1 . Have you ever seen a car without a driver? It sounds crazy, but these computer-driven driverless cars will soon be filling roads near you. Tech companies around the world have been designing and testing driverless vehicles and the technology is available already.
So, how do they work? The cars are covered in sensors that can detect other cars and obstacles on the road. Sensors on the wheels also help when parking. Road signs are read by cameras, and satellite navigation systems are used. Finally, a central computer system takes in all the information and processes this to work out when to accelerate, brake and steer. All you have to do is type in the destination.
Sounds like your idea of heaven? Sitting back, looking out of the windows and even watching a film while “driving” will all be possible with this new technology. In addition,computers are generally more efficient drivers than humans, meaning emissions can be reduced.They also drive more safely than people — they don’t get distracted by music or friends, they obey the speed limit and they have quicker reaction times in case of an emergency.
However, there are still many drawbacks of driverless cars. Computers will have difficulties making ethical (道德上的) decisions. If a child ran out into the road, would the computer choose to hit the child or turn aside sharply and potentially hurt the car’s passengers instead? Moreover,there would also be legal questions. Should children or drunk people, be allowed in a driverless car by themselves? Or would there need to be a responsible adult with a driving license in the car at all times?
Although being driven around by a machine would perhaps mean that no one needs a driving license, many people would be put out of a job by the popularization of driverless cars. Bus, taxi and train drivers would be made redundant.(多余的)
I’m not convinced I’d want a driverless car, but it’s only a matter of time before they’ll become more affordable and commonplace on our roads.
1. What do you need to do when using a driverless car?| A．Control the sensors. | B．Read the road signs carefully. |
| C．Check the satellite navigation systems. | D．Put the address into the computer. |
| A．Their emissions. | B．Their testing process. |
| C．Their advantages. | D．Their reaction to an emergency. |
| A．By raising some questions. |
| B．By analyzing their harmful effects. |
| C．By making a comparison. |
| D．By sharing personal experiences. |
| A．indifferent | B．objective |
| C．supportive | D．doubtful |
2 . People’s first memories are all autobiographical (自传式的) , or memories of significant experiences in their lives, and these events typically didn’t happen before the age of 2 or 3. In fact, most people can’t remember things from the first few years of their lives ---- a phenomenon researchers have called infantile amnesia (婴儿期失忆症) .
However, research suggests that infants (婴儿) can form other kinds of memories. Within the first few days of life, infants can recall their own mother’s face and distinguish it from the face of a stranger. A few months later, infants can demonstrate (证明) that they remember lots of familiar faces by smiling most at the ones they see most often.
But if so, why do people experience infantile amnesia? Though it still isn’t clear whether it’s because we can’t form autobiographical memories, or whether we just have no way to retrieve (找回) them, scientists have a few guesses.
One is that autobiographical memories require you to have some sense of self. Researchers have tested this ability using a mirror recognition task called the rouge test. It involves marking a baby’s nose with a spot of red lipstick. Researchers then place the infant in front of a mirror. Infants younger than 18 months just smile at the baby in the reflection, not showing any evidence of recognizing themselves or the red mark on their face. Between 18 and 24 months, infants touch their own nose, even looking embarrassed, suggesting that they connect the red dot in the mirror with their own face — they start to form some sense of self.
Another possible explanation is that because infants don’t have language until later in the second year of life, they can’t form narratives (叙述) about their own lives that they can later recall. Finally, the hippocampus, which is the region of the brain that’s largely responsible for memory, isn’t fully developed in the infancy period. Scientists will continue to investigate how these factors might contribute to infantile amnesia.
1. What can infants do in their first few months?| A．Memorize most of their family members. |
| B．Identify their own reflections in the mirror. |
| C．Remember a string of events from the recent past. |
| D．Distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar faces. |
| A．See their reflections as themselves. |
| B．Ignore the marks on their faces. |
| C．Enjoy playing with their reflections. |
| D．Show a strong interest in the mirror. |
| A．Infants have a strong sense of self. |
| B．Infants lack communication skills. |
| C．The hippocampus isn’t fully developed in the infancy period. |
| D．Infants haven’t experienced significant things. |
| A．Why is it hard to retrieve lost memories? |
| B．Why can’t we remember being a baby? |
| C．How do kids form their first memories? |
| D．When do babies start remembering things? |
3 . Diving in the ocean, marine biologist Erika Woolsey has seen how coral reefs (珊瑚礁) are being damaged by climate change. It has made her decide to find a way to share her experience —including those who can’t easily explore the ocean.
Through her non-profit, The Hydrous, Woolsey is using virtual reality to bring the ocean to everyone. Scientists, filmmakers and divers are taking people on immersive (沉浸式的) virtual dives, attracting attention to reef damage and expecting action to protect our sea. About 25% of marine species depend on coral reefs. However, climate change, pollution and overfishing have done harm to around half the world’s shallow water coral reefs.
Twenty years of underwater exploration has given Woolsey a detailed understanding of the dangerous situations facing reefs. “I’ve seen this first-hand shift. Healthy colourful coral reefs become what look like the moonscape step by step,” Woolsey says.
It is through this experience that The Hydrous team set out to recreate with their award-winning film Immerse. Intended to watch with a VR headset, viewers join Woolsey for a nine-minute guided virtual dive on the coral reefs, immersed in a 360-degree underwater view.
They swim alongside sea turtles and sharks before witnessing the worsening of the reefs. The experience often brings out strong feelings. “As soon as people take off that headset and look me in the eye, they want to tell me a story about their ocean experience,” Woolsey says. “It’s that human connection to our ocean that will solve our ocean problems.”
Woolsey hopes advances in camera technology will allow her team to take more and more people to places in the ocean that are under-explored and places further away from human civilization. They are developing a virtual experience that will put the people in the role of a marine biologist, carrying out biodiversity surveys underwater, and even transporting the viewers to space to monitor global sea surface temperatures.
1. Why did Erika Woolsey set up The Hydrous?| A．To collect money for ocean protection. | B．To let the public know about coral reefs better. |
| C．To help people enjoy the ocean’s beauty. | D．To encourage people to protect the ocean. |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. | C．Concerned. | D．Uninterested. |
| A．The story about the ocean. | B．The situation of coral reefs. |
| C．The connection with sea life. | D．The way to protect the ocean. |
| A．To bring more fun during the lockdown. | B．To help people learn more about the ocean. |
| C．To train talents for environment protection. | D．To discover more places that need protection. |
4 . Shakespeare’s Birthplace and Exhibition of Shakespeare’s World
Welcome to the world-famous house where William Shakespeare was born in 1564 and where he grew up. The property (房产) remained in the ownership of Shakespeare’s family until 1806. The House has welcomed visitors traveling from all over the word , for over 250 years.
| OPENING TIMES: 20 Mar to 19 Oct Mon to Sat: 9:00am to 5:00pm Sun:9:30am to 5:00pm 20 Oct to 19Mar Mon to Sat:9:30am to 4:00pm Sun:10:00am to 4:00pm | ADMISSION: Adult £4.90 Child £2.20 Family £ 12.00(2 adults +up to 3 children) |
◆Enter though the Visitors’ Centre and see the highly-praised exhibition Shakespeare’s World, a lively and full introduction to the life and work of Shakespeare.
◆Stand in the rooms-where Shakespeare grew up.
◆Discover examples of furniture and needlework from Shakespeare’s period.
◆Enjoy the traditional (传统的) English garden, planted with trees and flowers mentioned in the poet’s works.
◎The Birthplace is within easy walking distance of all the car parks shown on the map; nearest is Windsor Street(3 minutes’ walk).
The House may present difficulties but the Visitors’ Centre, its exhibition hall, and the garden are accessible (可进入的) to wheelchair user.
◎The Shakespeare Coffee House (opposite the Birthplace).
1. How much is the admission for a family of two grown-ups and two children?| A．$9.80 | B．$14.20 | C．$12.0 | D．$16.40 |
| A．Behind the exhibition hall. | B．At Windsor street. |
| C．Opposite the Visitors’ Centre. | D．Near the Coffee House. |
| A．textbook | B．A news report | C．Fashion Magazine | D．A travel brochure |
5 . In our daily lives, we often have to interact with people who have different personalities, opinions, and backgrounds. This is especially true at school, where we spend most of our time with our classmates.
Practice active listening.
Show empathy (共情).
In short, developing positive relationships with your classmates is a continuous process that requires active listening, empathy, and cooperation
| A．Lend a hand to classmates. |
| B．Be open-minded to classmates. |
| C．How to build relationships with classmates matters for us. |
| D．Being aware of others’ feelings can help in building strong relationships. |
| E．It is important to appreciate the different talents of your classmates. |
| F．Giving your full attention to other’s talk is important in developing a sense of respect. |
| G．By adopting the qualities, you will enrich your learning experience in a nice environment. |
6 . Have you ever imagined an insect-inspired robot, which weighs less than a gram, could one day help out in surgery (外科手术)?
Scientists have designed this small, “insect-bot” called mCLARI that can control and even change its body shape as it travels in different environments to fit through gaps. It’s 2 centimeters long, weighs less than 0.97 grams and can travel at a speed of 6 centimeters per second.It’s the smaller, faster replacement to CLARI, which was designed by the same team.
“Because of the robot’s small size and ability to change shape, we expect usage of this technology in four important areas,” the lead author Kaushik Jayaram said. These include disaster (灾害) response , check on high-value objects, environmental monitoring and medical treatment.
“In the long term, we hope such robots will be used more widely in moving through human bodies and performing surgeries that can’t be easily done at present,” Jayaram said. With mCLARI, Jayaram’s team is moving closer to creating robots that can fit in different environments—just like the insects they’re inspired by.
The mCLARI robot has four legs and can move in narrow spaces by changing between running forward and side-to-side and can use different speeds in human bodies. Its legs are joined to its body through joints (关节), which enables mCLARI to change its body shape based on the environment it is in. For example, its legs can be lengthened up to 50% in certain spaces.
As follow-up work, the scientists want to give mCLARI more power and sensing ability while helping the surgeries. “We are also excited about understanding the effect of shape change on improving functions of robots,” Jayaram said. “And this is sure a great one-step forward of the technology. The robot will have entered the market by 2025 and will bring greater benefits to mankind, especially in medical treatment.”
1. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?| A．Possible application fields of the robot. | B．Different types of the robot. |
| C．Several important features of the robot. | D．Working process of the robot. |
| A．Valuable but uncontrollable. | B．Modern but high-cost. |
| C．Heavy and time-consuming. | D．Advanced and effective. |
| A．Worried. | B．Positive. | C．Doubtful. | D．Uninterested. |
| A．Jayaram: A Scientist Studying Robot Intelligence |
| B．mCLARI Is Already Widely Available in the Market |
| C．CLARI: A Robot Invented by Inspiration from the Insects |
| D．A Tiny Shape-changing Robot Will Help Perform Surgeries |
Alan Joseph Oliver
Hardback | Paperback | E-book
$40.99 | $20.99 | $4.99
From the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali he learned and how it works in theory and practice, Alan Joseph Oliver relates the Yoga theory to his limited understanding of quantum mechanics. He believes he has settled David Bohm’s concept of Wholeness and the Implicate Order, which physics may or may not accept.
The Adventures of a Train Trekker
Adriana Carboni
Hardback | Paperback | E-book
$35.99 | $16.99 | $4.99
This book tells of the excitement and adventure of long-distance train travel as Adriana shares her experiences travelling through the ancient continent of Australia.
Footloose!
Kosti Simons
Paperback | E-book
$28.99 | $4.99
This memoir (回忆录) is about a barefoot pilgrim’s (朝圣者的) 111-day adventure including both the body and the mind as he takes you on a deeply felt and inspiring walk with God.
www.kostisimons.com
Bonnie The Bandicoot
Peter Alway
Hardback |Paperback | E-book
$ 23.99 | $15.99 | $7.99
Bonnie The Bandicoot decides to move into Steve’s home while hers dries out. The only problem is that Steve owns a dog. Will they learn to co-exist living in Steve’s home?
1. Who writes a book related to physics?| A．Alan Joseph Oliver. | B．Adriana Carboni. |
| C．Kosti Simons. | D．Peter Alway. |
| A．Footloose! |
| B．Bonnie The Bandicoot |
| C．The Adventures of a Train Trekker |
| D．Thinking on the Other Side of Zero Part 2 |
| A．$28.98. | B．$24.98. | C．$21.98. | D．$20.98 |
8 . How satisfied are you with your life? How good do you feel every day? Your answers to those two questions can show how happy you are.
It’s true that your happiness is partly affected by your genes.
Don’t compare yourself to others. Everyone has different talents and abilities. It’s OK that you’re not like someone else. Comparison has been called “the thief of joy”. In addition, forgive yourself often.
Spending time with people you love and that love you is necessary for building strong connections and developing a sense of belonging. By devoting time and attention to those who matter most to you, you can create lasting memories, deepen understanding, and strengthen bonds with each other happily.
Get outside for exercise.Nature helps to reduce stress. Exercise and put your health in the first place.
Stay aware of recent events. But don’t spend hours consuming news, which usually includes negative stories and events.
Since happiness is a choice, why not choose it? Life will look brighter filled with love and joy!
| A．You are not perfect. |
| B．Invest in your relationships. |
| C．Determine happiness through actions. |
| D．You could perhaps lead a happier life and feel more satisfied. |
| E．But even if you’re not usually a happy person, you can change that. |
| F．People who get up and move are usually happier than those who don’t. |
| G．The Internet is full of people who look beautiful and seem to lead exciting lives. |
9 . A new study, led by Dr. Rebecca Stone, has shown that children as young as four years old eat 79% more calories when they are bored, compared to when they are in a normal mood (情绪) .
The researchers have explored the behaviors that make children more likely to eat when they experience negative emotions. Often when children experience bad emotions such as boredom or sadness, caring adults will use food to soothe them. However, this behavior, known as emotional feeding, appears to increase the possibility of children eating more when they are in low spirits. As time passes, too many calories intake will have a significant effect on children’s health both mentally and physically.
Dr. Stone stresses that the experience of boredom is important in the development of children’s sense of self and creativity, so she does not recommend that children should avoid being bored. Instead, she suggests children learn to experience boredom without turning to food. She also suggests that parents turn their children’s attention away from food when they feel bored, or restructure the home food environment to make it less likely that children turn to food in response to being bored.
While there do appear to be individual differences between children in terms of their eating when bored, it is helpful to know that the feeding practices that adults use around food might shape the likelihood of this happening. Although it is attractive to use food as a tool to help children, emotional feeding might lead to greater emotional eating in the future. It is important for parents and caregivers to be aware that this short-term fix could create future problems.
It is hoped that, on the original basis of the study, the team will deeply explore other negative mood states in children and offer advice and support for families to find more effective ways to manage challenges around children eating behavior.
1. What does the research focus on?| A．How children form good living habits. | B．How children face challenges in life. |
| C．How boredom impacts on children eating. | D．How parents bring up their children. |
| A．Ignore. | B．Comfort. | C．Excuse. | D．Control. |
| A．It makes children lose weight quickly. |
| B．It creates a new home food environment. |
| C．It cannot keep children trusting their parents. |
| D．It may not help handle bad moods in the long run. |
| A．Expectations for further studies. |
| B．The importance of going on a diet. |
| C．The necessity of managing moods. |
| D．Ways to strengthen family relationship. |
10 . Mathea Allansmith isn’t your typical grandmother. She’s the oldest woman in the world to have completed a marathon. She was 92 years 194 days old when she crossed the finish line at the 2022 Honolulu Marathon, setting the record for the oldest female to complete a marathon.
Mathea, now 94, of Koloa, Hawaii, USA, stays in shape all year round by running seven days a week, no matter what the weather is. Come rain or shine, she covers 36 miles every week, even when she’s on holiday. The retired doctor didn’t take up running until she was 46 years old —after a friend suggested running two miles per day.
“The Honolulu Marathon is my favorite marathon mainly because it doesn’t close the gate at a certain time, which allows even the slowest runner to finish the race,” she said. “It’s one of the best races. Fantastic registration (注册), set-up and management make it a joy to run the race.”
Mathea, who doesn’t allow her age to slow her down, thinks she is the happiest person when she’s on the road. She enjoys running for miles and waving and saying hello to the people she passes. To stay in shape, Mathea keeps a steady training routine (惯例) . “I train all year round but increase the mileage 18 weeks before a marathon,” she said.
Mathea said it was her career as a doctor that allowed her to understand how her body and mind respond to diet and exercise. “I see the direct relation between moving and health,” she said. “It is important to reduce stress rather than ignoring it without a plan on how to do so. Of course, exercise of any kind is a natural stress reducer.”
Mathea thought getting through the finish line and winning a Guinness World Record title was the excitement of her life. “My family completely surprised me after the 2022 Honolulu Marathon, in which I achieved the world record, by wearing matching T-shirts stating my achievements,” she said.
1. What do we know about Mathea from the first two paragraphs?| A．She used to be in poor health． |
| B．She is the oldest to win a marathon． |
| C．She runs daily regardless of the weather． |
| D．She was encouraged by her patient to run． |
| A．It gives winners the best awards． |
| B．It provides runners with quality service．． |
| C．It has no time limit for runners to finish． |
| D．It allows runners to set a world record easily． |
| A．Her professional experience． | B．Her training courses． |
| C．Her views on stress in life． | D．Her hobby from young． |
| A．Practice makes perfect． |
| B．Interest is the best teacher． |
| C．Age is no barrier to success． |
| D．Ups and downs make one strong． |
