A big sandstorm hit northern China several months ago. It covered many cities with thick clouds of yellow dust（尘土）.
The storm, which came from Mongolia, was the largest sandstorm in China in the past 10 years. Many flights and classes were canceled because the visibility（能见度）was lower than 500 meters.
A big sandstorm, from Mongolia, hit northern China several months ago. It was the largest sandstorm in China in the past 10 years. Many flights and classes were canceled because the visibility（能见度）was lower than 500 meters.
The storm was the result of warm and dry weather in the area, together with the strong winds from Mongolia. “There has been little rainfall so far this spring and the temperature is rising. So now it is a worrying time for sandstorms.” said an expert from Beijing.
In recent years, sandstorms haven’t been as common in northern China as before. The land with desertification has been falling by 7,585 km² per year in China, and the area of sandy land has been decreasing by 1,284 km² a year. This is thanks to China’s Three-North Shelter Forest Program（TNSFP 三北防护林工程）which started in the 1970s. Millions of trees have been planted in northern China to prevent sandstorms and protect the environment since 1980.
Besides, China has a color-graded weather warning system for sandstorms, with red meaning the most serious, followed by orange and yellow. Therefore, people would have time to get prepared for the sandstorm.
 |
| A．Cold, and wet weather, together with the strong winds. |
| B．Warm, dry weather and the strong winds. |
| C．Warm, wet weather and the strong winds. |
A． | B． | C． |
| A．In the 1980s. | B．In the 1970s. | C．In the 1960s. |
| A．Red. | B．Orange. | C．Yellow. |
| A．We have taken some action to prevent sandstorms. |
| B．Sandstorms have never changed. |
| C．The weather is getting worse and worse. |
| I. Take the medicine with water. One or two pills (片) every eight hours. Don’t take more than six pills in 24 hours. For children under six, go to ask the doctor. II. Three times a day and one pill a time. One pill before breakfast, one before 11:00 and one before sleep. Not for children under six and persons with stomachache. III. The medicine is for a person with a toothache. Two pills a time a day before sleep for adults (成人). Half (一半) a pill for children under 12. IV. Take the medicine four times a day. Four pills a time for adults with a cold. Two pills a time for children under 10. Take the medicine before each meal and before sleep. |
【小题1】Which medicine is for people with a toothache?
| A．I | B．II | C．III |
| A．toothache | B．cold | C．stomachache |
| A．6 hours | B．8 hours | C．24 hours |
| A．5 | B．8 | C．10 |
| A．None of them are good for children under 6. |
| B．Three kinds of the medicine should be taken 3 times a day. |
| C．Three kinds of the medicine should be taken before sleep. |
However，one of the most famous scientists has a very dark warning for us about this type of technology.
“The development of full artificial intelligence could lead to the end of the human race,” said Professor Stephen Hawking to the BBC.
Hawking is a well-known British Physicist and writer of bestselling science book A Brief History of Time. This warning came from a serious disease called ALS; he needs an AI computer to communicate. The computer learns how Hawking thinks and suggests the words he may want to use next.
This is a basic type of AI, which is very useful, yet Hawking fears the possibility of creating technology that can match or go beyond human intelligence. And it’s easy to imagine how terrible things may be. Many TV shows and films display big, killer machines that are far cleverer than us. “Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution(进化), couldn’t compete, ” said Hawking.
But not every scientist is pessimistic(悲观的)about AI technology. “I believe we will remain in charge of（掌控) the technology. “ The potential(潜力)of it to solve many of the world problems will be realized.” In what direction do you think AI is going? Should we be hopeful or fearful?
【小题1】Which of the following is TRUE about AI？
| A．The technology is not very popular now. |
| B．Scientists haven’t controlled the technology. |
| C．It is now much smarter than humans. |
| D．It makes our lives easier. |
| A．explain how AI has helped us |
| B．show the great hidden use of AI |
| C．show AI has already become part of our life |
| D．suggest that AI become dangerous for humans |
| A．AI: a friend or an enemy? |
| B．The development of AI |
| C．The future of human beings |
| D．The fight between humans and AI |
The word “moon” comes from the Old English word “mona” and shares a root with the word month—because the moon revolves (旋转) around the earth once a month, While the sun stays the same day after day, the moon changes every night, allowing ancient people to know the days, months and seasons.
Many of the names for moons are related to traditions of ecology (生态) and ways of life. You might have heard some of them.
Blue moon | Today, the blue moon is the second full moon in a calendar month. It’s unusual for a blue moon to come around—it only appears once every 2.7 years. So the expression once in a blue moon means “very rarely or almost never”. If something happens once in a blue moon, it happens very infrequently. However, a blue moon isn’t literally blue. |
Harvest moon | The word harvest comes from the Old English word hærfest which referred to the autumn season. In the mid 1200s, harvest became much closer to the meaning today—the gathering of crops. The expression harvest moon was accepted by 1704. Many cultures have harvest moons. In China, the Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated during the harvest moon. |
Cold moon | In most parts of the United States, January is cold. So it makes sense that the name for January translates to the cold moon. While the expression cold moon appears in many literary texts in English, it wasn’t until the early 1800s that English-language texts noted the Native American expression cold moon in relation to the January full moon. |
【小题1】What does the phrase “once in a blue moon” mean?
| A．It means “hardly ever”. | B．It means “always”. |
| C．It means “usually”. | D．It means “sometimes”. |
| A．For about 200 years. | B．For about 250 years. |
| C．For three hundred years. | D．For more than 300 years. |
| A．With animals. | B．With plants. | C．With weather. | D．With food. |
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