1 . A few months ago, a friend gifted me a robot sweeper that’s programmed to move around a room and clean as it goes.

When the box arrived, I was afraid the device would detect me and suck up (汲取) data along with the dog hair and dust. But the instructions were easy, and I finally decided not to care.

I powered up the sweeper, watched it leave its docking station to work, and quickly fell in love with my newly shiny floors. I kept shooting its working videos. “I think you’re giving more attention to it than to us,” joked my son.

One day, I returned home and discovered that our front door had blown open and the robot rolled into the yard, trying to clean the flower beds. Even when its brushes were blocked with leaves, bugs and mud, its little wheels bravely kept turning.

The robot acted properly as it was programmed to clean “dirty” things. In a kitchen, dirt can be garden debris (碎片) such as leaves and mud. In a garden, this kind of dirt does not need to be removed. The context is important. The problem for robots is that reading this context is difficult.

This accident inspired me to think more about AI (artificial intelligence). As far as I am concerned, AI is simply well trained and reproduces what it has learned. And it is undeniable that robots are increasingly being given powerful intelligence. Some experts even predict that we will soon see not only AI-enabled robots designed to solve problems according to their instructions, but also those with the ability to judge how they should respond when they are in a different setting.

Maybe this will happen in the near future.

1. What was the author’s concern about the robot sweeper at first?

A．Its after-sales service.	B．Its working efficiency.
C．The privacy of her family.	D．The readability of its instructions.

2. How did the author feel about the robot sweeper after using it?

A．Enthusiastic.

B．Regretful.

C．Uncertain.

D．Cautious.

3. What was the root cause of the accident happening to the robot sweeper?

A．Its program went wrong.	B．It lacked critical thinking.
C．Its wheels were badly designed.	D．It failed to work on rough surfaces.

4. What does the sixth paragraph mainly talk about concerning AI?

A．The accident.	B．Some experts’ thinking.
C．Its appeal to the author.	D．The author’s opinion.

2 . Public Speaking Courses

Complete Public Speaking Masterclass for Every Occasion (Udemy)

If you’re struggling to put yourself out in front of audiences, then joining this Udemy course will be a good decision. In this course, you will be instructed to feel calm and comfortable on stage in front of any number of people while speaking and conveying your message. The comprehensive guide by TJ Walker will help you impress your audience and influence them.

Dynamic Public Speaking Certification (证明) by University of Washington (Coursera)

Available on Coursera, this online course is perfect for people who want to be excellent dynamic speakers. You will be taught by Dr. Matt McGarrity - a principal lecturer at UW Department of Communication. Designed for beginners, it will help you gain many skills, for instance, public speaking, speech, presentation, and communication.

How to Become a World-class Speaker (Mindvalley)

This Mindvalley course is aimed at training people who have no experience of public speaking and just start to set foot in this area. It has already assisted a lot of people in becoming skillful at speaking and spreading their voice. Lisa Nicholas, your communication coach, is regarded as one of the best speechmakers in the world. Within less than two days, you will get insights into how she masters this art.

Effective Communication: Writing, Design, and Presentation (University of Colorado Boulder)

With the help of this course, you can get better at business communication, including presenting your ideas to your coworkers, handling client (客户) calls, and so on. You’ll also learn how to write effective business emails, along with reports and draft presentations. This course is very popular among people who want to quickly fit in with the workplace.

1. How can the Udemy course benefit learners?

A．Allowing them to study at their own pace.

B．Teaching them how to make good life decisions.

C．Helping them overcome the fear of public speaking.

D．Enabling them to hold comprehensive lectures with TJ Walker.

2. What do the Coursera course and the Mindvalley one have in common?

A．They both last for one month.

B．They are targeted at beginners.

C．They are offered by the same university.

D．They train people to be smart speech listeners.

3. Which course will a graduate who is to enter the workplace most probably choose?

A．Dynamic Public Speaking Certification.

B．How to Become a World-class Speaker.

C．Complete Public Speaking Masterclass for Every Occasion.

D．Effective Communication: Writing, Design, and Presentation.

3 . Via Rail

Train Tickets from New York to Washington

Station	Departure	Arrival	Price
Penn Station—Union Station	12:20 am	3:57 am	$19
Penn Station Union Station	4:20 am	8:33 am	$29
Penn Station—Union Station	6:02 am	10:14 pm	$60
Penn Station—Union Station	8:00 am	10:58 am	$70

Discount Policies

Seniors (above 60 years old) can benefit from a 20% discount offered by Via Rail, making it a cost-effective choice for their travel needs.

Luggage(行李) Allowance and Restriction

Via Rail allows passengers to bring up to four pieces of luggage. Carry-on items must not exceed (超过) 50 pounds and checked luggage must not weigh more than 50 pounds per item.

Passengers are allowed to bring bicycles and sports equipment on Via Rail trains.

Food and Drink Service

Via Rail provides food and drink service for purchase, offering a variety of dining options to passengers.

Payment

Via Rail accepts various payment methods, including credit cards, Interac Online, and pre-paid credit cards. It is advisable to check the website for the most up-to-date information on accept able payment methods.

Facilities for Passengers with Special Needs

Via Rail is committed to providing accessibility for all passengers. The trains are equipped with accessible restrooms, seating areas, and boarding assistance for passengers with mobility issues. Additionally, staff members are trained to assist passengers with disabilities to ensure a comfortable travel experience.

E-ticketing

Via Rail offers the option to use the e-ticketing system, allowing passengers to present their ticket on a mobile device without the need for printing.

1. Which train takes the least time?

A．The 12:20 am one.

B．The 4:20 am one.

C．The 6:02 am one.

D．The 8:00 am one.

2. How much should a couple in their seventies pay if they take the 6:02 am train?

A．$60.

B．$96.

C．$112.

D．$120.

3. What can we learn about Via Rail from the text?

A．It serves food and drink for free.	B．It is developing a new e-ticketing system.
C．It doesn’t allow sports equipment on board.	D．It provides convenient access to the disabled.

5 . We tend to think of large cities as melting pots — places where people from all sorts of backgrounds can mix and interact. But according to new research, people in big cities tend to primarily interact with other individuals in the same socioeconomic bracket (阶层), but people in small cities and rural areas are much more likely to have diverse interactions.

The researchers used GPS data collected in 2017 from 9.6 million cellphones across 382 metropolitan (大都市的) areas in the United States to determine how often people of different socioeconomic ranks crossed paths during the day — essentially how many times people had the opportunity to interact, even briefly, with someone in a different income bracket. They collected data on almost 1.6 billion path-crossings.

This large amount of extremely precise data allowed the researchers to see what has been missed by similar studies in the past. People living in the 10 most populous metropolitan areas, which include cities like New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago, along with their surrounding areas, were significantly less likely to interact with people of different socioeconomic ranks than people in metropolitan areas with fewer than 100,000 residents.

The good news is that there are ways to build cities to promote more socioeconomic mixing. Looking at large cities, the researchers found that those that placed frequently-visited hubs (中心) in between different neighborhoods — instead of in the center of each neighborhood — were less separated.

“These big cities have managed to develop diverse interactions because the hubs that people visit the most — which turn out to be shopping centers, squares, and similar places — are between rich and poor neighborhoods,” said Hamed Nilforoshan, a doctoral researcher at Stanford University. “Those hubs act as bridges, allowing people to see each other and interact.”

1. What might be a conclusion of the new research?

A．Urban residents interact more.	B．Large cities act as melting pots.
C．Urbanization leads to different social ranks.	D．Big cities showcase socioeconomic separation.

2. How was the research carried out?

A．By bridging the income brackets.	B．By studying the frequency of interaction.
C．By comparing residents’ behavior patterns.	D．By collecting data on people’s social ranks.

3. What should city planners do to promote socioeconomic mixing?

A．Position the hubs properly.	B．Construct more shopping centers.
C．Control the urban expansion.	D．Design unique residential neighborhoods.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Income Bracket: What to Do with It?	B．Diverse Interactions Count in Big Cities
C．Socioeconomic Separation: How to Fix It?	D．Metropolitan Cities Are Great Melting Pots

6 . When scientists and the public worry about sea level rise, they mostly focus on when and where communities will be permanently flooded. But there’s another consequence of rising seas that will affect many more people much sooner: getting cut off from roads and other critical infrastructure (基础设施). It’s a threat that society has not paid nearly enough attention to, says Allison Reilly, a civil engineer at the University of Maryland.

In a new paper, Reilly and her colleagues show the width and pace of the isolation (隔离) threat. Inspired by her work on the eastern shore of Maryland, where people already need to adjust their travel and work schedules to account for tides that frequently flood roads, Reilly and her colleagues calculated that, with one meter of sea level rise, twice as many people across the coastal United States will be isolated than will be fully flooded.

Worse still, many places currently considered at low risk of sea level rise suddenly become much riskier when isolation is taken into account, Reilly says. While planners know that low-lying Florida will be severely flooded, Maine, with its high rocky coasts, is generally thought to be at low risk. But Reilly’s work shows many Mainers are in great danger of being cut off by flooding in coastal communities and river valleys.

This far more immediate effect of rising seas needs to become part of the broader planning process. That kind of planning is starting to happen around the Chignecto Isthmus, an interprovincial land bridge in Canada, connecting New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The New Brunswick and Nova Scotia governments are considering a variety of plans to raise or replace the dikes (坝). For Ollerhead, a Nova Scotian, that work can’t start soon enough. “It will take a lot of sea level rise before Nova Scotia becomes an island, but you could have a storm that cuts off the major transportation links for days, weeks, or months,” he says. “It’s nearly impossible to predict when, but it will happen eventually.”

1. What is the threat Allison Reilly mentioned in paragraph 1?

A．The rising sea level.	B．Flood-related isolation.
C．Permanent flooded areas.	D．Irreparable infrastructure.

2. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．Conclusions of a new paper.	B．Calculations of collected data.
C．Situations of Eastern Maryland.	D．Influences on coastal United States.

3. Why are Florida and Maine mentioned in paragraph 3?

A．To clarify a point.	B．To offer a solution.
C．To present an assumption.	D．To illustrate a reason.

4. What’s Ollerhead’s attitude toward the governments’ planning?

A．Dismissive.

B．Doubtful.

C．Favorable.

D．Unclear.

7 . My daughter said she wanted to redecorate her room. The thought of tackling a room redecorating project intimidated me, but I knew that following through on helping my girl create a new space for herself would mean a lot to her. So, I worked up my courage.

Together, my daughter and I set a budget for our project, spread paint samples on her wall and calculated how much paint we’d need. And finally deep breath — we started painting. Neither of us had ever painted a room before. After rolling a paint roller across her wall for the first time, my daughter frowned (皱眉) and said, “Maybe we should hire someone to do the painting for us, Mom.”

I couldn’t help wondering if she might be right, but I assured her that if we followed the painting pointers we’d studied and took our time, we could do a fine job. I didn’t want her to miss out on the wonderful feeling of competence that comes from trying something you want to do but fear you might not be able to do.

There had been many times when we’d realized we had been in the wrong way and had to do it again. We had to problem-solve with whoever might help. Finally, we finished the painting. It was not perfect, but the overall effect made my daughter really happy. It was her ideas and work that made all visible.

Thinking about doing such a project with my daughter, it struck me that she got to see me being a rank beginner — messing up and starting over all the way. She watched me looking up answers when I needed them and asking for help when I hit dead ends. Instead of being an authority with all the answers, I learned with her. I showed my daughter what learning looks like, in all its messy glory. That’s definitely the best part I’ll treasure.

1. What does the underlined word “intimidated” in paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．Inspired.

B．Frightened.

C．Reminded.

D．Attracted.

2. Why did the author refuse to hire a painter?

A．To overcome her fear of failure.	B．To keep the project under budget.
C．To show her talent for decoration.	D．To let the kid enjoy the joy of success.

3. What does the author think is the most rewarding part of this redecoration?

A．Being a rank beginner.	B．Being a success in decorating.
C．Being a model learner.	D．Being an authority with all answers.

4. Which of the following best describes the author?

A．Reflective.

B．Enthusiastic.

C．Ambitious.

D．Demanding.

8 . For many of us, it is not easy to feel inspired by the artworks that we see at museums. Here are some tips on how to create that meaningful connection.

Keep an open mind

Once you are in an art museum, try not to have any ideas about what you’re about to see.     1     . You can love it. You can hate it. Just tell yourself that it’s OK.

Draw personal connections to the art

When you see an artwork, just let your mind wander and follow your thought wherever it leads you.     2     . As a result, a deep connection will happen.

    3    

You can increase the chances of finding an art piece you connect with by going to a museum that interests you. If you’re interested in climate change, for example, you may pick a museum that’s showing artworks inspired by Earth conservation.

Really “look at” the art

After you have found an artwork you like, take time to observe it closely. You can take a finger to the air and follow the outline of the figure or the movement of the brushstrokes.     4     .

Keep your museum visit short and focused

Art museums can be huge. So be realistic about how long you can spend at the museum.     5     . After that, it’s hard to stay focused and understand what you’ve seen.

A．Reflect and appreciate

B．You don’t need more than an hour or two

C．Pick a museum that is related to your interests

D．Instead, allow yourself to feel how the art makes you feel

E．The free associations will help create emotional reactions in you

F．Such accompanying activities can help you more deeply appreciate the art

G．Study the subject of the art, which can affect on how you feel about the work

9 . If you spend more than a couple of days in the country of Georgia, you are very likely to be invited to a Georgian feast even by complete strangers. The multi-hour, multi-course feast is one of the most important events in Georgian culture.

A popular Georgian story shows the importance of the feast in Georgian culture. When God created the world, He held a meeting to give the different regions of the world to different cultures. But the Georgians arrived late at the meeting. After they apologized and explained that they’d been holding a feast with a stranger the night before and slept later than they’d meant to, God was so touched and impressed by their honesty that He gave the Georgians the best land of all: the part of earth He was saving for himself.

In order to survive the feasts without offending (冒犯) the hosts, it’s important for you to know a few things about it in advance.

A Georgian feast will likely have a seemingly unlimited number of dishes. So avoid fully cleaning your plate unless you want more servings. Don’t fill up on khachapuri-Georgian cheese bread. There are numerous regional varieties of cheese bread, but khachapuri is the most delicious of all. The cheese bread is usually a heavy lunch on its own, but at feasts it’s often considered a side dish or an appetent. Don’t make the mistake of having more than a few bites—only to discover that the main meal is still coming.

When you drink, follow the lead of the toastmaster, who presents a scries of toasts throughout the evening. Traditionally, drinkers would dry their glass (or, if keeping with tradition, drain their deer’s horn) with every toast. This isn’t always done now. Just remember the important rule: say “cheers” after every toast.

Consider bringing a small gift, such as sweets or flowers, as a gesture of thanks. Avoid bringing more fond, however, which might imply that you don’t think there will be enough on offer.

1. What can be most probably inferred from the story?

A．Georgia is short of natural resources

B．Most of the Georgians are lazy and wasteful.

C．The Georgian people are very honest and friendly.

D．It is important to go to a meeting on time in Georgia.

2. What can we know about khachapuri?

A．It is not a main dish at feasts at all.

B．Georgians usually have it for breakfast.

C．It is one of the unique Georgian drinks.

D．Many regional varieties are based on it.

3. What is the author most likely to suggest visitors do?

A．Drink all the wine every time.

B．Take some small gifts with them.

C．Clean the plate after each serving.

D．Bring some special food to the feast.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Amazing Food History in Georgia

B．Basic Rules of Being a Good Host

C．Bad Manners to Be Avoided at the Table

D．Things to Be Learned About Georgian Feasts

10 . Imagine a school where students are taught by the best teachers in every subject, regardless of locations. Imagine a school where children can go on safe field trips to the Amazon rainforest or Everest base camp. Well, such schools are already being built: in virtual reality(VR).

Last month, Optima Academy Online (OAO) was launched in Florida and started to deliver courses for elementary, middle and high schools and 170 full-time students from all over the state signed up. They used VR headsets for about three hours a day for formal lessons and then do course work independently with digital check-ins.

It is worth watching how such educational experiments develop. Used properly, the VR technology can help students to access learning resources and be connected with fellow students and teachers all over the world. But if employed poorly, it will have the opposite effect and turn a digital inequality into an educational one.

There is growing evidence to suggest that it is happening. In Mexico, according to a survey, only 24% of 15-year-old students in poor schools have access to home computers for schoolwork compared with 87% in rich ones. As reported in another study, some students in northern England have been forced to travel around on the Greater Manchester train network or camp out around McDonald’s to access free WiFi because they cannot do their schoolwork at home.

“VR technologies will be widely used in education. The only questions are: for what purpose and at what speed?” says Beeban Kidron, a member of the UK’s Digital Futures Commission. “The trouble is that they are too often seen as a shiny new toy that will solve all problems and save money rather than being viewed as a means to enrich learning.”

The inescapable truth is that there is nothing that can replace teachers educating students in safe schools—ideally, with access to well-designed technological platforms. Leaving children in their bedrooms with just VR headsets and no physical social interaction with other kids will fill-many of them—and their parents—with horror.

1. What does the author intend to do in paragraph 1?

A．Lead in the subject for discussion.

B．Provide some advice for the readers.

C．Show the advantages of VR headsets.

D．Introduce an unsuccessful online school.

2. Why do those students travel on trains or camp out around McDonald’s?

A．To relax themselves.	B．To enrich their learning.
C．To make their study fun	D．To get free WiFi service.

3. According to Beeban Kidron, VR technologies___________.

A．will replace traditional learning	B．are the future of education
C．will become a very helpful tool	D．are a means to save money

4. Which word can best describe the author’s attitude to OAO?

A．Supportive

B．Disapproving.

C．Doubtful.

D．Unclear.