Japan’s biggest airline is betting that the future of travel isn’t traveling at all.
For the last month, a married couple has been interacting with a robot—called an Avatar—that’s controlled by their daughter hundreds of miles away. Made by ANA Holdings Inc., it looks like a vacuum cleaner (真空吸尘器) with an iPad attached. But the screen displays the daughter’s face as they chat, and its wheels let her move about the house as though she’s really there.
“Virtual travel” is nothing new, of course. Storytellers, travel writers and artists have been inspiring the senses of armchair tourists (足不出户的旅行者) for centuries. It’s only in recent decades that frequent, safe travel has become available to the non-wealthy.
Yet even as the worlds middle classes climb out of the armchair and into economy-class seats, there are hints of a post-travel society coming. Concerns about sustainability (可持续发展) are causing a loss to carbon-intensive airlines, which do harm to our environment. And the aging of wealthy societies is both limiting physical travel and creating demand for alternative ways to experience the world. For the travel industry, virtual reality offers an inviting response to these trends.
Of course, far-out technologies encourage far-out claims. ANA doesn’t plan to start selling Avatars until next year. Profits, too, will probably be a barrier. By one estimate, the global market for this kind of technology will be worth only about $300 million by 2023. By contrast, ANA’s traditional travel business brought in more than $19 billion last year.
But if the business case for virtual vacations is still weak, the market for technologies that bridge physical distances between families and coworkers seems likely to only expand. ANA’s robots may not replace its airplanes any time soon, but they’ll almost certainly be a part of travels high-tech future.
1.What do we know about Avatar?
A.It’ll take the place of ANA’s airplanes soon.
B.It s a kind of the latest vacuum cleaner.
C.It is invented by ANA Holdings Inc.
D.It’s on sale right now.
2.What prevents Avatars coming into market at present?
A.Lower Profits. B.Aging society.
C.Physical distances between families. D.Concerns about environment.
3.The writer s attitude towards future virtual travel is ________.
A.Critical. B.Objective.
C.Doubtful. D.Positive.
4.What’s the best title for the passage?
A.Difficulties for the armchair tourists
B.The coming trend of virtual vacation
C.Something about virtual reality
D.The popularity of Avatar
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.
Swift was born on December 13, 1989, in Reading, Pennsylvania, and raised in Wyomissing. Pennsylvania. She is the daughter of Andrea Gardner, a housewife who previously worked in finance, and Scott Kingsley Swift, a stockbroker. Her grandmother, Marjorie Finlay, was an opera singer. Swift has a younger brother, Austin. She grew up on a Christmas-tree farm.
When Swift was in fourth grade, she won a national poetry contest with a three-page poem, “Monster in My Closet”. At the age of ten, a computer repairman showed her how to play three chords (和弦) on a guitar, arousing her interest in learning the instrument. Afterwards, Swift wrote her first song, “Lucky You”. When Swift was 12, she devoted an entire summer to writing a 350-page novel, which remains unpublished. She began writing songs regularly and used it as a way to help her with her pain from not fitting in at school. Swift was a victim of bullying (欺凌), and spent her time writing songs to express her emotions. She also started performing at local karaoke contests, festivals, and fair.
Swift began to regularly visit Nashville, Tennessee, and work with local songwriters. When she was 14, her family moved to Nashville. Her first major show was a well-received performance at the Bloomsburg Fair. In Tennessee, Swift attended Hendersonville High School, but was then homeschooled for her junior and senior years. In 2008, she earned her high school diploma.
Swift’s greatest musical influence is Shania Twain. Her other influences include Leann Rimes, Tina Turner, Dolly Parton, and Swifts grandmother. Although her grandmother was a professional opera singer, Swifts tastes always leaned more toward country music. In her younger years, she developed a love for Patsy Cline and Dolly Parton. She also credits her love for music in her teens to the influence of the Dixie Chicks.
1.What can we know about Swift from the passage?
A.Her first novel came out in 2001.
B.She showed her music talent in her teens.
C.Her first major show was in Hendersonville High School.
D.Her mother influenced her a lot in her later music career.
2.Which word can best describe Swift’s school life?
A.Colorful. B.Busy.
C.Successful. D.Unhappy.
3.We can infer that Shania Twain in the last paragraph is a famous ________.
A.film star B.novelist
C.opera singer D.country music star
4.The passage is mainly about the ________ of Taylor Alison Swift.
A.family life B.achievements
C.early life D.contributions
All the unusual and interesting events from around the world are here in our review.
A chocolate wall at railway station in Netherlands
A wall of chocolate at the railway station, Utrecht Centraal, in Utrecht, the Netherlands, has become many food lovers new place to mark. The whole wall is made of chocolate, making it very fun, good-looking, and of course, delicious.
Wine bath resort launched in Japan
The 2019 Beaujolais Nouveau Wine on a Bathing was officially released on Nov. 21 in Hakone, west of Tokyo. A beverage-based bathing experience is the red wine hot spring, with its huge, 3.6-meter-tall wine bottle. People may even be present to witness the wine show, in which staff members spray bathers with a bottle of Hakone wine. Whether seeing the show or not, the red wine bath is perfect for every wine lover.
A Monkey Buffet Festival held in Thailand
The annual Monkey Buffet Festival, a fun one with a difference, was held in Lopburi, Bangkok, on Nov. 24. The Monkey Buffet takes place in the overgrown and ruined Khmer temple of Pra Prang Sam Yot, where the majority of the monkeys live. The monkeys are treated with respect. Endless oceans of fruits you can think of are spread out for the monkeys to feast upon. The festival begins with live performances and dances that draw the monkeys out. Culturally, the feast will bring good luck to the local townspeople.
World’ s strongest puffer jacket (羽绒夹克)
Dutch brand Vollebak has created the world’s strongest puffer jacket, which is 15 times stronger than steel. The exterior (外部) of the indestructible puffer is made from 100 percent Dyneema, the strongest fiber ever made. Dyneema was originally used in body armor (防弹衣) and bullet-proof vehicles. The puffer is made to withstand temperatures up to -40℃, as the colder it gets, the stronger Dyneema becomes. “It will withstand any abuse you put it through during your life time and be in good enough condition to pass down to your grandkids when you are done with it.” explained Vollebak’s co-founder Steve Tidball.
1.Where can a wine lover go for fun?
A.Utrecht. B.Hakone.
C.Lopburi. D.Tokyo.
2.What can a visitor see at the Monkey Buffet Festival?
A.Live performances and dances. B.Endless ocean of food.
C.A chocolate wall for local townspeople. D.Many kinds of animals besides monkeys.
3.Which of the following is NOT true about the puffer jacket?
A.It’s cold-resistant.
B.It’s designed to be a body armor.
C.It uses Dyneema as its main material.
D.It may be handed down to the younger generation.
Emily had a beautiful singing voice. Last year she went to Mrs. Owens — her music teacher to ask to join in the performance. Without letting her sing, Mrs. Owens took a look at Amy's body and said, “Child, you just don't fit. Everyone would stare at you and that would make you uncomfortable. It would make them uncomfortable, too.”
Without singing a single note, Emily was sent back through the door of the choral room. Hurt and upset, she decided never to try out again. But Mrs. Owens then retired.
This year, there came a new music teacher, Mr. Buttler. He heard about Emily and suggested that she have a try.
Emily didn't want to be rejected again, so she hesitated a little about it. As Emily struggled, the door was pushed open and Mr. Buttler called, “Emily, you're next.” Although kind of nervous. Emily did as Mr. Buttler told her to do, Mr. Buttler sat by the piano to keep Emily company. When Emily finished her testing performance, she thanked Mr. Buttler and knew the result would be posted on the door of the choral room the next day.
Emily couldn't sleep that night. She was suffering from the feelings that she didn't fit and the great need to be accepted. By the next morning, her stomach was even in pain because of stress.
注意:1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2.至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好;
4续与完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:
The next day, Emily nervously glanced at the list on the door of the choral room.
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Paragraph2:
Finally, the day of performance came.
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假如你是李华，你们学校的外教Mr. James想找一个人教他8岁的儿子中文。请你写信推荐你的朋友王明，内容包括：
1．写信目的；
2．推荐理由。
注意1.词数 80 左右；
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。
Two pals from Florida received the most1.(expect) reward for tidying up in the aftermath of the state's flooding.
Skyle Thompson's land in Tampa, Florida was flooded by the Pratte River nearby. 2.(thank), the cabin that Thompson built on the land was saved from the waters. He and his friend Guy Steven spent their entire Sunday 3. (clean) up the debris.
Exhausted from their day of labor, they were ready to get back to their car 4. Steven saw what looked like a refrigerator. Steven hiked the 50-foot distance between him and the fridge and was shocked 5. (find) that it was filled with beers. Not only that, there were ice cold.
“It was a gift sent from the heavens,” Thompson said in disbelief. The two men could hardly believe their luck, but they drank a few beers as rewards and posted their 6. (luck) find online. The 7. (photo) were shared thousands of times within hours and eventually appeared on the newsfeed of Bums Harvey, the refrigerator's owner, who recognized it immediately.
In addition 8. surviving a cabin fire, the brave fridge somehow managed to survive the floodwaters as well. Harvey and Thompson 9. (be) in contact with each other ever since, and Thompson has promised to return the fridge so that 10. can live to fight another day in the future.
