1 . Many people think that the world is about to step into the fourth industrial revolution. This time, machines can do a lot of work in the charge of human beings, even better than human beings. In the future, the world can be more efficient, but unemployment (失业) will become more common.
It raises a troubling question for all of us-when will a machine be able to do my job? There are no certain answers, but some of the world’s top artificial intelligence (人工智能) researchers are trying to find out.
Katja Grace, a research associate at the University of Oxford’s Future of Humanity Institute, and her colleagues have surveyed 352 scientists and compiled (汇编) their answers into predictions about how long it may take for machines to outperform humans on various tasks.
The good news is that many of us will probably be safe in our jobs for some time to come. The researchers predict there is a 50% chance that machines will be capable of taking over all human jobs in 120 years.
“One of the biggest surprises was the overall lateness of the predictions,” says Grace. “I expected the amazing progress in machine learning in recent years, plus the fact that we were only talking to machine learning researchers, to make the estimates earlier."
“I am a bit skeptical of some of the timelines given for tasks that involve physical manipulation (操作),” says Jeremy Wyatt, professor of robotics and AI at the University of Birmingham. “It is one thing doing it in the lab, and quite another having a robot that can do a job reliably in the real world better than a human.”
Manipulating physical objects in the real world, an environment that changes randomly, is a complex job for a machine.
Perhaps the hardest jobs for machines to perform are those that take years of training for humans to excel at These often involve intuitive (凭直觉的) decision making and abstract thinking -things that computers have been struggling with.
The experts predict robots will not be taking over as surgeons (外科医生) until around 2053, while it could take 43 years before machines are competing with mathematicians for space in top academic journals.
1. According to the passage, how might the fourth industrial revolution impact the world?| A．The world will become more efficient. |
| B．Machines can do things better than humans. |
| C．Humans will not find jobs because of machines. |
| D．Machines can do things instead of human beings. |
| A．By giving examples | B．By doing experiments |
| C．By conducting surveys | D．By making comparisons |
| A．The real word is full of challenges. |
| B．Manipulating physical objects is complex. |
| C．Machines can do better than humans in labs. |
| D．The randomly changed environment is too difficult for computers. |
| A．confused | B．surprised | C．doubtful | D．certain |
2 . A mother of nine who started medical school when her youngest child was 4 years old graduated with her degree and plans to be a neurosurgeon (神经外科医生).
Sarah Merrill, now 41, said her journey to medical school began at age 17. She then met her husband and got married. Merrill first thought about going to school part-time to get a degree, but later she decided to follow her dream of attending medical school. Speaking of her successfully returning to university, Merrill thought it was credited to her family largely. “When I was accepted at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, we moved from Pennsylvania to Arizona,” said Merrill, who is moving to Indiana with her family to begin her residency (实习期) in neurosurgery. “In fact, they volunteered these movements. I know it was tough for all of us.”
Merrill and her children often have “homework parties” where they study for their own courses. Merrill’s choice has given a stimulus to her children. Merrill felt touched knowing her 11-year-old daughter wants to become a surgeon and overhearing her son tell his friends his mom’s going to be a cool brain surgeon, though he doesn’t understand that really.
Merrill’s next step into a neurosurgery residency will take her into a male-controlled field where only 5% of qualified neurosurgeons are women. Dr. Michele Halyard at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine said Merrill was known as a focused student. Halyard said, “If you can deal with nine children and keep your reason, the residency should be a piece of cake because no amount of stress will make you fail.”
Merrill had considered choosing a more family-friendly specialty, but, again, chose to dream big and follow her original pursuit. It’s the same advice she would give to all. “Set the goal that is what you’re really enthusiastic about, and it helps to think small. If you know what your priorities are, focus on the next step. Then you’ll get where you want to go.”
1. Why does Merrill speak of their movements?| A．To show the support of her family. |
| B．To stress her determination to be a doctor. |
| C．To reflect difficulties in attending college. |
| D．To describe the process of pursuing her dream. |
| A．Entertainment. | B．Motivation. |
| C．Commitment. | D．Confusion. |
| A．Merrill will have more stress to handle. |
| B．Being Mom makes Merrill a better doctor. |
| C．Staying focused and sensible is key to success. |
| D．She is confident of Merrill’s being a neurosurgeon. |
| A．Learning from failure. | B．Starting with small things. |
| C．Being true to your own passion. | D．Believing in yourself and staying active. |
3 . After graduating from Ontario College of Teachers, I became a teacher at a one-room country school in Aldborough Township.
That first day of school as a 19-year-old female teacher was a frightening experience. It was one thing to have graduated as a successful student; it was another thing to face a classroom of little faces that were waiting for the “new teacher.” I had a classroom of 21 children of different shapes and sizes. The youngest was five going on six and the eldest was 16.
There were two doors for entrance in my school, one for the girls, one for the boys and just inside each door was a chemical toilet — no outdoor facilities for us! The heat in the building was a wood-burning furnace (火炉) down in the basement. Tending the furnace was one of my responsibilities. Luckily, I knew a bit about starting a fire, so the school didn’t burn down.
What I found most difficult was that a parent might take a child out of school for any reason. I had one Dutch family, whose father would keep the children out of school to help with the farm work. Finally, I got tired of this and sent an education officer to solve the problem. Needless to say, I was very unpopular with that father from then on, but the children came to school much more regularly!
In the classroom, the older students helped the younger ones with learning, as well as with putting on coats and hats. If someone’s lunch was forgotten, everyone shared a bit of their food. We were a family. We had good times and bad times, but we kept learning. Far beyond maths, social studies, reading, grammar and writing, we learned how to get along with each other.
I loved teaching at this small school and knew I was teaching the children about life as much as about subjects. I’d like to believe some students will have an influence on the world that will last long after I am gone.
1. Why did the author feel her first day as a teacher frightening?| A．So many students were in class. | B．The situations were quite different. |
| C．No outdoor facilities were provided. | D．The students were curious about her. |
| A．It was poorly equipped. | B．The playground was large. |
| C．It was once damaged by a fire. | D．The students were of similar age. |
| A．A Dutch family hated her. |
| B．The students preferred farm work. |
| C．The education officer offered little help. |
| D．Some parents ignored children’s education. |
| A．They cared about each other. | B．They had an influence on the world. |
| C．They laughed away bad times. | D．They did well in almost every subject. |
4 . Love sports? Excited about space? Passionate about programming? Check out the Your Job site, at timeforkids.com/your-hot-job. Uncover potential career paths with videos, articles, interviews, and more. Here are a few of the cool careers you’ll find. Which interests you most?
Dino Expert
Myria Perez is a fossil preparator (标本制作者) and educator at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, in Washington, D.C. “In my friend group, I was the only dinosaur kid,” she says. “My friends were interested in other things, but they were all super supportive of my love for fossils.”
High Flyer
Missy Cummings was one of the United States Navy’s first female fighter pilots. Now she’s director of the Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center, at George Mason University, in Virginia. She studies how people and machines relate. “Always take the harder path,” she says. “It will pay off.”
Rice Raiser
Nursery research supervisor Jean-Phillippe Bergmann works at Lundberg Family Farms, in California. He develops new varieties of rice that are suited for organic farming. “I love the way plants and animals interact,” Bergmann says. “Everything’s part of a bigger system.”
Soccer Star
Bukayo Saka plays soccer for Arsenal and England’s national team. “I want young people to realize that I was just like them,” he says, “with a dream.” Saka says that some days feel harder than others, but that kids should “keep going, keep dreaming, and keep believing.”
1. What’s the attitude of Myris Perez’s friends to her love for fossils?| A．doubtful | B．opposed | C．favourable | D．indifferent |
| A．keep dreaming | B．believe in themselves |
| C．develop their interest | D．challenge themselves |
| A．To advertise for the website | B．To introduce some cool jobs |
| C．To introduce some interesting people | D．To inspire children to become great people |
5 . Do you want to become a farmer? Do you want to grow whatever you like? Maybe your answer is “yes” . But you have never grown a crop before and don’t know where to start. Don’t worry. Here is good news.
Decide why you’re interested in farming.
Being a farmer is nothing but hard work. Any kind of farming requires a lot of hard work. Farming sometimes also gives you less money for all your hard work.
Visit with some experienced farmers.
It is highly recommended that you find those who are farming in a similar manner to what you intend to do. You can ask them to give you a tour of their work. Run a web search to find out about some upcoming local agricultural events happening and attend as many of them as you can.
This is the most important step on your way to becoming a farmer. It is because you are working and gaining direct experience. Like with all jobs, you will be entering at the very bottom. The only way you will work your way up is to work hard and do what is asked of you.
Have a good sense of humor.
| A．Offer your services as a farm worker. |
| B．Laughter makes the day go by faster. |
| C．Besides, don’t be afraid to learn new things. |
| D．Know when you are ready to begin your own farm. |
| E．This article will help you realize your dream of being a farmer. |
| F．You will find many active farmers you may want to visit at such events. |
| G．Therefore, you need to be interested and determined enough to be a farmer. |
6 . I am honored to work in the greatest profession (行业). Despite the long hours and hard work, I finish each day, feeling as though I have made a difference. This is the drive that keeps teachers energetic and passionate (热情的). As Christa McAuliffe said, “I touch the future, I teach.”
When I was named Maryland Teacher of the Year, I received a congratulatory e-mail from a former (以前的) student, Morgan, who is currently attending Georgetown University and is an officer of the student-run Women in Politics group. I recently turned on the television to watch a college basketball game to find another former student, Austin, running up and down the court for Georgetown. Walking through a shopping mall recently, I encountered (邂逅) a former student, Olade, dressed in a suit. After a brief greeting, he handed me a business card for the company that he just had started, at age twenty-two. Another student said he is in the process of applying for law school at Howard University. Believe it or not, I encounter former students with similar success stories nearly every week. One student, Tasha, is off to the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore next year to study, of all things, Social Studies/Education. Now that’s a student after my own heart!
Seeing the success of former students and knowing that I was able to make a small contribution to their success during the time that they sat in my class, is the greatest reward. Sometimes, while I am watching my current students working and interacting (互动) in class, I try to picture what they will be doing ten years from now. I wonder if I am looking at a future senator (议员) or judge. Can you imagine being able to say, “I taught Senator Thomas government in the tent h grade?” I would not trade my career for any other. I literally (真正地) touch the future each and every day.
1. Which of the following people are in close contact with the author in work?| A．Drivers. | B．Coaches. | C．Actors. | D．Students. |
| A．To prove the author’s success. | B．To show off the students’ talents. |
| C．To tell us success takes many forms. | D．To remind us of people in all walks of life. |
| A．Challenging. | B．Demanding. | C．Rewarding. | D．Interesting. |
| A．Active and confident. | B．Passionate and proud. |
| C．Responsible and curious. | D．Friendly and easy-going. |
7 . I was 6 years old when my father told me we were leaving the Big Apple Circus (马戏团). Until that point, I had spent most of my life on the circus lot, playing with the other circus kids. The circus, by its nature, is one that has a loose structure. So the early years after my leaving the circus to sit in a classroom all day felt more like a prison.
But years later, I found areas that interested me. I took the skills I had learned from being onstage and applied them to broadcasting. And so when Boston’s news station WBUR offered me a job out of college, I jumped at the chance. Along the way, I found I really enjoyed the work. I became WBUR’s news reporter. The flexibility and adaptability I’d learned in the circus as a child helped me do my job naturally and easily in a stressful situation — whether it was a destructive tornado outside Boston, or the Boston Marathon bombings of 2013.
But then a serious infectious disease appeared. Suddenly, for the first time in my adult life, I went for a year without doing any shows. But it became clear to me that performing was what I truly wanted. For me, the circus symbolizes who I am. And stages have always been where I’ve felt the most free. Some people get nervous before they go onstage, but by assuming (扮演) the character of Jacques ze Whipper and drawing a stupid moustache on my face, all my social anxiety disappears.
Circus performances go beyond age, socioeconomic status (地位), and even language. It’s the type of performance where you can go anywhere in the world to entertain anyone — help anyone forget their troubles for 5, 10, and even 30 minutes. And most importantly, for me, it means coming home.
1. How did the author feel in the early years of school?| A．Curious. | B．Unfree. | C．Loose. | D．Impatient. |
| A．He did it for his father. | B．He did it against his will. |
| C．He risked his neck doing it. | D．He took to it like a duck to water. |
| A．A means of living. | B．A chance to go anywhere. |
| C．A part of his identity. | D．A way to forget his troubles. |
| A．To express his love for circus performances. |
| B．To stress the value of performing. |
| C．To share his personal experiences in a circus. |
| D．To discuss the problem of choosing a job. |
8 . I look forward to my half hour train ride to work every morning. I can look out of the window as it twists and turns itself through neighborhoods with the sun casting its strong lighting on the floor of the train car. I sometimes get lost in thought while following the light. But the reason I love this ride is that it’s a reminder of how neighborhoods can change from block to block.
For almost a year now I have been riding this train as I head into the office where I work as a reporter for a local magazine. I am one of 13 journalists who help report community news in areas that are often forgotten. And for me, that means covering areas like the one I grew up in.
Last week, as I was on the way to my office, I started wondering how neighborhoods have changed since the 2008 housing crisis. I searched addresses on the city’s southwest side, a neighborhood that has seen a significant number of residential homes pulled down, I scanned the street views recorded on my phone and saw how the neighborhood looked in 2007. Then I set out to visit the city block, and that’s when I met 3-year-old Harmony.
Harmony loved collecting rocks for me to hold as I walked down the street with her mother, Marquita. I already knew what the neighborhood looked like in the past, but Marquita shared more details of the people who once lived on her block, who were really friendly to each other. However, people today in the neighborhood are busy with life and seldom say hello to each other. Marquita has lived on this block her entire life, and Harmony has for most of her short life as well. But the neighborhood that Marquita grew up in will be one obviously different than the one Harmony will grow to know.
In the end, they smiled at my camera. And then I got back on the train and headed back to the office to tell their stories.
1. What makes the author love his train ride to work?| A．Being lost in thought. | B．Admiring the outside views. |
| C．Enjoying the warm sunshine. | D．Knowing the change of blocks. |
| A．By reading earlier reports. | B．By interviewing local people. |
| C．By watching past street views. | D．By searching his memories. |
| A．Sad. | B．Nervous. | C．Touched. | D．Confused. |
| A．To share a pleasant train ride with us. |
| B．To tell us the work of a news reporter. |
| C．To show us a crowded community. |
| D．To introduce a new neighborhood. |
9 . “Thank you for letting me observe your classes. It was an unusual experience,” the email began, which got my heart racing.
I am an industry scientist, and in my spare time I was teaching a course for computer science students at a local university. By that point in the semester, I hadn't asked the students to solve any technical problems or even open their computers. Instead, I taught them teamwork and communication and skills they
I thought of these lessons when I started to develop the university class. The part-time role was appealing because I was eager to share my expertise and get back to working with students. But I didn’t want to use my old teaching style, which focused on lectures and whiteboard exercises. I wanted to develop the same qualities I was looking for in job candidates at my company.
I decided to use games and challenges to encourage teamwork and creativity. In one, students had to work together to decide how to survive a tough desert environment. In another, they built the tallest structure they could out of spaghetti and candies. The teaching expert sat in on one such class.
I worried they might have been taken aback(吓到). But after that unsettling opening, their email was positive: “I understand the important message you
In the end, education is not just about sharing knowledge. It's also about helping students develop soft skills that will help them succeed wherever they plan to go, be it academia or industry.
1. What made the author's heart race?| A．Uneasiness. | B．Excitement. | C．Heart failure. | D．Lack of sleep. |
| A．To teach communication skills. | B．To take over the author's work. |
| C．To learn about the author's teaching. | D．To help solve technical problems. |
| A．Survival skills. | B．Soft skills. | C．Game design. | D．Book knowledge. |
| A．He has a great impact on the author's career. |
| B．He attaches importance to sharing knowledge. |
| C．He points out the leading role of the computer. |
| D．He shares the same teaching idea with the author. |
10 . Andrea Speranza wanted to be a firefighter long before she had the right word for her wish. After one childhood adventure at a construction site ended with an iron nail embedded (嵌入) in her leg and an emergency call to the fire department, she found herself in awe. “As they gave me the medical treatment, I thought they could help everybody and do anything,” says the now 52-year-old.
In 2000, Andréa Speranza achieved her dream of becoming a firefighter joining the Halifax Regional Fire Service. Her job was exactly as satisfying as she imagined it would be, except for one thing: she still hadn’t seen another woman in her role — not in a magazine, not on television, not in real life. Speranza decided that she wanted to help young women see that they, too, could have a career like hers.
The result was Camp Courage, a program for girls aged 15 to 19 who want to learn more about firefighting. In 2006, Speranza and about 20 volunteers welcomed their first 17 participants, recruiting (招募) attendees through advertising in schools. Over the course of eight days, the girls discovered the ins and outs of being first. responders: learning how to put out fires, deliver first aid and even use the jaws of life (救生钳) on a car.
Camp Courage now runs one session every year in Halifax and is free to attend. To offset costs, Speranza and her fellow campers fundraise by holding everything from car washes to comedy nights. Hopeful campers must also submit an essay describing how they plan to help their community, or a specific individual in need. And they have to deliver on the plan—from building a bench for a senior at a bus stop to launching a local chapter of the Kids Help Phone.
Hundreds of girls have passed through Camp Courage, and 36 percent are doing exactly what 52-year-old Speranza hoped they would: working as first responders across the country. This past summer, the camp held its first session for young women in Halifax, as well as its first national camp in Calgary with plans to roll out more in 2023.
1. What do we know about Speranza?| A．She became a firefighter in her fifties. |
| B．She suffered great pain due to an accident! |
| C．She helped many young girls attend school. |
| D．She found her job as a firefighter undesirable. |
| A．Her family members’ advice. | B．Her unrealized ambitions. |
| C．Growing social demands. | D．Great lack of female firefighters. |
| A．Intellectual and humorous. | B．Courageous and inspiring. |
| C．Creative and influential. | D．Knowledgeable and ambitious. |
| A．Custom makes all things easy. |
| B．The early bird catches the worm. |
| C．Nothing is impossible for a willing heart. |
| D．A bird in the hand is worth than two in the bush. |
