Be interested in learning a new language but don’t know where to start? Here are the best online language learning courses we’ve put together for your reference.

Rosetta Stone

Price: $7. 99 per month-$199 one-time payment

Rosetta Stone offers lessons for new language learners that are short enough to complete each day. Its interface (界面) is generally easy to use, and its lessons include reading, writing, speaking and listening, all in one lesson. You can also choose to subscribe to a monthly payment or purchase a lifetime license.

Duolingo

Price: Free-$6. 99 per month

The service of Duolingo is best known for its Android and iOS apps, which are available for free. You can also sign up for Duolingo Plus, which removes ads and offers offline courses. Many consider Duolingo to be better for those who want to practice a language rather than learn from the very beginning.

Babbel

Price: $6. 95 per month-$12. 95 per month

Babbel is excellent at teaching phrases and words that you’ll actually use on a day-to-day basis. The service is also relatively cheap, so if you’re unsure if you want to commit to learning a new language yet, the low subscription prices ensure you don’t have to make a huge commitment.

Memrise

Price: S6. 67 per month-S119. 99 one-time payment

If you learn best through repetition and flashcards, then Memrise may be the service for you. Memrise isn’t necessarily the service for those who want to learn a language from the beginning, but it’s a great learning aid, and good for those who already have a foundation in language-learning.

1. What is special about Rosetta Stone?

A．It offers a one-month free trial.

B．It features a simple interface without ads.

C．It is intended for high-level learners.

D．It helps improve multiple language skills.

2. Which course focuses on real-life topics?

A．Rosetta Stone.

B．Duolingo.

C．Babbel.

D．Memrise.

3. Where is the text probably taken from?

A．A language magazine.	B．A marketing plan.
C．An academic report.	D．An instruction manual.

For signal maintenance technician Chai Ruifeng, Nov. 4, 2019, is a day to remember. He set off on what he thought would be a typical day on duty, driving through the primary forests in the north of the Greater Hinggan Mountains carrying out emergency equipment repair. However, his pickup truck broke down on a snow-covered mountain road, and there was no rescue service available. He was forced to walk for six and a half hours to get help at the nearest telecommunication base station. “I am finally home, and I’m alive, ” Chai recalls saying to himself the moment he finally saw a building with its lights on through the dark, cold night. “My mind went blank, and I kept going. As night fell, I was also scared of running into wild animals. When I saw the lights, I felt happier than I’d ever been. Any place with lights on would have felt like a home at the time.”

For 14 years, Chai has been working as a technician in Moridaga, a remote border town of Inner Mongolia, which has an average annual temperature of around -6℃, and a record low of-56℃. Since 2016, he has been the office’s only employee. All year round, Chai roams the primary forests covering 12, 000 square kilometers in his pick-up truck, his only companion being an Alaskan Malamute called Hu’niuer. Together, they have been through thick and thin, trudging through the deep snow, camping in the wilderness, occasionally confronting wild animals living in the forests.

Persevering with the job is not the result of yearning for adventure but the pursuit of self-worth. During the trips to signal maintenance Chai confronted Herculean tasks, but he persisted as long as he could see a glimmer of hope. For the past decade, he has observed changes in the region: Roads are being laid and improved, more telecommunication base stations have been built, and it is easier for the residents to contact others or use the Internet.

“Although I’m the only one who has stayed here for 14 years, I am never alone, as I’ve always been supported by my family, the locals and the company,” Chai says. “I feel like this is my calling.”

4. What information can you get about Chai from Paragraph 1?

A．He ran into wild animals.

B．He was rescued by villagers.

C．He was trapped in the primary forests.

D．He saw the lights of his home.

5. Which of the following is NOT the challenge Chai has to face?

A．Low temperature.

B．Deep snow.

C．Wild animals.

D．Suburban Camping.

6. What does the underlined word “Herculean” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Extra.

B．Tough.

C．Glorious.

D．Various.

7. What is the best title for the text?

A．A Lone Technician Delivers Peak Performance

B．A Talented Technician Is Rooted in Remote Areas

C．A Brave Technician Experiences Many Adventures

D．An Ambitious Technician Pursues Extreme Challenges

In November, 2022, artificial intelligence (AI) research and development company OpenAI released a chatbot service called ChatGPT. It has the ability to complete almost any task it is asked, from debugging code to writing poetry.

“Having spoken with people both at the UMN and at other universities, my general impression is that, while there are certainly some anxieties about academic integrity (诚实), there is also a sense of opportunity in that; this technology-if used appropriately-could enhance education. ”said Leopold, a professor at the UMN.

With ChatGPT’s long-term impacts ahead, determining its use in academics is still gray area. While students can use it to cheat on assignments and exams, there are a variety of ways students use ChatGPT, including researching, brainstorming, coding and preparing for job interviews.

Some instructors are cracking down (严厉打击) on students when they suspect the use of a chatbot, but Weixel, a teacher of Institute of Curriculum, said she wants to take a different approach. Weixel said she is aware some students will use ChatGPT to cheat on assignments, but she knows AI use is gaining power and would like to integrate its idea-generating abilities into some class assignments. Jim Hall, an instructor of Writing Studies, said he recognizes the dilemma teachers are facing with ChatGPT. He said he accepts students’ use of chatbots to assist in brainstorming, but simply copying andpasting content written by the service is plagiarism (抄袭). ＂It’s causing a lot of heartburn for instructors, ” Hall said. “The technology has changed, but the ethics have not. ”

In a recent study, UMN’s professors ran an experiment in which they compared the performance of ChatGPT in classwork to other students. The bot received a C-minus. There are still many unknown implications and uses of ChatGPT, but learning more about AI can benefit students as they prepare to get into a workforce, where they may use these services, according to Leopold.

8. What was Leopold’s attitude towards ChatGPT?

A．Concerned but skeptical.

B．Supportive but puzzled.

C．Acceptable but concerned.

D．Favorable but disappointed.

9. What was Weixel’s different approach to using ChatGPT?

A．To incorporate ChatGPT into class work.

B．To use ChatGPT as a brainstorming tool.

C．To combine ChatGPT with chat software.

D．To apply ChatGPT’s productive power to exam.

10. What can we infer from the result of the experiment conducted by UMN’s professors?

A．ChatGPT is no match for other students.

B．ChatGPT has many implications and uses.

C．ChatGPT’s performance may be overestimated.

D．ChatGPT’s performance lives up to expectations.

11. What will most probably be talked about next?

A．The implications of ChatGPT in other areas.

B．Some more practical services of ChatGPT.

C．A further study on transforming the function of ChatGPT effectively.

D．Examples of how ChatGPT equips students with knowledge of jobs.

People often throw a party to celebrate a variety of occasions. For example, birthdays, graduations, holidays, the end of the semester. the beginning of summer, and so on. If you have ever thrown a party, you must be aware of the biggest problem of waste.     16    .Where does all of this rubbish go? It will end up in the landfills. In order to change this situation, it’s important to decrease waste to the most.

    17    . As a matter of fact, e-invitations are quick, easy, and more modern than traditional paper invites.     18    . If there are any people in your crowd who say it’s tacky (俗气的)to use e-cards, tell them it’s tackier to pollute the environment by using traditional ones. That should keep them quiet.

Reuse and recycle. Reduce waste by buying party foods (with less packaging) and send guests home with leftover shacks. Use plates you can wash and reuse, rather than hand out disposable paper plates for people’s pizza. Make it easy for your guests to recycle.     19    , making it obvious that one is for real rubbish and the other is for recycled goods.

Allow each person only one cup. Since everyone has the same cup, it is quite easy to mix up the cups. After you put it down for a second, you can’t recognize which cup belongs to you. Then, you will reach for a totally new one. As the result, after the party, you will find many cups are thrown away, causing a lot of waste.     20    .

A．Make full use of paper invitations

B．Send e-invitations instead of paper ones

C．It’s also the environmentally soundest choice

D．It’s a good idea to allow guests to take their cups away

E．Put out two rubbish cans and write something on them clearly

F．Imagine the mess left from all the parties that are held in the world

G．Try a new system of handing each guest a cup that you mark with their name

Liz Murray’s life is a triumph (胜利) over hardship, and an impressive example of the importance of dreaming big. It’s an unlikely ______ of events. Murray’s ______in the Bronx, as the child of cocaine-addicted parents, was filled with______challenges. There was never enough food in the shabby house, but______ were everywhere. By age 16, Murray’s mom had died and she was homeless-sleeping in parks, ______the subway all night, and living as a high school ______on the streets of New York City. Drowning in this pain, Murray always ______ her life could be much better than it was. “I knew I had to change my______for the better, and that______could do that for me. But, I quickly found that I also could not do it ______. I had to take______first, and then I had to find help-a community of ______ people to help me get there.” Determined to change her life, Murray returned to high school and finished her studies in just two years, and with the help of dedicated mentors (导师) and teachers, she was awarded a full______— to Harvard University — all while ______out in New York City parks and subway stations.

Murray graduated from Harvard University 8 years ago. Today, she is the Executive Director of a Bronx-based youth mentoring organization called “The Arthur Project,” named ______ her first mentor, who accompanied her to go through the darkness. Murray is passionate about ______ with youth so that they may realize their potential, as she is ______ by the belief that “it’s not success if it doesn’t create ______for other people.” she says, “The power of perseverance can turn problems into opportunities. Meanwhile, we build strong organizations to ______people because we know what it really______ to change a person’s life.”

21.

A．accident

B．turn

C．variety

D．series

22.

A．job-hunting

B．schooling

C．upbringing

D．training

23.

A．severe

B．real

C．ultimate

D．mental

24.

A．snacks

B．grains

C．drinks

D．drugs

25.

A．running

B．riding

C．cleaning

D．driving

26.

A．dropout

B．graduate

C．student

D．teacher

27.

A．required

B．remarked

C．announced

D．imagined

28.

A．approach

B．attitude

C．situation

D．schedule

29.

A．everybody

B．somebody

C．nobody

D．anybody

30.

A．alone

B．once

C．together

D．later

31.

A．revenge

B．criticism

C．possession

D．responsibility

32.

A．caring

B．honest

C．successful

D．brilliant

33.

A．diploma

B．scholarship

C．certificate

D．degree

34.

A．working

B．hiding

C．camping

D．breaking

35.

A．in place of

B．in memory of

C．in support of

D．in charge of

36.

A．arguing

B．trading

C．partnering

D．discussing

37.

A．driven

B．depressed

C．scared

D．awarded

38.

A．wealth

B．balance

C．atmosphere

D．opportunities

39.

A．accept

B．shape

C．touch

D．convince

40.

A．wants

B．makes

C．offers

D．takes

阅读下面短文, 在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The kite is a symbol of the Chinese handicraft.     41     (fly) a kite is a very popular activity in all generations in China. It is easy to find the scene, where there are large numbers of people gathering to the squares and holding lines     42    (control) beautiful kites in the blue sky.

Making and playing kites became very popular in Weifang area, Shandong Province during the Tang and Song Dynasties. At that time, every year in spring     43     the Tomb-Sweeping Day came, the weather became warm. It was     44     good time to display the kites as well as enjoy the warm weather and the fresh air. The tradition has been well kept until today and has become the world-famous Weifang International Kite Festival, which     45     (celebrate) from 20th to 25th in April every year. Since 1984, dozens of countries and regions from all over the world     46    (join) in the festival.

Teams from home and abroad gather here to fly     47     (they) well-designed kites to the sky. Apart    48       the traditional patterns such as swallows, butterflies, and triangles, you will be amazed by the     49    (create) thinking shown in these kites. There are animals like fish, dragons, dolphins, cartoon     50    (figure) like Flower Fairies, Supermen, and other shapes like spaceships, and satellites. People say there is nothing you cannot fly to the sky in Weifang.

52. 高中毕业在即, 你校英语俱乐部将举行“Heartfelt Thanks to My Teacher”的主题演讲比赛, 目的是令学生感恩一位对自己有深刻影响的老师。请你准备一篇英语演讲稿, 要点如下：
1.影响你的具体事例;
2.给你带来的改变;
3.你对老师的祝福。
注意:
1.词数100左右。开头已给出, 不计入总词数;
2.可以适当增加细节, 以使行文流畅;
3.不得出现真实的人名或地名。

How time flies!

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