eader question:

Please explain this headline, particularly “baby steps”: Baby Steps Taken for Gender Equality.

My comments:

Small progress has been made regarding gender equality, equality between men and women, equal pay for equal work, e.g.

Baby steps means small progress or a series of small progresses, “small” being the chief characteristic here.

Small, because baby steps are invariably that – small.

Tiny as a matter of fact.

Literally, you see, baby steps refer to the first steps a baby takes as he or she learns to walk.

With short and chubby legs, baby steps are, invariably, small.

And tender and gingerly, too.

Careful and cautious, in other words, uncertain and unstable.

Wobbly, that is.

Babies stagger and fall a lot when they first tried to move on their feet.

Metaphorically speaking, hence, when we say somebody has taken baby steps in a certain endeavor, we mean to convey the idea that some initial small progress has been made.

In other words, these are early days. Expect more to come.

And, as it is with babies walking and falling, failure and setback are to be expected as well.

Keep images of a baby walking in your mind when you try to put “baby steps” into use. That is to say, use this expression only in situations where small, initial and tentative progress has been made.

And here are examples culled from the Internet over the years:

1. In an effort to minimize risk buyers are taking smaller steps as they progress towards major buying decisions. Buyers are in effect taking baby steps towards the purchase decision– they have learned that going faster increases the danger of falling over.

In the words of one experienced salesperson buyers are adopting an iterative approach to how buying decisions are being made. “Once the buying process for a major IT system may have involved 6 steps, today it is likely to be broken down into many more”, he explained.

“Most I.T. buyers have been burned by the old ways of buying, with a high proportion of projects behind in terms of time and/or budget.” The fact that they have adopted a more street-wise approach to buying I.T. is hardly a surprise therefore.

In a trend consistent with the increased popularity of agile software development methods, buyers are adopting an agile approach to buying IT. Buyers are taking incremental steps that edge them ever more cautiously towards major buying decisions:

*They are putting of making a decision as late as possible.

*They are leaving as many options and alternatives open as is possible.

*They are learning as they go, reviewing and testing options and alternatives in tandem with making a decision.

- Buyers Are Taking ‘Baby Steps’, SellerInsights.com, November 16, 2010.

2. The Hawks faded in the fourth quarter of their second preseason game, losing to the Orlando Magic 97-88 Wednesday at State Farm Arena, though they showed improvement defensively from their loss to the Pelicans Monday. Trae Young led the Hawks in scoring with 18 points.

Defensively, the Hawks took some “baby steps,”in coach Lloyd Pierce’s words, after allowing the Pelicans 133 points. Atlanta held Orlando to 37.6 percent from the floor (29.4 percent from 3-point range) and showed better all-around effort on defense. The Hawks aim to hold teams below 25 points per quarter, which they achieved in the first (allowing 18) and third (allowing 24). DeAndre’ Bembry and Trae Young each had three steals.

Atlanta may have performed better defensively, but committing 27 turnovers prevented it from capitalizing too much (as did shooting just 33.8 percent from the floor, going up against a long Orlando team). After registering 29 turnovers Monday (with Young responsible for eight of those), the problem didn’t let up much Wednesday. The Hawks, who led the league in turnovers per game (17) last season, had 27 in the loss (with Young responsible for nine of those). Preseason games are, of course, opportunities to get weaknesses on film and work through them, and this definitely looks like it’s still a problem area for Atlanta. Some of those 27 turnovers are a credit to Orlando, but a healthy portion were self-inflicted (for example, the Hawks were called for travelling six times).

- ‘Baby steps’ taken on defense, but Hawks fall to Magic, AJC.com, October 10, 2019.

3. We’re all in a hurry, it seems. The pace of life has increased and rushing through our days – through our lives – has now become the norm. We want everything now; happiness now, success now, health now, love now. Not surprisingly, this is the way we approach our goals and life changes as well. Patience is hard to come by: we expect results now, and if we haven’t reached our goal yet, it must be because we’re not working hard enough or fast enough or we’re lazy and undisciplined.

Hard work and discipline are certainly valuable traits when trying to make changes in our lives or attain important goals, however, even diligence and persistence are often not enough to get the results we’re looking for. The lack of an effective strategy is often our greatest obstacle. In our impatience for results, we try to change too much at once, and expect too much of ourselves, and this impatience usually leads to frustration and failure. This is why most people fail to keep their New Year’s resolutions.

Sometimes we don’t even take the first step because our dreams, goals, and desires seem so overwhelming, so intimidating, and so unachievable that we give up before we even start. Maybe we just need to try a different strategy. I’m reminded of the popular saying, “Life is a marathon, not a sprint.” That same philosophy can be applied when we’re attempting to make changes in our lives: it’s true of career advancement or building a business, educational goals, weight loss or fitness, organization, habits, and certainly when trying to build or change relationships.

Learn to take baby steps

This may be the simplest, yet the most effective strategy we can use, as consistency, and learning to build on small victories are the keys to success. The happiest and most successful people will tell you that they have achieved their level of life and work success by taking small steps, and making one positive choice after another.

- The Number One Secret to Life Success: Baby Steps, LifeHack.org, July 10, 2022.

本文仅代表作者本人观点，与本网立场无关。欢迎大家讨论学术问题，尊重他人，禁止人身攻击和发布一切违反国家现行法律法规的内容。

About the author:

Zhang Xin is Trainer at chinadaily.com.cn. He has been with China Daily since 1988, when he graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University. Write him at: zhangxin@chinadaily.com.cn, or raise a question for potential use in a future column.

（作者：张欣 编辑：丹妮）

来源：中国日报网

地方卫视还在争奇斗艳借流量小鲜肉吸引眼球时，央视却凭借“硬核内容”继续稳坐天下。从《中国诗词大会》、《国家宝藏》到一系列老牌新闻节目，都一直是社会关注的热点。

7月19日，央视《焦点访谈》把焦点又对准了新能源汽车产业，播出了“补贴退坡，创新上坡”主题报道，掀起了各界的热议。

新能源汽车，是中国制造2025的重要部分，是牵动消费者、汽车行业、国家竞争力等各个层面的重大议题。

New energy vehicles are an important part of the "Made in China 2025" strategy and a key area of promotion in the auto industry in terms national competitiveness and other aspects.

作为中国新能源市场的标杆企业，广汽新能源成为此次节目的焦点。的确，在全球产业深刻变革的当下，只有靠实力前行的企业，才能在变局中稳步前行，也才能代表中国去更大的国际舞台竞技，实现中国汽车“变道超车”的愿景。

广汽新能源登上《焦点访谈》

先人一步，凭硬核技术打天下

近年来，在全球电动化、智能化、网联化、共享化的快速推进下，新能源产业迎来了新的技术变革浪潮。

In recent years, the new energy industry has ushered in a new wave of developments in intelligent, network-connected and sharing technology.

广汽新能源紧贴时代趋势，推出了以新科技、新智造、新生态、新体系和新产品为核心的“五新”战略。

GAC New Energy has introduced a strategy centered on new technologies, intelligent manufacturing, new ecology and systems and new products.

这一战略的提出是站在世界高度，未来视点，为广汽新能源技术、产品、智造跻身全球科技创新先进行列打下了“格局”的基石，保证了这家企业在之后不断迸发出持续的强劲动力。

万物互联时代，汽车也逐步演变为科技产品

具体到技术“战略”上，经过多年探研，凭借第二代专属新能源平台GEP，广汽新能源产品已实现与世界最先进水平并驾齐驱。

With the second generation of exclusive GAC Electric Platform products, GAC New Energy has kept pace with the world's most advanced level and competition.

坚持创新驱动，不断实现技术迭代，让广汽新能源具备了最强的内驱力。

广汽新能源第二代纯电专属平台

今年4月上市的广汽新能源Aion S，正是基于第二代纯电平台打造的首款战略车型。Aion S不仅预售火爆，短短两三个月就订单量破5万，受到消费者热捧，同时还引起了国外许多主流媒体的高度关注，成为全球备受瞩目的新能源车型，被业内赞誉为“超越燃油车的起点”。

销量火爆的Aion S

此外，9月即将上市的“豪华智能超跑SUV”Aion LX，续航里程突破650KM，百公里加速3.9S，还将匹配广汽新能源最新发布的ADiGO（艾迪狗）自动驾驶系统，成为全球首款实现L3自动驾驶功能的量产SUV。无论是性能、还是科技含量，Aion LX都称得上是对接世界水平的出色产品。

富含最先进智能科技的Aion LX

发力智能科技，追赶世界级领先水平

新能源汽车，是中国汽车业赢得下一轮技术竞赛的制高点；智能技术，则是这轮角逐的关键点。放眼全球，智能科技与汽车的结合，已经成为大趋势，传统车企、科技头部企业、新兴行业公司都在布局“智能化”，竞争日趋激烈。

在智能领域，广汽集团提前布局，提出“智能汽车+物联网”的战略，近日更是推出了全新的ADiGO智能生态系统。

GAC Group put forward the strategy of "Intelligent vehicle plus internet of things" and recently launched the new intelligent ecosystem ADiGO.

其中，ADiGO智能网联系统将率先搭载至Aion LX。ADiGO自动驾驶系统是国内第一个实现L2和L3级自动驾驶量产技术，以及L4级自动驾驶示范运行。未来，广汽还将进一步与华为等全球尖端科技企业合作，打造更加智能的移动出行生活。

7月28日，广汽新能源在深圳推出ADiGO生态系统

“智造力”是国际范围内车企竞争的又一个新焦点。广汽新能源拥有的世界级智能生态工厂，在智造、品质、定制和环保四个方面都筑就了新高度。

这家新工厂广泛应用物联网、大数据、智能机器人等技术，将智能制造与广汽生产方式深度融合。

Its newest plant widely uses internet of things, big data, intelligent robots and other technologies to deeply integrate intelligent manufacturing and different modes of production.

具有全球领先钢铝车身柔性工厂、全球领先数字化自主决策工厂、全球领先深度互动式定制工厂、全球首个能源综合利用生态工厂等多项世界领先级优势。

创新服务模式，开创未来的汽车生活生态

意识到新能源市场的特殊之处，广汽新能源创新建立了全新的销售和服务体系，率先抓住了新能源领域的脉搏，为广汽新能源打造出适合自己的营销服务新生态。

GAC New Energy has set up a new sales and service system to create its own innovative ecology of marketing services.

在线下，广汽新能源颠覆传统4S店渠道模式，创新打造“时空虫洞”概念的“链接生活型”终端新模式——“25 hours体验中心”。为消费者提供生活科技体验、汽车销售、充电及售后等全面贴心的服务，带来全新的购车及出行生活体验。

25 hours体验中心

此外，广汽新能源推出用户专属APP，打通线上线下渠道，建立与经销商、消费者之间互通的金三角关系，随时为用户提供最高效出行方案、最便捷的充电体验和最贴心的专享客服。

广汽新能源用户专属APP

世界领先的产品，比肩世界的科技实力，以及创新式的服务体系，广汽新能源为中国新能源车行业树立了技术立身、创新发展的标杆。

With the world's leading products, scientific and technological strength, and an innovative service system, GAC New Energy has set a benchmark for innovative technological development in China's new energy vehicle industry.

也只有具备这些强大的优势，中国汽车才能有底气有实力去迎战国际竞争，角逐全球战场，在国家技术实力较量中赢得更多话语权，这也正是广汽新能源模式的重要价值。

本文为推广

021 年全国硕士研究生入学统一考试英语(一)试题

Section I Use of English

Directions:

Read the following text. Choose the best word (s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)

Fluid intelligence is the type of intelligence that has to do with short-term memory and the ability to think quickly, logically, and abstractly in order to solve new problems. It 1 in young adulthood, levels out for a period of time, and then 2 starts to slowly decline as we age. But 3 aging is inevitable, scientists are finding that certain changes in brain function may not be.

One study found that muscle loss and the 4 of body fat around the abdomen are associated with a decline in fluid intelligence. This suggests the 5 that lifestyle factors might help prevent or 6 this type of decline.

The researchers looked at data that 7 measurements of lean muscle and abdominal fat from more than 4,000 middle-to-older-aged men and women and 8 that data to reported changes in fluid intelligence over a six-year period. They found that middle-aged people 9 higher measures of abdominal fat 10 worse on measures of fluid intelligence as the years 11 .

For women, the association may be 12 to changes in immunity that resulted from excess abdominal fat; in men, the immune system did not appear to be 13 . It is hoped that future studies could 14 these differences and perhaps lead to different 15 for men and women.

16 there are steps you can 17 to help reduce abdominal fat and maintain lean muscle mass as you age in order to protect both your physical and mental 18 . The two highly recommended lifestyle approaches are maintaining or increasing your 19 of aerobic exercise and following Mediterranean-style 20 that is high in fiber and eliminates highly processed foods.

1. A. pauses

2. A. alternatively

3. A. while

4. A. detection

5. A. possibility

6. A. delay

7. A. modify

8. A. devoted

9. A. with

10. A. lived

11. A. ran out

12. A. superior

13. A. restored

14. A. alter

15. A. compensations

16. A. Likewise

17. A. change

18. A. well-being

19. A. level

20. A. design

参考答案:

B. return

B. formally

B. since

B. accumulation B. decision

B. ensure

B. supported

B. compared

B. above

B. managed

B. set off

B. attributable B. isolated

B. spread

B. symptoms

B. Meanwhile B. watch

B. process

B. love

B. routine

C. peaks

C. accidentally C. once

C. consumption C. goal

C. seek

C. included

C. converted

C. by

C. scored

C. drew in

C. parallel

C. involved

C. remove

C. demands

C. Therefore

C. count

C. formation

C. knowledge C. diet

D. fades

D. generally

D. until

D. separation D. requirement D. utilize

D. predicted

D. applied

D. against

D. played

D. went by

D. resistant

D. controlled D. explain

D. treatments D. Instead

D. take

D. coordination D. space

D. prescription

1-5:CDABA 6-10:ACBAC 11-15:DBCDD 16-20:BDAAC

Part A

Directions:

Section II Reading Comprehension

Read the following four texts. Answer the questions after each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)

Text 1

How can the train operators possibly justify yet another increase to rail passenger fares? It has become a grimly reliable annual ritual: every January the cost of travelling by train rises, imposing a significant extra burden on those who have no option but to use the rail network to get to work or otherwise. This year’s rise, an average of 2.7 per cent, may be a fraction lower than last year’s, but it is still well above the official Consumer Price Index (CPI) measure of inflation.

Successive governments have permitted such increases on the grounds that the cost of investing in and running the rail network should be borne by those who use it, rather than the general taxpayer. Why, the argument goes, should a car-driving pensioner from Lincolnshire have to subsidise the daily commute of a stockbroker from Surrey? Equally, there is a sense that the travails of commuters in the South East, many of whom will face among the biggest rises, have received too much attention compared to those who must endure the relatively poor infrastructure of the Midlands and the North.

However, over the past 12 months, those commuters have also experienced some of the worst rail strikes in years. It is all very well train operators trumpeting the improvements they are making to the network, but passengers should be able to expect a basic level of service for the substantial sums they are now paying to travel. The responsibility for the latest wave of strikes rests on the

unions. However, there is a strong case that those who have been worst affected by industrial action should receive compensation for the disruption they have suffered.

The Government has pledged to change the law to introduce a minimum service requirement so that, even when strikes occur, services can continue to operate. This should form part of a wider package of measures to address the long-running problems on Britain’s railways. Yes, more investment is needed, but passengers will not be willing to pay more indefinitely if they must also endure cramped, unreliable services, punctuated by regular chaos when timetables are changed, or planned maintenance is managed incompetently. The threat of nationalisation may have been seen off for now, but it will return with a vengeance if the justified anger of passengers is not addressed in short order.

21. The author holds that this year’s increase in rail passengers fares A. will ease train operation’s burden.

B. has kept pace with inflation.

C. is a big surprise to commuters.

D. remains on.

22. The stockbroker in 2 is used to stand for A. car drivers

B. rail travellers

C. local investors

D. ordinary taxpayers

23. It is indicated in 3 that train operators

A. are offering compensations to commuters.

B. are trying to repair relations with the unions.

C. have failed to provide an adequate source.

D. have suffered huge losses owing to the strikes.

24. If unable to calm down passengers, the railways may have to face A. the loss of investment.

B. the collapse of operations.

C. a reduction of revenue.

D. a change of ownership.

25. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?

A. Who Are to Blame for the Strikes?

B. Constant Complaining Doesn't Work C. Can Nationalization Bring Hope?

D. Ever-rising Fares Aren't Sustainable

Text 2

Last year marked the third year in a row of that Indonesia’s bleak rate of deforestation has slowed in pace. One reason for the turnaround may be the country’s antipoverty program.

In 2007, Indonesia started phasing in a program that gives money to its poorest residents under

certain conditions, such as requiring people to keep kids in school or get regular medical care. Called conditional cash transfers or CCTs, these social assistance programs are designed to reduce inequality and break the cycle of poverty. They’re already used in dozens of countries worldwide. In Indonesia, the program has provided enough food and medicine to substantially reduce severe growth problems among children.

But CCT programs don’t generally consider effects on the environment. In fact, poverty alleviation and environmental protection are often viewed as conflicting goals, says Paul Ferraro, an economist at Johns Hopkins University.

That’s because economic growth can be correlated with environmental degradation, while protecting the environment is sometimes correlated with greater poverty. However, those correlations don’t prove cause and effect. The only previous study analyzing causality, based on an area in Mexico that had instituted CCTs, supported the traditional view. There, as people got more money, some of them may have more cleared land for cattle to raise for meat, Ferraro says.

Such programs do not have to negatively affect the environment, though. Ferraro wanted to see if Indonesia’s poverty-alleviation program was affecting deforestation. Indonesia has the third- largest area of tropical forest in the world and one of the highest deforestation rates.

Ferraro analyzed satellite data showing annual forest loss from 2008 to 2012 — including during Indonesia’s phase — in of the antipoverty program — in 7,468 forested villages across 15 provinces and multiple islands. The duo separated the effects of the CCT program on forest loss from other factors, like weather and macroeconomic changes, which were also affecting forest loss. With that, “we see that the program is associated with a 30 percent reduction in deforestation,” Ferraro says.

That’s likely because the rural poor are using the money as makeshift insurance policies against inclement weather, Ferraro says. Typically, if rains are delayed, people may clear land to plant more rice to supplement their harvests. With the CCTs, individuals instead can use the money to supplement their harvests.

Whether this research translates elsewhere is anybody’s guess. Ferraro suggests the importance of growing rice and market access. And regardless of transferability, the study shows that what’s good for people may also be good for the value of the avoided deforestation just for carbon dioxide

emissions alone is more than the program costs.

26. According to the first two paragraphs, CCT programs aim to A. facilitate health care reform.

B. help poor families get better off.

C. improve local education systems. D. lower deforestation rates.

27. The study based on an area in Mexico is cited to show that

A. cattle rearing has been a major means of livelihood for the poor. B. CCT programs have helped preserve traditional lifestyles.

C. antipoverty efforts require the participation of local farmers.

D. economic growth tends to cause environmental degradation.

28. In his study about Indonesia, Ferraro intends to find out A. its acceptance level of CCTs.

B. its annual rate of poverty alleviation.

C. the relation of CCTs to its forest loss.

D. the role of its forests in climate change.

29. According to Ferraro, the CCT program in Indonesia is most valuable in that

A. it will benefit other Asian countries. B. it will reduce regional inequality.

C. it can protect the environment.

D. it can boost grain production.

30. What is the text centered on?

A. The effects of a program.

B. The debates over a program. C. The process of a study.

D. The transferability of a study.

As a historian who’s always searching for the text or the image that makes us re-evaluate the past, I’ve become preoccupied with looking for photographs that show our Victorian ancestors smiling (what better way to shatter the image of 19th-century prudery?). I’ve found quite a few, and — since I started posting them on Twitter — they have been causing quite a stir. People have been surprised to see evidence that Victorians had fun and could, and did, laugh. They are noting that the Victorians suddenly seem to become more human as the hundred-or-so years that separate us fade away through our common experience of laughter.

Of course, I need to concede that my collection of ‘Smiling Victorians’ makes up only a tiny percentage of the vast catalogue of photographic portraiture created between 1840 and 1900, the majority of which show sitters posing miserably and stiffly in front of painted backdrops, or staring absently into the middle distance. How do we explain this trend?

During the 1840s and 1850s, in the early days of photography, exposure times were notoriously long: the daguerreotype photographic method (producing an image on a silvered copper plate) could take several minutes to complete, resulting in blurred images as sitters shifted position or adjusted their limbs. The thought of holding a fixed grin as the camera performed its magical duties was too much to contemplate, and so a non-committal blank stare became the norm.

But exposure times were much quicker by the 1880s, and the introduction of the Box Brownie and other portable cameras meant that, though slow by today’s digital standards, the exposure was almost instantaneous. Spontaneous smiles were relatively easy to capture by the 1890s, so we must look elsewhere for an explanation of why Victorians still hesitated to smile.

One explanation might be the loss of dignity displayed through a cheesy grin. “Nature gave us

Text 3

lips to conceal our teeth,” ran one popular Victorian saying, alluding to the fact that before the birth of proper dentistry, mouths were often in a shocking state of hygiene. A flashing set of healthy and clean, regular ‘pearly whites’ was a rare sight in Victorian society, the preserve of the super-rich (and even then, dental hygiene was not guaranteed).

A toothy grin (especially when there were gaps or blackened teeth) lacked class: drunks, tramps, and music hall performers might gurn and grin with a smile as wide as Lewis Carroll’s gum- exposing Cheshire Cat, but it was not a becoming look for properly bred persons. Even Mark Twain, a man who enjoyed a hearty laugh, said that when it came to photographic portraits there could be “nothing more damning than a silly, foolish smile fixed forever”.

31. According to Paragraph 1, the author’s posts on Twitter

A. changed people’s impression of the Victorians.

B. highlighted social media’s role in Victorian studies. C. re-evaluated the Victorians’ notion of public image. D. illustrated the development of Victorian photography.

32. What does author say about the Victorian portraits he has collected? A. They are in popular use among historians.

B. They are rare among photographs of that age.

C. They mirror 19th-century social conventions.

D. They show effects of different exposure times.

33. What might have kept the Victorians from smiling for pictures in the 1890s? A. Their inherent social sensitiveness.

B. Their tension before the camera.

C. Their distrust of new inventions.

D. Their unhealthy dental condition.

34. Mark Twain is quoted to show that the disapproval of smiles in pictures was

A. a deep-root belief.

B. a misguided attitude.

C. a controversial view.

D. a thought-provoking idea.

35. Which of the following questions does the text answer?

A. Why did most Victorians look stern in photographs?

B. Why did the Victorians start to view photographs?

C. What made photography develop slowly in the Victorian period? D. How did smiling in photographs become a post-Victorian norm?

Text 4

From the early days of broadband, advocates for consumers and web-based companies worried that the cable and phone companies selling broadband connections had the power and incentive to favor affiliated websites over their rivals. That’s why there has been such a strong demand for rules that would prevent broadband providers from picking winners and losers online, preserving the freedom and innovation that have been the lifeblood of the internet.

Yet that demand has been almost impossible to fill—in part because of pushback from broadband providers, anti-regulatory conservatives and the courts. A federal appeals court weighed in again Tuesday, but instead of providing a badly needed resolution, it only prolonged the fight. At issue before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit was the latest take of

the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on net neutrality, adopted on a party-line vote in 2017. The Republican-penned order not only eliminated the strict net neutrality rules the FCC had adopted when it had a Democratic majority in 2015, but rejected the commission’s authority to require broadband providers to do much of anything. The order also declared that state and local governments couldn’t regulate broadband providers either.

The commission argued that other agencies would protect against anti-competitive behavior, such as a broadband-providing conglomerate like AT&T favoring its own video-streaming service at the expense of Netflix and Apple TV. Yet the FCC also ended the investigations of broadband providers that imposed data caps on their rivals’ streaming services but not their own.

On Tuesday, the appeals court unanimously upheld the 2017 order deregulating broadband providers, citing a Supreme Court ruling from 2005 that upheld a similarly deregulatory move. But Judge Patricia Millett rightly argued in a concurring opinion that “the result is unhinged from the realities of modern broadband service,” and said Congress or the Supreme Court could intervene to “avoid trapping Internet regulation in technological anachronism.”

In the meantime, the court threw out the FCC’s attempt to block all state rules on net neutrality, while preserving the commission’s power to preempt individual state laws that undermine its order. That means more battles like the one now going on between the Justice Department and California, which enacted a tough net neutrality law in the wake of the FCC’s abdication.

The endless legal battles and back-and-forth at the FCC cry out for Congress to act. It needs to give the commission explicit authority once and for all to bar broadband providers from meddling in the traffic on their network and to create clear rules protecting openness and innovation online.

36. There has long been concern that broadband provides would A. bring web-based firms under control.

B. slow down the traffic on their network.

C. show partiality in treating clients.

D. intensify competition with their rivals.

37. Faced with the demand for net neutrality rules, the Fcc A. Sticks to an out-of-date order.

B. Takes an anti-regulatory stance.

C. Has issued a special resolution.

D. Has allowed the states to intervene.

38. What can be learned about AT&T from Paragraph 3? A. It protects against unfair competition.

B. It engages in anti-competitive practices.

C. It is under the FCC’s investigation.

D. It is in pursuit of quality service.

39. Judge Patricia Millett argues that the appeals court’s decision A. focuses on trivialities.

B. conveys an ambiguous message.

C. is at odds with its earlier rulings.

D. is out of touch with reality.

40. What does the author argue in the last paragraph?

A. Congress needs to take action to ensure net neutrality.

B. The FCC should be put under strict supervision. C. Rules need to be set to diversify online services. D. Broadband providers’ rights should be protected.

Part B:

Directions:

In the following article, some sentences have been removed. For Questions 41-45, choose the most suitable one from the list A-G to fit into each of the numbered blanks. There are two extra choices, which do not fit in any of the blanks. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET1.(10 points)

In the movies and on television, artificial intelligence is typically depicted as something sinister that will upend our way of life. When it comes to AI in business, we often hear about it in relation to automation and the impending loss of jobs, but in what ways is AI changing companies and the larger economy that don’t involve doom-and-gloom mass unemployment predictions?

A recent survey of manufacturing and service industries from Tata Consultancy Services found that companies currently use AI more often in computer-to-computer activities than in automating human activities. One common application? Preventing electronic security breaches, which, rather than eliminating IT jobs, actually makes those personnel more valuable to employers, because they help firms prevent hacking attempts.

Here are a few other ways AI is aiding companies without replacing employees:

Better hiring practices

Companies are using artificial intelligence to remove some of the unconscious bias from hiring decisions. “There are experiments that show that, naturally, the results of interviews are much more biased than what AI does,” says Pédro Domingos, author of The Master Algorithm: How the Quest for the Ultimate Learning Machine Will Remake Our World and a computer science 41_____________ One company that’s doing this is called Blendoor. It uses analytics to help identify where there may be bias in the hiring process.

More effective marketing

Some AI software can analyze and optimize marketing email subject lines to increase open rates. One company in the UK, Phrasee, claims their software can outperform humans by up to 10 percent when it comes to email open rates. This can mean millions more in revenue. 42_________These are “tools that help people use data, not a replacement for people,” says Patrick H. Winston, a professor of artificial intelligence and computer science at MIT.

Saving customers money

Energy companies can use AI to help customers reduce their electricity bills, saving them money while helping the environment. Companies can also optimize their own energy use and cut down on the cost of electricity. Insurance companies, meanwhile, can base their premiums on AI models that more accurately access risk. “Before, they might not insure the ones who felt like a high risk or charge them too much,” says Domingos, 43____________

Improved accuracy

“Machine learning often provides a more reliable form of statistics, which makes data more valuable,” says Winston. It “helps people make smarter decisions.” 44___________

Protecting and maintaining infrastructure

A number of companies, particularly in energy and transportation, use AI image processing technology to inspect infrastructure and prevent equipment failure or leaks before they happen. “If they fail first and then you fix them, it’s very expensive,” says Domingos. 45_______

[A] I replaces the boring parts of your job. If you’re doing research, you can have AI go out and look for relevant sources and information that otherwise you just wouldn’t have time for.

[B] One accounting firm, EY, uses an AI system that helps review contracts during an audit. This process, along with employees reviewing the contracts, is faster and more accurate.

[C] There are also companies like Acquisio, which analyzes advertising performance across multiple channels like Adwords, Bing and social media and makes adjustments or suggestions about where advertising funds will yield best results.

[D] You want to predict if something needs attention now and point to where it’s useful for employees to go to.

[E] Before, they might not insure the ones who felt like a high risk or charge them too much, or they would charge them too little and then it would cost [the company] money.

[F] We’re also giving our customers better channels versus picking up the phone to accomplish something beyond human scale.

[G] AI looks at résumés in greater numbers than humans would be able to, and selects the more promising candidates.

参考答案:41-45 :GCEBD

Part C

Directions:

Read the following text carefully and then translate the underlined segments into Chinese. Write your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)

World War II was the watershed event for higher education in modern Western societies. (46)Those societies came out of the war with levels of enrollment that had been roughly constant at 3-5% of the relevant age groups during the decades before the war. But after the war, great social and political changes arising out of the successful war against Fascism created a growing demand in European and American economies for increasing numbers of graduates with more than a secondary school education. (47) And the demand that rose in those societies for entry to higher education extended to groups and social classes that had not thought of attending a university before the war. These demands resulted in a very rapid expansion of the systems of higher education, beginning in the 1960s and developing very rapidly (though unevenly) during the 1970s and 1980s. The growth of higher education manifests itself in at least three quite different ways, and these in turn have given rise to different sets of problems. There was first the rate of growth: (48) in many counties of Western Europe, the numbers of students in higher education doubled within five-year periods during the 1960s and doubled again in seven, eight, or 10 years by the middle of the 1970s. Second, growth obviously affected the absolute size both of systems and individual institutions. And

新东方大学生学习与发展中心

third, growth was reflected in changes in the proportion of the relevant age group enrolled in institutions of higher education.

Each of these manifestations of growth carried its own peculiar problems in its wake. For example, a high growth rate placed great strains on the existing structures of governance, of administration, and above all of socialization. When a faculty or department grows from, say, five to 20 members within three or four years, (49) and when the new staff predominantly young men and women fresh from postgraduate study, they largely define the norms of academic life in that faculty. And if the postgraduate student population also grows rapidly and there is loss of a close apprenticeship relationship between faculty members and students, the student culture becomes the chief socializing force for new postgraduate students, with consequences for the intellectual and academic life of the institution—this was seen in America as well as in France, Italy, West Germany, and Japan. (50)High growth rates increased the chances for academic innovation; they also weakened the forms and processes by which teachers and students are admitted into a community of scholars during periods of stability or slow growth. In the 1960s and 1970s, European universities saw marked changes in their governance arrangements, with empowerment of junior faculty and to some degree of students as well.

参考译文:

46. 战争结束后，一些社会随之出现了。这些社会的入学率在战前的几十年里一直保持在相 关年龄段的 3%-5%。

those societies came out of the war (1 分)

come out of...由......产生，从......出来,翻译错误扣 1 分

with levels of enrollment that had been roughly constant at 3%-5% of the relevant age groups(0.5 分)

enrollment 入学，登记，翻译错误扣 0.5 分

during the decades before the war(0.5 分)

decades 数十年，翻译错误扣 0.5 分

47. 在那些社会中，人们渴望接受到更高等的教育。这个需求延伸到了战前那些没有想过上 大学的群体和社会阶层中。

that rose in those societies of entry to higher education(0.5 分)

新东方大学生学习与发展中心

rose: rise 的过去式“上升”，翻译错误扣 0.5 分

And the demand extend to groups and social classes(1 分) 主干没有译出扣 1 分

that had not thought of attending a university before the war(0.5 分)

attend 上大学，译错扣 0.5 分

48. 在西欧的许多国家，20 世纪 60 年代，接受高等教育的学生人数在五年内翻了一番，到 70 年代中期，在七年，八年或十年里又翻了一番。

In many countries of Western Europe . the numbers of student in higher education

doubled (1 分)

double 做动词，“翻倍”，翻译错误扣 0.5 分

within five-years periods during the 1960s (0.5 分)

and double again in seven eight or 10 years by the middle of 1970s(0.5 分). 并列谓语动词翻译错误扣 0.5 分

49. 当新员工主要是刚毕业的年轻男女时，他们很大程度上定义了该学院学术生活的规范。 and when the new staff are predominantly young men and women(0.5 分)

Predominantly 主要地，以...为主，翻译错误扣 0.5 分

fresh from post graduate study(0.5 分)

fresh 新进的，翻译错误扣 0.5 分

they largely define the norms(0.5 分)

norms 标准，规范，翻译错误扣 0.5 分

of academic life in that faculty(0.5 分)

faculty 学院，系，翻译错误扣 0.5 分

50. 高增长率增加了学术创新的机会，同时也削弱了教师和学生在稳定或缓慢的成长过程中， 被认可为学者这一群体的形式和过程。

High growth rates increased the chances for academic innovation(0.5 分) Academic innovation 学术创新，翻译错误扣 0.5 分

they also weakened the forms and process(0.5)

weakened 削弱，减少，翻译错误扣 0.5 分

by which teachers and students are admitted into a community of scholars(0.5 分) admit 承认，认可，翻译错误扣除 0.5 分

during periods of stability of slow growth(0.5 分).

Section III Writing

Part A

51. Directions:

A foreign friend of yours has recently graduated from college and intends to find a job in China. Write him/her an email to make some suggestions.

You should write about 100 words on ANSWER SHEET 2. Do not sign your own name at the end. Use “Li Ming” instead. You do not need to write the address. (10 points)

参考范文:

Dear Friend,

Hope this letter finds you well. I am glad to hear you intend to find a job in China, so I would

like to extend my warmest welcome as well as provide you with a few suggestions on job-hunting. First, you can start from listing 3 to 5 cities which you would like to work or live in. To be more specific, rate them by location, working opportunities and prospects, and , of course, the city’s happiness level. What’s more, be prepared for the culture shock. There is a sharp contrast in how eastern people and western people work. The former prefers working individually while the latter is prone to teamwork. There is one more point that, I suppose, I have to touch on: make good use of

online job-hunting applications, such as BOSS and 51Job.

I hope you will find my humble suggestions be of help. I am looking forward to your reply.

Best wishes.

Part B

52. Directions:

Yours, Li Ming

Write an essay of 160-200 words based on the pictures below. In your essay, you should

1) describe the drawing briefly,

2) explain the intended meaning, and then 3) give your comments.

Write your answer on the ANSWER SHEET. (20 points)

参考范文:

What is graphically and explicitly depicted in the simple yet eye-catching drawing is that on the ground stands a father, who is having a talk with his son. Impressively, at second glance, it is not difficult to observe that the boy, dressed in a traditional Chinese costume, expresses his concern about studying drama, while his father offers some words of encouragement.

Without a doubt，no boy who was born and raised in China could be ignorant that China is an ancient nation with a long history and splendid traditional culture. Traditional dramas, like Peking opera, are the national essence of our culture, which are not only part of the national heritage, but also part of a living and continuing culture. However, traditional culture has been subject to the impact and damage caused by network culture. It is a not uncommon occurrence that quite a few people show too little enthusiasm for traditional dramas. Instead, they are more than willing to follow the popular culture.

While popular culture is completely transforming people’s thoughts and ways of thinking, we are supposed to cherish the roots of national culture and build cultural confidence. Accordingly, it is my view that national culture should be preserved and cherished as priceless spiritual treasure.