When a laptop or smartphone battery starts losing its power，the only options are to buy an expensive replacement，or just keep it plugged in all the time．But a woman Mya Le Thai may have found the answer to this problem．
Thai was frustrated that the batteries for her wireless devices degraded(降级)over time，until they failed to charge fully．She did not like having to keep her laptop connected to an electrical outlet to keep it powered on．So，she decided to do something about that problem．At first，she and her team at UC Irvine thought about inventing a new battery．But as they experimented，Thai discovered something that might permit lithium—ion(锂离子)batteries to last forever．
Lithium-ion batteries power most wireless devices．Over time，the batteries lose the ability to hold a charge．Most of these batteries have a life span of about 7,000 charging cycles before they die．One of the reasons lithium—ion batteries degrade is their use of nanowires to carry electricity．Nanowires are extremely thin．A human hair is thousands of times thicker，for example．Nanowires are extremely efficient carriers of electricity，which makes them useful in batteries．
But，Thai had a theory—the nanowires might last longer if covered with a gel(凝胶)．She and her team tested this theory．“It was a long process and a lot of work，”Thai said．The team tried many coverings for the wires．PMMA，a type of plastic，was one of them．The nanowires were coated with PMMA and cycled through charges 200，000 times．The PMMA-coated nanowires showed no evidence of damage．The results suggest that batteries could last forever，without losing charging ability．
Thai hopes to continue her research to understand why this gel works so well and to see if any other gel could create better results and she is enjoying the publicity about her discovery．She said she never expected her research to get media coverage．“It’s kind of cool,”she said．“I'm really glad people are showing interest in my work and not just in the work itself，but also in technology and energy．”
1.Why did Mya Le Thai work on lithium-ion batteries?
A. She disliked the batteries for her laptop．
B. Her team were assigned to invent a new battery．
C. Many people thought batteries were too expensive．
D. The batteries would soon lose the function to charge fully．
2.What can we infer about nanowires?
A. They last only 7,000 charging cycles．
B. They are too weak to carry electricity．
C. They are not suitable to use in batteries．
D. Their thinness is a cause of batteries degrade．
3.What might be Thai and her team’s breakthrough?
A. Coating nanowires in gel． B. A new kind of battery．
C. New materials for batteries． D. A new way of charging batteries．
4.What may be the best title for the passage?
A. The options of batteries for wireless devices
B. A woman invents a life—long battery.
C. Mya Le Thai discovered Nanowires
D. The reasons for batteries degrading
The Iroquois named the great waterfall Niagara，which means “thunder of waters”．For people living near the falls in New York State or Canada，the thunder of falling water never stops—well，almost never．
On March 29，1848，the usually early signs of spring were coming to the Niagara Falls area．Snow was beginning to melt，and the air was losing its chilly bite .In the late afternoon，however，people began looking at each other as if to ask，“Something’s different．What is it?”Then they realized．The air was strangely silent；the thunder of the falls had stopped．
The people had been used to that dull roar(轰鸣)all their lives．They ran to the falls to see what had happened．To their astonishment，they found the riverbed above the falls empty．The bottom of Niagara River lay exposed，with just a few trickles and puddles of water remaining among the rocks and mud．As word of the mysterious event spread，hundreds of people flocked to the scene—then thousands．After nightfall countless lanterns could be seen shining along the banks as New Yorkers and Canadians camped at the river’s edge，waiting to see the unusual sight at dawn．
Most who lived or came there were merely curious，but others felt a deep fear．Something unknown had upset the unchanging order of nature．What might happen next?
By the next day，5，000 people were there．Those who were brave began walking into the riverbed and to the base of the falls. They found arrowheads and other objects that had lain there for years—perhaps for ages．
For 30 hours the Niagara Rivet lay dry．Then came a distant roar，growing louder．People scrambled up the banks．The waters rushed back，and all was as it had been．What had caused the river and the falls to stop? Only later did the people learn that a huge ice jam upstream had temporarily dammed the Niagara River．The fears were gone，but no one would forget the day the fails stopped．
1.What does the underlined words in Paragraph 2 mean?
A. The air was no longer able to bite． B. The air was even colder than ever．
C. It was getting warmer． D. It was not as cloudy as before．
2.Which of the following did people see at the riverbed and the base of the falls?
A. Remains of war． B. Dead fish．
C. Large blocks of ice． D. Strange animals．
3.What caused the falls to stop?
A. A newly man—made dam． B. The ice that had piled up．
C. The rocks in upstream water． D. The melting snow along the river．
4.It can be inferred from the passage that__________．
A. people living near the falls were used to the silence
B. the stop of the falls resulted from climate change
C. mysterious power may lie somewhere in the world
D. Niagara falls has never stopped since it came into being
Few writers have had such an impact on the thinking of the modem world as British writer George Orwell(1903—1950)．Orwell wrote many things on a variety of topics，for example，poverty in England in the 1930s during the Great Depression and his experience in the Spanish Civil War(1936—1939)．
But he is most famous for his works of fiction，Animal Farm(1945)and，especially，Nineteen Eighty-Four(1949)．These last books became especially influential in the West in the 1950s during the early Cold War years．
In Nineteen Eighty-Four，Orwell imagined a Britain of the future，modeled on the Soviet union(苏联)．His frightening tale of Winston Smith，a regular man who comes into conflict with the government，was close to the fears of many people of the time．Ideas from the novel soon entered everyday culture，and are still in use today．“Big Brother”，for example，is a phrase from the book that refers to how authority is always looking over one’s shoulder. Other phrases used in the novel，1ike“War is Peace”and “Freedom is slavery”are also still used now．Indeed，many people see Orwell’s book as a warning about what might happen if those in power become corrupted．
Even today，Orwell remains an influential voice. Often，writers achieve great fame and popularity，but they don’t affect how people live their everyday lives．UNESCO’S Memory of the World Programme recently decided to include a collection of Orwell’s writings on its register．
The Memory of the World register is similar to UNESCO’s world heritage site program，which protects places and buildings natural features in the world．According to its website，the idea behind the body is“that the world’s documentary evidence belongs to all”and should be “accessible forever to all”．
University College London，which proposed the idea to UNESCO，said in its application that Orwell’s work“had a great influence on human thought in all parts of the world，an influence that remain powerful today”．
1.What do we know about Orwell?
A. He only wrote about imaginary worlds．
B. He liked to follow the style of other writers．
C. His works were based on his own experience．
D. His books were well-received during the Cold War．
2.Orwell wrote the novel Nineteen eight-Four to_______．
A. warn people of the dangers of corruption
B. present various conflicts with the government
C. expose the cruelty of the war in the 20th century
D. describe the serious effects of poverty in England
3.The passage mentioned some phrases from Orwell’s books mainly to__________．
A. stress his ideas are still popular today
B. share some of his ideas with leaders
C. show how he used language in a creative way
D. explain how he described the dark side of society
4.Why would the Memory of the Word register include Orwell’s writings?
A. They are a huge literary success．
B. They introduced a new way of writing．
C. They shaped political systems in Western countries．
D. They continue to have a great effect on human thought.
In recent years，Myanmar has opened its doors to western tourism. This once-closed state in Southeast Asia is a gold mine for those who enjoy the ancient Buddhist culture of the region. Compared to its neighbors, the landscape of Myanmar has been left largely undamaged. There are so many reasons why Myanmar is amazing and has been rated one of the top Asian tourist destinations for 2019. Here are some of its scenic spots：
Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon
As far as pagodas are concerned，this is one of the most respected in Myanmar. This massive 325-foot Buddhist pagoda is surrounded by smaller shiny-gold pagodas. It is believed that some of the hairs of Gautama Buddha are well- preserved in here. The Shwedagon Pagoda is a must-see destination on your traveling schedule.
Long Neck Tribe of the Hill Country
These women—who are identified by their long necks that are stretched by brass neck coils(项圈)from an early age—have become world-famous. You’ll find this tribe in the mountainous north of the country，especially in Chin state. This custom dates back to ancient times when tribesmen—who were always at war with neighboring tribes—put neck coils on their women to prevent them from being taken as prisoners of war．These days，the long-necked women are used to seeing foreigners，who make the long journey to this isolated region of Myanmar for the purpose of seeing them．
Mandalay City
This dusty, hot center of trading and commerce for Myanmar is both fascinating and exciting. You’ll never find a shortage of things to do here. Temples. Medieval-era castles. Buildings from the country’s colonial British past. There are over 600 monasteries and nunneries in the Holy Hills of Sagaing, which overlook Mandalay. The city also has an exciting nightlife which will be an attraction for many．
1.What does the writer intend to tell in the passage?
A. Life styles people in Myanmar have．
B. Activities tourists can attend in Myanmar．
C. Reasons why Myanmar is suddenly popular．
D. Information about some attractions in Myanmar．
2.For what purpose were the neck coils initially used?
A. To protect women’s necks．
B. To frighten the enemies away．
C. To make women more attractive．
D. To stop women being victims of war．
3.What will impress travelers to Mandalay City most?
A. Promising commercial future．
B. Architecture of different styles．
C. Shiny-gold pagodas．
D. Abundance of goods in night markets．
请阅读下面短文，并按要求用英语写一篇150词左右的文章。
Li Shuangying said her 18yearold son， who just took this year's college entrance exam， would become a professional in the artificial intelligence (AI) field.
Artificial intelligence is the branch of computer science concerned with making computers behave like humans. The requirement for AI talents is a solid foundation of maths and English， so for senior high graduates， they should have a higher mathematical thinking ability and have a good command of English if they want to become professionals in AI.
Li Shuangying said her son always has been one of the top students in his class at one of the leading high schools in Zhongshan， Guangdong province. Zhongshan， which neighbors Guangzhou， has been one of China's pioneering cities in embracing reform and opening up. It flourished(繁荣) on laborintensive industries， but recent rising labor shortages and costs have become a real threat. In response， local manufacturers(制造商) have been quick to embrace automation(自动化)and adopt AIassisted robots for survival.
The company Li works for， a mediumsized home appliance manufacturer with annual output of about 1 billion yuan($150 million)， is no exception. Li said she used to bring her son to her workplace from time to time， and he has developed a strong interest in AI， automation and robots.
“Our family all agree that AI is the trend， and it holds great potential for future development，” Li said. That view is shared by many college students and their parents， who consider AI a desirable major.
（写作内容）
1. 用约30词概括上文；
2. 用约120词发表你的观点，内容包括：
(1) 请你谈谈对“人工智能”专业的看法(至少两点)；
(2) 作为高三学生，你是否会选择“人工智能”专业？请简要说明理由(2至3点)。
（写作要求）
1. 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. 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，语篇连贯。
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
请认真阅读下面短文，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1个单词。
Educating girls quite possibly harvests a higher rate of return than any other investment available in the developing world. Women's education may be an unusual economical field， but increasing women's contribution to development is actually as much an economic issue as a social one. And economics， with its focus on encouragement， provides an explanation for why so many girls are rid of an education.
Parents in lowincome countries fail to invest in their daughters because they do not expect them to make an economic contribution to the family： girls grow up only to marry into somebody else's family and bear children. Girls are thus seen as less valuable than boys and are kept at home to do housework while their brothers are sent to school—the prophecy(观念)becomes selffulfilling， trapping women in a vicious(恶性的) circle of neglect.
An educated mother， on the other hand， has greater earning abilities outside the home and faces an entirely different set of choices. She is likely to have fewer but healthier children and can insist on the development of all her children， ensuring that her daughters are given a fair chance. The education of her daughters then makes it much more likely that the next generation of girls， as well as boys， will be educated and healthy. The vicious circle is thus transformed into a virtuous circle.
Few will argue that educating women has great social benefits. But it has enormous economic advantages as well. Most obviously， there is the direct effect of education on the wages of female workers. Wages rise by 10 to 20 percent for each additional year of schooling. Such big returns are impressive by the standard of other available investment， but they are just the beginning. Educating women also has a significant effect on health practices， including family planning.
The Significance of Female1. in Developing Countries
Topic | Though considered as a social issue， women's education is also linked to a developing country's2.. | |
Supporting Details | A vicious circle | ●With little3. of their daughters' contribution to their family， parents are unwilling to invest in them. ●Girls can't go to school，4. up as uneducated mothers after their marriages， whose daughters are likely to follow in their5.. |
A virtuous circle | ●With fewer but healthier children， an educated mother is a good6. of her children's development. ●As a result， her daughters receive good education. So will the next7. of girls. | |
8. educated females have over uneducated ones | ●They have9. to more iob opportunities and can earn more money. ●They will enjoy more health practices， including family planning. | |
Conclusion | Educating girls in developing countries is important and rewarding， so it is10. of being invested. |
