If you have been wanting to learn Spanish, or perhaps you once took a Spanish course in college and want to improve your skills, but are too busy to take more lessons, you might have thought about using an app.

Pimsleur

The Pimsleur app offers an audio-based method for learning foreign languages. Its program includes core lessons, role-play speaking challenges, practice activities and games, as well as cultural and historical facts. The Pimsleur system states that you’ll learn the language in just 30 minutes a day without boring grammar lessons or mindless repetition.

Babbel

Babbel is a popular app that is based on conversational skills. Its program is based on real-life conversations about useful topics, and it uses speech recognition technology to help you improve your pronunciation. The app provides you with grammar tips and lots of review activities, and it also tracks your learning progress so that you can see how you are improving.

Duolingo

Its program is made to be game-like to make it fun. It claims to adapt to your own learning style so that you can have lessons that can meet your specific needs. It also offers rewards to keep you motivated (有积极性的). Duolingo includes reading, writing, speaking, listening and conversation practice. People enjoy this method because they feel like they are playing a game instead of working.

Beelinguapp

It is a clean, user-friendly app that focuses on learning a language by reading. It places Spanish and another language side by side using different stories, so you can build awareness of how the language works and listen to a native speaker read your favorite stories. You can choose different text genres (类型) and create flashcards to keep track of everything you learn.

1. What do Pimsleur and Duolingo have in common?

A．They both focus on grammar learning.

B．They both use relaxing ways to interest users.

C．They both reward users for their learning progress.

D．They both provide one-on-one instruction for beginners.

2. What benefit can users get from Babbel?

A．Developing their interest in science.

B．Making friends with native speakers.

C．Getting better grades in Spanish exams.

D．Mastering expressions in daily communication.

3. Which app provides users with reading materials in two languages?

A．Beelinguapp.

B．Pimsleur.

C．Duolingo.

D．Babbel.

Hardit Singh is a high school student from Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute in Waterloo, Ontario. His science project, called Speculor, won second place in the 32nd European Union Contest for Young Scientists.

Hardit said he thought about people who struggle to get eye care after his friend couldn’t get it for a long time. “If this can happen in a richer and more developed area like Waterloo, what could the conditions be like in other poorer areas?”

In Canada, most people have to pay for their own eye care, although some provinces cover some of the costs. That means either paying a monthly fee for an insurance (保险) plan or taking money out of your own bank account whenever you need something like an eye appointment and a pair of glasses. “Our primary healthcare system doesn’t incorporate eye care right now, so it becomes expensive,” said Hardit. “This is a problem that should be solved.”

Hardit’s project is an imager named Speculor, which is an electronic device (设备) that eye experts use to record and examine images of eyes. Speculor uses artificial intelligence (AI) — through a smartphone — to determine which patients require further screening. It’s portable (便携的), which means a doctor can take the device to the patient so the patient doesn’t have to travel. It costs about $300, which is far less than other medical devices, which can cost up to $5,000.

A lot of exploration went into developing the project, said Hardit, so he used the Latin word “speculor”, which is a verb that means to watch, examine and explore, when naming the device. He said Speculor summed up the point of his project, not to mention the entire spirit of science. Hardit won € 5,000 in prize money from the competition. He said he planned to save some of it for university. “I have become a lot more interested in physics, so I think that’s what my next goal is for the future,” Hardit said.

4. Why did Hardit Singh have the idea of inventing such a device?

A．His friend’s experience inspired him.

B．He was influenced by an important contest.

C．His struggle to get eye care caused him much trouble.

D．He felt worried about children’s conditions in poor areas.

5. What does the underlined word “incorporate” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Improve.

B．Analyze.

C．Research.

D．Include.

6. What can we learn about Hardit Singh from the text?

A．He is rich but mean.	B．He is creative and caring.
C．He is strict and responsible.	D．He is talented but unfortunate.

7. What would be the best title for this text?

A．A high school student invents an eye care device

B．The device Speculor attracts more and more attention

C．The medical conditions in Canada have improved greatly

D．A new project provides surprising results

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said that you can’t step into the same river twice, for you aren’t the same person at each visit and the water is ever flowing. It is a powerful way to show the reality that everything is always changing. Yet so many people have unpleasant relationships with change. We resist it or attempt to control it, the result of which is almost always some combination of stress, anxiety, and burnout. It doesn’t have to be that way.

No doubt, change can, and often does, hurt; but with the right mindset, it can also be a force for growth. A concept called allostasis can help. Developed in the late 1980s by neuroscientist Peter Sterling and biologist Joseph Eyer, allostasis is based on the idea that rather than being rigid, our healthy baseline is a moving target. Allostasis is defined as “stability through change”—the way to stay stable through the process of change is by changing.

From neuroscience to pain science and psychology, allostasis has become the dominant model for understanding change in the scientific community. The brain is at its best when it is constantly rewiring itself and making new connections. Overcoming pain is not about resistance or trying to get back to where you were but about balancing acceptance with problem-solving and moving forward to normal.

The time to start practicing is now. Over the past few years, the river of change has been flowing, and it shows no signs of letting up. Our ability to work with these changes is directly related to our life satisfaction. Given all this, simply creating a stable expectancy around change goes a long way. So does realizing that the allostasis mindset doesn’t ask us to do nothing. Rather, it asks us to partake in change by focusing on what we can control and trying to let go of what we can’t. When I catch myself resisting change, in my head I say the following: “This is what is happening right now. I’m doing the best that I can. What, if any, skillful actions can I take?” Do this repeatedly and finally you start to get better at it.

To thrive in our lifetime — and not just survive —we need to transform our relationship with change, leaving behind rigidity and resistance. We are always shaping and being shaped by change, often at the very same time.

8. What’s the common practice toward change?

A．To welcome it.	B．To reject it.
C．To overlook it.	D．To adapt to it.

9. Which of the following can best interpret “allostasis”?

A．One size fits all.	B．Time works great changes.
C．Respond to change by changing.	D．It’s never too late to change.

10. What does the underlined phrase “letting up” in paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Stopping.	B．Dashing down.
C．Going up.	D．Widening.

11. What might the author agree with?

A．Repetition makes up for rigidity.	B．It matters to focus on what we can’t.
C．Changes promote life satisfaction.	D．It makes sense to embrace changes.

In the Pixar movie Up, a fun cartoon dog called Dug wears a magical collar which can detect and translate his barks and cries into fluent human speech. Humans have always been fascinated by the potential to communicate with the animals. This week, an article in the New York Times documented major efforts from a group of researchers using machine-learning algorithms (算法) to analyze the different calls of whales, chickens, bats, cats, and more.

There are several ways to train AI systems now. Typically, Al systems learn through training with labeled data of human language which can be well supplied by the Internet. But analyzing animal language is different. Scientists have to instruct software programs on what to look for, and how to organize the data. This process requires matching gained vocal (发声的) recordings with the visual social behaviors of animals. A group studying Egyptian fruit bats, for example, also used video cameras to record the bats themselves to provide context for the calls.

Many critics of this approach point out two weaknesses of current AI language models: being unable to truly understand the relationships between words and the objects in the real world, and scientists’ little understanding of animal societies. Al language models for humans rely on a computer mapping out the relationship between words and the contexts they could appear in. But these models have their own weak points, and can sometimes be a black box—researchers know what goes in and comes out, but don’t quite understand how the algorithm is arriving at the conclusion.

Another factor that researchers should take into account is that animal communications might not work at all like human communications. There might be unique elements to animal language due to physiological and behavioral differences.

Making a Translator for animals has been a popular project that’s been in the works for the last decade. Although some software has shown some success in identifying the basic vocabulary of certain animals, it’s still a far cry from understanding the complex animal languages.

12. Why do researchers use Al to analyze animals’ calls?

A．To tell the differences among animals.

B．To test Al’s ability of translating animal language.

C．To understand animal language better.

D．To explore the fun of communicating with animals.

13. What makes analyzing animal language different?

A．The lack of labeled data for training Al systems.

B．The difficulty in relating human speech to real objects.

C．The need for sound recordings to provide context.

D．The matching of vocal recordings with their calls.

14. What does the underlined term “black box” refer to in Paragraph 3?

A．Al language models to study animal communication.

B．The researchers’ study on animal societies.

C．The relationship between words and context.

D．The method of Al algorithms to draw conclusions.

15. What is the text mainly about?

A．Al systems for animal language translation.

B．Limitations of current Al language models.

C．Unique aspects of detecting animal language.

D．Challenges in creating a translator for animals.

LIKE-MINDED MATES

It’s fun to spend time with people who have similar interests to you. Friendships based on mutual passions enable you to indulge (沉溺) in the things you enjoy doing while sharing your creativity and experiences with others. Here are some of the benefits you might discover.

·Sense of belonging

    16    . And having a place where you can explore and develop your creative self is fulfilling and energizing. Groups enable you to gain support, seek advice, and find inspiration. They can be a welcome break and somewhere to relax after a busy day.

·Chance to escape and recharge

Taking part in activities that differ from those in your daily life is a good way to refocus and recharge. Time away from school is uplifting.     17    . Engaging in creative pursuits with others also helps you to be more mindful, meaning you’re more present in the moment and less likely to be thinking about the past or worrying about the future.

·    18    

Talking through projects can help you to discover and develop new ideas.     19    . You might uncover an innovative technique, a way to streamline your work. Creative groups enable you to experiment with things you might not have considered, exposing you to new modes of expression.

·Motivation

Learning and growing with friends allow you to make more of your potential. Sharing a journey can give you a push forward if you become stuck. And the enthusiasm of others is a great motivator.     20    , everyone in the group can support each other, working towards your various goals.

A．Ideas and inspirations

B．Opportunities to make new friends

C．It gives a healthy balance of work and play

D．By sharing what you’d like to achieve with others

E．You may feel isolated joining a new group at first

F．Meeting people with the same interests obtains a feeling of being a part

G．And watching others is a great way to view what you do from a fresh perspective

A week ago, in search of an extremely _________ flower called the tagimoucia, I travelled to Taveuni, where the plant only grows.

My host Vagoni told me that many locals may have only seen the flower in pictures. He also told me that I’d be _________ to climb the mountain without a _________. “You’ll be on the steep (陡峭的) service road before you _________ the rainforest on an unmarked track to have any chance of finding the tagimoucia. There’s thick _________ and it’s always raining,” he said. “At best, you don’t find the _________. At worst, you get completely _________.”

I asked Vagoni _________ this worst case had happened before. “_________!” he said. “Just two weeks ago, a group of seven locals went up without a guide and got lost in the cloud. There was a search-and-rescue mission. What a __________!”

Soon, we set out up the service road with a guide. I’d hiked Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, and made it __________ the Everest Base Camp. __________, I quickly discovered that Taveuni’s extreme humidity and the trail’s steepness make the climbing astonishingly __________. I needed to stop to rest every 10 minutes.

An hour later, we were in the forest, ducking under fallen trees and climbing over other obstacles. Suddenly, the guide pointed up with __________. “Look! The tagimoucia!” he shouted. I couldn’t believe we’d found it — I also couldn’t see a thing, as my glasses were __________ up in the mist.

21.

A．delicate

B．beautiful

C．rare

D．tiny

22.

A．slow

B．funny

C．foolish

D．weak

23.

A．rope

B．guide

C．walking stick

D．sleeping bag

24.

A．cut into

B．search for

C．look around

D．make out

25.

A．forest

B．grass

C．snow

D．fog

26.

A．way

B．water

C．shelter

D．flower

27.

A．mad

B．lost

C．exhausted

D．defeated

28.

A．whether

B．how

C．when

D．why

29.

A．Accidentally

B．Basically

C．Frequently

D．Exactly

30.

A．chance

B．shock

C．schedule

D．mess

31.

A．with

B．to

C．for

D．at

32.

A．However

B．Therefore

C．Instead

D．Besides

33.

A．impressive

B．urgent

C．unique

D．tough

34.

A．excitement

B．interest

C．curiosity

D．fear

35.

A．straightened

B．steamed

C．pushed

D．broken

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。

In the past couple of years, videoclips of young Chinese doing traditional fitness qigong     36     (flood) video sharing websites, among which     37     instructional video of Baduanjin, a form of fitness qigong has been played for more than 10 million times and received over 6,000 comments on Bilibili, a quality-video sharing platform     38     (target) young people.

Baduajin is one of the oldest health and fitness therapies in China, and it was     39     (original) created 800 years ago during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). The name, literally meaning “eight-section brocade”, generally     40     (refer) to how the eight individual movements characterize a silken quality to the movement of the body and its energy. Compared with more physically demanding sports such as the ballgames, swimming or gym workouts, Baduanjin is slow and usually accompanied     41     soft music,     42     it used to be considered as the exclusive sport for the elders.

No equipment is necessary and     43     requires very little space or, perhaps most importantly in our fast-paced lives, time. “I have been doing Baduajin for about four months, which makes me sleep better and get stronger. I owe big thanks to Baduajin since it gives me a much     44     (healthy) lifestyle,” a young netizen commented below the video. But not all people are suitable for practicing Baduanjin. Liu Xiaodan, an associate professor at Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, cautioned that people should always put     45     (safe) first when doing Baduanjin, and patients who are weak should not take up this exercise.

46. 假定你是某学校的学生会主席李华，上周就阅读这一主题向全校同学做了问卷调查，结果发现，同学们每天课外阅读时间普遍不足。请你用英文写一封题为“Reading lights up our future”的倡议书，倡导大家多多阅读。
注意：1. 倡议书内容包括：
1)问卷调查结果；
2)总结阅读最不够的原因并提出针对性建议；
3)发出倡议；
2. 词数100字左右(标题已给出，但不计入总词数)；
3. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

Rending lights up our future

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