Choosing a university
Kazumi
Mymain reason for coming here was the Human Rights course. When I was at school I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to be a doctor or a lawyer, but having decided to be a lawyer, I then had to choose which first degree I should take before starting, law school in another city, I’ve always wanted to help people and I figured that taking Human Rights would allow me to learn about how I can make a real difference in the world.
Vladimir
I love maths. I was tom between two possibilities: I could become an engineer and apply maths at a practical level. Or I could become a maths teacher, I needn’t have worried because in the end I didn’t have to choose! I got everything I wanted thanks to my university, which will qualify me to be a high school teacher while gaining a general engineering degree at the same time.
Osvaldo
One of the reasons I chose this university was because of the effort that they put into organizing the open day. The lecturers and current students provide an enthusiastic overview of their courses and of life in the city. This was in contrast to other universities I visited, which just let their reputation do the talking. Although I chose not to live on campus, the rooms there seemed comfortable and very reasonably priced.
Maria
When the time came to select the university, I had three possibilities, but I still could not decide. So it was time to schedule campus tours. They all had their advantages, but this place instantly appealed to me. As soon as I arrived, I was struck by the smiles everyone gave me. What I value most here is the feeling that I am part of a supportive community.
1.Who can obtain a double qualification from his or her university?
A.Kazumi. B.Vladimir.
C.Osvaldo. D.Maria.
2.Why did Osvaldo choose his university?
A.He found the courses affordable.
B.His university sold itself more convincingly.
C.He was won over by the university s reputation.
D.His university offered excellent accommodation.
3.What do we know about Maria?
A.She takes great interest in community service.
B.She made her choice from the very beginning.
C.She feels a sense of belonging at her university.
D.She was hoping to pass on knowledge to others.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
I didn’t understand the irony (讽刺) immediately. Only on the way home. The book I had just returned to our local library was called “Unquiet Landscape” by Christopher Neve. He widened my view.
But the ironic word for me in his books title. Irealized, was “unquiet”. It applied not to the landscape but to our local library. I have thus visited it again since then, and my conclusion is much the same: This is no longer a quiet place.
On both of my visits the library was packed with small children, and they were doing rather a lot of small-children things, such as dancing in circles, singing, jumping up and down, and so on. Various adults sitting around were clearly not discouraging them, rather the opposite.
I wasn’t exactly shocked. But I have to say that my understanding of library behavior and purpose changed somewhat. All my upbringing (教养) about libraries was what they were sanctums(圣地), places of escape in a noisy world. If one clearedone’s throat in a library, one was likely to be stared at by the librarians not to mention tolerating the disapproval of fellow library users enjoying their post-lunch nap. The first school I attended had a library that was entirely conventional infunction. In it, we boys did (or were expected to do) one thing only: read. The second school i attended allowed one to write as well as read in the library.
Since those days, my attitude, I hope, has changed a little. I’ve come across some very pleasant librarians eager to help with my projects. Some of them are surprisingly generous with providing access to their books, which are as dear to them as their own children. And the silence rule has, over the years, become much less strict. Even quite loud laughter, I find, is not always opposed to.
1.What did the author do after finishing the book?
A.He visited the lands mentioned in the book.
B.He expressed his admiration to the book winter.
C.He kept his habit of staying quiet in the library.
D.He made a close observation of the local library.
2.What did the author find out about the adults in the library?
A.They made lots of noise.
B.They were soft with the kids.
C.They didn’t listen to the librarians.
D.They couldn’t stop their kids bad behavior.
3.What’s the author’s attitude to librarians nowadays?
A.Positive. B.Disappointed.
C.Unconcerned. D.Worried.
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
Many leading AI researchers think that in a matter of decades, artificial intelligence will be able to do not merely some of our jobs, but all of our jobs, forever transforming life on Earth.
The reason why many regard this as science fiction is that we've traditionally thought of intelligence as something mysterious that can only exist in biological organisms, especially humans. But such an idea is unscientific.
From my point of view as a physicist and AI researcher, intelligence is simply a certain kind of information-processing performed by elementary particles (基本粒子) moving around, and there is no law of physics that says one can't build machines more intelligent than us in all ways. This suggests that we've only seen the tip of the intelligence iceberg and that there is an amazing potential to unlock the full intelligence that is potential in nature and use it to help humanity.
If we get it right, the upside is huge. Since everything we love about civilization is the product of intelligence, amplifying (扩大) our own intelligence with AI has the potential to solve tomorrow's toughest problems. For example, why risk our loved ones dying in traffic accidents that self-driving cars could prevent or dying of cancers that AI might help us find cures for? Why not increase productivity through automation (自动化) and use AI to accelerate our research and development of affordable sustainable (可持续的) energy?
I'm optimistic that we can develop rapidly with advanced AI as long as we win the race between the growing power of our technology and the knowledge with which we manage it. But this requires giving up our outdated concept of learning form mistakes. That helped us win the race with less powerful technology: We messed up with fire and then invented fire extinguishers (灭火器), and we messed up with cars and then invented seat belts. However, it's an awful idea for more powerful technologies, such as nuclear weapons or superintelligent AI—where even a single mistake is unacceptable and we need to get things right the first time.
1.How do many people feel about leading AI researchers' predictions?
A.Worried. B.Curious. C.Doubtful. D.Disappointed.
2.What does the author think of intelligence?
A.We know little about it. B.It belongs to human beings.
C.It is too difficult to understand. D.We have nothing more to discover.
3.What does the underlined word “upside” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
A.Cost. B.Risk. C.Quantity. D.Advantage.
4.What's important for us in the race between people and technology?
A.Learning from failure. B.Increasing our intelligence.
C.Avoiding making mistakes. D.Being more optimistic.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
About 43 years ago, spotted an advertisement in the paper for the YMCA wilderness program. 1. My first experience was a boat trip. I still have the images of sunrises and sunsets with all the beautiful colours on Lake of the Woods.
2. Even now I can feel the cold water dripping down my arm as we sat in the boat pulling the paddles awkwardly through running water. It was my first experience in a boat and my arms became tired after many hours of paddling.
We stopped for lunch in the boat by gathering all the boats together. 3.
At night it was time to camp at our site picked out by our guide. There we learned to start campfires and cook some of our meals. This is where fell in love with noodles. 4. We cleaned up our mess and put up our tents and slept on the ground. We learned to carry the heavy packs to our next destination. I developed a sense of accomplishment and had arm muscles after that trip.
There were no phones, makeup, hair dryers... just us and the bush. We came from different backgrounds with different personalities and we all had to work together as a group.
5.. I kept a journal from that second trip and often go back to it.
A. They dropped us off in the bush.
B. I had to experience more of the wilderness.
C. I was 15 and wanted to do something different.
D. Our guide handed out chocolate, cheese, and dried meat.
E. I liked the boat trip so much that I joined the survival trip the next year.
F. It was wonderful sharing simple meals over the fire and talking with new friends.
G. As a teenager, didn’t know that I was having the best adventure a teenager could have.
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
In 1999, Rebecca Constantino began doing a study at schools across Los Angeles. She had just completed a Ph. D. in language and learning, and she was analyzing children’s access to ________ in rich and low-income communities.
One day, she ________ something that stopped her in her tracks. “I was at a ________ in a wealthy community, and they were ________ almost brand-new books because they didn’t have ________ in the library,” Constantino said. She put the books in her car and drove them to a school in a(n) ________ community.
Shocked by the ________ she saw in public school libraries, Constantino became ________ to bridge the gap. “Some school libraries are not funded well, and sometimes not funded at all,” Constantino said. “If you’re a(n) ________ in an underserved community, ________ you’re left with boring, outdated and uninteresting books.”
Word spread about Constantino’s work, and books began ________. Donors buy new hardcover books. Kids ________ what they think are the most interesting books. Today, her nonprofit, Access Books, has ________ more than 1.5 million books for public-school and community libraries across California. The group has also ________ close to 350 libraries, making sure the reading environment is relaxing and comforting.
“________ we provide high-interest books and a(n) ________ library space, they do come and they do read. We found that in the schools that we serve, ________ doubles and triples (增值三倍) after we’ve come. So, we know that kids come to the ________ and read the books we give. They are ________ to keep on the shelf because we re giving books that really ________ kids. My goal is to see that kids can always have a friend in a book and they can always turn to a book to find comfort,” said Constantino.
1.A.phones B.books C.food D.water
2.A.spotted B.established C.heard D.resembled
3.A.hospital B.bookshop C.school D.structure
4.A.selling B.setting off C.getting rid of D.taking up
5.A.room B.money C.readers D.volunteers
6.A.temporary B.local C.circular D.underserved
7.A.combination B.difference C.buildings D.mission
8.A.qualified B.excited C.confident D.determined
9.A.intellectual B.teacher C.child D.settler
10.A.gradually B.usually C.rapidly D.steadily
11.A.functioning B.disappearing C.coming out D.piling up
12.A.give B.discuss C.understand D.display
13.A.provided B.bought C.encountered D.translated
14.A.visited B.redecorated C.built D.simplified
15.A.Though B.Until C.Unless D.If
16.A.beautiful B.quiet C.standard D.individual
17.A.satisfaction B.reference C.circulation D.transportation
18.A.classroom B.library C.market D.playground
19.A.necessary B.organizational C.difficult D.essential
20.A.surprise B.calm C.encourage D.attract
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
This year’s top award in architecture goes to Balkrishna Doshi. This is the first time an Indian 1. (win) in the 40-year history of the award, known 2. the Pritzker Architecture Prize, Some compare the award 3. the Nobel Prize.
Doshi was born in 1927 in the city of Pune. He studied architecture in Mumbai and was the first director of Ahmedahad’s School of Architecture and Planning, now 4. (name) CEPT University. He founded his own company in 1956, and lives and works in Ahmedabad.
Doshi has been an architect, city planner, and educator for 70 years. In Ahmedabad, Dashi’s designs can 5. (see) in the concrete Life Insurance Corporation Housing buildings to the flowing curves (曲线) of the Amdavad ni Gufa art gallery. 6. he is famous for designing low-cost housing. Doshi said his life’s work has been to help “the have-nots, the people who have nothing.”
He called the prize an honor both for 7. (he) and for India. The Hyatt Foundation, 8. sponsors the PritzkerArchitecture Prize, called Doshi’s work “poetic and functional”. It noted that Doshi’s buildings both respect 9. (tradition) culture and improve the quality of life in India.
“My work is the story of my life. I am always moving forward, changing and searching to look at life beyond architecture,” Doshi said in the award 10. (announce). Doshi will be given the $100,000 prize in May at a ceremony in Toronto, Canada.
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
假定你是李华，你的美国朋友Sam最近发来邮件说他在某英语杂志的短篇小说大赛中获得了一等奖。请用英语给他写一封电子邮件，要点包括：
1. 表示祝贺；
2. 介绍自己的英语写作情况；
3. 请教写作方面的问题。
注意：1. 词数80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Sam,
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours truly,
Li Hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写使之构成一个完整的故事。
Once upon a time, two brothers who lived on neighbouring farms fell into conflict. It was the first serious disagreement in forty years of farming side by side, sharing machinery, and trading labour and goods as needed without a hitch.
Then the long cooperation fell apart. It began with small misunderstand and then grew into a major difference, and finally it exploded into an exchange of bitter words followed by weeks of silence.
One morning, there was a knock on John’s door. He opened it to find a man with a carpenter’s toolbox. “I’m looking for a few days’ work,” he said. Perhaps you have few jobs here and there. Could help you?
“Yes,” said John. “I do have a job for you. Look across the small stream at that farm. That’s my neighbor. In fact, it’s my younger brother. Last week there was a meadow (草地) between us and he took his bulldozer (推土机) there and now there is creek between us. Well, he may have done this to annoy me but I’ll do better. See that pile of wood by the barn (谷仓)? I want you to build a fence—an 8-foot-high fence—so I won’t need to see his place anymore.”
The carpenter said, “I think I understand the situation. Show me the nails and hole-digger and I’ll be able to do a job that pleases you.”
The older brother had to go to the town for supplies, so he helped the carpenter get everything ready and then he left. The carpenter worked hard all that day measuring, sawing and nailing. At sunset when John returned, the carpenter had just finished his job, John’s eyes opened wide and his jaw dropped.
1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2. 应使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3. 续写部分分为两段,每段的开头语已为你写好；
4. 续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:
There was no fence at all. It was a bridge!
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Paragraph 2:
They turned to see the carpenter lift the toolbox onto his shoulder.
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难度: 困难查看答案及解析