1 . If you need to give a speech in elementary school, high school, college, or university, it helps to practice as possible as you can.
Talk about what you know. If possible, choose a topic for your speech or presentation (演讲) that you know a lot about and love.
Grab the audience’s attention. Most of your fellow classmates will pay attention for at least the first 20 seconds.
| A．Concentrate on your message. |
| B．Tell someone about your anxiety. |
| C．Focus on one central theme and your classmates will learn more. |
| D．Even great speakers practice their speeches beforehand. |
| E．Therefore, grab their attention during those early moments. |
| F．Take the time to watch other speakers who are good at what they do. |
| G．Your passion for the topic will be felt by the audience. |
2 . MIT researchers is working on a new machine learning system which can help robots understand and perform certain social interactions. The system is expected to enable robots to understand what it means to help one another, and to learn to perform these social behaviors on their own. In a simulated environment, a robot watches its companion, guesses what task it wants to accomplish, and then helps this other robot based on its own goals.
Enabling robots to exhibit social skills could lead to smoother and more positive human-robot interactions. For example, a robot in an assisted living facility could use these capabilities to help create a more caring environment for elderly individuals.
“ Robots will live in our world soon enough, and they really need to learn how to communicate with us on human terms. They need to understand when it is time for them to help and when it is time for them to see what they can do to prevent something from happening. This is very early work and we are just scratching the surface, but I feel like this is the first very serious attempt for understanding what it means for humans and machines to interact socially, ” says Boris Katz, principal research scientist.
“ I think this is a lovely application of structured reasoning to a complex yet urgent challenge, ” says Tomer Ullman, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University, who was not involved with this research. “ Even young infants seem to understand social interactions like helping, but we don’t yet have machines that can perform this reasoning at anything like human-level flexibility. I believe models like the ones proposed in this work are a good step in the right direction. ”
1. According to the passage, what is true about the machine-learning system?| A．It has gone through a series of tests before it is ready to use. |
| B．It promotes social interactions between human and robots. |
| C．It aims at teaching robots how to perform social behaviors. |
| D．It enables robots to communicate with human being freely. |
| A．the research is still in its initial stage | B．the research is coming to an end |
| C．the research has worked out as planned | D．the research has been taken seriously |
| A．He is disappointed with the progress of the research. |
| B．He is uncertain about the following challenges. |
| C．He is optimistic about the future of the research. |
| D．He is indifferent to what the research will achieve. |
| A．a science fiction | B．a study guide |
| C．a tourist brochure | D．a science magazine |
3 . There may be a reason why astronauts are crazy about the view from space but never mention the food. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station must drink meals out of a plastic squeeze-bag because of zero gravity. Food in space can only be reheated instead of being cooked fresh. Besides, meals for each crew member must be stored in advance and eaten in order. All of this may sound a little difficult to accept.
Therefore, it was one small step for interstellar (星际的) cuisine when U. S. astronaut Megan McArthur recently posted photos of herself holding a pancakes stuffed with beef, tomatoes and a fresh hatch chilli (红番椒) grown aboard the International Space Station itself.
“Best space pancakes yet,” she shared online.
Pesquet, a French astronaut, posted on Instagram, “It is such a joy to grow (and eat) your own food, and necessary for further exploration of our Solar System.” It seems there is a suitcase-sized space garden aboard the ISS (International Space Station) that holds about six “pillows” stuffed with clay and fertilizer, and a LED light. Astronauts have grown several kinds of vegetables including Chinese cabbage and red Russian kale (羽衣甘蓝) in this micro-plot, to test which plants might grow best during a long space voyage.
We called Melva Aguirre, who owns the Pepper Pot in Hatch, N. M., home of hatch chilli. She says the harvest of their famous local crop in outer space is the talk of the town. “Now the whole universe knows how great our chilli are,” she said. When I asked if she could recommend a hatch chilli recipe, Aguirre told me, “Just stuff it.” “Stuff it?” I asked, and she laughed and said, “I mean, in your mouth.” A recipe even I can follow.
1. From the first paragraph, we can know that ________ .| A．Astronauts are crazy about the food they eat in the space station |
| B．The food in the space station can be cooked in various ways |
| C．Astronauts aboard the space station can’t have meals as they wish |
| D．Astronauts don’t care about what they eat in the space station |
| A．Subscribed. | B．Filled. | C．Poured. | D．Revealed. |
| A．kill the spare minutes | B．entertain themselves during the voyage |
| C．explore the universe | D．test for the plants growing best |
| A．Challenges Astronauts Face in Space. |
| B．The Best Food Ever for Space Voyages. |
| C．Fine Dining on the International Space Station. |
| D．The Constant Steps of Human’s Space Exploration. |
4 . It was a cool early morning of the winter season. I was excited to start my morning walk. Every day I promised myself that I would start ‘ walking exercise ’ but it never happened. I saw so many people were engaged in this amazing habit but I could never push myself. So that day I was determined to take the golden opportunity!
I got everything ready， my shoes, socks, hand glove, and jacket, etc from the previous night. I didn’t know why 1 felt as if I were going to do some expedition (探险)! I was ready and started walking on the lonely road. The outside temperature seemed to be below 18 degrees. But I enjoyed the fresh air. Probably that day I was the only one who was walking on the road at that time. I think I was too early but anyhow I loved it!
After a few yards were covered, I felt delighted! Huge banyan trees (菩提树) were on both the roadsides. It was so calm and quiet all around except randomly the chirping (鸟鸣) sound of the little birds was repeated in the air. On one side of the road, a small pond was there. Since it was my first walking exercise, I thought to take a little rest just near the bank of the river and then continue. The sun was moving closer to the horizon scattering colors to the sky.
As the sky started shining brightly with beautiful yellow and red light like every day before the sunrise, I left that place and ended my journey furthermore. I thought to myself that the next day I would increase my exercise a little more. I turned and leisurely walked down towards my home.
1. What kind of person is the author according to the first paragraph?| A．A bit lazy. | B．Quite smart. |
| C．Very easygoing. | D．Challenge-loving. |
| A．Because the road was far away from the city. |
| B．Because no one took interest in walking here. |
| C．Because the expedition was very dangerous. |
| D．Because it was still too early in the morning. |
| A．To lead in the main topic. |
| B．To show the joys of morning walking. |
| C．To persuade readers to take walking exercise. |
| D．To prove that the author wasn’t ready for the exercise. |
| A．To take a different walking route. | B．To stay at home and get some rest. |
| C．To increase his walking exercise. | D．To go camping by the lake. |
5 . China’s long history has seen many scientists making great contributions to the development of ancient China and even the world. We have selected several greatest scientists in ancient China and hope to help you learn more about Chinese science and technology.
Zhang Zhongjing (150-219) was a Chinese physician in Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD). He founded medication principles and summarized the medicinal experience before his time. His famous work “ Shang Han Za Bing Lun ” had a major influence on the practice of traditional Chinese medicine. Today, this great book was still considered very important in the practice of Chinese medicine.
Li Daoyuan (AD 427 or 469-527) was a great Chinese geographer during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534). He wrote the famous work “ Commentary to the River Classic ” (Shui Jing Zhu). The book is a great work on the ancient geography of China and it sums up China’s geography and its surrounding areas before Northern Wei Dynasty.
Sun Simiao was an outstanding medical scientist in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). He was called “ China’s King of Medicine ” for his important contributions to Chinese traditional medicine. Sun authored two books — “Qian Jin Yao Fang” and “Qian Jin Yi Fang” that were both landmarks in Chinese medicine history.
Shen Kuo was a great Chinese scientist and politician of the Song Dynasty (960-1279). He compiled (汇编) an scientific work “Dream Pool Essays”, which involves a lot descriptions about the animals and plants in the country. Shen also first described the magnetic needle compass, which would be used for navigation (航行). His discovery of concept of true north towards the north pole was four hundred years earlier than Europe.
| A．encourage readers to learn from these great scientists |
| B．explain what contributes to the development of ancient China |
| C．broaden readers’ horizons on Chinese science and technology |
| D．introduce the great medical contributions Chinese scientists made |
| A．Zhang Zhongjing’s | B．Li Daoyuan’s | C．Sun Simiao’s | D．Shen Kuo’s |
| A．He was a Chinese physician in Han Dynasty. |
| B．He worked on the ancient geography of China. |
| C．He was regarded as “China’s King of Medicine”. |
| D．He described the animals and plants a lot in his work. |
6 . The human body has developed its millions of nerves (神经) to get to know what goes on both inside and outside of it. This helps us live with the outside world. Without our nerves and our brain, which is a system of nerves, we couldn’t know what’s happening. But we pay for our sensitivity. We can feel pain when the slightest thing is wrong with any part of our body. The history of torture (折磨) is based on the human body being open to pain.
But there is a way to deal with pain. Look at the Indian fakir (苦行僧) who sits on a bed of nails (钉子). They seem to feel no pain. This ability that some humans have developed to treat pain should give us ideas about how the mind can deal with pain.
The big thing in putting up with pain is our attitude toward it. If the dentist says, “This will hurt a little,” it helps us to accept the pain. By staying relaxed, and by treating the pain as an interesting sensation, we can handle the pain without falling apart. After all, although pain is an unpleasant sensation, it is still a sensation, and sensations are important parts of life.
1. What does the writer mean by saying “But we pay for our sensitivity.” in the first paragraph?| A．We suffer from our sense of feeling. |
| B．We have to take care of our sense of pain. |
| C．We should try hard to stop pain. |
| D．We are hurt when we feel pain. |
| A．fakirs have magic power |
| B．people can learn to deal with pain |
| C．Indians are not afraid of pain |
| D．some people are born without a sense of pain |
| A．Their birthplace. | B．Their interest. |
| C．Their attitude. | D．Their nerves. |
| A．magic power is big thing for reducing pain |
| B．pain should be avoided at all costs |
| C．feeling pain can be an interesting thing |
| D．feeling pain is part of our life |
7 . People celebrate World Environment Day (WED) in many different ways all over the world. Each year WED has a new theme to focus on. Past themes include “Children and the Environment” for 1990 , “Go wild for life” for 2016 , aiming to reduce and prevent the illegal trade in wildlife, “Beat Plastic Pollution” for 2018, “Only One Earth”, which was used in 1974, the starting year, and so on.
The first World Environment Day
The first WED was celebrated in the city of Spokane in the USA. With the theme about our planet, it was celebrated with the world’s first world fair to be devoted to the environment.
The hosts
The WED has been hosted by 36 different cities in nearly 30 different countries, from Cuba to South Korea, from Belgium to Brazil. Some countries have hosted the main celebrations two or more times, including Bangladesh, Canada and China. Every year people from all over the world take part in a huge number of different events to draw attention to the main theme.
What you can do
If you want to take part in the celebrations, you can visit the official website to find out what the 2019 theme is. You can also search online and find organizations and events in your area. You can share information about the cause and the events on social media or form a local action group of your own and organize an event in your community. Whatever you do, you won’t be alone. Millions of people will be joining the celebrations and fighting for a better future for our planet.
1. When was the first World Environment Day celebrated?| A．1974. | B．1990. | C．2016. | D．2019. |
| A．Canada is the first country celebrating the WED. |
| B．China has only hosted the WED for once. |
| C．“Only One Earth” is always the theme for the WED. |
| D．Nearly 30 different countries have hosted WED. |
| A．by finding out the theme of WED online |
| B．by having your own theme for the WED |
| C．by setting up your own local action group |
| D．by sharing information of WED on social media |
8 . A year ago when I was traveling alone in Guatemala I broke my back. I was surrounded by many kind strangers that day.
When we got to the hospital, they helped me get through it.
The ambulance employers wanted me to pay in cash. I didn’t have that much cash and the ATMs there never worked for my cards.
They stayed with me for hours. But even after they left, they stayed in touch asking me how I was and how everything was going—even a year later. I may have been unlucky for breaking my back, but I was so lucky for the people there when it happened.
| A．So they offered to pay for me. |
| B．And this where it went wrong. |
| C．There was no WiFi at the emergency department. |
| D．I actually look back at it as a heartbroken experience. |
| E．I am still grateful for the fact that I’ve met those two guys. |
| F．For me, there is one in particular that I’ll always remember. |
| G．But there are two guys that will always have a place in my heart. |
9 . Screen time is often considered the enemy when it comes to teaching kids to be active. However, a new research found that for 9 and 10 years old children greater social media use was related to some positive effects, including increased physical activity, less family conflict (冲突) and fewer sleep problems.
The findings come from an analysis of data from about 4,500 young people and their parents collected by the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study. The study gathered information about how young people’s brains develop.
In the study, children self reported activities like watching TV, texting or visiting social media sites — and the time spent on each. They were also asked about whether they play mature (成年的) video games. They rated their time on them as never, once in a while and all the time. Kids and parents report on family conflict. Parents also kept track of how well the kids slept and filled out a checklist that assessed (评定) their children’s behavior.
The results haven’t been published yet, but are being presented Tuesday at the Research Society on Alcoholism in San Diego. Previous research has been done. largely in older kids or teenagers with less focus on younger kids. Communities and social networks can have beneficial effects, so kids who are using social media to build connections may see positive outcomes.
Do these findings mean that parents should ban TVs and sign their kids up for Twitter? Probably not. Psychologist Chris Ferguson of Stetson University says that the differences identified in the research are small.
1. What does the passage mainly about?| A．More screen time is needed by kids. |
| B．Screen time is the enemy of teaching kids to be active. |
| C．Parents should ban TVs and sign their kids up for Twitter. |
| D．A look at social media may have possible benefits for kids. |
| A．They carried out interviews. | B．They asked kids and parents to report. |
| C．They got the data from other scientists. | D．They downloaded the data from the Internet. |
| A．Objective. | B．Subjective. | C．Supportive. | D．Doubtful.. |
| A．A novel. | B．A travel guide. | C．A news report. | D．A book review. |
10 . He was the last person who should have run into a burning building—he had lung disease. But that didn’t stop him. Michael Surrell and his wife was parking when they got a call from their daughter: “The house next door is on fire!” He went to investigate.
Though the fire department had been called, Surrell ran inside. The thick smoke burned his eyes and made it impossible to breathe. The conditions were life-threatening for Surrell.
After a few minutes, he went outside to catch his breath. Taking a deep breath, he went in again. The house was similar to his, so he made it to the second floor. He couldn’t see anything. Then a soft moan (呻吟声) came. Still unable to see, Surrell crawled (爬行) toward the sound, feeling around for any sign of the trapped.
Finally, he touched something. He pulled the kid toward him and held her into his arms and stood. He fought through the smoke and ran into the blackness. The next thing he knew, he was at the front door, then outside. Surrell put Tiara down on the porch. He started CPR. Soon a cough came from Tiara’s throat. Surrell gave five more breaths. She coughed again, opened her eyes and took a breath on her own.
Surrell woke up in the hospital days later, having suffered severe burns to his lungs. He spent a week in the hospital. The fire worsened Surrell’s condition, and he feels the effects even two years later. “It’s a small price to pay,” he says. “I’d do it again without a second thought.”
1. What was Surrell doing when he got to know the fire?| A．He was parking. | B．He was walking with his wife. |
| C．He was washing his car. | D．He was talking with his daughter. |
| A．Surrell saved Tiara at his first attempt. |
| B．Surrell never regret carrying out his deed. |
| C．Surrell called the fire department before running inside. |
| D．Surrell saw Tiara on the second floor and carried her outside. |
| A．Kind and devoted. | B．Brave and devoted. | C．Generous and kind. | D．Considerate and devoted. |
| A．A Big Fire Broke out | B．A Man Carried out CPR to Save a Girl |
| C．The Last Man Saved Another Person | D．Surrell Suffered Severe Burns to His Lungs |
