1 . As more and more people like to travel,independently, minsu have grown in popularity, with homestays offering tourists the opportunity
The regulation
“The new regulation encourages people to operate minsu and serve their guests
Chen Xiao, 30, a tourist
According to Wang,
2 . A humanoid robot（类人机器人）named Sophia has made history by becoming the first robot in the world
Sophia
“I am very
The particulars of the citizenship were not discussed, and it’s not clear
Sophia tried to remove Ross’ （那个采访的记者）fears of a “bad future,” insisting that AI is “designed around human
3 . Consumers who value their privacy (隐私) can limit what they post on Facebook and adjust settings on sites such as Instagram. But Internet service providers (ISPs) have the best advantage point on what consumers do online, and there’s much less you can do about it. After all, your ISP is the conduit (中转机构) for everything you read, view, or shop for while you’re accessing the web at home.
New rules governing the way ISPs can use consumers’ data were adopted in 2016 and scheduled to go into effect this December. But they were rejected by Congress this spring That leaves the future of broadband (宽带) privacy practices unsettled. Consumers say they want more, not less, regulation of broadband privacy. In a nationally representative survey of 1,008 Americans conducted in early May for the Consumer Reports National Research Center, 80 Percent of respondents told us that ISPs should need to get permission before sharing consumers’ data. Six out of 10 didn’t think ISPs should be allowed to sell or share this information at all. Eighty-five percent of respondents said the data rightfully belongs to them.
Under the recently defeated rules，broadband providers would have faced a new login requirement, forcing them to get permission before using data such as web browsing histories. Opponents of the rules said it was unfair to hold ISPs to stricter standards than Internet companies such as Amazon, Google, and Facebook, which are regulated more loosely.
Going forward, state laws could pick up some of the conflict. By the end of May, more than a dozen states had proposed some laws mentioning the issue. Privacy protection bills were also being discussed in Washington, D. C. But privacy experts don’t expect much from the bills. After all, this is the same Congress that voted to roll back the existing privacy protections.
1. What do the new rules focus on?| A．Keeping the Internet steady. |
| B．Settling broadband practices. |
| C．Forbidding ISPs to use consumers’ data. |
| D．Protecting Internet consumers’ privacy. |
| A．Regulations on ISPs using consumers’ data. |
| B．A survey of privacy conducted by Congress. |
| C．Consumers, opinions about broadband privacy. |
| D．The argument about who owns consumers’ data. |
| A．Broadband providers. | B．Internet companies. |
| C．Internet consumers. | D．Survey representatives. |
| A．The future of broadband privacy will be clear. |
| B．Internet companies rejected the rules together with ISPs. |
| C．Privacy experts have a negative attitude to the privacy protection bills. |
| D．Consumers will go on arguing with Congress about the Internet privacy. |
4 . Cyclist Alain Such has been dropped from the Ingotel cycling team for two years after a positive drug test at the Institute of drug Free Sport. “ I was flabbergasted.” Said Didier Garcia, from Team Ingotel. “Alain joined our team last month and we had no idea that he was being examined.”
It’s a story that has become more and more familiar in recent years. Dr. Mohammad Farnood, a leading sports scientist from Cairo, Egypt, said, “ It is thought that some athletes will look for other ways to improve performance in addition to using drugs.”
However, it has not always been against the law. In the Olympics in 1904, Thomas Hicks won the marathon after using drugs in the middle of the race. In fact, the first one didn’t make him feel better for long, so he was given another and, as a result, he fell down soon after finishing and knew nothing. Another one may well have killed him.
Things are very different today. Some scientists are considering the possibilities of using genetic engineering to further develop athletes’ abilities. “If it works with no risk of discovering,” said Dr Farnood, “ then it’s likely to become common practice for athletes.”
Researchers are looking at the possibility of identifying “athletic” genes and correcting weak ones. Put into practice, this would make a person healthier and stronger. Once scientists understand what genes of top athletes look like , it might even become possible to identify “athletic” genes in young people, and then money could be spent on children who have the most promising genes.
“People are beginning to recognize that genetics can in many ways do good to our society, for example in saving lives and in creating better quality food for people.” Dr Farnood says. “ So, is it fair to use genetic engineering in sport? You could ask if it’s fair for some runners to use the latest scientifically developed footwear. The key question is whether it’s available to everyone.”
1. What does the underlined word “ flabbergasted” in Paragraph 1 mean ?| A．Shy . | B．Proud. |
| C．Excited. | D．Surprised. |
| A．He was badly hurt in training. |
| B．He broke the law when running in a race. |
| C．He took drugs and almost got killed. |
| D．He lost the match in the Olympic Games. |
| A．Didier Garcia . |
| B．Thomas Hicks. |
| C．Cyclist Alain Such . |
| D．Dr Mohammad Farnood. |
| A．The possibility of identifying “athletic” genes has become available . |
| B．It’s not clear whether it is fair to use genetic engineering in sport. |
| C．The practice of using drugs in sport has a long history. |
| D．It’s dangerous to use drugs in sport. |
5 . Foreign drivers will have a pay on-the-spot fines of up to ￡900 for breaking the traffic law to be carried out next month.
If they do not have enough cash or a working credit card, their vehicles will clamped(扣留) until they pay—and they will face an additional fee of ￡80 for getting back their vehicles.
The law will also apply to British citizens. The fines will be described officially as “deposits” when the traffic law takes effect, because the money would be returned if the driver went to court and was found not guilty. In practice, very few foreign drivers are likely to return to Britain to deal with their cases.
Foreign drivers are rarely charged because police cannot take action against them if they fail to appear in court. Instead, officers often merely give warnings.
Three million foreign-registered vehicles enter Britain each year. Polish vehicles make up 36 percent, French vehicles 10 percent and German vehicles 9 percent.
Foreign vehicles are 30 percent more likely to be in a crash than British-registered vehicles. The number of crashes caused by foreign vehicles rose by 47 percent between 2003 and 2008. There were almost 400 deaths and serious injuries and 3,000 slight injuries from accidents caused by foreign vehicles in 2008.
The new law is partly intended to settle the problem of foreign lorry drivers ignoring limits on weight and hours at the wheel. Foreign lorries are three times more likely to be in a crash than British lorries. Recent spot checks found that three quarters of lorries that failed safety tests were registered overseas.
The standard deposit for a careless driving offence —such as driving too close to the vehicle in front or reading a map at the wheel—will be ￡300. Deposits for speeding offences and using mobile phones will be ￡60. Foreign drivers will not get points as punishment added to their licenses, while British drivers will.
1. The first paragraph serves as a(n) ________.| A．explanation | B．introduction |
| C．comment | D．background |
| A．￡60 | B．￡300 |
| C．￡900 | D．￡980 |
| A．many foreign drivers have been fined by Britain police |
| B．300,000 German vehicles enter Britain every year |
| C．25 percent of foreign vehicles entering Britain have failed safety tests |
| D．British drivers will be punished with points and fines for breaking the traffic law |
| A．limit the number of foreign vehicles entering Britain |
| B．increase the Britain government’s additional income |
| C．reduce the rate of traffic accidents and injuries |
| D．get foreign drivers to appear in court |
6 . With a presidential campaign, health care and the gun control debate in the news these days, one can’t help getting sucked into the flame wars that are Internet comment threads. But psychologists say this addictive form of vitriolic (刻薄) back and forth should be avoided — or simply checked by online media outlets — because it actually damages society and mental health.
A perfect storm of factors come together to cause the rudeness and aggression seen in the comments’ sections of Web pages, said Markman, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. First, commenters are often nearly nameless, and thus, unaccountable for their rudeness. Second, they are at a distance from the target of their anger — be it the article they’re commenting on or another comment on that article — and people tend to go against distant abstractions more easily than living, breathing talkers. Third, it’s easier to be nasty in writing than in speech, hence the now somewhat out-of-date practice of leaving angry notes (back when people used paper), Markman said.
And finally, Edward Wasserman, Knight Professor in Journalism Ethics at Washington and Lee University, noted another cause of the vitriol: bad examples set by the media. “Unfortunately, mainstream media have made a fortune teaching people the wrong ways to talk to each other. People understandably conclude anger is the political vernacular (行话), that this is how public ideas are talked about,” Wasserman wrote in an article on his university’s website. “It isn’t.”
In Markman’s opinion, media outlets should cut down on the anger and hatred that have become the model in reader exchanges. “It’s valuable to allow all sides of an argument to be heard. To a greater degree, someone who is making a reasonable point but with an angry tone is hurting the nature of the argument, because they are promoting people to respond in a similar way,” he said.
For their part, people should seek out actual human beings to communicate with, Markman said — and we should make a point of including a few people in our social circles who think differently from us. “You’ll develop a healthy respect for people whose opinions differ from your own; the back-and-forth negotiation that goes on in having a conversation with someone you don’t agree with is a skill and it’s not easy to master it,” Markman said.
1. Why do psychologists encourage people to stop attacking each other online?| A．The social problems are too complex to figure out. |
| B．The online media outlets will review the comments. |
| C．The action does harm to society and individuals. |
| D．The Internet users are easily attached to hot topics. |
| A．People are cautious to make vitriolic remarks online. |
| B．The targets online are more likely to be commented on. |
| C．Understanding the literal meaning is easier than oral language. |
| D．An argument with an angry tone can promote its power. |
| A．To show different ways of expressing opinions. |
| B．To reveal the severe problems of the public media. |
| C．To raise the awareness of proper communication. |
| D．To urge people to carry out actual offline communications. |
7 . Under new rules posted by the Civil Aviation (航空) administration of China on Friday, pilots will have to pass a “level four” test of Mandarin Chinese, China’s official language. Those who speak with an accent that “often impedes” comprehension will not pass. These rules take effect in January 2016.
China’s 56 ethnic groups speak more than 80 languages and dialects. Even native Mandarin speakers can have trouble communicating with each other depending on the strength of their accents, which can be mutually unintelligible (难理解的).
One flight trainer illustrated the scope for linguistic confusion, especially when common English aviation terms are used. Asked if there is a problem on board, a Chinese pilot might answer in the negative with the words mei you, or “there isn’t.” But someone speaking with a heavy Sichuan accent would pronounce mei you as “May day” — unconsciously parroting the universally recognized distress call (遇难信号).
Like their international counterparts (对应物), Chinese aviators have developed codes to avoid confusion resulting from homonyms (同音异义字) or near-homonyms. They use the terms yao for one and guai for seven, which are otherwise pronounced yi and qi respectively and easily confused.
The new rule could affect all pilots, who must renew their license every six years, and adds to a growing list of burdens for the profession.
1. What does the underlined word “impedes” in Para 1 mean?| A．improves | B．helps |
| C．misleads | D．limits |
| A．Sichuan dialect has the contrary meaning to Mandarin. |
| B．Native Mandarin speakers can understand each other well. |
| C．It isn’t necessary for a pilot to pass the test before January 2016. |
| D．“May day” is a distress call in our everyday life. |
| A．To avoid misunderstanding. |
| B．To communicate with their international counterparts. |
| C．To pass the test. |
| D．To avoid their accents. |
| A．Chinese Pilots Told to Get Rid of Regional Accents |
| B．Chinese Pilots |
| C．Rich Chinese Languages |
| D．Hard to Be a Chinese Pilot |
8 . An old lady was walking with her basket down the middle of a street in Petrograd to the great confusion of the traffic and with no small danger to herself. It was pointed out to her that the pavement was the place for pedestrians, but she replied: “I’m going to walk where I like. We’ve got liberty now.” It did not occur to the dear old lady that if liberty entitled（授权）the pedestrian to walk down the middle of the road, then the end of such liberty would be universal chaos. Everybody would be getting in everybody else’s way and nobody would get anywhere. Individual liberty would have become social chaos.
There is a danger of the world getting liberty-drunk in these days like the old lady, and it is just as well to remind ourselves of what the rule of the road means .It means that in order that the liberties of all may be preserved, the liberties of everybody must be limited. When the policeman steps into the middle of the road and puts out his hand, he is the symbol not of tyranny（暴政）, but of liberty.
Liberty is not a personal affair only, but a social contract（契约）. In matters which do not touch anybody else’s liberty, of course, I may be as free as 1 like. If I go down the street dressed strangely, who shall say me no? We have a whole kingdom in which we rule alone and can do what we choose. But directly we step out of that kingdom, our personal liberty of action becomes qualified by other people’s liberty.
We all tend to forget this. A reasonable consideration for the rights or feelings of others is the base of social conduct.
1. What does the first paragraph serve as?| A．A background. | B．An introduction. | C．A comment. | D．An explanation. |
| A．Park anywhere you like. | B．Walk along the pavement. |
| C．Wear whatever you like. | D．Make loud noises in the wild. |
| A．Follow the orders of policemen. | B．Do what you like in private. |
| C．Never walk in the middle of the road. | D．Do not behave inconsiderately in public. |
| A．Limited. | B．Ruined. | C．Improved. | D．Educated. |
The expensive trip to church was a surprise for Richard Albert, who lives right on the Canadian border. Like the other half-dozen people of Township 15, crossing the border is a daily occurrence for Albert. The nearby Quebec village of St. Pamphile is where they shop, eat and go to church.
There are many such situations in these areas along the largely unguarded 5,530-mile border between Canada and the US-which in some cases actually runs down the middle of streets or through buildings.
As a result, Albert says he did not expect any problems three weeks ago when he returned home to the US after attending church in Canada, as usual. The US customs（海关）station in this are is closed on Sundays, so be just drove around the locked gate, as he had done every weekend since the gate appeared last May, following a tightening of border security. Two days later. Albert was told to go to the customs office, where an officer told him be had been caught on camera crossing the border illegally（非法）.
Ottawa has given out special passes to some 300 US citizens in that area so they can enter the country when Canadian customs stations are closed, but the US stopped a similar program last May. That forces the people to a 200-miledetour along hilly roads to get home through another border checkpoint.
Albert has requested that the customs office change their decisions on the fine, but he has not attended a Sunday church since. “I feel like I’m living in a prison,” he said.
1. We learn from the text that Richard Albert is .
| A．an American living in Township 15 |
| B．a Canadian living in a Quebec village |
| C．a Canadian working in a customs station |
| D．an American working in a Canadian church |
| A．failed to obey traffic rules | B．broke the American security rules |
| C．worked in St. Pamphile without a pass | D．damaged the gate of the customs office |
| A．a drive through the town | B．a race across the fields |
| C．a roundabout way of travelling | D．a journey in the mountain area |
| A．A Cross-country Trip | B．A Special Border Pass |
| C．An Unguarded Border | D．An Expensive Church Visit |
Almost every bit of information can be cut and pasted (粘贴) with a few clicks of a mouse. Many art forms such as writings, films, and music need new protection to ensure that people do not simply transfer them for free. Online illegal copying has been blamed for a huge reduction in the sales of many records because it is hard to convince people to buy something that they can get for free. Even the ideas behind traditional games, such as Scrabble, have been used without the owners’ permission.
Old laws have been struggling to keep up. While music companies have been successful in persuading courts that action should be taken against people who illegally download music, the law is difficult to carry out. Furthermore, intellectual property rights vary widely from country to country, so it’s up for debate which laws apply. Finally, there is the fact that many people simply do not see the act as theft (盗窃), since once the work has been digitized there is no clear physical object to steal in the first place.
All of these issues mean that companies involved with intellectual property — ideas or easily digitized information — are fighting desperately to get people to pay for the information they use, rather than paying for an object like a CD that they use. While the companies have sometimes been successful, the practical barriers to full protection seem insurmountable.
Finally, all that concerned parties can do is hope that their few successes scare off others and try to find new ways of making money.
1. Why do writings, films, and music need protection？
| A．They are very expensive. |
| B．They are impossible to copy. |
| C．It is easy to make CDs, books, and movies. |
| D．They are easily able to be transferred when in digital form. |
| A．Laws are not the same in all countries. |
| B．People do not see copying information as theft. |
| C．It is very hard to catch people who are breaking the law. |
| D．Internet service providers do not want to cooperate with the police. |
| A．extremely expensive | B．impossible to overcome |
| C．against the law | D．hard to prove |
| A．Music and films will be unnecessary in the future. |
| B．New laws are necessary but difficult to put into practice. |
| C．The Internet is likely to become more important in the future. |
| D．Laws are just a way for greedy companies to control their products. |
