1 . It was a quiet morning in the library, and we librarians were enjoying a rather loud chat. Suddenly, a patron (常客) marched up to us, gave us an annoyed “Shush!” and went back to her seat. How strange for a group of librarians to be shushed by a patron! Shouldn’t it be the other way around?
Well, it’s complicated. If you’re like me, a middle-aged woman, you probably remember libraries as places of silent reading. These days, however, libraries are more like active community centers.
In the past, most libraries didn’t focus much on programs for kids whose age made it impossible for them to be quiet on demand. But growing knowledge about the importance of kids and teens learning through hands-on experiences has since caused a sea change in how libraries connect with young readers. Now libraries begin offering interactive programs for kids, including crafts, board games, and story times. These types of programs certainly aren’t designed to be silent.
Along with more programs for ever-younger children, technology today has played a part in the transformation of libraries into places where both kids and adults can use computers, make something on a 3D printer and more. In addition, many libraries now offer programs for adults, who can participate in in book discussion, learn calligraphy, and even take college classes.
Of course, libraries still need peaceful phones. These days, many libraries have glassed-off study rooms or quiet areas. They are also less noisy in the early afternoons, after morning children’s programs and before the after-school kid crowd arrive.
It’s clear to me now that on the day my colleagues and I were shushed by a patron, we should have been using our “library voices” as we talked. Still, it’s unlikely that libraries will ever return to the days when they were places of silence. There’s just too much fun and learning happening.
1. How did the author respond to the patron’s behavior?| A．She approved of it. | B．She was disappointed at it. |
| C．She hesitated about it. | D．She was astonished at it. |
| A．The past and the present of libraries. | B．The reason for the change of libraries. |
| C．The activities for young children in libraries. | D．The connection between libraries and readers. |
| A．They heavily depend on technology. | B．They offer online programs for adults. |
| C．They still provide silent reading places. | D．They care much about time arrangement. |
| A．Libraries Should be Loud | B．Reading Can be Fun in Libraries |
| C．Libraries Make Learning Happen | D．Library Programs Target Children |
2 . What life style trends (趋势) will be hot in 2022? The 2022 Trend Report posted on a photo-sharing website has given its answer. Most of the information and answers were collected from Generation Z (people born between 1995 and 2009). Checkout some of them below.
Shopping Online shopping will still be popular. But it will spread from common shopping websites to social media apps and second-hand shopping apps. ※27% of teenagers and young adults are expecting to shop directly through social media apps and their special in-app services. ※23% of them are expecting to shop through second-hand shopping apps. |
Food Young people are tying difficult recipes (食谱) at home, following social media stars. ※One person in six would like to cook at home. ※More than a quarter of teenagers and young adults are trying something new, like making bread and cakes. |
Wellness Teenagers and young adults care about mental (心理的) health more. ※About one in three of them continues to take part in activities like med tai on (冥想) and exercise regularly. ※About a quarter of them depend on creative activities like drawing or writing music to stay in a good mood. |
| A．Emma, a 32-year-old doctor. | B．Jenny, a 25-year-old teacher. |
| C．Steve, a 42-year-old driver. | D．David, a 10-year-old student. |
| A．photo-sharing website | B．social media apps |
| C．second-hand shopping apps | D．common shopping websites |
| A．A book. | B．A magazine. | C．A website. | D．A newspaper. |
3 . A new study has found that many drivers using driver assistance (辅助) tools often treat their vehicles like they are fully self-driving. The study warns that drivers who put too much trust in driver assistance technologies are putting themselves at risk for serious accidents.
The research involved drivers of three vehicles that offer advanced driver assistance systems. Each vehicle came from one of three companies: Cadillac, Nissan / Infiniti and Tesla
The study was led by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), a nonprofit group. The group carries out research and crash tests and seeks to persuade car makers to design safer vehicles.
Cadillac’s driver assistance tool is called Super Cruise. The study found that 53 percent of active users of that system said “they were comfortable treating their vehicles as fully self-driving.” Tesla’s driver assistance system is called Autopilot.
The results come even as car makers have repeatedly warmed drivers that they must never fully depend on driver assistance for full operation of the vehicle. Users are asked to be fully prepared to regulate driving at any time. There have also been highly publicized accidents involving cars with driver assistance programming.
Both Super Cruise and Autopilot have a feature that the vehicle’s advanced driver assistance system will be turned off if users do not appear to be attentive (专心的) while driving. The study found that about 40 percent of the users of Autopilot and Super Cruise reported the systems had at some point turned off while they were driving and would not reactivate.
The study comes as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) examines a series of crashes involving Tesla’s Autopilot. Since 2016, the NHTSA has opened 37 special investigations into 18 crash deaths involving Tesla vehicles where systems like Autopilot were suspected of use.
Tesla has said that Autopilot is meant for use with a fully careful driver who is prepared to take control of vehicle operation. General Motors, which produces Cadillac models, said it “believes driver engagement is very important.”
1. What’s the problem with some drivers according to the study?| A．They drive with too much tension. | B．They refuse to accept high technology. |
| C．They rely too much on driver assistance tools. | D．They have caused many traffic accidents |
| A．To watch over car making in the world. | B．To develop advanced vehicle technology |
| C．To judge various cars based on their quality. | D．To push car makers to improve vehicle safety. |
| A．Enjoy. | B．Stop. | C．Control. | D．Ignore. |
| A．They praised their self-driving technology. |
| B．They stressed the importance of human driving. |
| C．They admitted the disadvantages of self-driving. |
| D．They promised to improve their self-driving technology |
4 . Park guards who watch North America’s highest mountain say inexperienced and overconfident climbers are taking more risks and endangering themselves and other climbers. The guards suggest many climbers are trying to move up the mountain too fast after having a year of.
Denali in southern Alaska is 6,190 meters above sea level. So, climbing it requires a high level of skill. Climbers also need to acclimate to high altitudes (海拔), which is not needed for most mountains in the US.
The National Park Service recently made a statement warning that many climbers in the Alaska Range are showing signs of inexperience and overconfidence. After reporting no deaths in 2018 and 2019, at least two people have already died on the mountain in 2021. Two others were seriously injured, officials said.
Earlier this month, a skier from the state of Colorado died after falling into a very deep cut in the ice. A climber from the state of Idaho was killed by a large falling piece of ice.
The guards made their statement after a Canadian climber was seriously injured after falling nearly 305meters. He was not wearing climbing ropes. Other climbers reported the fall. People in a helicopter (直升机) studying mountain ice in the area were able to save the man,park officials said.
The Park Service statement named several reasons for the increase in injuries and deaths. They include extreme tiredness, untested body reactions to high altitudes, quickly changing weather, and not bringing the right equipment.
In recent years,guards said they have seen more climbers try to make Denali’s top by climbing the 2,134 meters from the final base camp to the top in one day. This is nearly impossible to do except for the most experienced climbers.
Experts suggest that climbers take 17 to 2l days to reach the top of Denali. That includes rest days and extra days to wait out bad weather.
1. What does the underlined phrase “acclimate to” in paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Get used to. | B．Get tired of. |
| C．Take control of. | D．Look forward to. |
| A．They are not so confident. | B．They face higher altitudes. |
| C．Most of them are beginners. | D．Deaths have come up among them. |
| A．He didn’t train himself to climb. | B．He didn’t make sure of his safety. |
| C．He didn’t stay with other climbers. | D．He knew little about the mountain ice. |
| A．Dangers of having little climbing experience. |
| B．Results of climbing mountains in a hurry. |
| C．Causes of the climbing accidents. |
| D．Rules of safe mountain climbing. |
