Recently, many e-commerce platforms, including Didi Taxi, Ctrip, Fliggy, JD ad Taobao, have been uncovered that they are cheating their frequent customers. Their ways are pretty clever. When there are new users or conservative old users, they will give a quite appealing price to attract them into registering and buying goods. However, their big data is not that friendly to the stable users and frequent visitors. The system always offers them higher price for the same products or service. How does this happen? According to the data analysis, the system knows clearly that although they feel the price is high, they will finally pay the bill. By collecting and analyzing users’ profiles, buying habits and other information, big data recommends the same products to different users with different prices.
Companies also try other ways to make money, making online consumption far more worrying. For example, video websites always offer 120 seconds’ advertisements, which drives people crazy. And even if you pay for the membership to get rid of the ads, you have to “enjoy” 15-second “private” ads. By broadcasting them, companies make huge profits — second to the membership fees. Also, owning 100Mbps network, you still put up with the slow speed when you are downloading a song. You have no choice but to become a VIP when you seek high quality services. Users seem to be lambs(羊羔) among wolves. Even though they say, “Since you have money, I’ll charge you more”, we can’t do anything about it.
It pains us that we haven’t figured out a way to deal with the problem. The only thing we can do is replacing our iPhones with Android phones if we want to buy a membership card, and applying for new accounts if we want cheaper hotels. Not finding a way to fight back, we can’t do anything but accept them passively.
1.How does big data serve companies according to the text?
A.By being kind to all users.
B.By giving a discount to stable users.
C.By attracting new users by analyzing their shopping habits.
D.By recommending the same products with higher prices to regular users.
2.What do we know from the third paragraph?
A.Membership can rid you of all the ads.
B.Only by being a VIP can you get a better service.
C.The slow download speed is due to your poor network.
D.Advertising income is the biggest income for video websites.
3.What is the author’ attitude towards the chances of finding a way to fight back?
A.Uncertain. B.Casual.
C.Negative. D.Positive.
4.What is the main idea of the text?
A.The big data provides helpful information to users.
B.We have to accept online consumption as it is.
C.There exist many online consumption traps.
D.Regular customers are richer.
This holiday weekend will be about more than Thanksgiving treats and extra days off from school for eighth-grader Shreya Nair. Shreya will also spend some of her time conducting an interview that will end up in the Library of Congress.
Shreya, 13, is participating in a StoryCorps initiative called The Great Thanksgiving Listen. The project encourages students to interview family members and friends about their lives in an effort to preserve the stories and voices of an older generation.
“ It would be interesting to see her view on life and how it’s different from mine based on the circumstances she grew up in,”Shreya said about her interview.
StoryCorps' aim is to use audio to preserve the stories of people of all ages and backgrounds. Students will be able to record their interviews using a new app and upload them to the StoryCorps Archive at the Library of Congress.
Shreya’s English teacher decided to get involved in spreading the word about the project, by assigning the interview as homework. Alison Matthews teaches Shreya at McCall Middle School in Winchester, Massachusetts. She incorporated(纳入) the StoryCorps interview assignment into a unit on the book, The Giver. Matthews describes the novel as a“story about this community where there’s one man — the giver — who holds all the memories of the community.”
“The StoryCorps project fit in so perfectly. The Library of Congress is the keeper of our memories. So I asked kids to think about the importance of memory in our society,” Matthews said.
Shreya said that her classmates like the assignment.”It’s an interview that will help us not only understand the book we’re reading right now, but help us later in life,” Shreya said. “One of the things I like about the project is that you get to hear so many other people’s voices,”she added. “Sometimes in this world it feels like our opinion is the only one, but when you sit down and listen, it’s amazing what it can bring.”
1.Whom might Shreya meet this holiday weekend?
A.Her grandmother. B.one of her cousins.
C.Her English teacher. D.one of her classmates.
2.What is the purpose of the project?
A.To start a new tradition.
B.To narrow the distance between people.
C.To record history through oral communication
D.To teach students to communicate more effectively.
3.Why does Matthews support the project?
A.It fits in a lesson perfectly.
B.It is a new teaching method.
C.Her students want to learn about interviewing.
D.Her students want to visit the Library of Congress.
4.What might be the best title of the passage?
A.A Holiday Weekend.
B.A Girl Participating in a New Project.
C.An Interview to the Older Generation.
D.A Meaningful Thanksgiving Day.
American Watersports Tuesday-Saturday
Located on the beach of the Sea Gardens Beach Resort, there are fun things to rent for the whole family. They offer rentals for kayaks, jet skis, and even parasail! Enjoy the water up-close or from a bird’s eye view! No matter what activity you’re enjoying, be sure to protect yourself and your family from the sun’s powerful rays and apply plenty of sun block!
15th Street Boat Company Monday-Saturday
15th Street Boat Company offers rental boats of all kinds. They’re sure to have what you are looking for, whether it’s a small boat for a quick and simple outing or an extravagant boat with comfortable seats with a stereo and high tech navigation. You can rent a boat for half a day or a couple of days, or even weeks at a time. If you want it, they’ve got it. It’s fun for everyone!
Coconut’s Watersports 9am-5pm Monday through Sunday
Coconut’s Watersports is open 7 days a week for your convenience and offers tons of water fun for the whole family. Jet Ski activities last 30 minutes or 1 hour and can make stops along the way. You must be at least 14 years of age to ride alone and can be as young as 3 to ride along with an adult. Everybody is required to wear a life jacket and a license is required to operate the Jet Ski. Bathing suits and shorts are recommended.
Jet Ski Tours of Miami Thursday-Sunday 10am-7pm
Jet Ski Tours of Miami includes onsite parking, indoor restrooms, lockers, and life jackets for participants. You may choose a one or two tour and each Jet Ski can hold up to 3 people. You must be at least 18 years old in order to ride. As long as you are accompanied by an adult, there is no age limitation for any passenger. There is a restaurant nearby to eat at. The tour visits 6 different islands and passes by Bayside and Hard Rock. You may even catch a glimpse of dolphins or a manatee resting in these fabulous Florida waters.
1.Which of the following can help you enjoy sailing a boat?
A.Choose Jet Ski Tours of Miami. B.Go to the Sea Gardens Beach Resort.
C.Visit 15th Street Boat Company. D.Visit Coconut’s Watersports.
2.What’s a necessary requirement to ride alone in the Jet Ski activities?
A.One must stay with parents. B.One must be at least 14 years old.
C.One apply plenty of sun block. D.One must wear bathing suits and shorts.
3.What will you do to satisfy your son’s curiosity about marine(海洋的) animals?
A.You prefer the tour to Bayside and Hard Rock.
B.You prefer a luxury boat with comfortable seats with a stereo.
C.You’d like to choose American Watersports.
D.You would like to rent a boat to ride with him.
Directions：Write an English composition in 120-150 words according to the instructions given below in Chinese.
当今社会，人们越来越注重对时尚的追求，一时间，“学生是否有必要穿校服”这一话题引发热议。作为一名高中生，请你就“中学生是否有必要穿校服”谈谈你的看法
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Directions：Translate the following sentences into English, using the words given in the brackets.
1.你对考试越是焦虑，你就越不可能考出理想的成绩。（anxious）
2.事实证明，一个人的情商对个人的成长非常重要，这值得我们关注。（worth）
3.17岁的马拉拉被授予了诺贝尔和平奖，她为促进女孩的教育做出了巨大贡献。（award）
4.近十年中，皮草大衣受到了强烈抵制，因为我们大多数人意识到野生动物正濒临灭绝，保护野生动物，刻不容缓。（afford）
Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.
If you suffer from shyness, you are not alone, for shyness is a universal phenomenon. It is not surprising that social scientists are exploring its environmental causes
The first environmental cause of shyness may be a child’s home and family life. today's children are growing up in smaller and smaller families, with fewer and fewer relatives living nearby. Growing up in homes in which both parents work full time, children may not have the socializing experience of frequent visits by neighbours and friends. Because of their lack of social skills, they may begin to feel shy when they start school
A second environmental cause of shyness in an individual may be one's culture. In a large study conducted in Japanl, 57% participants rated themselves as shy. Researchers Lynne Henderson and Philip Zimbardo say, " One explanation is that in Japan, an individual's performance success is credited externally to parents, grandparents, teachers, coaches, and others, while failure is entire blamed on the person. "Therefore, Japanese learn not to take risks in public and rely instead on group-shared decisions.
Technology may also play a role. In the United State, the number of young people who report being shy has risen from 40% to 50% in recent years. Due to our huge advances in technology, watching TV, playing video games, and surfing the Web have replaced recreational activities that involve social interaction for many young people. Adults, too, are becoming more isolated as a result of technology. face-to face interactions with bank clerks, gas station attendants, and shop assistants are no longer necessary because people can use machines to do their banking fill their gas tanks, and order goods. In short, they become shy.
It appears that most people have experienced shyness at some time in their lives. Therefore, if you are shy, you have lots of company.
