AlphaGo (1) (strike) again, defeating Ke Jie, the world’s number one Go(围棋) player, 3-0. After his defeat, the young Chinese prodigy said AlphaGo sees the universe of Go (2) he could only see a small area around him. This win, coupled with last year’s victory over Lee Se-dol(李世石), shines a light on the awe-inspiring advancements of technology and places AlphaGo among the greatest Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems (3) (create) to date.The AI industry is certainly making great advancements, constantly surprising the public with new and interesting tools and making life easier. Twenty years ago, just connecting to the Internet was a headache. Now, we can do just about anything on our phones, (4) online banking to live video-streaming. The shifting sands of technology have placed so many paths in front of humanity (5) it is hard to predict even the immediate future. We may talk about how AI can make our lives better, but we must also consider the risks. Many stories and films revolve around the theme of AI vs. humans. One that comes to my mind now is The Terminator(终结者). The film is about an AI system called Skynet, (6) was developed to protect humans. What the programmers did not expect was that Skynet began to think. It came to the conclusion that humans were a danger to its existence, so it started a global nuclear war and tried to “terminate(使终结)” humanity. AlphaGo’s recent achievements highlight the possibilities (7) technology and AI can bring about. They also serve to remind us of the questions and risks we (8) not have had time to think about. Some of us used to doubt the possibility of creating an actual “thinking” AI system, or (9) (assume) that humans will always be able to outsmart an AI system, but certain facts have now been placed in front of us. (10) that’s left to be done is adapt the actual “thinking” part of advanced AI systems like AlphaGo for more fields. Once that happens, human beings will be pretty much obsolete(被淘汰的). If we do not fully understand the risks of AI systems, we might be flying too close to the “sun,” and like Icarus in Greek mythology, we will fall.A Special Menu for KidsJapan is a food heaven which has a unique food culture. You can find food from different countries worldwide in this island nation, and it is also very good at (1) (combine) foreign food with its own traditional food. You may even find some food which (2) only be found in Japan. One of them (3) (call) “Okosama Lunch,” or “Kids’ Lunch.”In majordepartment stores in Japan, there usually are many restaurants on the top floor of the building. No matter what kind of food they serve, they usually have a menu for “Okosama Lunch.” Although called a lunch, it is served at suppertime in most cases. It is said that “Okosama Lunch,” a kids’ menu, was invented in 1930 by Taro Ando, a chief manager of Mitsukoshi Department Store, the most prestigious department store in Japan founded in 1673. Ando came up with an idea to have a variety of food which kids like on one plate and decorate (4) nicely. The plate usually has molded rice with a tiny national flag chosen from one of many countries on top. Since it was during the Depression (经济大萧条), Ando thought it would be nice (5) (have) something looking good for kids to enjoy. Besides a small portion of rice, an “Okosama Lunch” usually contains kids’ favorite food, such as hamburger steak, deep-fried chicken, red Vienna sausages, Spaghetti Neapolitan, fried shrimp and pudding. The details of this special menu are different from restaurant to restaurant, resulting (6) different types of “Okosama Lunch” across the country. They (7) (design) to attract kids with popular comic characters on the plate.Now you can find “Okosama Lunch” anywhere in Japan. At some restaurants, they have (8) age limit for this fun menu and usually serve the menu only for kids under ten years old. But it really depends on your luck (9) you can enjoy this fun food or not. Next time you (10) (visit) Japan, you should try this special menu to have a good time with food and enjoy the diversity of Japanese food culture.A Star That Will Never FallRobin Williams and Christopher Reeve had been friends since they were both students at a school of performing arts. As young actors, they (1) (promise) each other that if one of them became successful, then he would help the other one. Little (2) they realize that they would both become famous, and that the promise would mean so much to Reeve one day. Williams didn’t only offer the emotional support of a genuine and close friend, but he also volunteered to pay the medical bills after Reeve was thrown from a horse during an equestrian competition (骑术竞赛). Reeve, though declining the financial offer, was touched by (3) lay behind it: the love and friendship of a precious friend. (4) (determine) to maintain a positive attitude toward his life after the accident, Reeve went through months of therapy and trained himself to breathe without the assistance of a machine. Even though his doctors said that he would never move again, Reeve continued to work hard and believe in (5) All of his efforts paid off and he was able to move his forefinger. Reeve (6) (encourage) by this exciting progress and decided to “go forward,” as he once said. His goal was to walk again. “I refuse to allow a disability to determine (7) I live my life,” Reeve once said. “I don’t mean to bereckless (不顾后果的), but (8) (set) a goal that seems a bit discouraging is actually very helpful toward recovery.” (9) Reeve passed away in 2004, he once said, “I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere (10) enormous obstacles.” Living up to his own definition of a hero, Reeve lived a life of extraordinary perseverance and refused to give up on himself.Can Computer Programs Help Students, Teachers?Junior Alvarado was worried when he began his first year at a publiccharterhigh school in Washington, DC (1) he often struggled in his math classes and earned poor grades in middle school. But the teachers at the Washington Leadership Academy used computer programs to identify the areas he was weak (2) and design a learning plan just for him. "For mepersonalized learning is having classes set at your level," the 15-year-old said, in between lessons.Many schools in the United States struggle (3) (raise) the highschoolgraduationrate. They also have difficulty helping many minority and low-incomestudents perform at the same level as (4) So many educators seedigitaltechnology as a way of solving these problems.The use of technology in schools is part of a larger idea of personalized learning, which (5) (gain) popularity in recent years.Personalized learning is a way of teaching (6) (center) around the interests and needs of individual students (7) (此题两空)entire classes as a whole. It includesflexiblelearning environments, specially-designed education plans, and (8) (let) students help decide what and how they learn. Supporters say traditional methods, (9) teachers just speak in the front of the class and test students all at once, do notmatchthe modern world. The economy needs kids who are creative problem solvers, whosynthesize information, form and express a point of view."At Washington Leadership Academy, educators use computer programs to collect information on students' performance. This information helps teachers follow their students' progress and make changes to lessons that meet students' individual needs. That way students are able to master subjects at their own speed.(10) personalized learning works better than traditional teaching remains to be seen.Living among trees, plants and flowers can fill your life with beauty. And if you are a woman, it can also help you live longer. Researchers found that women who live in homes (1) (surround) by plants appear to have lower death rates than women who live in areas with (2) (little) greenery. Researchers at Harvard University's T.H. Chan School of Public Health reported the finding. Flowers, trees and other plant life (3) help women live longer. Peter James is a research associate in the school's Department of Epidemiology. An epidemiologist is an expert in how disease spreads and how it can be controlled. James and his team looked at information from one of the largest and oldest investigations of women's health: the Nurse's Health Study. The Nurse's Health Study began 40 years ago and expanded in 1989. It now has information on nearly 200,000 women .For the new study, the Harvard team looked at the mortality rates of more than 100,000 women between the years 2000 and 2008. Then the researchers compared the mortality rates of (4) women to the greenery around their homes. (5) (determine) the amount of trees and other vegetation, researchers examined satellite images. Satellite images are a great help to scientists as they study Earth. This October 2015 image of a storm (6) (release) by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The researchers considered other risk factors – things (7) the age of the women, their economic status, race and ethnicity. They also looked at whether or not the women smoked. The study found that the mortality rate among women who lived in the greenest spaces was 12 percent lower than those from the least green areas. Peter James said he and his team were surprised to find such a strong link (8) high vegetation levels and low mortality rates. He adds they were also surprised to find how high levels of plant life can affect a woman's mental health. The study suggests that living among vegetation -- trees, flower and other plants -- lowered levels of depression. Researchers say women in greener areas spent more time with other people, exercised more and were less exposed to air pollution. One of the biggest effects of greenery appeared to be a lowered risk of respiratory disease and cancer. Here are some numbers. The study found that women (9) (live) in areas with the most greenery had a 34 percent lower rate of dying from a respiratory disease and a 13 percent lower rate of dying from cancer. James says that it is common knowledge (10) vegetation helps the environment in many ways. But, he adds, the new findings suggest ways for city planners, landscape architects and policymakers to grow even healthier living areas.One of the most (1) (captivate) natural events of the year in many areas throughout North America is the turning of the leaves in the fall. The colours are magnificent, but the question of exactly (2) some trees turn yellow or orange, and others red or purple, is something which has long puzzled scientists. Summer leaves are green because they are full of chlorophyll(叶绿素), the molecule that captures sunlight and (3) (convert) that energy into new building materials for the tree. As fall approaches in the northern hemisphere, the amount of solar energy available (4) (decline) considerably. For many trees----evergreen conifers(针叶树) (5) (be) an exception----the best strategy is to abandon photosynthesis until the spring. So rather than maintaining the now redundant leaves throughout the winter, the tree saves its precious resources and discards them. But (6) letting its leaves go, the tree dismantles their chlorophyll molecules and ships their valuable nitrogen back into the twigs(细枝). As chlorophyll is depleted, other colours that have been dominated by it throughout the summer begin to be revealed. This (7) (unmask) explains the autumn colours of yellow and orange, but not the brilliant reds and purples of trees such as the maple or sumac(漆树).The source of the red is widely known: it is created by anthocyanins(花青素), water-soluble plant pigments reflecting the red to blue range of the visible spectrum. They belong to a class of sugar-based chemical compounds also known as flavonoids (类黄酮). What’s puzzling is that anthocyanins are actually newly minted, (8) (make) in the leaves at the same time as the tree is preparing to drop them. But it is hard to make sense of the manufacture of anthocyanins----why should a tree bother making new chemicals in its leaves when it’s already scrambling to withdraw and preserve the ones already there?Some theories about anthocyanins have argued that they (9) act as a chemical defence against attacks by insects or fungi(真菌), or that they might attract fruit-eating birds or increase a leaf’s tolerance to freezing. However there are problems with each of these theories, including the fact that leaves are red for such a relatively short period (10) the expense of energy needed to manufacture the anthocyanins would outweigh any anti-fungal or anti-herbivore activity achieved.Can Better Clothes Make You More Money?After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank. American English has many expressions related to clothes. Two of the more common ones are: "Dress for the job you want, not for the job you have"; and, simply, "Dress for success." A professionalstylisttakes these ideas a bit (1) (far). She says that our clothes can influence how we feel, our confidence, even our ability to do a job. And new research supports her claim.Tara Luizzi is a personal stylist in Washington, D.C. Through her company, Tara Styles DC, she teaches her clients to find the clothingstylesthat work best their (2) bodies, careers and lifestyles. Luizzi says that, like it or not, other peoplesize us upby the way we look. In other words, they make a judgment about us (3) we even speak. And part of what they are considering is what we choose to wear. "My feeling is you don't have a second chance (4) (make) a great firstimpression. So, I think it is very important to have a look that's pulled-together andconveyswho you are and yourstatusof life, I guess."Here, "pulled-together" means that someone's appearance is well-thought out. Luizi says she feels this is very important. She notes that clothes are especially important in (5) (create) the professional image you want toconvey."No matter what, you (6) try to always walk out the door looking pulled-together – if it be on the weekend or if it be during the work week. People take you more seriously when you are pulled-together and dress to a certain level."But choosing the right clothes is not just aboutimpressingothers. A recent study suggests that people who are dressed moreformallyperform better at some work tasks. The co-authors of the study are psychologists Michael Kraus of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and Wendy Berry Mendes of the University of California, San Francisco. Kraus and Mendes compared more than 100 men fromdiverseeconomic and racial backgrounds. They asked some to dress in business suits. They asked (7) to wear sweatpants, t-shirts and flip-flops. Then the researchers asked the participants to do several work tasks. One task involved making a business deal. Those wearing suits demanded more in their business deal. The participants (8) (dress) morecasuallywere more willing toconcede, or give up. The other task was to use big picture thinking to solve a problem. The men in suits were more able to think about the big picture, the way a boss would. Those in casual clothes focused more on smaller details of the problem. This type of thinking is what you would expect from someone in a lower position. Stylist Tara Luizzi says, to her, the study makes sense. She compares clothing toarmor, what a warrior puts on for protection in battle. "When you feel confident in yourself, I think you have a better day. So, I use clothing as the armor to the world. So, let's say you're having a horrible day or you're nervous about your presentation or maybe the big meeting, if you dress in something you love or you feel great in, you're going to walk in with more confidence."In her job, Luizzi sees (9) the right outfit can change the waya person feels. When she chooses clothing for her clients that good great on them, their backs straighten. They stand taller. And they start smiling. "They just feel so much better about themselves. So, my goal with every client is to try to get that out of a person. I don't want anything in your wardrobe that makes you not happy. It should be happiness."Luizzi says that, in general, people have a powerful emotional connection to their clothes. The intensity of people's feelings about clothes and their appearance has surprised Luizzi."Many people have an emotional connection to their clothing. You know, for a lot of my clients, there's an emotional level to it in that maybe they had a bad experience when they were younger shopping. Maybe they were overweight and they (10) (lose) weight. Or maybe when they were young they couldn't afford the clothes they can afford now. I've been in dressing rooms and closets and tears have been shed because it does bring up an emotional thing. And it was something I wasn't expecting when I first started this business."Scientists have been experimenting with four-legged robots for years, (1) (try) to see if they could be used as pack animals for carrying heavy loads over a difficult terrain. But the machine's power requirements limited their potential. That's changed, with a running robot designed by a group of engineers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2) operates on batteries rather than heavy gasoline-powered engines. Scientists say their robots will soon be able to run like cheetahs. But for now, the different technologies that will bring them (3) (close) to everyday life are still being tested. One of the obstacles continues to be power consumption. These complicated machines are still relatively heavy and their numerous motors require a lot of energy to run. The (4) (powerful) among them are either tethered to a power source (5) have a gasoline-powered generator onboard. But engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (6) (design) a 30-kilogram cheetah-like robot that is light enough to run on batteries. “This robot can actually jump 40 centimeters high and it can land very safely and then it can run, sprint, (7) (此题2空)the special, motor technology we developed,” said Sangbae Kim, director of MIT Biomimetics Robotic Lab. Kim says the robot needs only about 700 watts of power. Its limbs and (8) parts were made in a 3-D printer and reinforced with the strong, light-weight plastic called Kevlar, used for modern military helmets and bodysuits. “The frame has to be very light and very stiff, so we designed this frame to handle these high forces and the high shock,” he said.But the development of MIT's robot is not without setbacks. Its limbs (9) sustain tremendous force and sometimes they break. Kim says another special feature is the custom-made motor controller. “It is also designed by us because none of the commercially available products can handle this kind of power,” he said. Researchers say the new technologies (10) (use) on this robot may find their way toartificial limbs as well as other high-tech machines being developed to replace humans at back-breaking jobs.Cricket FloursAmericans are generally unwilling to eat bugs, (1) for at least two billion people worldwide, bugs or insects are a normal part of the diet. Now, a business (2) (name) Cricket Flours in the U.S. state of Oregon (3) (sell) finely-ground crickets (蟋蟀)as human food. Charles Wilson is the founder and CEO. He says he became (4) (interest) in crickets when he learned he could not eat some common foods, including a protein powder he used to build muscle." So it struck me (5) I could look for alternative proteins. Finally, I stumbled across cricket flour."Wilson says he recognized crickets could be more than a substitute (6) protein. He sensed a business opportunity. At the time, Wilson was attending the University of Oregon's law school. He mentioned the idea to his friend, Omar Ellis, (7) was studying at the business school. At last, Ellis (8) (convince) to become a co-founder and leader of Cricket Flours .Cricket Flours is one of more than a dozen new U.S businesses in the food insects industry. Other businesses focus on cricket farming or snacks made from cricket powder."Why crickets? (9) they're very sustainable. They take one-tenth the feed and one-sixth the water to get the same amount of protein that you would get from beef. It's got more iron than spinach, more calcium than milk, (10) is quite amazing..." Mr. Wilson says cricket flour does not have a strong taste. Maybe, he says, it tastes a little like nuts.A “Robber” in Your PocketAfter school, many students walking out of the school gate tend to read a screen, with their heads bowed. Over the past decade, such scenes have become the norm. Research reveals that American teenagers look at their phones 150 times a day (1) average. Meanwhile, the number of American teenagers reporting feelings of depression has grown significantly. (2) some people blame the increase on the Great Recession following 2008 and other social changes, a big new study suggests a different explanation --- the rise of social media. Jean Twenge, a psychologyprofessor at San Diego State University, led the study. By taking (3) close look at national surveys, with data (4) （collect）from more than 500,000 American teenagers, she found that those (5) spent lots of time on social media were more likely to agree with remarks such as “the future often seems hopeless.” Those who used screens less, spending time socializing with friends in person, were (6) （likely）to report feelings of depression. This, in fact, is not the first time scientists (7) （find）that social media can rob people of their happiness. One study published in 2016 asked a group of adults to quit Face book for a week. A control group continued (8) （use）the social networking site as usual. Those who gave up Face book reported feeling less depressed at the end of the week than those who continued using it. Some research, however, suggests that social-networking sites (9) promote happiness if used to engage directly with other users. This provides a reminder that it is users’ attitudes (10) shape their experiences on social media.Health Benefits of the Lotus RootHealth Benefits of the Lotus RootDo you know that lotus root can be eaten? Well, don’t be surprised because lotus root is considered not only to be very delicious but (1) （be）very important for its health benefits as well. For those (2) suffer from low blood flow or even anemia(贫血), they know how these diseases can be very harmful. However, (3) you include lotus root to your diet, it will be guaranteed that you will do away with such problems. Lotus root stimulates the blood circulation in the body and also helps the blood (4) （flow）smoothly in the body at all times. Sometimes we may suffer from high blood pressure because we are stressed out, anxious or even sometimes depressed. Thankfully, lotus root helps to lower the blood pressure of one’s body. Lotus root is very rich (5) potassium(钾)which helps to keep the blood vessels (6) （relax）at all times. And that means the pressure or the chances of having high blood pressure are eliminated. For proper bone and muscle growth, the presence of Vitamin C is very important.(7) has been confirmed about lotus root is that it is 73% full of Vitamin C. Vitamin C can help to fight against cancer and any heart diseases because it can help to eliminate many harmful free radicals(自由基团)from the body. Moreover, heart attacks closely (8) （connect）with homocysteine(半胱氨酸)levels can to a great extent be prevented by eating lotus. In the growing process, it is also important to have the healthy skin and hair. For this to be effective, the presence of Vitamin A (9) be present in your body at all times. Thankfully, the lotus root (10) vitamin A can be richly found also helps to keep the skin smooth and healthy.If your skin is damaged or inflamed, eating lotus roots can help with its fast repair.How “Power Poses” Can Help Your CareerCan how you stand or sit affect your success? New research shows posture has a bigger impact (1) body and mind than previously believed. Merely (2) (practise) a “power pose” for a few minutes in private—such as standing tall and leaning slightly forward with hands at one's side, or leaning forward over a desk with hands planted firmly on its surface—led to physiological changes in study participants, (3) are linked to more confident behavior and better performance. Katy Kei m, a marketing executive, (4) (use) to step back from listeners during presentations or conversations. She was often surprised when people asked if she was nervous. After (5) (work) with a coach to improve her skills and saw herself on video, she realized her posture didn't look strong. Then she began adjusting her posture, getting up from the table and leaning slightly forward when speaking at meetings. “It is a big change for me, sending a message (6) I want you to get off your smart phones and listen to what I have to say.” she says. During a three-hour meeting last week where she made a presentation, she noticed no one picked up a smart phone. Power posing is also connected with improved performance. In another study (7) (publish) last year, led by Amy J.C. Cuddy, an associate professor of business administration at Harvard Business School, participants (8) struck power poses for several minutes before beginning a mock job interview received better reviews and were more likely (9) (hire).Most speakers aren't aware of the signals they send through body language, says Kelly Decker, president of Decker Communications, a San Francisco coaching, training and consulting firm. Striking a powerful and expansive pose actually (10) (change) a person's hormones and behavior, just as if he or she had real power.Start Eating Purple for Your HealthA. lowerB. globallyC. filledD. unsurprisingE. benefitsF. regularlyG. healthierH. industryI. linkedJ. mineralsK. riskIt is strongly suggested that you should often eat a rainbow of colors. Eating a variety of colorfulfood provides vitamins and (1) that can’t be replaced with supplements(养生片剂)to nourish your body. According to experts who examined consumer behavior (2) across 465 stores, our plates look very colorful this year, with purple foods particularly popular. Walk through any supermarket and you will find richly-colored purple foods are popping upon the shelves: purple cauliflower, black rice, blue berries, black berries, purple sweet potatoes, purple corn and purple cab bage. The purple food trend in the market is (3) given how health-conscious people are becoming in recent years. People have long known that the darker the color of a food, the higher the contents of antioxidants(抗氧化剂) and nutrient t s will be, and the (4) the food. In fact, they are inspired to eat more purple foods after a health and nutrition study found that those who ate purple fruits and vegetables (5) had low cholesterol(胆固醇)and a reduced (6) of getting high blood pressure. Research shows that these foods get their purple color from anthocyanins(花青素), which have been (7) with antioxidants and anti-aging propertiesin the body. Purple foods help promote bone health, and have also been shown to (8) the risk of some cancers and improve memory. Take purple sweet potatoes for example. While the standard sweet potato is packed with health benefits of its own, the purple sweet potato is even better for us. These brightly colored potatoes share the same taste as the orange ones, but are also (9) with anthocyanins, which aid digestion and have anti-inflammatory(抗炎的) properties.Nutrition adviser Matthew Plowman agrees that purple foods are full of natural health (10) “The benefits of antioxidants have long been discussed, but they are also known to fight disease, keep you looking younger and reduce inflammation and are good for your heart — so, why wouldn’t you eat them?”Platform Nine and Three-QuartersSection AThey reached King’s Cross at half past ten. Uncle Vernon Dursley threw Harry’s trunk (大箱子) onto a cart and wheeled it into the station for him. Harry thought this was strangely kind until Uncle Vernon stopped dead, (1) (face) the platforms with an unpleasant grin on his face.“Well, there you are, boy. Platform Nine-Platform Ten. Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but they don’t seem (2) (build) it yet, do they?”He was quite right, of course. There was a big plastic number nine over one platform and a big plastic number ten over the one next to it, and in the middle, (3) at all.“Have a good term,” said Uncle Vernon with an even more unpleasant smile. He left (4) another word. Harry turned and saw (5) Dursleys drive away. All three of them were laughing. Harry’s mouth went rather dry. What on earth was he going to do? He was starting to attract a lot of funny looks, because of Hedwig, his。
