Finding spare change or an extra dollar in your pocket always feels like a victory, 1.. Without thinking, you might hear the familiar rhyme in your head when you spot one on the sidewalk: " Find a penny, pick it up. All day long you’ll have good luck.”
According to one theory, people originally thought pennies would bring good luck because of religious beliefs2.. This theory also fueled other superstitions(迷信行为) like charm bracelets and metal horseshoes, which are also "lucky. "Plus, metal currency like pennies were linked to more wealth and thus more luck. That might be a straightforward explanation, but other eleven strange origins of other everyday superstition sure aren’t.
Another reason people might have claimed pennies would bring good luck comes down to the battle between good and evil, which is like two sides of the coin. Finding a penny heads up. meant you’d have luck on your side, but tails up would mean the opposite,3.. Some people say that if you find a penny tails up, you should turn it over to make it heads up so that it can bring luck to whoever finds it next. 4.. The Irish half-penny, which stopped circulating in 1987, is especially lucky to anyone who finds one. Then there: 's also the old saying " Something old, something new something borrowed, something blue, and a penny in the shoe. " 5.
A. Pennies From Heaven is a way of thinking
B. although the exact reasoning for this is unknown
C. but even finding something worth as little as a penny is satisfying
D. No matter what the reason is, pennies are part of many lucky traditions
E. Placing g silver sixpence in the bride’s left shoe is said to be a symbol of wealth
F. These are all things brides should wear on their wedding day for good luck in their marriage
G Folktales from ancient civilizations said metals were gifts from gods intended to protect people from evil
How far would you go for your kids education? That 's a question many parents are asking in the wake of the college cheating scandal(丑闻)involving 38 wealthy parents around the country， including actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman. Here’ s how far I went. In the fall of 2017 my husband and I lost our jobs. We had to tell our daughter, Casey, that we couldn’t afford to send her back to school for her junior year at Fordham University. We decided the best choice for our family would be for Casey to sit out a year. We promised that we would get her back the following year. Casey decided to spend the year volunteering in South Africa On Sept 30, 2017, we put our oldest child on a plane halfway around the world. Casey worked as a tutor teaching kids math, English and music in Johannesburg. We did get Casey back in school in time. When she returned to the campus, she studied harder. She isn't what she used to be. Each day is marked by gratitude because she knows what it is like not to be able to get an education.
I wonder why the college cheating scandal happened and I think it boils down to this: Parents want to create a comfort zone for their kids. Of course, we want the best for our kids but sometimes we forget that real growth doesn't happen in times of comfort; those valuable lessons come when we are forced to think in ways we otherwise wouldn’t have
While I did less for my child than these wealthy parents did in terms of means, in other ways I did more. I taught her that disappointment is a part of life and we should face it bravely rather than avoid it. My husband and I showed Casey that her strength is in her struggle. That's how far I went for my kid s education. And I dare say she is wiser and better off for it.
1.What do the parents involved in the college cheating scandal have in common?
A. They are well –known B. They are aggressive
C. They are very rich D. They are conservative.
2.The writer made the decision to pull Casey out of school__________
A. for lack of money B. because of her illness
C. as a result of cheatings D. due to her bad behaviour
3.What does the writer think of her daughter’s volunteering in South Africa for a year?
A. It’ s meaningless. B. It is well worth it.
C. It is a waste of time D. It is a wrong decision.
4.The writer advises parents to____.
A. create a comfort zone for their kids B. do whatever they can for their kids
C. help their kids have a better education D. let their kids experience disappointment
News anchors(主播) must have been reluctant to read out the following news: Xin Xiaomeng began working as the world’s first female artificial(人工的) intelligence news anchor at Xinhua News Agency on Sunday, three months after a male robot joined the profession.
Unlike previous news robots though, Xin does not read news like a cold machine; she reads it almost like a human being. The muscles on her face stretch and relax-and her reactions change-as she continues reading. That’s why many news anchors were worried: Will AI replace us in the near future?
To find the answer, we have to analyse the technologies that support Xin at her job. Three key technologies are used to support Xin. First, samples of human voices are collected and synthesized (合成). This is followed by the collection and synthesis of human muscle movement samples. And third the voices and movements are married in a way that when the Al news anchor reads, the micro -electric motors behind her face move to make her expressions seem more human.
Yet we need a thorough knowledge of deep leaning technology to make a robot imitate a person’s voice. The developer needs to collect tens of thousands of pieces of pronunciations, input them Into the machine and match them with the text or the Al to lean and read. The process for imitating facial movements is similar. The developer has to analyse the movements of the 53 muscles in the human face, make a model set from the collected data for the AI news anchor to lean, and imitate the movements of facial muscles via programs
Both the technologies used to make Xin’s performance impressive are mature. The real difficulty lies in the third -the technology to match the pronunciations with facial movements so that Xin expressions vary according to the content of the news report. In fact, Xins expressions don' t always change according to the content. As a result, her expressions look anything but human. Actually. AI is still no match for human qualities.
1.What does the underlined word "reluctant "in the first paragraph mean?
A. Delighted. B. Unwilling. C. Confused. D. Optimistic.
2.What can we infer about previous news robots?
A. They read news without expressions. B. They looked like a human being
C. They could interview sports stars D. They could interact with audience.
3.What do we know about the third technology?
A. This technology is very perfect so far
B. This technology is quite popular now
C. This technology remains at the theoretical stage
D. This technology is far from mature.
4.From the last paragraph, we can draw a conclusion that____.
A. human news anchors should learn from AT anchors to save their jobs
B. Al anchors perform much better than human news anchors at present
C. Al news anchors won 't replace human news anchors in the near future
D. Xin Xiaomeng s expressions vary so naturally that they are true to life
In early February 2019, 51-year-old Rainer Schimpf and his team set out to film South Africa’s Sardine Run off the coast of Point Elizabeth Sardine Run, the annual migration(迁徙)of billions of sardines (a small sea fish), is a big draw for large predators, especially the dolphin and whale. Predators are animals that kill and eat other animals. In an attempt to obtain the best images of the incredible natural phenomenon, Rainer dived into the middle of a spinning ball of fish. Suddenly the sea moved around violently, and the experienced diver and his photographer Heinz Toperczer, who was filming from the boat, instantly realized something strange was going on Suddenly dolphins shot out of the water, a white spray came out and then a whale appeared and grasped Rainer
While Toperczer was filming the terrifying turn of events with his video camera, Rainer, who was trapped had first and engulfed(吞噬)in darkness inside the whales mouth, was trying to survive. Nothing can actually prepare you for the event when you end up inside the pure instinct(本能), "the diver told Barcroft TV. “Knowing in the whale’s mouth, I tried to control my fear. But I was convinced that it was going to dive down and release me much deeper in the ocean.”
The whale quickly realized he was no sardine! As the whale turned sideways, he opened his mouth slightly to release me, and I was washed out, together with what felt like tons of water, of his mouth, " recalled Rainer. Though the entire incident lasted just 1. 8 seconds, it felt like a year to Rainer.
Still holding his underwater camera in his hand. the diver swam to his boat, where he was quickly rescued by the members of the team. The terrible adventure did not disturb Rainer for too long. After checking to ensure he had no injuries, the diver returned to the water to seek out more
1.Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
A. A Diver's Narrow Escape From A Whales Mouth
B. The Annual Migration Of Billions Of Sea sardines
C. A Frightening And Fantastic Experience Under Sea
D. An Adventurous Trip Off Coast Of Point Elizabeth
2.What animals does Sardine Run appeal to most?
A. seagull B. Seals C. Dolphins D. tortoises.
3.What did Rainer probably do first once in the whales mouth?
A. He dived aimlessly B. He cried desperately.
C. He panicked immediately. D. He struggled violently.
4.According to the passage, we can say that Rainer was very_______.
A. intelligent B. generous C. flexible D. fortunate
Tourist Guide To The National Gallery
Opening hours: Daily 10am -6pm Friday 10amn-9pm
Closed.24-26 December
Reasons to visit
With over 2, 300 paintings in the collection, there are hundreds of reasons to visit the Gallery
Here are some to get you started.……
★Get into great art. From Leonardo da Vinci to Vincent van Gogh. See priceless works of art for free……
★Get creative, Brush up your skills, and create your own great works of art……
★Lean about art. Discover more about paintings,
★Be inspired. Life, death, passion, beauty,,, Every painting tells a story.
★Relax. Escape from the noisy city into a painting
Regulations
★Talk in a low voice when you use your cellphone in the gallery.
★ Not touching the paintings or other exhibits. Not taking pets in or crossing the barriers.
★ Consuming food and drink in designated areas only, i. e. not in rooms that contain paintings
★Following our ‘no-smoking’ policy in any part of the building.
★Following our ‘no –photography’ policy in exhibitions where a sign is displayed
Access:
The National Gallery aims to make access to the paintings enjoyable and welcoming to the widest possible public. There are a range of facilities to help you see the collection, visit exhibitions and come to events
The Gallery offers British Sign Language -interpreted As on paintings for visitors who are deaf, and special art sessions(展期)for visitors who can’t see.
Address: The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N SDN
Getting here:
★By tube
The nearest stations are Charing Cross( National Rail, Northern, and Bakerloo lines )and Leicester Square( Northern and Piccadilly lines)
★By bus
Routes 3, 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, 23, 24, 87, 91, 139, and 176 stop at Trafalgar Square.
★By bike
The nearest bike stands are on Orange Street, St Martin 's Street, St Martins Place, and Duncannon Street
Click here to find more information.
1.When is the National Gallery closed?
A. On thanks-giving B. At Christmas C. On New Year s Day D. At Easter
2.What are visitors allowed to do in the National Gallery?
A. Make a call, B. Take a dog in
C. Smoke a cigarette. D. Touch the painting
3.Who are special art sessions intended for?
A. Young visitors. B. Foreign visitors.
C. Disabled visitors. D. Female visitors
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.What do the young people in Western society think highly of?
A. Earning much money B. Enriching their experiences C. Going to famous universities
2.When are students taking a gap year?
A. Before they go to university B. When they are 16 years old. C. Before they enter high school.
3.What can students benefit from a gap year after school?
A. Build good relationships with others
B. Develop their characters better
C. Help decide future careers.
4.Where do many gap year volunteers teach English?
A. In Africa B. In China C. In Thailand
