If you watch British television on March 15, you might be surprised to see celebrities（名人） wearing funny red noses and joking; around. But don't worry. They're not mad. It's all part of a money raising event called Red Nose Day.
Founded in 1985 by two British comedians, the aim of the event is to raise money to fight poverty and injustice in the UK and Africa. Celebrities and public figures support the event by making appearances on comic TV shows. For example, UK Prime Minister David Cameron once appeared in a music video by One Direction, which the band produced for the event.
Britons don't just raise money for charitable causes on one day a year, but they do it all year round. One way of doing so is by shopping in charity shops. These small shops sell clothes, books and household goods just like any other shop except that it's all secondhand.
There are nearly 10,000 charity shops in the UK. Their business model is simple: Anybody who has things they don't want anymore can donate them to a charity shop, where they are checked for damage, cleaned and priced. The money that is made by selling them is used for a charitable cause.
The idea of buying used clothes may sound unpleasant, but for shoppers who have less spending money, it has been a welcome option. Now, shopping at charity shops is also becoming popular with young people looking for alternative fashion. "You can find very unique clothes for a very cheap price. It doesn't bother me that other people may have worn them. I simply wash them before I wear them." said Anne Marie, a 19-year-old from the US.
So next time you spot a charity shop, why not go inside? Who knows, you might find a lovely dress for just a few pounds. Even better, you can enjoy wearing it in the knowledge tha t your money helped a good cause.
1.Why did Cameron appear in One Direction's music video?
A. To earn a living. B. To support the band.
C. To help raising money. D. To entertain the audience.
2.Where are the goods of charity shops from?
A. Local bands. B. People's donation.
C. British comedians. D. The UK government.
3.What's Anne Marie's attitude to charity shops?
A. Favorable. B. Particular.
C. Doubtful. D. Disapproving.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A. Red Nose Day. B. British celebrities.
C. Charity in Britain. D. Secondhand shops.
You use her as a shoulder to cry on. She texts you back with casual jokes. But she, Xiaoice, is only a virtual chatbot.
Xiaoice, Microsoft's latest artificial intelligence robot, was briefly released in 2014, and returnen to WeChat in 2015, where she became a big hit. Millions of young Chinese now exchange messages with her daily, The New York Times reported. On WeChat, Xiaoice is an official account. After following it, users can start text-based conversations with Xiaoice.
"Her incredible learning ability was why people loved to talk with Xiaoice," Liu Jinchang, a researcher at High-tech Research and Development Center under the Ministry of Science and Technology, told China Daily. Apart from her ability to identify photos and send emojis（表情符号）m conversations, Xiaoice gains 45 percent of her knowledge from interacting with users, China Daily reported.
Chatbot programs first appeared in the mid-1960s in the US. Driven by top tech companies, they are becoming smarter and more common. For instance, IBM's latest artificial intelligence program served as an academic consultant at Australia's Deakin University, answering students' questions about course schedules and financial aid. Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa have been used as voice assistants who can read news, play music and even make jokes for their users.
These programs are expected to move beyond smartphones, into televisions, cars and living rooms, The New York Times pointed out. However, it may take decades before scientists develop a "Samantha", the advanced chatbot seen in the fiction film Her. In the film, Samantha sparks a romantic relationship with her user played by US actor Joaquin Phoenix. Many viewers were enthusiastic about this fan tasy of virtual soul mates.
1.What does the underlined part in paragraph two mean?
A. She became a best seller.
B. She became very powerful.
C. She became a money maker.
D. She became very popular.
2.Which of the following can Xiaoice do?
A. Do housework.
B. Spread messages.
C. Identify various photos.
D. Read news to its users.
3.Which company's chatbot program can act as an academic consultant?
A. Microsoft. B. IBM. C. Apple. D. Amazon.
4.What can be learned from the last paragraph?
A. Chatbots mainly run on smartphones now.
B. It'll take decades to apply chatbots to cars.
C. Samantha is played by a US actor in the film.
D. The film Her doesn't interest many audience.
The Adler Planetarium Chicago is home to more than 35,000 square feet of exhibits. From huge models of the Solar System, to ancient astronomical instruments, to interactive adventures, Adler's exhibit galleries provides a passageway for you to explore the universe. The Adler also offers mini science exploration activities that are quick l0-minute lessons. Visitors can learn some interesting astronomical facts at}论se small activity carts.
The Adler Planetarium Chicago is the only museum in the world with two full-size planetarium theaters. Since 1930, the wonder of the stars has been visible in the historic Sky Theater. Powered by brand new Digistar 3TM technology, the StarRider Theater is a completely digital, virtual（虚拟的） outer space environment. The famous Zeiss Planetarium projector is able to accurately reproduce the movement of every aspect of the night sky.
Do's and Don'ts:
Do Take the Bus/Train: Leave the car at home for this museum trip. The Adler is located within close proximity to public transit.
Don't Miss the Doane Observatory: When weather permits, the Doane is open at the Adler for observing with its 20-inch diameter telescope:
Don't Miss Museum Special Events: The Adler offers a summer camp for kids from mid. June to August.
Ticket Price:
Adult: $ 28; child: $ 22. Book online now to Save 37%.
Regular Schedule:
Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sat.-Sun. 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Summer Hours: 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. daily.
Nearest Transit: Roosevelt Metro Station
Address: 1300 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60605
1.What's the main function of the Adler Planetarium Chicago?
A. Displaying the models of the So lar System.
B. Selling ancient astronomical instruments. .
C. Offering a passageway to explore the universe.
D. Giving lO-minute lessons to visitors.
2.What can visitors learn in the StarRider Theater?
A. The history of the Adler Planetarium Chicago.
B. The wonder of the interactive adventures.
C. The complicated Digistar 3TM technology.
D. The movement of the stars in the night sky.
3.If you want to try the Doane Observatory, you'd better _ _.
A. drive your private car
B. consider weather conditions
C. buy a telescope in advance
D. join the Adler's summer camp
4.How much will a couple and two kids at least spend to visit the Adler?
A. $ 37. B. $ 63. C. $ 72. D. $ 100.
I grew up in a family that ate dinner together every evening. Although my parents enjoyed wine, they rarely drank during the week and always in moderation（节制）.As for myself,1 wasn't interested in alcoholic drinks and neither were my high school friends.
So when I arrived on campus for my first year of university life, I was a bit shocked. Many different events had been organized for the freshmen, but they all had one thing in common-alcohol, and plenty of .it wanting to be left out, I joined a few of the events. But I always returned home early, feeling disappointed. Your personality, interests and experiences didn't matter at all, only how many alcoholic drinks you could absorb before passing out（喝醉）. It seemed shallow to me. I wanted to get to know my new coursemates, not how fast they. could down a pint of beer.
Gradually, however, I realized that real friends don't judge you by how much you can drink and there were other ways of making friends. I joined a photography society, took a first aid course, and every weekend l went cycling with a coursemate. I found that by engaging in these activities and sharing the fun of learning new skills together in a group ,I formed much stronger bonds with my new friends than even the strongest alcoholic drinks could encourage.
Another valuable lesson I learned is that it's perfectly okay to say "No" if you don't want to drink. However, in many Western societies, especially the UK, binge drinking（狂喝）has become the norm. Many people who drink don't necessarily want to, but they give in to the peer pressure(同伴压力)-they're afraid to say "No".
1.What shocked the author when he entered university?
A. The strange campus. B. The popularity of alcohol.
C. The drunken coursemates. D. The limited activities.
2.Why did the author return home early from the events at first?
A. He wasn't good at drinking.
B. He had no familiar coursemates.
C. He hated the way people got along.
D. He was left out by the organizers.
3.How did the author finally make real friends at university?
A. By saying "No" to alcoholic drinks.
B. By staying away from group activities.
C. By giving in to the peer pressure.
D. By joining people with common interests.
书面表达
“Your family are God’s gift to you, as you are to them.” 是1984年诺贝尔和平奖得主Desmond Tutu 曾就个人与家人关系说过的一句话。请认真品味这句话，然后按要求用英语写一篇短文。
内容要求：
1. 你对这句话的理解；
2. 结合具体事例说明；
3. 恰当的结尾。
注意：
1. 短文开头已给出，不计入总数；
2. 文中不能出现考生的具体信息；
3. 词数：120左右
Desmond Tutu, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, once said, “Your family are God’s gift to you, as you are to them.”, which tells us that
短文改错
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—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一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Dear American guests,
On behalf of our school, I would like to express our warm welcome to you. We are lucky to have us here in the middle of our English Week activities.
As being scheduled, we had English Talent Show today. The purpose of this programme is develop our interest in English learning and practical abilities in listening and spoken. The programme consists in the following activities: recitation, singing, word spelling, story told and so on. The Show will begin at two o’clock this afternoon at the Student Center. Dear guests, you are welcomed to take part in our activities. I hope we students will benefit great from your presence.
I sincerely hope you a pleasant time with us. Thank you.
