-
“Remember, your father is only one year 1. (old) than you.” That was Mum’s usual excuse when Dad said the wrong things or did something 2. (fool).
Dad quitted drinking exactly one year before I was born. He joined a group of other people. He said they 3. (stop) drinking, too. I loved my dad 4. I hated the way his weekly meetings took him away 5. me. It seemed that they were more important to him than I was. But with my birthday coming up I thought Dad would make an 6. (except). “Can’t you miss it just this time? Saturday is my birthday!” I begged him but 7. (refuse). He said I am chairing the meeting this Saturday. We will have your party on Sunday.”
Saturday evening I sat on my bed, 8. (feel) sorry for myself. Dad started to leave, then paused and said, “Why not
come with me together tonight? It’s an open meeting. All are welcome”. 9. would I do at a meeting? But maybe I needed to see why something Dad every week mattered so much.
After we arrived, Dad announced the theme of the meeting was going to be gratitude. He told his story about giving up smoking. Later, a man 10. (call) Dave also told his story. Only then did I know it was Dad that saved his life from drinking. Showing up week after week and meeting with people, Dad was changing lives. Shame washed over me.
-
“Whatever your job is, the chances are that one of these machines can do it faster or better than you can.”
As innovation accelerates, thousands of jobs will disappear, just as it has happened in the previous cycles of industrial revolutions. Machines powered by narrow AI algorithms can already perform certain 3-D tasks (“dull, dirty and dangerous”) much better than humans. This may create enormous pain for those who are losing their jobs over the next few years, particularly if they don't acquire the computer-related skills that would enable them to find more creative opportunities. We must learn from the previous waves of creative destruction if we are to lessen human suffering and increasing inequality.
For example, some statistics indicate that as much as 3% of the population in developed countries work as drivers. When automated cars become a reality in the next 15 to 25 years, we must offer people who will be “structurally unemployed” some sort of compensation income, training and re-positioning opportunities.
Fortunately, the Schumpeterian waves of destructive innovation also create jobs. History has shown disruptive innovations are not always a zero-sum game. In the long run, the loss of low-added-value jobs to machines can have a positive impact in the overall quality of life of most workers.
The ATM paradox is a good example of this. As the use of automatic teller machines spread in the 1980s and '90s, many predicted massive unemployment in the banking sector. Instead, ATMs created more jobs as the cost of opening new agencies decreased. The number of agencies multiplied, as did the portfolio of banking products. Thanks to automation, going to the bank offers a much better customer experience than in previous decades. And the jobs in the industry became better paid and were of better quality.
This optimist scenario assumes, however, that education systems will do a better job of preparing our children to become good at what humans do best: creative and critical thinking. Less learning-by-heart and more learning-by-doing. Fewer clerical skills and more philosophical insights about human nature and how to cater to its infinite needs for art and culture.
To become creative and critical thinkers, our children will need knowledge and wisdom more than raw data points. They need to ask “why?”, “how?” and “what if?” more often than “what?”, “who?” and “when?” And they must construct this knowledge by relying on databases as cognitive partners as soon as they learn how to read and write.
Thus, the future of human-machine cooperation looks less like the scenario in the Terminator movies and more like a Minority Report-style of “augmented intelligence”. There will be jobs if we adapt the education system to equip our children to do what humans are good at: to think critically and creatively, to develop knowledge and wisdom, to appreciate and create beautiful works of art. That does not mean it will be a painless transition. Machines and automation will likely take away millions of low-quality jobs as it has happened in the past. But better-quality jobs will likely replace them, requiring less physical effort and shorter hours to deliver better results.
| No, artificial intelligence won’t 1. your children’s jobs |
| Passage outline | Supporting details |
| A 2. phenomenon | With the rise of AI, machines 3. threaten the security of people’s current jobs, making the future of the workforce look rather dark and gloomy. |
| An objective analysis | Those not skilled in computer using need to plan 4., for they are at a higher risk of losing their jobs to machines. Drivers, faced with the increasing popularity of automated cars, need to be compensated, 5. for re-employment. ATMs, though, create well-paid jobs as well as increase customers’ 6.. |
| A practical solution | Adjustments need to be made to education systems by 7. our children for the jobs 8. creative and critical thinking. 9. of learning philosophy and change in the way of learning styles will be introduced for developing critical thinkers. |
| A safe conclusion | AI won’t cost your children their jobs. Instead, it will make them more creative and 10.. |
-
Anvitha Vijay, who is only nine years old, has built two educational apps. One is Smartkins Animals, which helps many1.(child) identify more than 100 animals an 2.other Rainbow Colors, which teaches kids colors.
With the help of YouTube videos, the young girl from Melbourne, Australia, learned to code (编程)at age 7 all by3.(she). Soon, she was trying her hand at making apps. “When I first got my iPad, I 4. (attract)immediately by all the apps on it,” she told TFK. “It wasn’t long 5.I wanted to crate my own.”
Anvitha’s skills won her scholarship to attend a big tech conference hosted by Apple in San Francisco, California. There, she got tips from the professionals and went to workshops 6.she learned about the latest software for app building. all that training led to an idea for a third app. This one,7.(call) GoalsHi, inspires kids to practice good habits.
Anvitha’s goal is to continue crating technology that helps kids learn while8.(have)fun. But what’s even more 9.(importance) to her is that the world sees the power of technology in kids’ hands. “The more training we get in tech at an early age,” she says, “the10.(good)chance we will have of becoming innovation champions who will one day change the world.”
-
When I was twelve years old, my father took me to see Zig Zigler. I remember sitting in that dark hall listening to Mr. Zigler everyone’s spirits up to the ceiling. I left there feeling like I could do anything. When we got to the car，I my father and said, “Dad，I want to people feel like that.” My father asked me what I meant. I said to him, “I want to be a speaker just like Mr. Zigler,” I replied . A dream was born.
Recently, I began seeking my dream of motivating others. a four-year relationship with Fortune 100 Company as a sales-trainer and ending as a regional sales manager，I left the company at the height of my career. Many people were that I would leave after earning a six-figure income. And they asked I would risk everything for a dream.
I made my to start my own company and leave my secure position after a regional sales meeting. The vice-president of our company delivered a that changed my life. He asked us. “If a god would you three wishes，what would they be?”After giving us a moment to write down the three wishes，he then asked us，“Why do you need a ?”I would never forget the I felt at that moment. I realized that everything I had in the past had prepared me for this moment. I was and didn’t need a god’s help to become a motivational speaker. A motivational speaker was born.
Having made that decision, I was immediately . One week after I gave notice, my husband was laid off from his job, and now we had no . But I held fast to my dream. The wonder really began to happen. In a short time my husband found a better job. And I was able to book several engagements with new customers. I discovered the incredible power of dreams.
1.A. rise B. throw C. put D. raise
2.A. turned to B. tended to C. turned down D. glared at
3.A. get B. want C. make D. cheer
4.A. exciting B. motivational C. sensitive D. surprising
5.A. sadly B. angrily C. disappointedly D. proudly
6.A. After B. Before C. Because D. For
7.A. ending B. completing C. beginning D. regarding
8.A. disappointed B. worried C. surprised D. delighted
9.A. if B. how C. why D. that
10.A. plan B. promise C. decision D. mind
11.A. attending B. joining C. entering D. holding
12.A. newspaper B. book C. report D. speech
13.A. deliver B. offer C. supply D. provide
14.A. help B. job C. god D. company
15.A. energy B. force C. power D. weight
16.A. searched B. wished C. expected D. accomplished
17.A. ready B. disappointed C. glad D. busy
18.A. examined B. searched C. defeated D. tested
19.A. help B. harm C. income D. money
20.A. selling B. speaking C. writing D. listening
-
When I was twelve years old, my father took me to see Zig Zigler. I remember sitting in that dark hall listening to Mr. Zigler everyone’s spirits up to the ceiling, I there feeling like I could do anything. When we got to the car, I turned to my father and said, “Dad, I want to people feel like that.” My father asked me I meant. “I want to be a motivational speaker just like Mr. Zigler,” I replied. A（An） was born.
Recently, I began seeking my dream of motivating others. a four-year relationship with Fortune 100 Company as a sales-trainer and ending as a regional sales manager, I left the company at the height of my . Many people were that I would leave after earning a six-figure income. And they asked I would risk everything for a dream.
I made my to start my own company and leave my secure position after a regional sales meeting. The vice-president of our company delivered a that changed my life. He asked us, “If a god would offer you three wishes, what would they be?” After giving us a to write down the three wishes, he then asked us, “Why do you need a ?” I would never forget the power I felt at that moment. I realized that I had accomplished in the past had prepared me for this moment. I was ready and didn’t need a god’s help to become a motivational speaker. A motivational speaker was .
Having made that decision, I was immediately . One week after I gave notice, my husband was laid off from his job, and now we had no . But I held fast to my dream. The wonder really began to happen. In a short time my husband found a better job. And I was able to book several engagements with new customers. I discovered the incredible power of dreams.
1.A．rise B．blow C．put D．raise
2.A．left B．came C．arrived D．slipped
3.A．get B．hope C．make D．cheer
4.A．that B．what C．which D．if
5.A．dream B．idea C．girl D．speaker
6.A．After B．Before C．Because D．While
7.A．beginning B．working C．acting D．regarding
8.A．life B．love C．income D．career
9.A．disappointed B．moved C．surprised D．delighted
10.A．when B．why C．if D．how
11.A．plan B．promise C．decision D．mind
12.A．attending B．joining C．entering D．holding
13.A．newspaper B．book C．report D．speech
14.A．day B．second C．week D．moment
15.A．help B．job C．god D．company
16.A．everything B．anything C．nothing D．something
17.A．alive B．dead C．missing D．born
18.A．examined B．searched C．checked D．tested
19.A．help B．harm C．income D．money
20.A．selling B．speaking C．writing D．listening
-
I was 9 years old when I found out my father was ill. It was 1994, but I can remember my mother’s words as if it were yesterday: “Kerrel, I don’t want you to take food from your father, because he has AIDS. Be very careful when you are around him.”
AIDS wasn’t something we talked about in my country when I was growing up. From then on, I knew that this would be a family secret. My parents were not together anymore, and my dad lived alone. For a while, he could take care of himself. But when I was 12, his condition worsened. My father’s other children lived far away, so it fell to me to look after him.
We couldn’t afford all the necessary medication for him, and because Dad was unable to work, I had no money for school supplies and often couldn’t even buy food for dinner. I would sit in class feeling completely lost, the teacher’s words muffled as I tried to figure out how I was going to manage.
I did not share my burden (负担) with anyone. I had seen how people reacted to AIDS. Kids laughed at classmates who had parents with the disease. And even adults could be cruel. When my father was moved to the hospital, the nurses would leave his food on the bedside table even though he was too weak to feed himself.
I had known that he was going to die, but after so many years of keeping his condition a secret. I was completely unprepared when he reached his final days. Sad and hopeless, I called a woman at the non-profit National AIDS Support. That day, she kept me on the phone for hours. I was so lucky to find someone who cared. She saved my life.
I was 15 when my father died. He took his secret away with him, having never spoken about AIDS to anyone, even me. He didn’t want to call attention to AIDS. I do.
1.What does Kerrel tell us about her father?
A. He had stayed in the hospital since he fell ill.
B. He depended on the nurses in his final days.
C. He worked hard to pay for his medication.
D. He told no one about his disease.
2.What can we learn from the underlined sentence?
A. Kerrel couldn’t understand her teacher.
B. Kerrel had special difficulty in hearing.
C. Kerrel was too troubled to focus on the lesson.
D. Kerrel was too tired to bear her teacher’s words.
3.Why did Kerrel keep her father’s disease a secret?
A. She was afraid of being looked down upon.
B. She thought it was shameful to have AIDS.
C. She found no one willing to listen to her.
D. She wanted to obey her mother.
4.Why did Kerrel write the passage?
A. To tell people about the sufferings of her father.
B. To show how little people knew about AIDS.
C. To draw people’s attention to AIDS.
D. To remember her father.
-
More than 700 years ago, a 17-year-old Italian youth followed his father and uncle on a journey to the East, dreaming about the mysteries of China. The three set 1. on a path that might have frightened even the most ambitious travellers. The young adventurer was Marco Polo.
Having a talent for languages, Marco Polo learned to speak Mongolian and Chinese. Later under the orders of Kublai Khan, he 2. (travel) far and wide across China. Along the way, he stopped 3. (record) detailed notes about the local customs, geography and values of the people, so as to report back to the Khan.
Marco Polo returned to Venice 24 years later. With 4. (count) treasures brought back from the East, he became 5. wealthy man overnight. 6. he witnessed in China aroused much interest among his countrymen. Marco Polo’s journey to China and the contents of his 7. (vivid) written book, The Travels of Marco Polo, which 8. (think) to be a fairy tale in Europe at the time, triggered a wave of European interest in the Orient.
Marco Polo’s story is both one about an explorer’s search riches and a Westerner 9. (follow) his dream to reach China. More than 700 years later, China, the once mysterious Oriental nation, is igniting the Chinese dream of many modern Marco Polos, attracted by its rapid 10. (develop) and its growing importance in the world.
-
I was only six years old when a stroke(中风)struck my father. To my mother, a peasant with eight children, the _______ seemed to have ended that day. ________ as I was and seventh born in a family of eight children, I ________ my mind on being different. After several years of study, my sisters and brothers ______ school and I was the first child to go to high school.
When I ______ high school, I wrote to the Minister of Education and Sports to ______ me for a degree. Frequently visiting his ______ for over three months, at last I was to meet the minister. I _______ that morning and told myself, “You will see the minister today!” I went to his office and the secretary told me to _____ next time. I asked, “When?” She said, “Afternoon.” At exactly 12:01 pm I was at the door, knocked and entered.
The minister had _____ a note, which was used to introduce me to the president. The following day, I went to the president’s office with a smile on my face. I ____ myself with the minister’s note and was welcomed. I _____ got the financial assistance.
My ______ to young people is simple. Be _______ to achieve your goals. I set my goal to attain a degree no matter how long it would take. If you know what you ______, you will somehow get it.
When life gets tougher, we should ____ harder and be more confident about ourselves. Always be ______ that it’s only you who know the best of yourself. Remember that it’s you who live with the _____ of the decisions you make. When you lose a _____, don’t feel depressed. You may lose some battles but finally win the war! Be the _____ to write your own story and create your own future.
1.A. goal B. world C. desire D. direction
2.A. Little B. Simple C. Naughty D. Weak
3.A. kept B. lost C. set D. changed
4.A. looked out of B. looked forward to C. got away from D. dropped out of
5.A. abandoned B. delayed. C. completed D. expected
6.A. reward B. encourage C. consider D. sponsor
7.A. house B. office C. section D. wife
8.A. stayed up B. calmed down C. woke up D. slowed down
9.A. come back B. set out C. hold on D. hurry up
10.A. borrowed B. written C. connected D. appealed
11.A. introduced B. expressed C. showed D. praised
12.A. generally B. actually C. accidentally D. finally
13.A. message B. faith C. decision D. request
14.A. easy B. brave C. practical D. popular
15.A. use B. prove C. want D. do
16.A. live B. try C. think D. guess
17.A. careful B. proud C. helpful D. aware
18.A. reasons B. results C. experiences D. concepts
19.A. friend B. game C. battle D. dream
20.A. reader B. actor C. speaker D. author
-
Keep a Checklist in Your Mind
When I was about seven or eight years old, I remember going into the barn（马厩）one evening where my father was doing jobs that he had to do regularly. I was surprised to see him ______ his hat backwards. It looked______.
When I asked Dad _________ his hat was on backwards, he smiled and gave me an explanation. It seemed there was a large water_________ for the cattle that had to be filled every day. Because it took a long time to finish it, he would _______ the water on and then go about doing other things like cleaning the barn or _______the cattle, which usually cost him twenty minutes or even more time. The__________ , of course, was that if he forgot to turn the water off, the tank would overflow, and water would be wasted and it would make a __________.
Then he told me the __________he had his hat turned around. When he finished his jobs and began to take off his work clothes, he would notice as he_________ his hat that the visor（帽舌）was not where it was supposed to be. This would_________ him the water was still running and he would go back to the barn and tum it_________.
I saw my father develop many other________over the years. And I never forgot how helpful and _________ they are. Some may have even been life-saving. As we all know, sometimes people forget things and make mistakes _______ they may try their best. Using good methods can help them________ more effectively. Instead of __________people-or yourself-for mistakes, you'd better look for some ways that will help them in ________ what they truly wish to do.
This could be practical, and as simple as a checklist. Now I've__________a lot of them, such as putting my car keys in the same place every time. It could be having someone ________ your work and it could also be a computer program that finds out whether your calculations are correct.
1.A. passing B. wearing C. holding D. taking
2.A. terrible B. ordinary C. impolite D. funny
3.A. whether B. how C. why D. where
4.A. tank B. pool C. pipe D. bottle
5.A. put B. bring C. carry D. turn
6.A. beating B. feeding C. selling D. pulling
7.A. danger B. conflict C. purpose D. secret
8.A. decision B. demand C. mess D. choice
9.A. pressure B. method C. function D. reason
10.A. raised B. removed C. held D. threw
11.A. confuse B. attract C. remind D. disturb
12.A. down B. on C. up D. off
13.A. systems B. businesses C. products D. programs
14.A. comfortable B. valuable C. expensive D. traditional
15.A. until B. because C. though D. after
16.A. operate B. reduce C. struggle D. respond
17.A. comparing B. judging C. examining D. blaming
18.A. providing B. achieving C. imagining D. treating
19.A. affected B. observed C. employed D. corrected
20.A. check B. adjust C. select D. predict
-
________his father has been away for more than one year, John can still keep doing what he needs to.
A．While B．When C．As D．Whether
come with me together tonight? It’s an open meeting. All are welcome”. 9. would I do at a meeting? But maybe I needed to see why something Dad every week mattered so much.