Robots will have taken over most jobs within 30 years leaving humanity facing its “biggest challenger ever” to find meaning in life when work is no longer necessary according to experts.
Professor Moshe Vardi, who works in Rice University, says that many middle-class professionals will be assisting the work of machines within the next few decades leaving workers more leisure（休闲）time than they have ever experienced and as a result, the rise of robots could lead to unemployment rate greater than 50 percent.
“We are approaching a time when machines will be able to do better than humans at almost any task,” said Vardi, “Robots are doing more and more jobs that people used to do. I believe that society needs to face question before it’s upon us. If machines can do almost any work humans can do, what will humans do? The question I want to put forward is, ‘Does the technology we are developing finally benefit mankind?’”
Prof. Vardi said existing robotic and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies were already getting rid of a growing number of middle-class jobs and that pace of advancement in the field is increasing.
But Prof. Vardi is not sure that a workforce of human like robots will be good for mankind. “A typical answer is that if machines will do all our work, we will be free to pursue leisure activities,” he said. “I do not find this a promising future, as I do not find the idea of leisure-only life appealing. I believe that work is essential to human well-being.” He added, “Humanity is about to face perhaps its greatest challenge ever, which is finding meaning in life. If machines can do all the work or even 50 percent of the jobs that we used to do, what will people do?”
1.According to the text, what is human’s “biggest challenge ever”?
A.The most challenging jobs.
B.Seeking the significance of life.
C.The rise of unemployment rates.
D.No necessary work for humanity.
2.What is Prof. Vardi concerned about?
A.Whether robotic and AI technologies are good for humans.
B.Whether robots can rule humans within 30 years.
C.The unemployment rate is increasing greatly.
D.The development of robots is rapid enough.
3.What does Prof. Vardi think of the leisure-only life?
A.Realistic and comfortable.
B.Unpleasant and unattractive.
C.Entertaining and pleasing.
D.Disgusting and annoying.
4.We can infer from the text that we ________ in the future.
A.will be in short of labor force
B.can have a surplus of products
C.have to face fierce competition
D.may lose the value of life
Like Indiana Jones (a fictional character), who undertakes daring adventures in his spare time, my father is a businessman by day and a thrill-seeker by night.
His enthusiasm rubbed off on me, and I have been lucky to be his companion on many adventures. We started out by riding America’s fastest, most twisted roller coasters. After that a whitewater rafting trip through the Grand Canyon（峡谷）on the Colorado River started our search for other extreme thrills across the globe.
Amazing thrills awaited us at every corner of the world. Skydiving was especially thrilling when performed from a helicopter over the breathtaking Swiss Alps. We have bungee jumped from the world’s highest platform, Bloukrans Bridge in South Africa. Most recently, in Interlaken, Switzerland, we attempted canyoning（溪降运动）.
Anyone who loves a challenging thrill should try canyoning. Our adventure began with a 90-foot rope down a canyon wall into a rushing ice-cold river. Then we crossed the bone-chilling water toward the mouth of the river, our final destination, where the reward for the journey would be a whole view of the beautiful Interlaken basin. We slid over slippery rocks at one moment, jumped from waterfalls and swam through underwater tunnels the next. Back and forth we alternated, climbing rope ladders before going back into the fresh mountain water. Certainly, danger was waiting for us in each of these activities, but that very danger provided the rush. Canyoning was indeed one thrill after another, from beginning to end.
While canyoning is possible only in certain places, thrills and adventure can be found anywhere. Our beginnings in the U.S. showed us just that. We continue to seek the big thrills, but in doing so, we have learned to seek lesser excitement in daily life as well. After all, we can’t go canyoning every day, and small thrills are better than none for us thrill-seekers.
1.What do we know about the author’s father?
A.He is a very successful businessman.
B.He is doing a part-time job.
C.He likes Indiana Jones very much.
D.He enjoys experiencing adventures.
2.What does the underlined phrase “rubbed off on” mean in paragraph 2?
A.relate to B.keep off
C.affect D.confuse
3.What did the author and his father do when attempting canyoning?
A.Jumped down from waterfalls and swam across the icy water.
B.Jumped down a canyon river and crossed it.
C.Climbed over a rope ladder and swam through underwater tunnels.
D.Climbed down a canyon wall and swam across the rushing icy river.
4.What does the author want to tell us in the last paragraph?
A.Small thrills in daily life are worth a try as well.
B.We had better go abroad to experience canyoning.
C.Canyoning is not suitable for everyone.
D.America is the most proper place to experience adventures.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan (大都市的) Museum of Art (the Met) is located in New York City and is the largest art museum in the United States, and is among the most visited art museums in the world. Today, art comes alive in the Museum’s galleries and through its exhibitions and events, revealing both new ideas and unexpected connections across time and cultures.
Open Seven Days a Week
Sunday - Thursday: 10 am - 5:30 pm
Friday and Saturday: 10 am - 9 pm
Closed Thanksgiving Day, December 25, January 1, and the first day in May.
Suggested Admission
If you buy tickets at a museum ticket counter, the amount you pay is up to you.
Adults $ 25
Seniors (65 and over) $ 17
Students $ 12
Members (Join Today!) Free
Children (under 12; accompanied by an adult) Free
Exhibitions are free with Museum admission.
Avoid waiting in admission lines! By buying tickets online you agree to pay our suggested prices.
Groups: Advance reservations are required for all adult and student groups of 10 or more, and for any third-party guided tours, regardless of size.
1.Which day is suitable for you to visit the Museum?
A.January 1. B.May 1. C.November 4. D.December 25.
2.How much are you supposed to pay as a new member?
A.25 dollars. B.17 dollars. C.12 dollars. D.0 dollars.
3.What is the requirement for student groups’ visit?
A.Reserve the tickets in advance.
B.The group consists of no more than 10 students.
C.At least 10 student groups can visit it in advance.
D.The student must be guided by their teacher.
阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
It was the first time that my father had asked me to help him. By the time we finished, herring (鲱鱼) covered the bottom of the boat as deep as my knees. For the first time in days, my father seemed happy.
Then he looked at the western sky, and his smile disappeared.
They are called Northwesters. They're storms that sweep out of Canada hard and fast. No one can predict their arrival. All fishermen fear them.
“We're going back,” my father said.
He started the motor. We were only two miles out, but the shore looked to me to be as far away as the moon. Over the distant hills, black clouds ran toward us like wild horses. My father set a course directly for them.
We made it only halfway home before we met the storm.
The wind came first. It lifted the lake in whitecaps. The weight of the herring made us ride low in the water, and the waves broke over our bow(船头).
By the time the rain came, we'd put more distance behind us. Although we were now only half a mile from shore, the rain fell so hard that we couldn't see the land.
I was scared, but I saw my father sitting straight in the stern(船尾), holding the boat steady into the wind, and I felt hopeful.
I was starting to think we were going to make it. That's when the motor died. My father tried many times to restart it, but failed. I saw that the boat was coming about. I knew what that meant.
We would sink in no time.
"Grab an oar(浆), "he shouted above the wind.
We set the oars in the locks and began to pull hard. My father dug his oar into the water, bringing the boat around, bow into the wind again. With all my strength, I pulled on my own oar.
The wind pushed hard against us. We seemed to be fighting the anger of the whole lake.
注意:
1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2 应使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4. 续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:
I was tired.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
My mother rushed through the rain to greet us.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
假设你是李华，一批外国交流生将来你校学习一周。为帮助他们尽快适应学校生活，校学生会将举办一场欢迎晚会。请你代表学生会用英语在晚会上简短致词，内容包括：
1.表示热烈欢迎；
2.学校课外活动；
3.体验活动：体验海南文化特色如观看琼剧，品尝美食等。
注意:1.词数80左右；
2.可以适当增加细节,使行文流畅。
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（不多于3个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
Earthquakes can be destructive. Unfortunately, we don’t have a 1.(rely) way to predict. But technologies can still help us under such a desperate situation. China is building the world’s largest earthquake alert system and it’s2.(possible) the most advanced. Engineers3.(set) up over 15000 sensors（传感器） nationwide and writing them into a web. Once4. earthquake happens, the sensors can send electrical pulses to the control center and then ordinary people’s smart phones.
The signal travels at almost light speed and faster than the earthquake shaking,5.(give) local people a little time to prepare, and the system can usually send messages to people in less than two seconds. It’s life-saving. The system,6.can be the most advanced in many ways, will be the largest earthquake observation network in the world, not only detecting the movement of the7.(continent) but also calculating the possible impact8.an earthquake. It will automatically warn local people, making9.(it) much faster than human observation. The system, overseen by China’s Ministry of Emergency Management, is set 10.(complete) in 2022.
