阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

（一）

A

While smartphones stand accused of a variety of crimes， these pocket computers can certainly be a force for good. Your phone is always with you， making it the perfect device to push you into a more beneficial way of living. Here are some of the best apps that can help.

Habitica

Habitica turns the goal of forming good habits into a game， with its own characters and scoring. Its a lot of fun， and the app also lets you build habits with friends and family. In addition to regular repeating habits， you can add a more general to-do list， and the rewards you get can be customized too—you could treat yourself to a meal out or an extra hour of games.

Smoke Free

If youve got a specific habit in mind youll usually find specific apps to help， like Smoke Free. If youre determined to give up smoking， this is one of the most comprehensive apps for giving you that extra push you need to make a permanent change. The app offers a host of useful features to people wanting to go smoke-free： the ability to see your progress over time， charts showing how your health is improving， day-by-day encouragement， and some advice on techniques for giving up smoking.

MyFitnessPal

You can find tons of health and fitness apps for your phone， but MyFitnessPal stands out not just because it is easy to use， but because it makes practical suggestions for you. It can take in a host of data， from the calories （卡路里） youre taking in to the number of swims youre doing per week， and offer reports on calorie consumption and macronutrient （大量營养素） breakdown.

1. What can Habitica help you to do？

A. Win a tough game. B. Start a lasting friendship.

C. Find a fancy restaurant. D. Develop a pleasant habit.

2. What can Smoke Free provide？

A. The freedom to smoke. B. The ability to make progress.

C. Advice on how to quit smoking. D. Charts about your excellent health.

3. What do the above apps have in common？

A. Theyre cheap. B. Theyre practical.

C. Theyre free. D. Theyre interesting.

B

Rodney Smith is a man with a task. The Bermuda native is in the midst of a trip that will take him to every state in the nation， mowing lawns （修剪草坪）.

Five years ago， Smith came across a senior man mowing his lawn and stopped to help. “When I came across the elderly man， my life changed，” he said. After that， Smith went on to create the Raising Men Lawn Care Service （RMLCS） to mow lawns for the elderly， disabled， single moms and former soldiers free of charge. As part of providing free yard work， the organization teaches children about serving their communities and lawnmower safety.

A key component of RMLCS is its 50-yard challenge， which sets a goal for children nationwide to mow 50 lawns for free in their community. When a kid signs up for the challenge， the group sends him/her a white shirt with the Raising Men logo  （標识）， shades and ear protection. The participants receive a different colored shirt after every 10th lawn they mow. When they have completed the task for 50 yards， they receive a special visit from Smith or someone with RMLCS. They give the volunteer a new lawnmower， free of charge， and cut other lawns with them.

Since this challenge started， 12 kids have already completed the challenge. And both boys and girls are part of it. At present they have 130 kids nationwide taking part in this challenge， including 7 in Bermuda and the UK and one in Canada. So its spreading worldwide. Even the Queen of England took notice—the governor of Bermuda presented Smith with an award late last year on behalf of her.

It was also last year that Smith came up with the 50 States 50 Lawns campaign. Now hes on the road again.

4. What is the purpose of the RMLCS？

A. To educate children to work hard. B. To offer free lawn cutting service.

C. To make high-quality lawnmowers. D. To train professional lawn mowing workers.

5. What is the reward for a child to complete the 50-yard challenge？

A. A visit to RMLCS. B. The Raising Men logo.

C. A white shirt and ear protection. D. A new lawnmower from RMLCS.

6. Why is the Queen of England mentioned in the text？

A. To praise the Queen for her care. B. To prove that Smith is respected by everyone.

C. To show that Smiths behavior got recognized. D. To introduce where Smiths motivation came from.

7. What can be the best title for the text？

A. Mow Lawns in Order to Travel B. Lawn Mowing—a New Trend

C. Choose Mowing Lawns to Help D. Smith—a Man Loving Mowing Lawns

C

If you ask most people what water tastes like， theyll probably tell you that water has no taste and they may give you a funny look. But if you were a fruit fly， asking another fruit fly， that question might have a different answer.

To a fruit fly， water has a taste. Scientists want to know how the fruit fly knows water because this information may help in learning how other animals—or even individual cells—manage to use water in the right way. Water is vital to life， but too much or too little can be deadly to a living creature. So by understanding how the fruit fly tastes water， researchers may learn more about other living things.

According to the new study， a protein （蛋白质） called PPK28 makes it possible for a fruit fly to taste water. Proteins build cells and tissues， fight disease and carry messages between cells. Its not surprising that a protein is responsible for the fruit flys ability to taste water.

The PPK28 protein is part of a larger family of similar proteins. One of these related proteins is used by mammals （including humans） to taste salt. Scientists have not found a protein that enables humans to “taste” water.

In the experiment， Cameron and his team compared normal fruit flies with fruit flies whose taste cells had been disabled. The fruit flies were given a special chemical that would glow when the fly used the PPK28 protein. Then the scientists led the flies to water. When the normal flies tasted the water， the PPK28 protein lit up—showing that it was in use.

The fruit fly in particular is so interesting that some scientists are hard at work creating a complete map of the fruit fly brain. This map will show all of a flys neurons （神經元） and help scientists understand how the neurons work together.

8. How do most people feel when asked about the taste of water？

A. Amused. B. Frightened.

C. Disappointed. D. Confused.

9. Why do scientists want to know how the fruit fly knows water？

A. To decrease the number of the fruit fly. B. To know something about other creatures.

C. To learn to use water correctly. D. To describe the taste of water.

10. What do we know about the PPK28 protein？

A. It enables humans to taste salt. B. The fruit fly cant live without it.

C. It enables the fruit fly to taste water. D. The fruit fly uses it to avoid illnesses.

11. What will the scientists continue to work at？

A. Studying the fruit flys neuron systems. B. Finding more information about cells.

C. Creating maps of human brains. D. Making the PPK28 protein.

D

If you buy a washing machine， a fridge or a television in Europe， it comes with a sticker. Thanks to a 1992 EU rule， all appliances （电器） must be labelled （贴标签） with their energy efficiency. So why has our food system—which threatens 10，000 species with extinction， produces about 30% of greenhouse gases， and drives 800% of our air pollution—only ever had voluntary eco-labels？

The appliances ruling had a huge impact （冲击力）; initially， 75% of fridges and freezers were rated G to D （low efficiency）， but today 98% are classed A++ or A+++. Worldwide， the energy efficiency of labelled appliances has increased three times faster than appliances without labels.  Introducing an equal system for food could have an even bigger impact.

Mandatory environmental labels would change how we produce and consume in far-reaching ways. First， producers would have to measure their impacts in a uniform way and be accountable for the results.  This would not be expensive： it is free to monitor environmental impacts using digital tools such as Fieldprint and the Cool Farm Tool. Second， they support sustainable consumption. Our research found that products that look， taste and cost the same can have dramatically different environmental impacts. High-impact beef producers use 5，7000% more land and create l，000% more greenhouse gases than low-impact producers. Labels would allow consumers to tell these products apart.

They would highlight both high-and low-impact producers， in the same way， across multiple products. This would encourage more people to think about their choices by exposing them to the facts every time they are in the shops. We can also use labels to turn smaller consumer changes into large environmental benefits： because a small number of producers create a large share of the impact， simply avoiding high-impact producers can make a huge contribution to pollution reductions.

12. Why does the author mention the appliances in Paragraph 1？

A. To applaud the 1992 EU rule. B. To bring up the topic of labelling food.

C. To point out the pollution they caused. D. To compare their energy consumption rates.

13. What do the figures in Paragraph 2 show？

A. The importance of saving energy. B. The debate about eco-labelled appliances.

C. The effectiveness of the appliances ruling. D. The problem caused by appliances of low efficiency.

14. What does the underlined word “Mandatory” in Paragraph 3 mean？

A. Compulsory. B. Effective.

C. Different. D. Independent.

15. Why are eco-labels used for products？

A. To increase the profits of low-impact producers. B. To show producers environmental impacts.

C. To guide consumers to buy healthier food. D. To expose consumers to more products.

（二）

A

You can find hundreds of free comedy movies online， saving you money， as well as the trouble of going out to rent a DVD or visit a movie theater.

Hulus Free Comedy Movies

Hulu has the best selection of free comedy movies that you can watch online right now. You can look through newly added comedies or the most popular ones from today， this week， this month， or all time. Hulu also has a huge collection of funny free TV shows and movies available but youll have to watch advertisements placed like commercials throughout the shows or movies you are viewing.

Free Comedies at Popcornflix

Popcornflix is a legal website where you can watch full-length streaming movies in both the US and Canada. Youll see lots of actors and actresses youll recognize here in some movies youve heard of and some you havent. You dont need to register， so youll be enjoying your chosen movie or TV show in seconds. However， this video streaming service is ad-supported， so you will have to sit through a few commercial breaks during your movie.

Free Comedy Movies at Tubi TV

Thousands of free movies and TV shows are available through Tubi TV， and they can all be viewed on a number of mobile devices （設备） in addition to a computer. Theres also a whole section at Tubi TV thats just for comedy videos. Some movies require you to log in to view them， but registration is free and only takes a few moments.

Classic Cinema Onlines Comedies

Dozens of free classic comedies are available from Classic Cinema Online. What really makes Classic Cinema Online unique from the rest is its rather large selection of silent films. While therere only a large handful of movies at Classic Cinema Online， if you love classic and silent movies， you really need to check it out.

1. What does Hulus Free Comedy Movies offer besides comedies？

A. Free books. B. Funny free TV shows. C. Science fiction. D. Action movies.

2. What can we learn about Free Comedies at Popcornflix？

A. No registration is required. B. Its movies are all popular.

C. It has a whole section of comedy videos. D. Its movies can be watched anywhere.

3. What makes Classic Cinema Onlines Comedies stand out from the rest？

A. Dozens of free classic comedies. B. A large selection of silent films.

C. Rather fine video quality. D. The best selection of classic movies.

B

After spending eight years living in Dublin， Ireland， I moved back to the US. I knew that moving back would mean some sort of reverse （逆向的） culture shock. While I expected the big changes—like less paid time off—it was the little things that really stuck out.

Sure， therere great supermarkets in Europe， but without a car， I rarely made it to one and instead stuck to shopping at small grocery stores near my house. When I moved back to the US， I was surprised by the variety of foods in supermarkets. The whole shopping process took longer because I had so many choices.

The first house I rented in Ireland had three bedrooms and one tiny fridge. It took a while to get used to sharing a mini-fridge with four roommates. Soon I learned that this was fairly standard in most homes. It didnt take long to actually prefer the smaller fridge. This encouraged less waste and more frequent shopping for fresh foods. When I first moved back to the US， I couldnt wrap my head around the fact that I had my very own giant “American” fridge all to myself.

Its relatively inexpensive and easy to visit other countries in Europe， thanks to budget airlines like Ryanair and EasyJet. The freedom of movement for citizens of the European Union meant that I ended up having friends from all over the continent. While therere flight deals in America， the budget options are limited. Most of my quick trips now are within the US. Though staying in the same country is a change， it has been interesting getting to explore new states.

And just to make it clear： This is only based on my own experience living in Dublin and then moving back to New York City. Europe is a big place， and it would be impossible to make sweeping statements about a whole continent.

4. Eight years ago the author ___ .

A. was stuck in a low-paid job B. moved away from New York City

C. experienced reverse culture shock D. realized the great influence of little things

5. Why did the author shop at grocery stores while living in Europe？

A. She lacked easy access to supermarkets. B. It took less time to shop at grocery stores.

C. Her small fridge couldnt hold many foods. D. Those grocery stores provided various foods.

6. What does the author think of the using of a small fridge？

A. Its inconvenient. B. Its a waste of money.

C. Its an American way of life. D. Its environmentally friendly.

7. What did the author use to do when she lived in Dublin？

A. Seek inexpensive trips to America. B. Visit other European countries by air.

C. Make the best of limited budget options. D. Explore different states in the same country.

C

You try to keep your eyes wide open while watching a basketball match or a wonderful firework show in case you might miss something exciting in just the blink of an eye. But in fact， humans blink about 15 times per minute on average. Have you ever missed anything because you blinked？ Probably not. Why is that？

According to a new study published in the journal Current Biology in September， our brain has the ability to skip the temporary darkness when we blink. It can keep visual information for a short period of time and then put it together to form an image without interruption.

In order to understand how this works， a group of scientists at the German Primate Center and the University Medical Center G?ttingen in Germany conducted an experiment. In the study， the participants were asked to look at patterns on a screen whose direction could be interpreted in different ways， such as horizontally （水平地） or vertically. When one pattern was about to disappear and the next one was about to come， the participants had to indicate the direction that the next pattern would appear.

The researchers found that when the directions of two patterns didnt match， the area in our brain which is responsible for visual memory was activated （激活）. This same area showed less activity when two patterns were in the same direction.

“The medial prefrontal cortex （前额叶皮层） adjusts current visual information with previously obtained information， and thus enables us to perceive the world with more stability， even when we briefly close our eyes to blink，” Caspar Schwiedrzik explained in Science Daily. He is the first author of the study and also a scientist at the German Primate Center.

8. We dont miss anything when blinking because our brain can ___ .

A. deal with the missing image B. remember all that we see

C. imagine what our eyes miss D. put our pieces of memory together

9. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 2 refer to？

A. Our brain. B. Visual information.

C. A period of time. D. The temporary darkness.

10. What do we know about the experiment？

A. The two patterns appear at the same time. B. Visual memory can be more activated by similarity.

C. Participants can interpret patterns differently. D. The different directions activated visual memory.

11. What can be the best title for the text？

A. The Brains Activated Patterns B. The Brains Special Skill

C. The Brains Memory D. The Brains Structure

D

In ancient Egypt， a shopkeeper discovered that he could attract customers to his shop simply by making changes to its environment. Modern businesses have been following his lead， with more tactics （策略）.

One tactic involves where to display the goods. For example， stores place fruits and vegetables in the first section. They know that customers who buy the healthy food first will feel happy so that they will buy more junk food later in their trip. In department stores， the womens shoe section is generally next to the womens cosmetics （化妝品） section： while the shop assistant is going back to find the right size shoe， bored customers are likely to wander over and find some cosmetics they might want to try later.

Besides， businesses seek to appeal to customers senses. Stores notice that the smell of baked goods encourages shopping， so they make their own bread each morning and then fan the bread smell into the store throughout the day. Music sells goods， too. Researchers in Britain found that when French music was played， sales of French wines went up.

When it comes to the selling of houses， businesses also use highly rewarding tactics. They find that customers make decisions in the first few seconds upon walking in the door， and turn it into a business opportunity. A California builder designed the structure of its houses smartly. When entering the house， the customer would see the Pacific Ocean through the windows， and then the pool through an open stairway leading to the lower level. The instant view of water on both levels helped sell these $10 million houses.

12. Why do stores usually display fruits and vegetables in the first section？

A. To show they are high quality foods. B. To sell them at discount prices.

C. To save customers time. D. To help sell junk food.

13. According to Paragraph 3， what encourages customers to buy？

A. Inviting customers to play music. B. Opening the store early in the morning.

C. Displaying British wines next to French ones. D. Filling the store with the smell of fresh bread.

14. What does the California builders story imply？

A. The house structure is a key factor customers consider. B. A house sells better if it is more costly.

C. An ocean view is much to the customers taste. D. A good first impression increases sales.

15. What is the main purpose of the text？

A. To explain how businesses turn people into their customers.

B. To introduce how businesses have grown from the past.

C. To uncover some dishonest business practices.

D. To report researches on customer behavior.

（三）

A

Here are four fantastic experiences for you to enjoy wonderful countryside spots， breathtaking scenery and clean， fresh air. Pack your bags and get outside！

Horse-riding

Heres a novel way of chasing the Northern Lights—on horseback， which is a back-to-nature experience hunting for the aurora borealis （北極光）. Youll saddle up （给马备鞍） at dusk and head deeper into the wilds near the Pallas-Yll?stunturi National Park.

GO： Three-night full-board guided trip， including two nights in a cottage and one night camping， from ?965 per person. See aurora zone.com.

Mountain-biking

You can choose from guided downhill or cross-country mountain biking to road cycling and families can enjoy peaceful， slower paths and farm trails.

Extra activities include hiking， water park.

GO： Five-night B&B packages including transfers and guided biking， from ?374 per person. Bike hire from around ?15 a day. See wizzair.com.

Then， the fourth mistake of horrors was that Geri should not have opened the gift in front of her clients. In a land where saving face is critical， it would be embarrassing to discover the gift they gave was not as nice as the one they received. What was worse， Geri hadnt even given them a gift！

4. The Japanese gentlemen thought Geri took their cards ___ .

A. excitedly B. seriously C. politely D. disrespectfully

5. Why did the four Japanese gentlemen leave Geri suddenly？

A. They couldnt bear Geris behaviour any longer. B. They had finished their task.

C. They had something more important to do. D. They didnt want to embarrass Geri.

6. What does the underlined word “gaffe” in Paragraph 4 probably mean？

A. Ignorance. B. Sadness. C. Mistake. D. Carelessness.

7. Which of the following sayings can best express the main idea of the text？

A. Honesty is the best policy. B. Think twice before you take any action.

C. When in Rome， do as the Romans do. D. Dont pretend to know what you dont know.

C

Once a circle missed a wedge （楔子）. The circle wanted to be whole， so it went around looking for its missing piece. But because it was incomplete and therefore could roll slowly， it admired the flowers along the way. It chatted with worms. It enjoyed the sunshine. Finally it found a piece that fitted perfectly. It was so happy. Now that it was a perfect circle， it could roll very fast， too fast to notice flowers or talk to the worms. When it realized how different the world seemed when it rolled so quickly， it stopped， left its found piece by the side of the road and rolled slowly away.

In some strange sense we are more whole when we are missing something. The man who has everything is in some ways a poor man. He will never know what it feels like to yearn， to hope， to nourish his soul with the dream of something better. He will never know the experience of having someone who loves him give him something he has always wanted or never had.

There is wholeness about the person who has come to terms with his limitations， who has been brave enough to let go of his unrealistic dreams and does not feel like a failure for doing so. There is wholeness about the man or woman who has learned that he or she is strong enough to go through a tragedy and survive—he or she can lose someone and still feel like a complete person.

Life is more like a baseball season， when even the best team loses one third of its games and even the worst team has its days of brilliance. Our goal is to win more games than we lose.

When we accept that imperfection is part of being human， and when we can continue rolling through life and appreciate it， we will have achieved wholeness that others can only long for.

8. What does it mean if someone is said to be whole according to the text？

A. He has everything. B. He accepts his limitations.

C. He loves someone else and is loved. D. He feels blue for dropping unrealistic goals.

9. How is a baseball season similar to life？

A. Easy come， easy go. B. Never give up trying.

C. Failure is the mother of success. D. Some battles you win and some you lose.

10. The author clarifies his idea mainly by ___ .

A. comparing B. reasoning C. informing D. arguing

11. What can be the best title for the text？

A. Seek Perfection in Life B. Be Whole in Life

C. Life Without Mistakes Is Whole D. No Pains， No Gains

D

The meteor （流星） shower left many people in the community dissatisfied and demanding answers. According to Gabe Rothschild， Emerald Valleys mayor， people gathered in the suburbs of the city， carrying heavy telescopes， expecting to watch the brightly burning meteors passing through the sky. What they found instead was a sky so brightened by the citys lights that it darkened the light of the meteors passing overhead.

“My family was so frustrated，” admitted town resident Duane Cosby. “We wanted to make this an unforgettable family outing， but it turned out to be a huge disappointment.”

Astronomers—scientists who study stars and planets—have been complaining about this problem for decades. They say that light pollution prevents them from seeing objects in the sky that they could see quite easily in the past. They call on people and the government to take measures to fight against it.

There is yet a population besides professional and amateur star observers that suffers even more from light pollution. This population consists of birds， bats， frogs， snakes， etc. For example， outdoor lighting severely affects migrating birds. According to the International Dark-Sky Association， “100 million birds a year throughout North America die in crashes with lighted buildings and towers.”

Countless animal casualties result from the use of artificial lighting. Clearly， people enjoy the benefits of lighting their evenings， but some scientists think it can be harmful for humans， too. They worry that exposure to light while sleeping can increase a persons chances of getting cancer.

Emerald Valley is the only one community that is becoming aware of the negative effects of light pollution. For years， Flagstaff， Arizona， has enforced lighting regulations in its city in order to assist astronomers at the Lowell Observatory. Similar efforts have been made worldwide， and a movement is under way to remind us to turn off lights when we are not using them， so that other creatures can share the night.

12. Why were the people unsatisfied with the meteor watching？

A. It ended up a social outing. B. The citys lights affected it.

C. The meteors flew past before being noticed. D. The city light show attracted many people.

13. What do the astronomers complain about？

A. Meteor showers occur less often than before. B. Their eyesight is failing due to artifical lighting.

C. Light pollution has remained unsolved for years. D. The government forbids their observation.

14. What is the author concerned about according to Paragraph 4？

A. Birds may take other migration paths. B. Animals living habits may change suddenly.

C. Varieties of animals will become sharply reduced. D. Animals lives are threatened by outdoor lighting.

15. What does the author mainly want to tell us？

A. Saving wildlife is saving ourselves. B. Great efforts should be made to save energy.

C. Human activities should be environmentally friendly. D. New equipment should be introduced for space study.

（四）

A

Each applicant to Harvard College is considered with great care. We consider each applicant to Harvard College as a whole person， and put enormous care into evaluating every application. We hope you will explore the information in this section to understand what we look for in our admissions process.

How to Apply

Submit your application through the Common Application， the Coalition Application， or the Universal College Application. Each is treated equally by the Admissions Committee. Complete and submit your materials as soon as possible to ensure full and timely consideration of your application. View our Application Tips for step-by-step information.

When to Apply

Date Deadline

November 1 Early Action deadline

November 1 Early Financial Aid Application deadline

Mid-December Early Auction decisions released

January 1 Regular Decision deadline

March 1 Financial Aid Application deadline

Late March Decision letters mailed

May 1 Reply date for Admitted Students

What We Look For

We seek promising students who will contribute to the Harvard community during their college years， and to society throughout their lives. While academic accomplishment is the basic requirement， the Admissions Committee considers many other factors—strong personal qualities， special talents or excellences of all kinds， perspectives （判斷力） formed by unusual personal circumstances， and the ability to take advantage of available resources and opportunities.

We outline everything you need to apply to Harvard.

Click https：//college.harvard.edu/admissions/apply to get detailed requirements.

1. Where can you find step-by-step information of how to apply？

A. Common Application. B. Coalition Application.

C. Universal College Application. D. Application Tips.

2. Which is the final day for Financial Aid Application？

A. November 1. B. January 1. C. March 1. D. May 1.

3. What is the basic requirement to apply for Harvard University？

A. Academic accomplishment. B. Strong personal qualities.

C. Special talents. D. Unique perspectives.

B

When I was in the fourth grade， I worked part-time as a paperboy. Mrs Stanley was one of my customers. Shed watch me coming down her street， and by the time Id biked up to her doorstep， thered be a cold drink waiting. Id sit and drink while she talked. Mrs Stanley talked mostly about her dead husband， “Mr Stanley and I went shopping this morning，” shed say. The first time she said that， soda went up my nose.

I told my father how Mrs Stanley talked as if Mr Stanley were still alive. Dad said she was probably lonely， and that I ought to sit and listen and nod my head and smile， and maybe shed work it out of her system. So thats what I did， and it turned out Dad was right. After a while she seemed content to leave her husband over at the cemetery （墓地）.

I finally quit delivering newspapers and didnt see Mrs Stanley for several years. Then we crossed paths at a church fund-raiser. She was spooning mashed potatoes and looking happy. Four years before， shed had to offer her paperboy a drink to have someone to talk with. Now she had friends. Her husband was gone， but life went on.

I live in the city now， and my paperboy is a lady named Edna with three kids. She asks me how Im doing. When I dont say “fine”， she sticks around to hear my problems. Shes lived in the city most of her life， but she knows about community. Community isnt so much a place as it is a state of mind. You find it whenever people ask how youre doing because they care， and not because theyre getting paid to do so. Sometimes its good to just smile， nod your head and listen.

4. What did the author mean by saying “soda went up my nose”？

A. He was excited. B. He was shocked.

C. He was interested. D. He was absent-minded.

5. Why did the author sit and listen to Mrs Stanley？

A. He enjoyed the drink. B. He wanted to be helpful.

C. He took the chance to rest. D. He tried to please his dad.

6. Which can replace the underlined phrase “work it out of her system” in Paragraph 2？

A. Recover from her sadness. B. Move out of the neighborhood.

C. Turn to her old friends. D. Speak out about her past.

7. What does the author think people in a community should do？

A. Open up to others. B. Depend on each other.

C. Pay for others help. D. Care about one another.

C

Some of the worlds biggest companies—Apple， Amazon， Facebook—didnt exist 30 years ago. So what firms are we working for in 2050？ Thats a question put forward by historian Yuval Noah Harari in his book 21 Lessons for the 21st Century.

He argues that because technology is changing so fast， its one of the first times in human history when we dont know what jobs will look like in the coming three decades. “So the best bet is to focus on emotional intelligence （EQ），” he said. “Information is the last thing the kids need. They have too much of it.”

In this book， he focuses on the various challenges facing us today. As he writes in the books introduction： “What are todays greatest challenges？ What should we pay attention to？” One area where these questions crop up is artificial intelligence （AI）. Harari believes that AI will completely affect the job market for the next generation of workers.

His first two books—Sapiens and Homo Deus—became international bestsellers， selling more than 12 million copies worldwide. They were praised by the likes of Mark Zuckerberg， Barack Obama and Bill Gates. Hararis books， about the past and future of humanity， attract a great number of fans. Fellow Israeli， actress Natalie Portman， is a fan.

As for Bill Gates， he might be Hararis biggest fan. So when the New York Times asked him to review Hararis books， he jumped at the opportunity. “All the three books wrestle with some version of the same question： What will give our lives meaning in the decades and centuries ahead？” Gates wrote in his review. “So far， human history has been driven by a desire to live longer， healthier， happier lives. If science is eventually able to give that dream to most people， and large numbers of people no longer need to work， what reason will we have to get up in the morning？”

8. What is the best way to help students face the uncertain future according to Harari？

A. Teaching them advanced technology. B. Providing them with more information.

C. Improving their emotional intelligence. D. Reminding them of fierce competitions.

9. What does Harari stress in his book 21 Lessons for the 21st Century？

A. The bright future of the future workers. B. Different challenges in face of people.

C. Lessons humans should learn from history. D. The disadvantages of artificial intelligence.

10. What can we learn about Harari？

A. He is highly thought of. B. He has a deep understanding of AI.

C. He is Bill Gates good friend. D. He writes mainly about the development of AI.

11. What are Hararis three books mainly about？

A. The desire to enjoy life. B. The limitless opportunities in the future.

C. The driving force of human history. D. The source of life meaning in the future.

D

At 9：30 am on a Wednesday morning， I received a notification （通知） that Id already picked up my phone 30 times that day！ “11 left until you go over your goal of 41 pickups，” my screen read. “Put your phone down until 9：52 am！ Enjoy your time living in the moment.”

These updates were sent via Moment， an app that tracks my screen time， created by Kevin Holesh to fight his own device （設备） addiction. He was working as an independent app developer， spending hours each day staring at screens. After work， Holesh found that he was looking mindlessly online instead of talking to his wife or taking his dogs for a walk.

“I wanted a way of seeing how much time I was sinking into my phone，” he said. “So I came up with something that could monitor my screen time.” Holesh found that he was spending 75 minutes on his phone a day. He added a function to the app that informed him whenever his screen time was more than 40 minutes. “My phone would make a sound like a bee， and Id go and do something else. It was like a little angel on my shoulder pushing me in the right direction，” he said. Holesh figured that if the system worked for him， it would work for others， and later that year he made Moment a free app. To date， it has been downloaded 8 million times.

Besides， Moment also has a “coach” function， offering guided programs to help users focus and be more productive， for $7.99 a month.

“I am so much happier， I sleep better， I read more， I take better care of myself， and most of all I am present in my day-to-day life，” Jack， a user said. Similar comments on Moment reflect a growing consciousness around “digital wellness”， the name given to lifestyle practices that encourage healthy device use.

12. What does the inspiration of Moment come from？

A. The creators own experience. B. The sound made by bees.

C. Complaints from family members. D. The widespread digital addiction.

13. What does Moment do at the expected screen time？

A. Monitor the screen and keep a record. B. Make a noise to remind the user.

C. Turn off the phone immediately. D. Force the user to take a rest.

14. What does the author intend to do in Paragraph 4？

A. To persuade readers to buy the app. B. To provide readers with some advice.

C. To recommend a coach to the readers. D. To introduce more information of the app.

15. In which part of a website will you find this text？

A. Fashion and Business. B. Sports and Entertainment.

C. Health and Lifestyle. D. Art and Design.