More and more cities across the world are experimenting with driverless vehicles on public streets. Two of the latest to conduct testing are Paris, France and Las Vegas, Nevada. The cities have used self-driving electric buses to carry passengers on short rides to try out the technology and see how humans react to it.
In Paris, two buses have been transporting passengers across a bridge between two of the city’s busiest rail stations. The vehicles, built by French company EasyMile, travel in a special safety lane created for the project. The fully electric buses can carry up to 10 people. The testing in Paris is expected to last three months. If things go well, officials plan to launch more driverless bus lines later this year.
Jean-louis Missika, deputy mayor of Paris, told reporters at a recent launch event that driveless vehicles represent a “revolution” happening in many cities around the world. He said self-driving technology is set to “change our city environment and public space in an astonishing fashion over the next 20 years”.
Transportation officials say they are planning to use the bus to connect neighborhoods to rail stations around Paris. They will also help ease traffic crowding and reduce severe pollution in the city.
In Las Vegas, the city recently launched the first driverless shuttle bus in the United States. The 12-passenger bus from French company Navya has no steering wheel or brake pedals. It uses cameras and sensors to avoid other vehicles and people while making its way down city streets. The electric vehicles can reach a top speed of 40 kilometers per hour.
The bus operated for a two-week period along one of the busiest entertainment areas in Las Vegas. Rides during the shuttle experiment were free. “The ride was smooth. It's clean and quiet and the seats are comfortable,” said Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman after taking a ride.
1.What is the text mainly about?
A.More cities are using driveless vehicles.
B.Driveless electric buses are tested in some cities.
C.Some cities are trying out a new technology.
D.The driveless buses will reduce severe pollution.
2.What can we learn from the second paragraph?
A.The bridge connects the Paris’ busiest bus stations.
B.A special safety lane was built to test the self-driving buses.
C.The fully electric buses can hold over 10 people.
D.More driverless bus lines have been set up.
3.What does the driverless shuttle bus use to avoid other vehicles and people?
A.Steering wheel. B.Brake pedals.
C.Alarm. D.Cameras and sensors.
4.In which column of a newspaper can we read this passage?
A.Technology. B.Entertainment.
C.Culture. D.Education.
Chinese painting, also known as the traditional national painting, one of the traditional paintings with a long history, has its unique and independent system. Using brushes, ink, and Chinese pigments (天然颜料), a painting is drawn on a special kind of paper (Xuan paper) or silk. The traditional subjects are figures, landscapes, flowers and birds.
In comparison with Western painting, Chinese painting has its own artistic characteristics. After a careful study of the object, a painter can discover the rules of its structure, and then produce it by the mind’s eye. It is not merely a simple copy, but it combines the object with the artistic concept of the producer, turning a natural image into an “artistic image”. The object can show the artist’s feelings and personality to achieve the effect of “being alike not only in spirit, but also in appearance”. Not all the objects are to be drawn on the paper, and much space is left for the imagination. The use of lines is important in Chinese painting. Clear, swift, sharp and changeable lines are combined with the push, point and press of the brush and ink to show the quality of the object and variations of tone (色调). Ancient Chinese artists listed 18 different ways of drawing lines with the brush in figure painting. Different ways of creating lines are used when painting a landscape, flowers and birds, clouds, and bamboos.
Traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy are different branches of art stemming (起源) from the same origin. They use the same kind of tools and all the lines used in painting are variations of the points and lines of calligraphy. Though they are different artistic forms, they are closely linked in terms of their expression of thoughts and feelings. They influence each other to create another artistic feature.
1.Which of the following words can describe the common subjects of traditional Chinese painting?
A.Valuable. B.Independent.
C.Special. D.Natural.
2.The writer believes that a traditional Chinese painter’s picture ________.
A.reflects social problems of his times B.describes mainly a natural image
C.expresses his thoughts D.tells a true story
3.It can be inferred that a traditional Chinese painter spent much time ________.
A.traveling B.learning to draw lines
C.reading D.studying calligraphy before drawing
4.What do painting and calligraphy have in common?
A.Using the similar techniques. B.Starting from the same period.
C.Belonging to the same artistic form. D.Covering the same themes.
Inventor, physicist, surveyor, astronomer, biologist, artist… Robert Hooke was all these and more. Some say he was the greatest experimental scientist of the 17th century. In the course of his work, he cooperated with famous men of science like Isaac Newton, and the great architect Christopher Wren.
Hooke's early education began at home, under the guidance of his father. He entered Westminster School at the age of 13, and from there went to Oxford, where he came in contact with some of the best scientists in England. Hooke impressed them with his skills at designing experiments and inventing instruments. In 1662, at the age of 28, he was named Curator of Experiments at the newly formed Royal Society of London — meaning that he was responsible for demonstrating (展示) new experiments at the society’s weekly meeting. Hooke accepted the job, even though he knew that the society had no money to pay him!
Watching living things through a microscope was one of his favourite pastimes. He invented a compound microscope for this purpose. One day while observing a cork (软木塞) under a microscope, he saw honeycomb-like structures. There were cells — the smallest units of life. In fact, it was Hooke who invented the term “cell” as the box-like cells of the cork reminded him of the cells of a monastery (修道院).
Another achievement of Hooke’s was his book Micrographia, which introduced the enormous potential of the microscope. It contains fascinating drawings of the thing he saw under the microscope. The book also includes, among other things, ideas on gravity, light and combustion (燃烧) that may have helped scientists like Newton when they were developing their own theories on these phenomena.
Hooke made a valuable contribution to astronomy too. A crater (火山口) on the moon is named after him in honour of his services to this branch of science.
1.Which is the possible reason why Hooke accepted the job as Curator of Experiments?
A.He liked designing experiments.
B.His family needed his support.
C.He wanted to please the famous scientists in England.
D.His parents couldn’t afford his education.
2.What does the underlined word “pastimes” in paragraph three mean?
A.Jobs B.Experiments
C.Hobbies D.Structures
3.Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
A.Hooke went to Oxford in 1645.
B.Hooke was well paid in the Royal Society of London.
C.Hooke made a contribution to medicine.
D.Hooke's book Micrographia may have helped Newton.
4.The last paragraph is to prove that ________.
A.Hooke was the greatest experimental scientist of the 17th century
B.Hooke was good at making discoveries
C.Hooke's contributions were not limited to one field
D.Hooke was one of the greatest astronomers
Shakespeare City Walk
This 90-minute leisurely walking tour does not go to the Globe Theatre (because everyone already knows it), but instead uncovers less known monuments and locations in the City of London with connections to Shakespeare’s life, his friends, his loves and his works.
The Shakespeare City Walk takes place on Fridays at 11 am. at Temple tube station.
Address: Temple tube station, London
Telephone: 44(0)790-574-6733
Camera Trails
Learn how to take better photos as you explore London with a professional photographer on a Camera Trails tour. Walk around Brick Lane and Spitalfields on the Urban East tour, or take photos of Elizabeth Tower and St. Paul's Cathedral on the South Bank tour.
Address: Trafalgar Square, London
Telephone: 44(0)798-957-9336
The Celebrity Planet
See celebrity (名人) homes, famous film locations, music landmarks and places linked to pop history on a Celebrity Planet tour. Find out about stars in Notting Hill, Mayfair, Primrose Hill or Chelsea, or try a Harry Potter, James Bond or Beatles tour.
Address: 40 Porchester Square, London
Telephone: 44(0)20-7193-8770
Email: info@thecelebrityplanet.com
Sandemans New London Tours
Sandemans New London Tours offer a completely free tour of Royal London, including the Changing of the Guard. There’s also an Old City of London Tour, and a Grim Reapers of London Tour. Our expert guides are all graduates of the world’s leading universities, including Yale, Cambridge and Oxford. As guides work for tips, you are guaranteed the best tour of London. Our walking tours are healthy and environmentally friendly, so you won’t contribute to the pollution problem of London’s cars and buses.
Email: info@neweuropetours.com
1.What is TRUE of the Shakespeare City Walk?
A.It takes place five days a week.
B.It consists of not so many famous destinations.
C.It lasts about half a day.
D.It includes a visit to a famous theatre.
2.If you want to take some wonderful photos of Elizabeth Tower, you may ________.
A.receive some professional training B.go to Temple tube station
C.join the South Bank tour D.join the Urban East tour
3.Sam is a movie fan. He will probably ________.
A.call 44(0)798-957-9336 B.call 44(0)790-574-6733
C.go to 40 Porchester Square D.email info(@neweuropetours.com
（情况一）假定你是李华，这次期末英语考试考得好。请给你的英语老师Mr. Wang写封信。信的内容包括（考得好）：
1.答题感受；2.表示感谢；3.邀请放假一起出去看电影。
（情况二）假定你是李华，这次期末英语考试考得不好。请给你的英语老师Mr. Wang写封信。信的内容包括（考得不好）：
1.答题感受；2.表示遗憾；3.请老师分析试卷并咨询寒假英语自学方法。
注意：1.字数100字左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
Dear Mr. Wang,
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am glad to get the news from the local newspaper that some volunteers are recruit for the Expo this year. I am really so interested in it that I’d like to apply it.
First, allowing me to introduce myself please. My name is Li Hua, a student from one of the best senior high school in Lanzhou. I have ever visited to some English countries, therefore I am very good at spoken English and pretty familiar with English traditions or customs. On the other hand, I have been a volunteer for Lanzhou International Marathon in the last 3 years, so I am really experienced in being a volunteer.
I would appreciate if you could give me a chance. Looking forward to hearing from you letter.
Your sincerely,
Li Hua
