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.

2. Which aspect of life may the technology be applied to?

A．Medical consultation.	B．Sports events.
C．Outdoor workouts.	D．Virtual tourism.

3. What can we infer about iCub 3 from the text?

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.

4. What is the best title for the text?

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

2 . Some of our planet’s power pollinators (传粉昆虫) may have originated tens of millions of years earlier than scientists once believed. In a study published July 27 in the journal Current Biology, a team of researchers traced bee family back over 120 million years to the ancient supercontinent Gondwana (冈瓦纳大陆). While looking deeper into bee history, the team found evidence that bees originated earlier, diversified faster, and spread wider than previously suspected, putting together pieces of a puzzle on the origin of these pollinators.

In the study, an international team of scientists would be in sequence and compared genes from over 200 bee species. They then compared these bees with the traits from 185 different bee fossils and extinct fossils to develop an evolutionary history and genealogical model for how bees have historically been spread around the world. The team was able to analyze hundreds of thousands of genes at a time to make sure that the relationships they inferred were correct.

“This is the first time we have broad genome-scale data for all seven bee families,” study co-author and Washington State University entomologist Elizabeth Murray confidently said in a statement. Earlier studies established that the first bees potentially evolved from wasps (黄蜂), transitioning from predators up to collectors of pollen and nectar (花蜜). According to this study, bees arose in the dry regions of western Gondwana during the early Cretaceous period, between 145 million years ago to 100.5 million years ago.

“There’s been a long-time puzzle about the origin of bees,” study co-author and Washington State University entomologist Silas Bossert said in a statement. “For the first time, we have statistical evidence that bees originated on Gondwana. We now know that bees are originally southern hemisphere insects.” The team found evidence that as new continents formed, the bees moved northward. They continued to diversify and spread in parallel partnership with flowering plants called angiosperms. The bees later moved into India and Australia and all major bee families appear to have split off from one another before the beginning of the Tertiary period (65million years ago).

1. What’s the purpose of bee history researchers do research on?

A．To discover the origin of these pollinators.

B．To find out some reasonable proofs.

C．To know much about our planet.

D．To study the life of bee species.

2. Which can replace the underlined phrase “in sequence” in Paragraph 2?

A．in danger.

B．in need.

C．in order

D．in favor.

3. What’s the viewpoint of Elizabeth Murray to the bee family?

A．Unbelievable.

B．Reliable.

C．Positive.

D．Negative.

4. What does the last paragraph mainly tell us?

A．The earliest home of bees may be in Gondwana.

B．The world’s earliest bees were found in India and Australia.

C．The researchers are going on doing research on bee families.

D．The researchers get a lot evidence to prove their research.

3 . Samsung Electronics America announced that Galaxy device owners can make their own repairs to the Galaxy S20 and S21 family of products, as well as the Galaxy Tab S7+, starting August 2nd.

Samsung is cooperating with iFixit, the leading online repair community, to deliver their Self-Repair program. This program adds to Samsung’s continued expansions for convenient repair for consumers and helps them with sustainable solutions to support a more circular economy by extending the life of their devices, as well as minimizing e-waste.

Samsung consumers who wish to make their own repairs can now purchase real device parts and convenient, easy-to-use repair tools, available through iFixit, Samsung retail (零售) and service locations, at the same pricing offered to our repair providers. In addition, Galaxy device owners will have full access to online repair guides that provide both visual and written step-by-step instructions, and best of all, at no cost.

“Making replacement parts available is a key sustainability strategy. We’re excited to be working directly with Samsung and their customers to extend the lifetime of their phones,” said CEO of iFixit.

Starting today, Galaxy device owners can replace the phone screen, back glass, and charging ports. In the future, Samsung plans to expand self-repair to include more devices and repair options from our extensive product portfolio (档案).

Furthermore, the program makes it easy for consumers to return their thrown-away parts for responsible recycling, as the new display kits will come with a return label to ship thrown-away parts back to Samsung — at no cost to the consumer.

In addition to the convenience of these new self-repair options, Galaxy smartphone owners have a choice on how they can extend the life of their devices across Samsung’s expansive care options, including: Through Samsung’s perfect care network, customers have access to over 11,000 Samsung Mobile certified repair technicians in the U.S.

1. Who will do the repair work under the Self-Repair program?

A．The iFixit community.	B．The Galaxy consumers.
C．Samsung Repair staff.	D．The devices themselves.

2. What is the Samsung company aiming to do according to paragraph 2?

A．To promote a circular economy.	B．To make full use of the old parts.
C．To enrich the life of the phone users.	D．To ensure better service by iFixit.

3. Which of the following is free of charge?

A．The Samsung device parts.	B．New Samsung products.
C．The written repair instructions.	D．The easy-to-use repair tools.

4. Which can be the best title for the text?

A．A New Invention	B．A New Technology
C．A Successful Cooperation	D．An Initiative practice

4 . At most universities, core (核心) curriculum or general education is required, whether that is two or more courses in core academic subjects. These core academics consist of mathematics, science, history and English, which are used to provide students with a broad range of academic knowledge and aid in their individual development.

However, are these courses more beneficial or harmful to students? Based on studies from across the district there is a gap between the necessities and burdens of general education courses. According to an article by Best Value Schools, students sometimes discover a hidden passion for a field of study while taking general education courses. Although this may be true, many students consider the program as “a collection of courses without connection, consistency or meaning”. The negative concept of these courses could possibly be connected to the fact that many students don’t actually obtain these skills.

Many schools have been working to improve their core curriculum program by developing the adoption of mission, goal and outcome statements. Some University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) professors have recently been requiring students to take self-assessments and complete assignments based on how to develop critical thinking, communication and cooperation skills, as well as apply them within and outside of the classroom. It is through these channels of self discovery that students can often find their passions, which can possibly lead to choosing a major.

Typically, one-third of first-time college students change their major within the first three years. Major changes can be for a variety of reasons. It can be associated with a dissatisfaction in coursework. It can also be due to the discovery of a major which simply fits a student better. General education classes can play an important role in helping to make this discovery. Though students’ opinions vary on the importance of core curriculum, the basis of the program should be taken into consideration. At the same time, institutions should continue to work towards developing more authentic ways to provide a sense of importance and pride in the program to aid in student learning and the development of real-world skills.

1. What is the function of core curriculum?

A．Laying foundation for students’ future.

B．Developing students’ good characteristics.

C．Determining students’ major in college.

D．Releasing students’ burden of study.

2. What is the author trying to argue about general education?

A．Why it is needed in careers.	B．Whether it is really important.
C．What advantages it brings about.	D．Who will benefit most from it.

3. What do some UNCG professors ask students to do?

A．Stick to their majors.

B．Focus on core curriculum.

C．Improve academic performance.

D．Assess themselves and develop skills.

4. What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．The reasons for students’ changing majors.

B．The significant part core curriculum plays.

C．The necessity of reforming core curriculum.

D．Opinions students hold to general education.

5 . A simple blood test that can tell how well a person is likely to age is on the horizon after scientists uncovered blood signature patterns which predict ill health. The breakthrough means doctors will soon be able to check the likelihood of dementia(痴呆), cardiovascular disease and a range of other conditions many years before patients show any symptoms.

Researchers at Boston University learned to recognize combinations of specific biomarkers (生物标志物), or chemicals found in the blood, of 5,000 people in a study. They then matched these with the participants’ health outcomes over a period of eight years. They found specific patterns associated with disease and disability-free aging, as well as patterns associated with the threat of several diseases.

While various techniques already exist for predicting specific conditions, such as heart disease, the new approach will, for the most part, enable doctors to paint a comprehensive picture of their patient’s overall future health. It also promises to give people the chance to change their lifestyles or begin preventative treatment to circumvent diseases considered as a risk by their blood composition.

“These signatures show differences in how people age, and they show promise in predicting healthy ageing, changes in cognitive(认知的) and physical function, survival and age-related diseases like stroke, type 2 diabetes and cancer,” the research team said. “We can now measure thousands of biomarkers from a small amount of blood with the idea of eventually being able to predict who is at risk of a wide range of diseases long before any clinical signs become apparent.”

1. What can the new technique be used to do?

A．Cure a person’s dementia.

B．Prevent people from aging.

C．Tell a person’s future health.

D．Change people’s blood composition.

2. Which can replace the underlined word “circumvent” in paragraph 3?

A．understand

B．spread

C．record

D．avoid

3. What does the last paragraph mainly talk about the new technique?

A．Its practical use.	B．Its original theory.
C．Its development process.	D．Its widespread popularity.

4. Where can the text be found?

A．In an economic report.	B．In a medical magazine.
C．In an investigation report.	D．In an entertainment newspaper.

6 . Some people are early risers while others can’t seem to get to bed until well after midnight. Why is this? A research team has a new finding that shows how a “switch” in the biological clocks of early risers leads them to operate on a daily cycle of about 20 hours instead of a full 24-hour cycle.

This finding from Carrie Partch and her colleagues builds on decades of research into biological clocks, which control sleeping and waking, rest and activity, body temperature, heart rate and so on.

Partch and her colleagues focus on two main clock components: an enzyme (酶) known as casein kinase 1 (CK1) and a protein (蛋白质) called PERIOD. It turns out that the timing of biological clocks is strongly influenced by the rise and fall of the PERIOD protein, and this daily change normally takes place over 24 hours. But CK1 adjusts PERIOD levels by chemically modifying the protein, thereby adjusting its stability.

What they’ve discovered is that a part of CK1 acts as a switch. When this switch functions normally, it generates a near- perfect 24-hour cycle by keeping PERIOD’s stability right. In this case, people easily and correctly match their biological clocks with the daily coming and going of daylight.

If the switch favors a faster breakdown of the protein, the daily cycle grows shorter and less tightly bound to daylight. For these early risers, it’s a constant struggle to adjust to life in a 24-hour world. On the contrary, a switch that favors a slower breakdown will lengthen the clock, causing some people to be night owls (夜猫子).

Partch’s discoveries are sure to offer a new view on how the biological clocks make us tick. She hopes they’ll result in new ways to adjust the clocks in people with sleep disorders and even the means to reset the clocks in people who regularly travel overseas or work the night shift.

1. What does Partch’s research team find?

A．What the biological clock is.

B．Why some people get up early.

C．Where two main clock components lie.

D．How people adapt to the biological clock.

2. What has a strong effect on the biological clock according to the text?

A．Heart rate.	B．Sleeping.
C．Body temperature.	D．The PERIOD protein.

3. What can we learn from paragraph 5?

A．A slower breakdown of PERIOD makes the daily cycle longer.

B．The cycle of night owls’ biological clock is shorter.

C．A faster breakdown of casein kinase 1 lengthens the clock.

D．It is very easy for early risers to adapt to normal life.

4. What’s a suitable title for this text?

A．The Functions of the Biological Clock

B．The Meanings of Partch’s Discoveries

C．The Differences Between CK1 and PERIOD

D．The Causes of Changing Biological Clocks

7 . Why do we like somebody else? One factor(因素) may be intelligence. It could be assumed that people generally like other people better if they’re smarter, as they might be more interesting to talk to.     1     If someone is too smart, somebody with lower intelligence may not like them as they might feel that they look worse in comparison. In contrast, a really smart person might feel that somebody with lower intelligence is less likable.

    2     In the study, researcher Maria Flakus and her team analyzed data gathered from Polish high school students. The results of the study indicated that being intelligent influenced both being liked and liking others. Interestingly, it did so in opposite ways.     3     However, they tended to like fewer people than less intelligent students. Specifically, smart students had a tendency to only like others that were as smart as themselves.

Importantly, the effect of liking others due to their intelligence was strongest during the first test and became weaker over time. Thus, over time, the importance of intelligence in building social relationships decreases.     4     The researchers suggest that over time, knowing about the shared interests of others may be a more important factor in liking than knowing they’re smart.

In contrast, the effect of smart students only liking others that were equally intelligent remained significant over the course of the year, although it became a bit weaker. The researchers warn that this may lead to intelligent students being seen as isolated(孤立的) by others. This may become problematic if the smart students are viewed as too proud.     5    

A．Instead, other factors become more important.

B．Smart people in the study tended to like nobody.

C．Intelligent students were liked better by their classmates.

D．The relationship between intelligence and being liked is complex.

E．A recent study looked into the link between intelligence and being liked,

F．But this association may also be a function of the intelligence of both people.

G．Thus, smart people may wish to be careful to take care of their social relationships.

8 . Recently, Facebook has changed its corporate name to Meta. The company said it would better include what it does, as it broadens its reach beyond social media into areas like virtual reality (VR). The CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the existing brand could not possibly represent everything that they’re doing today, let alone in the future. He also revealed the company’s plans to build a “metaverse (元宇宙)” — an online world where people can game, work and communicate in a virtual environment.

The term “metaverse” was invented by author Neal Stephenson in Snow Crash, a science fiction published in 1992. In the work, the metaverse is a sort of 3D virtual world. It’s not simply a virtual reality game but is a persistent and shared virtual world. Or rather, the metaverse is a whole universe of shared virtual spaces seemingly linked together — you could, essentially, teleport (瞬移) between them.

Metaverse combined at the very least five technologies — they are social media, online game, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR) and cryptocurrency (加密货币). Those technologies will bring users to an interactive world. AR and VR are vital for Metaverse. VR serves to present the virtual world visually and then AR will provide the audio and sensors for people to be able to interact. With Metaverse, Facebook will offer not only a texting service but also a multi-perspective virtual touch that feels like a real thing.

Facebook said that it plans to create 10,000 jobs in Europe over the next five years to work on metaverse-related endeavours (活动). The company also has introduced Oculus-branded virtual-reality headsets, and it joined with Ray-Ban to develop smart sunglasses that went on sale for $299. “Over time, I hope that we are seen as a metaverse company and I want to anchor our work and our identity on what we’re building towards,” Mark Zuckerberg said. “I view this work as critical to our mission because delivering a sense of presence — like you’re right there with another person — that’s the highest goal of online social experiences,” he said.

1. Why has Facebook changed its corporate name?

A．To lead the gaming industry.

B．To cover its extended business.

C．To improve its corporate image.

D．To attract investment for its new plans.

2. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．The introduction to the VR game.

B．The future with 3D virtual world.

C．The origin of the word “metaverse”.

D．The importance of the novel Snow Crash.

3. What do we know about Metaverse?

A．It has a wide range of applications.

B．It offers people deeply interactive experiences.

C．It enables people to enjoy a free texting service.

D．It uses the five technologies to explore the universe.

4. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．There will be fierce competition in the metaverse market.

B．Facebook will focus on designing virtual devices.

C．Metaverse will be the center of online experience studies.

D．Facebook will be devoted to developing the metaverse.

9 . 语法填空

A drama series named "Medal of the Republic" has aroused    1    (enthusiasm) discussion on Chinese social media. The series tells heart-warming stories about the first group of eight recipients of the Medal of the Republic, the country's    2    (high) honor for those who have made great contributions     3     the development of the People's Republic of China.

According to the series' chief director Zheng Xiaolong,    4    (compare) to most biopic(传记片) productions that tend to document the whole life of the featured individual, this series focuses    5    (specific) on the individuals' most shining moments.

The episode(集) on Li Yannian(李延年), a soldier of Chinese People's Volunteer Army, focuses on the battlefield during the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. With his     6    (brave) and wisdom, Li and his fellow soldiers retook a strategic highland and fulfilled their mission.

In the episode on nuclear physicist Yu Min(于敏),     7     is regarded as the "father of China's hydrogen bomb," viewers can see how he overcamedifficulties     8     made breakthroughs in hydrogen bomb research after several months of undertaking complex calculations.

In the episode on Nobel Prize winner Tu Youyou(屠呦呦), you learn about her efforts to develop a medicine which    9    (use) to treat malaria(疟疾). Her breakthrough has saved millions of lives, especially in developing    10    (country).

10 . Teens are not always the easiest people in the world to understand or talk to. They can be complex and moody, with their minds changing between childhood and adulthood.    1    Let's talk some ways to talk with teens easily.

Start a conversation at the dinner table. Create quality family time and encourage conversation during dinner.    2    That way, you can all focus your attention on the dinner conversation. Try to get to know your teen as a person. Ask them about television shows they're watching, or books they're reading. Share your own favorite shows or books.

    3    If you're spending a lot of time in the car with your teen as their designated chauffeur, make the most of the driving time and use it to talk. For some drivers, talking in the car can be distracting. So focus more on introducing topics of conversation and then listening to your teen's responses.

One way to start a conversation at night is to greet your teen after a night out and offer them a snack. This will show them that you are available for a chat about their night.    4    Try to talk about things that may interest your teen. No matter what your teen's interests are, you should be open to talking about them. You should try to show genuine interest in what your teen enjoys discussing.    5    This ensures you are giving your teen enough time and attention to talk about their interests.

A．You are good at communication.

B．Use time in the car for a conversation.

C．A good rule is to listen twice as much as you speak.

D．Many adults can hardly learn what the teens want.

E．But this doesn't mean it's impossible to talk with teens.

F．After time with their friends, your teen may share more with you.

G．Ask everyone to turn off their cellphones or leave them in another room.