In 1929, a peasant in Sichuan Province uncovered jade (玉器) and stone artifacts(手工艺品) while repairing a ditch(沟渠) located about 24 miles from Chengdu. But their significance wasn’t understood until 1986, when archaeologists unearthed two pits(大坑) of Bronze Age treasures. The discovery suggests an impressive technicality(手工技艺), said Peter Keller, a geologist and president of the Bowers Museum in California, which is currently hosting an exhibit of some of these treasures.
The treasures came from a lost civilization, now known as the Sanxingdui, a city on the banks of the Minjiang River.
“It’s a big mystery,” said Keller, who is not involved in the current study.
“Archaeologists now believe that the culture disappeared sometime between 3,000 and 2,800 years ago,” Niannian fan, a river science researcher at Tsinghua University in Chengdu, China, said.
“The current explanations for why it disappeared are war and flood, but both are not very convincing,” Fan told Live Science.
But about 14 years ago, archaeologists found the remains of another ancient city called Jinsha near Chengdu. The Jinsha site, though it contained none of the bronzes of Sanxingdui, did have a gold crown covered with fish, arrows and birds similar to golden objects found at Sanxingdui. That has led some scholars to believe that the people from Sanxingdui may have relocated to Jinsha.
Fan wondered whether an earthquake may have caused landslides that dammed the river high up in the mountains and rerouted it to Jinsha. That catastrophe may have reduced Sanxingdui’s water supply, spurring its people to move.
And some historical records support their assumptions. In 1099 B.C., ancient writers recorded an earthquake in the capital of the Zhou Dynasty, in Shanxi Province, Fan said. Though that spot is roughly 250 miles from the historic site of Sanxingdui, the latter culture didn’t have writing at the time. So it’s possible the earthquake epicenter(震中) was actually close to Sanxingdui－but it just wasn’t recorded there.
Around the same time, geological sediment(沉积物) suggest massive flooding occurred, and the later-han Dynasty document The Chronicles of the Kings of Shu records ancient floods pouring from a mountain in a spot that suggests the flow being rerouted, Fan said.
Together, the findings hint that major earthquake triggered a landslide that dammed the river, rerouting its flow and reducing water flow to Sanxingdui, Fan said.
1.In the first paragraph, the author wants to _____.
A. introduce the topic of a lost civilization
B. tel us how beautiful the jade and stone artifacts look
C. remind us to pay attention to the earthquake
D. inform us we can easily find treasures in a ditch
2.According to the passage, the following statements are true EXCEPT that ______.
A. Bowers Museum is exhibiting some of Bronze Age treasures
B. Peter Keller is the lead researcher on the study of Sanxingdui
C. some scholars think that the people from Sanxingdui may have moved to Jinsha
D. some findings support the idea that an earthquake caused a landslide, which dammed the river, rerouting its flow and reducing water flow to Sanxingdui
3.Which of the following is the most probable explanation of mystery of the disappearance of Sanxingdui’s civilization?
A. War. B. Flood.
C. Earthquake. D. Hurricane.
4.Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word “spurring” in the seventh paragraph?
A. Forcing. B. Allowing.
C. Supporting. D. Favoring.
5.What type of writing is this passage?
A. Science fiction. B. An official document.
C. A newspaper report. D. A research report.
I was born at Blunderstone, in Suffolk, in the east of England, and was given my poor father’s name, David Copperfield. Sadly, he never saw me and died six months before I was born. My early childhood was extremely happy, as my beautiful mother and kind Peggotty took care of me. But when I was about eight, a shadow passed over my happiness. My mother often went out walking, in her best clothes, with a gentleman called Mr Murdstone. He seemed to be very fond of my mother. But I knew that Peggotty did not like him.
A few months later Peggotty told me that my mother was going to have a short holiday with some friends. Meanwhile Peggotty and I would go to stay with her brother Daniel in Yarmouth，on the east coast, for two weeks. I spent a wonderfully happy two weeks there, playing all day on the beach with Emily, and sleeping in my own little bed on the ship. I am sure I was in love with little Emily in my childish way, and I cried bitterly when we had to say goodbye at the end of the holiday.
But on the way home to Blunderstone, Peggotty looked at me very worriedly. ‘she said suddenly in a trembling voice.‘I must tell you—While we’ve been away, your dear mother—has married Mr Murdstone！He’s your stepfather now!’
I was deeply shocked. I could not understand how my mother could have married that man. And when we arrived home, I went straight to my room and lay sobbing on my bed, which made my poor mother very unhappy too. As she sat beside me, holding my hand, Mr Murdstone suddenly came in.
What’s this, Chara, my love?’ he asked sternly. ‘Remember, you must be firm with the boy！I’ve told you before, you’re too weak with him!’ And when mother left the room, Mr Murdstone whispered angrily to me, ‘David, do you know what I’ll do if you don’t obey me？I’ll beat you like a dog!’ I was still very young, and I was very frightened of him. If he had said one kind word to me, perhaps I would have liked and trusted him, and my life would have been different. Instead, I hated him for the influence he had over my dear mother, who wanted to be kind to me, but also wanted to please her new husband．
1.According to the passage, what ended David’s happy childhood?
A. His father’s death.
B. Peggotty’s ignorance of him.
C. His mother’s acquaintance with Mr.Murdstone.
D. Mr.Murdstone’s love to his mother.
2.What’s the author’s tone in writing the underlined sentences in P2?
A. Serious. B. Humorous.
C. Sad. D. Regretful.
3.How did David think about Mr.Murdstone?
A. Strict and firm. B. Sensible and caring.
C. Gentle and helpful. D. Mean and unkind.
4.According to the passage, what’s most likely to be mentioned in the follwing part?
A. Peggotty’s help to David. B. Mr.Murdstone’s cruelty to David.
C. David’s fights against Mr.Murdstone. D. David’s love to mother.
From self-driving cars to deep sea explorers, more and more of humans’ tasks are being taken over by robots. But technology doesn’t stop there. In mid-August, reported the BBC, scientists from Cambridge University developed a robotic system that meant a robot could “build other robots, each one better than the previous(以前的) generation”.
The BBC noted that “those concerned about machines taking over the world shouldn’t worry”.
However, over 1,000 scientists and numerous artificial intelligence (AI, 人工智能) researchers－including UK astrophysicist Stephen Hawking and Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak of the US-brought the danger of fully autonomous weapons(自主武器), known as “killer robots”, to our attention earlier this summer.
“If any major military(军事的) power pushes ahead with AI weapon development, a global arms race is inevitable(不可避免的),” warned an open letter released at the International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence held in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Unlike drones(无人机), which need a human hand, this kind of robot would have some decision-making abilities and the ability to act by itself. While what the BBC called these “solders that never sleep” could help reduce battlefield deaths, they might also make countries more likely to go into battle, which would lead to more deaths overall, noted the scientists. The risks, they said, could be far greater than those posed by nuclear weapons.
Scientists called for a “ban on offensive(攻击性的) autonomous weapons beyond meaningful human control”, reported The Huffington Post.
In fact, in an interview with the BBC in 2014, Hawking warned that the “development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race”.
And according to the BBC, many leading thinkers have been thinking about the AI-powered killing machine of the not-too-distant future. “Killer robots could be here within years, not decades,” as Stuart Russell, professor of computer science at UC Berkeley, US, put it.
Authorities are gradually waking up to the risk of robot wars. Last May, for the first time, the United Nations brought governments together to begin talks on so-called killer robots in a hope of stopping such weapons while there is still time.
Meanwhile, there are scientists who are less worried. They believe all technologies have potential(潜力) for being used for good and evil ends, and argue that the ban called for by the open letter could close the door to developing AI technology that could save lives. “Technology can clearly do better than human beings in many cases,” Ronald Arkin, dean at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, US, told The Christian Science Monitor. “If we are willing to turn over some of our decision making to these machines, we may actually get better outcomes.”
1.What does Steve Wozniak think the future robot technology might produce?
A. Artificial Intelligence. B. Autonomous weapons.
C. Soldiers that never sleep. D. Killing machines.
2.The underlined word “spell” in Paragraph 7 is closest in meaning to “______”.
A. cause B. prevent
C. reach D. change
3.What does Stuart Russell mean by saying “killer robots could be here within years, not decades.”?
A. Killer robots will visit UC Berkeley, US sooner than expected.
B. Killer robots will be produced and used sooner than expected.
C. Killer robots will speed up the development of AI in the near future.
D. Killer robots will kill these scientists in the near future.
4.What is the main idea of the text?
A. More and more of humans’ tasks are being taken over by robots.
B. Robots have decision-making abilities and the ability to act by itself.
C. Scientists called for a ban on the development of robot technology.
D. All technologies have potential for being used for good and evil ends.
Restaurants in Miami Beach
Steve’s Pizza
So many pizza chains compete for the attention of tourists in South Beach, but ask a Miami Beach local where to get the best pizza and they’ll tell you about Steve’s. This is New York style pizza, handmade with care and good ingredients(成分). New branches of Steve’s Pizza are opening elsewhere in Miami, all in non-tourist areas.
Opening hours: 11 a.m.－10a.m.
Cattleman’s Steakhouse
This place is 20 miles east of the city, but local folks would probably drive 200 miles to eat here. The food is good, and the scenery is even better. Come early and wander around the grounds of Indian Cliffs Ranch, where you’ll see everything from rabbits to buffalo (水牛), then catch the sunset either before or after your meal.
Opening hours: 5p.m.－10p.m.
Absolute Baking & Café
The screen door is always swinging open at this town hot spot with giant breakfasts. Try the green chili on eggs – it’s made from scratch, as are the organic(有机的) breads. Lunch includes salads, big sandwiches and local grass-fed beef burgers. Don’t miss a square of soft, fresh carrot cake.
Opening hours: 7a.m.－2p.m.
Walt’s Wharf
Everybody’s favorite for fresh fish (some drive in from LA). Walt’s packs them in on weekends. You can’t make reservations for dinner (though they’re accepted for lunch), but it’s worth the wait for the tree fire–grilled seafood and steaks in the many-windowed ground floor or upstairs in captain’s chairs.
Opening hours: 11a.m.－10:30p.m.
1.The new branches of Steve’s Pizza are mainly intended for ______.
A. New Yorkers B. tourists
C. the locals D. foreigners
2.Cattleman’s Steakhouse offers the wonderful ______ as well as good food.
A. wine B. view
C. discount D. service
My sister-in-law, Sharon, recently had a good year for tomatoes. She and her family had _______ and canned so many that they’d begun to feel their skin turn slightly _______. That’s when she decided it was time to share her blessings(福气). She started calling everyone she knew. When that _______, she began asking everyone in the neighborhood like a _______, eventually finding a neighbor delighted to have the tomatoes. “Feel free to take _______ you want,” Sharon told her. Later that day, Sharon found that her garden had indeed been _______. She felt happy that she could help someone and that the food didn’t go to _______.
A few days later, Sharon _______ the door. There was the neighbor, holding a hot loaf(条) of some kind of sweet bread. The neighbor smiled pleasantly: “I wanted to thank you for all of the tomatoes, and I have to _______ that I took a few other things and hoped you wouldn’t mind.”
Sharon couldn’t think of ________ else in her garden that had been worth harvesting and said so. “Oh, but you ________,” the neighbor said. “You had some of the prettiest zucchini(西葫芦) I’ve ________ seen.”
Sharon was ________. Zucchini in her garden? They hadn’t even planted any zucchini. But her neighbor ________ that there really were bright-green zucchini in Sharon’s garden. Sharon’s curiosity ________ the better of her and she had to go see where the zucchini had grown. The two of them walked together into the backyard. When the neighbor pointed at the long green ________, Sharon smiled. “Well, ________, those are cucumbers that we never harvested, because they got too big, soft and bitter for eating or canning.”
The neighbor looked at Sharon, ________ written all over her face. She gulped(大口吸气) a few times, and then, smiling, ________ out the bread, part of a batch(批) she had shared all over the neighborhood. “I brought you a nice loaf of ________ bread. I hope you like it.”
1.A. bought B. grown C. eaten D. sold
2.A. red B. yellow C. dark D. pale
3.A. worked B. happened C. stopped D. failed
4.A. housewife B. politician C. friend D. farmer
5.A. whichever B. whatever C. wherever D. whenever
6.A. harvested B. stolen C. damaged D. cleared
7.A. shop B. factory C. waste D. soil
8.A. closed B. repaired C. left D. answered
9.A. expect B. suggest C. require D. admit
10.A. nothing B. anything C. something D. everything
11.A. could B. did C. should D. do
12.A. ever B. never C. always D. seldom
13.A. embarrassed B. pleased C. confused D. satisfied
14.A. apologized B. demanded C. replied D. insisted
15.A. took B. made C. got D. kept
16.A. flowers B. vegetables C. fields D. gardens
17.A. obviously B. actually C. naturally D. separately
18.A. shock B. delight C. excitement D. fright
19.A. gave B. pulled C. pointed D. held
20.A. tomato B. zucchini C. cucumber D. vegetable
－Would you mind me opening the window, sir?
－_______. I’m feeling a bit chilly.
A. By all means B. Not in the least
C. I’m afraid not D. I’d rather you didn’t
