Aristotle thought the face was a window onto a person’s mind. Cicero agreed. Two thousand years passed, and facial expressions are still commonly thought to be a universally valid way to judge other people’s feelings, irrespective of age, sex and culture. A raised eyebrow suggests confusion. A smile indicates happiness.
Or do they? An analysis of hundreds of research papers that examined the relationship between facial expressions and underlying ( 潜在的) emotions has uncovered a surprising conclusion: there is no good scientific evidence to suggest that there are such things as recognizable facial expressions for basic emotions which are universal across cultures. Just because a person is not smiling, the researchers found, does not mean that person is unhappy.
This may raise questions about the efforts of information-technology companies to develop artificial-intelligence algorithms (算法) which can recognize facial expressions and work out a person’s underlying emotional state. Microsoft, for example, claims its “Emotion API” is able to detect what people are feeling by examining video footage of them. Another of the study’s authors, however, expressed scepticism. Aleix Martinez, a computer engineer at Ohio State University, said that companies attempting to obtain emotions from images of faces have failed to understand the importance of context.
For a start, facial expression is but one of a number of non-verbal ways, such as body posture, that people use to communicate with each other. Machine recognition of emotion needs to take account of these as well. But context can reach further than that. Dr Martinez mentioned an experiment in which participants were shown a close-up picture of a man’s face, which was bright red with his mouth open in a scream. Based on this alone, most participants said the man was extremely angry. Then the whole picture was shown. It was a football player with his arms outstretched, celebrating a goal. His angry-looking face was, in fact, a show of pure joy.
Given that people cannot guess each other’s emotional states most of the time, Dr Martinez sees no reason computers would be able to. “There are companies right now claiming to be able to do that and apply this to places I find really scary and dangerous, for example, in hiring people,” he says. “Some companies require you to present a video resume, which is analyzed by a machine-learning system. And depending on your facial expressions, they hire you or not, which I find really shocking.”
1.We can learn from the second paragraph that ______.
A.facial expressions are universal across cultures
B.it is hard to recognize some facial expressions
C.emotions and facial expressions may not be related
D.common facial expressions convey similar meanings
2.In the passage, the word “scepticism” (paragraph 3) is closest in meaning to “______”.
A.great doubt B.similar interest
C.fierce anger D.strong support
3.The experiment mentioned by Dr Martinez may prove that .
A.facial expression is an important way to communicate
B.machine recognition of emotion is not reliable at all
C.facial expression is not the only way to detect feelings
D.people may misread facial expressions for lack of context
4.According to the text, which of the following statements is correct?
A.Facial expressions differ from person to person.
B.People with red face must be feeling extremely angry.
C.Artificial-intelligence algorithms can always work out a person’s inner emotional state.
D.Unbelievable to Dr Martinez is that job offers are decided by a machine-learning system.
5.What does this passage mainly tell us?
A.Facial expressions are among the most universal forms of body language.
B.Computers can detect people’s mind by analyzing their facial expressions.
C.Facial expressions may not be the reliable reflection of a person’s emotions.
D.Companies can depend on machine recognition of emotion to hire people.
A job is more than just a job, especially to the older generation. “It’s not the money that matters, but the sense of self-worth,” 56-year-old Cheng Wonlan said. So, every day Ms. Cheng carries a bag of parcels, letters and documents of all shapes and sizes and does her rounds in North Point. She’s a courier (快递人员).
Five years ago, Ms. Cheng was a nurse at a private clinic. She had worked there for almost 30 years but was made jobless when the doctor migrated ( 移 居 ). It was extremely difficult for her to find another job as a nurse. “People do not trust my ability when they learn how old I am,” she said. After two years of searching, the mother of two eventually found another nursing job. But then after two years, she quit. Why?
“My colleagues were young and they didn’t understand me because of my age. They often asked me, ‘You are so old, what are you working for?’ I was very unhappy.” She said. So while the rest of her family left for work, she was left to lonely boredom at home. Then, one of Ms. Cheng’s neighbours told her about Employee’s Retraining Board (ERB) offering retraining courses for older people on specific occupations, such as convenience store assistants, junior clerks and so on.
“I was interested in courier work. I didn’t think my age was a barrier because I was fit and healthy,” she said. Upon graduation from the ERB, Ms. Cheng was offered a job by the Speeding Shuttle Courier Service Company Limited. But then Ms. Cheng was caught between honour and employment. It took Ms. Cheng 24 hours to make up her mind and eventually she took heart and went off to work as a courier.
Ms. Cheng’s employer is delighted with her. “Ms. Cheng has been working with us for two months and has shown a good responsible attitude to work.” Anthony Chong, who runs the company, said. Mr. Chong said he hired older people because they were able and reliable. “Age is not an important factor but attitude is. Many old people are more capable than youngsters. They will not run from difficulties but young ones will,” he said. “It is not easy to recruit (招募) young people since they shy away from hardship and challenges.”
1.Why was it difficult for Ms. Cheng to find another nursing job?
A.Nursing clinics were hard to find.
B.She found it difficult to trust others.
C.People thought she was too old to work.
D.People didn’t think she had enough work experience.
2.Ms. Cheng left her second nursing job because .
A.it was too difficult
B.she was too old to do the job
C.she was bored with changeless jobs
D.the other staff made her feel uncomfortable
3.Employee’s Retraining Board is aimed at .
A.finding jobs for older people
B.teaching new skills to older people
C.training older people to be healthier
D.providing older people with chances to earn money
4.According to Anthony Chong, young people .
A.are able and reliable
B.are less experienced than the older ones
C.are fitter and stronger than the older ones
D.are more likely to give up than the older ones
5.From the text, we can learn Ms. Cheng is _____ .
A.determined and responsible
B.intelligent and confident
C.capable but stubborn
D.purposeful but lazy
Exploration is about how we experience our most meaningful geography. A geography education without actively learning how to explore places is as frustrating as teaching music lessons without sound. Besides that, in its widest sense, exploration has the potential to be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding things we humans will ever do. It can be good for developing problem-solving, teamwork, social and other vital skills. Therefore, we should be given the opportunities to learn properly how to do it.
The sad reality is that millions of children are socially and geographically deprived (剥夺的). Their learning environments lack the diversity of place and experience-based opportunities that they need to develop well and as a result, they will not reach their full potential.
There is plenty of research showing that many children have little time and space to explore, play and learn outdoors. Perhaps most shockingly, Dirt is Good conducted a survey which found that three-quarters of UK children spend less time outside than prisoners, that the amount of time children spend playing in natural places has decreased and that a fifth of children do not play outside on an average day.
There are a large number of good and complex reasons why parents do not let their children play (and so learn) outdoors and not overcoming these barriers comes with its own risks. Changing the parenting cultures that are overly limiting many children’s freedom will potentially need efforts of generation after generation.
Partially as a response to this situation, an increasing number of doctors are providing social prescriptions (处方). Instead of being offered medicine for a mental or physical illness, young patients are being prescribed time with nature, volunteering, doing sports or some other activities instead.
Teachers are, in many ways, in a better position to provide time and space for children to benefit from experiences that help them not only to learn, but also to be well. Teachers can spare both formal and informal time and space for exploration that helps not just children who are ill, but also those who are well to remain well or become even better.
1.What does Paragraph 1 mainly talk about?
A.The way to reach full potential.
B.The methods of doing exploration.
C.The different attitudes to exploration.
D.The importance of doing exploration.
2.What can we learn from the survey of Dirt is Good?
A.Prisoners in the UK are treated very well.
B.Children are badly in need of time outdoors.
C.Children are becoming less outgoing nowadays.
D.There aren’t enough natural places in many countries.
3.What do we know about the process of changing parents’ attitude?
A.It’s interesting but tiring.
B.It’s complex and risky.
C.It’s challenging but worthwhile.
D.It’s troublesome and demanding.
4.By mentioning social prescriptions, the author wants to say _______.
A.playing outside can promote people’s health
B.traditional medicines may have side effects
C.experienced doctors are in short supply
D.mental illness needs special treatment
5.Which of the following best shows the structure of the text?
A.①-②③④⑤-⑥ B.①-②③-④⑤⑥
C.①②③-④⑤-⑥ D.①②-③④-⑤⑥
If you’re looking forward to visiting a national park in the United States, here are some good options for you to choose from.
Acadia National Park—Maine
Lying on Mount Desert Island, a postcard-perfect island where Rockefellers and Astors summered, Acadia National Park is rich with rocky shorelines and has one of Maine’s most historic lighthouses. Hike to the top of 1,530-foot Cadillac Mountain to catch the sunrise, then go back to Bar Harbor, and treat yourself to a lobster roll at Stewman’s.
Where to Stay: Atlantic Oceanside Hotel, Bar Harbor Inn
Arches National Park—Utah
The red sandstone monoliths of Arches National Park in southeast Utah make for a giant playground for hikers, bikers, climbers, off-roaders, and other thrill seekers. However, climbing any named or unnamed arch in the park is banned by regulations. Throughout the park, there are 2,000 natural arches, including the famous Delicate Arch, which you might recognize from Utah’s license plate.
Where to Stay: Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Moab, Fairfield Inn& Suites Moab
Yellowstone National Park—Wyoming
When you think of Yellowstone National Park, geysers will come to mind first and more specifically, Old Faithful, which does indeed live up to its name by erupting every 90 minutes or so. Another superstar of America’s oldest national park is the Grand Prismatic Spring, the park’s largest single hot spring, which also gains a reputation due to its striking coloration.
Where to Stay: Yellowstone Park Hotel, Explorer Cabins at Yellowstone
Shenandoah National Park —Virginia
Shenandoah’s famous 105-mile Skyline Drive is one of the prettiest drives in the Northeast.
This National Scenic Byway runs along the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Where to Stay: Skyland, Hotel Laurance
1.Who would most probably be drawn to Acadia National Park?
A.People interested in modern buildings.
B.People interested in camping in the desert.
C.People wanting to enjoy a good view of the seashore.
D.People wanting to climb a mountain of over 2,000 feet.
2.What is Arches National Park suitable for?
A.Watching an east coast sunrise. B.Looking at beautifully man-made arches.
C.Climbing the well-known Delicate Arch. D.Having various outdoor thrilling activities.
3.What do we know about the Grand Prismatic Spring?
A.It is famous for its eye-catching colors.
B.It can erupt for about 90 minutes each time.
C.It is the largest single hot spring in the world.
D.It is the most distinguished tourist spot in Wyoming.
4.Where can someone enjoy beautiful sights along the drive?
A.In Utah. B.In Virginia.
C.In Maine. D.In Wyoming.
5.What is the text meant to?
A.Encourage us to visit the United States.
B.Recommend some national parks in the US.
C.Introduce several hotels nearby national parks.
D.Make a comparison between some national parks.
On a road trip to California’s breathtaking North Coast region, my husband Ken and I, my teenage daughter Lahre, and my nine-year-old son Shawn, stopped to have lunch and stretch our legs a bit.
As we walked toward the ______ entrance, a man with an untidy beard and dirty hair jumped up from a nearby bench and opened the door for us. An old bike ______ with a sleeping bag and the rest of his ______ rested against the bench, it was obvious that he was ______. But regardless of his ______, he greeted us as if we were his best friends, “Today’s soup and sandwich special’s a great deal.”
Once inside, my teenager whispered to me, “Mom, he ______.” And Shawn asked questions about him, not quite understanding the ______ of a homeless person. Ken and I explained the best we could, telling the kids to look to the person underneath and within ______ the dirt and smell.
With the windiest part of our trip just ______ us, the kids needed to take car-sick pills so I went back to the car to fetch them. As I ______ the front door, the “doorman” was opening it for an older couple, who rushed past him and didn’t even acknowledge his ______. I let the couple ______ first and then said a loud and gracious “thank you” to the doorman.
After going back inside, I asked our waitress, who was bringing the kids their dessert, to ______ one soup and sandwich special to our bill. Both the kids looked at me ______ ---as we had already eaten but Ken knew exactly what I was doing.
By this time, we had to get back on the road to stay on schedule. As we rounded the comer of the very full restaurant, the “doorman” was sitting at a table enjoying his ______. When seeing me, he jumped up and ______ his hand for a handshake. It was then that I ______ he had tears in his eyes—tears of gratitude.
____ we can’t choose many things in life, we can choose when to show gratitude, and I was doing just that. Hopefully, when someone opens a door for Lahre and Shawn during their ______ through life, they will remember to say “______“ and have a great soup and sandwich special on the menu, too.
1.A. hotel’s B. restaurant’s C. shop’s D. supermarket s
2.A. connected B. burdened C. loaded D. crowded
3.A. belongings B. gatherings C. findings D. savings
4.A. hopeless B. helpless C. homeless D. harmless
5.A. appearance B. identity C. age D. behavior
6.A. smiles B. smells C. shakes D. sighs
7.A. description B. desire C. concern D. concept
8.A. beyond B. above C. over D. in
9.A. regardless of B. instead of C. ahead of D. free of
10.A. noticed B. ignored C. followed D. neared
11.A. patience B. presence C. tiredness D. selflessness
12.A. come around B. come about C. come through D. come to
13.A. add B. admit C. adjust D. adapt
14.A. frightened B. disappointed C. excited D. confused
15.A. meal B. stay C. drink D. time
16.A. laid B. extended C. raised D. waved
17.A. realized B. assumed C. valued D. considered
18.A. Unless B. While C. Since D. When
19.A. progress B. opportunity C. journey D. performance
20.A. Thank you B. Excuse me C. I’m sorry D. See you
-----Excuse me, but could I trouble you for some change?
------_______.Will pennies do?
A. I know B. Never mind
C. I am sure D. Let me see
