Young children are significantly more likely than adults to have their opinions influenced by robots, according to a new research. The study, conducted at the University of Plymouth, compared how adults and children respond to an identical task when in the presence of both their peers（同龄人）and robots.
It showed that while adults regularly have their opinions influenced by peers, something also showed in previous studies, they are largely able to resist being persuaded by robots. However, children aged between seven and nine were more likely to give the same responses as the robots, even if they were obviously incorrect.
The study asks people to look at a screen showing four lines and say which two match in length. When alone, people almost never make a mistake but when doing the experiment with others, they tend to follow what others are saying.
When children were alone in the room in this research, they scored 87% on the test, but when the robots join in their score drops to 75%. And of the wrong answers, 74% matched those of the robot.
The research was led by former Plymouth researcher Anna Vollmer and Professor in Robotics Tony Belpaeme, from the University of Plymouth and Ghent University.
Professor Belpaeme said: “People often follow the opinions of others and we’ve known for a long time that it is hard to resist taking over views and opinions of people around us. But as robots will soon be found in the home and the workplace, we were wondering if people would follow robots. What our results show is that adults do not follow what the robots are saying. But when we did the experiment with children, they did. It shows children can perhaps have more of an affinity（亲和力）with robots than adults, which does give the question: what if robots were to suggest, for example, what products to buy or what to think?”
1.What did the adults do when staying with robots？
A.They totally accept the robots’ suggestions.
B.They generally refused the robots’ effects.
C.They tried to persuade robots to resist them.
D.They usually compared robots with their children.
2.Why did some children made more mistakes in the experiment?
A.Because children were not as clever as adults.
B.Because robots in the presence made such mistakes.
C.Because robots reflected better than human beings.
D.Because children wanted to affect the robots on purpose.
3.What is Professor Belpaeme’s attitude towards the result of the experiment?
A.He is optimistic about the result. B.He doubts the result of the research.
C.He doesn’t care about the result. D.He is so worried about the future.
4.What should be followed after the last paragraph?
A.What will we do to teach our children?
B.What will adults do to avoid the problem?
C.What will people do to solve such problems?
D.Why are children influenced by such robots?
I work at a company where there are lots of employees. I can’t say that I know them all by name, but I know my fair share of them. I think that almost all of them know me. It is all based on one simple principle: I believe that every single person deserves to be acknowledged, even though it is only a smile or a nod of the head.
When I was about ten years old, I was walking down the street with my mother. She stopped to speak to Mr. Lee. I was busy throwing stones at the stop sign. I knew I could see Mr. Lee any old time around the neighborhood, so I didn’t pay any attention to him. After we passed Mr. Lee, my mother stopped me and said something that has stuck with me from that day until now. She said, “You let that be the last time you ever walk by somebody and not open up your mouth to speak, because even a dog can wave its tail when it passes you on the street.” That phrase sounds simple, but it’s been a guidepost for me and the foundation of who I am.
At work, I always used to say hello to the founder of the company and ask him how our business was doing. But I also spoke to the people who cleaned the buildings and asked how their children were doing. I’ve become vice president, but that hasn’t changed the way I approach people. I still follow my mother’s advice. I speak to everyone I see, no matter where I am. You will realize how powerful it is just to open your mouth and say, “Hello.” I’ve learned that speaking to people creates a pathway into their world, and it lets them come into mine, too.
1.Which of the following can replace the underlined word “acknowledged” in Paragraph 1?
A.Accepted. B.Thanked.
C.Greeted. D.Respected.
2.Why did the author ignore Mr. Lee?
A.The author often met him. B.The author was too busy.
C.The author didn’t like him. D.The author didn’t know him.
3.What did the author learn from his mother?
A.Everyone should be treated fairly. B.Speak to everyone you see.
C.Polite behavior is important in your life. D.Friends may disappear from your life any time.
4.What’s the author’s purpose in writing the text?
A.To show respect for his mother. B.To share how to succeed in work.
C.To show how to approach others. D.To share an important principle.
Invisible Dialogues and Invented Languages
•October 13, 2018
This discussion will examine selftaught artists who use coded or invented languages in their work. Artists include Melvin Edward Nelson, and Carlo Keshishian. Exploring the relationship between language and visual expressions, it seeks to find out how some unreadable words, letters, and symbols communicate meaning.
•6：30 pm－8：00 pm
•$10 members, students, seniors; $12 nonmembers
Art and Storytelling
•October 20, 2018
Artist Ernesto Caivano will discuss the connection of drawing and stories in his work, while examining how his explorations of storytelling relate to his previous works.
Another activity includes conversations with artists and scholars, providing a good opportunity to engage with the central themes and histories found in the artwork.
•6：30 pm－7：30 pm
•$5 members, students, seniors; $8 nonmembers
SelfTaught Genius
•October 27, 2018
Sponsor Sarah Suzuki will discuss selected drawings and prints on view in the exhibition Highlights from SelfTaught Genius on a guided gallery tour.
The program is held together with the exhibition Highlights from SelfTaught Genius at the newly opened SelfTaught Genius Gallery in Long Island City, Queens.
•6：00 pm－7：00 pm
•$5 members, students, seniors; $8 nonmembers
Gender, Politics, and Textiles (纺织品)
•November 3, 2018
Art historian Julia BryanWilson will present an illustrated overview of her publication Fray: Art and Textile Politics. Julia will explore the relationship between textiles, gender, and war. The book signing will follow the discussion.
•6：30 pm－8：00 pm
•$8 members, students, seniors; $10 nonmembers
1.Who will talk about drawing and stories?
A.Sarah Suzuki. B.Ernesto Caivano.
C.Melvin Edward Nelson. D.Julia BryanWilson.
2.Which of the activities is available in November, 2018?
A.SelfTaught Genius. B.Art and Storytelling.
C.Gender, Politics, and Textiles. D.Invisible Dialogues and Invented Languages.
3.What is the purpose of the text?
A.To sponsor some events. B.To introduce some artists.
C.To publicize some books. D.To advertise some activities.
假设你是晨光中学的学生李津，近日你校英语社团的微信公众号准备在原有两个栏目（学校简介、学习生活）之上，增加一个新栏目。请你从以下三个备选栏目（职业规划、学生风采、校园文化）中挑选一个栏目，给公众号负责人Mr. Zhang写一封邮件进行推荐，并陈述你的理由。
注意：（1）词数不少于100；
（2）可适当加入细节，使内容充实、行文连贯；
（3）开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
参考词汇：
公众号 Official WeChat 职业规划Career Planning
学校简介 School Profile 学习生活Study Life
学生风采 Our Students 校园文化Campus Culture
Dear Mr. Zhang,
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Jin
阅读短文，按照题目要求用英语回答问题。
When a special occasion arrives, a colorful gift bag or a box often finds its way to a doorstep, an office desk or a mailbox. But once in a while, a present arrives at an unexpected moment to remind us that someone is thinking about us.
Wanda Anderson of Richland, US, remembers such a gift.
The rosebushes were finally in full bloom on that day in spring.
Seeing roses always brings to mind Wanda’s childhood memories. To this young girl, those flowers were extra special. “We never had money to buy extra things, so even a tired rose was something to cherish,” Wanda said.
Nowadays, to have a garden filled with many different roses is pure enjoyment. Wanda especially loves the very first blooms.
Her husband, Dale, devotedly takes care of the roses and knows this little fact about his wife. So, on this special morning, he picked the very first flowers of spring, fresh from the garden. But as Dale came back into the house, he was met by a neighbor who had stopped in for a quick visit. As the woman turned to go, Dale handed the roses to her. And even though their visitor insisted she didn’t want to take them, she was repeatedly told that the flowers were hers to keep.
“I told her I was happy for her to have the roses, but I really wasn’t,” Wanda said, remembering the emotions she was feeling right then.
Seeing her very precious first blooms go out the door filled her with regret, and a bit of selfishness.
Throughout the rest of the morning, Wanda argued with herself, knowing it was “better to give than to receive.” Nevertheless, she wished she could have kept the roses for herself.
Later that day, the couple headed to the post office, where Wanda waited outside in the car. Then, without warning, an older woman suddenly appeared at the car’s open window, with a bunch of roses in her arms.
“These are for you,” she said, giving the flowers to Wanda. “They’re my first blooms this spring.”
Totally surprised, Wanda thanked the woman and took a moment to smell the roses’ rich fragrance. When she looked up, the mysterious visitor was gone.
To this day, that “special delivery” changed Wanda. Now, her very first blooms always go to someone else, as a reminder that someone is thinking of them.
1.Why does Wanda love roses so much? (no more than 15 words)
2.What does the underlined word “devotedly” mean in Paragraph 6? (no more than 5 words)
3.How did Wanda feel after the neighbor left? (no more than 10 words)
4.What changed Wanda’s opinion of giving gifts? (no more than 10 words)
5.What’s your opinion about the saying “It was better to give than to receive”? Please explain. (no more than 25 words)
When Benjamin Cherkasky was in eighth grade, he quit the swim team. It wasn’t because he lacked the passion; he just couldn’t accept failures in matches. “I’m not Michael Phelps, why am I even on the team?” he said.
A US therapist (治疗专家) who researches perfectionism at Northwestern University realized years later what had happened. Cherkasky’s perfectionism was creating unrealistic standards. Unable to meet them, he quit.
“My perfectionism prompted (导致) very high expectations, and that caused real suffering,” he said.
Cherkasky is not alone in feeling that perfectionism can breed anxiety. So many millennials (千禧一代) suffer from the ills of perfectionism that psychologists are issuing warnings and schools are emphasizing the need to accept failure.
Northwestern had held several seminars that offered tips on how students could deal with a perfectionism problem.
Jessica Rohlfing Pryor, a psychologist leading the events, said every generation is a sponge for the messages it receives.
“Millennials, more than any other generation in American society, are receiving clear messages around achieving,” she said. “There’s an absence of messaging that trying your hardest is still OK.”
The American Psychological Association also found out that recent generations of college students have reported higher levels of perfectionism than earlier generations.
This “desire to achieve along with being overly critical of oneself and others” affects young people’s mental health, according to its research, which analyzed data from over 40,000 college students.
Researchers noted that social media adds comparative pressure, along with the drive to earn money and achieve career goals. Perfectionists often create even higher goals, which can lead to a higher risk of failure.
In college, Cherkasky found himself surrounded by so many intelligent people that he felt he should have been achieving a higher level than he was. “It makes you feel kind of crazy,” he said.
This type of thinking can lead people to putting in less effort, which, as they fall behind, can create more anxiety. “It makes people feel kind of isolated.” Cherkasky added, “And that can cause students to drift away from their school”. Northwestern is not the only school eager to help students.
Brown University includes perfectionism in its counseling (咨询) services, asking students if they ever feel that what they accomplish isn’t good enough.
1.Why did Cherkasky quit the swim team in eighth grade?
A.He wanted more time to study. B.He found he had no passion for swimming.
C.He couldn’t reach the goal he set for himself. D.He always did badly in swimming competitions.
2.Which of the following would Pryor probably agree with?
A.Millennials are unwilling to work hard.
B.Young people should accept being imperfect.
C.Young people should learn to deal with pressure.
D.Perfectionism can benefit individuals and society.
3.What did the American Psychological Association discover?
A.Social media users were more likely to be perfectionists.
B.Perfectionism could have a negative impact on physical health.
C.Few universities offered help to students with mental problems.
D.College millennial students suffer more perfectionism problems than ever.
4.The author describes Cherkasky’s experience in college mainly to show ______.
A.the harm of being a perfectionist B.the effect of isolation on perfectionists
C.the pressure college students experience D.the challenges underachievers have to overcome
