Next time you go shopping, keep in mind that there may be hidden cameras analyzing your habits. According to a 2015 survey of 150 managers from Computer Services Corporation, a quarter of British shops use facial recognition software to collect data on shopper behavior.
With concerns that face-recognition cameras“ are kind of invasive(冒犯的)”, British analysis firm Hoxton Analytics has come up with a new way of measuring footfall (客流)—by filming people's shoes. The technology can collect a large amount of personal information. "We have cameras at 50 cm off the ground and they point down so they are less invasive than facial recognition," Duncan Mann, Hoxton's officer said.
As modern cities get fuller—70 percent of the population will live in urban areas by 2050—cameras and other technologies are taking over public spaces and collecting our data. Their purpose is to keep people safe, provide efficient services and prevent disasters and crimes.
But some are not happy with the cameras as far as their privacy(隐私) is concerned. "Very few of us have any real concept of what data smart cities are gathering," said Renate
Samson.
We begin giving away data as soon as we wake up. When we enter the transport system, we are giving away even more details about ourselves through smart cards, mobile phones or credit cards.
Nick Millman, director at a consulting firm thinks statistics are the key to the privacy concern. He used the example of Google Maps, which is to monitor the flow of traffic in Stockholm. He explained, "It is basically adding privacy controls to statistics so that you only see the data you need to know about". In this case, Google gets enough data to improve traffic but not so much that it shows individual journey patterns.
1.What is the article mainly about?
A. An introduction to collecting shoppers' data.
B. The concerns about giving away personal data.
C. The problems caused by imbalanced distribution of population.
D. An invention recording and collecting customers' information.
2.The new technology invented by Hoxton Analytics_______.
A. can gather a lot of people's personal data from their shoes
B. uses cameras fitted on the ground to collect customers' data
C. has improved the accuracy of facial recognition software
D. offers a perfect solution to customers' privacy concerns
3.According to the author, cameras in modern cities_______.
A. cause a huge waste of public space
B. help reduce the size of population in urban areas
C. are likely to help improve traffic conditions
D. are to avoid crimes and disasters and provide efficient services
4.What is Renate Samson's attitude toward the rise of smart cities?
A. Worried.
B. Optimistic.
C. Confused.
D. Uninterested.
My First Marathon（马拉松）
A month before my first marathon, one of my ankles was injured and this meant not running for two weeks, leaving me only two weeks to train. Yet, I was determined to go ahead.
I remember back to my 7th year in school. In my first P.E. class, the teacher required us to run laps and then hit a softball. I didn’t do either well. He later informed me that I was ＂not athletic＂.
The idea that I was ＂not athletic＂ stuck with me for years. When I started running in my 30s, I realized running was a battle against myself, not about competition or whether or not I was athletic. It was all about the battle against my own body and mind. A test of wills!
The night before my marathon, I dreamt that I couldn’t even find the finish line. I woke up sweating and nervous, but ready to prove something to myself.
Shortly after crossing the start line, my shoe laces(鞋带) became untied. So I stopped to readjust. Not the start I wanted!
At mile 3, I passed a sign: ＂GO FOR IT, RUNNERS!＂
By mile 17, I became out of breath and the once injured ankle hurt badly. Despite the pain, I stayed the course walking a bit and then running again.
By mile 21, I was starving!
As I approached mile 23, I could see my wife waving a sign. She is my biggest fan. She never minded the alarm clock sounding at 4 a.m. or questioned my expenses on running.
I was one of the final runners to finish. But I finished! And I got a medal. In fact, I got the same medal as the one that the guy who came in first place had.
Determined to be myself, move forward, free of shame and worldly labels(世俗标签), I can now call myself a ＂marathon winner＂.
1.A month before the marathon, the author ____________.
A.was well trained B.felt scared
C.made up his mind to run D.lost hope
2.Why did the author mention the P.E. class in his 7th year?
A.To acknowledge the support of his teacher.
B.To amuse the readers with a funny story.
C.To show he was not talented in sports.
D.To share a precious memory.
3.How was the author’s first marathon?
A.He made it. B.He quit halfway.
C.He got the first prize. D.He walked to the end.
4.What does the story mainly tell us?
A.A man owes his success to his family support.
B.A winner is one with a great effort of will.
C.Failure is the mother of success.
D.One is never too old to learn.
Palaces are often built with the intent to show off the wealth and splendour of royalties.The first palace on the list was so spectacular that it inspired some other royalties to build theirs in response, meanwhile, the last on the list inspired Disney’s Cinderella castle.
Palace of Versailles, France
The Palace of Versailles was the principal royal residence of France from 1682 until the start of the French Revolution in 1789. It is located in the region of Île-de-France, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) southwest of the centre of Paris.
The palace is now a historical monument and UNESCO World Heritage site. It received millions of visitors every year, making it one of the most visited monuments in France.
The Forbidden City, China
The Forbidden City served as the home of Chinese emperors and was the ceremonial and political centre of the Chinese government for almost 500 years. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987. Since 2012, it has seen an average of 14 million visitors annually and received more than 19 million visitors in 2019.
Schönbrunn Palace, Austria
A summer retreat for the Hapsburg rulers of Austria, the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna was built by Emperor Leopold I between 1696 and 1712.
UNESCO catalogued Schönbrunn Palace on the World Heritage List in 1996, together with its gardens, as a remarkable Baroque ensemble and example of the synthesis of the arts. Schönbrunn is Vienna’s most popular tourist destination.
Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany
Neuschwanstein Castle is a 19th-century Romanesque Revival palace on a rugged hill near Füssen in southwest Bavaria, Germany. The palace was built by Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and in honour of the opera composer Richard Wagner.
The castle was intended as a home for the king, until he died in 1886. It was open to the public shortly after his death. More than 1.3 million people visit annually, with as many as 6,000 per day in the summer.
1.What do we know about the Palace of Versailles?
A.It is located in the center of Paris.
B.It is an inspiration for some castles in other countries.
C.It is one of the least popular tourist attractions in France.
D.It is the original model for Disney’s Cinderella castle.
2.How many castles mentioned in the text have been catalogued as World Heritage sites?
A.One B.Two
C.Three D.Four
3.Which castle was built to remember a musician?
A.Palace of Versailles, France B.The Forbidden City, China
C.Schönbrunn Palace, Austria D.Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany
阅读下面材料,根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。续写的词数应为150左右。
A friend of mine named Paul received an automobile from his brother as a Christmas present.
On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a little boy was walking around the shiny new car, admiring it. "Is this your car, Mister?" he asked.
Paul nodded. "My brother gave it to me for Christmas." "The boy was astounded. "You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn't cost you anything? Boy, I wish..." He hesitated.
Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the lad said jarred Paul all the way down to his heels.
"I wish," the boy went on, "that I could be a brother like that” Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then impulsively he added, "Would you like to take a ride in my automobile?"
"Oh yes, I'd love that."
After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes aglow, said, "Mister, would you mind driving in front of my house?"
Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again. "Will you stop where those two steps are?" the boy asked.
Paragraph1:
He ran up the steps.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
Paul got out and lifted the lad to the front seat of his car.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
前7个小题是单句语法填空,后3个根据首字母写单词
1.Later, Ryan's experience led him __________(set) up a foundation to encourage more people to help.
2.As far as I __________ (concern), riding bicycles is a good solution to air pollution.
3.From the 19th century to the early 20th century, Pingyao__________ (obtain) almost half of the economy of the country at its booming period, was a financial center for the whole of China.
4.Learning strategies, __________which teachers attach great significance, haven’t drawn enough attention of students.
5.English is a fixed-word-order language __________ each phrase has a fixed position.
6.It will contribute __________ creating a good environment to read books in our class
7.The professor warned the students that __________ no account should they use mobile phones in his class.
8.The inventors said the material becomes f__________ when wet, so they’re exploring ways to use it in wet environments.
9.Many poets and artists have drawn their i__________ from nature, and that's why they always spend their lifetime travelling.
10.We must find a way to r__________ these problems before it's too late.
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。
Tu Youyou was honored with the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine on Oct. 5th, 2015. She was the first Chinese citizen 1.(earn) a Nobel Prize in science. Tu shared the prize with the Irish-born William Campbell and Satoshi Omura of Japan.
Tu is a researcher at the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences now. She was given the prize 2. developing artemisinin（青蒿素）--- 3. new drug method against malaria, with 4. millions of lives worldwide have been saved 5.(incredible).
Tu and her colleagues joined a government project to find a new malaria drug in the late 1960s. 6. nearly two hundred failures Tu's team experienced, they finally found an extract（提取物） that was 100% effective against malaria in 1971. In 2001, artemisinin 7.(make) the first choice in the treatment of malaria by the World Health Organization.
It was considered by some foreign scientists that 8. Tu discovered would definitely bring great reputation for herself. However, Tu said, "The discovery of artemisinin itself is a gift to human from traditional Chinese medicine. It's the 9.(achieve) of the research team. " As China Daily has reported, 10.(win) the prize is an honour for Chinese science and medicine.
