I log onto a computer at the doctor's office to say I have arrived and then wait until a voice calls me into the examination room.
There, a robotic nurse directs me onto a device and then takes my blood pressure. Some time later, in steps the doctor, who is also a robot. He notes down my symptoms and gives me a prescription (处方). I pay for my visit using a credit card machine and return home without having met another human being.
When I call my dentist's office and actually get a human being on the line, I am thrilled. And when I see the introduction of yet more self-service checkout stations at the grocery store, I feel like shouting, "When it comes to cashiers, make mine human, please!"
After all, human cashiers sometimes give you a store coupon (优惠券) for items you are buying. Even more than that, real-life cashiers often take an interest in particularly cute children, which can brighten a young mother's day. A cashier may also show compassion (同情)for an elderly person struggling to get that last penny out of her purse.
What technological device would do any of this? I don't want to go back to the Stone Age, but I'm also worried about a world run by machines. Sometimes when you're chatting with someone, you discover things you need to know. Maybe a receptionist needs prayers said for a sick child. Maybe a salesperson can offer a bit of encouragement to a customer who is feeling tired.
Machines can be efficient and cost-effective and they often get the job done just fine. But they lack an element so important to everyday life.
Call it the spirit, the soul or the heart. It is something no machine will ever have. It is being human that prompts us to smile at others, which may be what they need at that moment.What's the author's purpose in writing the first two paragraphs?
| A．To indicate high technology can make our future life very easy. |
| B．To describe a possible future scene where robots take control of our life. |
| C．To warn readers of the possible dangers of robotic nurses and doctors. |
| D．To predict how technology can affect the way we see a doctoring the future. |
Why does the author prefer being served by humans rather than by robots?
| A．Robots are indifferent and emotionless. |
| B．Robots can't provide efficient services. |
| C．Robots don't offer to give store coupons. |
| D．Robots are unable to do a job as well as humans. |
What's the author's attitude towards machines?
| A．He wishes one day they would come to life. |
| B．He is absolutely against their existence in his life. |
| C．He doesn't like they get involved in his life too much. |
| D．He is afraid they would take the place of human beings. |
Educating girls quite possibly produces a higher rate of return than any other investment(投
资)available in the developing world．Women’s education may be an unusual field for experts On economy(经济)，but improving women’s contribution to development is actually as much all economic as a social business．And economics provides an explanation for why so many girls are
deprived of an education．
Parents in low-income countries fail to invest in their daughters because they do not expect them to make all economic contribution to the family：girls grow up only to marry into somebody
else’s family and bear children．Girls are thus seen as less valuable than boys and are kept at home to do housework while their brothers are sent to school．Ignoring women’s education is therefore in a bad circle．
An educated mother, on the other hand, has greater earning abilities outside the home and faces an entirely different set of choices．She is likely to have fewer but healthier children and can insist on the development of all her children, making sure that her daughters are given a fair chance．The education of her daughters then makes it much more likely that the next generation of girls，as well as of boys，will be educated and healthy．The bad circle is thus changed into a good
circle．
Educating women has great social benefits and great economic advantages as well．Most obviously, there is the direct effect of education on the wages of female workers．Wages rise by 10 to 20 per cent for each additional year of schooling．Such big returns are impressive by the standard of other available investments，but they are just the beginning．Educating women also has a significant effect on health practices, including family planning．
63．The author argues that educating girls in developing countries is．
A．troublesome B．labor-saving C．rewarding D．expensive
64．The author believes that a bad circle can turn into a good circle when．
A. women care much more about education
B. girls can gain equal access to education
C. a family has fewer but healthier children
D. parents can afford their daughters' education
65．What does the underlined phrase“deprived of”mean in Paragraph One?
A．supplied with B． included in C．kept away from D．devoted to
66．The passage mainly discusses .
A. unequal treatment of boys and girls in developing countries
B. the potential earning power of well-educated women
C. the major contributions of educated women to society
D. the economic and social benefits of educating women
Big football matches are always exciting affairs．Besides the action on the field, the noise the crowd makes really creates the unique atmosphere．At this summer’s World Cup, you can be sure that every country’s fans will be in full voice，supporting their teams．
The football chant(口号)is as old as the sport itself．It’s a way for fans to express their support for their team．It’s not uncommon for the noise of supporters to provide the encouragement for a team to win a match．Most agree that a chant is for building a great atmosphere and to support the team．
One of the most famous football songs is the Liverpool club anthem(颂歌)You’Never Walk Alone，originally from a 1945 Broadway show，which was adopted by Liverpool and is sung
before every match．It has been said that as soon as the opposite hears the song，they become
aware of how tough winning at Anfield (Liverpool’s stadium)will be．
The key to a good football song is that it should be simple．It has to he easy for all fans to
sing along with．When I went to watch Beijing Guo’an last season, I could join in one chant
though I could only speak a little Chinese．“Beijing wo ai ni。”the Guo'an fans sang—you
didn't have to be gifted to work out what that meant.
At the World Cup，the first songs you’ll hear at matches will he the national anthems．Fans and players join together to sing the anthems before each match, and it is considered a mark of
respect that the opposite remains silent while each team's an them is being sung．
So, even though I’ll be supporting England from home in the summer, you can be sure I'll be
chanting at my TV：“En-ger-land, En-ger-land, En-ger-land!”
59．From the passage we can learn that．
A．a good football chant is usually very long
B．the football chant can express support to the team
C．the football chant appears later than football itself
D．a fan is talented to learn foreign languages
60．What can fans do to support their team?
A．To kick the ball on the field．
B．To fight with the opposition fans．
C．To provide encouragement with chants．
D．To donate money to the players．
61．Why the national anthems of both the teams can be heard at the world Cup?
A．Because it is a sign to show the respect to each other．
B．Because it is sung for the leaders of the host country．
C．Because it represents encouragement from their fans．
D．Because either team senses the support from country．
62．Which of the following is the best title?
A．You’ll Never“Cheer”Alone
B．National Anthems at Matches
C．You’ll Never Walk Alone
D．Football—A Popular Sport
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56．If you want to find more information about hotels with breakfast, which of the following websites can you go to ?
A．www.HIExpress. Com/HongKong B．www.agoda.com/Hong-Kong-hotels
C．Four Seasons.com/hongkong D．Booking.com/hotels-hong-kong
57．At a discounted hotel, how much can you save for a room for HK$200per night?
A．HK$150 B．HK$100 C．HK$50 D．HK$75
58．From the ads above we know that
A．Hong Kong Hotels guarantee low rates and free computers
B．guests can give reviews on the hotel they have lived in
C．booking a hotel online is quite a special offer
D．experience in Hong Kong is an expensive night
Dear Economist,
My newly-wedded wife and I are deeply in love. There is, however, one issue that threatens the happiness of our marriage. I absolutely insist on shopping at Walmart. My wife, meanwhile, would rather avoid Walmart at all costs.
I have recently tried to convince her that not only does Walmart offer the lowest prices known to man, but that the chain is also a force for good―lower prices mean better standards of living for all consumers, increased global trade means a tighter-knit(紧密团结的) international community, and efficient operations translate into higher productivity growth for the economy. My wife complains about poor labour policies, the “fact” that Walmart squeezes suppliers, and that it puts local shops out of business.
Who is right? Will our marriage survive?
Brian Gee
Dear Brian,
I have to agree with you about Walmart. Jason Furman, then an economist at New York University, now an adviser to President Obama, famously argued in 2005 that Walmart was unwittingly (不知不觉地) a progressive success story. The chain’s prices don’t much affect me (I prefer Whole Foods) but Furman estimated that they benefited low-and-middle-income Americans to the sum of around $250 billion a year.
Walmart does not pay much, so it may depress wages. Then again, it may increase wages by offering jobs to the otherwise-unemployed. Either way, the benefits of low prices to Walmart shoppers far outweigh any seemingly reasonable costs to Walmart employees. And while it is true that Walmart employees tend to be poor, the same is true of Walmart shoppers.
Armed with this information you can face your wife with confidence. You are sure to win the conversation. The divorce is likely to be more argued.
Economist
68. What concerns Brian Gee so much that he wrote the letter?
A. His wife refuses to shop at Walmart.
B. They are faced with a divorce.
C. They can’t afford the costs of shopping at Walmart.
D. They are in conflict about shopping at Walmart.
69. Brian Gee’s wife tends to hold the opinion that _________.
A. it is wrong for Walmart to depress its employees’ wages
B. consumers’ lives have improved thanks to Walmart
C. Walmart’s business operation increases productivity in economy
D. Walmart’s business increases global trade
70. What can be inferred from the reply letter?
A. Some employees accept the low pay to keep the job.
B. Walmart appeals to only poor consumers and poor employees.
C. Employees suffer from Walmart’s low prices more than consumers.
D. Jason Furman, a New York University economist, spoke highly of Walmart.
To be able to motivate oneself, or self-motivate, occurs when a person has the willingness to do something and is internally(内在地) motivated to do it.
Sometimes it’s very difficult to get ourselves moving. The natural tendency is to postpone. Life just seems to get in the way! There is a job to go to, groceries to do, television to watch—whoops! I guess we get pretty good at finding excuses to escape getting started on goals like an exercise routine or reading a new book. The fact is that we are creatures of routine and habit. So what can we do to motivate ourselves to accomplish our goals?
Here are some tips on how to get moving:
lDecide what you want. It’s hard to motivate an aimless mind. Set a goal and decide how you are going to go about it. Then break it down into smaller sections so it’s easier to handle and less overwhelming.（势不可挡）
lKeep track of your progress. Keep a log or journal where you can measure how much you have accomplished. Looking at it can also motivate you to keep pushing ahead.
lPost motivating pictures or slogans within your sight. It is always inspiring to see pictures of people who have accomplished what you’re going for. It makes it attainable and realistic. Likewise, little slogans like “go for it” or “just do it” can give you the little support you need.
lSometimes we forget what we set out to do and a little reminder is all we need to be revitalized (激活) and focus on the end result. If you remind yourself to go for the desired promotion, it will re-establish why you are doing what you’re doing.
lMake it a habit. Once you have accomplished your objective, e.g. becoming an early riser, keep it up so that it’s second nature to you and you don’t have to think about it anymore.
64. According to the author, some people fail to achieve their goals because ________.
A. they don’t have enough desire
B. their life is filled with routine work
C. they benefit from the force of habit
D. they naturally put off forming new habits
65. It can be inferred from the underlined sentence that ________.
A. self-motivation needs repeated self-reminding of one’s goal
B. in modern society people tend to become forgetful
C. when we forget our goal, our life becomes meaningless
D. we can achieve our goal only by focusing on the end result
66. To get moving on your goal, you can do the following EXCEPT ________.
A. keep a diary to clearly judge your distance to your goal
B. make self-improvement your second nature
C. forget your aim and revitalize yourself with slogans
D. support yourself by hanging inspiring pictures in your house
67. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A. Set Goals in Your Life B. Get Yourself Motivated
C. Get into Good Habits D. Do Not Postpone