Anyone who commutes（通勤）by car knows that traffic jams are an unavoidable part of life. But humans are not alone in facing potential traffic jam. Ants also commute一between their nest and sources of food. The survival of their colonies（群体） depends on doing this efficiently.
"The more they are, the more food they're going to bring back. But at the same time, they might end up with traffic jam because there are too many of them.” Sebastien Motsch, a mathematician in Arizona State University said. When humans commute, there's a point at which cars become dense enough to slow down the flow of traffic, causing congestion. Motsch and his colleagues wanted to know if ants on the move could also get blocked. So they control traffic density by constructing bridges of various widths between a colony of Argentine ants and a source of food. Then they waited and watched.
The flow of ants did increase initially as ants started to fill the bridge and then stabilize at high densities. But it never slowed down, even when the bridge was nearly filled with ants. The researchers then took a closer look at how the behavior of individual ants impacted traffic as a whole. That meant cautiously tracking thousands of separate ants as they made their way across the bridge.
Motsch and his team found that when ants sense overcrowding, they adjust their speeds and avoid entering high-density areas, which prevents congestion. These behaviors may be made by pheromones （外激素），chemicals that tell other ants where a trail is. The ants also manage to avoid colliding with each other at high densities, which could really slow them down.
Can ants help us solve our own traffic problems? Not likely, says Motsch. That's because when it comes to getting from point A to point B as fast as possible, human drivers put their own goals first. Individual ants have to be more cooperative in order to feed the colony. But the research could be useful in bettering traffic flow for self-driving cars, which can be designed to be less like selfish humans一and more like ants.
1.What is the purpose of the research?
A.To compare humans with ants.
B.To see how ants, avoid traffic jam.
C.To solve the problem of traffic jam.
D.To see whether ants will encounter a traffic jam.
2.What did the researchers do before testing the ants?
A.They built bridges of different widths.
B.They made the ants on the move.
C.They watched the ants closely.
D.They got the ants blocked.
3.What is the result of the research?
A.The ants avoid entering high-density areas.
B.The ants never stop and no traffic jam happens.
C.The ants sense overcrowding and adjust their speed.
D.The ants give off chemicals to tell others where they can go.
4.What's the researchers' attitude to solving our own traffic jam?
A.Optimistic. B.Doubtful.
C.Indifferent. D.Supportive.
Every driver is familiar with the horrible blind spot problem. However, it is more than just an annoyance. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over 840,000 car accidents occur due to the blind spot. Those zones which cannot be directly observed by the driver often causes incidents that result in serious property damage and in some cases even death.
While drivers can take precautions such as adjusting the driver's seat and side mirrors properly, installing backup cameras and so on, they won't remove the invisible spots completely. Therefore, the driver will always have to carry the responsibility of being constantly aware of blind spots because failing to do that can lead to accidents.
Luckily, now there's a solution to that and it comes from a 14-year-old girl, who doesn't even have a driver's license yet. However, not being able to drive didn't prevent Alaina Gassier from understanding the important issue of traffic accidents resulting from blind spots. In fact, she knows the problem so well that she actually solved it for us. And the way she did it is nothing but genius.
Her project is called "Improving Automobile Safety by Removing Blind Spots'* and work in a relatively simple way as she explained: "I did that by having a camera behind the A — pillar of a car and the camera sent the video to a projector that projected (投射)the image onto the pillar essentially making it invisible and making the driver see behind it."
To complete this invention, she used easily attainable materials such as a webcam, projector, and 3D-printed materials that project the view from outside your vehicle onto the blind spots of your car.
Gassier was awarded for her life-saving invention. It earned her the top place in a nationwide competition for middle schoolers with the $25,000 Samueli Foundation Prize in honor of overall STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) excellence.
1.Why is the blind spot problem more than an annoyance?
A.It is familiar to every driver.
B.It cannot be seen by drivers.
C.It may cause serious accidents.
D.It is often overlooked by drivers.
2.What does the underlined word "that" in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A.Adjusting the driver's seat. B.Being constantly aware of blind spots.
C.Adjusting side mirrors. D.Installing backup cameras.
3.Which of the following statement is wrong?
A.Gassier is a student, who can't drive.
B.Gassier is talented enough to make the invention.
C.Gassier uses easily-accessible materials in her invention.
D.Gassier won first place in an international competition.
4.What can be the best title for this passage?
A.A Great Invention from A Young Driver
B.Improving Vehicle Sale by Removing Blind Spots
C.A Girl's Way to Solve the Blind Spot Problem in Cars
D.A New Generation of Cars without the Blind Spot Problem
People have always been defined by their generation. We had the baby boomers of the 1960s, followed by Generation X and then Generation Y, often referred to as millennials, and the new kids on the block are Generation Z - aged between 16 and 22. It's easy to classify these young people as all being the same, sharing the same attitudes towards life—but is that fair?
People from Generation Z, informally called "Z-ers", may be viewed by others as digital natives, incapable of real-world friendships. But they actually view themselves as hardworking, ambitious and about to change the world for the better. The previous generation, born between the mid-1980s and late 1990s - the millennials were also thought to have these characteristics. But many people view this new generation as “mini-millennials" because Z-ers are different and they have their own set of values and preferences which consumer brands need to cater for.
It's true to say that technology is playing an important part in the lives of Generation Z, particularly in the area of social media. In fact, they have not known life without it and using it to communicate, share ideas and campaign is second nature. It means they have more of a say on what we eat, drink and buy than any generation before them. These young people certainly need to be listened to by retailers （零售商） and businesses - they are the people with time on their hands and money.
But being a Z-er comes with pressure. One young person says "Many people in Generation Z have mental health issues because they're unsure what the future will bring." The future always brings uncertainties but maybe there is pressure for this generation to be the most successful ever.
1.When was a Z-er likely to be born?
A.In 1964. B.In 1975.
C.In 1987. D.In 1999.
2.What do Z-ers see themselves as?
A.Diligent and ambitious. B.Hardworking and incapable.
C.Promising and different. D.Stressed and successful.
3.What're Paragraphs 2&3 trying to argue?
A.Z-ers have known life without social media.
B.Z-ers pay too much attention to digital devices.
C.Z-ers and the millennials have the same personality.
D.Z-ers become a key driving force in the consumer market.
4.What docs the author think is the real cause of the Z-ers' pressure?
A.Their ambition to be the best.
B.Their uncertainty of the future.
C.Their addiction to digital devices.
D.Their lack of real-world friendship.
Four Places to Visit Before You Die
Santorini, Greece
It is actually an island of Cyclades. There are a lot of islands in this city and sunbathing around any of these would be an unforgettable experience. The most ideal period of the year to go to this miracle is from April to September.
Sydney
It is the most populous city of New South Wales in Australia. Its Harbor Bridge is the most famous tourist's place in the world. Every year, the celebrations of new year take place at this bridge where millions of people gather from the world to welcome the new year.
Rome
It is also called the center of Western civilization. The Colosseum(罗马圆形大剧场) which is the world's most iconic monument is also in Rome. There is no one who wishes to return from Rome without seeing this monument. Moreover, The Pantheon and Piazza Navona are also worth visiting in Rome.
Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal, located in the city of Agra in India is also called the monument of love. It was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan in love of his wife Mumtaz Mahal in 1932. It is located at the South bank of Yamuna River. Its ivory white color attracts the tourists from a distance.
1.Which of the following is a natural wonder?
A.Santorini, Greece. B.Sydney. C.Rome. D.Taj Mahal.
2.What can we learn from the passage?
A.The best time to visit Santorini is spring.
B.Sydney is the most populous city in Australia.
C.The Colosseum is a must-see of visitors to Rome.
D.All the four amazing places mentioned arc in Europe.
3.What's the main purpose of this passage?
A.To persuade people to travel before dying.
B.To introduce four amazing places worth a visit.
C.To make some comparisons of four amazing places.
D.To advertise four amazing places for a travel agency.
假定你是李华，你的家乡今年新建了一个中国民俗文化主题公园，请给你的留学生好友Mike写封邮件，邀请他一同来公园参观，内容包括:
1.时间、地点；2.参观内容:了解中国民俗文化，体验民间艺术等；3.注意事项。
参考词汇:中国民俗文化主题公园Chinese folk culture theme park
注意:
1.词数100左右；2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
Dear Mike,
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours，
Li Hua
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加:在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除:把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改:在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意:1.每处错误及其修改均仅限- -词；2.只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
After learning that you are interesting in rural life, I’ m pleased to share my thoughts to you.
Rural life has many benefit. For instance, living in the countryside saves us the trouble of get caught in traffic jams or industrial pollution. Also, we can very refresh ourselves with the beautiful and peaceful scenery. Therefore, every coin has two sides. Living in the countryside can boring. Besides, education and medical service aren’t as best as those found in the city.
Personal, I would prefer to live in the countryside to enjoy simple pleasures. I believe something is better than bathing in the sun and reading in the yard !
