On 5 December 1914, our ship left South Georgia Island and headed for Vahsel Bay, where we would begin crossing the Antarctic continent. It was the last great thing for the British to try and achieve on the Antarctic. By 19 January 1915, we became stuck in thick ice near Elephant Island. We tried but weren’t able to free the ship. We continued living on the Endurance as it moved with the ice, away from Elephant Island. I thought the ship would get free but it didn’t and sank on 21 November 1915. But we were able to get away with the lifeboats.

We camped on an ice island and played football and raced our dogs to stay happy. We hoped the ice would take us to a safe place. On 9 April 1916, the ice island broke into two. We decide to get in the lifeboats and look for the nearest land. After seven difficult days at sea, we finally landed on Elephant Island, 346 miles from where the Endurance sank. Then I decided to risk travelling back to South Georgia.

I left with seven of my team on 24 April. The 800-mile journey took us 17 days. I couldn’t believe we made it. Back at South Georgia, we climbed through mountains and finally reached a whale station on 20 May. We quickly wanted to get back to Elephant Island and save the rest of our team, but ice stopped us on three different ships until a ship from Chile called the Yelcho got us there. We got back to the island on 30 August 1916, about 22 months after first leaving South Georgia.

1.The last great thing for the British to try and achieve on the Antarctic was .

A.to leave South Georgia B.to head for Vahsel Bay

C.to cross the Antarctic D.to reach Elephant Island

2.According to the article, the underlined part ” the Endurance” was the name of .

A.an island B.their lifeboat C.a kind of fish D.their ship

3.Why did the explorers have to leave the ice island in lifeboats?

A.Because the ice island was too small to play football. B.Because the ice island broke into two parts.

C.Because their dogs weren’t able to stay happy at all. D.Because they had found the nearest land.

4.The explorers might land on Elephant Island .

A.on 24 April 1915 B.on 11 April 1915

C.on 16 April 1916 D.on 20 May 1916

5.On 30 August 1916, the explorers went back to .

A.Vahsel Bay B.South Georgia C.Elephant Island D.Ice Island

Would you pay thousands of dollars for a painting with a face so unclear that you’re not even sure it’s a face? Or a picture by unknown artist? What if the artist was a computer?

A piece of artwork created mainly by a computer programme has been sold at the price $432,500 – about ten times more than people expected. This painting, named Edmond de Belamy, was created by artificial intelligence (AI)(人工智能). This means the computer now doesn't just follow us, but makes some decisions and "thinks itself".

15,000 real paintings were used by some French students to train the computer programme with two parts. One part tries to create paintings that look real, while the other part decides if it is good. If the painting doesn't look real enough, the first part will change its decisions until it comes up with a better work.

This is not the first AI artwork, just the first piece on sale. In fact, many people are not impressed with the painting. "The work isn't interesting or creative," says Robbie Barrat, who helped create the painting but doesn't like the idea of selling it. He thinks it's too simple and gives a bad idea of what real AI artists are doing. He adds that he created many pictures like it much earlier.

In some other people's opinion, however, AI art is already very unusual. They hope it will be more common in the future.

Still, people who look down upon AI art shouldn't worry. Just as an AI artist, Theo Triantafyllidis says, he usually thinks of AI as a tool and not the artist. Even the best AI today is somewhere between a stupid child and a smart pet. It will grow up.

1.Edmond de Belamy was mainly created by _________________.

A.a computer programme B.some French students

C.several unknown artists D.a man called Edmond

2.What does the third paragraph mainly talk about?

A.What the computer programme can do.

B.Whom the computer programme was trained by.

C.How French students train the computer programme.

D.Why the painting Edmond de Belamy was created.

3.The writer mentions Robbie Barrat in Paragraph 4 to show ______________.

A.many people are impressed with the painting

B.lots of people took part in creating the painting

C.some people didn't expect the painting to be sold

D.most people hope Al art will be common in the future

4.What does the writer probably think of AI?

A.it creates better art than humans. B.It has not been well-developed yet.

C.It will never be popular with art-lovers. D.It will always be a tool used by human artists.

5.The best title for the passage can be __________________.

A.AI technology and AI art B.The present and future of AI art

C.The first painting created of AI in the world D.The first computer-created artwork on sale

Lao She wrote Teahouse in 1957. The play shows the life in China between 1898 and 1945. It takes place in a teahouse in old Beijing and it tells us the story of Wang Lifa and his customers(顾客). It asks us to see the teahouse as the centre of the neighborhood. Finally, it says goodbye to old Beijing and its people.

The story starts in 1898 during the Qing Dynasty. It continues in 1916, and finally, it brings the audience to the end of the Anti-Japanese War in 1945. After the war, Wang loses the teahouse and he dies.

Lao She was born in Beijing in 1899. His parents sent him to the Teahouse’s School in Beijing and he learned to teach. Form 1924 to 1929 he taught Chinese to the English in London. He wrote many plays, novels(小说) and short stories. He was named a “People’s Artist” and a “Great Master of Language”. He was one of the greatest Chinese writers of the 20th century.

In Lao She’s Teahouse today, waiters bring tea to the customers and sell them delicious Chinese food. If you like Beijing Opera, folk music, acrobatics or magic shows, you can enjoy them in the teahouse. Lao She’s Teahouse gives a wonderful welcome to everyone from China and from all over the world.

1.What’s the main idea of Paragraph 4?

A.Lao She. B.Lao She’s Teahouse.

C.The story of Teahouse. D.The play Teahouse.

2.How many years of life in China is shown in the play Teahouse?

A.57 years. B.45 years. C.98 years. D.47 years.

3.When does Wang Lifa lose the Teahouse?

A.In 1898. B.In 1916. C.Before 1945. D.After 1945.

4.Lao She was all of the following except __________.

A.a boss of Teahouse B.a People’s Artist

C.a Great Master of Language D.one of the greatest Chinese writers of the 20th century

5.Who were welcome to Lao She’s Teahouse today?

A.Only Chinese customers. B.Only foreign customers.

C.Every customer from home and abroad. D.Only Beijing opera audience.

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