As vending machines (投币式自动售货机) have a bad reputation generally, they are particularly not allowed to be used in schools. That is because most of them are filled with foods that are thought to be unhealthy for both kids and adults. However, no one will be against JetBlue’s vending machines. That is because they are installed (安装) to give out free books!

The U.S. airline’s program was launched in early July in one of Washington, D. C. ’s historic neighborhoods. It was picked because JetBlue’s research showed that kids in the area had access to only one age-appropriate book for every 830 children. To turn the situation for the better, the company has installed three vending machines in locations that are visited frequently by the locals, and soon they gain their popularity there.

The machines are filled with twelve age-appropriate books for children from birth to fourteen years old. A total of 42 titles are being offered, and the selection is changed every two weeks. Kids can help themselves to as many books as they wish and return for more books as many times as they desire. Maybe you will ask what the best part is. Unlike a library, the books are theirs to keep.

JetBlue and its partners Random House Children’s Books and Magic Tree House’s author Mary Pope Osborne, say they are committed to giving away 100,000 books. As of August 25, about 16,000 books have been claimed. So far, JetBlue has made its plans to extend (扩大) its vending machine program to more poor neighborhoods in Los Angeles, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Houston and New York City.

Though the book vending machines are new, this is not the first time that JetBlue and its partners have given away books. Since 2011, the company’s “Soar with Reading” program has collected over one million dollars’ worth of books to kids in need！

【小题1】People’s attitude towards vending machines is usually_____________.

A．positive	B．serious
C．concerned	D．negative

【小题2】Why are JetBlue’s vending machines becoming popular?

A．Because they offer kids in need free books to read.

B．Because they are located in the center of busy streets.

C．Because they help kids develop the good habit of reading.

D．Because they are aimed at bringing a brighter future for kids.

【小题3】What is the best news for the kids about JetBlue’s vending machines?

A．More libraries will be open to the kids.

B．The books will be kept by the kids themselves forever.

C．Kids can exchange these books they keep with each other.

D．Kids under fourteen years old have access to these free books.

【小题4】It is implied in the passage that book vending machines __________.

A．will change the way the books are sold worldwide

B．are going to be installed in economically advanced areas

C．will benefit more kids who have little access to books

D．begin JetBlue’s time to give away books to kids in need

   Since 1964，colleges and universities in the U. S. have used Test of English as a Foreign Language，or TOEFL，to measure an international applicant's（申请人的）level of English. Universities in English-speaking European countries began using the International English Language Testing System，or IELTS，in 1989. These two tests have been the main choices for English ability testing in higher education admissions for international students until now.

In recent years，several companies have developed new English language tests that are low-cost and easy to use. And they aim to do more than just offer greater choices in the admissions process.

Founded in 2012, Duolingo creates software that teaches users many different languages, including English. In 2014, the company launched its own test of English language ability.

Jennifer Dewar works with Duolingo, helping to develop the test. She formerly worked as an admissions official at Washington University in St. Louis, Misouri. The school is one of hundreds of colleges, universities and other organizations in and outside the U. S. that now accept the test results for international admissions into their study programs.

Dewar says Duolingo created the test to lower the barriers to higher education for people worldwide, especially those in developing countries.

TOEFL and the IELTS cost about $ 300. They are given in a limited number of centers around the world. Some test-takers have to travel to take the tests, adding to the costs. Duolingo offers its test entirely over the Internet for $ 49. All test-takers need is access to a computer with a microphone，listening device and self-facing camera.

TOEFL，the IELTS and Duolingo measure a person's English reading，listening，speaking and writing abilities. But it takes about 45 minutes to complete a Duolingo test，compared to three or four hours for TOEFL or the IELTS. It is possible because Duolingo uses artificial intelligence（人工智能）to adapt to test-takers' abilities，using fewer questions to measure their skills.

【小题1】Why were TOEFL and the IELTS set up？

A．To make people understand English-speaking countries.

B．To help teachers to teach in colleges and universities in Europe.

C．To test an international applicant's level of English.

D．To help international applicants to improve their sEnglish.

【小题2】When did Duolingo begin to use its own test of English language ability?

A．In 1964.	B．In 1989.
C．In 2012.	D．In 2014.

【小题3】Compared to TOEFL and the IELTS, Duolingo _____________.

A．widely used in English tests

B．a less difficult test

C．affordable and convenient

D．a face-to-face test

【小题4】What is the author's purpose in writing the text?

A．To introduce Duolingo.

B．To instruct us how to pass English tests.

C．To introduce overseas studying.

D．To promote English teaching.

   Self-driving cars are so popular that the University of Michigan has even established a town called Mcity to allow car manufacturers to safely test their autonomous cars.

While Mcity can be used to simulate（模拟）many real-life road conditions，it can't help test gestures drivers use to communicate their intention（意图）to other drivers，pedestrians or cyclists. To find a solution，US car manufacturer Ford，with researchers from Virginia Tech，at the beginning considered using text as a way to communicate the car's intention，but decided it would probably not work universally. The option of using symbols was also rejected，because research shows that a majority of people do not have a good understanding of what they mean.

Finally, the researchers settled on light signals. A white light warned that there were no humans in the car. A slow blinking one indicated that the car was coming to a stop, while a rapidly flashing light cautioned passersby that the car was about to speed up.

Then came the big challenge—testing the signals on real roads. "We needed to try out this new lighting to communicate the intention of the vehicle, but if you've got a driver behind the seat, you still have natural communication between humans," said Andy Shaudt, who led the research team. "So we needed to make it look like a driverless car."

The team designed a car seat costume（戏装）that the driver would wear to cover his or her face and upper body. Of course，the drivers could see very clearly. The researchers then equipped the car with cameras to capture human reactions to a light bar，which flashed one of the three signals when appropriate. Six drivers，all keeping their hands low on the wheel so as not to be noticed，took turns to test driving the car through the busy streets.

The overall reaction to the flashing lights was very encouraging. Who knew costumes could be useful for more than Halloween？

【小题1】What did the team first consider using as a way to communicate the car's intention?

A．Light.	B．Language.
C．Symbols.	D．Sound.

【小题2】The underlined word "they" in the second paragraph refers to ________.

A．symbols	B．drivers
C．researchers	D．flashes

【小题3】What does a rapidly flashing light mean?

A．The car was coming to a stop.

B．There was no driver in the car.

C．The car was about to speed up.

D．The car was about to slow down.

【小题4】The car seat costume was intended to ________.

A．amuse the driver	B．attract the pedestrians
C．warn the cyclists	D．confuse the people

语法填空

In winter, gloves can prevent our hands from getting cold, 【小题1】 (especial) for people who ride bikes. Here is a new kind of gloves. The gloves are known 【小题2】 Talk to the Hand.

They come with a speaker into the thumb and a microphone into the little finger 【小题3】 can be connected to any mobile phone using Bluetooth. Mobile phone 【小题4】 (use) will be able to keep their hands warm while they chat without taking their phones out of their pockets 【小题5】 handbags.

Sean Miles combines (使结合) gloves with some parts of mobile phones, which are recycled through 02. He 【小题6】 (design) two pairs of the new gloves — one in pink and the other in brown and yellow. They will appear on a show and visitors will be able to win the gloves. If 【小题7】 (many) people want to own them, they will then be produced more in the near future.

It is said that the number of unused mobile phones in the UK is about 70 million. Bill Eyres, head of O2 Recycle, asks people 【小题8】 (recycle) their phones. Mr. Miles hopes his work will make people consider recycling, 【小题9】 (say), “If a few more people pay attention to recycling rather than send them to dustbins, I think this project will have reached 【小题10】 (it) purpose.”

   James T. Green thought he was having a panic attack.

He took a break from work to walk around the block during a stressful day, and noticed he felt out of breath climbing up a small hill. That wasn’t normal, Green thought. He had become a regular biker in recent months and wasn’t exactly out of shape. He sat down at his desk, and looked at the Apple Watch on his wrist. His heart rate was through the roof, and the Heart Watch app he was using to check his pulse was flashing warnings. Maybe it was something more serious, he thought.

Although he had blood clots（血栓）in his lungs a few years back, he had been taking medication, and doctors said that it was an unusual condition for someone in their mid-20s. Still, the symptoms this time were much less severe, and he was feeling stressed, so his mind didn’t automatically jump to blood clots. Green’s doctor told him it sounded like anxiety. But then he showed her his heart rate recorded by the Apple Watch.

“This is my normal heart rate,” Green told her, pointing to the graph in the app. “This is where my heart is now. There’s something wrong.”

The doctor ordered a CT scan. The blood clots in his left lung had returned. An ambulance rushed Green to the emergency room, where he was pumped full of blood thinners（血液稀释剂）. He didn’t need surgery this time, but doctors told him that if he had waited, a clot could have killed him.

Green isn’t the only person who has discovered a serious health condition after seeing heart-rate data on a smartwatch. And he won’t be the last. Currently, smartwatches from Apple and others can tell you your heart rate and track your workouts. But these companies want to go beyond the basics by developing ways to tell you when something is wrong. In fact, it’s already happening.

【小题1】What is abnormal for Green this time?

A．He was hurt badly.

B．He breathed heavily.

C．He was out of shape.

D．He decreased physical activity.

【小题2】What really caused the severe symptoms of Green this time?

A．Tiredness.	B．Anxiety.
C．Work stress.	D．Blood clots.

【小题3】Which of the following confirmed his extremely serious problem?

A．He himself.	B．His doctor.
C．The Apple Watch.	D．The CT scan.

【小题4】What is the following paragraph going to talk about?

A．Smartwatches can help people in all aspects of life.

B．Smartwatches will replace doctors.

C．Other uses in health of smartwatches.

D．Other cases in saving lives by smartwatches.