In many ways, Providence Mount St. Vincent in Seattle is a typical senior living community. It is home to about 400 elderly people and provides them with different types of assistance. However, it is also the Inter-generational Learning Center---a preschool where children and seniors have the chance to bond（结成友好的关系）.
Established in 1991, the ILC’s purpose is to allow kids to learn about acceptance while also being nurtured. It also aims to help seniors develop a greater sense of self-worth and strengthen social interactions. Babies to prekindergarten-aged children are placed into six different classes at the ILC. The kids attend art and music classes, as well as story time and exercise time with the seniors. Marie Hoover, ILC director, said that interacting with the seniors has proven beneficial for the young ones, making them more open-minded.
“For the ILC children, interacting with the residents is simply part of their day-to-day life here and the way aging is ‘normalized’ , which may be the most important benefit they receive ,” Hoover said. “ I’ve had parents call me years after their children have graduated from our program to let me know about some incidents when their child was the first to warmly greet someone who happened to be in a wheelchair.”
As for the seniors, they’re delighted by the companionship the children provide. The children bring so much energy and joy to our residents. Many of residents are widows or widowers and can become lonely. Their adult children may still be working, so they may not get to see them as often as they would like. Having the children stay with the old makes our residents feel they are still part of a community. The young and the old connect and learn from one another at this unique facility.
1.ILC is intended to _______.
A. build a typical senior living community
B. take good care of the children
C. benefit both the children and the seniors
D. rid the seniors of loneliness
2.From what Hoover said in Para. 3, we can learn that the ILC children _________.
A. keep in touch with the seniors even if they have left ILC
B. come to realize that aging is a normal part of life
C. take different attitudes to the elderly after graduation
D. think it easy to interact with the elderly residents in ILC
3.The last paragraph mainly tells us _________.
A. the benefits the seniors receive
B. the situation of the seniors
C. children’s company
D. the interaction between the children and the seniors
4.The underlined words this unique facility may refer to _________.
A. a special building B. a typical family
C. a typical teaching program D. a special learning center
Kanda really doesn't like to walk alone. The scientist from a research institute of intelligent robots finds the experience so boring that he'd rather drive—even though he lives close to his lab and knows that walking us healthy. "I enjoy walking with someone, like with my wife, with my daughter," Kanda said. "But they are not always available."
So Kanda, who specializes in human-like bots, developed a robotic walking partner that could make small talk based on its surroundings, which, he hopes, might motivate people to get out and exercise more. The bot rests on a person's shoulder like a boxy parrot. It weighs about a pound and a half and sits roughly 8.5 inches high, 3.5inches wide, and 10 inches long. A microphone, speaker, and internal camera allow it to communicate. It's even equipped with a smile.
Kanda and his team collected video form five different locations, including a garden and a shopping mall, and created a dataset of small talk topics related to each location. Then they programmed the robot to associate visual cues with specific topics. A special speech software provided the robot with a voice. Near a group of parked cars, for example, it might say, "In a big parking lot, sometimes I forget where I parked."
They tested the robot on 15 volunteers, 10 males and 5 females, who were paid and averaged about 26 years old. "Have you ever blown a puff of dandelion（蒲公英）seeds into the air?" The robot asked a participant, who smiled and responded, "Yes, I often did that when I was a child." Although several participants noted the robot's weight, Kanda was surprised that no one considered the experience as strange or funny. "I guess people enjoy new technologies," he said.
Just like a human partner, Kanda's bot isn't perfect. It's not able to go for walks in heavy rain and, while the robot can make expressions, it can't really hold a conversation, about which Kanda is most worried. Despite its limits, Kanda was comforted by the bot's presence. "I felt a kind of sense of being with someone, "he said, "particularly when it spoke."
1.Why does Kanda have the idea of developing a robotic walking partner?
A. Because he wants someone to accompany him while walking.
B. Because he has never developed a robot like a parrot.
C. Because his family are unwilling to walk with him.
D. Because he is crazy about developing robots.
2.What characteristic does the robot have?
A. It can "speak" and "see".
B. It can walk like a human being.
C. It can communicate with people freely.
D. It is much more humorous than a real person.
3.What is necessary for the robot to function?
A. A small size.
B. A boxy shape.
C. A human partner.
D. A speech software.
4.What is Kanda most likely to do about his robot next?
A. To make it more convenient to carry.
B. To improve its conversational skills.
C. To enable it to walk in heavy rain.
D. To better its sound system.
If you have a chance to go to Finland，you will probably be surprised to find how “foolish” the Finnish people are.
Take the taxi drivers for example.Taxis in Finland are mostly highclass Benz with a fare of two US dollars a kilometer.You can go anywhere in one，tell the driver to drop you at any place，say that you have some business to attend to，and then walk off without paying your fare.The driver would not show the least signs of anxiety.
The dining rooms in all big hotels not only serve their guests，but also serve outside diners.Hotel guests have their meals free，so they naturally go to the free dining rooms to have their meals.The most they would do to show their good faith is to wave their registration cards to the waiter.With such a loose check，you can easily use any old registration card to take a couple of friends to dine free of charge.
The Finnish workers are paid by the hour.They are very much on their own as soon as they have agreed with the boss at the rate.From then on they just say how many hours they have worked and they will be paid accordingly.
With so many loopholes(漏洞) in everyday life, surely Finland must be a heaven to those who love to take “petty_advantages”．But the strange thing is that all the taxi passengers would always come back to pay their fares after they have attended to their business and that not a single outsider has ever been found in the free hotel dining rooms.And workers always give an honest account of the exact hours they put in.As the Finns always act on good faith in everything they do，living in such a society has turned everyone into a real “gentleman”．
1.The underlined words in Paragraph 5 means to “________”．
A. be ready to help others
B. make good use of one's friends
C. be a little ahead of others
D. gain something at other's expense
2.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A. While taking a taxi in Finland，you can get off without first paying your fare.
B. In a big hotel in Finland, you can enjoy free meals if you're living in the hotel.
C. The bosses in Finland pay the employees according to the registration of their working hours.
D. The workers are always honest with their working hours.
3.We can learn from the passage that ________.
A. the Finnish society is of very high moral(道德的)level
B. there are many loopholes in everyday life in Finland
C. in Finland，most taxi drivers will not charge you anything
D. everyone in Finland is like a gentleman，for they have faith in themselves
4.Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
A. Life in Finland
B. A Society with “Foolish” People
C. What a Life
D. Honest accounts of the Finns
Sydney Day Tours
Port Stephens Day Tours
Labeled “Blue Water Paradise”, Port Stephens is known for its beauty and marine surroundings with over 19 miles of clean, white and sandy beaches. It is home to around 150 bottlenose dolphin and thus called the dolphin capital of Australia.
Highlights: Dolphin Watching; Australian Reptile Park
Operates: Mon, Wed & Sat---8 AM
Adults: $195 Children: $98
Note: Not suitable from Dec. 20th, 2017 to Jan. 9th, 2018 in Christmas & NY period, Feb. 14th-22th, 2018 in Chinese NY.
Sydney City Day Tours
Sydney is a big city, filled with lots of landmarks and attractions to see. This can make it a stressful task to plan your own vacation in Sydney. Luckily, our tours are designed to allow you to see all of Sydney’s most famous landmarks. You can rest and make sure that you will be seeing all that Sydney has to offer.
Highlights: Harbour Bridge; Sydney Opera House
Operates: Daily---8 AM
Adults: $129 Children: $65
Blue Mountains Tours
These Blue Mountains Tours from Sydney have been designed for the adventures and people who like to enjoy bushwalking. Additionally, these Blue Mountains Day Tours includes a tough walk from Glenbrook to the Wentworth Falls.
Highlights: See Australian wildlife up-close; Guided hike at Wentworth Falls.
Operates: Daily—8 AM
Adults: $99 Children: $74
Note: A good level of fitness is required for the bush walk. Minimum child age is 11 years.
1.Which one is NOT proper time for the Port Stephens Day Tours?
A. Jan. 13th, 2018 (Sat.) B. Jan. 15th, 2018 (Mon.)
C. Jab. 24th, 2018 (Wed.) D. Feb. 15th, 2018 (Thur.)
2.What can tourists enjoy on Sydney City Day Tours?
A. Marine surroundings B. Harbour Bridge.
C. Dolphin Watching D. Adventurous activities
3.Which of the following is true according to the advertisement?
A. All the tours are available every day.
B. Sydney city has the most landmarks and attractions in the world.
C. Children 10 years and under are not permitted on Blue Mountains Tours.
D. All the tours are charged and designed only for adventures.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.How long did the speaker stay in France?
A. About three months. B. About four months. C. About five months.
2.What does the speaker love about France most?
A. Longer holiday. B. The delicious food. C. The style of dining.
3.What does the speaker think of the life in France?
A. Relaxing. B. Busy. C. Boring.
4.Why did the speaker go to France?
A. She went to France to study. B. She went to France to work. C. She went to France to travel.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.When will John leave for Boston?
A. On May 13th. B. On May 14th. C. On May15th.
2.Where will the party probably be held?
A. At John’s grandparents’. B. At a restaurant. C. At school.
3.How many people will be invited?
A. At least 28. B. 25. C. At most 20.
4.What gift will the woman probably give John?
A. A book. B. A dictionary. C. A pen.
