Robots make me nervous—especially the ones which seem to think for themselves．I was embarrassed to admit this till I heard that Bill Gates，the founder of Microsoft，felt the same way．
Gates said in an interview with the social networking and news website Reddit：“I am in the camp that is concerned about super intelligence．First the machines will do a lot of jobs for us and not be super intelligent．That should be positive if we manage well．A few decades after that though the intelligence is strong enough to be a concern．”
Well，maybe I don’t have to worry about my computer and kitchen equipment yet．After I use them I can always pull the plug．But in the future，machines might find a way to prevent us from switching them off．There’s a terrible thought!
Maybe the problem with computers too clever for us is not that they are evil like some we’ve seen in sci-fi movies．What could put us in danger is that they might be too efficient．That’s what philosopher Nick Bostrom from Oxford University believes．He says that machines are indifferent(漠然)to humans and in pursuit of their own goals，the destruction of people might be just additional damage．Bostrom gives us an example：A machine which might have as its only goal to produce as many paperclips as possible might look at human bodies as extra material for paperclips and go after you．Because it is，well，a machine, it would not take pity on you.
It’s a good thing that American writer Isaac Asimov thought about how far robots can go and left us his three rules of robotics．They state that a robot may not hurt a human being or allow the human being to come to harm．
I’m glad my machines at home are“dumb”．All my cleaner wants to take over is the carpet in my living room．Let’s hope they don’t create an appliance which wants to take over the world !.The author quoted Bill Gates’words in Paragraph 2 in order to make the text____________．
| A．better-known | B．more persuasive |
| C．better-organized | D．more interesting |
An intelligent paperclip machine would harm us because _______________．
| A．it is much cleverer than us |
| B．it would take over the world |
| C．it would see us just as material |
| D．it has the strong feeling of destroying us |
How does the author feel about Isaac Asimov’s rules of robotics?
| A．Optimistic． | B．Sympathy． |
| C．Disappointed． | D．Regretful． |
What does the text mainly focus on?
| A．The benefits of future robots． |
| B．The new applications of robots． |
| C．The concern for super intelligence． |
| D．The popularity of robots in the future． |
In the past, when people had problems, they usually went to their families or friends to get advice. Today it is possible to get advice from radio shows, TV programmes and telephone hot lines. A hot line is a telephone line. It offers a direct way of getting in touch with advisers. Most hot lines are completely anonymous. That is to say, callers do not have to say their names or telephone numbers. Most hot lines are free. Callers do not have to pay for the advice or the phone calls. At some hot lines, the advisers are volunteers. Other hot lines pay their advisers for their work. Usually the advisers are full-time-job people with years of education and experience, but sometimes the advisers have only taken a short class before starting to work on the hot line. All the advisers listen to people and help them solve their problems.How did people get advice when they had problems in the past?
| A．They listened to the radio |
| B．They went to their families or friends |
| C．They watched TV programmes |
| D．They made telephone calls |
What is a telephone hot line?
| A．A hot telephone |
| B．A phone call to the listeners |
| C．A training class on the phone |
| D．A telephone line for people to get advice |
What does the underlined word anonymous mean in Chinese in the passage?
| A．开放的 | B．虔诚的 |
| C．匿名的 | D．免费的 |
According to the passage, how does a caller get in touch with the adviser working on the hot line?
You might think that whether you choose a blue shirt or a yellow one to wear to work or college makes no difference to your day and those around you. However, an increasing number of experts argue that the colors we choose affect our mood (情绪), our career and even our health. Color affects us to a greater degree than most of us realize.
Color is used increasingly by doctors for influencing mood and state of mind, and for various types of medical treatment. Green is a good color if you are not feeling well, and possibly this is why we sometimes give flowers and plants to friends and relatives in hospital. It is also thought that turquoise(青绿色), a “user-friendly” color, can treat stress and headaches.
Companies use color to encourage us to buy their products. For example, purple, which mixes well with red, is used to show that a company has new ideas and the power to make them happen. Orange and blue are also recommended colors for companies to use, because orange is the color of communication and blue suggests safety. So this could be a particularly good combination. Companies have found that certain colors “speak” to specific age groups. They often use red to attract younger people to their products, for example, as it is lively and more youthful than colors like gold and navy(深蓝色), which older customers seem to prefer.
Wearing different colors can affect how you feel and how others react to you, so it is important to consider this when deciding what to wear in the morning. If you want people to take you seriously, then wearing navy or black is good. Blue would also be helpful for an interview or oral examination because it relaxes you and makes you feel calm. Red gets you noticed by everyone and makes you feel energetic, but be careful, as it can raise your pulse rate and not everyone wants this effect.
So think carefully before you leave the house or visit a friend with a gift. The colors you choose in both cases are a powerful tool. Are you making the right impression— on yourself and on others?Turquoise is a color that _______.
| A．stands for energy |
| B．is good for health |
| C．is popular with young people |
| D．makes the wearer be taken seriously |
Purple is used by a company to suggest it’s_______.
| A．reliable | B．creative |
| C．powerful | D．communicative |
Which of the following colors may be good for finding a job?
| A．Blue | B．Green |
| C．Orange | D．Yellow |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．Color’s important effects on our life |
| B．Why patients benefit a lot from colors. |
| C．People’s preference for different colors |
| D．How to wear clothes on different occasions. |
Everyone may all have the experience of feeling anxious and stressed when having a rough day or having some troubles. Different people may choose different ways to deal with it, and for most people a break for a 10-minute walk may be quite useful.
Anyway, here is another way around: to get a piece of chewing gum, and chew it. According to a Swinburne University of Technology study, gum-chewing has been found to “relieve anxiety, improve alertness(机敏性) and reduce stress among individuals in a laboratory setting.”
Some may argue that a laboratory is not the same as an office. But check out the conditions of the study: individuals were monitored while performing “a group of ‘multi-tasking’ activities.” Doesn’t it sound like the situation in the office?
Here’s a summary of some of the study’s findings:
Gum chewers showed a reduction in anxiety as compared to non-gum chewers by nearly 17 percent during mild stress and nearly 10 percent in appropriate stress.
Gum chewers showed improvement in alertness over non-gum chewers by nearly 19 percent during mild stress and 8 percent in moderate stress.
Improved Performance: Chewing gum resulted in a big improvement in overall performance on multi-tasking activities.
Although these aren’t major improvements, every little bit works and chewing a piece of gum is a lot quicker and easier than slipping outside for a 10-minute walk. So, how does gum work this magic? In part it does so by lowering the level of cortisol(皮质醇)—a steroid(类固醇) hormone that is released in response to stress in your system.
A few words of advice before you reach for the gum: don’t crack your gum, and be sure to chew it with your mouth closed. In fact, I’d say keep the gum out of meetings, because it really looks impolite to others around you.From the study in the text we know that_________________.
| A．gum chewers may lack alertness |
| B．gum chewers tend to be less stressed |
| C．gum chewers can finish many jobs perfectly |
| D．gum chewers can reduce their anger easily |
How does gum work to reduce stress according to the text?
| A．It works by improving alertness. |
| B．It works by allowing a 10-minute walk. |
| C．It works by reducing one’s level of cortisol. |
| D．It works by being chewed in a laboratory setting. |
Which one may the author probably agree with?
| A．People can crack gum freely when meeting friends. |
| B．People should be careful when chewing gum at home. |
| C．People should chew gum with their mouths closed in a meeting. |
| D．It is impolite to chew gum in a meeting with people around you. |
What does the text mainly talk about?
| A．How to chew gum. |
| B．How to relieve stress. |
| C．Chewing gum can relieve stress. |
| D．Why people love chewing gum. |
No matter what type of business you run, it has to deal with situations in which things go wrong from your customer’s point of view. Complaints can be a great source of information for the organizations. So it’s important to learn to deal with customer complaints efficiently.
Firstly, listen attentively to what the customer has to say by keeping comfortable eye contact and giving full attention with no interrupting. You should also show your customer that you do understand him.
Secondly, when receiving a complaint you should apologize for the failure the customer has identified. It’s important for you to know that your apology must appear authentic to the customer, and not an empty excuse. And also you should show the customer you’ve accepted the responsibility and provide him with choices if you have some in hand or otherwise assure the customer you’ll do something about his complaint.
Thirdly, talk with the consumer and discover the best means to resolve his problem. There will be times when, after gathering the facts of a situation, you’ll be unable to resolve the problem immediately. In this case it’s important to let your customer know how long it’ll take to take action on his complaint.
Fourthly, a simple “Thank you” is one way to let the customer know you appreciate the time and effort he has taken to inform you about a problem with your company’s service or product you need to know about.
Lastly, give your customer something that shows your appreciation for him giving the feedback to you. And let him know you’re sorry for the mistake that was made. It isn’t necessary to give something that is costly; but a coupon(赠券) for a free drink or movie is fine.
Your professional and well-organized method of dealing with your customer complaints is one more way that will make you stay ahead of your competitors.What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．Effects of customer complaints on business. |
| B．Tips for handling complaints from customers. |
| C．Importance of dealing with customer complaints. |
| D．Several factors resulting in customer complaints. |
The author thinks that customer complaints _____________.
| A．are easy to deal with |
| B．are sometimes beneficial |
| C．can actually be avoided |
| D．are really quite annoying |
The underlined word “authentic” in Paragraph 3 most probably means _______.
| A．believable | B．touching |
| C．attractive | D．clever |
According to the passage, what is the first thing you should do when facing the customer complaints?
| A．Showing sincere attitude. |
| B．Making an honest apology. |
| C．Making an absolute promise. |
| D．Listening to the complaint impatiently. |
Mom is usually home on Sunday but this week she was going to a big golf game and I was all alone in the house. I was mad at Mom for divorcing Dad.
I kept looking at the telephone until I couldn’t stand it any longer. I picked up the receiver and dialed Dad’s number over in Bakersfield. I even remembered to dial 1 first because it was long distance. “You promised to phone me this week but you didn’t,” I said, feeling I had to talk to him.
“Take it easy, kid,” he said. “I just didn’t get around to it. I was going to call this evening. The week isn’t over yet.”
I thought about that.
“Something on your mind?” he asked.
“I hoped you would call, so I waited and waited.” Then I was sorry I said it.
“There was heavy snow in the morning,” he said, “I had to chain up on highway 80 and lost time.”
I know putting chains on eight big wheels in the snow is no fun．I felt a little better, as long as we were talking. “How is Bandit?” I asked.
There was a funny silence. For a minute I thought the line was dead. Then I knew something must have happened to my dog.
“Well, kid—”, he began. “My name is Leigh!” I almost yelled. “I’m not just some kid you met on the street!”
“Keep your shirt on, Leigh,” he said. “When I had to stop along with some other truckers to put on chains, I left Bandit out of the cab, I thought he would get back … I have sent out a call to CB radio, but I didn’t get an answer yet.” I was about to say I understood when there came the bad part, the really bad part. I heard a boy’s voice say, “Hey, Bill, Mom wants to know when we’re going out to get the pizza?”From the story we know that _______．
| A．Leigh was a deserted boy |
| B．Leigh’s dad never had a rest on Sundays |
| C．Leigh’s dad lived in another city |
| D．Leigh’s mother often went to golf games |
The underlined sentence “Keep your shirt on” probably means “_____” .
| A．Stop talking |
| B．Calm down |
| C．Put on your shirt |
| D．Keep warm |
Who is Bandit?
A. Leigh’s friend B. Leigh’s dog
C. Leigh’s brother D Leigh’s shirtThe worst part in Leigh’s eyes may be that ________．
| A．his dad got remarried |
| B．his parents got divorced |
| C．his dad didn’t love him |
| D．his mom didn’t take him to pizza |
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