1 . A number of people hold a positive attitude toward artificial intelligence’s ability to reshape education nowadays. However, many feel such claims are not trustworthy.
Kentaro Toyama, a professor at the University of Michigan School of Information, is one of those doubtful about the idea of using AI in the classroom.
Toyama mentioned a situation he came across while working in an after-school program in digital literacy. He said,“In trying to teach students to use technology, the greatest difficulty in their learning was the technology itself.” As soon as he looked away from the students, they would “very quickly find the most fun games they could find on the computer and start playing them”. That suggests the problem with putting too much faith in AI for teaching. “There is great potential for it to be a distraction,” he said.
Toyama once surveyed a large group of people about their preference for the following educational scenarios (情景): a school with no teachers but powerful AI,one with bad teachers and no computers, one with bad teachers but strong computers, one with good teachers but no computers, one with good teachers and some computers, or one with great teachers and many computers. The result showed that nobody would send their children to a school with powerful AI but no teachers, or one with bad teachers but strong computers. Toyama concluded “Good teachers are what matters; everything else is secondary compared to that.”
Toyama is also concerned that AI and technology may widen the gap between disadvantaged schools and wealthier schools. He said, “The best way to think about technology is that it amplifies (放大) underlying forces. In the case of schools,well-resourced schools will find the best ways to use technology. But if you’re in a school district that is underfunded and parents are not involved, it doesn’t make a difference how good the technology is, and it will not turn that situation around.”
When asked when schools should adopt AI, Toyama suggested that they should wait until the basics are in place, teachers want it, and the technology is proved to have positive educational value.
1. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 3 probably refer to?| A．AI. | B．Faith. | C．Teaching. | D．Computer. |
| A．To stress the key factor in education. |
| B．To recommend his favorite school for parents. |
| C．To compare the differences between Al and teachers. |
| D．To prove that preference for schools varies among people. |
| A．Poor parents are troubled by their money problems. |
| B．AI may completely change teaching and learning one day. |
| C．It is not the right time to put AI to good use in the classroom. |
| D．Teachers and technology are equally important to a school. |
| A．A novel. | B．A report. | C．A textbook. | D．An announcement. |
2 . Our Earth’s oceans contain some of the most valuable resources. As the use of fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions began to rise in popularity, the polluting of the Earth’s oceans did as well, leaving lifelong effects on all of its ecosystems.
Commercial whaling has left several whale species in danger of extinction. The blue whales of the Antarctic have less than one percent of their original numbers. Over 90 percent of plastic isn’t recycled, and a large part of that number finds its way into the ocean and surrounding beaches. The huge amount of plastic damages whales’ existence. Plastic is being eaten by sea life as well as entangling(缠住) them, putting them all at major risk. Without change, our Earth’s oceans will not be able to continue on for much longer.
The Delta Corporation was set up in 1972, later known as Ocean Conservancy. In the beginning years of Ocean Conservancy, its main initiative(倡议) was the Whale Protection Fund. This fund focused on saving the species and protesting against commercial whaling. They gained the support of many.
Ten years later, the International Whaling Commission finally banned commercial whaling. It then changed its focus to not only whales but to seals and sea turtles as well. Though they made great progress with these animals, they came to the conclusion that these animals cannot develop well without a healthy, sustainable environment. The workers of Ocean Conservancy then expanded their focus to the marine ecosystems and habitats.
Ocean Conservancy is one of several organizations working toward a common goal: saving the Earth’s oceans. They have started doing this by creating the Whale Protection movement that still exists. Though they have made significant progress throughout the years, there is still much to be done. Only when the common goal is shared by all groups, governments, and individuals, will real change be made. If successful, the electric bicycle meal program will be spread to all Crowne Plaza hotels in the UK, the hotel said in a statement.
1. What can we know about the plastic from Paragraph 2?| A．Plastic reduces the population of whales to the least. |
| B．Most of plastic ends up in oceans and sandy beaches. |
| C．Plastic has become part of the sea animals’ diet. |
| D．Recycling plastic is still a big challenge. |
| A．A ban on whaling. |
| B．Its improved concept. |
| C．Its great achievement. |
| D．The public support. |
| A．Quite a few organizations have set their own goals. |
| B．The days of Whale Protection movement are numbered. |
| C．Ocean Conservancy’s work isn’t worth the praise. |
| D．Saving the oceans is the shared responsibility of the whole world. |
| A．Ocean Conservancy’s Target and Development |
| B．Ocean Conservancy’s Contribution to Oceans’ Protecting |
| C．A Solution to the Oceans’ Plastic Problems |
| D．A Step Away from a Healthy Ecosystem |
3 . It was not turning out to be the great fishing trip we had imagined. It certainly was not the one Father had promised. All day the rain beat against the roof of our cabin.
Father sat at the window, looking out over the lake. My older brother Jeremy, who had recently turned sixteen years old, lay on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. I paced the room, occasionally glancing toward Father to see if there was any sign that the rain would let up.
“I wish we’d never come out to this boring place,” Jeremy said.
I stopped pacing and looked at Father. He gave no sign that he had heard, and I hoped he hadn’t. This trip meant a lot to him. He used to come out here with own father.
I started pacing again.
“I mean, if we’d stayed home, at least I could watch TV, go out with my friends or play my guitar,” Jeremy continued.
Silence continued for some time. I kept pacing, imagining the trip I had dreamed of before the bad weather had set in. I saw us in the boat, anchor dropped in a calm bay casting our lines toward shore, the way Father had described it when he was trying to convince Jeremy to come along.
Father stood up and turned to face us. He smiled at me. “Come on, get up, Jeremy,” he said. “Let’s go fishing, boys.” He picked up his fishing rod and the tool box, opened the door, and walked out into the rain.
Jeremy and I watched Father walk down the pathway toward the dock (码头)，the wind whipping (打) at his hair,the rain wetting his clothes. Jeremy shook his head. “He's crazy if he thinks I’m going with him,” he said. “Maybe I would have when I was a little kid, but not now,” he said.
I waited for a while, unsure of what to do, looking out the open door at Father, who was walking onto the dock, facing against the storm. Jeremy couldn’t believe I picked up my rod and walked out into the storm after Father. I couldn’t quite hear what Jeremy said because of the wind in my ears, but I heard his footsteps behind me as he began to follow me out to the boat.
1. What does the underlined phrase “let up” in Paragraph 2 mean?| A．Stop. | B．Continue. | C．Hit. | D．Arrive. |
| A．He had never fished in the rain. |
| B．It’s his son Jeremy’s first fishing trip. |
| C．He and his own father usually went fishing there. |
| D．He wanted to have a better relationship with his sons. |
| A．He doesn’t enjoy fishing. |
| B．He dislikes outdoor activities. |
| C．He is addicted to playing the guitar. |
| D．He showed no interest in the fishing trip. |
| A．To express the fondness for a particular day. |
| B．To describe a fishing experience in the rain. |
| C．To reflect on the old family tradition of fishing. |
| D．To recall the generation gap between father and brother. |
4 . A pile of homework can seem frightening, but it can be done if you make a plan. Here are some tips to help you.
Create a checklist of the tasks you have. Before diving in, make a list of all the things you need to do for your homework.
Solve the hardest homework first. Your first thought might be to put off the most difficult homework. If you get the hard stuff out of the way when you’re most alert, however,it will be easier to get through the rest of the pile.
Ask for help if you get stuck. If you come to a part of your homework that you don’t know how to do, ask a family member to help you.
Make a homework schedule.
| A．Establish a study group. |
| B．Take a break now and then. |
| C．That way, you won’t get discouraged. |
| D．As you complete each task, cross it off your list. |
| E．Try to do your homework at the same time each day. |
| F．Write down all the reasons why you really need to do your homework. |
| G．Make a plan to finish your work bit by bit, saving the easiest tasks for last. |
5 . If you're planning on hitting up a festival this summer, make sure you check out the latest packing guide to camping music festivals.
Quebec City Summer Festival
When: July 4-14
Where: Toronto, Quebec
300 shows, 10 places and 11 days of music make this festival one of Canada's biggest music festivals. Every year, this festival attracts over one million festivalgoers to Quebec City's historic district for concerts by international superstars and top new talents.
Center of Gravity
When: July 28-30
Where: Kelowna, British Columbia
Canada's hottest beach festival is back! Now in its 10th year, the biggest and exciting festival to hit the Okanagan includes three days packed with extreme sports, sandy beaches, and some of the biggest DJ names in the world.
Future Forest
When: August 5-7
Where: Fredericton, New Brunswick
Future Forest is an outdoor camping festival with a focus on electronic music. The festival originated in 2012 as a fundraiser for a brilliant DJ, Jay Hamilton, who was diagnosed with cancer. Future Forest proudly shows the idea that there are no audience at the event but rather participants who in some way contribute to the overall experience.
Shambhala Music Festival
When: August 9-10
Where: Salmo River Ranch, British Columbia
This is Canada's earliest electronic music festival. Cutting edge talent, lights and sound come together to give life to this event. Seeing it for yourself is the only way to understand exactly what is Shambhala.
1. What can people do in the Quebec City Summer Festival?| A．Enjoy the performances of superstars. | B．Learn about Quebec City's history. |
| C．Do some extreme sports. | D．Play on the sandy beaches. |
| A．To honor brilliant Jay Hamilton. | B．To raise money for a cancer patient. |
| C．To provide outdoor camping activities. | D．To promote electronic music. |
| A．Quebec City Summer Festival. | B．Center of Gravity. |
| C．Future Forest. | D．Shambhala Music Festival. |
