Imagine you enter a car with no steering wheel, no brake or accelerator pedals ( 踏 板 ). Under a voice-activated command, you say an address. “The fastest route will take us 15.3 minutes. Should I take it?” You say “yes” and you are on your way. The car responds and starts moving all by itself. All you have to do is to sit back and relax.
How strange would it be if, one day in the future, everyone had such a car? No crazy driving, no quarrels, no cutting in; traffic laws would be respected and driving much safer. On the other hand, imagine the cost savings for local police enforcement (强制执行) and town budgets without all those speeding and parking tickets.
A new technology has the potential to change modern society thoroughly. There’s no question that self-driving vehicles could be an enormous benefit. The potential for safer cars means accident statistics would drop: some 94% of road accidents in the U.S. involve human error. Older drivers and visually- or physically-disabled people would gain a new level of freedom. Maintaining safe speeds and being electric, self-driving cars would sharply reduce pollution levels and dependency on non-renewable fuels. Roads would be quieter, people safer.
But we must also consider the impact of the new technology on those who now depend on driving for their living. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, in May 2015 there were 505,560 registered school bus drivers. The American Trucking Association lists approximately 3.5 million professional truck drivers in the U.S. The companies developing self-driving vehicles should be partnering with state and federal authorities to offer retraining for this massive workforce, many of whom will be displaced by the new technology.
New technologies will, and should, be developed. This is how society moves forward. However, progress can’t be one-sided. It is necessary for the companies and state agencies involved to consider the moral consequences of these potential changes to build a better future for all.
1.What would be the effect of the wide use of driverless cars?
A. More policemen would inspect the streets.
B. People would never feel angry about the traffic.
C. It would save local governments a lot of money.
D. Traffic regulations would be a thing of the past.
2.How would the elderly and the disabled benefit from driverless cars?
A. They would get rid of air pollution. B. They could enjoy greater mobility.
C. They would suffer no road accidents. D. They could go anywhere they want.
3.What would be the negative effect of driverless cars?
A. The conflict between labor and management would sharpen.
B. Many drivers would have to find new ways of earning a living.
C. Drivers would have a hard time adapting to new road conditions.
D. The gap between various departments of society would be widened.
4.What does the author suggest businesses and the government do?
A. Enable everyone to benefit from new technologies.
B. Keep pace with technological developments.
C. Make new technologies affordable to everyone.
D. Popularize the use of new technologies and devices.
In spring, chickens start laying eggs again, bringing a welcome source of protein at winter’s end. So it’s no surprise that cultures around the world celebrate spring by honoring the egg.
Some traditions are simple, like the red eggs that get baked into Greek Easter breads. Others upgrade the egg into a fancy art, like the heavily jewel-covered “eggs” that were favored by the Russians starting in the 19th century.
One ancient form of egg art is egg painting, which comes to us from Ukraine. For centuries, Ukrainians have been drawing complicated patterns on eggs. Contemporary artists have followed this tradition and adapted the traditional methods to create eggs that speak to the anxieties of our age: Life is precious, and delicate. Eggs are, too.
“There’s something about their delicate nature that crazily appeals to me,” says New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast. Several years ago, she became interested in egg painting and learned the traditional Ukrainian technique to draw her very modern characters. “I’ve broken eggs at every stage of the process — from the very beginning to the very, very end.”
But there’s an appeal in that vulnerability. “There’s part of this sickening horror that I kind of like, the horror of knowing you’re walking on the edge with this, knowing that it could all fall apart at any second.” Chast’s designs, such as a worried man alone in a tiny boat, reflect that delicateness.
Traditional Ukrainian decorated eggs also spoke to those fears. The complex and detailed patterns were believed to offer protection against evil.
Egg painting art, dating back to 300 B.C., was later absorbed into the Christian church. The old symbols, however, still survive. A decorated egg with a bird on it, given to a young married couple, is a wish for children. A decorated egg thrown into the field would be a wish for a good harvest.
1.What do we learn about the decorated “eggs” in Russia?
A. They are shaped like jewel cases. B. They are heavily painted in red.
C. They are favored as a form of art. D. They are valued by the rich.
2.Why have contemporary artists continued the tradition of egg painting?
A. Because eggs serve as a symbol of the coming of spring.
B. Because eggs provide a source of protein in winter’s end.
C. Because eggs provide a unique surface to paint on.
D. Because eggs reflect the anxieties of people today.
3.Which of the following best explains “vulnerability” underlined in paragraph 5?
A. Delicateness. B. Technique. C. Fear. D. Anxiety.
4.What is the main idea of the text?
A. Egg painting art preserves traditional and popular symbols.
B. Different cultures have different ways of honoring the egg.
C. Ukrainian egg painting art appeals to contemporary artists.
D. Egg painting art continues and develops in pace with time.
A math and physics teacher from rural Kenya, who gives away 80% of his monthly income to help the poor, has won a $1 million prize.
Peter Tabichi was awarded the Global Teacher Prize on Sunday. He teaches at a rural Kenyan school in Pwani Village, with only one computer, poor Internet and a student-teacher ratio (比率) of 58:1. Nearly all his students are from poor families, and almost a third of them have no parents or only one parent alive.
Tabichi gets online educational content by visiting Internet cafes and uses it offline in class. He guided the school’s science club, in which students now compete in national and international competitions. The mathematical science team qualified to compete in the INTEL International Science and Engineering Fair this year in Arizona. His students also won an award from the Royal Society of Chemistry after using local plant life to produce electricity.
“This prize does not recognize me but recognizes this great continent’s young people,” Tabichi said. His students face many challenges, including food shortage, drug abuse, teenage pregnancies and young marriages. Yet at the Keriko Mixed Day Secondary School where Tabichi teaches, the number of students has doubled over three years and more of the students are going on to college.
Tabichi was chosen from 10,000 applicants in 180 countries. He accepted the award from actor Hugh Jackman. The annual Global Teacher Prize was first launched in 2014 by Sunny Varkey, founder and chairman of GEMS Education. Now in its fifth year, the Global Teacher Prize is the largest of its kind. The $1 million award is presented to an exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to their profession.
1.What do we know about Peter Tabichi?
A. He enjoys a high enough income to help the poor.
B. He makes a difference to many of his students’ life.
C. He does online teaching in Internet cafes sometimes.
D. He helps take care of parentless students’ daily life.
2.What do we know about Peter Tabichi’s students?
A. They solved the problem of electricity supply in Pwani.
B. They are trained to compete for various academic awards.
C. They show great potential with the help of Peter Tabichi.
D. They persuade their friends to go to school together.
3.What does the author intend to do in the last paragraph?
A. Summarize the previous paragraphs.
B. Provide some advice for the readers.
C. Add some background information.
D. Introduce a new topic for discussion.
4.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A. A Rural Kenyan Teacher Guides Students in Competitions
B. A Rural Kenyan Teacher Changes Students’ Life Path
C. A Rural Kenyan Teacher Donates Money to the Poor
D. A Rural Kenyan Teacher Is Awarded a $1 Million Prize
Here are some fancy items highly recommended to you to enrich or improve your daily life.
Beauty of mushrooms
Artist and photographer Jill Bliss will change your view of mushrooms with her photos, which you can find at http://bit.ly/mushroomphotos. Bliss arranges mushrooms and other objects she sees in nature almost like bunches of flowers.
Out in the Storm
All the components of great pop music — exciting songwriting, a commanding singer, and a band that plays with total commitment — are there and shining like diamonds on Waxahatchee’s new album, Out in the Storm. In what’s turning out to be a very impressive year for female bandleaders, writer/singer Katie Crutchfield and her rocking all-female band are experiencing one success after another.
Circa
If you’re tired from your international flight, trying to remember if the kids will still be awake for your call or to schedule a conference call for work, the app Circa can help you keep track of time in different time zones of the world. It’ll give you one less thing to worry about. The app is $3.99 for iOS and free for Android users.
Their Finest
The movie Their Finest, set during World War Ⅱ, centers on the film division of the British Ministry of Information, where Catrin Cole (Gemma Arterton) is employed, making movies that appeal to women. Film critic Peter Rainer writes that “the film’s best comic character is Ambrose Hilliard … performed with plenty of playful fun by that great scene-stealer Bill Nighy.” Their Finest is available on DVD and Blu-ray.
1.What do we know about Katie Crutchfield’s band?
A. It performs folk music.
B. Its target audience is women.
C. It is an overnight success.
D. Its members are female.
2.What is the main function of the app Circa?
A. To tell world time across different places.
B. To record users’ important meetings.
C. To remind users of international calls.
D. To recommend overseas flights to users.
3.Which of the following is one of the characters in the movie Their Finest?
A. Gemma Arterton. B. Ambrose Hilliard. C. Peter Rainer. D. Bill Nighy.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.Who is the speaker?
A. Jenny. B. Maria. C. Ellen.
2.When is the rain expected to stop?
A. After Wednesday afternoon. B. After Friday night. C. After Sunday aftern oon.
3.What was today’s temperature?
A. Around sixteen degrees. B. Around ten degrees. C. Around six degrees.
4.What will the listeners hear next?
A. Political news report. B. Weather report. C. Traffic report.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Why are many animals in danger according to the woman?
A. The environment is seriously polluted.
B. Many animals are suffering from diseases.
C. There is not enough food for animals.
2.What is advised not to do when traveling abroad?
A. Introduce new species. B. Buy pets. C. Buy skin coats.
3.What can people do in their neighborhoods?
A. Call for new laws.
B. Look after homeless animals.
C. Make the environment cleaner.
4.How can people improve animals’ living conditions in the zoos?
A. By hiring more staff to look after them. B. By building natural conditions.
C. By offering them more food.
