While the start of a new school year is always exciting, this year was even more so for some elementary school students in Auckland, New Zealand. They became the world’s first kids to be “taught” by a digital teacher. Before you start imagining a human-like robot walking around the classroom, Will is just an avatar that appears on the student’s desktop, or smartphone screen, when ordered to come.
The autonomous animation platform has been modeled after the human brain and nervous system, allowing it to show human-like behavior. The digital teacher is assigned to teach Vector’s “Be sustainable with energy”— a free program for Auckland elementary schools.
Just like the humans it replaced, Will is able to instantly react to the students’ responses to the topic. Thanks to a webcam and microphone, the avatar not only responds to questions the kids may have, but also picks up non-verbal cues. For instance, if a student smiles at Will, he responds by smiling back. This two-way interaction not only helps attract the students’ attention, but also allows the program’s developers to monitor their engagement, and make changes if needed.
Nikhil Ravishankar believes that Will-like avatars could be a novel way to catch the attention of the next generation. He says, “I have a lot of hope in this technology as a means to deliver cost-effective, rich, educational experience in the future.”
The program, in place since August 2018, has been a great success thus far. Ravishankar says, “ What was fascinating to me was the reaction of the children to Will. The way they look at the world is so creative and different, and Will really captured their attention.” However, regardless of how popular it becomes, Will is unlikely to replace human educators any time soon.
1.What was special for some elementary school students in Auckland?
A. A digital teacher taught them.
B. They first saw something digital.
C. This was the start of a new school year.
D. They could get close to smartphone screen.
2.What is the benefit of this two-way interaction?
A. It can smile back. B. It can use microphone.
C. It can talk any topic for free. D. It can change if necessary.
3.What’s Ravishankar’s attitude to Will’s replacing Human educators soon?
A. Optimistic. B. Doubtful.
C. Unclear. D. Disapproving.
4.What might be the best title for the passage?
A. New High-tech Contributes to Education
B. The World’s First Digital Teacher Appears in Classroom.
C. The World’s First Digital Teacher, a Help to Students
D. New Zealand Will Replace Teachers in Classrooms
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
The Best Places To Watch Fireworks This Fourth Of July
CALIFORNIA: LIGHTS ON THE LAKE (LAKE TAHOE)
Launched from boats on the shore of Lake Tahoe, this show is considered one of the biggest such displays in the West, which means the fireworks are visible all over town. If you’re worried about getting a seat, park your picnic at the El Dorado Beaches before 9:45 p.m. Or you can take the road less traveled and hike to the top of Mount Tallac for an unforgettable and best view of the display. Just remember you’ll have to hike down, so bring a headlight.
DELAWARE: REHOBOTH BEACH
Launched from the beach south of Rehoboth Avenue, these fireworks are visible up and down the boardwalk and beach. So jump on the Jolly Trolley(观光车) early and spend your whole day at the beach. There’s even live music after the fireworks. Note: This year’s fireworks display is scheduled for July 1, 2018.
FLORIDA: SERTOMA’S 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS (PENSACOLA BAY)
The Gulf Coast knows how to celebrate the Fourth of July. With vendors, arts and crafts, kid-friendly activities and live entertainment, this fun-filled day in Old Seville culminates(达到高潮) with the largest fireworks display in the area. Unfortunately the pony rides and face painting are only for the kids, though.
GEORGIA: DAHLONEGA’S 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION
Pack up your lawn chairs, blankets and coolers and head about an hour outside of Atlanta to the University of North Georgia. It’s even pet friendly — just make sure your dog can take the noise. And if you get to town early enough (11 a.m.), there’s a Fourth of July parade that aims to put all other Fourth of July parades to shame.
1.Where is the best spot to watch the fireworks in Lake Tahoe?
A.At the El Dorado Beaches. B.On the top of Mount Tallac.
C.Anywhere all over the town. D.On the shore of Lake Tahoe.
2.Which display is most suitable for children?
A.REHOBOTH BEACH.
B.LIGHTS ON THE LAKE.
C.SERTOMA’S 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS.
D.DAHLONEGA’S 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION.
3.What do Georgians think of their parade?
A.The best. B.Just so so.
C.Not so bad. D.Very terrible.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
American magician David Blaine left the glass box in which he had lived for 44 days without food on October 19. Hundreds of people came to watch the end of his starvation experiment, which had become one of London’s main tourist attractions.
Looking thinner and darker, 30 year-old Blaine was taken out of his box over the River Thames and immediately sent to hospital. He was then slowly reintroduced to food, a process doctors said could be life threatening. He had been drinking only water since September 5.
A native of Brooklyn, New York, Blaine first became known as a street magician in the early 1990s. He soon found himself doing magic tricks in bars for the likes of American actor Leonardo DiCaprio and his super model friends.
Over the last decade Blaine has become famous with a combination of breathtaking magic and clever tricks aimed at getting a lot of attention.
In 1999, he was buried in a coffin (棺材) for one week and, in 2000, he spent 62 hours in a giant block of ice. Last year he stood on the top of a 25-meter pillar(柱子) in the center of New York for 35 hours before jumping into a pile of boxes.
“I think a lot of people are unable to accept that they’re able to do what they can do,” he said. “They don’t realize we can survive. The human being is an amazing creation.”
But he seemed to have suffered from spending so long in the glass box. He said that at times he was unable to see, had serious back pains and lost his sense of taste.
1.It is ________ for David Blaine to eat food after such a long starvation.
A.pleasant B.delicious
C.dangerous D.important
2.Having spent such a long time in the glass box, he suffered the following EXCEPT that ________.
A.he had become blind B.he had serious back pains
C.he lost his sense of taste D.he was in weak health
3.Which of the following can best describe David Blaine?
A.Brave. B.Adventurous. C.Mad. D.Crazy.
4.Which of the following is NOT true of David Blaine?
A.Blaine was immediately sent to hospital after he was taken out of his box because he was in dangerous condition.
B.Blaine was born and brought up in England.
C.In Blaine’s opinion, people can create a wonder.
D.Blaine didn’t have any food for 44 days.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
After giving a talk at a high school, I was asked to pay a visit to a special student. An illness had kept the boy home, but he had expressed an interest in meeting me, and it would mean a great deal to him. I agreed.
During the nine-mile drive to his home, I found out something about Matthew. He had muscular dystrophy(肌肉萎缩症). When he was born, the doctor told his parents that he would not live to see five, then they were told he would not make it to ten. Now he was thirteen. He wanted to meet me because I was a gold-medal power lifter, and I knew about overcoming obstacles and going for my dreams.
I spent over one hour talking to Matthew. Never once did he complain or ask, “Why me?” He spoke about winning and succeeding and going for his dreams. Obviously, he knew what he was talking about. He didn’t mention that his classmates had made fun of him because he was different. He just talked about his hopes for the future, and how one day he wanted to lift weight with me.
When we finished talking, I went to my briefcase and pulled out the first gold medal I won and put it around his neck. I told him he was more of a winner and knew more about success and overcoming obstacles than I ever would. He looked at it for a moment, then took it off and handed it back to me. He said, “You are a champion. You earned that medal. Someday when I get to the Olympics and win my own medal, I will show it to you.”
Last summer I received a letter from Matthew’s parents telling me that Matthew had passed away. They wanted me to have a letter he had written to me a few days before:
Dear Rick,
My mom said I should send you a thank-you letter for the picture you sent me. I also want to let you know that the doctors tell me that I don’t have long to live anymore. But I still smile as much as I can.
I told you someday I was going to the Olympics and win a gold medal. But I know now I will never get to do that. But I know I’m a champion, and God knows that too. When I get to Heaven, God will give me my medal and when you get there, I will show it to you. Thank you for loving me.
Yours,
Matthew
1.The boy wanted to meet the author because _______.
A.he was interested in weight lifting B.he wanted to get a gold medal
C.he admired the author very much D.he wanted the author to know him
2.The underlined part in the third paragraph probably means “_______.”
A.Why do you come to see me? B.Why do I have to stay at home?
C.Why does the disease fall on me D.Why not give a gold medal to me
3.We can infer from the passage that _______.
A.Matthew is a determined boy B.Rick used to have the same disease
C.Matthew became a champion finally D.Rick regarded Matthew as normal
4.The boy refused the author’s medal because _______.
A.he was not worthy of it B.he would not be pitied by others
C.he knew he would die soon D.he thought he himself could earn one in the future
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词;
2.只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
This morning, when I looked out the window, I excitedly found it was snowing heavy. Attracted by the beautiful sight, so I decided to go out to take some photos. As I walked on the path in front of our building, I saw a boy suddenly slipping on the snow-covered ground. It was at that moment when I realized what I should do. Immediately, I run back home to get a broom(扫帚) and started to sweep the path. I worked so hard that he sweated a lot. An hour later, a thick snow was cleared away. Looked at the clean path, my neighbor all smiled and gave me the thumbs up.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
What do you order when you go to a Chinese restaurant? Do you start with an appetizer of fried dumplings and then move onto General Tso's chicken? 1.
Tofu is made from soybeans（黄豆）.There are different types of tofu, from soft creamy silken tofu to pressed extra firm tofu. The difference is the amount of water in them. The longer the tofu is pressed, the more water is squeezed out and the tofu becomes denser（更密实）and chewier.
2. In the letter to his friend John Bartram, Franklin cites（引用）a description of a type of Chinese cheese made from soybeans called "teu-fu” by Fernandez Navarette who published accounts of his travels to China in the late 1600's.
However, there isn't much documentation of tofu production in the United States. 3.
In 1917, as part of an effort to develop new sources of protein for American soldiers during World War I, the United States Department of Agriculture sent Chinese-born doctor Yamei Kin a dietitian well-known for promoting tofu as an nutritious meat alternative, to China to study soybeans 4.
It wasn't until the 1970's that tofu started to become better known, during a wave of interest in vegetarianism（素食主义），natural food, and less wasteful food sources. 5. And the restaurant. chain Chipotle successfully added tofu to its menu a few years ago.
A.Americans are not big consumers of tofu.
B.Let's take a look at tofu and its history in the United States.
C.Or do you start with deep-fried tofu and then choose Ma Po tofu instead?
D.Today, you can buy different types of tofu in many American supermarkets.
E.Despite the government's efforts, interest among the American public never picked up.
F.One of the earliest references to tofu by an American is in a letter by Benjamin Franklin.
G.It is likely that by the early 1900's, cities with large Asian populations had small tofu shops.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
As is known to all, most stories of kindness do not begin with formerly drug-addicted celebrity (名人) bad boys. ______ does.
When this ______ took place, I was accompanying my grandmother at a huge garden party. ________, Robert Downey Jr., in a nice cream-colored suit, came in. I pointed out this big movie star to grandma ______, but she was far more interested in piling her paper plate with cheese.
As my 80-year-old grandmother rose for the ____ after the party, she fell into a wheelchair ramp (踏板) nearby. The sharp ramp ______ her leg open and it was bleeding.
I should have quickly taken control of the ______ —but due to my blood faint, I didn't. Luckily, Robert Downey Jr. _______
He called an ambulance immediately, and asked someone to ______ a blanket. He took off his suit and ______ his suit around her leg. The cream color turned dark red. Robert surely knew how to speak to her, ______ , distract her. He stayed with my grandmother until the ambulance came, ______ her hand and telling her she was breaking his ______ by leaving so early. I hurried into the ambulance without a word, feeling too shy to thank him.
Some 15 years after that garden party, and five years since he'd been set free from prison for possession of drugs in his car, I came across Robert in a fancy restaurant. I was ______ to respect people's privacy and never ______ someone having a meal. But on this clay, I decided to ______ the code.
“I don't have any ______ if you remember this. . . "and I told him the story. “I just wanted to tell you that it was simply the kindest act I've ever ______ .”
It's never too ______ to express our appreciation for kindness which lies in everyone, even a celebrity bad boy. ______, appreciation itself is a sort of kindness.
1.A.Mine B.His C.Hers D.Yours
2.A.party B.kindness C.accident D.story
3.A.Slowly B.Expectedly C.Suddenly D.Interestingly
4.A.excitedly B.surprisingly C.fortunately D.successfully
5.A.garden B.wheelchair C.star D.exit
6.A.tore B.broke C.cut D.pushed
7.A.situation B.blood C.crowd D.injury
8.A.got across B.turned up C.got ready D.calmed down
9.A.buy B.rent C.lend D.fetch
10.A.tied B.covered C.placed D.pulled
11.A.instead B.for example C.otherwise D.or rather
12.A.shaking B.waving C.holding D.pressing
13.A.schedule B.heart C.promise D.mind
14.A.persuaded B.born C.raised D.forced
15.A.bother B.talk to C.stare at D.upset
16.A.abandon B.set C.follow D.improve
17.A.idea B.trouble C.doubt D.interest
18.A.called for B.witnessed C.heard of D.performed
19.A.embarrassing B.careful C.late D.strange
20.A.However B.After all C.Therefore D.On the contrary
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
Experts say there are several ways to deal with stress. They include deep breathing and a method of guided thought called meditation. They also include exercise，eating healthy foods，getting enough rest and balancing the time 1.（spend）working and playing. Exercise is one of 2. most effective stressreduction measures. Running, walking or playing sports causes physical changes 3. make you feel better. Exercise also improves the body's defense system 4. disease. And studies have found that 5. helps protect against a decrease in mental ability.
Doctors say deep，slow breathing is also helpful. Many 6.（medicine）studies have shown that clearing the mind through quiet meditation 7.（help）you become calm. This causes lower blood pressure，reduces muscle tension 8. decreases heart rate.
Experts also say keeping stress to yourself can make problems 9.（bad）. Researchers have linked the 10. (fail) to identify and express emotions to many health conditions. These include eating disorders，fear disorders and high blood pressure.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假定你是李华，你的美国的笔友Peter来信询问你如何做好新型冠状病毒的自我防护以应对美国爆发的新型冠状病毒。请你给他回封信，内容包括：
1. 写信目的；
2. 提出建议；
3. 表示安慰。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
新型冠状病毒：the novel virus
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难度: 中等查看答案及解析