Are you happy with your appearance? 1.
“Almost all the girls with single-fold eyelids in our class have had double-eyelid operations,” Zeng, a Senior 2 student from Chengdu, told Xinhua. Zeng had the same surgery done this summer. 2.
From popular photo-editing apps to plastic surgery, it seems that large eyes, pale skin and a skinny body are the only standard for beauty these days. But can following this standard really make us feel good about ourselves?
3. According to Huxiu News, over six in ten girls choose not to take part in certain daily activities, such as attending school, because they feel bad about their looks. As much as 31 percent of teenagers avoid speaking up in class because they worry that others will notice their looks.
Many teenagers are upset about their appearance because they believe in unrealistic standards of beauty, experts say. 4. Seeing all these things can make anyone believe that they’re too dark, too fat, too short, or too tall.
However, trying to live up to strict standards can make us feel anxious. What troubles us is not just our “imperfect” looks, but the fact that we criticize ourselves too much.
5. Plus-size models are being featured in some fashion shows. All of us should be just as confident as they are.
A. Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes．
B. Body image anxiety is common among teenagers．
C. Guys care just as much as girls do about their body image．
D. Some teenagers might feel negatively about their appearance．
E. She and many of her classmates believe bigger eyes look more beautiful．
F. It’s not uncommon for teenagers to feel confident about their appearance．
G. Perfect faces and bodies are everywhere in advertising TV shows and social media．
A new study has shown how computers and robots powered by artificial intelligence can read human eye movements to “read” human personalities.
The eyes, they say, are the windows to the soul. And if that is true, computers and robots powered by sophisticated(复杂的) artificial intelligence algorithms(算法) may soon have the ability to peer into your soul. That is the result of a new study on the connection between eye movements and personality, conducted by neuroscience researchers based at the University of South Australia and Published in the scientific Journal Frontiers in Neuroscience.
“Eye movements during an everyday task predict aspects of our personality,” wrote the researchers, led by University of South Australia neuroscientist Tobias Loetscher, whose team follows 42 study subjects around the university campus recording their eye movements, then determines their personality traits(特点) with “well-established questionnaires” for determining personality type, according to a summary of the study published by the site Science Daily.
The researchers fed the data into their AI algorithms and found that computers running the algorithms were able to record human eye movements and immediately determine a person’s major personality traits, such as “neuroticism, extraversion(外向), agreeableness, conscientiousness, as well as perceptual(感知的) curiosity”, the scientists wrote.
“The new findings could improve the way human beings interact with their computers and other high-tech devices, even robots, allowing for more natural and realistic social interactions with machines,” Loetscher said.
“People are always looking for improved, personalized services. Today’s robots and computers are not socially aware so they cannot adapt to non-verbal information,” Loetscher said in a statement quoted by Indian Express. “This research provides opportunities to develop robots and computers so that they can become more natural, and better at interpreting human social signals.”
The study revealed previously undiscovered relations between specific personality characteristics and specific eye movement tendencies, according to a summary in Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper.
1.What do the underlined words “peer into” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
A.understand B.stare at
C.search for D.concern about
2.How did the researchers conduct the research?
A.It was carried out in a lab.
B.42 subjects’ eye movements were recorded.
C.The students’ daily movements were tracked.
D.Its subjects’ personalities were determined by computer.
3.According to Tobias Loetscher, what can we know?
A.Robots and computers are socially conscious.
B.People care less about improved, personalized services.
C.Today’s robots and computers can accustom to non-verbal information.
D.The discovery will improve the interaction between human beings and machines.
4.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.Human Personality Traits
B.What Human Eye Movements Are
C.Tell Personalities by Eye Movements
D.How Humans and Machines Interact
It's thought that around 5 trillion pieces of plastic are currently floating in our oceans.
Both mammals and fish benefit from clean oceans. It is reported that more than 8 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans every year, and nearly half of the plastic we produce is single-use only.
This shoe brand, however, is riding the wave of change and is on a mission to help clean up our waters and rid the sea of plastic bottles that can take up to 400 years to break down. Vivobarefoot's newest footwear uses recycled plastic materials and has created an education program that spreads awareness about how harmful plastic is for sea life.
Every pair of shoes is made up of 17 plastic water bottles taken from the ocean and turned into a sustainable, comfortable pair of shoes, which are also healthy for your feet. And while not everyone can take part in ocean cleanups, choosing little ways we can give back to our planet goes a long way.
Vivobarefoot's new products include a variety of high-performance styles such as casual sneakers, running shoes, and hiking boots. The brand hopes that its latest initiative（首创精神）will help lessen the indifference to pollution and how harmful it is for all living beings.
In the future, Vivobarefoot hopes to increase their production of shoes created from sustainable materials, and thankfully, they are now one of many brands that aim to increase environmentalism and educate communities on how global warming affects everyone.
This year, they'll add more recyclable and traceable materials into more than half of their production line, and they have plenty of creative developments in the works as well.
The shoes also have a health benefit. Based on the concept that wider, minimally designed shoes enable our foot to function at maximum potential, wearers also experience better balance and sensory input.
1.How does the author make his point convincing?
A. By listing figures. B. By telling a story.
C. By giving examples. D. By making comparisons.
2.What is Vivobarefoot doing to help with the marine creatures?
A. Donating money to buy food for them.
B. Keeping the oceans free from plastic bottles.
C. Producing more shoes from sustainable materials.
D. Raising public awareness of recycling and reuse.
3.What is probably Vivobarefoot's operation philosophy?
A. Customer-focused. B. Service-oriented
C. Money-saving. D. Environmentally-friendly.
4.Which of the following is True according to the text?
A. Vivobarefoot's new products haven't been released.
B. Vivobarefoot is the most popular shoe brand in the world.
C. Vivobarefoot cares about not only its business but also public services.
D. Vivobarefoot is the first company to find the new function of waste materials.
When I was three years old, I couldn’t speak. It was a strange reality that none of the doctors I visited could understand.
One day, I was shadowing（跟随）my mother. She found herself looking in a mirror, and through it our eyes met. She began to speak to me through the reflection, and I slowly began to mimic（模仿）her mouth’s movements until I formed a word.
It turned out I’m deaf in my left ear, and have a slight problem in my right. Being hard of hearing has been difficult, but I’ve never lived in a state of self-hating sorrow.
Imagine being able to shut out all sound as you lay your head down to sleep by simply rolling over onto one side. That’s my reality when I sleep on my “good ear”, and it makes me feel like a superhero sometimes.
People call my deaf side my “bad ear”, but when I wear my hearing aid, I have access to a range of features that some other deaf people don’t. In cinemas, for example, with one click of a button I can enjoy a whole film as though it were whispered to me from the mouths of the actors.
Owning a hearing aid hasn’t always felt good, however. On the first day I got my aid, when I was eight, I took it to school for show-and-tell. As I explained how it worked to my classmates, a boy yelled out, “Aren’t those for old men?” At that moment, I felt different. It took me a long time to get over that sense of being so unlike my peers.
But it’s not just school kids who can make us deaf and hard-of-hearing people feel like burdens. Every video on social media that lacks subtitles（字幕）, for example, means an entire community of deaf people is unable to enjoy it. Completely deaf people are excluded from enjoying many movies too, as subtitles in cinemas are almost impossible to find.
And with hearing aids costing around $2,500 each, it can be hard for many people to afford to be able to listen to the things that others take for granted. As for me, I can listen to music, enjoy films, and catch conversations – I’m lucky. I’m deaf, but I can still hear everything. I’ve been blessed with wonderful life experiences, and I am human. And when it comes to sleeping, I’m even superhuman.
1.How does the author view his hearing difficulty?
A. It’s a disaster and causes him a lot of trouble.
B. It gave him a chance to experience something special.
C. It made him feel embarrassed in front of his classmates.
D. It helped him to live in his own world without being interrupted.
2.What can be inferred from the passage about the author?
A. He was born deaf.
B. He is optimistic and helpful.
C. The hearing aid brings convenience to his daily life.
D. His family and classmates have supported him a lot.
3.What is the author’s attitude toward his life？
A. Excited.
B. Anxious.
C. Grateful.
D. Disappointed.
4.What is the author’s main purpose in writing the article?
A. To give advice on life to disabled people.
B. To show how difficult life is for disabled people.
C. To show the convenience a hearing aid could bring.
D. To share his experience of treating a disadvantage with gratitude.
The cost of living in countries like the U.S., Britain, Australia or France has skyrocketed in recent years. However, if you're willing to leave your country and explore life in other areas, there are many countries boasting an extremely cheap and low cost of living. Check out the following countries when planning your next move.
Ecuador
Ecuador is similar to the United States in many ways, and as a result has become a popular American getaway. They even use the U.S. Dollar for their currency. In this country, it's cheaper to eat out every day than cook for yourself on a budget in the U.S. You can even buy a property for around $50000 and hire someone to tend to it while you're away
Mexico
Although the country is known for its poverty ridden streets, there are many wealthier areas that provide every facility you might need. You can live off a mere $700 to $800 a month in Mexico, and this includes rent for a nice place, facilities, food, and any sightseeing.
Argentina
Argentina has been a popular tourist destination for many years. It has great restaurants, a rich history, and many places to explore. Not to mention, it's not very expensive to live here. A decent sized home can cost around $139000, which is relatively cheap in relation to homes in the United States.
Vietnam
Vietnam has also become a popular tourist destination in recent years. There are many million dollar luxury homes by the beach, but you can find a modest fiat or small home for around $25000 to $50000 if you search in the right areas.
1.How much does it take at least to live in Mexico for a year?
A.About $7000 B.About $8000
C.About $8400 D.About $9800
2.What does Argentina and Vietnam have in common?
A.They both have great restaurants.
B.The cost of living in them is both expensive.
C.The middle-sized homes both cost around $ 139000.
D.People are all fond of travelling to the two countries.
3.In which country did the purchaser probably pay extra money after he left?
A.Ecuador B.Mexico
C.Argentina D.Vietnam
阅读下面短文，根据其内容写一篇60词左右的内容概要。
Bees are important to the production of food we eat. Bees make honey, but they also pollinate (授粉)large areas of crops, such as straw berries, apples and onions. About a third of the food we eat is a result of pollination of the bees. Unfortunately, bees have been disappearing at an alarming rate.
In 2010, bee keepers started reporting about something called Colony Collapse Disaster (CCD).The main sign of CCD is the loss of adult honey bees from a hive(蜂巢). In October of 2010, some beekeepers reported that they had lost between 30 and 90 percent of their hives.
There were many theories for the disappearance of the bees. But the most convincing one has to do with pesticides and lifestyles of bees today. Nowadays, beekeepers get most of their income not from producing honey but from renting bees to pollinate plants. This means that the life of the typical bee now consists of travelling all around the country to pollinate crops as the seasons change. That means a lot of traveling on trucks, which is very stressful to bees. It is not unusual for up to 30% of the hive to die during transport due to stress. In addition, bees that spend most of their time locked up on trucks are not exposed to what they usually live on. Instead, they live on a sweet liquid from corn, usually polluted with pesticides.
The exact reason for the disappearance of bees is not sure, but losing bees is very costly to the economy. The bee pollination services are worth over $8 billion a year. With no bees, pollination will have to be done by hand, which would have effects on the quality of food and increased food priced. We hear a lot about big environmental disasters almost every day. But one of the biggest may just be the less of that tiny flying insect.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
