While the start of a new school year is always exciting, this year was even more so for some students at White Cloud Primary School. They became the world's first kids to be taught by an electronic teacher. This electronic teacher is not a humanlike robot walking around the classroom. Instead, he is a computercreated head that appears, when needed, on students' computer or phone screens. His name is Bill.
Created by technology company Smart Machines, Bill is able to show humanlike behavior. He is designed to teach a special program about environmentalfriendly power created by the sun and wind. This program, started in 2005, used to be taught by human teachers.
Just like human teachers, Bill is able to immediately respond to the students' questions and opinions about the topic. Thanks to computer cameras, he is also able to see and react to students' physical actions. For example, if a student smiles at Bill, he responds by smiling back. This twoway exchange helps get the students' attention. More importantly, it allows the program developers to improve Bill's behavior and knowledge base when needed.
The program has been a great success, according to Smart Machines spokesman Robert Frost. Frost says, “What is interesting to me is the children's reaction to Bill. He really attracts their attention.” Frost thinks kids don't find the experience of being taught by smart machines as strange as older people because they have grown up in a time of computers and smart phones.
It is doubtful, however, that human educators will lose their jobs to Bill any time soon. For one, this talking head's knowledge base is not large. More importantly, even the smartest computer programs can't guess and react to all the unexpected situations that educators face daily. Bill's future might be as a “personal tutor”， providing kids with oneonone help for different subjects and topics.
1.What is Bill?
A.A humanlike robot.
B.A kind of computer game.
C.A computer recording tool.
D.A computercreated talking head.
2.How does the twoway exchange help the program developers?
A.It lets them correct students' mistakes.
B.It allows Bill to respond more quickly.
C.It helps them know how to improve Bill.
D.It helps them study students' body language.
3.What does the word “they” refer to (指的是)?
A.Kids. B.Older people.
C.Smart machines. D.Program developers.
4.What is Bill NOT good at doing?
A.Attracting students' attention.
B.Understanding students' body language.
C.Responding to students' questions.
D.Dealing with unexpected situations.
5.How might Bill be used in the future according to the last paragraph?
A.To work as human classroom teachers.
B.To encourage students' interest in computers.
C.To give students personal help with different subjects.
D.To watch over the behavior of the students in the classroom.
Here is a famous story about the Great Wall of China. The story happened in the Qin Dynasty. 1. Do you want to know more about the love story?
One day, the emperor, Qin Shi Huang, ordered his soldiers to capture some young men to build the Great Wall of China.
A young man named Fan Xiliang didn't want to get captured. He ran away from his home. He had nowhere to go and didn't know where to hide.2.
At that time, a woman named Lady Meng Jiang saw the poor man, and saved him. Fan Xiliang said thanks to Lady Meng Jiang. They fell in love with each other.3.
Unfortunately, Fan Xiliang was found and captured. He was sent to the Great Wall and worked there.
4. Winter came, but Fan Xiliang failed to return. Lady Meng Jiang prepared some warm clothes for her husband. She took the warm clothes to the Great Wall, but she didn't find Fan Xiliang.
Someone told her that Fan Xiliang had died and that he was buried in the Great Wall. 5. She cried so sadly that a part of the Great Wall collapsed and she finally found Fan Xiliang's body.
A.It was a moving love story.
B.Later on, they got married.
C.Lady Meng Jiang waited for her husband day and night.
D.He was terrified when he heard the soldiers coming towards him.
E.Lady Meng Jiang stayed by the wall and kept crying day and night.
Many people love travelling to different countries, but if you plan to go abroad, you should know how to behave in different situations around the world.
Most travellers enjoy meeting new people, but sometimes you can be rude without saying anything. In Russia, you should never shake hands in a doorway, and if you're travelling in Thailand, never touch people's heads or point your feet at people. When the Japanese meet new people, they like giving business cards—but you should read the card carefully, not just put it in your pocket.
In most countries in Europe, people expect a lot of eye contact when you talk to them, but in many Asian countries, a lot of eye contact seems unfriendly. And in South America, people usually stand quite close to each other when they talk, but in countries like the USA, you need to give people more personal space. Also, it's rude to interrupt Japanese people while they are talking to you. You must wait until they finish before you start speaking.
In restaurants in China, you can leave a bit of food on your plate. It's OK to start smoking before other people finish eating, which you mustn't do in the UK. When in India, remember to eat with your right hand. Also avoid leaving empty bottles on the dinner table in Russia—that's bad luck.
When you're travelling in Asia, if someone invites you to his or her home, don't forget to take off your shoes when you arrive. And if you visit an Arab family's home, don't admire anything valuable because your host will feel he should give it to you as a present.
With so much to think about, it's not surprising that many people prefer going on holiday in their own countries—or you might just decide to stay at home!
1.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.We can admire anything valuable in an Arab family's home.
B.In China, people cannot smoke before other people finish eating.
C.In Russia, it's impolite to shake hands with people in a doorway.
D.In the USA, people usually stand quite close to each other when they talk.
2.What will the people in the USA feel when someone stand close to them when talking?
A.Unfriendly B.Friendly.
C.Happy. D.Polite.
3.What does the underlined word “interrupt” mean in Chinese?
A.跟随 B.打断 C.附和 D.强调
4.What is the correct order of the title from Paragraph 2 to Paragraph 5?
a. Eating out
b. In the home
c. Body language
d. Face to face communication
A.bcda B.dabc C.cdab D.abcd
5.What's the best title for the text?
A.Culture shock B.Table manners
C.Public rules D.Travelling plans
在你的身边肯定有许多朋友，你和朋友之间也一定发生过一些难忘的事情。请以"An unforgettable experience between my friend and me"为题写一篇英语短文，叙述你和朋友之间的一次难忘的经历。
1. 要点：
1）这位朋友是谁；
2）你们之间发生了什么事；
3）你的感受是什么。
2. 要求：
1）文中不得出现真实姓名和学校名称；
2）词数100左右。
An unforgettable experience between my friend and me
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
[素材源自English in Mind Book 1]
赛场上的友谊
In the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, two athletes were in the long jump final. One was famous German athlete, Lutz Long and the 1. was Jesse Owens, an American from Cleveland. It was their first time to know each other. At the start of the competition, Jesse Owens had some problems 2. he stepped over the white line twice. At that time, everyone thought Lutz 3. win the game. But what happened next really surprised everyone. Lutz went directly to Jesse and told him he could do it better than anyone. Jesse was moved by Lutz's words and their next two jumps were both good. However, Jesse beat Lutz and Lutz missed the gold medal. After 4. competition, Lutz came to shake hands with Jesse. The two athletes became very good friends. When asked why he helped Jesse, Lutz said that making a new friend was more important 5. winning a gold medal.
Jesse and I went around our neighbourhood, looking at the stuff in yard sales. You wouldn't believe the great things we found and the great ______ we had!
The yard sale in our neighbourhood is one of the biggest in the region. It started with only a few families, ______ now all families within a few square kilometres participate. With more people ______ the environmental issues facing us, this event becomes very ______. People even come from out of our town.
Each family puts out things such as books, clothes, tools, furniture and even cookware. They ______ other people will find another use for the things that they no longer need.
The day was hot. We got up ______ and began walking. We stopped at Ms. Toss's house first. Her son was leaving for college this year. There were a lot of things he no longer needed. ______ had a whole bunch of video games and books. We went through his ______ and guess what? I found one of my favourite books. All I had to ______ was a quarter. What a deal!
We ______ to other houses. The street was packed with people. Everyone was ______. Think about it. It's really good for the environment and for ______, too. Instead of ______ the landfill (垃圾填埋场), many people found other uses for things that might be considered ______.
The next time you feel like an adventure, check out a yard sale. It's fun, and it's a great way to ______ things and reduce garbage.
1.A.effort B.interest C.fun D.progress
2.A.and B.so C.or D.but
3.A.realizing B.describing C.standing D.accepting
4.A.strict B.direct C.popular D.different
5.A.wonder B.hope C.train D.remind
6.A.slowly B.quickly C.quietly D.early
7.A.She B.Her C.He D.His
8.A.invitation B.collection C.achievement D.development
9.A.pay B.spend C.take D.buy
10.A.drove B.flew C.walked D.jumped
11.A.sad B.happy C.bored D.tired
12.A.people B.trees C.flowers D.animals
13.A.picking B.turning C.filling D.thinking
14.A.gift B.garbage C.prize D.toy
15.A.repair B.repeat C.reduce D.recycle
