Until decades ago, our visions of the future were largely positive. We thought science and technology would cure all the ills of humanity, leading to lives of fulfillment and opportunity for all. However, as we have gained a deeper appreciation of the range of threats facing us, from epidemic (流行病) flu to climate change, we might even tend to assume that humanity has little future to look forward to.
Yet such depression is misplaced. The fossil record shows that many species have existed for millions of years—so why shouldn’t we? Take a look at our species in the universe, and it becomes clear we have an excellent chance of surviving for tens of thousands of years. Look up Homo sapiens (智人) in the “Red List” of threatened species of the International Union for the Conversation of Nature (IUCN), and you will read: “Listed as Least Concern because the species is widely distributed, adaptable, currently increasing, and there are no major threats resulting in an overall population decline.”
So what does our deep future hold? Many researchers and organizations are now thinking seriously about the question. The potential evolution of today’s technology is complicated, so it’s perhaps best left to science fiction writers and futurologists to explore the possibilities of the bright future.
Our future is quite rosy because it shows many promising possibilities of achievement. Besides, we are now knowledgeable enough to reduce risks that threatened the existence of earlier humans and to improve those to come. Take a longer view and we can say with considerable assurance that the past holds the key to the future: by analyzing the past, we can make evidence-based forecasts about the situations in which our descendants (后代) will find themselves.
1.According to the passage, what inspired our visions of the future in the past?
A.The desire for lives of fulfillment. B.The belief in equal opportunity.
C.The deep appreciation of threats. D.The faith in science and technology.
2.What can we know about human beings according to IUCN’s “Red List”?
A.They control the world’s development.
B.They severely threaten the environment.
C.They are strong enough to continue existing.
D.Their overall population will decrease.
3.What does the underlined word “rosy” in the last paragraph probably mean?
A.Dangerous. B.Annoying.
C.Hopeful. D.Undisturbed.
4.What should we do to ensure the future of mankind?
A.Explore our planet’s abundant resources.
B.Draw upon our experience from the past.
C.Build our ambition to reshape history.
D.Increase the population of the world.
5.Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
A.The Bright and Promising Future of Mankind
B.Science and Technology Connected with Humans
C.The Fully and Highly Evolved Human Species
D.Different Researches Conducted on Our Future
Devon Gallagher, a college graduate from Philadelphia, wants the world to know exactly where she’s been during her worldwide vacation in a special way.
The traveler, who was born with a bone disease, had her right leg amputated(截肢) at the age of four. Although the amputation caused setbacks for Gallagher early on, she now sees it as inspiration for living her best life. To spread that message, Gallagher has taken to social media, where she shares photos of her travels across the globe, but instead of using geo-tag (地理位置标签), she writes her location across her artificial leg before taking a picture.
Now she has been taking pictures across the Continent, which show her cycling over the canal in Amsterdam, Holland, relaxing on a wall overlooking the city of Barcelona, Spain, posing with a waffle (华夫饼) in Brussels, Belgium, taking in the impressive Parthenon temple in Athens, Greece, and enjoying a river cruise in Budapest, Hungary, all with the well-known locations written on her artificial leg.
“I get a new leg every two years and I can choose the design on it. One day I had a sudden thought to get a chalk-board,” Gallagher said. “My mum and grandmother weren’t too keen on the idea, but my friends thought it was great and told me to go for it, so I did.”
“When I’m writing on my leg, people often stare, looking puzzled, but once I share the photos, I receive only positive feedback. Seeing this, I feel much fired up and decide to try more. My leg hasn’t stopped me from doing anything I’ve wanted to do. I don’t know if it’s my determination to prove to myself that I can do it, but regardless, I’ve been able to keep up with my peers and lead a pretty great life,” said Gallagher.
Gallagher shows us that you should never let anything stand in the way of your dreams. And if life gives you an artificial leg, make art.
1.What message does Gallagher want to spread in her special way?
A.She suffers little from her leg amputation.
B.She has become healthier after traveling globally.
C.She looks on her misfortune as another form of blessing.
D.She has exactly fallen in love with posting photos online.
2.How does Gallagher record her travels across the globe?
A.By keeping a personal journal of her travels across the world.
B.By sharing pictures with locations written on her artificial leg.
C.By describing the impressive scenic spots in detail.
D.By interacting with her family and friends on social media.
3.What encourages Gallagher to continue in the face of others’ confusion about her behavior?
A.People’s positive feedback. B.The peer pressure.
C.The recovery from her bone disease. D.The support from her relatives.
4.Which of the following can best describe Gallagher?
A.Helpful and ambitious. B.Friendly and generous.
C.Determined and creative. D.Independent and sensitive.
5.What can we know from the passage?
A.Gallagher has become an outstanding artist.
B.Gallagher’s friends were supportive of her idea.
C.Gallagher travels globally with her friends.
D.Gallagher’s photos will be on display in Philadelphia.
If you contact Indy Cube (a provider of workspaces) after 5 p.m., you’ll receive an automatic message, “We will get back to you pretty quickly during working hours. If you are messaging us outside of these, we’re probably busy with things like horse-riding, dancing or a good sleep.”
The firm is one of a growing number of employers giving their workers an extra day off for the same pay as a five-day week. The four-day week schedule can raise productivity for bosses and happiness for workers. It’s not just small businesses that spot a chance to save money by turning the lights off one day a week. Perpetual Guardian, one of the biggest organizations to make the switch, enjoys huge global interest, with 406 organizations from around the world asking it for advice. “This week we have had people contact us from Japan, Canada, the UK, France, Switzerland,” said its founder Andrew Barnes. “The day off that each worker takes varies, perhaps making it a bit hard to manage. But there’s a change in the firm’s culture—less time surfing on social media and fewer unnecessary meetings,” said Barnes.
However, Kate Cooper argues that the reasons behind increases in productivity are not yet clear. Cooper said that “the Hawthorne effect” may be in play. That is, people change their behavior simply because they feel they are being observed. In this case, they feel that by being granted a four-day week, they believe their bosses are interested in their work. “But how long could that last?” Cooper doubts.
Comment 1: I don’t exactly disagree with a 4-day week as long as I still have the option to work five days and get more money for it.
Comment 2: It’s an interesting idea, but so much needs to happen before this becomes an option for the majority.
Comment 3: I feel there is a great reason: the environment. We need to be producing less stuff to reduce the stress on our planet.
Comment 4: I thought this was supposed to be here 20 years ago with the advances in technology.
Comment 5: 3 days off a week? Preparing for 7 days off a week. People will get lazy.
1.What can we learn about Indy Cube?
A.It is one of the biggest providers of workspaces.
B.It is the first company to start the four-day week.
C.Its boss should be pleased with a higher productivity.
D.Its employees are worried about their income.
2.What does Andrew Barnes think of the four-day week schedule?
A.It will be adopted by other companies in the world for sure.
B.It has made a positive influence on the company’s culture.
C.It benefits big companies more than smaller ones.
D.It has helped the firm sign contracts with other countries.
3.What is the attitude of Kate Cooper towards the effect of a four-day week?
A.Doubtful. B.Indifferent.
C.Disappointed. D.Positive.
4.Which suggests the four-day week is currently enjoyed by only a small part of the staff?
A.Comment 1. B.Comment 2.
C.Comment 3. D.Comment 5.
5.Which expresses the greatest concern about the four-day week?
A.Comment 1. B.Comment 2.
C.Comment 4. D.Comment 5.
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.每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：在错的词下画一横线，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。
Rope skipping is a sport suitable for people of all ages. People skip rope for fun and exercises.
Every student is able to learn to skip. You can skip alone and with your classmates. If you skip alone, you will need short rope about double the long of your height. You should turn the rope slowly so that you can skip safely. It might be help if you can sing a rhyme while skips. When you skip rope, your heart beats faster than usually and your body is stressful. Therefore, stop for a rest after you injure yourself.
So, picking up a rope, find a silly rhyme and start skipping.
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。每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。
I used to think visiting museums was boring. One day, I was taking to an art museum that there were a group of other kids. “Not having funs?” the guide whispered, watch my face. I sighed but followed the group. “Since the parents are gone, let's find something specially!” the guide said. We saw a painting of people in a café and the guide asked why was wrong with them. I found out that table legs was all missing. The guide praised me and then said, “Our brains play tricks us, making us ignore small changes, and the painter just made a good use of it.” From then on, I started to love museums.
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。每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：在错的词下画一横线，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。
When I was the middle school student, I didn’t study English hard.As we all know that,it is important to learn English better. How I wish I had studied it hard then.With the college Entrance Examination draw near, I feel greatly stress and anxious. Now I have made a rule to read English for one hour every day, thinking one day I will speak English fluently.In my great relief, my friends did that they could to help me with my English.They offered me great encouragements, saying so long as I keep on learning, I will succeed one day. Nowadays it was high time that I took action to learn English well.
