1 . Last Friday, a special event took place at the National Theater of Korea. A robot called EveR 6 led an orchestra in a performance of Korean music. Robots have led orchestras in other countries, but this was the first time in Korea.
EveR 6 is a robot built by the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH). EveR 6 has joints in its neck, shoulders, elbows, and wrists. As a result, it can move its arms quickly and smoothly in many different directions. But EveR 6 doesn’t think on its own like some Artificial Intelligence (AI) programs. Instead, it has a limited group of movements that it has been trained to perform. EveR 6’s movements are based on movements “captured” from real human conductors.
In Friday’s performance, the National Orchestra of Korea presented a concert titled “Absence”. The concert included five different pieces of music. Two were conducted by EveR 6, and two were conducted by Soo-Yeoul Choi, who led the Busan Philharmonic Orchestra. Both conductors worked together on the final piece.
Mr. Choi was impressed with the way EveR 6 moved. But the robot’s greatest weakness is that it can’t hear. “Some people think that conducting is just a combination of hand waving and keeping the beat,” says Mr. Choi. But a good conductor needs to listen to the orchestra so that he or she can correct and encourage the orchestra as it plays.
Mr. Choi said that once EveR 6 started, the musicians had “no choice but to follow its beats.” He said this created a situation where “the performers have to communicate with each other to follow the right beats.” Mr. Choi doesn’t think robots are likely to replace human conductors. However, he believes robots could be helpful in situations like practice sessions where the same thing needs to be repeated many times.
1. What can we learn about EveR 6?| A．It is trained by human conductors. | B．It can wave its arms smoothly. |
| C．It has performed in Korea many times. | D．It is more advanced than other AI programs. |
| A．EveR 6. | B．Mr. Choi. | C．EveR 6 and Mr. Choi. | D．Nobody |
| A．It cannot hear and respond to the orchestra. |
| B．It has difficulty capturing humans’ movements. |
| C．It cannot beat time with its fingers. |
| D．It doesn’t have human-like facial expressions. |
| A．Unworkable. | B．Hard-to-use | C．Time-saving. | D．Useful. |
| A．EveR 6 brings conducting a bright future. | B．Korean robot conducts orchestra. |
| C．The war between robots and musicians is on. | D．AI robots create music and perform it on stage. |
2 . Here is a selection of books offering poems that range from being funny to being educational.
Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright!By Fiona Waters. Illustrated by Britta Teckentrup.
Containing a different poem for each day of the year, this beautiful book brings together a various selection of poetry inspired by the animal kingdom. There are old and new poems from all over the world, by poets including Lewis Carroll and Grace Nichols—as well as lots of attractive artwork.
Dear Ugly SistersBy Laura Mucha. Illustrated by Tania Rex.
The first collection from exciting new poet Laura Mucha explores all sorts of topics, such as science, space and classic fairy tales. Other poems are inspired by events that affect us today, such as Dear Key Workers, which praises those who have helped us all during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Book of Not Entirely Useful AdviceBy A. F. Harrold. Illustrated by Mini Grey.
There are all kinds of unexpected advice in this funny poetry book, whether you want to know about lively castles, breakfast or parrots. Bringing together lots of impressive poems by A. F. Harrold, it's also filled with fun illustrations by Mini Grey.
On the MoveBy Michael Rosen. Illustrated by Quentin Blake.
Two former Children's Laureates have joined forces to create this book. Michael Rosen has taken inspiration from his childhood and family history, as well as stories of migration from all over the world, to create poems that will leave you with lots to think about.
1. If you are passionate about animals, which book can you read?| A．Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright! | B．Dear Ugly Sisters |
| C．The Book of Not Entirely Useful Advice | D．On the Move |
| A．Kindness during tough times. | B．Unexpected advice. |
| C．Difficulties of migration. | D．Science and technology. |
| A．Fiona Waters. | B．Laura Mucha. | C．A. F. Harrold. | D．Michael Rosen. |
| A．The animal kingdom. | B．Stories of migration. |
| C．Classic fairy tales. | D．Lively castles. |
| A．They are all poetry books. | B．They all include various topics. |
| C．They are all designed for children only. | D．They are all inspired by the animal kingdom. |
3 . Deanna Jump made headlines when it was announced she’d brought in a million dollars selling her lesson plans online. Despite the windfall, Jump, has no plans to quit the work she considers her calling. She spoke with us about her secrets for creating units that kids and fellow teachers can’t resist.
How did you get the idea of selling your work online?
Deanna Jump: I’ve always created my own activities and units, and I’ve always shared them with my fellow teachers. A few years ago, one of my team members said, “Your stuff is so good. You’ve got to put it on Teachers Pay Teachers.” I got started. The first year, my sales were really slow with about $300. But I thought that was great.
How has the income changed your life?
DJ: Teachers in America don’t make a lot of money, so I really consider it a blessing. I have a brother who’s a quadriplegic (四肢瘫痪的人). For about 13 years, he was stuck at home unless he had a doctor’s appointment. With my first big check, we bought a van so our mother could take him around. I also give some to my community. But I still drive a Kia. I still live in the same house.
What advice would you give fellow teachers who might want to sell their lessons?
DJ: Stay true to yourself. My teaching style is reflected in my units. I don’t try to say, “Okay, how would this teacher over here do it?” and try to create something for her. Also, be a teacher first, and a seller second. Be careful to make sure that you don’t say, “Oh, my goodness, I haven’t put anything out for two months. I need to get something out.” I never think like that. I create things with my students in mind.
1. Deanna Jump’s lesson plans ______.| A．brought her great fame | B．were put online by her colleague |
| C．sold well as soon as they were put online | D．were created with the help of her colleagues |
| A．other teachers are in need of it | B．it’s successful in her classroom |
| C．it’s expected to be a good seller | D．she adopts a new teaching style |
| A．To tell how to create lesson plans. | B．To discuss Deanna Jump’s teaching style. |
| C．To show the secret for being a great teacher. | D．To offer more information about a million-dollar teacher. |
Rembrandt Harmenszoon was born in the Netherlands in the city of Leiden. There were six children in his family. His parents wanted him to get a good education and provided opportunities for him to study with successful painters. Among them was the famous painter, Pieter Lastman in Amsterdam.
Rembrandt was very talented and studied with Lastman for six months and then moved back to Leiden and began to teach other artists even though he was only 22 years old.
Sometimes he used members of his family as models. His father was the subject of Bearded Man in Furred Oriental Cape and Robe. His son Titus is seen in Titus at His Desk, and Prodigal Son in the Tavern features Rembrandt and his wife Saskia.
One of his most famous paintings is Nightwatch which shows a group of men in their military uniforms. A war had recently ended in the country and the men were dressed up for a military practice. Nightwatch was a controversial(有争议的) piece. Some of the people in the painting were not pleased with the results because they did not have a prominent(突出的) place in the picture. When Rembrandt painted it, the colors were bright, but it became clouded with smoke and dirt and eventually became known as Nightwatch. In this painting we see Rembrandt’s use of light and shadow which makes his work so distinctive.
This great Dutch artist was very productive and popular with people. He enjoyed painting pictures of Bible characters and scenes of Bible stories. During his lifetime he produced over 600 paintings. You can see his paintings in museums and galleries all over the world today.
1. When did Rembrandt begin to teach other artists? (no more than 8 words)2. Who in Rembrandt’s family appeared in his paintings according to Paragraph 3? (no more than 10 words)
3. What makes Rembrandt’s work Nightwatch very distinctive? (no more than 10 words)
4. What does the author want to tell us about Rembrandt in the last paragraph? (no more than 7 words)
5. What are you interested in? And why? (no more than 20 words)
5 . Every small child knows the panic of losing sight of its mother in the supermarket, and as the pictures show, small whales obviously feel the same way.
Taken by a British diver who was following the sperm whale(抹香鲸) calf, they show the minute the baby -- who had lost track of its mum -- found her again in the sea off the Azores .
Jumping 30 ft across the waves, the newborn slammed(猛力推) its body onto the water with joy after becoming separated from its family group in the cold waters.
But the whale calf was doing more than just jumping for joy.
Justin Hart, who took the pictures, said that young whales communicate with older ones in the ocean by creating a slamming sound which travels through the water to the ears of the adults deep below.
By jumping out of the water and slamming its 12ft long body onto the surface of the sea up to 30 times, the baby whale is telling its relatives where it is so they can regroup.
He said, ‘Sperm whales, of all the whales and dolphins, are the species that div e the deepest and for the longest time.
‘The calves have to follow what’s going on below them from the surface -- probably listening to the echo location(回声定位) clicks of the adults.
‘However sometimes the adults re-surface far out of sight of the calf, and in this situation the whales often jump out of the water causing a large bang as their bodies hit the surface. In this way, whale family can regroup.’
Sperm whales live in nearly all the world’s oceans in groups of about 15 to 20 animals and they practice communal(集体的) childcare. The calves do not have to follow their mother too closely as a sperm whale calf can take milk from any milk-producing female in its social group.
1. The underlined word“they”in Paragraph 2 probably refers to ______.| A．the whales | B．the divers |
| C．the photos | D．the mothers |
| A．found its family with his help |
| B．suffered a lot in the cold waters |
| C．lost contact with its family for days |
| D．slammed as a means of communication |
| A．The young are independent. |
| B．They are highly social animals. |
| C．They tend to live in warm sea waters. |
| D．Females take turns to care for babies. |
6 . For many years, I wanted to be a music video director. After graduating from high school, I moved to Los Angeles. I earned a degree in video production there. Fortune smiled upon me as I quickly worked as a production helper. I was young and ambitious, doing my best in my dream work.
One day, I worked as a volunteer at an award show. A production manager talked with me and said that I was going to be a “big fish” one day. I was praised, but frightened. I wasn’t sure whether I could bear the pressure of being a “big fish”. Not too long after the show, I was laid off from my position at the production company. I went back home to Florida to think about my next career move.
In Florida, I found a job in a financial company. The pay was good, and the work was not difficult. But a few months later, my creative spirit sent an SOS to my brain. It reminded me that I wasn’t making the best use of my talents. I didn’t have the money to make another cross-country move back to Los Angeles, but I couldn’t wait to create something.
I did some creative writing during my spare time. To motivate myself even further, I promised myself a children’s storybook. My goal didn’t end there, however. I also decided to get the book published. It was not easy, and I continued sending out my work for nearly four years. Finally my work attracted the interest of a publisher.
When I held a copy of my beautiful children’s book in my hands, I felt really happy from the bottom of my heart. I may not have become a big fish, but I did achieve a goal. Success comes from efforts. When you have something to fight for, you’re not far from success.
1. The author went to Los Angeles to ______.| A．find a high-paid job | B．reach for her dream |
| C．visit a famous film director | D．take part in volunteer activities |
| A．Proud. | B．Happy. | C．Uncertain. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．It lacks challenges. | B．It requires a higher degree. |
| C．It often takes up her free time. | D．It can hardly support her family. |
| A．She set herself to work on a new goal. | B．She was moved by her children’s words. |
| C．She was attracted by a picture storybook. | D．She planned to leave for Los Angeles some day. |
| A．To make a cross-country move. | B．To break our old working habits. |
| C．To try hard to improve our writing skills. | D．To make every effort to achieve our goals. |
7 . Cool places to stay for cycling adventures
From its dusty eastern reaches to its river valleys and lava flows, Oregon attracts adventure-hungry bicyclists. And the Oregon Scenic Bikeways program makes it easy to explore. So point your wheels down one of these routes chosen to highlight a variety of landscapes, skill levels and distances.
Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway
It’s exciting: riding past fields of world-class hops, rolling along hills dotted with rows of wine grapes, leaning your bike outside a small cafe at a rural crossroads for a strong cup of coffee. The bounty of Oregon is on full display as you cycle the nation’s first scenic bikeway, 134 miles down a river valley snaking between the Coast Range and Cascade Range.
Old West Scenic Bikeway
The 174-mile Old West Scenic Bikeway weaves through rangeland, along rushing rivers and toward an unending desert. And around these parts, folks are known for their put-your-feet-up hospitality.
Cascade Siskiyou Scenic Bikeway
This 55-mile route starts and ends in Ashland and includes 5,000 feet of climbing. From town, you climb through tropical grassland into deep forests. Stay in Ashland. Or turn the ride into an overnight ride and stay in a cabin in the woods.
McKenzie Pass Scenic Bikeway
This 38-mile route climbs through a forest to a 65-square-mile lava flow with 360-degree views of the Cascadian Volcanoes. The 25-mile, 4,000-foot descent to the McKenzie River has brake-burning turns through the forest.
Professional tip: The McKenzie Highway is closed during the winter, but for several weeks before it opens to cars in the spring, the road is only managed for non-motorized use.
1. Which is the first scenic bikeway in the USA?| A．Old West Scenic Bikeway. | B．McKenzie Pass Scenic Bikeway. |
| C．Cascade Siskiyou Scenic Bikeway. | D．Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway. |
| A．It is the shortest but full of stories. |
| B．It is located beside the Cascadian Volcanoes. |
| C．It offers bicyclists desert scenery. |
| D．It discourages riders because of unfriendly locals. |
| A．In Ashland or the woods. | B．In the desert. |
| C．In fields or a small cafe. | D．In a forest. |
| A．It is easy for bicyclists of all levels. | B．It is inaccessible by car in spring. |
| C．It is closed during the winter. | D．It is famous for cabins in the woods. |
| A．To attract members for a cycling club. | B．To introduce four cycling routes in Oregon. |
| C．To point out the importance of cycling. | D．To encourage people to take cycling adventures. |
8 . Trees should only be pruned (修剪) when there is a good and clear reason for doing so and, fortunately, the number of such reasons is small. Pruning involves the cutting away of overgrown and unwanted branches, and the inexperienced gardener can be encouraged by the thought that more damage results from doing it unnecessarily than from leaving the tree to grow in its own way.
First, pruning may be done to make sure that trees have a desired shape or size. The object may be to get a tree of the right height, and at the same time to help the growth of small side branches which will thicken its appearance or give it a special shape. Secondly, pruning may be done to make the tree healthier. You may cut diseased or dead wood, or branches that are rubbing against each other and thus cause wounds. The health of a tree may be encouraged by removing branches that are blocking up the centre and so preventing the free movement of air.
One result of pruning is that an open wound is left on the tree and this provides an easy entry for disease, but it is a wound that will heal. Often there is a race between the healing and the disease as to whether the tree will live or die, so that there is a period when the tree is at risk. It should be the aim of every gardener to reduce that risk of death as far as possible. It is important to make the area, which has been pruned, smooth and clean, for healing will be slowed down by roughness. You should allow the cut surface to dry for a few hours and then paint it with one of the substances available from garden shops produced especially for this purpose. Pruning is usually done in winter, for then you can see the shape of the tree clearly without interference from the leaves and also it is very unlikely that the cuts you make will bleed. If this does happen, it is, of course, impossible to paint them properly.
1. Why should pruning be done?| A．To make the tree grow taller. | B．To improve the shape of the tree. |
| C．To get rid of the small branches. | D．To make the small branches thicker. |
| A．gives a tree a special shape and a definite height |
| B．removes small side branches and makes a tree look less thick |
| C．allows too many branches to grow in the middle |
| D．has a tree surrounded by many other trees |
| A．To prevent disease entering a wound. | B．To cover a rough surface. |
| C．To make a wound smooth. | D．To help a wound to dry. |
| A．The author tends to favor pruning frequently. | B．It’s easy to find a reason to prune trees. |
| C．Pruning trees properly is not easy. | D．Pruned trees will always grow taller. |
| A．Discussing different methods of pruning. |
| B．Introducing some potential risks of pruning a tree. |
| C．Explaining how trees develop disease. |
| D．Giving practical instructions for pruning a tree. |
9 . Best Education Apps for Android
SoloLearn
Price: Free
SoloLearn has tons of education courses on computer programming. All of them teach you a computer language. There is a range of languages available, including Python, Java, C++ and even JavaScrip. If you’re into computer programming at all, you should look into these.
Quizlet
Price: Free
Quizlet is considered the best flashcards app out there. You can use it for almost any topic. You can practice memorizing vocabulary terms, and more. It also includes foreign language support, images and audio, and you can share flashcards with friends.
EdX
Price: Free
EdX offers courses from actual colleges, including computer programming engineering, history, psychology, and hundreds of others. It features online o offline video lectures, course announcements and handouts, and various tutorials Anyone looking for higher education should have this app right now.
Khan Academy
Price: Free
Khan Academy is another education platform. It currently has over 10,000instructional videos, classes, and other content. It deals with more typical education such as mathematics, economics, history, science, and more. There is also a version specifically for younger kids and we highly recommend that one as well.
If we missed any of the best education apps for Android, tell us about them in the comments. You can find our latest app lists by clicking here.
1. What type of courses does SoloLearn offer?| A．Educational theories. | B．Computer programming. |
| C．Foreign languages. | D．Applied Mathematics. |
| A．SoloLearn. | B．Quizlet. | C．EdX. | D．Khan Academy. |
| A．They attract computer lovers’ interests. | B．They are designed for younger kids. |
| C．They cover a wide range of subjects. | D．They are targeted at higher education. |
| A．EdX. | B．Quizlet. | C．SoloLearn. | D．Khan Academy. |
| A．An educational journal. | B．An advertisement. | C．A travel guide. | D．A website. |
10 . It is said that most people have no more than 30 friends at any given time, and 400 over the whole of their lives. However, on social networking sites, most users have about 150 friends. If these numbers are correct, then friendship means different things in different situations.
Also, there are no rules about friendship. There are no instructions about how to make friends, how to keep friendships going, and how to finish friendships if we want to move on. People have very different opinions about this: some people would die for their friends and they value them more than family. Others say that friends are temporary, only there to help each other until they are no longer needed. If people with such different views become friends, this can lead to problems.
Because of these different definitions of friendship, it is easy to be unhappy about our friendships. We may want them to be deeper or closer, or we may want to have more friends in our lives. Sometimes we simply do not have the time to develop our friendships, or we fear we have left it too late in life to start. If we move to another country or city, we have to find ways to make new friends again.
This dissatisfaction shows us how important friendships are for most of us. We should not think that it could be too late to build friendships. We also need to understand that the need to be around other people is one that is shared by many. Therefore, we should not be too frightened about starting to talk to people who in the future may become our friends: it is likely that they too would like to get closer to us. Remember what people say: strangers are friends we have not met yet.
1. According to the text, how many friends do the majority of people probably have?| A．Over 400 friends in their whole lives. | B．30 friends or fewer at a certain stage. |
| C．400 Internet friends in their whole lives. | D．150 Internet friends at a certain stage. |
| A．There is a rule about making friends. |
| B．People with different views can become friends. |
| C．Friendships mean different things to different people. |
| D．Some people would die for their friends if they need to. |
| A．they fear that there may be problems | B．they think they are too old to make friends |
| C．they think that they have too many friends | D．they spend too much time with friends |
| A．need to be with others | B．build friendships late in life |
| C．are dissatisfied with our friends | D．are frightened to talk to strangers |
| A．Uninterested. | B．Cautious. | C．Doubtful. | D．Positive. |
