Very soon a computer will be able to teach you English. It will also be able to translate any language for you，too. It's just one more incredible result of the development of microprocessors - those tiny parts of a computer commonly known as "silicon chips". So give up going to classes, stop buying more textbooks and relax. In a couple of years you won't need the international language of English.
Already Texas Instruments in the United States is developing an electronic translation machine. Imagine a Spanish secretary, for example, who wants to type a letter from the boss to a businessman in Sweden. All he or she will have to do is this: first type the letter in Spanish. The letter will appear on a television screen. After a few seconds the translated letter will appear on another television screen in Stockholm in perfect Swedish.
And that's not all. Soon a computer will be able to teach you English, if you really want to learn the language. You'll sit in front of a television screen and practice endless structures. The computer will tell you when you are correct and when you are wrong. It will even talk to you because the silicon chips can change electrical impulses into sounds. And clever programmers can predict the responses you, the learner, are likely to make.
So think of it．You will be able to teach yourself at your own pace．You will waste very little time，and you can work at home．And if after all that，you still can't speak English，you can always use the translating machine．In a few years，therefore，perhaps there will be no need for BBC Modern English，or BBC English by Radio programmes - no more textbooks or teachers of English．Instead of buying an exciting new textbook，the computer will ask you to replace it with a microprocessor．Fast，reliable and efficient language learning and translating facilities will be available to you．Think of that，no more tears or embarrassing moments．One little problem is that a computer can't laugh yet - but the scientists are working on it．Happy learning！According to the writer, "you won't need the international language of English" because _____.
| A．learning English will no longer be a difficult task |
| B．textbooks are no longer necessary |
| C．it's better to buy a computer than to go to classes |
| D．the computer will be able to translate any language for you |
You will _____ if you use a computer to learn the language.
| A．waste much of your time |
| B． speak better English |
| C．need no translating machine |
| D．do everything at your own pace |
This passage is mainly about _____
| A．someone who learns English with the help of a computer |
| B．the computer teaching the language |
| C．fast, reliable and efficient language learning |
| D．what language learning could be like when computerized |
Preparing Cities for Robot Cars
The possibility of self-driving robot cars has often seemed like a futurist's dream, years away from materializing in the real world. Well, the future is apparently now. The California Department of Motor Vehicles began giving permits in April for companies to test truly self-driving cars on public roads. The state also cleared the way for companies to sell or rent out self-driving cars, and for companies to operate driverless taxi services. California, it should be noted, isn't leading the way here. Companies have been testing their vehicles in cities across the country. It's hard to predict when driverless cars will be everywhere on our roads. But however long it takes, the technology has the potential to change our transportation systems and our cities, for better or for worse, depending on how the transformation is regulated.
While much of the debate so far has been focused on the safety of driverless cars(and rightfully so), policymakers also should be talking about how self-driving vehicles can help reduce traffic jams, cut emissions(排放) and offer more convenient, affordable mobility options. The arrival of driverless vehicles is a chance to make sure that those vehicles are environmentally friendly and more shared.
Do we want to copy - or even worsen - the traffic of today with driverless cars? Imagine a future where most adults own individual self-driving vehicles. They tolerate long, slow journeys to and from work on packed highways because they can work, entertain themselves or sleep on the ride, which encourages urban spread. They take their driverless car to an appointment and set the empty vehicle to circle the building to avoid paying for parking. Instead of walking a few blocks to pick up a child or the dry cleaning, they send the self-driving minibus. The convenience even leads fewer people to take public transport - an unwelcome side effect researchers have already found in ride-hailing(叫车) services.
A study from the University of California at Davis suggested that replacing petrol-powered private cars worldwide with electric, self-driving and shared systems could reduce carbon emissions from transportation 80% and cut the cost of transportation infrastructure(基础设施) and operations 40% by 2050. Fewer emissions and cheaper travel sound pretty appealing. The first commercially available driverless cars will almost certainly be fieldedby ride-hailing services, considering the cost of self-driving technology as well as liability and maintenance issues(责任与维护问题). But driverless car ownership could increase as the prices drop and more people become comfortable with the technology.
Policymakers should start thinking now about how to make sure the appearance of driverless vehicles doesn't extend the worst aspects of the car-controlled transportation system we have today. The coming technological advancement presents a chance for cities and states to develop transportation systems designed to move more people, and more affordably. The car of the future is coming. We just have to plan for it.
（1）According to the author, attention should be paid to how driverless cars can __________.
| A． |
help deal with transportation-related problems |
| B． |
provide better services to customers |
| C． |
cause damage to our environment |
| D． |
make some people lose jobs |
（2）As for driverless cars, what is the author's major concern?
| A． |
Safety. |
| B． |
Side effects. |
| C． |
Affordability. |
| D． |
Management. |
（3）What does the underlined word ＂fielded＂ in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
| A． |
Employed. |
| B． |
Replaced. |
| C． |
Shared. |
| D． |
Reduced. |
（4）What is the author's attitude to the future of self-driving cars?
| A． |
Doubtful. |
| B． |
Positive. |
| C． |
Disapproving. |
| D． |
Sympathetic. |
Plastic-Eating Worms
Humans produce more than 300 million tons of plastic every year. Almost half of that winds up in landfills(垃圾填埋场), and up to 12 million tons pollute the oceans. So far there is no effective way to get rid of it, but a new study suggests an answer may lie in the stomachs of some hungry worms.
Researchers in Spain and England recently found that the worms of the greater wax moth can break down polyethylene, which accounts for 40% of plastics. The team left 100 wax worms on a commercial polyethylene shopping bag for 12 hours, and the worms consumed and broke down about 92 milligrams, or almost 3% of it. To confirm that the worms' chewing alone was not responsible for the polyethylene breakdown, the researchers made some worms into paste(糊状物) and applied it to plastic films. 14 hours later the films had lost 13% of their mass - apparently broken down by enzymes (酶) from the worms' stomachs. Their findings were published in Current Biologyin 2017.
Federica Bertocchini, co-author of the study, says the worms' ability to break down their everyday food - beeswax - also allows them to break down plastic. ＂Wax is a complex mixture, but the basic bond in polyethylene, the carbon-carbon bond, is there as well, ＂she explains, ＂The wax worm evolved a method or system to break this bond. ＂
Jennifer DeBruyn, a microbiologist at the University of Tennessee, who was not involved in the study, says it is not surprising that such worms can break down polyethylene. But compared with previous studies, she finds the speed of breaking down in this one exciting. The next step, DeBruyn says, will be to identify the cause of the breakdown. Is it an enzyme produced by the worm itself or by its gut microbes(肠道微生物)?
Bertocchini agrees and hopes her team's findings might one day help employ the enzyme to break down plastics in landfills. But she expects using the chemical in some kind of industrial process - not simply ＂millions of worms thrown on top of the plastic.＂
（1）What can we learn about the worms in the study?
| A． |
They take plastics as their everyday food. |
| B． |
They are newly evolved creatures. |
| C． |
They can consume plastics. |
| D． |
They wind up in landfills. |
（2）According to Jennifer DeBruyn, the next step of the study is to .
| A． |
identify other means of the breakdown |
| B． |
find out the source of the enzyme |
| C． |
confirm the research findings |
| D． |
increase the breakdown speed |
（3）It can be inferred from the last paragraph that the chemical might .
| A． |
help to raise worms |
| B． |
help make plastic bags |
| C． |
be used to clean the oceans |
| D． |
be produced in factories in future |
（4）What is the main purpose of the passage?
| A． |
To explain a study method on worms. |
| B． |
To introduce the diet of a special worm. |
| C． |
To present a way to break down plastics. |
| D． |
To propose new means to keep eco-balance. |
Find Your Adventure at the Space and Aviation(航空) Center
If you're looking for a unique adventure, the Space and Aviation Center (SAC) is the place to be. The Center offers programs designed to challenge and inspire with hands-on tasks and lots of fun.
More than 750,000 have graduated from SAC, with many seeking employment in engineering, aviation, education, medicine and a wide variety of other professions. They come to camp, wanting to know what it is like to be an astronaut or a pilot, and they leave with real-world applications for what they're studying in the classroom.
For the trainees, the programs also offer a great way to earn merit badges(荣誉徽章). At Space Camp, trainees can earn their Space Exploration badge as they build and fire model rockets, learn about space tasks and try simulated(模拟) flying to space with the crew from all over the world. The Aviation Challenge program gives trainees the chance to earn their Aviation badge. They learn the principles of flight and test their operating skills in the cockpit(驾驶舱) of a variety of flight simulators. Trainees also get a good start on their Wilderness Survival badge as they learn about water- and land-survival through designed tasks and their search and rescue of ＂downed＂ pilot.
With all the programs, teamwork is key as trainees learn the importance of leadership and being part of a bigger task.
All this fun is available for ages 9 to 18. Families can enjoy the experience together, too, with Family Camp programs for families with children as young as 7.
Stay an hour or stay a week - there is something here for everyone!
For more details, please visit us online at www.oursac.com.
（1）Why do people come to SAC?
| A． |
To experience adventures. |
| B． |
To look for jobs in aviation. |
| C． |
To get a degree in engineering. |
| D． |
To learn more about medicine. |
（2）To earn a Space Exploration badge, a trainee needs to .
| A． |
fly to space |
| B． |
get an Aviation badge first |
| C． |
study the principles of flight |
| D． |
build and fire model rockets |
（3）What is the most important for trainees?
| A． |
Leadership. |
| B． |
Team spirit. |
| C． |
Task planning. |
| D． |
Survival skills. |
My First Marathon（马拉松）
A month before my first marathon, one of my ankles was injured and this meant not running for two weeks, leaving me only two weeks to train. Yet, I was determined to go ahead.
I remember back to my 7th year in school. In my first P.E. class, the teacher required us to run laps and then hit a softball. I didn't do either well. He later informed me that I was ＂not athletic＂.
The idea that I was ＂not athletic＂ stuck with me for years. When I started running in my 30s, I realized running was a battle against myself, not about competition or whether or not I was athletic. It was all about the battle against my own body and mind. A test of wills!
The night before my marathon, I dreamt that I couldn't even find the finish line. I woke up sweating and nervous, but ready to prove something to myself.
Shortly after crossing the start line, my shoe laces(鞋带) became untied. So I stopped to readjust. Not the start I wanted!
At mile 3, I passed a sign: ＂GO FOR IT, RUNNERS!＂
By mile 17, I became out of breath and the once injured ankle hurt badly. Despite the pain, I stayed the course walking a bit and then running again.
By mile 21, I was starving!
As I approached mile 23, I could see my wife waving a sign. She is my biggest fan. She never minded the alarm clock sounding at 4 a.m. or questioned my expenses on running.
I was one of the final runners to finish. But I finished! And I got a medal. In fact, I got the same medal as the one that the guy who came in first place had.
Determined to be myself, move forward, free of shame and worldly labels(世俗标签), I can now call myself a ＂marathon winner＂.
（1）A month before the marathon, the author ____________.
| A． |
was well trained |
| B． |
felt scared |
| C． |
made up his mind to run |
| D． |
lost hope |
（2）Why did the author mention the P.E. class in his 7th year?
| A． |
To acknowledge the support of his teacher. |
| B． |
To amuse the readers with a funny story. |
| C． |
To show he was not talented in sports. |
| D． |
To share a precious memory. |
（3）How was the author's first marathon?
| A． |
He made it. |
| B． |
He quit halfway. |
| C． |
He got the first prize. |
| D． |
He walked to the end. |
（4）What does the story mainly tell us?
| A． |
A man owes his success to his family support. |
| B． |
A winner is one with a great effort of will. |
| C． |
Failure is the mother of success. |
| D． |
One is never too old to learn. |
We've all been there：in a lift，in line at the bank or on an airplane，surrounded by people who are，like us，deeply focused on their smartphones or，worse，struggling with the uncomfortable silence．
What's the problem？ It's possible that we all have compromised conversational intelligence． It's more likely that none of us start a conversation because it's awkward and challenging， or we think it's annoying and unnecessary． But the next time you find yourself among strangers， consider that small talk is worth the trouble． Experts say it's an invaluable social practice that results in big benefits．
Dismissing small talk as unimportant is easy， but we can't forget that deep relationships wouldn't even exist if it weren't for casual conversation． Small talk is the grease （润滑剂） for social communication， says Bernardo Carducci， director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast． "Almost every great love story and each big business deal begins with small talk，" he explains． "The key to successful small talk is learning how to connect with others， not just communicate with them．"
In a 2014 study， Elizabeth Dunn， associate professor of psychology at UBC， invited people on their way into a coffee shop． One group was asked to seek out an interaction（互动） with its waiter； the other， to speak only when necessary． The results showed that those who chatted with their server reported significantly higher positive feelings and a better coffee shop experience．"It's not that talking to the waiter is better than talking to your husband，" says Dunn．"But interactions with peripheral（边缘的） members of our social network matter for our well﹣being also．"
Dunn believes that people who reach out to strangers feel a significantly greater sense of belonging， a bond with others． Carducci believes developing such a sense of belonging starts with small talk．"Small talk is the basis of good manners，" he says．
（1）What phenomenon is described in the first paragraph？
| A． |
Addiction to smartphones． |
| B． |
Inappropriate behaviours in public places． |
| C． |
Absence of communication between strangers． |
| D． |
Impatience with slow service． |
（2）What is important for successful small talk according to Carducci？
| A． |
Showing good manners． |
| B． |
Relating to other people． |
| C． |
Focusing on a topic． |
| D． |
Making business deals． |
（3）What does the coffee﹣shop study suggest about small talk？
| A． |
It improves family relationships． |
| B． |
It raises people's confidence． |
| C． |
It matters as much as a formal talk． |
| D． |
It makes people feel good． |
（4）What is the best title for the text？
| A． |
Conversation Counts |
| B． |
Ways of Making Small Talk |
| C． |
Benefits of Small Talk |
| D． |
Uncomfortable Silence |