Nowadays, cars are playing an increasingly important role in daily life and many societies would stop functioning without them. So, the claim that in 20 years’ time, no one will own cars may be hard to believe. But this is the prediction made by a team of transport researchers who are taken seriously, not only by governments but also by car manufacturers.
The Human Science and Advanced Technology Institute at Loughborough in the UK is part of an international research program. The team there believes that by 2040 all cars will be computerized, which will mean extremely large fuel savings, no accidents and better use of roads. The super-intelligent car of the 21st century will drive itself and it will not be owned by one individual. Instead, we will have a choice of cars and change them as frequently as we change our clothing.
According to Dr. David Davis, who leads the research team, these predictions are based on the rising cost of the car culture, which had blocked up our cities, polluted our air and caused more deaths than both world wars put together.
Davis says cars will be fitted with intelligent cruise control devices to regulate the distance between one car and another. Brakes and accelerators will become redundant(多余的)because the car will automatically speed up or slow down to match the speed of the car in front. Computers are much safer drivers than people, so cars in a road train will be able to drive much closer together than cars driven by people so that the roads can be made the best of.
By 2030 Dr. David Davis believes car technology will give motorists a clear view of the road whatever the weather conditions by projecting an image of the road ahead onto the car’s windscreen. And by 2040 cars will travel in convoy(组队) linked to each other electronically. Cars will be connected by an electronic tow(牵引) bar to the car in front to form “road-trains”. “The front vehicle in such a train burns the ordinary fuel” says Davis. “But all the others in the train would burn about ten percent of the normal amount and so produce about ten percent of the pollution.”
1.We learn from the passage that governments and car manufactures .
A. don’t believe the prediction that no one will own cars by 2020
B. are devoted to the technological innovation (创新) in car industry
C. consider the predictions made by the researchers seriously
D. have put the super-intelligent car into mass production
2.Which of the following will NOT be the characteristics of the cars of 2040?
A. There will be no brake and accelerator in cars. B. We will own as many cars as we want.
C. All cars will be driven by computers. D. Car accident will no longer happen.
3.Davis believes that the present car culture will change because .
A. cars play an important role in daily life
B. many societies would stop working without cars
C. cars should not be owned by one individual
D. it causes more and more pain to human society
4.Which of the following sentences can explain better use of roads by 2040 mentioned in the passage?
A. Computer-driven cars can drive much closer together than cars driven by people.
B. Motorists can have a clear view of the road whatever the weather conditions are.
C. Cars will travel in convoy linked to each other by an electronic tow bar.
D. Intelligent cruise control devices can regulate the distance between one car and another.
5.What will happen if cars are linked to each other electronically in 2040?
A. Motorists will get a clear view of the road.
B. The weather conditions won’t have effect on motorists.
C. There will be a decrease in the pollution caused by car.
D. All trains will burn less fuel than present.
The reason is that college students today can’t do math, and one line of reasoning goes. Or they don’t know science. These are all good theories, but the problem with these young adults’ unemployment goes way beyond a lack of STEM (科学) skills.
A survey by the Workforce Solutions Group at St. Louis Community College finds that more than 60% of employers say applicants lack the ability to communicate and get along with others — a jump of about 10 percentage points in just two years. A large number of managers also say today’s applicants can’t think creatively, solve problems or write well. Jobs are going unfilled as a result, which hurts companies and employees. The annual global Talent Shortage Survey from Manpower Group finds that nearly 1 in 5 employers worldwide can’t fill positions because they can’t find people with soft skills.
One thing that does appear to make a difference is internships(实习). More than 80% of employers want new graduates they hire to have completed a formal internship, but only 8% of students say interning in a field related to their major is something they spend a lot of time doing. Instead, the top extracurricular(课外的)activities are hanging out with friends, working in an unrelated job and eating out.
And all internships are not created equal. Overall, only about half of college graduates say they’re prepared for the work — and the number of bosses who think they’re prepared is lower than 40%.
Among students who don’t intern, only 44% consider themselves ready for the job market. That improves for students with unpaid internships; 58% say they’re prepared for the workplace. But among students who complete paid internships, that number jumps to 70%. None of the students think they’re entirely prepared for the workforce, but they’re a lot more confident than the managers surveyed. Part of the problem is that you don’t know what you don’t know, as the saying goes.
Harris Interactive found a huge gap between students’ view of their abilities and managers’ view of those same skills such as financial skills. It’s just hard to teach these skills, experts say. “It is hard to correct a lifetime of bad habits in a short period of time,” Roderick Nunn, vice chancellor for economic development and workforce solutions at St. Louis Community College, tells St. Louis Beacon.
1.What does the underlined phrase “soft skills” refer to?
A. Math and science skills.
B. Flexibility and interpersonal skills.
C. The skills of finding jobs.
D. Creativity and skills of communicating with employers.
2.What do most new graduates think of their internships?
A. They should do as their employers expect.
B. They should have their free life out of the work time.
C. They shouldn’t spend too much time on the field related to their major.
D. They feel prepared for the jobs during internships.
3.What does the saying “you don’t know what you don’t know” indicate?
A. Students with different internships judge their abilities differently.
B. Students learn much from internships and think more differently from before.
C. Students are unaware of what the employers think they are lacking.
D. Students don’t know much about the job they are working on.
4.The passage mainly talks about .
A. different views about new graduates’ skills
B. new graduates’ performance in their internships
C. how new graduates can meet their employers’ needs
D. the real reason why new graduates are unemployed
5.The purpose of the passage is .
A. to describe B. to explain C. to inform D. to argue
A number of Cypriots gathered in order to hear three speakers share their experiences and thoughts on the damage of sites and monuments of Cypriot cultural heritage in the occupied north.
According to the latest reports, 575 churches have been desecrated(亵渎), 19 have been damaged and 41 have been used in unacceptable ways. But a group of devoted Cypriots have tried to actively show that they don’t stand such contempt(轻视)for a country’s history and tradition.
One of the speakers, Glafkos Kariolou, spoke about the need for the locals who have been forced to flee their home due to the Turkish attack on Cyprus to gradually “re-root” themselves to their homeland.
The audience was deeply moved by the personal report given by a woman described by the event organizers from the “Lobby for Cyprus” as “a legend”. Tasoula Hadjitofi, founder of the Netherlands based “Walk of Truth” non-governmental organization, almost single-handedly managed to make the whole world aware of the problem of artifacts’ trafficking.(文物走私)
Jim Karygiannis, another speaker, has long been interested and helping with the restoration of destroyed cultural monuments. Mending damage is important, but stopping the damage is more important. So his suggestion to apply pressure on international bodies over the occupied Cyprus cultural heritage protection had everyone in the audience nodding in agreement.
Although the current picture taken from occupied Cyprus regarding the respect towards the island’s cultural heritage makes the Cypriots’ hearts bleed, that hot evening left them with a hope that things could be fixed, at least to a degree. However, as the speakers suggested, wishful thinking does not achieve results.
Specific non-governmental plans have already been made. One of them involves regular visits to the occupied land by young second generation Cypriot refugees, guided by people that grew up in those areas. The other, aiming at a higher level of politics, runs along the lines of sending the information concerning the damage of occupied Cyprus’s cultural heritage to all nationally elected officials.
1.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Cypriots took over the cultural heritage in the occupied north in the end.
B. The meeting made no difference to the protection of Cypriot cultural heritage.
C. Cypriot cultural heritage in the occupied north has been completely destroyed.
D. In northern Cyprus, Cypriot history and tradition are treated in disrespectful ways.
2.We can learn from the passage that “Walk of Truth” .
A. is described as “a legend”
B. aims at protecting artifacts
C. is a branch of “Lobby for Cyprus”
D. is managed by the Netherlands government
3.The underlined word “restoration” in Paragraph 5 probably means__.
A. repair B. cleanup C. replacement D. analysis
4.What suggestion do these speakers give the audience?
A. Organizing a trip to the occupied Cyprus.
B. Driving the Turkish out of the occupied north.
C. Taking action is more effective than thinking.
D. Calling on the government to make new policies.
5.What does this passage mainly talk about?
A. Cypriot cultural heritage suffers from serious damage.
B. Effective ways Cypriots have been used to protect cultural heritage.
C. Cypriots are determined to protect cultural heritage in the occupied north.
D. Cypriots are taking measures to regain cultural heritage occupied by Turkey.
Weedon Island Preserve is a 3,190-acre natural area located on Tampa Bay. American Indians occupied this area for thousands of years. Today, Weedon Island Preserve, set up in 1972, protects this wide diversity of natural and cultural resources. The following summer camps will help you learn more about Weedon Island.
Archaeology Summer Camp
June 24 – 30, 2019
Cost: $150 per person Time: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Ages: 7 – 11
Florida Public Archaeology Network will again hold the archaeology camp at Weedon Island during the summer of 2019. This summer camp conducted by professional archaeologists is designed for children with a strong interest in history as well as in learning how early people interacted with their environment. Campers will learn about the importance of archaeology and will gain understanding about early natural resources. The camp includes the tour of an archaeological site, hands-on archaeology, lab analysis and pottery making.
For more information, contact Florida Public Archaeology Network (813) 396-2327 or email.
jmoates@usf.edu
Wildlife Ecology Summer Camp
July 8 – 12, 2019
Cost: $200 per person Time: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Ages: 7 – 11
This summer camp is designed for children with a strong interest in nature. Campers will explore the ecology and protection of Florida’s wildlife with biologist George L. Heinrich. The camp will include hands-on activities, guest presentations, an exploration of the preserve’s diverse habitats where campers will practice their nature detective skills.
Call George Heinrich at (727)865-6255 for more information or email.
George@heinrichecologicalservices.com
Herpetology(爬虫学)Summer Camp
July 15 – 20, 2019
Cost: $180 per person Time: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Ages: 7 – 11
It is a science-based, hands-on nature day camp supported by Heinrich Ecological Services. Curious children love this six-day nature camp where they explore the fascinating world of amphibians and reptiles(两栖动物)side by side with George Heinrich, an expert. Through up-close contacts with a variety of animals such as tortoises, frogs, lizards and snakes, campers learn about amphibian and reptile ecology and protection.
Call George Heinrich at (727)865-6255 for more information or email.
George@heinrichecologicalservices.com.
1.What do you know about Weedon Island?
A. Weedon Island was discovered in 1972.
B. Native Americans lived in Weedon Island.
C. Weedon Island is famous for wild birds.
D. Weedon Island is a beautiful man-made preservation.
2.If you are interested in the past, which summer camp will you probably attend?
A. Archaeology Summer Camp.
B. Wildlife Ecology Summer Camp.
C. Herpetology Summer Camp.
D. Indian Cultural Summer Camp.
3.Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A. There are two ways to contact any camp if you want to know more information about the camp.
B. Wildlife Ecology Summer Camp is the most expensive camp among these three camps.
C. Children can make pottery by themselves and see many kinds of animals at Herpetology Summer Camp.
D. The archaeology camp was once held at Weedon Island before.
4.What do the three summer camps have in common?
A. They will be held at the same time.
B. The campers will have the same experience.
C. They will be conducted by the same college.
D. They are designed for the same age group.
5.This article is a(n) .
A. notice B. diary C. advertisement D. announcement
I grew up on stories about Ernest Shackleton and all the great polar explorers. I had a really ________ mental picture of what the environment they ________ might be like. Those tales of exploration were the reason why I got into travel ________ in the first place.
I had wanted to go to Spitsbergen for years. I was actually ______on a trip with my wife, but we had to cancel — for the ________ possible reason that she fell pregnant with our first child. A couple of years later, I got the ________ to shoot(拍摄)a story on the Noorderlich, a ship that gets ________ into the ice every year — just as the boats of the old explorers did when they ________ in the Arctic. I thought the experience would be _______ because I love riding snowmobiles and dog sleds but it didn’t quite turn out well. It was an eight-hour snowmobile journey from the capital Longyearbyen to the _______ . We rode through snowstorms and it was one of the ____things I’ve ever done. It was really quite _______ and we were ______ about on ice during the last part of the journey. I began to think: “This had better be _______ it.”
And then I saw the ship, lit by the moonlight. It looked so strange and frightening, ____ on its own in the middle of nowhere. I almost didn’t want to get close to it because it was so perfect in its _______. It was exactly how I had _____ it to be. _______experiences are rarely like that---there’s usually some disappointment ____ somewhere. When you have held a mental picture of a place since your childhood and you see that it exists in ______, it really is a dream that comes true.
1.A. certain B. new C. strong D. strange
2.A. discovered B. changed C. created D. experienced
3.A. photography B. research C. habit D. industry
4.A. caught B. booked C. invited D. sent
5.A. least B. nicest C. helpless D. troublesome
6.A. demand B. right C. information D. opportunity
7.A. frozen B. decorated C. broken D. prepared
8.A. summered B. visited C. wintered D. arrived
9.A. easy B. great C. unique D. regrettable
10.A. ship B. village C. island D. house
11.A. happiest B. simplest C. hardest D. most important
12.A. dark B. interesting C. exciting D. bright
13.A. looking B. talking C. standing D. sliding
14.A. for B. worth C. about D. with
15.A. working B. going C. waiting D. sitting
16.A. position B. environment C. shape D. way
17.A. promised B. arranged C. imagined D. refused
18.A. Travel B. Shopping C. Reading D. Working
19.A. expected B. surrounded C. unrelated D. involved
20.A. tales B. memory C. reality D. movies
It’s a pity that we can’t arrange for our agenda; otherwise we far more freedom during the whole journey.
A. enjoyed B. had enjoyed C. would have enjoyed D. would enjoy
