"A photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically with a smart phone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website" is the definition of "selfie" in the Oxford English Dictionary. In fact, it wasn't even in the dictionary until August of last year. It earned its place there because people are now so obsessed with (对……痴迷) selfies ─ we take them when we try on a new hat, play with our pets or when we meet a friend whom we haven't seen in a while.
But is there any scientific explanation for this obsession? Well, you should probably ask James Kilner, a neuroscientist(神经系统科学家) at University College London.
Through our lifetime we become experts at recognizing and interpreting other people's faces and facial expressions. In contrast, according to Kilner, we have a very poor understanding of our own faces since we have little experience of looking at them ─ we just feel them most of the time.
This has been proved in previous studies, according to the BBC.
Kilner found that most people chose the more attractive picture. This suggests that we tend to think of ourselves as better-looking than we actually are. To further test how we actually perceive our own faces, Kilner carried out another study. He showed people different versions of their own portrait ─ the original, one that had been edited to look less attractive and one that was made more attractive ─ and asked them to pick the version which they thought looked most like them. They chose the more attractive version.
But what does it say about settles? Well, isn't that obvious? Selfies give us the power to create a photograph ─ by taking it from various angles, with different poses, using filters (滤色镜) and so on ─ that better matches our expectations with our actual faces.
"You suddenly have control in a way that you don't have in non-virtual(非虚拟的) interactions," Kilner told the Canada-based CTV News. Selfies allow you "to keep taking pictures until you manage to take one you're happy with" , he explained.
1.What is the passage mainly about?
A. The definition and fun of taking selfies.
B. A study of why people love taking selfies.
C. How taking selfies influences people's daily lives.
D. How to interpret people's facial expressions in their selfies.
2.The underlined word "perceive" in Paragraph 5 can be replaced by "______".
A. interpret B. beautify C. choose D. explain
3.What did Kilner discover from his researches?
A. People interpret others' facial expressions worse than their own.
B. People tend to spend more time looking at their faces than at others'.
C. People tend to believe they look more attractive than they actually are.
D. People who like taking selfies know more about their facial expressions.
4.According to Kilner, people like taking selfies probably because they think ______.
A. it is a good chance to learn more about their actual faces
B. it is a way to respond to others' facial expressions correctly
C. it enables them to interact with their friends in social media
D. it allows them to satisfy their expectations with their appearances
Foxes and farmers have never got on well. These small dog-like animals have long been accused of killing farm animals. They are officially classified as harmful and farmers try to keep their numbers down by shooting or poisoning them.
Famers can also call on the services of their local hunt to control the fox population. Hunting consists of running after a fox across the countryside, with a group of specially trained dogs, followed by men and women riding horses. When the dogs eventually catch the fox, the kill it or a hunter shoots it.
People who take part in hunting think of it as a sport. They wear a special uniform of red coats and white trousers, and follow strict rules of behavior. But owning a horse and hunting regularly are expensive, so most hunters are wealthy.
It is estimated that up to 100,000 people watch or take part in fox-hunting. But over the last couple of decades the number of people who are against fox-hunting, because they think it is brutal(残暴的), has risen sharply. Nowadays it is rare for a hunt to pass off without some kind of conflict between hunters and hunt opponents (阻止者). Sometimes these incidents lead to violence, but mostly opponents discourage the hunt by misleading riders and disturbing the trail of the fox's smell, which the dogs follow.
Noisy conflicts between hunters and opponents have become so common that they are almost as much a part of hunting as running after foxes itself. But this year supporters of fox-hunting face a much bigger threat to their sport. A Labour Party member of Parliament(英国议会), Mike Foster, is trying to get Parliament to approve a new law which will make the hunting of wild animals with dogs illegal. If the law is passed, wild animals like foxes will be protected under the ban in Britain.
1.Wealthy people in Britain have been hunting foxes to ______.
A. benefit the farmers B. get entertainment
C. show off their wealth D. limit the fox population
2.The opponents of fox-hunting often discourage the game by ______.
A. using violence
B. taking legal action
C. seeking help from farmers
D. confusing the fox hunters
3.A new law may be passed by the British Parliament to ______.
A. protect wild animals like foxes
B. control fox-hunting on a large scale
C. prohibit farmers from hunting foxes
D. standardize the behavior of fox-hunting
4.What can be inferred from this passage?
A. Limiting the fox population is unnecessary at all.
B. Killing foxes with poison is not allowed by the law.
C. Hunting foxes with dogs is considered cruel and violent.
D. Fox-hunting causes conflicts between hunters and farmers.
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
