1 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

There was a student named Lily who studied at high school. She had excellent grades and was considered as one of the top students in her school. However, Lily had a rather irritable (易怒的) personality. Because her parents gave her high pressure that she must keep her top place in her school. her mind was only focused on her grades, leaving little room for anything else.

One day, after receiving a lower grade than she expected on an important test. Lily was falling apart. Sad and overwhelmed, she even started considering her failure was due to her parents. She quarreled with her parents and kept them out of her room.

Lily’s parents turned to the school teacher Mr. Thompson for help. They poured out all the bad present situations to him. Mr. Thompson was a professional teacher with a deep understanding of the importance of a balanced lifestyle. He recognized that it was Lily’s too much worry about grades that was having a bad effect on her and the parent-child relationships.

Mr. Thompson advised Lily’s parents to calm down first. And after school, he approached Lily and gently suggested they go for a run together. At first, Lily refused, saying that it would take her too much time. Besides, she couldn’t understand how running could be beneficial to her academic success.

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。

“Believe me, Lily,” Mr. Thompson said, and finally Lily agreed to give it a try.

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Seeing Lily’s change. Mr. Thompson recommended her to give a speech to her classmates.

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2 . Pindar Van Arman is a painter, but he’s also a software designer. He has built some machines and worked on a DARPA challenge team in California to build a self-driving car. His latest project? A robot painter, BitPaintr.

BitPaintr is Van Arman’s fifth robot in 10 years. Earlier versions included devices that produced simpler paintings with algorithms (算法). But the idea for BitPaintr is simple: A user just uploads a picture, and it can paint totally on its own and develop its own style.

Although his friends joke that he has invented a really expensive, slow, bad painter, Van Arman says teaching a machine how to be creative has helped him get to the bottom of what creativity is — and appreciate it.

“When you’re trying to teach a machine to do something that’s easy for humans, it really makes you sit back and see what humans are doing,” he says.

So what is creativity, then, if a robot with a paintbrush can be — or appear to be — just as creative as a human with a paintbrush?

Mark Riedl, a professor at the Georgia Tech School of Interactive Computing, says it depends on how you define creativity. “There is creativity and Creativity,” Riedl says. “Being ‘creative’ usually has something to do with the little things that we do hundreds of times in our daily lives. They could be creative, but usually aren’t. To be ‘Creative’ is to have an imagination that will have a huge impact on a social level — the Picassos and the Mozarts of the world; the people who have produced something that’s taken on this additional level of meaning.”

Riedl admits what robots create is far from human-level quality art, but he sees robots entering the creative process as a positive thing.

“We want the computers to keep up with us,” he says. “And thanks to researchers like Van Arman, it seems like they will, although they will not replace us, but to help us to be more creative.”

1. Which is a new quality of BitPaintr?

A．Simplicity.

B．Creativity.

C．Speed.

D．Profitability.

2. What is Van Arman’s friends’ attitude to BitPaintr?

A．Favorable.

B．Doubtful.

C．Unclear.

D．Hopeful.

3. What does Mark Riedl suggest about computers?

A．They will defeat the greatest artists soon.

B．They can produce “Creative” things by themselves.

C．They will learn more from the Picassos and the Mozarts.

D．They can help us to do daily things in more “creative” ways.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Can BitPaintr-like Robots Replace Artists in the Future?

B．Why Do People Have Sharply Different Views on AI Robots?

C．What Is the Difference Between the Two Kinds of Creativity?

D．Can BitPaintr Be Considered a “Creative” Painting Software?

3 . “How the brain perceives time depends on its expectations. The brain can predict the probability that something is going to occur, given that it hasn’t happened yet,” said Dr. Michael Shadlen, a scientist at Columbia University.

Every thought has various “horizons”, Shadlen told Live Science. In a book, for example, horizons lie at the end of every syllable (音节), the end of every word, the end of the next sentence and so on. Time moves according to how we anticipate these horizons, he said.

When you’re really absorbed in something, the brain anticipates the “big picture”, which makes time seem to fly, Shadlen said. But when you’re bored, you anticipate the closer horizons such as the end of a sentence instead of the end of the story; these horizons aren’t knitted together as a whole, and time slows down.

There isn’t a single spot in the brain that’s responsible for how we perceive time in this way. Rather, any area that gives rise to thought and consciousness is likely involved in this task, Shadlen said. “There are almost certainly a lot of timing mechanisms (机制) in the brain,” added Joe Paton, a scientist at the Champalimaud Foundation in Portugal. One mechanism involves the speed at which brain cells activate one another and form a network when you’re performing an activity. The faster those paths of neurons (神经元) form, the faster we perceive time, Paton and his team have found in some animals, such as rats and squirrels.

Another mechanism involves chemicals in the brain. Again, in rats, Paton and his colleagues found that a set of neurons that releases the neurotransmitter dopamine—an important chemical involved in feeling rewarded—impacts how the brain perceives time. When you’re having fun, these cells are more active. They release a lot of dopamine and your brain judges that less time has passed than actually has. When you’re not having fun, these cells don’t release as much dopamine, and time seems to slow down.

1. What can be learned about “horizons” in a book from paragraph 2?

A．They exist throughout.	B．They change our anticipation.
C．They are totally invisible.	D．They are very unpredictable.

2. According to Shadlen, we feel the slow passing of time when ________.

A．our brain anticipates the distant horizons	B．we are engaged in something interesting
C．our brain sees the “big picture” of an event	D．we are anxious to see the ending of a sentence

3. What does Paton think plays a role in our way of perceiving time according to Paragraph 4?

A．An unknown chemical in human brain.

B．A specific timing mechanism in the brain.

C．The speed of brain cells forming a network.

D．The function of brain cells activating each other.

4. How does the author make a point in the last paragraph?

A．By describing a process.	B．By providing examples.
C．By introducing a concept.	D．By listing statistical data.

4 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落的开头续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

I remember wondering if we should even be friends when I found out that my new friend Karina did not share my opinions about some stuff. It was hard to imagine disagreeing with her about anything, because when we first met, we got along so great.

It was as if we’d known each other forever. Whenever we got to pick a partner at camp, we picked each other. Whenever we had a break, we hung out together. And the more time we spent together, the more we realized how amazingly alike we were. We both had two lovely cats. We both liked baking extra-creative cookies.

But then something happened. The tent camp was next to a piece of beautiful land that had a bunch of giant old trees on it. Whenever it was nice out, we’d get to eat our lunch at picnic tables that were right by some of those trees. “Whoa!” said Karina one day. “Look at the millions of holes all the way up and down this trunk.”

“That’s amazing,” I said. “A special kind of woodpecker (啄木鸟)makes those holes to store acorns (橡子).”

“Pretty cool! ”said our counselor, Miguel. “Now, let’s all be sure to keep this magical forest as clean and perfect. Don’t forget to put your trash and recyclables in the bins.”

And that’s when things got complicated. “Hey,” said our friend LeVar. “Have you guys heard that shopping-mall rumor (传闻)? They want to cut down a bunch of those trees to make room for a shopping center.”

“That’s terrible!” I said. “We have to stop that.”

“I disagree,” said Karina. “My parents said the shopping center would make new jobs for people.”

“But think of all the birds and squirrels that would lose their homes!” I said. “I want people to have jobs, but not if it means cutting down trees.”

“Don’t you think people’s jobs are more important than trees?” Karina asked.

“Can’t we figure out how to make jobs without destroying nature?” I answered.

“You know,” Karina said, super seriously, “maybe we’re not quite as alike as we thought.”

I sighed sadly.

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。

Maybe two people with opposite points of view just aren’t meant to be friends, I was thinking. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

We ended up having much more fun at the tent camp. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

Summer vacation was finally coming, and Rose couldn’t wait to have a trip with her parents. She recalled the joyful experiences they shared last summer, which filled her with excitement for the upcoming holiday.

“Girls!” Rose heard her father calling. She raced to her big sister’s room, telling her that Dad was calling them, and they rushed downstairs log either. Dad put his arm around Mom and told them that they were going on a trip to the Virunga Mountains of Africa. There were three national parks that they would visit.

Rose and Gina looked at each other. “What?” they said with one voice. Mom told them it would be really exciting to go there on a trip. At 12 years old, Rose would prefer going to an amusement park or a beach. She thought it important to let her parents know she didn’t want to go there but to the beach for a week or two.

“Well,” said Dad, “I have to go for an assignment for the paper. We’re covering the mountain gorillas (大猩猩) because they’re critically endangered these years. So, I thought it’d also be a great place to take a vacation. I’m sure it’ll be very educational for you girls.”

Gina let out a sigh, unable to contain her disappointment. She wanted to say something but Mom interrupted and announced that the trip was set on the next Monday.

“Sit down, both of you.” Dad had on his severe look. “Girls, it’s important for you to know about the world around you. This is a wonderful chance for you to experience and learn an amazing place. Do you know anything about the mountain gorillas?”

The sisters shook their heads.

“Well, get your laptop computer, Gina. I want you to look them up right now,” said Dad, “Rose, there is a book on the bookshelf about the cute mountain gorillas. Find it and read it.”

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。

The girls dragged their feet upstairs.

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The next Monday came and the family set out excitedly.

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8 . Climate change causes tens of billions of dollars in economic damage in the United States every year. Climate change is expensive, deadly but preventable, according to the new National Climate Assessment, the most sweeping, sophisticated federal analysis of climate change compiled to date.

“Climate change affects us all, but it doesn’t affect us all equally,” says climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe, one of the authors of the assessment.

“The research indicates that people with lower income have more trouble adapting to climate change, because adaptation comes at a cost,” says Solomon Hsiang, a climate economist at the University of California.

For example, one of the simplest ways to adapt to severe heat waves is to run your air conditioner more. But “if people can’t pay for it, then they can’t protect themselves,” explains Hsiang.

Weather-related disasters in the U. S. cause about $150 billion each year in direct losses, according to the report. That’s a lot of money and it’s only expected to go up as the Earth gets hotter. And the hotter it gets, the more profound the economic harm. Twice as much planetary warming leads to more than twice as much economic harm, the assessment warns.

But it also points out many successful efforts underway to adapt to the new reality and to prevent worse outcomes. “It’s not the message that if we don’t hit 1.5 degrees, we’re all going to die,” says Hayhoe. “It’s the message that everything we do matters. Every 10th of a degree of warming we avoid, there’s a benefit to that.”

There’s been a slight shift in the report’s perspective since the last one, says Candis Callison, a sociologist and author of the report. There’s now a clear acknowledgement, development, developed through years of rigorous research, that the fossil fuel-powered society the U. S. built over generations was profoundly unjust. “Climate change actually provides us with an opportunity to address some of those inequities (不公平) and injustices — and to respond to these impacts,” Callison says. “That’s really a powerful thing.”

1. What do Katharine Hayhoe and Solomon Hsiang stress about climate change?

A．It results in lower income.	B．It leads to new unfairness.
C．It needs immediate action.	D．It causes economic damage.

2. What does the author intend to show by giving the example of the air conditioner?

A．Heat waves can be easily defeated.	B．Climate change leads to serious heat.
C．Adapting to climate change is time-consuming.	D．Dealing with climate change is expensive.

3. What does Katharine Hayhoe focus on in paragraph 6?

A．The potential risks of the new reality.	B．The consequences of not hitting 1.5 degrees.
C．The value of each small effort underway.	D．The achievements we have made.

4. What is Candis Callison’s attitude towards climate change?

A．Optimistic.

B．Doubtful.

C．Worried.

D．Uncaring.

9 . When we’re stressed, the brain sends a signal to the adrenal medulla (肾上腺髓质). That signal causes many unpleasant symptoms. Until recently, most scientists believe that muscles have nothing to do with stress because they don’t influence how the brain and the adrenal medulla communicate. In fact, Strick, a leading neuroscientist at the University of Pittsburgh, says he has long been suspicious of claims that exercises building muscles like yoga can decrease stress. “I need to see that there’s a connection; that there’s a real biological basis,” he says.

In 2016, Strick decided to study the connection between muscles and stress by using a method he pioneered. Strick invented a process where he could put a virus into an organ to track the neural network s that connect the brain and the muscles. “So we injected (注入) the adrenal medulla with a virus, and we tracked it back into the brain and then mapped which areas influenced the adrenal,” he says. “And that’s where the surprise came.” Essentially, Strick discovered that our stress response is controlled by more than just the ‘thinking’ part of the brain. Other parts of the brain, including those controlling our muscles, are also sending signals to the adrenal medulla. And the area of the brain that communicates with the adrenal receives signals from the core muscles as well. So, strengthening those muscles, Strick says, can adjust our stress.

When we’re tapping away at a computer in a chair all day, many of us feel more mentally stressed. Strick recommends strengthening the core muscles so that sitting upright all day becomes more natural. “Slump, and then sit up straight,” he says “And see what the difference they make to your mood.”

Strick also says this discovery was a wake-up call for his own health. He credits his children, who persuaded him to try yoga years ago. “And I once said, come on, give me a break. I don’t have time,” he says. “But as it turns out, they’re right.”

1. What can we learn about Strick’s study?

A．He referred to other researchers’ methods.

B．He observed the influence a virus has on the adrenal.

C．He got the result similar to that of previous studies.

D．He found the part of the brain managing muscles can affect stress.

2. What does the underlined word “slump” probably mean in paragraph 3?

A．Sink into a chair.	B．Stand up all of a sudden.
C．Stare at something carefully.	D．Do intense physical exercise.

3. What does Strick think of yoga at the end of the passage?

A．Favorable.

B．Intolerant.

C．Doubtful.

D．Unclear.

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

A．Why We Are So Easily Stressed	B．Benefits of Doing Sports Like Yoga
C．Ways of Strengthening Our Muscles	D．Our Muscles Can Affect Our Mood