I believe in the power of the unknown. I believe that a sense of the unknown pushes us forward in all of our creative activities, from science to art.
When I was a child, after bedtime I would often go to the window and stare at the stars. I had so many questions. How far away were those tiny points of light? Did space go on forever and ever, or was there some edge? And if so, what lay beyond the edge?
Another of my childhood questions: Did time go on forever? I looked at pictures of my parents and tried to imagine their parents, and so on, back through the generations. Does time go on forever? Or is there some beginning of time?
When I grew up, I became a professional astrophysicist. Although I never answered any of these questions, they continued to challenge me, to haunt me, to drive me in my scientific research, and to cause me to live on tuna fish and no sleep for days at a time while I was crazy about a science problem. These same questions, and questions like them, challenge and haunt the leading scientists of today.
Einstein once wrote that “the most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the beginning of true art and true science.” What did Einstein mean by “the mysterious?” I don’t think he meant that science is full of unpredictable or unknowable or supernatural forces. I think that he meant a sense of awe, a sense that there are things larger than us, that we do not have all the answers at this moment, and that we can stand right at the boundary between known and unknown.
Scientists are happy, of course, when they find answers to questions. But scientists are also happy when they become stuck, when they discover interesting questions that they cannot answer. That is when their imaginations and creativity are set on fire. That is when the greatest progress occurs.
1.As a child, the author was
A. cautious B. generous
C. curious D. doubtful
2.What does the underlined word “haunt” in Paragraph 4 refer to?
A. Make someone to feel annoyed. B. Make someone to feel excited.
C. Cause great trouble to someone. D. Keep coming to someone’s mind.
3.What is the source of pleasure according to the passage?
A. Exact prediction. B. Creativity in experiments.
C. Rich imagination. D. Exploration of the unknown.
4.Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
A. The Power of Mysteries. B. The Characters of Mysteries.
C. The Significance of Science. D. The Beauty of Art.
Artificial intelligence, or AI, has been applied in a wide range of fields to perform specific tasks, including education, finance, heavy industry, transportation, and so on.
Education
There are a number of companies that create robots to teach subjects to children ranging from biology to computer science, though such tools have not become widespread yet. Advancements in natural language processing, combined with machine learning, have also enabled automatic grading of assignments. AI has also led to an explosion in popularity of MOOCs, or Massive Open Online Courses, which allows students from around the world to take classes online.
Finance
Use of AI in banking can be tracked back to 1987. Banks use artificial intelligence systems to organize operations, maintain book-keeping, invest in stocks, and manage properties. Also, systems are being developed, like Atria, to translate complex data into simple and personable language. There are also wallets, like Wallet AI, which monitor an individual’s spending habits and provides ways to improve them.
Heavy industry
Robots have become common in many industries and are often given jobs that are considered dangerous to humans. Robots have proven effective in jobs that are very repetitive which may lead to mistakes or accidents due to failure in concentration and other jobs which humans may find degrading.
Transportation
Today’S cars can have AI-based driver assist features such as self-parking and advanced cruise controls. AI in transportation is expected to provide safe, efficient, and reliable transportation while minimizing the impact on the environment and communities.
Toys and games
Companies like Mattel have been creating AI-enabled toys for kids as young as age three. Using proprietary AI engines and speech recognition tools, they are able to understand conversations, give intelligent responses and learn quickly. AI has also been applied to video games, for example video game bots, which are designed to stand in as opponents where humans aren’t available or desired.
1.Which is true about AI and education?
A.Robots have been widely used to teach children.
B.AI has been used to grade students’ homework.
C.AI has enabled more students to receive education at school.
D.Education was the first field where A1 was used.
2.Which can be inferred from the passage?
A.Atria can help people understand complex data.
B.Wallet AI can help people make more money.
C.Robots’ jobs are considered dangerous to humans.
D.Robots can help people concentrate.
3.From the last two paragraphs we can know that_______________.
A.Today’s drivers needn’t learn to park their cars
B.AI ensures safe, efficient, and reliable transportation
C.AI-enabled toys is designed to improve kids’ intelligence
D.Video game bots can fight against you in video games
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A.The latest progress in AI. B.AI is of great use.
C.Some applications of AI. D.AI is used in all fields.
A man with a “sob story” has been earning up to $400 in cash handouts from shops on the lower North Shore. He has hit three shops in the past two weeks at North Sydney, Mosman and Crows Nest.
“The man has been telling a sob story about needing money because he has been locked out of his home and his wallet is inside, and he needs money to pay a locksmith,” a police officer said. “Sometimes he tells a story about needing money for a new car battery. He has received amounts between $50 and $400 and is then never seen again.”
The conman has also hit businesses on the lower North Shore and northern beaches. “The man seems to do his research and he'll say he is a friend of the shop owner and mentions the owner's name,” the officer said. The man usually targets shops that are busy or shortstaffed.
The police officer said shop owners approached by the man should not give him money and contact the police immediately. The man is described as of European appearance, about 50 years old with a strong Italian accent. He is of medium build and about 180 cm tall, wearing jeans, a brown Tshirt and an expensivelooking gold watch. The police said the man sometimes gives the name of Tony.
1.The underlined word “conman”(in Paragraph 3) most probably means ________.
A.a beggar who begs from shop to shop
B.a jobless man who begs for a short time
C.a man who is in urgent need of money to get out of trouble
D.a man who gets money by tricking people
2.Why does the man target the shops that are busy or shortstaffed?
A.He may offer the shops some help. B.He may do his research better.
C.The shop staff may be too busy to find him out. D.He may beg for more money from the customers.
3.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.The man likes to make friends with shop owners, so he knows their names.
B.The man has got some information about the shops before playing his trick.
C.The man can earn between $50 and $400 every day from shop to shop.
D.The man does business work on the lower North Shore and northern beaches.
4.Why do the police ask shop owners not to give the man money?
A.The man is in fact a rich man.
B.They do not permit begging in the city.
C.They want to prevent shop owners from being cheated.
D.The man has earned a lot of money.
Best Bites of Beijing is published on Fridays and covers the latest happenings in the capital’s dining scene. Here you will find weekly updates of new restaurants, seasonal menus, good deals and trends for the foodie in you. For comments or recommendations, email jiangwj@chinadaily.com.cn.
Easter afternoon tea at the Peninsula Beijing
Easter fun starts this weekend at the Peninsula Beijing, where families can enjoy a Champagne Sunday brunch, an Easter egg hunt and other festive activities. The hotel will also upgrade its legendary Peninsula Afternoon Tea for this special occasion, which will be handcrafted by Executive Pastry Chef Frederic Moreau. Expect classic and chocolate scones served with homemade caramel mango jam, lemon curd and clotted cream and Easter-inspired pastries. Easter afternoon tea is priced at 398 yuan for two, available from April 14 to 17.
Easter buffet at New World Beijing Hotel
It is not too early to start planning for your next weekend if you have young children. Do not miss fun Easter activities, sweet treats, egg decorating and face time with the Easter Bunny. The Easter brunch at Tian Tan Kitchen offers it all. The brunch is priced at 148 yuan per person with half price for children ages 6-12.
More Easter fun: Food, music, and games
If you have the entire day to spend with your children on Easter Day, head to the City Weekend Easter Party on April 16. Children shorter than 90cm eat for free when dining with their parents during brunch (288 yuan per adult). Live music will feature children’s songs in both English and Chinese. The Spartan Junior Race will have the little ones crawling, climbing, tumbling and jumping through a number of obstacles. There will also be other games for parents and kids, such as “Draw Something”, “Guess the Baby” and “Kids Darts Game”. The party will be held from 10am to 4pm.
1.If you want to contact Best Bites of Beijing you can reach them by .
A.phone B.letter C.email D.Wechat
2.When is Easter afternoon tea priced at 398 yuan for two?
A.From April 6-12 B.From April 14-17
C.From April 16-18 D.From April 14-27
3.If you want to pay less with your 6-year-old child who is 89cm tall, which place is the best choice?
A.New World Beijing Hotel B.City Weekend Easter Party
C.The Peninsula Beijing D.The Spartan Junior Race
假定你是李华，你的英国朋友Tom打算在中国上学，请你帮他咨询入学要办的相关手续。他将于下周六上午10点到达北京大兴国际机场，询问你能否到机场接他。请你给他写一封回信。要点包括：
1. 表示欢迎；
2. 具体回复入学的相关事宜（护照、租房证明、体检证明）；
3. 接机的具体时间和地点。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：体检证明 Health Certificate
Dear Tom,
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏词符号（∧），并在此符号下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
With the college entrance examination approaches, many of my classmates suffer from much pressure. Some of them are burying in endless homework day and night, which robs them of happiness and do them harm physically and mentally.
Although pressure, to some extent, can provide motivation, but too much pressure has a seriously negative effect. Therefore, we should learn to relieve pressure. First, we should have a right evaluation of us in order to make use advantages and avoid disadvantages. Second, we’d better set aside some times for fun such as listening to music. Sometimes even cry is an efficient way to release stresses. Besides, we can turn to our teachers, friends and parents, that will give us guidance and comfort.
