Now that the internet provides us with direct...

Now that the internet provides us with direct access to all kinds of information, some people say we don't need public libraries. This may be why some public libraries are finding new ways to serve the public.

Finnish designers used the concept of a useful public space to prove the point. Helsinki Central Library Oodi pushes the boundaries of what a library can be. The library opened its doors at the end of last year.

Antti Nousjoki, one of Oodi's architects, said the idea behind its design is to make the place “an indoor town square”. The building was designed without interior support columns, so the inside is mostly a large open space. According to Tash Reith-Banks of the Guardian, this is quite different from the normal idea of libraries-"Dull and silent".

Of course, Oodi still serves as a traditional library, with a catalogue of about 100,000 books. Finnish news outlet Yle Uutiset reports that, since opening, Oodi lends out5,000 books each day. But given the fact that Oodi has attracted almost a million viewers during the past four months, with around 7,500 daily visitors, it's providing more than just books.

While most libraries around the world offer internet access and other services, Finnish libraries often differ themselves in services, including access to e-publications, sports equipment, power tools and even karaoke.

Oodi goes even further. On the middle floor, multi - function rooms are designed to accommodate both noisy and quiet activities. It also offers facilities like a 3D printer and recording studios.

“Oodi has been designed to give citizens and visitors a free space to actively do what they want to do-not just be a consumer,” said Nousjoki.

1.What is special about Oodi?

A.It has more books. B.It's a place for both books and activities.

C.It only provides e-books D.It allows visitors to stay overnight.

2.We can learn from Paragraph 4 that Oodi　　　　

A.has a long history B.makes architects popular

C.houses a large collection of e-books D.is successful in finding new ways to serve people

3.What can be a suitable title for the text?

A.A Library Of More Than Books B.A Public Place For All Visitors

C.A New Way Of Reading Books D.A Unique Experience of Visitors

高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

Internet has been a powerful force fueling economic growth across Europe, North America and Asia over the past several decades. Further globalization will bring far more profits in the future. To help those countries in poverty and expand trade worldwide to benefit all the mankind, Africa is the next frontier（地区）for the internet.

Digital reforms have taken off quickly in Africa, partly because the younger generation is more ready for adoption of new technologies. Compared to aging populations in developed countries, the average age in Africa is 19.2 years old. While less than half the population has access to electricity, two-fifths own a mobile phone.

With the growing demand for being connected, a number of mobile carriers are now seeking to expand network coverage in Africa. Governments of African countries are also pushing for the network construction as they recognize that communications and renewable energy play an important role in the development of their countries.

In recent years, the majority of the investment（投资）into Africa has come from China. Direct investment from China has grown 40% annually over the past decade, far more than investment from other economic partners, including the US. Huawei, ZTE and China Telecom have all entered the field. Huawei recently announced that it was launching a 5G transport network in South Africa, the first company to expand 5G network in this area. Meanwhile, Western governments are planning to do more to invest in Africa to maintain their economic relationships with it. That has received support from many tech giants like Facebook, which recently announced plans to lay a 37,000 kilometers of subsea cable network to build a direct high-speed internet connection between 16 countries in Africa with Europe and the Middle East.

Expanding network connectivity across Africa will open up digital services that many of us take for granted, like mobile banking, e-education and online shopping. Because the global economy is so closely linked, the increase in internet access will not only power economic growth and create new markets in Africa, but encourage development in other fields and around the world.

1.Which factor contributes to the rapid success of technology revolution in Africa?

A.The aging population. B.Coverage of the internet.

C.The easy access to electricity. D.The youth’s willingness to try new technology.

2.All the efforts to expand network to Africa are mentioned EXCEPT_______ .

A.Support from Western big firms

B.China’s huge investment into Africa

C.Connections between Europe and the Middle East

D.Encouragement of governments in African countries

3.According to the passage, which saying does the author seem to believe?

A.Efforts will pay off.

B.A friend in need is a friend in deed.

C.Technology is a double-edged sword (双刃剑).

D.Mankind is a community with a shared future.

4.What will the author probably talk about in the following paragraph?

A.Background information of African digital reform.

B.The worldwide technological support given to Africa.

C.The development of other countries in the past century.

D.Detailed potential benefits of African network expansion.

高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

We all know the hard work that filmmakers and actors put in to provide us with entertainment.

1.

For decades now, film studios have used so-called test screenings to get feedback from members of the public before a movie comes out. 2.　 However, media giant Disney has come up with a more high-tech solution: to measure test audiences’ reactions by using special cameras placed inside cinemas.

Pairing the cameras with custom software, the company can track what each audience member is feeling at any point in the movie, from anger to joy. 3.　 The cameras can see in the dark, and the software can figure out a person’s mood based on the slightest of facial expressions. It’s hoped that this new method will allow more detailed feedback from test audiences because it can accurately read their reactions in real-time.

Test screening are highly valued in the movie industry. 4.　 Viewers of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) would have left the cinema feeling a whole lot different if it weren’t for its test audience’s feedback. “In one cut of the film that was tested, E. T. died instead of going home in his spaceship. You won’t be surprised to hear that the test audience in question didn’t warm to this ending at all.” wrote media website Den of Geek.

But for those who are concerned about privacy, the cameras won’t be installed in public cinemas.

5.

A. In reality, not all of the people are content with the effect of the movies.

B. This works by mapping 68 different points on each audience member’s face.

C. And several well-known movies have been greatly changed following feedback.

D. The special cameras in public cinemas easily go wrong and often fail to work.

E. After all, unless you’re part of a test audience, being in front of the cameras is best left to the movie stars.

F. But it seems that even regular moviegoers like us have a big impact on how a movie turns out too.

G. Test audience members are usually asked to fill in a questionnaire after a screening, telling the film studio what they liked and didn’t like.

高二英语七选五困难题查看答案及解析

Each year, thousands of U.S. families open their homes and hearts to visitors from all over the world. In a homestay, students can observe, learn and experience a new lifestyle and culture, while practicing English skills in a home environment. Successful homestay experiences can help to ease homesickness for international students.1.

What makes homestays special is the daily experience of living with hosts who arc eager to share their way of life. Homestay hosts will reflect the diversity of the region in which they live. They may be single parents, retired couples or young families.2.What they will have in common is a desire to share their homes and their time with international students.

3.Most homestay hosts will give the student a list of simple house rules to help everyone live happily together. They may give guidelines about Internet usage, lawn勿(洗衣房), television viewing, meal times, keeping the bedroom and bathroom clean, and money matters.4.For example, at the University of Delaware, all homestay hosts living more than one mile from campus(校园)must provide transportation to and from campus every day of the week. Hosts must also provide each student with a private, furnished room which has a desk, a bed, a closet and enough lighting. Students will have access to a shared or private bathroom as well.

There is no better way to gain special insight into U.S. culture, while improving English language skills, than by participating in a homestay. It's not only important to get high scores in English testing, but to also learn how to get along with people from all over the world.5.

Occasionally, problems arise that cannot be solved. In these cases, the student can ask for another homestay or explore other housing options. The homestay coordinator(协调员)will work closely with the student to ensure that the next homestay will be a good match.

A.Unfortunately, not all homestay matches are perfect.

B.Living in a homestay will always require an adjustment period.

C.They will come from different socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds.

D.Homestay hosts are expected to provide an English-only speaking environment.

E.Homestays provide students with a well-rounded education and great social skills.

F.Also, they can help students smoothly adapt to the life of an American university.

G.For universities offering homestays, it's important to set standards for licensed hosts.

高二英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析

For high school leavers starting out in the working world, it is very important to learn particular skills and practice how to behave in an interview or how to find all internship(实习). In some countries, schools have programs to help students onto the path to work. In the United States, however, such programs are still few and far between.

Research shows that if high schools provide career-related courses, students are likely to get higher earnings in later years. In Germany, students as young as 13 and 14 are expected to do internships. German companies work with schools to make sure that young people get the education they need for future employment.

But in America, education reform (改革) programs focus on how well students do in exams instead of bringing them into contact with the working world. Harvard Education school professor Robert Schwartz has criticized education reformers for trying to place all graduates directly on the four-year college track. Schwartz argued that this approach leaves the country’s most vulnerable(易受影响的) kids with no jobs and no skills.

Schwartz believed that the best career programs encourage kids to go for higher education while also teaching them valuable practical skills at high school. James Madison High School in New York, for example, encourages students to choose classes on career-based courses. The school then helps them gain on-the-job experience in those fields while they’re still at high school.

However, even for teens whose schools encourage them to connect with work, the job market is daunting. In the US, unemployment rates for 16-to 19-year-olds are above 20 percent for the third summer in a row. “The risk is that if teenagers miss out on the summer job experience, they become part of this generation of teens who had trouble in landing a job,” said Michael, a researcher in the US.

1.What’s the main idea of the text?

A.Arguments about recent US education reform.

B.Tips on finding jobs for high school leavers.

C.The lack of career-based courses in US high schools.

D.Advice for American high school leavers.

2.According to Robert Schwartz, _________.

A.there is no need for kids to go for higher education in the US

B.teenagers in the US can’t miss out on the summer job experience

C.education reform should focus on students’ performance in exams

D.students should get contact with the working world at high school

3.The underlined word “daunting” in Paragraph 5 most probably means __________.

A.discouraging B.interesting

C.creative D.unbearable

4.What can be inferred from the text?

A.High school leavers with no practical skills can’t find a job at all.

B.Unemployment rates for US teenagers remain high at the moment.

C.Students with career-based courses never have problems finding a job.

D.US companies work with schools to prepare young people for future employment.

高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

The virus,COVID-19 has brought us health and economic challenges.Our major concern is strengthening the importance of family,community,health care and food security.But the good news is that while society adapts to a new normal,nature is continuing to provide us with vital services.Wetlands are filtering(过滤)drinking water and holding back floods.The roots of cottonwoods are binding soil and keeping it from being washed away along rivers and streams. Urban trees will soon multiply their service of purifying air and shading our streets and homes. All point to nature’s important role in our well-being,and that we need nature’s services now more than ever.

Perhaps the most important service that nature provides is how contact with the natural world can benefit us.There is clear evidence that spending time in nature improves our well-being.Even just looking at pictures of wildlife,virtually exploring nature and making plans to visit natural areas once it is safe to do so can help to improve our mental health.

If there is a silver lining in our current situation,it may be that this time of physical distancing represents an opportunity to renew our connections to the people we love,our communities and to nature.In every community across the country,birds are still migrating, wildflowers are blooming and many animals are preparing for their next generation.This time offers an opportunity to learn about the extraordinary wildlife that shares our country and communities.Nature is the foundation of our society.Discovering,knowing and sharing your relationship with nature is significant.Use this time to connect with nature.Help your children to find this connection and a love for the natural world.This relationship will change you.And you can change the world.

1.What do the first and second paragraphs mainly talk about?

A.The adaptation to a new normal.

B.The importance of our well-being.

C.The services nature has offered us.

D.The challenges the virus has brought.

2.What does the underlined phrase in paragraph 4 probably mean?

A.A hot potato. B.A bright side. C.A turning point. D.A stepping stone.

3.In this time of physical distancing,the author advises us to

A.purify air and drinking water

B.conserve wetlands and wildlife

C.participate in community gatherings

D.reflect on our relationship with nature

4.What is the author’s attitude towards the current situation?

A.Positive. B.Hopeless. C.Fearful. D.Cautious.

高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

If the lady in the Mona Lisa painting could talk, she could tell us why she was smiling for the pose, isn’t it? But, of course, that is not possible because she is just a painting.

However, recently, Samsung Labs in Moscow demonstrated an Al program that could create a video of a person talking just from one single profile picture. The result? A talking Mona Lisa, thanks to a technology, known as deepfake!

The word “deepfake” is a combination of the words “deep learning” and “fake”. Deep learning refers to the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence to create images of human faces. The word was used first in 2017 when an anonymous person using the name “deepfake” began to post images of celebrities’ faces on other people’s bodies.

To start with, video recordings of a person are broken down into the smallest levels of detail that capture how their mouth and facial features move when they pronounce a sound like “oo” or “ah”. These, along with the 3-D model of the lower face, are then put together and the person can be made to say words he (or she) never did.

Deepfakes use a technology called generative adversarial networks (GAN). This system uses two separate artificial intelligence systems that are trained such that one generates the images and the other attempts to tell if they are fake. The machines continue to teach each other over and over again until one produces a video that the other cannot tell it is fake!

Fake news would easily go out of hand if people believed the fake videos as real and it could have political and social effect. There is a lesson here for each of us to be careful about what we post on the Internet. In the future, you might see a picture or video of yourself and may not be able to tell that it is fake! It all just goes to show that seeing is not always believing.

1.How does the writer develop the third paragraph?

A.By defining a concept. B.By introducing an app.

C.By testing a scientific method. D.By providing different examples.

2.What can we infer about GAN from the passage?

A.It needs to be trained. B.It can learn all by itself.

C.It produces perfect pictures. D.It is used to identify fake images.

3.What is implied in the last paragraph?

A.People can use deepfakes to become famous.

B.The public aren’t easily cheated by deepfakes.

C.All of us may become a victim of deepfakes.

D.Deepfakes make what you have done known to all.

4.What is the best title for the text?

A.Mona Lisa：a Talking Picture

B.Fake Videos：Recording of a Person

C.AI Program：Creating a Video

D.Deepfakes：Believing or Not

高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

The creator of the animated television series “SpongeBob SquarePants”, Stephen Hillenburg, has died aged 57. Hillenburg was a marine biology teacher in Southern California when he started creating sea creatures as teaching tools.　　 Internet access was still a new thing when SpongeBob SquarePants started airing in May 1999. But now, the beloved animated series has become an essential part of the online world.The series went on to win multiple awards, produced a series of books, two Hollywood movies and a Broadway musical, and have continuously appealed to young children, their families and college students, which has turned into a global phenomenon. And SpongeBob SquarePants’s online reinvention has enabled the show to age along with its fans, who were likely children when the series were first introduced.

After his death, some on social media urged others to share their favourite SpongeBob emojis as a present in memory of the cartoonist and animator, who announced last year he had been diagnosed with ALS.

“Stephen filled SpongeBob SquarePants with a unique sense of humor and innocence that has brought joy to generations of kids and families everywhere,” the Nickelodeon statement said. “His totally original characters and the world of Bikini Bottom will long stand as a reminder of the value of optimism, friendship and the limitless power of imagination.”

1.What is Stephen Hillenburg famous as?

A.An engineer. B.An actor. C.A cartoon creator. D.A biology teacher.

2.What do we know about SpongeBob SquarePants?

A.Its products have always sold well.

B.It firstly began to show on the Internet.

C.It was designed to train sea creatures.

D.It has been popular among audiences of all ages.

3.Which of the following about SpongeBob’s fans is true?

A.The series determined their growth.

B.They like all the works of this cartoonist.

C.They can only watch the series on social media.

D.They were accompanied by the series during their growth.

4.How did some fans honor Stephen Hillenburg?

A.By sharing their favourite SpongeBob emojis.

B.By presenting totally original characters.

C.By passing down the happiness to others.

D.By learning a value lesson from stories.

高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

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1.Why is TOKNOW a special magazine?

A.It entertains young parents. B.It combines fun with complex concepts

C.It publishes popular science fictions D.It provides serious advertisements

2.What does TOKNOW offer its readers?

A.Articles on new topics B.Online courses

C.Lectures on a balanced life D.Reports on scientific discoveries

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高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

Where do you see yourself in five years? While some of us might have answers to that, the reality is that most of us don’t. That is totally OK. We may not stress too much about the future. 1..

◆Stop worrying about what hasn’t happened yet

We’ve all done it. Worrying about a situation that hasn’t happened yet is only going to ruin all the good things that are happening now. 2.. If it is really eating you up, try thinking about what you can do right now to avoid any negative situations you might be worried about.

◆3.

Saving for a house, but your friend invites you on a last-minute group getaway? Go for it! Group holidays with all your friends don’t come around often. As you get older and people start their families, they are less likely to happen. Good memories will always be precious.

◆Surround yourself with people that make you feel good

In order to fully live in the present, surround yourself with people that make you feel good. 4.. If you find yourself doubting your achievements and feeling less than someone because they have a nicer car or a better job, take a step away from them for a while until you feel better.

◆Put yourself first and stop trying to please everyone else

5.. Looking after yourself before anyone else is the most important. Work towards the goals you want to achieve, not the ones others want you to achieve. Just make sure that anything you do is done for you!

A.Take things as they come

B.You are your own number one

C.Try hard to make more friends

D.You can always take care of others

E.Here are some tips about how to live in the now

F.It is so easy to get caught up in other people’s lives

G.Focusing on the future too much makes the present less valuable

高二英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析