假设你是红星中学高三学生李华。你的英国好友Jim在给你的邮件中提到新冠病毒爆发给...

    As the higher education sector faces mounting pressures to provide value for money, it’s now often assumed that universities will provide its students with much more than just a degree. Most prospectuses(宣传册)introduction present institutions as being the “leaders” in academic research, student satisfaction, graduate employability and contact hours. 1.

Visiting a university “in the flesh” on the open day is the only way you can truly get a feel for the place, and ensures you won’t get any unpleasant surprises when you start your course. 2. Remember that there is no such thing as the best university – only the best fit for you.

Before your visit, conduct some online research and decide on a few universities you’d like to visit. Plan your day, booking any relevant sessions, and noting down any talks you would like to attend. Prepare a list of questions about all the aspects of university life.

During your visit, you need to make plenty of notes!3. You’ll start to forget important things unless you put them down. Note which accommodation you like as well as how much it costs and where it is located. Bear in mind that you might not get your first choice of accommodation, so have a few others in mind as a back-up.

4.Go along to application sessions and you can get the answers there. You could even show the admissions tutor a draft of your personal statement and ask for some direct feedback. Ask the experts -not only the admissions team and course tutors, but also the current students. While it might be tempting to let mum and dad take over, it’s you who will be going to university, not them, so don’t be afraid to speak up!

Write down what you like about the university and compare it to others. Remember to make sure you prioritise your course over the university.5. If you don’t enjoy your course, then chances are you will fail to maximise your potential. It’s your choice, so make the best of it!

A.Avoid being misled by claims and statistics.

B.It doesn’t matter how famous the university is.

C.It is important to find out the selection criteria.

D.With so many choices, how can you make an informed decision?

E.Faced with all the information, what you need to do is to get the most out of it.

F.The conversations and experiences you’ve had will mix together after a few visits.

G.Determine your own criteria –especially if you’re unsure about which subjects to study.

    Picture this: It’s 2003 and your family has just finished arguing over which Netflix movies to rent that week. Movies come in the mail and the family watch them throughout the week before sending them back and ordering new ones. Then, fast forward to 2008, and you have started to watch TV shows on Netflix’s new platform.

Now, let’s come to the present. You sit down and open up Netflix on your TV and scroll for a while. Then you flip over to Hulu to see if they have anything more interesting to offer. Then you check HBO GO. Finally, you check Disney+. Then you realize that you’re paying for four different streaming services, maybe more.

Let’s return to Netflix. More generally, streaming. There are over 100 video streaming services available, as well as quite a few music streaming, including Apple Music, YouTube Music, Google Play, and etc. The streaming world, at least to some, is on its way to getting out of control, with each service requiring its own monthly subscription. And that is just entertainment subscriptions. We haven’t even taken into account subscriptions like Microsoft Office, magazine subscriptions, and email newsletters. Subscriptions started out as a service of convenience, but now, the oversaturation may have become burdensome. The services believe customers will pay more to get the content they want. However, statistics show a growing frustration(失望) among consumers. With so many options, they find it harder than ever to make a decision on what to pick.

Not only does the oversaturation of streaming result in confusing navigation, it also creates a financial burden for the consumers. Let’s say if you want to watch Stranger Things , The Handmaid’s Tale , and Game of Thrones , which belong to three different services, you would have to pay nearly $50 a month to access all three of those services, meaning it’s not cheaper, and potentially more expensive, than cable.

People cut their cords and went the streaming route because it was simpler and cheaper. Now, it’s just as inconvenient and difficult as cable was, if not more so, and unless you’re limiting yourself to one service, it’s not cheaper. Streaming will survive because we’re in a Golden Age of Media and because each service is able to create high-quality originals. But Golden Ages don’t last, and bubbles tend to burst. Until the inevitable(不可避免的) day when some product or service proves streaming out of date, we must suffer the choices in front of us. The next time you are scrolling through Netflix, Hulu, or whatever, and the overchoice is killing you, maybe you should just go pick up a book instead.

1.What is mainly talked about in the first two paragraphs?

A.Social progress has promoted the quality of life in the past decade.

B.Changes in home entertainment have brought us more options.

C.Technology innovation results in different ways of relaxation.

D.Netflix has been developing its service patterns.

2.What does the underlined word “oversaturation” in Paragraph 3 probably refer to?

A.The large number of subscriptions.

B.The frustration caused by poor service.

C.The rapidly developing entertainment market.

D.The confusing navigation resulting from streaming.

3.According to the passage, streaming services may____.

A.enhance user satisfaction

B.increase energy consumption

C.raise entertainment costs

D.realize the resource sharing

4.The author would probably agree that ___.

A.the streaming service will have a bright future

B.reading has an advantage over streaming service

C.there will be some better service to replace streaming

D.nothing can end streaming services as long as media exists

We Are Cyborgs

RoboCop, the Bionic Woman, Darth Vader-what do these characters have in common? They are all cyborgs-humans who are made more powerful by advanced technology. You might think that cyborgs exist only in fiction, or are a possibility only in the distant future. But cyborg technology already exists.

The word “cyborg” was first used in 1960 and defined as an organism “to which external components have been added for the purpose of adapting to new environments”. According to this definition, an astronaut in a spacesuit is an example of cyborg, as the spacesuit helps the astronaut adapt to a new environment-space. More recently, the word has evolved to refer to human beings who have mechanical body parts that make them more than human.

Although super-humans like RoboCop are not yet a reality, advances in real-life cyborg technology allow some people to compensate for abilities they have lost, and give other people new and unusual abilities. An example is filmmaker Rob Spence and his bionic eye. Spence injured one of his eyes in an accident. A camera was implanted in his prosthetic eye(假眼).  The eye is not connected to his brain or optic nerve(视神经), but it can record what he sees. Spence has used his camera eye to record interviews for a documentary about people with bionic body parts.

Some types of cyborg technology replace a lost ability by connecting directly to a person’s nerves. Michael Chorost completely and suddenly lost his ability to hear in July of 2001. Two months later, doctors placed a cochlear implant, a kind of computer, inside his skull. This type of implant connects to auditory nerves and allows a deaf person to hear again. Around the world, over 300,000 people have now been fitted with cochlear implants.

These examples of cyborg technology have enabled people to enhance or change their abilities and improve their lives. But does everyone want to use cyborg technology? It might be too late to decide. Cyborg scientist Amber Case argues that most of us are already cyborgs. Anyone who uses a computer or a smartphone, Case claims, is a cyborg. Consider the data that you have in your smartphone. It keeps information for you so you don’t have to remember it: notes, phone numbers, email addresses, messages. It also allows you to communicate with friends and family via telephone, text messages, email, and social networks.

The potential benefits of cyborg technology are evident, but can this new technology be harmful, too? Could we become too dependent on cyborg technology-and become less than human? These still remain questions.

1.According to the passage, the cyborg _______.

A.is similar to human beings

B.took root in fiction characters

C.first appeared in space industry

D.has some device attached to the body

2.With the help of cyborg technology, _______.

A.eyesight can be restored

B.the nerve injury can be repaired

C.lost abilities can be replaced by a new skill

D.hearing loss can be prevented by cochlear implants

3.Amber Case probably thinks that ______.

A.technology makes cyborgs become common

B.cyborg technology is crucial to modern society

C.the use of mobiles improves cyborg technology

D.cyborg technology helps improve human memory

4.What is the author’s attitude toward cyborg technology?

A.Critical. B.Skeptical.

C.Optimistic. D.Objective.

    The National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) is a leading non-profit organization dedicated to the presentation and documentation of folk and traditional arts in the United States. NCTA presents the nation’s very finest artists in festivals, tours, international cultural exchange, workshops, demonstrations and exhibitions, media productions, school programs, and other activities. It works in partnership with communities across America to establish new, sustainable traditional arts events that deliver lasting social and cultural benefits.

NCTA seeks Festival Support Staff for 2020 festival season to provide office and on-site support for three large-scale festivals. Positions available include:

Programming Administration Assistant

This is the perfect position for someone with an interest in history, arts management, cultural anthropology, and related fields.

Responsibilities include programming research, marketing and promotion, and event organization. The position may also be responsible for press and photo document management,  social media updates, and customer service.

Qualified applicants will be detail-oriented(细心的) and organized, with excellent people skills and a general interest in the traditional arts. Computer literacy is essential. Contract runs May 1 - December 15.

Festival Assistant

This is the perfect position for someone with an interest in arts, culture, and event logistics(后勤) who enjoys operating in a fast-paced, collegial small-office environment.

The position provides festival staff support. Responsibilities include document creation, travel purchase, logistics support, data entry, and database maintenance.

Qualified applicants will be outgoing and open-minded, with effective oral and written communication skills and computer literacy. Prior experience with festival planning is preferred. Contract runs May 18 - October 30.

Production Associate

The Production Associate is a key member of the production team who will work closely with the Production Manager on all festival audio, backline, and lighting needs, from planning through implementation(实施).

The role will contribute to the following key tasks: advancing technical needs with artists, making tech books, accurate record-keeping, and working with NCTA and Festival staff to insure smooth on-site operations.

Qualified applicants will be responsible and adaptable, with excellent people skills. Prior experience in concert production is preferred. Contract runs June 15 - October 30.

All Positions: Experience with database entry, Microsoft Office, and Adobe Acrobat is required. Must have a clean driving record, or reliable transportation. Some evenings, weekends, and travel required.

All positions are full time with contract. Deadline is April 20, 2020.

More details and how to apply at: http//ncta-America.com.

1.According to the passage, NCTA ____.

A.focuses on cultural and art education

B.keeps a record of American traditional arts

C.enjoys economic benefits from communities

D.aims to help the artists in art-related activities

2.The programming administration assistant will probably_____.

A.plan and design program

B.create social networking websites

C.deal with complaints from customers

D.photograph newspapers and documents

3.What is the requirement for all the three positions?

A.Driving skills.

B.Communication skills.

C.Working experience.

D.Knowledge on traditional arts.

4.Once employed, one will _________.

A.work full time

B.travel every week

C.start the job in May

D.learn database design

The Joy of Giving

Many athletes can light up the scoreboard with their skill. But it takes a special kind of athlete to light up a child’s face.

Runner Sanya Richards Ross is a four-time Olympic gold medal winner. She was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and though she now lives in Texas, her passion is helping young people in her homeland through her Fun 4 Kidz Foundation, which tackles illiteracy and promotes a healthy lifestyle. “Education is so important. Jamaica has its share of poor people who don’t have the means to get a great education. When you’re educated, your opportunities are endless. I had great support growing up, but not everyone is so blessed. So far, our program has been in seven schools in Jamaica, helping 400 students,” said Sanya.

Houston Texans All-Pro J.J. Watt is all business on the football field. But with children, he is playful and fun loving. He started the Justin J. Watt Foundation to provide after-school sports opportunities for underprivileged children. These activities help the kids learn about teamwork, leadership, and perseverance. He said, “At one of the first schools where we gave out uniforms, a kid told me, ‘It’s the best day of my life. I’m going to be a football player.’ Simple things like that keep me helping kids. Seeing the smile on a kid’s face is everything.”

Mia Hamm is one of the greatest soccer players in U.S. National and Olympic history. Inspired by her brother, Garrett, who died from a rare blood disorder, she started the Mia Hamm Foundation to raise awareness and money for those in need of bone marrow or cord blood transplants. As she said, “We do charity soccer games, bringing together unrelated donors and recipients(受助人). To see that reunion is one of the most powerful things you can see. There are a lot of tears when people meet their donors, who are their selfless, thoughtful heroes; who gave them a second chance at life. If I can help reduce the suffering of others, I will gladly do it.”

Los Angeles Angels first baseman Albert Pujols is one of baseball’s greats. His daughter, Isabella, has Down Syndrome, a genetic condition that causes delays in physical and intellectual growth. Albert and his wife, Deidre, started the Pujols Family Foundation to help children with Down Syndrome.

For these athletes, there’s no better feeling than to bring joy to people and to those in need, and seeing a smile on a child’s face at a foundation event or wherever they are involved really makes it all worth it.

1.Which foundation provides poor kids with physical exercise?

A.The Mia Hamm Foundation.

B.The Justin J. Watt Foundation.

C.The Pujols Family Foundation.

D.Fun 4 Kidz Foundation.

2.What got Mia Hamm to start charity work?

A.Garrett’s death.

B.Patients’ suffering.

C.Her love for soccer games.

D.The selflessness of the donors.

3.Which of the following words can best describe these athletes?

A.Wealthy and capable.

B.Loyal and reliable.

C.Educated and creative.

D.Responsible and caring.