and careful. |
| C．Ambitious and imaginative. | D．Talkative and positive. |
2 . When Elinor Lobel was 16, a “smart” insulin (胰岛素) pump was attached to her body. Powered by AI, it tracks her glucose levels and administers the right dose of insulin at the right time to keep her healthy. It is one of the new ways that data and AI can help improve lives.
Books that criticize the dark side of data are plentiful. They generally suggest there is much more to fear than fete in the algorithmic(算法的)age.
But the intellectual tide may be turning. One of the most persuasive supporters of a more balanced view is Elinor Lobel’s mother, Orly, a law professor. In The Equality Machine she acknowledges AI’s capacity to produce harmful results. But she shows how, in the right hands, it can also be used to fight inequality and discrimination.
A principle of privacy rules is “minimization”: collect and keep as little information as possible, especially in areas such as race and gender. Ms Lobel flips the script, showing how in hiring, pay and the legal system, knowing such characteristics leads to fairer outcomes.
Ms Lobel’s call to use more, not less, personal information challenges data-privacy orthodoxy(正统观念). But she insists that “tracking differences is key to detecting unfairness.” She advocates g loosening of privacy rules to provide more transparency(透明)over algorithmic decisions.
The problems with algorithmic formulae(公式) are tackled in depth in Escape from Model Land by Erica Thompson of the School of Economics. These statistical models are the backbone of big data and AL. Yet a perfect model will always be beyond reach. “All models are wrong,” runs a wise saying. “Some are useful.”
Ms Thompson focuses on a challenge she calls the Hawkmoth Effect. In the better known Butterfly Effect, a serviceable model, Vin the prediction of climate change, becomes less reliable over time because of the complexity of what it is simulating(模拟), or because of inaccuracies in the original data. In the Hawkmoth Effect, by contrast, the model itself is flawed; it might fail to take full account of the interplay between humidity, wind and temperature.
The author calls on data geeks to improve their solutions to real-world issues, not merely refine their formulae—in other words, to escape from model land. “We do not need to have the best possible answer,” she writes, “only a reasonable one.”
Both these books exhibit a healthy realism about data, algorithms and their limitations. Both recognize that making progress involves accepting limitations, whether in law or coding. As Ms Lobel puts it: “It’s always better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.”
1. Ms Lobel intends to convey that| A．minimisation is a good privacy rule to go by |
| B．algorithms are currently challenged by data privacy |
| C．employing more personal data should be encouraged |
| D．identifying algorithms’ problems leads to better outcomes |
| A．It develops from Butterfly Effect. |
| B．It emphasizes accuracy of original data. |
| C．It enjoys popularity in climate research field. |
| D．It is mentioned to show the model can be faulty. |
| A．Using algorithms to detect differences is hard. |
| B．The application of data and algorithms is limited. |
| C．The reliability of data should be attached importance to. |
| D．Improving algorithms involves accepting its imperfection. |
| A．The Algorithm’s Prospect | B．The Algorithm’s Mercy |
| C．The Algorithm’s Complexity | D．The Algorithm’s Recognition |
3 . It was a week after my mom had passed away and I didn’t know how to go on with life. So when I received an email from a friend about a race benefiting cancer research, I ignored it. It seemed to prick my heart, as cancer was the disease that had taken my mother away from me.
But something about my friend’s words—“I can help organize the whole thing”—stuck with me. I felt obliged（有义务的）to agree. In the weeks to come, I managed to re-enter the world of the living. I checked our team’s website daily, feeling proud each time a donation ticked up our total. I knew my mom would have wanted it that way. She was the type who never got defeated. It was this very spirit that helped me get by.
When the race ended, I noticed the runners all had one thing in common: There were big smiles on their faces. They made it look so rewarding and effortless. I wanted in.
So I enrolled in another race two months later. Considering I could barely run a mile, it was ambitious. But my friend and I made a training plan so I wouldn’t come in last. I followed it religiously and didn’t let anything get in my way.
Running up and down the city’s hills, I was flooded with memories. I had lived there after college and my mother had visited often. I passed Bloomingdale’s, recalling the time she and I had gotten into a screaming argument there.
I was about to beat myself up when I remembered what Mom had said after her diagnosis of cancer. “I don’t want you to feel guilty about anything.” Her paper-thin hands had held me tightly. A weight lifted from my shoulders.
When the race day arrived, I gave it my all for my mom and for all she had taught me and continued to teach me. As I ran, whenever I felt like slowing down, I pictured her cheering me on.
Crossing the finish line, I was filled with her love and a sense of peace.1. Why did the author ignore the email in the beginning?
| A．She felt it hard to finish the race. |
| B．She had no time to join in the event. |
| C．She thought the research meaningless. |
| D．She was reminded of her mother’s death. |
| A．The company of her friends. | B．The inspiration from her mom. |
| C．The pleasure in going for a run. | D．The success in organizing an event. |
| A．Considerate and polite. | B．Brave and humorous. |
| C．Strong-willed and caring. | D．Outgoing and patient. |
| A．How I Got Healed in Running | B．The Loss of Sweet Memories |
| C．What Matters Most in Running | D．The Rewards of Great Friendship |
4 . Expressive writing or journaling is one way to help you heal from trauma (创伤).
Why does a writing intervention work?
However, for most people, the thought of acknowledging emotions and admitting that there’s something wrong with us is difficult. This is because expressing emotions can bring up feelings of guilt and shame.
If you’re interested in trying out writing as a tool for healing, start your writing by setting a timer for ten minutes.
| A．Despite that, expressive writing remains an accessible tool. |
| B．Of course, expressive writing is hardly a panacea (灵丹妙药). |
| C．Also, seeking help for emotional stress is often seen as a sign of weakness. |
| D．It may seem abnormal that writing about negative experiences has a positive effect. |
| E．Once you have a better handle on your problems, you can move forward and get on with life. |
| F．It is writing from your heart and mind and about the emotion associated with a certain event. |
| G．Let your mind go to the detailed, specific moments to get to the feelings and truth of your experience. |
5 . Rethinking Obesity(肥胖症)
In principle, it sounds simple: eat less and move more. This dietary advice for dealing with obesity has been around for decades.
One possibility is that we haven’t tried hard enough. Perhaps we have lacked the discipline and willpower to maintain healthy dietary and exercise habits—a challenge made more difficult today for those surrounded by inexpensive, tasty highly processed foods.
The key to how this works in obesity is insulin (胰岛素) processed, rapidly digestible carbohydrates (碳水化合物食品) raise our insulin level too high.
The two opposing views of cause and effect in obesity have very different implications for how to prevent and treat weight problems. The usual approach focuses on how much to eat, with prescriptions (处方) for daily calorie intake.
This way of thinking might help explain why calorie restriction usually fails long before a person with obesity approaches an ideal body weight. A low-calorie, low-fat diet further restricts an already limited supply of energy to the body, worsening hunger without addressing the underlying tendency to store too many calories in body fat.
Although much more research will be needed to test this idea, it is time to question the basic assumptions about cause and effect calories and weight gain that have controlled our thinking.
| A．Yet, worldwide obesity rates just keep going up. |
| B．In our view the emphasis should be place a on what to eat. |
| C．It is important to control the amount of food consumed by us. |
| D．Obesity is a disease that affects 650 million adults worldwide. |
| E．Or perhaps the problem is the focus on “calorie balance” itself. |
| F．Weight loss becomes a battle between mind and metabolism(新陈代谢). |
| G．This causes fat cells to take in to many calories, leaving fewer for the rest of the body. |
6 . It had been an interesting soccer match. Jerry was so absorbed in it that everyone
“Mom, I want a soccer uniform, he begged his mother.
“OK,” said his mother, “but you need to have
The days passed by, but he got no
He drew a circle with the help of a bowl and modified the soccer image onto the T-shirt. He also took
“Jerry! What are you doing?” his mother suddenly appeared.
“I may not get the uniform, but I can try to paint the image on my T-shirt, I thought.” He was
“It’s OK,” said Mom.
“If we had fulfilled your every want, your inborn
“Thank you, Mom.” He ran playfully.
1.| A．controlled | B．sensed | C．supported | D．expected |
| A．thirsty | B．realistic | C．cautious | D．selfish |
| A．confidence | B．motivation | C．inspiration | D．patience |
| A．decision | B．response | C．judgment | D．recognition |
| A．purchase | B．exchange | C．paint | D．sew |
| A．interest | B．energy | C．courage | D．care |
| A．eager | B．surprised | C．afraid | D．relieved |
| A．appreciated | B．blamed | C．rewarded | D．thanked |
| A．taste | B．fondness | C．talent | D．fear |
| A．willpower | B．honesty | C．responsibility | D．tolerance |
7 . The term “growth mindset” has become something of a buzzword in our life. You can find it everywhere you look—in the seminars of motivational speakers, in the education course descriptions, and in the mission statements of companies.
One of the biggest misconceptions about growth mindset is that it is the same thing as being open-minded in your beliefs. This is untrue. Being open-minded in your beliefs is often the belief on what true growth mindset is, but this is actually called “false growth mindset” in the research community.
Being open-minded to other people’s beliefs and new things is great, but it does not mean that you are actually learning anything. Furthermore, there is no way to ever have a truly complete growth mindset.
| A．Mindset is a lot harder than “just do it”. |
| B．It is virtually impossible, as we are all fixed in some way or another. |
| C．Another false belief is that growth mindset is about rewarded efforts. |
| D．A second misconception is that people’s motivation comes from the process. |
| E．But despite its popularity, some people don’t understand what it actually means. |
| F．This is essentially people who have an “I already have it, and I always have” attitude. |
| G．Growth mindset assists people in having greater results from what they set out to accomplish. |
The world will observe International Museum Dayon May 18th. Since 1977, this day
Engineers invented a new device to produce solar electricity at night. Solar panels transform sunlight into energy, so they
10 . It won’t sound like a big surprise when I tell you that kindness plays an important role in a person’s wellbeing. It can lead to changes like higher self-esteem(自尊心) and lower blood pressure. Even just witnessing acts of kindness can make us happier.
Many of us don’t have a real sense of our value. It’s been estimated that as many as 85 percent of people struggle with low self-esteem.
Unlike a conscience(良心), this inner critic doesn’t motivate positive behavior.
One wonderful way to fight against our critical inner voice is through acts of being kind to others.
| A．However, the work doesn’t stop there. |
| B．People may lower the value of their own kind comments. |
| C．We all carry around a “critical inner voice” that tends to put us down. |
| D．Instead of seeing what we have to offer, we may think of ourselves as a burden. |
| E．This misunderstanding suggests that people devalue their own actions in relation to others. |
| F．Instead, it turns us against ourselves, making us underestimate our beneficial effect on others. |
| G．Yet, people may not truly know the impact that even the smallest of kind acts can have on another person. |
