Driverless technology will soon enter another major global industry: shipping. Several companies recently announced plans to launch self-sailing ships to improve safety and efficiency.

One of them is the Norwegian chemical company Yara International. Yara has teamed up with another Norwegian company, Kongsberg, to build an autonomous goods ship expected to be launched next year. Kongsberg developed the ship’s electrical technology and autonomous control systems. The ship is fully electric to reduce air pollution. It is designed to carry goods containers normally transported by truck. This means the ship will also improve road safety by replacing about 40,000 truck trips a year. The company plans to operate the ships by far-away control beginning sometime next year. By 2020, the ships should be loading and sailing themselves. While Yara’s ships will be limited to Norway at first, the company plans to greatly expand its autonomous shipping operations in the coming years.

Another company putting a high priority (优先) to self-sailing ships is the world’s largest mining company, Australia’s BHP Billiton. The company’s Vice President of Freight, Rashpal Bhatti, recently spoke about the technology in a website post. Bhatti believes automation will be one of the biggest changes for shipping in the future. He said, “Autonomous ships offer important opportunities to improve safety and provide more effective results to the supply chain of the sea.” He added that self-sailing ships could become a reality within the next decade.

Rolls-Royce, the British automobile and engine manufacturer (制造商), is also developing unmanned (无人驾驶的) shipping technologies. Oskar Levander is the company’s head of operations at sea. He said in a conference last year, “This is happening. It’s not if, it’s when.”

Levander said these autonomous ships could be controlled by far-away operators from anywhere. He added, “Because these ships will be designed to be unmanned, they can be built smaller, more efficient and environmentally friendly.”

【小题1】Why have several countries announced plans to produce self-sailing ships?

A．To save money.

B．To develop electrical technology in ships.

C．To compete in autonomous control systems.

D．To make shipping more effective and less risky.

【小题2】How will the Norwegian autonomous ship be developed?

A．On the basis of Rolls-Royce.

B．By a single company independently.

C．By two native companies working together.

D．By taking electrical technology from Australia.

【小题3】What do Oskar Levander’s words suggest in Paragraph 4?

A．It is too early to make autonomous ships.

B．The supply chain of the sea will be busier.

C．People are more concerned about autonomous ships.

D．Unmanned shipping technologies are becoming more mature.

【小题4】What would be the best title for the text?

A．Automation under Sail	B．Self-sailing Ships in Use
C．Automation in Some Fields	D．Automation in Imagination

   New technology rules the whole world now. But I still remember when I was a child, I did not have a cell phone or a computer because it was not necessary at all in those days. The Internet was not popular and the touch screen technology was unknown.

At this time here in the US smartphones are really a need, especially for young and business people. There are many applications (应用软件) really useful like maps, dictionaries, e-mails and games.

For me, I use my smartphone to check the weather and to look for something on the Internet and of course to keep communicating through calls and texts. Besides, I like music applications, GPS and Facebook.

Many tests have discovered that cell phones cause damage to us because they send out radioactive (具有放射性的) waves to our bodies and this could cause cancer.

Psychologists say that these devices can affect behavior and I believe everyone knows it is harmful to the eyes if we are sitting for a long time in front of the computer. However, it seems to be difficult for us to give up, even if we know how bad it is for our health. The use of technology becomes more and more important in our lives.

I think the use of technology has brought us unimaginable things. If we use technology correctly, I am sure it would be possible to decrease the damage to our bodies.

Keep in mind that it is important not to focus only on technology, but to spend time with our families and people close to us.

【小题1】What can we know from the passage?

A．The author is a businessman working for a cell phone company.

B．The author has suffered a lot from the use of electrical devices.

C．The author knows little about the functions of modern cell phones.

D．The author is quite pleased with the various functions of cell phones.

【小题2】Which of the following does the author agree with?

A．It’s not necessary to add more applications to cell phones.

B．Cell phones have made our world a boring place to live in.

C．New technology has done people more harm than good.

D．New technology makes people separated from each other.

【小题3】What does the underlined word “decrease” in Paragraph 6 mean?

A．Keep.	B．Cause.
C．Reduce.	D．Add.

【小题4】What does the author mainly discuss in the passage?

A．The importance of the Internet.	B．The applications of cell phones.
C．The role of new technology in our lives.	D．The health problems brought by cell phones.

   Technological innovation（创新）may not give you a warm feeling. 【小题1】 Messaging apps are examples of technology that is helping bring people together. It’s ready to continue improving our lives as innovation allows technology to really understand how we live.

【小题2】

Some of the most popular and widely adopted innovations make things we’re already doing easier. A well-designed piece of technology can transform something that consumes time into a worry-free touch of your finger, giving you more time to spend with friends and family.

Proving that you really are you

Developers keep finding new and brilliant ways to prove our identities online. With fingerprints and voice recognition, technology keeps getting better at proving we are who we say we are. 【小题3】 .The more trust we have, the easier it will be to fully welcome the aspects of fintech（金融科技）and have control of our financial data.

Helping make good ideas a reality

Crowdfunding（众筹）technology keeps breaking down walls that may have previously kept good ideas from being realized. Here’s how it works: You throw your project to people through an online platform. 【小题4】 . By connecting dreamers and inventors to a new type of capital, technology is giving more creative ideas the opportunity to become a reality.

Adding even more quality to quality time

As technology continues improving, it becomes easier to build and keep a connection with someone who isn’t in the same location as you. 【小题5】 . And think about how great it will be when you can communicate with your friends and relatives in virtual reality. It will be the next best thing to be together in person.

A．Sparing some time to make friends

B．Freeing up more time for friends and family

C．However, when at its best, it opens our eyes to many things

D．Actually, it can do wonders to deepen our interpersonal connections

E．Think about how much easier it is to have a video meeting than before

F．This can make it easier to trust the connections we make online

G．If they are interested in your project, they donate money to fund your project

   We all know the hard work that filmmakers and actors put in the film to provide us with entertainment, but it seems that even regular moviegoers like us have a big impact on how a movie turns out too.
For decades, film studios have used so-called test screenings to get feedback from members of the public before a movie comes out.
While test audience members are usually asked to fill in a questionnaire after a screening, telling the film studio what they liked and didn't like, media giant Disney has come up with a more high-tech solution.
According to a paper published this summer by the company's researchers, Disney is measuring the test audience's reactions by using special cameras placed inside cinemas.
Pairing the cameras with custom(定制的) software, the company can track what each audience member is feeling at any point in the movie, from anger to joy.
This works by mapping 68 different points on each audience member's face. The cameras can see in the dark, and the software can figure out a person's mood based on the slightest facial expressions.
It's hoped that this new method will allow more detailed feedback from the test audience. Rather than relying on audience members to recall their feelings after the movie's over,it can accurately read their reactions in real-time.
Test screenings are highly valued in the movie industry, and several well-known movies have been greatly altered(改变)following feedback.
Viewers of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial would have left the cinema feeling a whole lot of difference if it had not been for its test audience's feedback.
"In one cut of the film that was tested,E.T. died instead of going home in his spaceship. You won't be surprised to hear that the test audience in question. didn't warm to this ending at all," wrote media website Den of Geek.
But for those who are concerned about privacy, the cameras won't be installed in public cinemas.
After all, unless you're part of the test audience,being in front of the camera is best left to the movie stars.
【小题1】How do the test audience influence a movie before it comes out?

A．They get involved in the shooting of a movie.

B．They help promote it after test screenings.

C．They give advice on how a movie should end.

D．Their views on the movie may help change it.

【小题2】What is the main advantage the cameras Disney researchers are using have over questionnaires?

A．They protect the audience's privacy better.

B．They allow the audience to recall their feelings more easily.

C．They are able to record the audience's moods accurately on the spot.

D．They can help audience members adjust their moods with custom software.

【小题3】With the example of

A．T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the author intends to ______.

B．illustrate the significance of test screenings

C．emphasize the importance of altering a movie

D．show what kind of endings are better received by viewers

E．explain what kind of feedback could be accepted in test screenings

【小题4】The underlined word "cut"in the third-to-last paragraph probably means ______.

A．a particular version of a movie

B．a part that is removed from a movie

C．a part of something that is shared among people

D．a reduction in the number or amount of something

假如你是李华，最近你们班进行了有关“克隆”的讨论。有人赞成克隆，有人反对。请你根据你们讨论的情况给Smith博士写封信，并表达自己的见解。
注意：1.词数100左右；2.开头和结尾已经给出，但不计入总词数。
Dear Dr. Smith，

I'm Li Hua. Recently we had a discussion _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Best wishes！

Yours sincerely，

Li Hua