I log onto a computer at the doctor's office to say I have arrived and then wait until a voice calls me into the examination room.
There, a robotic nurse directs me onto a device and then takes my blood pressure. Some time later, in steps the doctor, who is also a robot. He notes down my symptoms and gives me a prescription (处方). I pay for my visit using a credit card machine and return home without having met another human being.
When I call my dentist's office and actually get a human being on the line, I am thrilled. And when I see the introduction of yet more self-service checkout stations at the grocery store, I feel like shouting, "When it comes to cashiers, make mine human, please!"
After all, human cashiers sometimes give you a store coupon (优惠券) for items you are buying. Even more than that, real-life cashiers often take an interest in particularly cute children, which can brighten a young mother's day. A cashier may also show compassion (同情)for an elderly person struggling to get that last penny out of her purse.
What technological device would do any of this? I don't want to go back to the Stone Age, but I'm also worried about a world run by machines. Sometimes when you're chatting with someone, you discover things you need to know. Maybe a receptionist needs prayers said for a sick child. Maybe a salesperson can offer a bit of encouragement to a customer who is feeling tired.
Machines can be efficient and cost-effective and they often get the job done just fine. But they lack an element so important to everyday life.
Call it the spirit, the soul or the heart. It is something no machine will ever have. It is being human that prompts us to smile at others, which may be what they need at that moment.
1.What's the author's purpose in writing the first two paragraphs?
A. To indicate high technology can make our future life very easy.
B. To describe a possible future scene where robots take control of our life.
C. To warn readers of the possible dangers of robotic nurses and doctors.
D. To predict how technology can affect the way we see a doctoring the future.
2.Why does the author prefer being served by humans rather than by robots?
A. Robots are indifferent and emotionless.
B. Robots can't provide efficient services.
C. Robots don't offer to give store coupons.
D. Robots are unable to do a job as well as humans.
3.What's the author's attitude towards machines?
A. He wishes one day they would come to life.
B. He is absolutely against their existence in his life.
C. He doesn't like they get involved in his life too much.
D. He is afraid they would take the place of human beings.
Katie was in big trouble. She was such a sweet kid; a third-grade teacher always dreamed of having a classroom filled with Katies; she was never ever a discipline(纪律) problem. I just couldn’t imagine why she had made her parents so angry.
It seemed that Katie had been running up sizable charges in the lunchroom. Her parents explained that Katie brought a great homemade lunch each day, and there was no reason for her to buy school lunch. They assumed a sit-down with Katie would solve the problem, but failed. So they asked me to help them get to the bottom of this situation.
So the next day, I asked Katie to my office. "Why are you charging lunches, Katie? What happened to your homemade lunch?" I asked. "I lose it," she responded. I leaned back in my chair and said, "I don't believe you, Katie. " She didn't care. "Is someone stealing your lunch, Katie?" I took a new track. "No. I just lose it," she said. Well, there was nothing else I could do.
The problem was still unsolved the next week when I noticed a boy who was new to the school sitting alone at a lunch table. He always looked sad. I thought I would go and sit with him for a while. As I walked towards him, I noticed the lunch bag on the table. The name on the bag said "Katie".
Now I understood and I talked to Katie. It seemed that the new boy never brought a lunch, and he wouldn't go to the lunch line for a free lunch. He had told Katie his secret and asked her not to tell anyone that his parents wanted him to get a free lunch at school. Katie asked me not to tell her parents, but I drove to her house that evening after I was sure that she was in bed. I had never seen parents so proud of their child. Katie didn't care that her parents and teacher were disappointed in her. But she cared about a little boy who was hungry and scared.
Katie still buys lunch every day at school. And every day, as she heads out of the door, her mom hands her a delicious homemade lunch.
1.What did the author think of Katie?
A. She performed well at school.
B. She was a girl filled with love.
C. She often made trouble at school.
D. She used to be a discipline problem.
2.Why did Katie eat school lunch instead of her homemade lunch every day?
A. She lost her homemade lunch.
B. She had her homemade lunch stolen.
C. She didn't like the taste of her homemade lunch.
D. She gave her homemade lunch to a hungry boy.
3.What was Katie's parents' reaction to the truth about the lunch?
A. They were very angry. B. They were proud of Katie.
C. They were disappointed. D. They were rather upset.
4.What can we learn from the passage?
A. Katie was informed that her parents had known her secret.
B. Katie told the author the truth of her lunch during their first talk.
C. Katie's secret of lunch was discovered by the author by accident.
D. Katie stopped buying lunch at school after her secret was discovered.
阅读下面材料，然后按要求写一篇150词左右的英语短文。
Time to give thanks
When it comes to Thanksgiving, turkey may be the first thing that comes to mind. It’s the right picture, but it’s not complete.
Celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November every year, Thanksgiving Day is a time for thanksgiving and feasts. It’s about expressing your gratitude to the important people and all the good things in your life.
Americans celebrate Thanksgiving with much warmth and keep many traditional customs. Here we introduce two of the rules Americans typically follow on this day.
1. Time for prayers and paying back
Thanksgiving Day has been associated with prayers in church and in homes for centuries. Attending church prayer services in the morning is the first step of many celebrators on Thanksgiving Day. The churches provide worship (礼拜) services and organize special events for the occasion.
Before Thanksgiving meals, some families gather together and read prayers to thank God for his kindness and the gifts he has bestowed upon (给予) them in the form of friends and family.
Some people also do voluntary community work on this day, as a way of paying back.
2. Family reunions and showing gratitude
Like China’s Spring Festival, preparing a big meal and bringing the family together at home is a long-standing tradition of Thanksgiving. Distances don’t really matter as relatives return home to be with their family, no matter how far away.
【写作内容】
1. 以约30个词概括上文的主要内容。
2. 以约120个词谈谈你对是时候感恩了的想法，内容包括：
(1) 你认为我们中国人有没有必要过“感恩节”？为什么？
(2) 以你自己的经历或者身边的人为例，阐述重视感恩的必要性；
(3) 总结你的观点。
【写作要求】
1. 作文中可以使用实例来支持你的论点，也可以参照阅读材料的内容论述，但不得直接引用原文中的句子；
2. 作文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称。
【评分标准】
概括准确，语言规范，内容合适，篇章连贯。
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假如你们学校要举行一场名为“诵读经典，热爱我校”的朗诵比赛，请你以学生会的名义，写一份通知。
【写作内容】
“诵读经典，热爱我校”朗诵比赛 | |
目 的 | 弘扬传统文化，营造朝气蓬勃、积极向上的校园文化氛围。 |
内 容 | 要以歌颂祖国、歌颂家乡，热爱校园、热爱生活的诗歌或散文为主。 |
形 式 | 可多样，可以是独诵、双人朗诵或小组朗诵；每个节目的时间不超过5分钟。 |
参加对象 | 每个班选派6名学生参加。 |
比赛时间 | 3月10号（星期二）下午2:30—5:00 |
比赛地点 | 学校体育馆 |
注意事项 | 参赛选手必须准时参加和使用普通话。 |
参考词汇：朗诵比赛recital contest； 校园campus； 散文 prose
【写作要求】
只能用5个句子表达全部内容。
【评分标准】
句子结构准确，信息内容完整，篇章连贯。
Notice
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Student Union
阅读下列应用文及相关信息，并按要求匹配信息，在答题卡上将对应题号的相应选项字母涂黑。
以下是几本新书的简要介绍：
A. Strong Is Your Hold
This book was written by Galway Kinnell, who spent many years in finishing the book. Kinnell’s first collection of new poems in more than a decade revisits themes of marriage, friendship and death, with long, loose lines reminiscent of Whitman. It is popular with the people who are interested in literature.
B. The Letter
The murder of a television star appears to be the work of thieves who are quickly caught. But they escape from prison and a young lawyer says she knows who the real criminals are. Written with intelligence, this story is so fast-moving that it demands the reader’s complete attention.
C. London Alive
This author of many famous novels has now turned to writing short stories with great success. The stories tell of Londoners’ daily lives and happen in eighteen different places——for example, one story takes place at a table in a cafe, another in the back of a taxi and another in a hospital.
D. Gone West
A serious look at one of the least-known regions of the United States. The author describes the empty villages which thousands left when they were persuaded by the railway companies to go west in search of new lives. The author manages to provide many interesting details about their history.
E. Cutting for Stone
This book was written by Abraham Verghese. It is a powerful story about twin brothers born in a Catholic hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Their mother, an Indian nurse at the hospital, dies in childbirth. The brothers are raised by two Indian doctors who live at the hospital. One brother later moves to the United States. This is a story about the extremes of love, family, and medicine.
F. Jane Eyre
There is great kindness and warmth in this love story. Poor and plain as Jane Eyre is, she has a strong will, sharp wisdom and great courage. She is forced to battle against a harsh employer and a rigid social order. Yet she is never defeated. Standing on her feet, she gains her own happiness in the end.
请阅读以下读者的相关信息，然后匹配他/她感兴趣的书籍：
1.Takumi doesn’t have much free time so he reads short stories which he can finish quickly. He likes reading stories about ordinary people and the things that happen to them in today’s world.
2.Terresha Houghs has read widely since she was in university. She can recite most of essays and poems she has read, especially poems from Leaves of Grass. She is fond of traditional themes in poetry and still keeps her habits of reciting poems.
3.Ali enjoys reading crime stories which are carefully written so that they hold his interest right to the end. He enjoys trying to guess who the criminal really is while he’s reading.
4.Lucy is a quiet girl who likes to read in a quiet corner in the library. Her favorite stories are those with characters brave enough to face and overcome difficulties in life.
5.Charlie, who attends college in the Midwest, majors in medicine. He is fond of reading stories about family and love, especially those related to his future career.
I am a vegetarian（素食主义者）. Many people are quick to think of vegetarianism as strange behavior. I treasure our Earth, and since we only have one, we should protect it and the wildlife that lives on it. But that’s only one of the reasons to be a vegetarian.
Vegetarians may live longer, healthier lives. There is a connection between red meat consumption and various diseases. From an economic standpoint, it requires less land, money and energy to produce foods for a vegetarian diet. While there are many benefits to being a vegetarian, only a handful of those who attempt to adopt this lifestyle succeed.
The most important quality required to be a vegetarian is firmness since surrounded by the temptation of meat, we tend to give up vegetarianism easily. Creativity is almost as important as commitment. It’s easy to tire of eating nothing but salad. But with a little creativity and some soy products, almost any meal can become vegetarian-friendly.
Not everyone wants to be vegetarian. Accepting this is part of being a vegetarian with style. Forcing your beliefs on others is disrespectful. Stylish vegetarians should also be able to turn down a meaty dish politely without annoying their hosts.
Being a successful vegetarian has been easy for me, but it may not be so for others. A common mistake is quitting before your body has adjusted to the change. It can be difficult to keep the lifestyle in the beginning because of temptation. However, it fades over time. Another common mistake is quitting because you’ve been misinformed about the nutritional wisdom of being a vegetarian. That’s why it is vital to be educated. Countless people will tell you that it’s impossible to obtain the nutrients and protein（蛋白质）your body requires without meat, but they are incorrect. People actually need only 44-55 grams of protein a day, and that is easily found in a vegetarian diet. Many meat eaters are consuming three times that amount, which is not beneficial. It leads to diseases. Vegetables can also supply all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients your body needs. However, if you’re still not convinced, you can take a multi-vitamin.
1.According to the passage, being a vegetarian helps ______.
A. protect the wildlife
B. free people from diseases
C. rid people from strange behaviors
D. develop a better economy
2.What’s the underlined word temptation in Paragraph 3 closest in meaning to?
A. Unpleasant taste B. Extreme attraction
C. Great consumption D. Significant importance
3.Stylish vegetarians do not ______.
A. force others to be vegetarians
B. respect other people’s beliefs
C. turn down hosts gracefully
D. refuse an offer of meat
4.Which of the following is NOT true?
A. Many people give up before their bodies can adjust to the transition.
B. Many people quit because they’re poorly educated about nutrition.
C. Consuming 150 grams protein a day can be harmful.
D. Vegetarians need multi-vitamins to keep healthy.
5.Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A. Reasons why the author became a vegetarian.
B. Important qualities required to be a vegetarian.
C. Advantages and disadvantages of being a vegetarian.
D. Common mistakes on the way to being a vegetarian.
