"But over the last couple of years,and in this one in particular, we are starting to see companies shift from what is the largest screen size,
Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on invention. Your essay should include the importance of invention and measures to be taken to encourage invention. You are required to write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.
Part H Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. At the end of each conversation, you will hear four questions. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D.
Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet I with a single line through the centre.
Questions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
1. A. It tries to predict the possible trends of global climate change.
B. It studies the impacts of global climate change on peoples lives.
C. It links the science of climate change to economic and policy issues.
D. It focuses on the efforts countries can make to deal with global warming.
2. A. It will take a long time before a consensus is reached on its impact.
B. It would be more costly to deal with its consequences than to avoid it.
C. It is the most pressing issue confronting all countries.
D. It is bound to cause endless disputes among nations.
3. A. The transition to low-carbon energy systems.
B. The cooperation among world major powers.
C. The signing of a global agreement.
D. The raising of peoples awareness.
4. A. Carry out more research on it.
B. Cut down energy consumption.
C. Plan well in advance.
D. Adopt new technology.
Questions 5 to 8 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
5. A. When luck plays a role.
B. what determines success.
C. Whether practice makes perfect.
D. How important natural talent is.
6. A. It knocks at your door only once in a while.
B. It is something that no one can possibly create.
C. It comes naturally out of ones self-confidence.
D. It means being good at seizing opportunities.
7. A. Luck rarely contributes to a persons success.
B. One must have natural talent to be successful.
C. One should always be ready to seize opportunities.
D. Practice is essential to becoming good at something.
8. A. Putting time and effort into fun things is profitable.
B. People who love what they do care little about money.
C. Being passionate about work can make one wealthy.
D. People in need of money work hard automatically.
Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear two passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear three or four questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once.After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.
Questions 9 to 12 are based on the passage you have just heard.
9. A. The stump of a giant tree.
B. A huge piece of rock.
C. The peak of a mountain.
D. A tall chimney.
10. A. Human activity.
B. Wind and water.
C. Chemical processes.
D. Fire and fury.
11. A. It is a historical monument.
B. It was built in ancient times.
C. It is Indians sacred place for worship.
D. It was created by supernatural powers.
12. A. By sheltering them in a cave.
B. By killing the attacking bears.
C. By lifting them well above the ground.
D. By taking them to the top of a mountain.
Questions 13 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.
13. A. They will buy something from the convenience stores.
B. They will take advantage of the time to rest a while.
C. They will have their vehicles washed or serviced.
D. They will pick up some souvenirs or gift items.
14. A. They can bring only temporary pleasures.
B. They are meant for the extremely wealthy.
C. They should be done away with altogether.
D. They may eventually drive one to bankruptcy.
15. A. A good way to socialize is to have daily lunch with ones colleagues.
B. Retirement savings should come first in ones family budgeting.
C. A vacation will be affordable if one saves 20 dollars a week.
D. Small daily savings can make a big difference in ones life.
Section C
Directions: In this section, you will hear three recordings of lectures or talks followed by three or four questions. The recordings will be played only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.
Questions 16 to 18 are based on the recording you have just heard.
16. A. They should be done away with.
B. They are necessary in our lives.
C. They enrich our experience.
D. They are harmful to health.
17. A. They feel stressed out even without any challenges in life.
B. They feel too overwhelmed to deal with lifes problems.
C. They are anxious to free themselves from lifes troubles.
D. They are exhausted even without doing any heavy work. ~
18. A. They expand our mind.
B. They prolong our lives.
C. They narrow our focus.
D.They lessen our burdens
Questions 19 to 22 are based on the recording you have just heard.
19. A. It is not easily breakable.
B. It came from a 3D printer.
C. It represents the latest style.
D. It was made by a fashion designer.
20. A. When she had just graduated from her college.
B. When she attended a conference in New York.
C. When she was studying at a fashion design school.
D. When she attended a fashion show nine months ago.
21. A. It was difficult to print.
B. It was hard to come by.
C. It was hard and breakable.
D. It was extremely expensive.
22. A. It is the latest model of a 3D printer.
B. It is a plastic widely used in 3D printing.
C. It gives fashion designers room for imagination.
D. It marks a breakthrough in printing material.
Questions 23 to 25 are based on the recording you have just heard.
23. A. They arise from the advances in technology.
B. They have not been examined in detail so far.
C. They are easy to solve with modern technology.
D. They cant be solved without government support.
24. A. It is attractive to entrepreneurs.
B. It demands huge investment.
C. It focuses on new products.
D. It is intensely competitive.
25. A. Cooperation with big companies.
B. Recruiting more qualified staff.
C. In-service training of IT personnel.
D. Sharing of costs with each other.
Part Ⅲ Reading Comprehension (40 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.
Questions 26 to 35 are based on the following passage.
It is important that scientists be seen as normal people asking and answering important questions. Good, sound science depends on 26 , experiments and reasoned methodologies. It requires a willingness to ask new questions and try new approaches. It requires one to take risks and experience failures. But good science also requires 27 understanding,clear explanation and concise presentation.
Our country needs more scientists who are willing to step out in the public 28 and offer their opinions on important matters. We need more scientists who can explain what they are doing in language that is 29 and understandable to the public. Those of us who are not scientists should also be prepared to support public engagement by scientists, and to 30 scientific knowledge into our public communications.
Too many people in this country, including some among our elected leadership, still do not understand how science works or why robust, long-range investments in research vitally matter. In the 1960s, the United States 31 nearly 17% of discretionary (可酌情支配的) spending to research and development,32 decades of economic growth. By 2008, the figure had fallen into the single 33 This occurs at a time when other nations have made significant gains in their own research capabilities.
At the University of California (UC), we 34 ourselves not only on the quality of our research, but also on its contribution to improving our world. To 35 the development of science from the lab bench to the market place, UC is investing our own money in our own good ideas.
A. arena
B. contextual
C. convincing
D. devoted
E. digits
F. hasten
G. hypotheses
H. impairing
I. incorporate
J. indefinite
K. indulge
L. inertia
M. pride
N. reaping
O. warrant
Section B
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once.Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.
Are We in an Innovation Lull?
[A] Scan the highlights of this years Consumer Electronics Show ( CES ), and you may get a slight feeling of having seen them before. Many of the coolest gadgets this year are the same as the coolest gadgets last year--or the year before, even. The booths are still exciting, and the demos are still just as crazy. It is still easy to be dazzled by the display of drones (无人机),3D printers,virtual reality goggles ( 眼镜) and more "smart" devices than you could ever hope to catalog.Upon reflection, however, it is equally easy to feel like you have seen it all before. And it is hard not to think: Are we in an innovation lull ( 间歇期) ?
[B] In some ways, the answer is yes. For years, smartphones, televisions, tablets, laptops and desktops have made up a huge part of the market and driven innovation. But now these segments are looking at slower growth curves--or shrinking markets in some cases--as consumers are not as eager to spend money on new gadgets. Meanwhile, emerging technologies--the drones,3D printers and smart-home devices of the world--now seem a bit too old to be called "the next big thing. "
[C] Basically the tech industry seems to be in an awkward period now. "There is not any one-hit wonder, and there will not be one for years to come," said Gary Shapiro, president and chief executive of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). In his eyes, however, that doesnt necessarily mean that innovation has stopped. It has just grown up a little. "Many industries are going out of infancy and becoming adolescents," Shapiro said.
[D] For instance, new technologies that are building upon existing technology have not found their footing well enough to appeal to a mass audience, because, in many cases, they need to work effectively with other devices to realize their full appeal. Take the evolution of the smart home,for example. Companies are pushing it hard but make it almost overwhelming even to dip a toe in the water for the average consumer, because there are so many compatibility issues to think about. No average person wants to figure out whether their favorite calendar software works with their fridge or whether their washing machine and tablet get along. Having to install a different app for each smart appliance in your home is annoying; it would be nicer if you could manage everything together. And while you may forgive your smartphone an occasional fault, you probably have less patience for error messages from your door lock.
[E] Companies are promoting their own standards, and the market has not had time to choose a winner yet as this is still very new. Companies that have long focused on hardware now have to think of ecosystems instead to give consumers practical solutions to their everyday problems."The dialogue is changing from what is technologically possible to what is technologically meaningful," said economist Shawn DuBravac. DuBravac works for CTA--which puts on the show each year--and said that this shift to a search for solutions has been noticeable as he researched his predictions for 2016.
[F] "So much of what CES has been about is the cool. It is about the flashiness and the gadgets," said John Curran, managing director of research at Accenture. "But over the last couple of years,and in this one in particular, we are starting to see companies shift from what is the largest screen size, the smallest form factor or the shiniest object and more into what all of these devices do that is practical in a consumers life. " Even the technology press conferences, which have been high- profile in the past and reached a level of drama and theatrics fitting for a Las Vegas stage, have a different bent to them. Rather than just dazzling with a high cool factor, there is a focus on the practical. Fitbit, for example, released its first smartwatch Monday, selling with a clear purpose--to improve your fitness--and promoting it as a "tool, not a toy. " Not only that, it supports a number of platforms: Apples iOS, Googles Android and Microsofts Windows phone.
[G] That seems to be what consumers are demanding, after all. Consumers are becoming increasingly bored with what companies have to offer: A survey of 28,000 consumers in 28 countries released by Accenture found consumers are not as excited about technology as they once were. For example, when asked whether they would buy a new smartphone this year, only 48 percent said yes--a six-point drop from 2015.
[H] And when it comes to the hyper-connected super-smart world that technology firms are painting for us, it seems that consumers are growing more uneasy about handing over the massive amounts of consumer data needed to provide the personalized, customized solutions that companies need to improve their services. That could be another explanation for why companies seem to be strengthening their talk of the practicality of their devices.
[I] Companies have already won part of the battle, having driven tech into every part of our lives, tracking our steps and our very heartbeats. Yet the persistent question of " Why do I need that?"--or, perhaps more tellingly, "Why do you need to know that?"--dogs the steps of many new ventures. Only 13 percent of respondents said that they were interested in buying a smartwatch in 2016, for example--an increase of just one percent from the previous year despite a year of high-profile launches. That is bad news for any firm that may hope that smartwatches can make up ground for maturing smartphone and tablet markets. And the survey found flat demand for fitness monitors, smart thermostats (恒温器) and connected home cameras, as well.
[J] According to the survey, that lack of enthusiasm could stem from concerns about privacy and security. Even among people who have bought connected devices of some kind,37 percent said that they are going to be more cautions about using these devices and services in the future. A full 18 percent have even returned devices until they feel they can get safer guarantees against having their sensitive information hacked.
[K] That, too, explains the heavy Washington presence at this years show, as these new technologies intrude upon heavily regulated areas. In addition to many senior officials from the Federal Trade and Federal Communications commissions, this years list of policy makers also includes appearances from Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, to talk about smart cities, and Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Michael Huerta, to talk about drones.
[L] Curran, the Accenture analyst, said that increased government interest in the show makes sense as technology becomes a larger part of our lives. "There is an incompatibility in the rate at which these are advancing relative to the way were digesting it," he said. "Technology is becoming bigger and more aspirational, and penetrating almost every aspect of our lives. We have to understand and think about the implications, and balance these great innovations with the potential downsides they naturally carry with them. "
36. Consumers are often hesitant to try smart-home devices because they are worried about compatibility problems.
37. This years electronics show featured the presence of many officials from the federal government.
38. The market demand for electronic devices is now either declining or not growing as fast as before.
39. One analyst suggests it is necessary to accept both tlie positive and negative aspects of innovative products.
40. The Consumer Electronics Show in recent years has begun to focus more on the practical value than the showiness of electronic devices.
41. Fewer innovative products were found at this years electronic products show.
42. Consumers are becoming more worried about giving personal information to tech companies to get customized products and services.
43. The Consumer Technology Association is the sponsor of the annual Consumer Electronics Show.
44. Many consumers wonder about the necessity of having their fitness monitored.
45. The electronic industry is maturing even though no wonder products hit the market.
Section C
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
The Paris climate agreement finalised in December last year heralded a new era for climate action.For the first time, the worlds nations agreed to keep global warming well below 2℃.
This is vital for climate-vulnerable nations. Fewer than 4% of countries are responsible for more than half of the worlds greenhouse gas emissions. In a study published in Nature Scientific Reports, we reveal just how deep this injustice runs.
Developed nations such as Australia, the United States, Canada, and European countries are essentially climate "free-riders": causing the majority of the problems through high greenhouse gas emissions, while incurring few of the costs such as climate changes impact on food and water. In other words, a few countries are benefiting enormously from the consumption of fossil fuels, while at the same time contributing disproportionately to the global burden of climate change.
On the flip side, there are many "forced riders", who are suffering from the climate change impacts despite having scarcely contributed to the problem. Many of the worlds most climatevulnerable countries, the majority of which are African or small island states, produce a very small quantity of emissions. This is much like a non-smoker getting cancer from second-hand smoke, while the heavy smoker is fortunate enough to smoke in good health.
The Paris agreement has been widely hailed as a positive step forward in addressing climate change for all, although the details on addressing "climate justice" can be best described as sketchy.
The goal of keeping global temperature rise "well below" 2~C is commendable but the emissions-reduction pledges submitted by countries leading up to the Paris talks are very unlikely to deliver on this.