Christmas was coming, I was considering what present I should prepare for my father.My dad never wants anything, for he is a hard person to buy for . I pulled out my phone to read text message from my mom saying that we were leaving for Christmas shopping for him when I came across a message on my phone that I had locked. The message was from my father.My eyes fell on a photo of a flower taken in Wyoming，and underneath a poem by William Blake. The flower，a lone dandelion standing against the bright blue sky，inspired me. My dad had been reciting those words to me since I was a kid. That may even be the reason why I love writing. I decided that those words would be my gift to my father.

    I called back. I told my mom to go without me and that I already created my gift. I sent the photo of the cream ­colored flower to my computer and typed the poem on top of it. As I was arranging the details another poem came to mind .The poem was written by Edgar Allan Poe；my dad recited it as much as he did the other. I typed that out as well and searched online for a background to the words of it. The poem was focused around dreaming，and after searching I found the perfect picture. The image was painted with blues and greens and purples，twisting together to create the theme and wonder of a dream. As I watched both poems passing through the printer，the white paper coloring with words that shaped my childhood. I felt that this was a gift that my father would truly appreciate.

    Christmas soon arrived. The minute I saw the look on my dad's face as he unwrapped those swirling black letters carefully placed in a cheap frame，I knew I had given the perfect gift.

根据短文内容，选择最佳答案，并将选定答案的字母标号填在题前括号内。

    Your school asked parents about the social development in children in the last Parents' Meeting. Here are some opinions. Read the following information and answer the questions.

    Reaching Out to a New Friend in Starbucks

    I'm a single mom looking for a job.One morning I had grabbed my favorite spot at a local Starbucks and was going through the newspaper when I noticed a man in ragged clothing looking really untidy.I felt led to speak to this man and so I did.

    I learned that he was homeless and just wandered from place to place.Starbucks was nice enough to allow him to come in from the cold or the heat depending on the day.I also learned that he used to be an architect,but as we spoke I saw more and more that he wasn't at the fullest of mental capabilities,which made me even more upset that he didn't have a place to go.

    I sat with this man for a very long time in Starbucks calling different clinics,hospitals,shelters,police departments.He even gave me a beat up business card of a gentleman saying that was his son's phone number.It was an out-of-state number,but I called anyway but was not able to reach him.Unfortunately,all the places I called were unable to take him.

    I asked him if he was hungry and he said yes,so I went down the street to a deli（熟食店）and ordered a sandwich and drink.When I got back,my new-found friend became angry for a reason I was not aware of or maybe it was some sort of mental disturbance.All I could do was set the sandwich down and told him that I'll leave it there for him if he wanted it and I left.I walked around town for a couple of minutes and then headed back to see if he was still there.

    A man who was sitting in Starbucks most of the time when I was there came out and told me that the man ate the sandwich and that he was touched that I had sat with him like I did.It seems to me that no matter whether something goes awry（非正常的）on the surface,there is always something beautiful at a deeper level.

    I still remember my friend.I looked for him every time I was in town,but that was the last time I saw him.I hope that I had provided some glimmer of hope that he was not forgotten.

    ARNOLD Schwarzenegger is back, once again taking on his iconic killer robot role, the T-800, in August's new movie Terminator Genisys. While the T-800 model—even if it can be evil—has a fond place in moviegoers' hearts, the reality of autonomous machines is no joke, according to scientists.

    Autonomous weapons use artificial intelligence (AI) to choose targets without human help. They were described as “the third revolution in warfare, after gunpowder and nuclear arms” in an open letter signed by over 1,000 important technology figures in July. The list included British scientist Stephen Hawking and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. They asked governments around the world to ban autonomous weapons, warning that killer robots could start ethnic cleansings and an arms race.

     “They will look like tanks. They will look like battleships. They will look like jet fighters,” UK robotics professor Noel Sharkey told CNET, a leading technology website.

    But unlike these machines, which require a human hand in their action, so-called “killer robots” would have some decision-making abilities and the ability to act on their own.

     “If any major military power pushes ahead with AI weapon development, a global arms race is almost inevitable,” said the letter released at the 2015 International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

    The idea of an automated killing machine was made famous by Schwarzenegger's first Terminator movie in 1984. While no red-eyed robots have been sent after human beings, the idea of AI being used as a weapon has gotten much more likely in the years ever since. The US military is already developing autonomous flying vehicles that can carry out all the steps of a strike mission without a human controlling them, according to a May report in Nature magazine.

    Scientists have even painted a destructive picture of autonomous weapons falling into the hands of terrorists or warlords hoping to carry out ethnic cleansings.

     “The development of full artificial intelligence could lead to the end of the human race,” Hawking said to the BBC in 2016.

Authorities are gradually waking up to the risk of robot wars. Last May, for the first time, the United Nations brought governments together to begin talks on autonomous weapons systems.

    Still, a ban on autonomous weapons is “easier said than done”, commented The Guardian. The dual (双重的) uses of the AI technology—for harm and for good—is difficult to manage. This is because the exact same technology can be used in a wide range of ways, the paper said.

    Welcome to Holker Hall & Gardens

    Visitor Information

    How to Get to Holker

    By Car: Follow brown signs an A590 from JB6, M6. Approximate travel times: Windermere-20 minutes, Kendal-25 minutes, Lancaster-45 minutes, Manchester-1 hour 30 minutes.

    By Rail: The nearest station is Cark-in-Cartmel with trains to Carnforth, Lancaster Preston for connections to major cities & airports.

    Opening Times

    Sunday-Friday (closed on Saturday)11:00 am-4:00pm,30 March-2nd November.

Admission Charges

    Special Events

    Producers: Market 13th April

    Join us to taste a variety of fresh local food and drinks. Meet the producers and get some excellent recipe ideas.

    Holker Garden Festival 30th May

    The event celebrate its 22nd anniversary with a great show of the very best of gardening, making it one of the most popular events in gardening.

    National Garden Day 28th August

    Holker once again opens is gardens in aid of the disadvantaged. For just a small donation you can take a tour with our garden guide.

    Winter Market 8th November

    This is an event for all the family. Wander among a variety of shops selling gifs while enjoying a live music show and nice street entertainment.

Show Biz Summer 2019

Location: Rosewood Center for Family arts

Important Information:

● Tuition paid on the first day of class. No tuition refunds(退款).

● DCT reserves the right to cancel any class; refunds made for cancellation(取消).

● Please accompany student to the first day of class.

● Registration begins one-half hour before class time.

How To Register:

● Mail: fill out the form in this brochure.

● Be sure to list the class and group that you want & the dates.