Imagine that 7 out of 10 working Americans got fired tomorrow. What would they all do? It’s hard to believe it would happen. But that is what the industrial revolution did to the labor force of the early 19th century.
Two hundred years ago, 70 percent of American workers lived on the farm. Today automation(自动化) has eliminated all but one percent of their jobs, replacing them with machines. But these workers did not sit, doing nothing. Instead, automation created hundreds of millions of jobs in completely new fields. Those who once farmed were then working in factories that produced farm equipment, cars, and other industrial products.
It may be hard to believe, but before the end of this century, 70 percent of today’s jobs will likely be replaced by automation. Yes, dear reader, even you will have your job taken away by machines. In other words, robot replacement is just a matter of time, First, speedy robots being able to lift 150 pounds all day long will carry boxes, sort them, and load them onto trucks. Fruit and vegetable picking will continue to be robotized until no humans pick outside of specialty farms. Next, The work of cleaning in offices and schools will be taken over by late-night robots. The trucks will be driven by robots.
We need to let robots take over. They will do jobs we have been doing, and do them much better than we can. They will do jobs we can’t do at all. They will do jobs we never imagined even needed to be done, and they will help us discover new jobs for ourselves and new tasks that expand who we are. They will let us focus on becoming more human than we were.
1.What happened in the early 19th century?
A. Some working Americans in factories got fired.
B. Jobless workers had no choice but to sit there doing nothing at all.
C. Many American workers had to leave factories to work on the farm.
D. The industrial revolution caused many Americans to lose their jobs.
2.How does the author support the underlined statement in Paragraph 3?
A. By giving advice.
B. By giving examples.
C. By following the order of time.
D. By explaining cause and effect.
3.How does the author feel about robots taking over our jobs?
A. Afraid. B. Happy. C. Puzzled. D. Angry.
4.What does the author want to tell us in the text ?
A. Why robots should take over our jobs.
B. 70% of working Americans will be jobless.
C. The industrial revolution led to the automation.
D. Robots will do more things for us to live better.
It was a bad time for me . I was low emotionally and tired physically. Probably because of this I hadn’t shaved for a few days. Also, because I had been doing some repairs at my daughter’s house, I was dressed quite scruffily. Boarding the bus to go home I saw it was almost full so I found a rail to lean against.
That was when a young woman, sitting with her child, stood up and offered me her seat. “Wow !” I thought. Out loud I said, “Do I look that old and tired?” She replied,” You look like you’ve had a tough day.” I thanked her sincerely and stayed standing.
A moment later a man rose from his seat at the back of the bus and made his way towards me, squeezing past several people on the way. Then he told me about his addiction problems, asked for my advice, and just chatted about life for a few minutes. Then he went back to his seat. Very random!
Watching him go, I also looked at the bus－load of people between me and his seat. He hadn’t chosen to talk to those strangers. He chose to talk to this stranger, for whatever it meant to him and whatever comfort it brought him. Why?
That’s when it occurred to me. I must have looked like I had been where he was. I probably looked like a man who would understand a difficult life. I was humbled and uplifted at the same time by the realization that even when we are at our lowest we can still help others—if we look like we might be able to meet them where they live or walk a while in their world.
1.Why did the young woman offer her seat to the writer?
A. Because she thought the writer looked very old.
B. Because the writer looked very friendly.
C. Because the writer looked humorous.
D. Because the writer looked exhausted.
2.What can we learn about the man from Paragraph 3 ?
A. He was an acquaintance of the writer.
B. He felt familiar with the writer.
C. He might took drugs heavily.
D. He lacked confidence in life.
3.The underlined words “this stranger” in Paragraph 4 probably refer to“ .”
A. the young woman B. one passenger
C. the writer D. the driver
4.Which of the following may be the best title for the text?
A. Unusual Appearance Interests Strangers.
B. Meet Them Where They Live.
C. Small Talks Make a Difference.
D. Accept What They Are.
Apple Seeds
Circulation: 1 Year,9 Issues
Cover Price: MYM44.55
Price For You: MYM 33.95
Product Description: Apple Seeds is an award winning magazine filled with stories for kids aged from 7 to 9. The cover is very soft, providing durability(耐用性) that allows each issue to be enjoyed for many years to come. Besides, there is a big surprise for you—it’s being sold at a more favorable discount than usual.
Better Life
Circulation: 1 Year, 12 Issues
Cover Price: MYM44.55
Price For You: MYM 15.00
Product Description: Designed for those who have a strong interest in personal lifestyle, Better Life is America’s complete home and family service magazine. It offers help with food, recipes, decorating, building, gardening, family health, money management, and education.
Humor Times
Circulation: 1 Year, 12 Issues
Cover Price: MYM36.00
Price For You: MYM 11.95
Product Description: Humor Times Magazine is for those who love to laugh! Full of cartoons and humor columns, it shows up in your mailbox once a month and keeps you smiling all year round! In today’s world, you need a reason to laugh. So let’s find it in Humor Times.
News China
Circulation: 1 Year, 12 Issues
Cover Price: MYM 47.88
Price For You: MYM 19.99
Product Description: News China Magazine is the English edition of China Newsweek. The magazine covers the latest Chinese domestic news in politics, business, society, environment, culture, sports and travels, etc. It is the first comprehensive news magazine for readers interested in China.
1.What is the purpose of the text ?
A. To tell us why these magazines are popular.
B. To help us make right decisions.
C. To advise us to subscribe to the magazines.
D. To encourage us to contribute articles to the magazines.
2.Better Life can probably help you in .
A. making your house beautiful
B. ordering food from restaurants.
C. finding interesting stories for your kids
D. learning about sports and travels
3.Which magazine may best help relieve your work stress?
A. Apple Seeds. B. Better Life.
C. Humor Times. D. News China.
书面表达
阅读下面微博上的短文, 然后按要求写一篇150个词左右的英语短文。
Hi, everyone. I am Jane. I have a problem and don’t know what to do. So I need your help!
This morning I was ready to review my lessons with my computer in my dormitory, and then Mary, my roommate and best friend, came back with a laptop. She wanted to use my connector, and I did as she asked.
After a while, she took away my headset and opened her laptop. Afterwards she connected to the Internet with my connector. Then something unexpected happened. She used the audio player with the loudspeaker. She entered her QQ Zone and started using the video system to chat with my microphone. Sounds of music, QQ and their talking became louder and louder. She completely ignored that I was there reviewing my lessons.
I could not bear that, so I asked her to be quiet a little, but I failed. At last I had to go away to the classroom. On the way I became angrier and angrier because she was using my things, but never thought about my feeling. She drove me out. I am very sad. Am I her friend? Should I stop our friendship?
[写作内容]
1. 以约30个词概括上文的主要内容。
2. 以约120个词发表你的看法, 内容包括:
(1)你对Mary的行为的看法, 并说明理由;
(2)假如你是Jane, 你会如何处理这件事;
(3)以你的经历谈谈你和朋友相处的体会。
[写作要求]
1. 作文中可使用自己的亲身经历或虚构的故事, 也可以参照阅读材料的内容但不得直接引用原文中的句子;
2. 文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称。
[评分标准]
句子结构准确, 信息内容完整, 篇章结构连贯。
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完成句子
1.It ______ _______ ________ ________ ________( 有待观察是否) he will give up taking drugs.
2.The Chinese language differs from Western languages ________ ________(原因是), instead of an alphabet, it uses characters which stand for ideas, objects or deeds.
3.I certainly think there should be _____ _______ _______ (禁止) tobacco advertising.
4.While the students found the soldier’s idea interesting, the system was too difficult to _____ _____ _________ ________(实用).
5.Many people were buried alive, and_____ ______ ________ ______(整个城市也被埋没).
6.It’s ______ ________ _________ _______ (被人们认为已经) gradually covered over by sandstorms from AD 200 to AD 400.
7.An explosion happened in the mine, ________ twenty miners ________.(任由……受困)。
8.The desert was once a green land with huge trees, but they were cut down and that ______ ______ ______ _______ ________ ________(导致了这座城市被掩埋) by sand—what a pity!
9.Then, on 24 August, the mountain exploded,______ _____ _____ _____ _____ ______(喷出一团火山灰).
10._______ _______ _____ _______ _______ _______(你方便) to start work tomorrow?
任务型阅读
请阅读下面短文, 并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词。
注意: 每个空格只填一个单词。
Whatever your career, and whatever your goals in life are, ideas are going to matter to you. One great idea could change your life. The thing is, you probably don’t have as many great ideas as you’d like. Perhaps you feel unimaginative and unoriginal. You keep hoping that a really good idea will just pop into your head, but that never seems to happen. The good news? Ideas aren’t magic dust sprinkled by the Muses. There’s an awful lot you can do to generate ideas any time you want.
First, you need time to come up with ideas – and quality time, where you’re not worrying about the chores or your emails. Getting quality time ideally means taking a whole day away from your regular responsibilities. Go out to a coffee shop with a notebook, or shut yourself in a room at home without internet access. Get a zoomed-out view of your life: set aside worries about “but what would people think?” and “is it sensible?” and let yourself dream. You’ll be amazed what you come up with.
Ever had an idea which you immediately dismissed? You probably told yourself “That’s stupid,” or “It’s been done before.”When you’re generating ideas and thinking through possibilities, you’ll inevitably come up with a few false starts. Some ideas will be unoriginal, undesirable or unworkable. But that’s not a bad thing. One idea often leads to a whole train of thought – and you might end up with a really good idea from something which seemed, at first glance, unpromising.
Although I’m a bit of an introvert – I like to spend a fair amount of time on my own – I also get a great buzz from being with like-minded people and discussing ideas and projects with them. You’ve probably experienced something similar yourself – maybe in a brainstorming meeting at work, or maybe just at a bar with friends. The energy generated by several people together can spark some brilliant ideas – ones which you’d never have come up with alone. How do you find like-minded people to bounce ideas off? You could try: Local groups, such as evening classes; Getting together with a couple of friends who “get” your dreams; Finding an online forum of people with the same interest or goals as you.
Ideas don’t just appear in a vacuum. They’re formed from all the various input that you take in. Sometimes, a news story might give you the perfect idea for a Christmas present for your sister, or a book that you’re reading might get you thinking about a particular goal in your life.The more widely you read, the more open you’ll be to new ideas cropping up. That might mean reading a magazine or journal article that’s far outside your normal area of expertise, or turning to a biography of someone who you know almost nothing about.A great place to start is online: blogs, news sites, forums and even Twitter and Facebook are all a rich source of ideas, just waiting for you.
How do you come up with great ideas? And is there a particular area of your life where you feel like you’re lacking inspiration?
How to come up with great ideas—all the time | |
1._____quality time to think | Getting ideal quality time means 2.____aside worries about your regular 3.____ such as the housework or your emails and letting yourself dream for some time. |
You may come up with some4.____ideas. | |
Don’t judge your ideas | A(n) 5.____unimportant ideas might 6.____ out to be a really good one. So don’t dismiss any unoriginal, undesirable or unworkable ideas 7.______. |
Talk to other like-minded people | Talking with people who 8.______ the same interest or goals with you can inspire some brilliant ideas. You can find such people at work, at a bar, in evening classes or on an online forum. |
Read widely | Reading widely helps you put forward new ideas and the Internet is a great place 9._____ in ideas. |
Conclusion | Whatever your career, and whatever your goals in life are, ideas are of 10.____ to you. |
