1 . 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 |
One bright Saturday morning, Mali and her mom walked around the neighbourhood. That is, her mom walked, but Mali ran, skipped, jumped over puddles and visited the neighbours’ dogs. Mali paused to look at the budding (发芽) trees on her block. “I can’t wait until summer,” she said, “especially for Mrs. Fair’s great tomatoes at her market stand.” She pointed.
Mali’s mom stood looking at the empty lot where the market was set up every summer weekend. She looked at Mali, “Honey, Mrs. Fair told me last week that she had to close her stand. She’s really getting too old to run it anymore.”
Mali turned, stared, and put her hands on her waist. “But Mrs. Fair’s stand can’t close!” she said. “It’s the only place in the neighbourhood we can buy fresh, delicious tomatoes.” Then she added, to show she wasn’t being selfish, “Everyone needs fruits and vegetables for a healthy diet.”
After they got home, Mali headed out to her backyard swing to think. “If only I could plant a garden,” she thought. “but our yard is way too small.” Just then, she noticed her neighbour, Mr. Taylor, looking at his daffodils. Mali knew he was thinking about how he had planted those flowers with his wife. This was the first spring since his wife had died, and Mali saw the sadness on his face. Then she had an idea.
Mali cleared her throat, and Mr. Taylor looked up. Mali decided to walk over to the fence. “Hi, Mr. Taylor,” she said. He waved, and turned away. “Wait!” Mali cried. Taking a risk while she still felt brave, she rushed to gather her thoughts. “Mr. Taylor, Mrs. Fair isn’t doing her tomato stand anymore because she’s getting old. So I’d like to grow tomatoes. I don’t want to get in the way of your flowers, but I really want tomatoes.”
Suddenly, Mr. Taylor smiled. “Mali, I’m not sure what you’re talking about, but you’ve made me smile. Reasons to smile have been scarce lately. What do you want to do?” Mali repeated, “I wanted to plant tomatoes, but I have no big land.” She sounded a little awkward.
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。
Just then, an idea came to Mr. Taylor.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When the fruit ripened, there were more juicy, red tomatoes than even Mali could have imagined.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3 . When children are growing up, what they see in their families is what they tend to consider normal. That means family traditions and other activities are generally seen as just normal. If a family eats dinner together or spends time talking with each other, that’s what the child absorbs and internalizes.
Our family traditions are declining as we move toward a more isolated (孤立的) society. How many families no longer share meals around the dinner table, instead choosing to watch TV or text friends on their phones? This tends to isolate and disconnect family members from each other. It also stops families from communicating and catching up on each other’s lives.
For those of us who grew up in a household where families shared meals together and spent time talking with each other, chances are that we are passing along those traditions to our own families. The problem is, children today often want to spend their time in front of screens rather than people. Cell phones, computers and other attention-grabbing devices often mean parents get resistance to traditional family togetherness time. This pressure can lead to parents giving in and letting children do what they want rather than fight with them over sitting at the dinner table. This creates a new normal that no longer values the idea of families and the society at large, connecting with each other.
Family and community traditions are important, not just for the current shared experiences, but for the future as well. Since children internalize their experiences, that means generations to come may not know what it’s like to sit together around the dinner table and truly connect as a family.
That is why it is so important that parents and caregivers create boundaries of behavior that help to keep family traditions alive. If you remember the shared experiences you had with your parents and grandparents, you know the important bonding that took place during those times. It is this shared experience that brings people closer together and is well worth preserving.
1. What is the phenomenon the author describes at the beginning of the text?| A．The increase in shared family meals means a shift towards isolation. |
| B．Increased use of technology replaces traditional family interactions. |
| C．More and more children prefer to spend quality time with the family. |
| D．Family members are more likely to share their updates with each other. |
| A．The inability of parents to understand technology. |
| B．The challenge of preserving traditional family values. |
| C．The influence of technology on children’s education. |
| D．The necessity of controlling children’s digital devices. |
| A．They will be more addicted to advanced technology. |
| B．They will maintain stronger and closer family bonds. |
| C．They may create new and irreplaceable family traditions. |
| D．They may not understand the value of family gatherings. |
| A．Insignificant | B．Irresponsible |
| C．Crucial | D．Overemphasized |
4 . 选词填空
A. allow B. bothering C. gap D. inaccessible E. inefficient F. jumped G. personalized H. place I. purchase J. skipping K. strategies |
Grocery shopping in person or online: Which is better?
Karen Spade knows how to collect coupons (优惠券) and price match. She runs her own savings website to teach others to shop and save as she does.
Yet when a nearby grocery store started offering online shopping about a month ago, Spade
“For shoppers
So Spade took the plunge and managed to
So if this is the case, then it’s all about whether you can make back the delivery fee. Stores charge between $7.95 and $12.95 to deliver your groceries, depending on the size of your
You offset (抵消) little of that money right away because you do not have to pay for gas, but the biggest benefit is the time saved by
5 . A revolution has recently taken place in behavioural biology. Its consequences are far-reaching, both for our self-image as humans and for our relationship with animals. Just a few decades ago, behavioural science was guided by two key beliefs: animals cannot think, and no scientific statements can be made about their emotions. Today, the same discipline holds both ideas to be false and assumes the very opposite: animals of some species are capable of insight – they can recognize themselves in a mirror and exhibit at least a basic sense of self-awareness – and they have rich emotional lives that seem to be amazingly similar to those of humans.
Indeed, the transformation of the concept of the animal in modern behavioural biology has been fundamental. This has been confirmed by the death of a third belief: for decades, it was taught that animals behave for the good of their species. Today we know this is not the case. Rather, animals do everything to ensure that copies of their own genes are passed to the next generation with maximum efficiency and, when necessary, they will also kill conspecifics. Clearly, they are not, as Jane Goodall had once famously hoped, ‘like us, but better’.
The border between humans and animals is also beginning to blur in other areas. Certain aspects of the social environment can cause stress for both humans and animals, while other similar factors can relieve it. Indeed, animal behaviour does not develop in a fixed manner: environmental influences, socialisation, and learning can change an animal from the prenatal phase (胎儿期) through adulthood. Like humans, animals ultimately appear individualised upon closer inspection.
However, such similarities across genes, brain structure, and the endocrine (内分泌的) system do not automatically imply similarities concerning thoughts, feelings, and behaviour. To better understand these characteristics, we need to look at specific studies in both animals and humans. In the case of animals, such studies take place within the field of behavioural biology, which was properly defined by one of the fathers of the discipline, the Nobel Prize winner Nikolaas Tinbergen, as ‘the study of behaviour by biological methods’.
1. According to the new research, some animals___________.| A．possess rich emotions. | B．can hardly recognize themselves. |
| C．can show little self-awareness. | D．are incapable of understanding. |
| A．their desire to protect their species. |
| B．their ability to recognize themselves in mirrors. |
| C．their urge to guarantee the gene transmission. |
| D．their eagerness to be socially interacted. |
| A．There’s a clear distinction between humans and animals. |
| B．Social environment may have an impact on animal behavior. |
| C．Animals will eventually become standardized. |
| D．Learning alone can shape animal behaviour altogether. |
| A．Evolution of Views in Behavioral Biology: Typical Human, Typical Animal? |
| B．The Emotional Lives of Animals: A Study of Similarities and Differences with Humans |
| C．Understanding the Blurred Boundaries: The Human – Animal Connection in Modern Science |
| D．Past and Present: How Behavioral Biology Views Animals |
6 . Behind the Mask
Wearing the face of Patih Manis, a character in Bali’s dance dramas, means more than simply putting on a tapel, or mask.
“When you dance with a tapel and perform its character, you undergo a transformation,”says I Made Bandem, a scholar and teacher of Balinese arts – and a dancer for seven decades. “You must’marry’that mask and make ritual (仪式) offerings to create unity between yourself and the tapel. Many dancers will sleep with the mask beside them, so that they can learn its true character.”
Hand – carved tapel are essential to Topeng Pajegan and Topeng Panca, dance dramas often held at temple festivals and family rituals across this Indonesian island. The masks, along with delicate costumes, music that makes you sleep, and staccato movements – sometimes only of the fingers – have attracted Balinese audiences since the 17th century. The stories staged in Pajegan and Panca tell the history of the Balinese people, and the characters never change: Their appearance, movements, roles, and even the order in which they emerge remain the same. Yet in spite of this structure, topeng leave room for a great deal of artistic freedom. With no written text and no required musical arrangement, the entire performance which can last around four hours will be an improvisation – dancers and musicians drawing signals from one another.
It’s believed that every mask used for performance has a spirit. And if the correct offerings and taboos have been observed and the dancers have devoted themselves to mental, physical, and spiritual training, then during a dance drama their bodies will become a medium for the tapel’s spirit.
“A dancer strives to achieve taksu, which is a combination of presence, power, and passion, ”says Bandem.“This is what we pray for before we perform; it is through taksu that we bring the ancestors and their stories to life.”
1. What can we learn about tapel from the first two paragraphs?| A．Tapel refers to a character’s name. |
| B．Tapel is supposed to be with the dancers all along. |
| C．Tapel builds a bridge between the dancer and the true character. |
| D．Tapel experiences dramatic changes when worn by a dancer. |
| A．Well-designed costumes. | B．Balinese stories. | C．Uplifting music. | D．Artistic freedom. |
| A．A performance created casually. | B．A performance with full preparation. |
| C．A performance given perfectly terribly. | D．A performance without deliberate preparation. |
| A．Taksu is a Balinese dancer’s pursuit. | B．The story behind the mask. |
| C．Tapel’s spirit is impossible to overlook. | D．Taksu is a medium to connect the past and the present. |
I was nineteen years old the first time I saw my own true character. At least I can say that my true character changed that day.
For about a year, my voyage to and from work each day included a ten-minute walk through the heart of downtown Toronto. As with most large cities, the homeless population of Toronto often gathered on down-town corners, asking pedestrians (行人) for their spare change. Like most busy citizens, I learned to ignore the nameless faces who begged me for money each day. In my eyes, they are on the streets because they choose to be.
I remember how particularly cold the weather had been that day. I passed the usual crowd of homeless beggars, ignored all of them, and continued walking. As I crossed an intersection (交叉路口), I saw him sitting against a building, holding a white cup in front of him. I heard his shaky voice target me as I sped past him.
“Spare some change?” he asked.
I didn’t even bother looking up at his nameless face. “I have no money on me,” I said quickly.
Looking back now, I feel as though fate had set out that day to teach me a lesson. Just a few feet past him, I slipped on the icy road. I lay on the ground for several moments wondering if I had broken my leg. Then I heard a familiar voice only inches above me.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
I knew immediately that this was the man I had just rushed past. I saw the smooth, sympathetic look in his eyes.
I held his hand as I struggled to get to my feet. He held my arm as I hobbled (跛行) to the nearby bus stop. The pain in my leg told me that I needed an X-ray.
“My name is Mike,” he said. “You really shouldn’t try walking on that leg. You really need to get it checked by a doctor,” he said with deep concern.
“This bus goes past the hospital,” I said quickly, pointing to the bus sign above me.
注意：续写词数应为150左右。
Mike paused and a sudden look of realization crossed his face.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I turned away from his offering hand and reached for my purse.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
8 . Climate change has increased average temperatures by 1℃ over the past century, making heat waves more frequent and intense than those from any other point in recorded history.
The following is what happens if you’re the next to be killed. First, your brain sends a series of messages to your sweat glands telling them to increase sweat production. Then your heart starts beating faster to pump blood to the skin while blood flow is directed away from important organs(器官) like your liver, kidneys and gut.
If heat stroke occurs, your body might get hot and direct so much oxygen-rich blood to the skin that it suffocates(把…闷死) vital internal organs. If your body fails to cool you down, its internal temperature might start to climb from a normal level to about 104 degrees.
While you struggle to stay awake and avoid dizzying confusion, the excessive internal heat is damaging your gut, consequently causing an inflammatory(发炎的) response.
That’s just part of what we know about how extreme heat kills you.
| A．As the heat rises quickly, so does the death number. |
| B．That’s because we can’t study it in humans in the laboratory. |
| C．As temperatures tick ever higher, that figure may well rise. |
| D．At that temperature, your brain becomes affected. |
| E．Surviving the organ failure might require an emergency transplant. |
| F．Sometimes that alone is enough to create problems for a weak or aging heart. |
| G．Left untreated, what follows is a flood of organ failure that leads to your death. |
9 . Hearing someone talk is different from actively listening to what that person is saying. Active listening requires concentration and understanding.
Acknowledge the Speaker
Respond Verbally
Asking questions or making statements may help clarify what the speaker is saying. It reminds the speaker that you are listening attentively and that you are here to help them and are truly concerned.
Summarize What You Hear
Reflecting on what the listener is saying is also a positive verbal active listening technique.
Stay Focused
| A．This can be as simple as a head nod or an “Uh huh.” |
| B．Keeping eye contact, maintaining good posture, and staying focused are key components of active listening and interpersonal communication. |
| C．It can allow everyone involved to see what next steps need to be taken. |
| D．Improving your listening skills is easy to do with practice and these helpful tips. |
| E．By repeating, paraphrasing or even summarizing what the speaker has said shows that you are putting in effort to better understand them. |
| F．Listen with empathy and provide support. |
| G．Be sure to let the speaker finish talking before asking any questions. |
10 . An economist, Adam Smith, famously wrote that “it is not from the benevolence (慈善)of the butcher, the brewer or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own self-interest.” Like Smith, many economists today believe that one’s self-interest is what drives competition and growth in market economies. Yet, in an increasingly interconnected society, it is even more crucial to have collaborative skills. Thus we should encourage cooperation to better prepare children for the future.
Firstly, in the present age marked by the transformative potential of technology to facilitate interactions, cooperation is an especially prized soft skill to have. As a research study proves, soft skills such as good communication and empathy consist of qualitative indicators of outstanding employees as compared to technical skills or knowledge. In contrast, excessively (过分地)competitive and individualistic behaviour may fracture social relations in the community of co-workers and since no man is an island, even the most competent employee will not be able to pursue his goals effectively without the help of others who are able to share a common vision and understanding.
Moreover, encouraging cooperation increase a healthy sense of self-esteem in children that better prepares them for the competitive working world. Many modern societies today are consumed by an obsessive drive for success and the pressure to perform has infiltrated both classrooms and offices alike. The consequences of the fierce competitive culture include higher rates of anxiety and depression among university students and office workers, which are all counterproductive. Teamwork can help a maturing individual realise that each has his or her own unique set of abilities to bring to the table and that another person’s strengths do not in any way diminish (降低)the value of his or her talents. Thus, cooperation can affirm the self-worth of children by correcting the violent insight that winning or paper achievement is an exclusive (唯一)measure of success in life.
However, critics may claim that in a cutthroat world, adapting to competition should be of supreme priority in education and parenting. To achieve one’s deepest ambitions, such as to become a medical student, or to create a tech start-up, one has to adopt competition by actively fighting for opportunities and distinguishing oneself from others. Nevertheless, since passion can already stimulate children to work hard to fulfill their ambitions, the need to encourage competition may be at the end of the day. As much as external competition can drive people to pursue excellence, internal motivation is at least equally or arguably even more essential, and collaboration plays an instrumental role in helping one uncover one’s tendency and motivations.
1. What can be inferred from Adam Smith’s words?| A．Our society is increasingly interconnected. |
| B．Our dinner is made out of the regards to markets. |
| C．Self-interest pushes the development of economies. |
| D．The butcher, the brewer or the baker is not sympathy. |
| A．Deepen. | B．Establish. | C．Maintain. | D．Damage. |
| A．Paper achievement is an exclusive measure of success. |
| B．Confidence and ambitions can be achieved through cooperation. |
| C．Actively fighting for distinguishing oneself is a healthy competition. |
| D．Competition is not essential for people to pursue excellence. |
| A．To introduce parents the advantages of cooperation. |
| B．To inform parents to balance cooperation and competition. |
| C．To persuade parents to care about their children’s education. |
| D．To tell parents to encourage their children to learn to cooperate. |
