It is 5 am and it’s too dark to see the fields of volcanic rock and trees on either side of the highway. But over the lights of my car, I get a taste of the _________ I’m really here for, as a few stars Pierce (渗透) the inky _________ sky.
Today our relationship to the universe is largely connected byes _________, such as telescopes and NASA assignments. But for thousands of years, humans could _________ look up on a clear night to be _________ at the bright spots that stretched (延伸) directly over them.
But over time, we’ve _________ ourselves from our sky, building a covering of artificial light between ourselves and the dark depth of space. Our _________ , neon signs (霓虹灯), and other electric lights are increasingly flooding the night sky and _________ the stars. _________ , about one third of the world’s population cannot see the Milky Way from where they live. And some can’t even recognize it. The sense of wonder for the night sky __________, and that means something vital to humanity is lost as well.
That’s why I’ve dragged myself out of bed hours before __________. Like 99 percent of Americans, I live with __________ pollution and I’ve never seen a truly night sky. So I’m here to __________ my first glance.
As I __________ out of the car, I __________ raise my face up towards the sky, worrying whether I can make it. There it is, __________ across the sky as far as I can see. The Milky Way is so vivid that my eyes don’t even have to __________ the dark to see it.
I expect to feel the __________ of the sky, perhaps as though I’m falling into a bottomless hole. Instead, the blanket of stars above me is so thick that it is hard to __________. In black and white, the whole scene feels surreal.
As I get back in the car, I pass a __________ that says “Never Stop Looking Up.”
1.A.view B.issue C.event D.cause
2.A.clear B.black C.blue D.dirty
3.A.emotion B.survey C.imagination D.technology
4.A.completely B.hardly C.simply D.rarely
5.A.depressed B.frightened C.confused D.amazed
6.A.excused B.distanced C.freed D.defended
7.A.shops B.decorations C.streetlights D.buildings
8.A.covering B.beating C.unlocking D.reflecting
9.A.Moreover B.Instead C.Therefore D.Meanwhile
10.A.increases B.disappears C.struggles D.pours
11.A.sunrise B.dark C.sunset D.dusk
12.A.noise B.air C.waste D.light
13.A.turn out B.search for C.apply for D.figure out
14.A.step B.look C.wonder D.think
15.A.formally B.confidently C.nervously D.casually
16.A.putting B.walking C.cutting D.stretching
17.A.adjust to B.turn to C.depend on D.throw away
18.A.length B.width C.depth D.strength
19.A.test B.weigh C.catch D.measure
20.A.note B.sign C.letter D.signal
Putting children in daycare helps working parents take their minds off childcare. 1.
How daycare negatively affects children is related to many factors. One study has suggested that some children who spend long hours in daycare centers experience more stress than those who spend more time in a setting with a mother.
Another study has shown that children who are shy have a higher level of the hormone cortisol (皮质醇) which is released when an individual shows signs of stress. 2. And as a result the child may not mix well with the other children and the teachers at the daycare center, a situation that can cause stress.
Another negative impact of daycare is that there is less communication between a mother and her child. 3. So it is essential for a child to develop a deep bond with his or her mother, since this will lay the foundation for all the relationships he or she will form later on in life. Children who spend a lot of time with their mothers experience healthy social and emotional development, while long hours in daycare can disrupt this bonding. Children who lose out on precious mother-child bonding are observed to have behavioral problems as they grow older.
Children in daycare centers also feel unprotected compared to children at home. In a daycare center, when one caregiver attends to more than one child at the same time, she may not be able to look deeply into why a child is mixing well or not. 4. Another negative aspect of daycare is that children there are more likely to fall ill if they come in contact with sick children.
5. Well-maintained daycare centers contribute a great deal to the overall development of a child by providing a structured environment. Children become more social by interacting with other children of the same age, and learn new activities that are not always available if they arc brought up only at home.
A.But daycare has its disadvantages.
B.Look for a daycare center that is well-maintained.
C.However, the advantages of daycare cannot be ignored.
D.This is because a shy child will not open up freely in public.
E.Babies become extremely attached to their primary caregivers.
F.In such cases, a child may become either completely quiet or aggressive.
G.You can cut the time in daycare centers by making alternative childcare arrangements.
Just last month，AI-generated art arrived on the auction (拍卖) stage of Christie’s, proving that artificial intelligence can not only be creative but also produce world-class works of art — another significant AI milestone blurring the line between human and machine.
Naturally, the news sparked off debates about whether the work produced by Paris-based art collective Obvious could really be called art at all. Popular opinion among creatives is that art is a process by which human beings express some ideas or emotions, filter them through personal experience and set them against a broader cultural context. The story raised additional questions about ownership. In this circumstance，who can really be named as the author? The algorithm (算法) itself or the team behind it?
At GumGum, an AI company that focuses on computer vision, we wanted to explore the intersection of AI and art by devising a Turing Test of our own in association with Rutgers University’s Art and Artificial Intelligence Lab and Cloudpainter, an artificially intelligent painting robot. We were keen to see whether AI can，in fact, replicate (复制) the intent and imagination of traditional artists, and we wanted to explore the potential impact of AI on the creative sector.
To do this，we enlisted a broad collection of diverse artists from traditional pain-on-canvas artists to 3-D rendering and modeling artists alongside Pindar Van Arman — a classically trained artist who has been coding art robots for 15 years. Van Arman was tasked with using his Cloudpainter machine to create pieces of art based on the same data set as the more traditional artists. This data set was a collection of art by 20th century American Abstract Expressionists. Then, we asked them to document the process, showing us their preferred tools and telling us how they came to their final work.
Amazingly, while at face value the AI artwork was indistinguishable from that of the more traditional artists, the test revealed that the creative spark and ultimate agency behind creating a work of art is still very much human. Even though the Cloudpainter machine has evolved over time to become a highly intelligent system capable of making creative decisions of its own, the final piece of work could only be described as a collaboration (合作) between human and machine. Van Arman served as more of an “art director for the painting”.
As AI becomes an unstoppable force, it raises some difficult questions about the future role of humans in an increasingly automated world. Instead of worrying about AI’s threat to human creative supremacy, the future will be about accepting new technologies and the possibilities it brings for speeding up the process. It’s better to think of AI as your next creative assistant; beautiful pieces of work can be produced in collaboration with it.
1.According to popular opinion, the AI-generated work_______.
A.should have been based on personal experience
B.was set against a broader cultural context
C.couldn’t be considered art at all
D.expresses no idea or emotion
2.What did the experiment at GumGum show?
A.AI artworks could be easily identified
B.AI artworks could show human emotions.
C.AI had trouble making sensible decisions.
D.AI couldn’t complete a work independently.
3.Which of the following statements would the author agree with?
A.Beautiful pieces cannot be works of AI.
B.AI could be an advanced tool for artists.
C.AI could challenge the supremacy of humans.
D.New technologies can pose a danger to humans.
4.What is the best title for the passage?
A.Can AI Create True Art? B.Can AI Threaten Humans?
C.Will Human Art Disappear? D.Are AI Artworks Distinguishable?
When you don’t have a car and need to get around, are you more likely to call for an Uber or Lyft, or a cab? Last Friday, Lyft — the ride-sharing company, went public as its stocks (股票) started trading on the market. Lyft has become the first big initial public offering of the “gig economy” age. While the company is not making profits yet, it is changing the meaning of work. What is gig economy and what makes it so appealing?
Gig works are independent contracts (合同) or part-time jobs such as Uber. In the gig economy, companies hire independent contractors instead of full-time employees. This is different from traditional companies where full-time workers hold a lifetime career. In the past, only small companies hired contractors, while today, employers like Amazon and Google rely on temporary workforce. These companies save costs as they are not legally required to provide healthcare benefits, retirement savings or paid time off to gig workers.
Gig work appeals to different people for different reasons. For some, it affords flexible timings and for otliers who are looking for full-time jobs, it provides a source of income to support themselves. Some people work a full-time job and supplement (补充) their salary with gig jobs such as driving for Uber or Lyft.
Joining the gig economy may be simple, but maintaining a steady career is easier said than done. Gig work comes with unsteady pay and workloads. You're your own boss. It sounds fun, but when you have no self-control and an unsteady job, you might splurge all your money the first week and live on bread pieces for the rest of the month! Besides a strong sense of responsibility, gig workers have to stay up to date to get companies to hire them.
Despite the challenges gig workers face, nearly 60 million Americans are part of this workforce. As this number grows, we have to see how society and companies adapt to this new world of work!
1.What can be learnt about Lyft from the passage?
A.It has built up a large fortune.
B.It marks the arrival of gig economy age.
C.It employs a fixed number of full-time workers.
D.It appeals to people as a means of public transport.
2.Who are most likely to become gig workers?
A.People seeking for a steady income.
B.Those desperate to get paid vacations.
C.People in need of flexible working hours.
D.Those concerned about retirement accounts.
3.What does the underlined word “splurge” in paragraph 4 mean?
A.Spend money freely. B.Deposit money automatically.
C.Earn money quickly. D.Allocate money randomly.
4.What is the message mainly conveyed in the passage?
A.Gig workers have to face some potential challenges.
B.Gig workers have to possess some much-needed qualities.
C.The appearance of gig companies will solve the job problems.
D.People should adjust to new work trends with the rise of gig companies.
When Lina was awoken by the sound of thunder, she was alone on the island. The air was cool and bullfrogs croaked. It was that brief moment when the summer sun had set but the stars hadn't yet appeared. Lina rubbed her eyes and looked around.
“Hello?” she called. “Celia? Marie”
There was no response.
The moon was rising now, shedding light on the island. They had always called it “Forgotten Island” because no one but they seemed to remember its existence. It wasn’t on any of the maps they could find, and even the forest rangers didn’t know about it. Lina loved that the island, hidden in a heavily-wooded side stream of the river, was a secret between the three friends — her, Celia, and Marie.
But now Lina was here alone, and it was night. Worse still, it was her own fault.
“Come on, Lina, let Marie row the boat.” Celia had said. Marie was two years older than Lina, but she was a hopeless rower. That’s why Lina refused and rowed the boat to the island. The argument that followed the refusal took the usual form. Celia took Marie’s side, as she always did. Lina had exploded and yelled at them to just leave. So they got back in the boat and left.
A bolt of lightning crossed the darkened sky, accompanied by a deafening thunder clap. The storm was here. As the first cold raindrop slid down her neck, Lina’s mind returned to her current problem. She was stuck here by herself. She just hoped she didn’t become as forgotten as the island. The thought of it sent a chill (寒意) down her back.
Suddenly, Lina spotted something in the water. It was a boat, and inside it were Marie, Celia, and Marie's dad, who was steering through the fast flowing waters. As the boat approached, they saw Lina waving and the worried expressions on their faces turned to relief.
In her excitement Lina jumped into the river. Only once she was in the icy water did she remember how fast the water was moving. Luckily a strong arm reached into the water and pulled her out. She smiled weakly at Marie’s dad and, without a word, hugged Celia and Marie. They didn’t seem to mind becoming wet.
1.What can be inferred about the island?
A.It is very near the ocean.
B.It is a popular place for boating.
C.It is surrounded by thick forest.
D.It has never been reached by others.
2.Why did Lina get angry?
A.Marie would not help row the boat.
B.Lina was left alone on the island.
C.Marie didn't know how to row the boat.
D.Celia supported Marie in the disagreement.
3.What caused Lina to feel a chill?
A.Her shame about the unnecessary argument.
B.The first raindrops of the approaching storm.
C.The idea that no one would come to save her.
D.The drop in temperature as the sun went down.
4.Who pulled Lina out of the water?
A.Marie’s father.
B.Lina herself.
C.Marie.
D.CeliA.
To ensure an excellent experience during your tour of the Mark Twain House, here are some guidelines and general information:
The House is Shown Only by Guided Tour.
To ensure an optimum (最佳) experience, house tours are limited to 14 people, first-come, first-served. If your group has more than 10 people, call (860) 280-3130 to reserve a discounted group tour in advance of your visit. If you have a party of fewer than 10 people feel free to purchase tickets online: We will hold them at Will Call. The tour schedule is usually online about a month in advance.
Our site is made up of three buildings
The Webster Bank Museum Center at the Mark Twain House & Museum is always your first and last stop as it houses our ticket counter, museum store, film, exhibits and cafe. All tours gather in the museum center before heading over to Mark Twain’s historic 1874 home. Mark Twain’s historic carriage house is the third building on our property, but is generally not open to the public. The hayloft (干草棚) has been repurposed into offices and the main floor of the barn is a space available for rent for parties and meetings.
Coupons & Discounts
The Mark Twain House offers only a few coupons and discounts. The price you pay for admission helps us maintain the beauty of this icon of American architecture. If you are lucky enough to find one of those special offers online or at your local library, keep in mind they are good only for the general Mark Twain House Tours. No passes or discounts may be applied to our specialty tours.
1.What kind of tour booked beforehand enjoys a discount?
A.Specialty tour.
B.Guided tour
C.Group tour with 9 people.
D.Group tour with 13 people.
2.Which place is not available to tourists?
A.The Webster Bank Museum Center.
B.Mark Twain’s historic carriage house.
C.The hayloft.
D.Mark Twain’s historic 1874 home.
3.What is the purpose of charging admission fees?
A.To earn more money.
B.To well preserve the house.
C.To support Mark Twain’s family.
D.To offer parties and meetings.
