1 . Farmers have long relied on things that work without their involvement — bees to pollinate (授粉) flowers, earthworms (蚯蚓) to turn the soil, swallows to eat pests — to make sure that crops grow the right way. Now a team of British researchers is trying to take this hands-off thinking in a high-tech direction. Last October, scientists at Harper Adams University started a farm called the Hands Free Hectare to make the entire process of farming — from sowing and fertilizing to harvest — fully automatic. The project has just succeeded with five tons of robot-grown barley (大麦).
“We believe the best idea is that in the future, farmers will manage groups of smaller, autonomous machines, ” the researchers explained. “They will go out and work in the fields, allowing the farmer to use their time more effectively instead of having to drive up and down the fields.”
At the moment, agricultural machines — very large and heavy — can cover a lot of space quickly. But there are shortcomings. “Fertilizer gets sprayed over entire farms, regardless of the different needs of different crops. They’re also so heavy that they’re damaging farmers’ soils,” researcher Jonathan Gill said.
Gill and his colleagues went smaller: a tractor, a combine and a harvester, which followed a programmed route, using GPS. Altogether, they spent less than ￡200, 000 on equipment, and used open-source technology and a drone (无人机). Eventually the system will be complex enough to treat different parts of a field, or even individual plants, differently.
The team is quick to caution that they don’t want to put farmers out of work. They said, “Instead of being busy in the fields, the farmer will manage the machines and monitor their crops.” The next stop for the barley will be a brewery. That’s not going to be completely automatic. At least not yet.
1. What feature of bees, earthworms and swallows inspired scientists?| A．Their dependence on nature. | B．Their special way of survival. |
| C．Their selfless love for the earth. | D．Their natural involvement in farming. |
| A．Freeing workers totally. | B．Reducing the cost of harvest. |
| C．Improving the accuracy of farming. | D．Increasing the output of different crops. |
| A．Gill’s project is still at the design stage. | B．Unemployment wouldn’t be a concern. |
| C．The brewery will realize automation soon. | D．Complete automatic farming is unrealistic. |
| A．The future of hands-free farming | B．The functions of agricultural machines |
| C．The development of automatic harvest | D．The shortcomings of traditional farming |
A disability only becomes a disability when you allow it to stop you from being genuinely happy and spreading happiness to others.
In a high school in Missouri, there is a remarkable student named Ryheem Lumpkins. At the age of 16, Ryheem displayed a tough spirit that challenged physical limitations. While his arms and hands hadn’t fully developed, he still managed to land a part-time job as a cashier at a local pizza restaurant.
Although he had only been employed for a month, Ryheem’s work ethic shone exceptionally bright. When it’s not so busy at the counter, he would grab a broom to sweep the floors or carefully clean the buffet. Despite his disability, he had such enthusiasm for life that he even got his driver’s license and worked hard to save money to buy his first car.
As a naturally shy individual, this new job unexpectedly revealed his hidden positive character. Interacting with new people, engaging in conversations, and delivering services became a source of excitement for him.
One fateful day, a customer named Robert Samay recognized the exceptional personality of young Ryheem. The young cashier left a lasting impression on Mr. Samay, leading him to commit an act of kindness that would astonish Ryheem and warm the hearts of those who witnessed it.
Impressed by Ryheem’s personality, Mr. Samay decided to express his appreciation. He slipped a five-dollar bill into Ryheem’s hands and spoke words that sympathized deeply within the teenager’s soul. “I appreciate your infectious smile and your exceptional attitude,” Mr. Samay said warmly. “Such qualities are rare these days, especially among young individuals.”
Ryheem’s eyes gleaned with gratitude as he thanked Mr. Samay, his voice earnest and sincere. He carefully folded the five-dollar bill, tucking it into his pocket with a smile that could light up a room. The warmth of the kind gesture infused Ryheem with a sense of validation and empowerment, reminding him that his disabilities did not define him. The sight of joy that lightened Ryheem’s face as he received the modest tip remained impressive in Mr. Samay’s memory.
注意：1.续写词数应为150个左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
It fueled an urge for Mr. Samay to reward the young man’s happiness even more.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________After the video was posted online by the shop owner, it swiftly spread across various platforms.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Scanning the court, Luis pretended to pass the ball to another teammate but finally gave it to Nicholas. As Luis expected, Nicholas kicked hard and… GOAL! Just then, Devon walked up angrily. “What were you DOING there, Luis?!” he yelled. Luis rolled his eyes.
Devon started playing soccer with them weeks ago. He was nice when he felt like things in the game had gone his way. Otherwise, he would lose temper.
“Playing soccer.” Luis shrugged. “Why didn’t you pass to me? I was closer to the goal than Nicholas.” Devon yelled again.
As the group walked in, Devon continued. Luis ignored him to avoid arguing. Nicholas approached and began complaining about Devon’s yelling and disrespect. “What can you do about that?” Luis asked. Nicolas said he wanted to organize a new team without Devon. Luis was upset to hear that. Nicholas said, “It’s more fun before he started playing with us. I’ve told the other teammates. They agreed.”
Reaching home, Luis dragged his feet into his bedroom, which confused his mom. “What’s wrong?” She asked. Then, Luis told what happened to her. “Have any of you tried talking to Devon about this?” She asked. “I don’t know.” Luis scratched his head.
“Maybe a boundary could help. When playing soccer, how do you know whether someone is at the right position on the court? What’s that line called?” Mom reminded. “A boundary.” Luis murmured.
“Tell Devon whether he’s crossing a line with how he talks.” She suggested. Luis took the advice and decided to have a try.
The next day at school, Luis found Devon and told him all the teammates liked playing soccer with him but they didn’t like being yelled at by him.
“I don’t yell at people.” Devon immediately interrupted.
“You yelled at me the other day because I didn’t pass to you,” Luis reminded calmly. “And you are yelling now. If you keep yelling at your teammate, we won’t play with you anymore.”
Devon was too embarrassed to speak. “Being yelled at isn’t fun but playing soccer is supposed to be fun.” Luis said, patting Devon’s shoulder gently.
Later, during the training, Luis met Nicholas and told him what he’d told Devon.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位里作答。
“Just give him another chance, okay?” Luis whispered.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________As the training came to an end, Luis and Nicholas jogged towards Devon.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4 . HARDCORE TANO*C is an independent Japanese music label that is known for releasing music compilations and albums focused on various forms of hardcore techno such as UK hardcore, happy hardcore, and gabber. The label was founded in 2003 by Yoshikazu Nagai (who at the time used the Akai Hito alias), originally under the name of Hardcore Tanoshii, but changed to its current name of HARDCORE TANO*C in 2007 after the release of the album HARDCORE SYNDROME. The label features a store which sells the most notable doujin (同人)music releases, and is well known for their frequent live events that are regularly organized throughout the years, including the annual TANO*C TOUR series of events and the S2TBTANO*C events done in collaboration with kors k’s S2TB Recording label.
From 2011 to 2018, HARDCORE TANO*C were very closely linked with BEMANI, most notably in beat mania IIDX and SOUND VOLTEX. Many of HARDCORE TANO*C’s members were frequent contributors to BEMANI,and KONAMI even collaborated with the label for a few of their own album releases. Their presence also expanded to various other music game titles.
Many guest artists have appeared in HARDCORE TANO*C compilations, including Ryu☆, kors k, DJ Shimamura, m1dy, M-Project, JAKAZiD (as Joshka), Hommarju, Camellia, lapix, C-Show, Maozon, Nhato, Dustvoxx, and Akira Complex.
By the end of 2017, HARDCORE TANO*C has started to produce major artist album releases, containing licensed works done for music games by the circle’s artists. From September 2018, a sub-label directed by DJ Myosuke named HARDCORE TANO*C HARD has been established, which focuses on harsher music. HARDCORE TANO*C is also heavily involved in the 2019 rhythm game WACCA, which is published by MARVELOUS!, with nearly its entire staff contributing to the game.
A song composed by various members of HARDCORE TANO*C, BATTLE NO.1, was planned to be in SOUND VOLTEX IV HEAVENLY HAVEN for the The 8th KONAMI Arcade Championship, under the artist name of TANO*C SOUND TEAM. KONAMI rejected the song (likely due to their poking fun (打趣) of the BEMANI Sound Team moniker, which was at its most extreme in the time of that event), and it later appeared instead in the HARDCORE TANO*C-produced game WACCA on August 1st, 2019. It also appeared in lowiro’s Arcaea as part of the Arcaea× HARDCORE TANO*C Collaboration (联动) and SEGA’s maimai でらっくす Splash. It was added to Muse Dash on February 5, 2021.
1. What’s the main idea of the first paragraph?| A．Some basic information about HARDCORE TANO*C. |
| B．The founder and members of HARDCORE TANO* |
| C．C. The relationship between Yoshikazu Nagai and HARDCORE TANO*C. |
| D．The relationship between BEMANI and HARDCORE TANO*C. |
| A．Camellia. | B．Laur. | C．Maozon. | D．Akira Complex. |
| A．It was produced by HARDCORE TANO*C last year. |
| B．None of MARVELOUS!’s employees is working for it. |
| C．The song BATTLE NO.1 was included in this game. |
| D．It had a collaboration with Muse Dash in Feb, 2021. |
| A．Try playing WACCA if possible. |
| B．Spread bad comments about HARDCORE TANO* |
| C．Only cheer for the game or the artist you like. |
| D．Ask the official staff about the song selection petulantly. |
5 . A humanoid robot can relay video and touch sensations to a person wearing a haptic (触觉内) feedback suit and a virtual reality (VR) headset hundreds of kilometres away, offering away for people to attend events without travelling.
The iCub 3 robot is a 52-kilogram, 125-centimetre-tall robot with 54 joints across its body. Its head contains two cameras where a human’s eyes would be, and an Internet-connected computer where the brain would go. Along with the cameras, sensors covering its body send data to the robot’s “brain”. These sensations are then reproduced on a suit and VR headset worn by a remote human operator.
When the operators react to what they see and feel, the suit’s sensors pick up the movements and the robot matches them. “The key is to translate every signal and bit of digital data that can be sent through the network.” says Stefano Dafarra, who was part of the iCub3 team. There can be a small delay of up to 100 milliseconds to capture and transmit the visual shots, but the operator can case this by moving slightly slower than normal.
The team demonstrated the robot at the Venice Biennale, where it wandered through an exhibition while its operator stood 290 kilometres away in Genoa. Dafarra hopes people will use the iCub3 to attend events remotely, reducing the need to travel. “But at present, a fall could be hugely damaging to the robot, and it’s uncertain whether it could stand up again on its own," he says.
“iCub3 is an interesting robot and offers clear advantages from the previous versions.” says Jonathan Aitken, whose laboratory owns a prior version of the robot. However, he is disappointed that the team wasn’t clear in its research about the data transmission requirements of the new version of the robot. “It would be good to know just how much data was required, and what the upper and lower bounds were.” he says.
1. What’s the principle behind the humanoid robot?| A．It conveys sensations to the wearer and acts accordingly. |
| B．It receives commands from an operator through the Internet. |
| C．The cameras take pictures and then interact with the sensors. |
| D．The computer in the robot processes the data and gives orders. |
| A．Medical consultation. | B．Sports events. |
| C．Outdoor workouts. | D．Virtual tourism. |
| A．It fails to appeal to potential investors. |
| B．Its performance hasn’t been evaluated clearly. |
| C．Its present version still requires to be updated. |
| D．Its transmission of data came across technical problems. |
| A．Humanoid robots with sense of touch catch on |
| B．iCub 3 robot combines with VR to benefit more people |
| C．Humanoid robots let people see and feel things remotely |
| D．New advances in technology enable people to travel at work |
1. What has happened in the park?
| A．Some flowers are dying because of the dry weather. |
| B．Lots of flowers are opening up. |
| C．Some flowers have been planted in the park. |
| A．It is the hottest place in the world. |
| B．It is the driest place in the world. |
| C．It is the smallest park in the world. |
| A．In 2005 and 1998. | B．In 2004 and 1998. | C．In 2000 and 2005. |
Crab Lessons
My son Geordi was a rather spirited boy. Very little held his attention for long. He spent most of his spare time thinking up new ways to scare me half to death. Like the time he decided to “surf” on a tiny plastic table that was meant to hold a few drinks rather than a six-year-old boy. Geordi had just begun learning about the ocean in school and was surprisingly fascinated by it. We lived in Delaware, so any discussion about the ocean usually included horseshoe crabs, which crowded our coasts to mate in the late spring.
As part of the lesson, Geordi’s teacher brought horseshoe crab shells (壳) to school for the children to touch and examine. Hearing that horseshoe crabs had been around for over 300 million years, even before the dinosaurs, Geordi thought that was officially the coolest thing he had ever heard. He could not stop talking about it for days, and I decided it was time for us to take a drive to the Delaware Bay.
As we stepped out from the car, strong wind nearly blew my poor forty-five-pound child to the ground. Being a six-year-old mischievous (调皮的) boy, Geordi saw this as an opportunity to showcase his amazing talents, which included falling down, getting up, falling down and, yes, getting up again. This, of course, was always complete with giggles (咯咯笑). The drama came to a sudden stop as Geordi spied the dozens of army-truck-looking creatures in the sand. The next sound effect was “Wow!” as his body froze and his eyes widened with wonder.
Geordi ran around excitedly, not knowing which one to check out first. He settled on a horseshoe crab that was on its back, legs waving wildly in the air, desperate for water. “Mom, look at this one!” he screamed. “He’s cool!” I pointed out the different body parts of the crab for him, and he listened quietly and absorbed the information. He said, “I really liked him. I think I will name him Spike because he had all those really cool, spiky (尖的) things on his back.” Then I picked up the crab, turned it over to its proper position and placed it at the edge of the water.
注意：1.续写词数应为150 左右;
2.请按如下格式作答。
Geordi asked what I was doing.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Geordi spotted many more horseshoe crabs on their backs.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________8 . Who can imagine life today without an Automated Teller Machine (ATM)? They are available in considerable numbers throughout the world.
The first ATM was the brainchild of an enterprising Turkish-American inventor Luther George Simjian. When the idea of an automated banking machine struck him, he registered 20 patents before any bank agreed to give it a trial run. It is easy to assume that the inventor of such a popular machine was laughing all the way to the bank.
It was not until 1967, nearly 30 years later, that Barclays Bank, in a careful launch, rolled out a self-service machine in London, England, which proved successful.
Experts quickly determined that public acceptance of ATMs counted on convenience, simplicity, speed, security and trust.
Public acceptance of deposits (存款) by machine was significantly slower than customers’ usage of ATMs for withdrawals. In general, it seems that customers sometimes still prefer and trust an over-the-counter transaction (交易) for deposits.
| A．Location, in particular, was a key factor. |
| B．His cash machine, however, didn’t prove durable. |
| C．The device was relatively primitive, at least by today’s standards. |
| D．However, cash machines posed some interesting, unanswered questions. |
| E．An interesting factor was the issue of bio-statistics for customer identification. |
| F．Devices originally dismissed by the public are now recognized as essential institutions. |
| G．Soon afterwards, many other banks became admittedly champions of the cash machine. |
This…was turning out to be a strange meeting. Though the one in black doesn’t know it, the one white is beginning to share the darker girl’s lack of enthusiasm. Like a fire in a sudden chill wind, her hope flickers and wanes. Now she grows uncomfortable, anxious, and wary. A slight but unshakable atmosphere drifts between them, one that feels unmistakably off. To her, it seems as though their very meeting is something the world finds to be simply…“wrong”. The ever-present glass, now scattered unevenly throughout and above the broken grounds, reflects that strange feeling.
Ordinarily, these shards would flock to them without their bidding：“happiness”to the girl in white, “tragedies” to the girl in black. Right now, every piece of glass in the air stands still. Perhaps half a hundred mirrors are quietly
suspended around the girls, half-catching images of the empty place that surrounds them. When the girl in white tries to call out to them, they will not even waver. It unsettles her：happiness placed beside horror, equally glinting and equally motionless. The only piece that will follow her is the one she can hold—the one that set her free.
She stares hard at the shadow girl.“If we’re in this together, ”she begins, leaning forward, “then what do you think about staying together?We…We could help each other, and maybe…”
She stops. The other girl is staring into the empty, canvas-like sky with a blank and uninformative expression. She doesn’t seem to be listening, but in truth she has followed every word.
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。
Paragraph 1:
“Maybe…”the dark girl echoes.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
And the remnant of the girl she used to be, the Tairitsu who had first woken up in this world, rebelled against the prospect of “the end”—against the idea of giving up.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Ten miles away stood a house with shiny red walls, a green garden and an apple tree. A young girl’s face would be seen reflecting from one of the large glassy windows. Her name is Maggie. Her eyes were sparkling and on her face there was a smile which could light a million candles. She seemed to be longing for a chance to play like a young child, but she had no strength in her legs because she and her family met with an accident, in which she lost both her legs.
But her spirit was strong. She would be inspired by seeing birds fly. The flying eagle would make her want to fly. She was lonely. She longed for a true friend who would talk to her and teach her to fly or at least tell her stories about soaring into the blue sky.
One evening, Maggie slowly rolled her wheelchair to the giant window and looked out to the many houses that lay across the road. Suddenly she heard someone singing and then could see an old man in a pilot suit singing in glory. The beautiful sound and the melody made the little girl happy. Suddenly he stopped and gazed up toward her. “What are you staring at?” he said angrily. “You think I’m a circus clown? (马戏团小丑)” “No, Sir. I was just listening to you. You sing very well,” she said. “I don’t need your praises. I don’t need anyone!” he shouted. He started to walk to his house and shut the door. Tears rolled down from her apple-red cheeks as the man shouted at her. She was lonely.
Next morning, Maggie pushed her wheelchair across the garden to the stone road as little children played hide-and-seek around her. Suddenly out of nowhere a loading truck came rumbling across toward her. Terrified, she tried to move away from its path but the wheels of her chair were stuck. “Oh my,” she thought as the truck came in her direction fast, with the driver unaware of the obstruction in front of him. She screamed loudly but in a split second she was pulled out of her wheelchair by someone and fell on the ground. She closed her eyes and shivered as the truck passed her whistling. As she opened her eyes, she could see a man standing beside her.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
She gazed up to him and immediately recognized him as the man she saw singing last night.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Maggie got to know his name was Ken and that he was a retired pilot.
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