Sometimes it’s hard to imagine how a new technology will affect your life. Nobody thought that 10 years after getting the internet in their homes, they’d be online everywhere and all the time with smart phones. Have a look and get prepared for what’s coming.
Hyperautomation (超级自动化)
Hyperautomation is the combination of machine learning software and automation tools to do work. What does hyperautomation look like? With hyperautomation, the coffeemaker is involved in every step of the process. It uses machine learning to know how much coffee you like to make, what time you like to make it, and how often. It orders more beans for you --your favorite brand - when the amount gets low. It also coordinates(协作)with your dishwasher to make sure your favorite cup is clean and ready. The social robot market is expected to be worth $19 billion by the end of 2025. By then, each home could have robots that rival the intelligence of science fiction’s most beloved droids (机器人),like Star Wars，C-3PO.
Practical Blockchain
Organizations should begin evaluating blockchain (区块链)，which has the potential to change industries . It can provide trust and value exchange throughout society.
Aside from its possible use as a currency, blockchain can also be used to track real-world items. For example, contaminated (被污染的)food - especially vegetables - can be traced back to its date and place of packaging.
There are also so-called “smart” contracts. These are simple programs written into the blockchain. With these, events can trigger actions. For example, if you order from Taobao, your payment is held until the delivery guy marks your shipment “completed”. Then payment is immediately received by the seller. Similarly, a student’s university allowance could be limited by a parent to only be spent on necessary things .
1.What do we know about hyperautomation?
A.It is by nature a computer program. B.It is mainly used in the kitchen.
C.It makes robots in science fiction a reality. D.It has huge commercial potential.
2.How does the author illustrate blockchain?
A.By making comparisons. B.By giving examples.
C.By explaining the process. D.By stating arguments.
3.What benefit can blockchain bring us?
A.Computer programs can be made simpler.
B.The money you pay can directly go to the seller.
C.A revolution in industries may take place.
D.Polluted vegetables will no longer exist.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Modem Technology Released B.Automation Evolved
C.World Changed D.Living Standards Improved
Once I had a student called Jamal. He would squirm (扭来扭去)in his chair during independent work, and he would never stay still for more than three or four minutes. Students like Jamal can confuse brand new teachers because they’re not quite sure how to support young people like him. I took a direct approach. I negotiated with Jamal. If he could give me focused work, then he could do it from anywhere in the classroom: from our classroom rug, from behind my desk, or from inside his classroom locker, which turned out to be his favorite place.
Jamal’s least favorite subject was writing, and he never wanted to read what he had written out loud in class, but we were still making progress. One day, I decided to host a mock (模拟的)2008 presidential election in my classroom. My third graders had to research and write a speech for their chosen candidate: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton or John McCain. The favorite candidates were obvious, but one student chose John McCain. It was Jamal. Jamal finally decided to read something that he had written out loud in class, and sure enough, Jamal stunned all of us with his brilliance. Just like Jamal’s dad, John McCain was a veteran, and just like Jamal’s dad protected him, Jamal believed that John McCain would protect the entire country. He wasn’t my candidate of choice, but it didn’t matter, because the entire class erupted into applause for our brave friend Jamal who finally showed up as his most confident self for the first time that year.
A lack of confidence pulls us down from the bottom and weighs us down from the top, crushing us between a flurry of can’ts and won’ts. Without confidence, we get stuck, and when we get stuck, we can’t even get started. Instead of getting mired in what can get in our way, confidence invites us to perform with certainty.
1.Which of the following best describes Jamal?
A.Naughty and stubborn B.Determined but shy
C.Smart but unfocused D.Confident and generous
2.Why did Jamal choose John McCain in the mock 2008 presidential election?
A.Because John was the least popular among the three choices.
B.Because John had written something about him before.
C.Because John shared some similarities with Jamal’s father.
D.Because John was a soldier who could protect the country.
3.What does the underlined word “stun” mean?
A.Amaze. B.Cheer. C.Awake. D.Entertain.
4.What is the main purpose of the text?
A.To introduce the change of the authors student.
B.To show how to deal with problem students.
C.To stress the importance of encouragement.
D.To encourage us to be confident.
THE MOST ANTICIPATED MOVIES OF 2020
Welcome to the year when your patience finally pays off. The movies 2020 is offering have us almost hyperventilating - mostly because it feels like we’ve been waiting forever for many of them to land in theaters.
The Grudge
Directed by: Nicolas Pesce
Opening on: January 3,2020
A remake of the American remake of the Japanese horror favorite, Grudge once again focuses on a vengeful ghost with a long memory. Critical darling Andrea Riseborough stars, and director Nicolas Pesce has some form: critics called his The Eyes of My Mother a haunting slasher.
Weathering with You
Directed by: Makoto Shinkai
Opening on: January 17,2020
The latest animated adventure from Makoto Shinkai, the acclaimed director of Your Name, centers on a pair of teens, one of whom can control the weather, who meet and form a bond with each other, before one of them reveals a secret that will change both of them forever.
The Gentlemen
Directed by: Guy Ritchie
Opening on: January 24,2020
After a bit of a departure with 2019’s live-action Aladdin remake, Guy Ritchie returns to his roots with this British gangster tale about an American expat ( Matthew McConaughey) with a weed empire in London whose imminent retirement from the business spawns a criminal free-for-all for his territory. Fans of Ritchie’s early work are excited to see him at the helm of another crime caper, and it’s hard to beat the sight of a slimy-looking Hugh Grant playing against type’
The Rhythm Section
Directed by: Reed Morano
Opening on: January 31,2020
Blake Lively stars in the latest troubled female assassin movie, based on the eponymous novel by Mark Burnell. She plays Stephanie Patrick, a plane crash survivor who wants to get to the bottom of the disaster that killed her family and discovers it was no accident, which sets her on a path of revenge.
1.Who is a horror movie director?
A.Nicolas Pesce. B.Makoto Shinkai.
C.Guy Ritchie. D.Reed Morano.
2.Which movie is adapted from a novel?
A.The Grudge. B.Weathering with You.
C.The Gentlemen. D.The Rhythm Section.
3.What can we infer from the text?
A.The Grudge is the first remake of a Japanese movie.
B.Weathering with You may appeal to children.
C.The Gentlemen is based on a real story.
D.Blake Lively’s parents were murdered.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.What kind of clothes does the speakers sister like?
A.Designer clothes.
B.T-shirts and jeans.
C.Old-fashioned clothes.
2.What do the twin sisters have in common?
A.They both like loud music.
B.They both enjoy friendship.
C.They both want to have children.
3.Why doesn’t the speaker like sharing a room with her sister?
A.Her sister often brings friends home.
B.They can’t agree on the color of the room.
C.She likes to keep things neat while her sister doesn’t
4.When does the speaker go to bed?
A.At 8: 30. B.At 9: 30. C.At 10: 30.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Why does the lady ask the man questions in the beginning?
A.To serve the man better.
B.To get the man to trust her.
C.To know the man more personally.
2.Where will the man’s apartment be?
A.On Broadway Avenue.
B.On Lincoln Road.
C.On George Street.
3.How will the man probably go to work?
A.On foot. B.By bus. C.By bike.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.How many ties does the man have at least?
A.Three. B.Four. C.Five.
2.Where did the man put his blue tie?
A.In the cupboard. B.Under his shirt. C.In the drawer.
3.What can we learn about Susan?
A.She is the woman’s sister.
B.She is the man’s sister.
C.She is a babysitter.
