3 . 假如你是李华，你的美国笔友Jenny正在做一份关于中国移动支付( mobile payment)的问卷调查( survey)，你是她的重点采访对象，采访内容如下;请你就这些问题给她回一封邮件完成采访。
采访内容:
1.你或你身边的人在日常生活中使用移动支付的情况；
2.移动支付带来的好处
3.你的看法。
参考词汇: 微信: Wechat   支付宝: Alipay 二维码: QR code
注意:1.词数120左右;
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯
Dear Jenny,

How is your survey on mobile payment going？ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours faithfully

Li Hua

4 . “What is civilization? ”asked Kenneth Clark 50 years ago in the BBC series on the subject. “I don’t know, and I can’t define it in abstract terms, yet.     1    ”And he turned to gesture behind him, at the soaring Gothic towers and flying buttresses of Notre Dame.

It seems inhuman to care more about a building than about people. That the sight of Notre Dame going up in flame has attracted so much more attention than floods in southern Africa which killed over 1000 arouses understandable feelings of guilt. Yet the widespread, intense grief at the sight of the cathedral’s collapsing steeple (尖塔) is in fact profoundly human—and in a particularly 21st-century way.

    2    . People wander the world in search not just of jobs and security but also of beauty and history. A building on whose sunny steps you have rested, in front of which you have taken a selfie with your loved one, becomes a warm part of your memories and thus of yourself. That helps explain why China is in mourning — WeChat, young China's principal means of talking to itself, has been throbbing with the story, and Xi Jinping, the country's president, sent a message of condolence (慰问) to Emmanuel Macron, his French counterpart — while India was largely indifferent. Tourism from India to the West is a stream compared with the flood from China.

This visual age has blessed beauty with new Dower and social media have turned great works   art into superstars.     3     Just as there is only ever a handful of world-famous actors, so the number of globally recognizable cultural symbols is tiny: the Mona Lisa, Michelangelo's David, the Taj Mahal, the Great Pyramid and Notre Dame. Disaster, too, is visual. In the 24 hours after the fire started videos on social media of the burning cathedral were viewed nearly a quarter of a billion times.

Yet the emotions the sight aroused were less about the building itself than about what losing it might mean. Notre Dame is an expression of humanity at its collective best. Nobody could look up into that vaulted ceiling without wondering at the genius of the thousands of anonymous craftsmen who, over a century and a half, realized a vision so grand in its structural ambition and so delicate in its hand-chiselled detail.     4    .

And it will be rebuilt. The morning after the fire, the many Parisians who went to the cathedral o mourn its destruction found comfort instead. Although the spire is gone, the towers are still standing and it seems likely that the whole building can be revived. The effort to rebuild it, like the fire, will bring people together. Within 24 hours, ￡6000m($677m) had been raised from businesses and rich people, and a lot of crowd funding campaigns started. A high-resolution laser scan of the building, carried out recently, should help.

It will never be the same, but that is as it should be. As Victor Hugo wrote in The Hunchback of Notre Dame", a three-volume love-letter to the cathedral: Great edifices, like great mountains, are the work of centuries.    5     Time is the architect, the nation is the builder."

A．Only a few, though, have achieved this status.

B．It is not just the economy that is global today, it is culture too.

C．The outpouring of emotion it has brought forth is proof that, despite the dark forces of division now abroad, we are all in it together.

D．But I think I can recognize it when I see it, and I'm looking at it now.

E．Art is often transformed as it is being made.

F．An edifice (宏伟建筑) built for the glory of God also represents the unity of the human spirit.

G．Its survival through 850 years of political turbulence though — war, revolution and Nazi occupation — binds the present to the past.

5 . The first Earth Day took place on April 22,1970. Twenty million Americans, about 10% of the US’s population then, demonstrated(示威) against the widespread attitude at the time of ignoring environmental issues. Now, 50 years later, Earth Day remains an important event to draw attention to necessary actions to protect the planet. Unfortunately, threats to the environment also continue, including at least one that certainly wasn’t as apparent in 1970.

The first Earth Day, notes EDN (Earth Day Network, the global organizer of Earth Day), caused a wave of action, including the passage of landmark environmental laws in the United States such as the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species Acts, as well as the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Many countries soon adopted similar laws, it adds.

Today, EDN works with more than 75,000 partners in over 190 countries. The theme of 2020 Earth Day is climate action.Thanks to groups like EDN, public awareness and demands for better environmental management have grown dramatically and prompted great progress is many areas.

One problem that hadn’t surfaced much in 1970- the harm of unwanted plastics -has become a major environmental issue. It is drawing increasing attention and is stimulating efforts both to find productive uses for the waste materials and to develop more environmentally friendly alternatives.

Among the recent coronavirus global pandemic (流行病), EDN marked the 50th anniversary of Earth Day with the first Digital Earth Day, a global digital mobilization (动员) on April 22 to address the most urgent threats to people and the planet.

“At Earth Day Network, health and safety of volunteers and participants in Earth Day events are our top concern. Among the recent outbreak, we encourage people to rise up but to do so safely and responsibly-in many cases, that means using our voices to drive action online rather than in person,” said Kathleen Rogers, President of Earth Day Network.

1. What does the author wasn’t to tell us in paragraph one?

A．The environmental pollution wasn’t obvious in 1970.

B．People have managed to prevent the planet from being polluted.

C．American people paid no attention to protecting their environment.

D．Earth Day has encouraged many people to focus on environmental problems.

2. What is the purpose of the Earth Day Network?

A．To introduce the first Earth Day.

B．To celebrate the first Digital Earth Day.

C．To promote public environmental awareness.

D．To improve health and safety of the public.

3. What can we learn from the Earth Day Network?

A．The first Earth Day caused many countries to make laws to protect he earth.

B．The Earth Day Network has cooperated with 75, 000 partners in America.

C．EDN called on people to take part in person during the recent outbreak.

D．People showed concern about their health and safety in Earth Day events.

4. Which word best describes the author’s attitude to EDN?

A．Doubtful

B．Positive.

C．Negative.

D．Conservative.

6 . In order to help cope with the vast number of student questions in the online class, Knowledge-Based Artificial Intelligence, Professor Ashok Goel of Georgia Tech developed an artificially intelligent teaching assistant. This online course is a core requirement of Georgia Tech’s online Master of Science in Computer Science program. Professor Goel already had eight teaching assistants, but that wasn’t enough to handle the vast number of daily questions from students.

Many students drop out of online courses because of the lack of teaching support. When students feel isolated or confused and reach out with questions that go unanswered, their motivation to continue begins to fade. Professor Goel decided to do something to remedy this situation and his solution was to create a virtual assistant named Jill Watson, which is based on the IBM Watson platform.

Goel and his team developed several versions of Jill Watson before releasing her to the online forums. At first, the virtual assistant wasn’t too great. But Goel and his team sourced the online discussion forum to find all the 40,000 questions that had ever been asked since the class was launched. Then they began to feed Jill with the questions and answers. After some adjustment and ample time, Jill was able to answer the students’ questions correctly 97% of the time. The virtual assistant became so advanced and realistic that the students didn’t know she was a computer. The students, who were studying artificial intelligence, were interacting with the virtual assistant and couldn’t tell it from a real human being. Goel didn’t inform them about Jill’s true identity until April 26. The students were actually very positive about the experience.

The goal of Professor Goel’s virtual assistant next year is to take over answering 40% of all the questions posed by students on the online forum. The name Jill Watson will, of course, change to something else next semester. Professor Goel has a much rosier forecast on the future of artificial intelligence than, say, Elon Musk, Stephen Hawking, Bill Gates or Steve Wozniak.

1. What do we learn about Knowledge-Based Artificial Intelligence?

A．It is a robot that can answer students’ questions.

B．It is a high-tech device that revolutionizes teaching.

C．It is a course designed for students to learn online.

D．It is a computer program that aids student learning.

2. What does the underlined word “remedy” in the paragraph 2 mean?

A．Boycott.

B．Improve.

C．Evaluate.

D．Corrupt.

3. What do we learn about Jill Watson?

A．She was unwelcome to students at first.

B．She got along pretty well with students.

C．She turned out to be a great success.

D．She was released online as an experiment.

4. What does Professor Goel plan to do next with Jill Watson?

A．Assign her to answer more of students’ questions.

B．Upgrade her intelligence to the level of top scientists.

C．Launch different versions of her online.

D．Encourage students to interact with her more freely.

7 . Financial Education-Awareness Dilemma

When it comes to financial education, the majority of today's youth will regard it as a necessity for certain specific people who want to make their career in the financial world.     1     Actually, elementary financial education is a must for all, as money transaction is an essential part of our day-to-day life.

Suppose you have $100 in a saving account that pays simple interest at the rate of 2%per year. lf you leave the money in the account, how much will you have accumulated after 5 years: more than $102, exactly $102, or less than $102? The test might look simple, but only half of the people surveyed gave the correct answer.

    2    The explanation goes as follows: People with low levels of financial literacy suffer from that lack of knowledge at every stage of their lives. Researchers on this subject say people with a high degree of financial literacy are more likely to plan for their retirement.     3    

On the contrary, people who have a lower degree of financial literacy tend to borrow more, accumulate less wealth, and pay more in fees related financial products. They are less likely to invest, more likely to experience difficulty with debt, and less likely to know the terms of their mortgages and other loans. Thus, the cost of this financial ignorance is very high.     4    

What   is the solution?     5     Like reading and math, financial education must become part of the core curriculum in our schools. Likewise, parents should engage in regular, constructive conversations about money matters. This will give their kids a solid foundation for financial well-being, which will keep on giving returns throughout the course of their lives.

A．Financial education must start early.

B．However, they miss an important point.

C．Why does each of us have to face a financial challenge?

D．Why does financial literacy matter so much in our society'?

E．Rich people are generally better educated on financial management.

F．Besides, these people have more than double the wealth of people who don’t.

G．For example, they frequently make late credit card payments, overspend their credit limit, etc.

8 . "Did you hear what happened to Adam last Friday?" Lindsey whispers to Tori.

With her eyes shining, Tori brags, "You bet I did, Sean told me two days ago."

Who are Lindsey and Tori talking about? It just happened to be yours truly, Adam Freedman, I can tell you that what they are saying is （a） not nice and （b） not even true. Still, Lindsey and Tori aren't very different from most students here at Linton High School, including me. Many of our conversations are gossip （闲话）.I have noticed three effects of gossip: it can hurt people, it can give gossipers a strange kind of satisfaction, and it can cause social pressures in a group.

An important negative effect of gossip is that it can hurt the person being talked about. Usually, gossip spreads information about a topic—breakups, trouble at home, even dropping out—that a person would rather keep secret. The more embarrassing or shameful the secret is, the juicier the gossip it makes. Probably the worst type of gossip is the absolute lie. People often think of gossipers as harmless, but cruel lies can cause pain.

If we know that gossip can be harmful, then why do so many of us do it? The answer lies in another effect of gossip: the satisfaction it gives us. Sharing the latest rumor （传言）can make a person feel important because he or she knows something that others don't. Similarly, hearing the latest rumor can make a person feel like part of the "in group". In other words, gossip is satisfying because it gives people a sense of belonging or even superiority （优越感）.

Gossip also can have a third effect: it strengthens unwritten, unspoken rules about how people should act. Professor David Wilson explains that gossip is important in policing behaviors in a group. Translated into high school terms, this means that if everybody you hang around with is laughing at what John wore or what Jane said, then you can bet that wearing or saying something similar will get you the same kind of negative attention. The do's and don'ts conveyed through gossip will never show up in any student handbook.

The effects of gossip vary depending on the situation. The next time you feel the urge to spread the latest news, think about why you want to gossip and what effects your "juicy story" might have.

1. The author uses a conversation at the beginning of the passage to _________.

A．introduce a topic	B．present an argument
C．describe the characters	D．clarify his writing purpose

2. An important negative effect of gossip is that it ___________.

A．breaks up relationships	B．embarrasses the listener
C．spreads information around	D．causes unpleasant experiences

3. Professor David Wilson thinks that gossip can ____________.

A．provide students with written rules

B．help people watch their own behaviors

C．force school to improve student handbooks

D．attract the police's attention to group behaviors

4. What advice does the author give in the passage?

A．Never become a gossiper	B．Stay away from gossipers
C．Don't let gossip turn into lies	D．Think twice before you gossip

9 . When a driver slams on the brakes to avoid hitting a pedestrian crossing the road illegally, she is making a moral decision that shifts risk from the pedestrian to the people in the car. Self-driving cars might soon have to make such ethical (道德的)judgments on their own — but settling on a universal moral code for the vehicles could be a tough task, suggests a survey.

The largest ever survey of machine ethics, called the Moral Machine, laid out 13 possible situations in which someone’s death was unavoidable. Respondents were asked to choose who to spare in situations that involved a mix of variables: young or old, rich or poor, more people or fewer. Within 18 months, the online quiz had recorded 40 million decisions made by people from 233 countries and territories.

When the researchers analysed these answers, they found that the nations could be divided into three groups. One contains North America and several European nations where Christianity has been the dominant (占支配地位的)religion; another includes countries such as Japan, Indonesia and Pakistan, with strong Confucian or Islamic traditions. A third group consists of countries in Central and South America, such as Colombia and Brazil. The first group showed a stronger preference for sacrificing older lives to save younger ones than did the second group, for example.

The researchers also identified relationships between social and economic factors in a country. They found that people from relatively wealthy countries with strong institutions, such as Finland and Japan, more often chose to hit people who stepped into traffic illegally than did respondents in nations with weaker institutions, such as Nigeria or Pakistan.

People rarely face such moral dilemmas, and some cities question whether the possible situations posed in the online quiz are relevant to the ethical and practical questions surrounding driverless cars. But the researchers argue that the findings reveal cultural differences that governments and makers of self-driving cars must take into account if they want the vehicles to gain public acceptance.

At least Barbara Wege, who heads a group working on autonomous-vehicle ethics at Audi in Ingolstadt, Germany, says such studies are valuable. Wege argues that self-driving cars would cause fewer accidents, proportionally, than human drivers do each year—but that people might focus more on events involving robots.

Surveys such as the Moral Machine can help to begin public discussions about these unavoidable accidents that might develop trust. “We need to come up with a social consensus,” she says, “about which risks we are willing to take.”

1. Why is it difficult to set universal moral rules for programming self-driving cars?

A．Social values always change with the times.

B．Moral choices vary between different cultures.

C．Drivers have a preference for sacrificing the weak.

D．Car makers are faced with decisions of life or death.

2. The researchers conducted the study by_____.

A．using a massive online quiz worldwide

B．comparing different cultures and customs

C．dividing the respondents into three groups

D．performing a series of controlled experiments

3. According to the study, in which country are drivers more likely to hit a pedestrian crossing the road illegally?

A．Nigeria	B．Colombia
C．Finland	D．Indonesia

4. Barbara Wege would probably agree that _____.

A．Self-driving cars will greatly improve the traffic environment

B．Accidents caused by self-driving cars might receive more attention

C．Problems involving self-driving cars might shake the public trust in society

D．Car makers needn’t take the risk of solving self-driving car ethical dilemmas

10 . Time for a Brainstorm

A brainstorm is a session where a small group of people come together to solve a problem. People voice spontaneous ideas, sometimes just shouting, and a note-taker writes them all down.    1    By getting different ideas out there, ideas are said to bounce off each other and even can help solve the problem at hand. Brainstorming is often a group exercise but individuals can also conduct personal brainstorms.

    2    He defined it as using the brain to storm a creative problem and do so in commando (突击队）fashion, with each stormer attacking the same objective. According to him,, it was easier to tone down a wild idea than think up a new one. He placed importance on the collection of as many ideas as possible and dismissed scientific thinking.

Brainstorming has become one of the most popular ways to solve problems and hold discussion in schools and businesses. Many students brainstorm for a group assignment or even for a personal essay. Sarah Grace, 24, is an Australian marketing analyst and uses brainstorming during all her creative duties. She thinks brainstorming is the best way to work as a team. The sessions get everyone on the same page, everyone moving together and with a clear understanding about the foundations of an event or idea.    3    .

However, a big problem with brainstorming is creating a mess that leads people further away from a solution.     4     If you don’t have a strong moderator or leader of the brainstorm, can go really off track, and people just start discussing something totally different. Brainstorming can sometimes confuse the human brain.    5     If you brainstorm too much and your page is filled up with all the messy links, you can paint yourself into a bit of comer and get trapped with ideas.

You need to move past brainstorming as soon as you have something workable.

A．The ideas can be smart, strange or crazy.

B．It is caused by a lack of direction from a leader.

C．Brainstorming really helps her organize her thoughts.

D．Brainstorming really is the best way to build team spirit.

E．It can open too many doors and not suggest a clear direction.

F．Brainstorms were popularized in the 1940s by American advertising boss Alex Osborn.

G．They can be words; phrases, paragraphs and anything that can help answer the question.