Some of the world’s biggest companies — Apple, Amazon, Facebook — didn’t exist 30 years ago. So what firms are we working for in 2050? That’ s a question put forward by historian Yuval Noah Harari in his new book “21 Lessons for the 21st Century”.
He argues that because technology is changing so fast, it’ s one of the first times in human history when we don’t know what jobs will look like in the coming three decades. “So the best bet is to focus on emotional intelligence (EQ),” he said. “Information is the last thing the kids need. They have too much of it.”
In this book, he focuses on the various challenges facing us today. As he writes in the book’ s introduction: “What are today’s greatest challenges? What should we pay attention to? What should we teach our kids?” One area where these questions crop up is artificial intelligence (AI). Harari believes that AI will completely affect the job market for the next generation of workers.
His first two books — “Sapiens” and “Homo Deus” — became international bestsellers, selling more than 12 million copies worldwide. They were praised by the likes of Mark Zuckerberg, Barack Obama and Bill Gates. Harari’ s books, about the past and future of humanity, attract a great number of fans. Fellow Israeli, actress Natalie Portman, is a fan. So is American R&B star Janelle Monae.
As for Bill Gates, he might be Harari’s biggest fan. So when the New York Times asked him to review Harari’ s latest books, he jumped at the opportunity. “All the three books wrestle with some version of the same question: What will give our lives meaning in the decades and centuries ahead?” Gates wrote in his review. “So far, human history has been driven by a desire to live longer, healthier, happier lives. If science is eventually able to give that dream to most people, and large numbers of people no longer need to work, what reason will we have to get up in the morning?”
1.What is the best way to help students face the uncertain future according to Harari?
A.Teaching them advanced technology.
B.Providing them with more information.
C.Improving their emotional intelligence.
D.Reminding them of fierce competitions.
2.What does Harari stress in his new book?
A.The bright future of the future workers.
B.Different challenges in face of people.
C.Lessons humans should learn from history.
D.The disadvantages of artificial intelligence.
3.What can we learn about Harari?
A.He is Bill Gates’ good friend. B.He has a deep understanding of AI.
C.He is highly thought of by everyone. D.His books are well received in the world.
4.What is talked about in all of Harari’ s three books?
A.The desire to enjoy life. B.The limitless opportunities in the future.
C.The driving force of human history. D.The source of life meaning in the future.
Coca-Cola, which reportedly produced more than 3 million tons of plastic packaging in 2017, announced Thursday it wants to “help fix the world’s plastic waste problem one community (社区) at a time.”
The soda giant is doing so by providing $ 5.4 million for recycling programs in cities like Atlanta, Boston, Denver and Houston. In these cities, partners, like The Green Blue Institute and The Recycling Partnership, which receive the money, will work together to improve recycling rates.
“We focus on areas where we have the ability to make the biggest influence on communities through the funding and expert skills of Coca-Cola employees,” Carlos Pagoagoa, Coca-Cola’s group director of community partnerships, said in a statement. “In each city, local partners will work together to identify barriers to recycling on a local level and test a range of solutions,” he added. “We hope the learnings from these ‘model markets’ can offer solutions to other cities facing similar challenges.”
As part of the effort, The Recycling Partnership and the city of Atlanta, where the cola company’s headquarters are based, will send street teams out to open recycling carts and leave citizens cards informing them what they can and can’t recycle, and let them know how their efforts work.
“Two of the most urgent problems with recycling in the U. S. today are lack of access, followed by pollution in recycling,” Keefe Harrison, CEO of The Recycling Partnership, said in a statement. “We know from the success of Atlanta in 2017 that the citizens want to recycle, and that communicating with them in the street works.”
Last year, Coca-Cola announced its task to collect and reuse a bottle or can for each one it sells, and increase the amount of its products out of recycled materials to 50% by 2030. The brand also aims to make all its packaging fully recyclable by 2025.
1.What does Coca-Cola company intend to do in the program?
A.Produce less packaging.
B.Help deal with plastic waste.
C.Pick up waste in communities.
D.Build a plant to recycle plastic waste.
2.What’s Paragraph 2 mainly about?
A.How Coca-Cola conducts its program.
B.What organizations participate in the program.
C.How Coca-Cola chooses cities for the program.
D.What the local people do in Coca-Cola’s program.
3.What do street teams do to help?
A.Sort out various waste in the city.
B.Look into the cause of pollution.
C.Instruct local people what to recycle.
D.Hand cards to the locals in person.
4.What does Keefe Harrison think of the program?
A.Promising. B.Difficult. C.Pioneering. D.Costly.
There was a gardener who looked after his garden with great care. To water his flowers，he used two buckets(水桶).One was a shiny and new bucket. The other was a very old and dilapidated one，which had seen many years of service，but was now past its best.
Every morning，the gardener would fill up the two buckets. Then he would carry them along the path，one on each side，to the flowerbeds. The new bucket was very proud of itself. It could carry a full bucket of water without a single drop spilled. The old bucket felt very ashamed(惭愧的)because of its holes: before it reached the flowerbeds，much water had leaked(渗漏)along the path.
Sometimes the new bucket would say，"See how capable I am! How good it is that the gardener has me water the flowers every day! I don’t know why he still uses you. What a waste of space you are!"
And all that the old bucket could say was，"I know I am not very useful，but I can only do my best. I am happy that the gardener still finds a little bit of use in me ，at least.’’
One day，the gardener heard that kind of conversation. After watering the flowers as usual，he said，"You both have done your work very well. Now I am going to carry you back，and I want you to look carefully along the path."
Then the two buckets did so. All along the path, they noticed，on the side where the new bucket was carried，there was just bare earth；on the other side where the old bucket was carried，there was a joyous row of wild flowers，leading all the way to the garden.
1.What was the old bucket ashamed of?
A.Its past. B.Its aging. C.Its manner. D.Its leaking.
2.What does the underlined word "dilapidated" probably mean?
A.Dirty. B.Dark. C.Worn out. D.Ordinary-looking.
3.The new bucket made conversations with the old one mainly to________.
A.take pity on the old one B.laugh at the old one
C.show off its good look D.praise the gardener's kindness
4.Why was the old bucket still kept by the gardener?
A.Because it was used to keep a balance.
B.Because it stayed in its best condition.
C.Because it had its own advantage.
D.Because it was thought of as a treasure.
Read the advertisements, and then choose the best answers.
Driver Wanted
1. Clean driving license. 2. Must be of smart appearance. 3. Aged over 25.
Apply to: Capes Taxis, 17 Palace Road, Boston.
Air Hostesses for International Flight Wanted
1. Applicants must be between 20 and 33 years old.
2. Height 1.6m to L75ra.
3. Education to GCSE standard.
4. Two languages.
5. Must be able to swim.
Apply to: Recruitment office, Southern Airlines, Heathrow Airport West HR37KK
Teacher Needed
For private language school Teaching experience unnecessary.
Apply to: The Director of Studies, Instant language Ltd, 279 Canal Street.
Nurses Needed
1. Having worked more than 3 years.
2. Aged more than 30.
3. Identificiation.
Apply to: West Hospital 58 Park Avenue, Manhattan
1.Which of the following prevents Jack working as a Capes Taxis driver?
A.Drinking beer once in a while.
B.Not having college education.
C.Being unable to speak a foreign ianguage.
D.Being punished for speeding and wrong parking.
2.Which of the following needs working experience according to the text?
A.At To be a nurse. B.To be a teacher.
C.To be a driver. D.To be an air hostesses.
3.If Mary wants to work as an air hostess for Southern Airlines, she must__________.
A.be over 25 years old
B.look smart and beautiful
C.have some similar working experience
D.speak another language besides her mother tongue
When I was young, each morning I woke up and would find my father nowhere around the house. He usually got up early before_________and began milking the cow and cleaning the farmyard. In summer, he got up_________earlier to mop the grass and water the flowers and vegetables in the garden. Once I helped my father to_________weeds from the corn field. It wasn’t long_________I felt very tired but the field ridge (田垄) seemed_______. Finally I totally threw myself_________in the field, feeling_______. My dad seemed to have_________my mind. He came up and said, “Farming is backbreaking and really takes_________and sweat, but in__________the sweet harvest will be worth the________.” Encouraged by his words, I struggled to my feet. My father__________and added, “Rome is not built in a__________but it can be built in hundreds of days. So whenever__________with a huge project, just break it into __________parts and then complete them one by one. Finally you will be amazed at your________.” Hearing what he said, I was greatly__________and continued removing the weeds from patch to patch. Believe it or not, at the end of the day, I__________in weeding half an acre of corn field.
Now, I have tried different jobs and finally__________down running a big restaurant. In my lifetime, my father’s devotion to his job and his special working methods can always encourage and guide me__________all kinds of difficulties.
1.A.dark B.dawn C.noon D.midnight
2.A.less B.equally C.even D.extremely
3.A.forbid B.throw C.drop D.remove
4.A.before B.whenever C.since D.until
5.A.changeable B.endless C.faraway D.boring
6.A.open B.flat C.away D.aside
7.A.angry B.disappointed C.hopeless D.embarrassed
8.A.read B.disturbed C.spoken D.seen
9.A.pains B.time C.courage D.patience
10.A.winter B.spring C.summer D.fall
11.A.strength B.effort C.cost D.risk
12.A.smiled B.regretted C.sighed D.followed
13.A.second B.month C.day D.year
14.A.faced B.discouraged C.dealt D.worked
15.A.good B.various C.small D.large
16.A.result B.achievement C.failure D.change
17.A.inspired B.shocked C.delighted D.puzzled
18.A.managed B.failed C.succeeded D.avoided
19.A.settled B.broke C.bent D.pulled
20.A.around B.to C.with D.through
为了帮助中学生健康成长，某中学英文报开辟了“HEART-TO-HEART”专栏。假设你是该栏目的编辑Li Hua，收到了一封署名为Worried的求助信。信中该同学向你诉说了自己近日容易发脾气，使正常的生活和学习受到了影响。请用英文给该同学写一封回信。内容要点如下：
1. 表示理解并给予安慰；
2. 提出建议并说明理由。
注意：内容积极向上，语意连贯，结构完整。词数100左右。
Hi Worried,
I’m sorry to know that you’re having such a bad time at the moment.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
