What is technology doing to language? Many assume the answer is simple: ruining it. Kids can no longer write except in textspeak. Grammar is going to the dogs. The ability to compose thoughts longer than a post is disappearing. Language experts tend to resist it, noting that there is little proof that speech is really degenerating, nor is formal writing falling apart.A study by Cambridge Assessment found almost no evidence for textspeak in students’ writing.
Fortunately, the story of language and the Internet has attracted more serious analysts, too.Now Gretchen McCulloch, a journalist of the generation that grew up with the Internet, joins them with a new book, Because Internet, which focuses on what can be learned about language from the Internet. Biologists grow bacteria in a Petri dish partly because they are born and reproduce so quickly that studies over many generations can be done in a reasonably short period. Studying language online is a bit like that: trends appear and disappear, platforms rise and fall, and these let linguists observe changes that would otherwise take too much time.
For example, why do languages change? A thousand years ago, early English and Icelandic were closely related.English has since developed hugely, and Icelandic far less. Linguists have studied the relative effects of strong and weak ties(friends, family) in such patterns, concluding that small communities would host more stable languages. The Internet combines strong and weak ties—and sure enough, drives more language change.
In the end, Ms McCulloch’s book is about the birth of a new medium rather than a new language.Mass reading has now been joined by mass writing: frequent, errorfilled and quickfading.Little surprise that Internet users have created tools to give their writing the gesture, playfulness and even meaninglessness of chat. Mistaking it for the downfall of “real” writing is a category error. Anything that helps people enjoy each other’s company can only be a good thing.
1. What does the underlined word “degenerating” in Paragraph 1 refer to?| A．Strengthening. | B．Worsening. | C．Changing. | D．Refreshing. |
| A．To explain bacteria have a short lifetime. |
| B．To stress the difficulty of researching language online. |
| C．To reveal the relation between language and the Internet. |
| D．To show online language can be studied in limited time. |
| A．A large Englishspeaking population. | B．The lasting effect of mass media. |
| C．A stable languageusing community. | D．The wide application of the Internet. |
| A．Ambiguous. | B．Positive. | C．Objective. | D．Cautious. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】For hundreds of years, scientists learned about the brain by observing people recovering from injuries. Many with an injury on the left side of the brain had problems understanding or using words. From this, doctors reasoned that the left brain must manage speech and language. They didn’t know, though, if speech and language centers were on this side in everyone. The finding of a new study may be able to tell the answer.
In the new study, researchers used fMRI (功能性磁共振成像) to watch brains in action as 39 children and 14 adults tried to understand sentences. Each fMRI scan (扫描) produced many pictures of the brain. Patches of color in each image highlighted which parts of the brain were getting the most blood. This is a sign that they were turned on and active.
To the researchers’ surprise, the left side of the brain was not the only part that was turned on in the children. Both sides became active when they tried to understand a sentence. That activity in the right brain started to fall in children who were older. By age 19, no activity showed up on the right. All speech-and-language processing now was taking place only on the left. The move from two-sided to one-sided language processing takes place gradually. It starts around the time we learn to talk.
Elissa Newport, who led the study, finds it exciting that children have speech centers on both sides of their brains. “If both sides of their brains can pitch in, this may also explain why left-brain injuries often are not as damaging in young children as in adults,” said she.
Children process language like “mental switch-hitters”. So, the next time you think your parents or older siblings (兄弟姐妹) don’t understand you, give them a break. They could be using just a smaller part of their brains.
1. What used to confuse the scientists according to Paragraph 1?| A．Where the speech and language center is. |
| B．What is the main reason for brain injuries. |
| C．How to help a child master speech and language. |
| D．Whether everyone’s left brain is in charge of speech and language. |
| A．By drawing pictures of brains. | B．By highlighting different signs. |
| C．By reading examination results. | D．By studying the blood samples. |
| A．Younger children need less time to understand a sentence. |
| B．Children use both sides of the brain for language processing. |
| C．The right side of the brain is less important than the left side. |
| D．The right side of the brain gradually becomes inactive after birth. |
| A．Get involved. | B．Get damaged. |
| C．Be examined. | D．Be recognized. |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
Different people use different languages. We Chinese speak Chinese, and, most of us are learning a foreign language. But there is another kind of language we need to know — the language of the body.
All over the world, people “talk with their hand, with their heads and with their eyes.” When Japanese people meet, they bow. When Indians meet, they put their hands together. What do American and British do? Americans are more informal (不拘小节的) than the British. They like to be friendly. They use first names, they ask questions and they talk easily about themselves. When they sit down, they like to relax in their chairs and make themselves comfortable. British people are more reserved (保守的). They take more time to make friends. They like to know you before they ask your name.
When British or American people meet someone for the first time, they shake hands. They do not usually shake hands with people they know well. Women sometimes kiss their women friends, and men kiss women friends (on one cheek only). When a man meets a man, he just smiles, and says, “Hello.” Men do not kiss each other, or hold hands. Even fathers and sons do not often kiss each other.
1. In the passage, the writer thinks that body language is ________.| A．useless |
| B．difficult |
| C．quite easy |
| D．important |
| A．Different countries have the same body language. |
| B．Different countries have different body languages. |
| C．People in Asia share the same body language. |
| D．Many people only use their body language. |
| A．sit straight |
| B．never sits down |
| C．makes fun of you |
| D．sits freely |
| A．impossible |
| B．too easy |
| C．too difficult |
| D．slow |
【推荐3】With governments across the world supporting native languages, it may seem like people in power are finally beginning to accept linguistic diversity (语言多样性). But there’s still a long way to go.
In Mexico, for example, speakers of native languages still face challenges that Spanish speakers may not. According to Mexico News Daily, speakers of native languages in the state of Chiapas are still influenced by Castilianization practices, which serve to change these communities to mainly Spanish-speaking ones. Although Mexico is home to many native languages, like Nahuatl and Mixtec, most of these languages have become endangered because of Spanish’s predominance (主导地位).
A recent survey done by researchers at Western Kentucky University tries to explore the public’s attitudes toward native language education in the country. Although the Mexican government’s efforts to protect native languages have been far from satisfactory, it appears that the Mexican public is generally quite supportive of efforts to revitalize (使恢复生机) native languages.
87% of respondents (调查对象) to the survey said they agreed with the statement that “the presence of native people is important to Mexican culture.” The researchers also asked respondents about their thoughts on teaching native languages and English in school. Most of the respondents agreed that it was important to teach these as subjects in school, though native languages received a bit less support than English (88.4% of respondents supported teaching English in school compared to 70.8% for native languages).
The researchers noted that the Mexican government has made some efforts in recent years to support native languages, such as the National Institute of Native Languages, which provides a variety of online courses to help people learn native languages. Now, Nahuatl is one of the few languages native to Mexico that is not endangered — most of the country’s native languages have less than 100,000 native speakers.
1. What do we know about speakers of native languages in Chiapas?| A．They are encouraged to speak Spanish. |
| B．They are treated the same as Spanish speakers. |
| C．They have made a challenge to Spanish’s predominance. |
| D．They have had great success in protecting their language. |
| A．They care little about native languages. |
| B．They want to keep native languages alive. |
| C．They think native languages are more important than English. |
| D．They support schools specializing in teaching native languages. |
| A．To recognize the Mexican government’s efforts. |
| B．To share its creative way of protecting Nahuatl. |
| C．To introduce it as a language training center. |
| D．To stress its importance to Mexican culture. |
| A．Mixtec, one of the most spoken native languages in Mexico |
| B．Nahuatl, an endangered native language in Mexico |
| C．Mexicans support native language education |
| D．Mexicans are losing their native languages |
【推荐1】It’s nearly closing time on a Monday night at a downtown Manhattan supermarket. We can see a worker beginning filling black bags with the days trash, such as last week’s fruit and vegetables.
| A．These people are neither homeless nor poor. |
| B．Freegans, like 24-year-old Mary MonDragon, live on food that is thrown away. |
| C．Just then, some people begin searching for food from the small mountains of trash. |
| D．Most freegans have a miserable life. |
| E．Who hasn’t thrown away a dozen of egg after just discovering a broken one? |
| F．What do freegans live on? |
| G．They seldom go hungry thanks to the large amount of food Americans throw away every day. |
【推荐2】In 2022, 61 companies in the United Kingdom (UK) took part in the world’s largest test of a four-day work week.
The pilot program, conducted in the UK, guided over 60 companies and almost 3, 000 workers through a six-month trial of a 4 day week, with no loss of pay for workers. Overall results show that almost every organization will stick to a 4-day week post-trial, with 91% definitely continuing or planning to continue, and a further 4% leaning towards continuing.
Companies rated their overall experience of the trials an average of 8. 5/10, with business productivity and business performance each scoring 7. 5/10. Profits rose by 35% over the trial periods when compared to similar periods from the previous year and hiring increased while absenteeism decreased.
Lead researcher, Professor Juliet Schor of Boston College observed an encouraging consistency in the data. “Results are largely steady across workplaces of varying sizes, showing it works for many types of organizations. There are also some interesting differences. We found that employees in non-profits and professional services had a larger average increase in time spent exercising, while those in construction enjoyed the largest reductions in burnout and sleep problems,” she said. Getting the carbon footprint down is also encouraging, with commuting (通勤) time falling by a half bour per week.
How did workers do more in less time? Some companies cut meetings, or made sure they were shorter. Others used technology to help workers get more done quickly. Some companies created a “focus time” so workers could work on just one thing without being interrupted.
In general, workers said the four-day work week left them feeling less tired. About 71% said they felt less “burnt out” with their new work hours, and 39% said they felt less stressed. On average, 73% of the workers were more satisfied with the time they spent working.
1. Which of the following best describes the experiment?| A．Controversial. |
| B．Ambitious. |
| C．Eventful. |
| D．Successful. |
| A．It’s a one-sided move. |
| B．It’s what technology brings. |
| C．I’s environmentally friendly. |
| D．It’s unfit for big companies. |
| A．Working habits. |
| B．Joy at work. |
| C．Health management. |
| D．Business performance. |
| A．Monday-Friday Model Is Outdated |
| B．Good Health Is Good Business |
| C．4-Day Workweek Trial Finishes |
| D．4-Day Workweek Could Be Coming |
【推荐3】ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence chatbot developed by Open AI and launched in November 2022, hit the I million-user mark in five days and attracted 100 million monthly users in just two months, making it the fastest-growing user app in history.
Since ChatGPT can write emails, computer code, even academic papers and poems and has passed a number of tests within seconds, including the US Bar exam, and medical exams, it is seen by many as a possibly disruptive innovation (颠覆性革新) for different industries, especially the higher education.
So is ChatGPT good or a bad? The global response to ChatGPT varies greatly. Some universities have banned it. The New York City’s Department of Education, for example, banned the chatbot from its public school devices and networks, with some people warning that it could help more students to cheat, especially in exams, while others regard it as a blessing rather than a curse. Andreas Schleicher, director of education and skills of the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development, for example, said he welcomes ChatGPT because it gives people a chance to concentrate less on tasks that technology can perform equally well.
According to a survey conducted by Study.com covering more than 100 educators and over 1,000 students, one-third of the educators said they believe ChatGPT should be banned in schools and universities, while the rest supported students having access to it. By the way, more than 89 percent of the students said they had asked for help from ChatGPT to complete their homework or other assignments.
Since the noticed value and function of ChatGPT outweigh the risks and many say it has more pros than cons how can we better deal with the chatbot and its development?
ChatGPT, together with the accompanying AI revolution is likely to have a far-reaching impact on higher education, where discussions and debates are continuing about the affects it will have.
1. What can’t be done by ChatGPT based on the passage?| A．Compose poems. | B．Pass medical exams. |
| C．Play computer games. | D．Write academic papers. |
| A．Because it prevents students from cheating in the exams. |
| B．Because it has the ability to perform tasks as well as people. |
| C．Because it makes people concentrate more on their examinations. |
| D．Because it frees people from tasks that can be done by technology. |
| A．Negative. | B．Unconcerned | C．Objective. | D．Positive. |
| A．The value and function of ChatGPT in daily life. |
| B．The influence of ChatGPT on higher education. |
| C．The opportunities and challenges of the Interne. |
| D．The discussions and debates on the AI revolution |
【推荐1】The Code of Visiting Yellowstone National Park
The following regulations have been sorted for your convenience.
Emergency Phone: Dial 911
Yellowstone is a wilderness filled with natural wonders that also have potential dangers. There is no guarantee of your safety. Regulations are strictly enforced to protect you and the park's resources.
Wildlife
Do not approach wildlife, no matter how calm they appear. Always obey instructions from park staff on the scene.You must stay at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves and at least 25 yards away from all other large animals-bison, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose, and coyotes. Do not feed any animal. It harms them and it is illegal.
Geothermal (地热的) Dangers
Boardwalks and trails protect you. You must stay on boardwalks and designated (指定的) trails. Pools may be near or above the boiling temperatures and can cause-severe r possibly even deadly burns.
● Keep your children close to you at all times; make sure they understand the danger.
● Pets are prohibited in thermal areas.
● Swimming or bathing in thermal pools or streams is prohibited. Where swimming is allowed, swim at your own risk.
● Poisonous gases may exist at dangerous levels. If you feel sick, leave immediately. Weather Yellowstone's weather can change quickly and bring cold temperatures, high winds, rain and falling snow.
● Be prepared for changing temperatures, storms, and emergencies.
● Carry adequate clothing.
Driving
● Unless otherwise posted, the top speed throughout the park is 45 mph.
● If you see wildlife while driving, do not stop or pause in the roadway.
1. What do we know about Yellowstone National Park?| A．It allows visitors to feed some animals. |
| B．It gives visitors a free ride in the park. |
| C．It will punish visitors if they bring their pets. |
| D．It not only offers visitors pleasure but also there may be dangers. |
| A．Swim in the designated places. |
| B．Tap those calm animals gently. |
| C．Pull up to take photos of animals. |
| D．Bring some cloths to avoid poisonous gases. |
| A．To explain the facilities of the park. | B．To introduce the features of the park. |
| C．To offer some guidance to visit the park. | D．To attract more people to visit the park. |
【推荐2】First published in 2001，the book Life of Pi written by the Canadian author Yann Martel won the Man Booker Prize and an Asian American Prize for Literature.It is the story of a young boy named Pi who spends 227 days at sea with a small group of animals after a disaster strikes their ship and is an account of his journey of survival and hardship.
Piscine“Pi” Molitor Patel，on whom Life of Pi is based，is a young boy living in Pondicherry，India, where his father owns a zoo.The story starts when Patel's family decide to move to Canada，along with their zoo animals for their new home.
However，because of the bad weather，the ship sinks.Pi along with an orangutan(猩猩)，an injured zebra，a hyena(鬣狗)and a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker are the only survivors who take shelter in a small lifeboat.Both the injured zebra and the orangutan are soon killed and eaten by the hyena.The tiger in turn kills and eats the hyena，leaving just the two of them alone on the boat now.
In an effort to avoid being eaten by Richard Parker，Pi acts himself as the head of the group and remains safe from harm.Since he does not want the tiger to die for fear of going mad by being alone on the boat，he fishes and feeds the two of them in order to stay alive.
The life of Pi then enters its third stage when their lifeboat washes up on the shores of Mexico and the tiger escapes into a nearby forest leaving Pi alone.After the Mexicans refuse to believe Pi's story，he changes his tale by replacing the animals with his mother，a cook and a sailor and asks the Mexicans which one they prefer.They prefer hearing the first story though they do not believe a word of it.
In my view，life of Pi is a must read book for all those who love reading.
1. We can learn that the book Life of Pi ________．| A．was written in 2001 |
| B．was awarded two prizes |
| C．tells a story about friendship |
| D．is based on the author's personal experience |
| A．Pi | B．the zebra |
| C．the orangutan | D．Richard Parker |
| A．By catching fish for the tiger. |
| B．By locking the tiger in a cage. |
| C．By being the leader of the two of them. |
| D．By fighting with the tiger. |
| A．Disappointed. | B．Supportive. |
| C．Unconcerned. | D．Doubtful. |
【推荐3】Look out the window or walk over to a patch of soil near your home. It could be reddish brown, black, dark gray or even the colour of rich, dark chocolate. If it’s moist enough, run your hands through it. It may separate into thick clumps that can hold water and later release it. With a few exceptions—such as desert sites—this is how good soil behaves.
In fact, the number of microscopic organisms that live in a shovelful of rich garden soil exceeds the number of plants and animals inhabiting the entire aboveground Amazon rainforest. And the Amazon is known for having more plants and animals than any other land-based habitat.
Soil is what supports life on Earth. Most people give it little thought, but it feeds us and the ecosystems around us. It is where countless species make their homes. It collects water, pulls pollutants from the air and helps support the planet’s atmosphere. Soil is one of Mother Nature’s unsung heroes.
And while most soil looks like it’s static, just sitting there unmoving, it actually hosts plenty of activities. Its earthworms may be digging tunnels. Worms are weightlifters. But they aren’t the only ones making changes. Other creatures below ground are too tiny to see with the unaided eye. These include one celled creatures called protozoa (单细胞生物). They improve soil by eating bacteria and releasing nitrogen, which helps plants grow.
And then there are all those bacteria. Most people think of them as dangerous. In soils, they not only serve as prey to beneficial protozoa, but also perform an environmental service. They help recycle dead plant parts and animal tissues into nutrients. They even turn some pollutants in soil and water into more of the nutrients that can sustain the diverse species that make up lively ecosystems beneath our feet.
1. What’s the purpose of mentioning the Amazon rainforest in the second paragraph?| A．To indicate the rich species in the Amazon rainforest. |
| B．To introduce the rich soil in the Amazon rainforest. |
| C．To stress the variety of microscopic organisms in the rich soil. |
| D．To illustrate biodiversity aboveground the Amazon rainforest. |
| A．Soil is something that supports life on Earth. |
| B．Soil provides a variety of benefits to our planet. |
| C．Soil determines the quality of our ecosystems. |
| D．Soil is the Mother Nature’s unsung hero. |
| A．The soil in the desert behaves as well as good soil does. |
| B．Most people give thought to soil for it supports life on Earth. |
| C．Most soil indeed hosts plenty of activities though it looks quiet. |
| D．The bacteria in soils almost do no good to the environment. |
| A．Categories of the Soil on Earth | B．The Disappearance of the Rich Soil |
| C．Biodiversity in the Amazon Rainforest | D．Healthy Soil Supports Life on Our Planet |
【推荐1】A team of Israeli scientists “printed” a heart with a patient’s own cells (细胞) first in the world, researchers say.
Past researchers had been able to print simple tissues (生物组织) without blood vessels (血管), the team said. The new development is the first time “anyone anywhere has successfully engineered and printed an entire heart filled with cells, blood vessels and so on,” Tal Dvir of Tel Aviv University told The Jerusalem Post.
Dvir and his team reported the findings Monday in Advanced Science. The heart, about the size of a rabbit’s, is too small for a human, but the process used to create it shows the potential for one day being able to 3D-print pieces and maybe full transplants (移植), the team said. Because the heart is made from the patient’s own biological material, it reduces the chance that the transplant would fail, according to the research paper. The team used fatty tissues, then separated and “reprogrammed” the materials. The cells that become heart cells were then created.
The development is being praised as a “major breakthrough” in medicine and one that could help battle heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Patients will no longer have to wait for transplants or take medicines to prevent their side effects,” Tel Aviv University said in a statement. “Instead, the needed hearts, lungs etc. will be printed, fully personalized for every patient.” The research is still a long way off from clearing the way to transplant the 3D-printed hearts into humans, the team says.
Dvir told the news organization Bloomberg that the heart the team printed will need another month before cells develop full to beat. Tests on animals would need to be done before the technology could be tried in humans, he added. It would take a whole day and billions, rather than millions, of cells to print a human heart, Dvir told Bloomberg.
But Dvir remains hopeful. “Maybe, in 10 years, such printers will be seen and used in the finest hospitals around the world,” he told The Times of Israel.
1. Why is the heart transplant less likely to fail?| A．Because the number of heart donators has been increasing. |
| B．Because the transplant technology has been improved. |
| C．Because the heart is created with the receiver’s own cells. |
| D．Because every hospital has easy access to such printers. |
| A．This heart can be transplanted into humans immediately. |
| B．This heart has been printed just for rabbits due to the size. |
| C．It made heart transplant much less difficult than before. |
| D．The new technology hasn’t gained much praise in medicine. |
| A．positive | B．worried | C．doubtful | D．unclear |
| A．The personalized heart transplant. |
| B．Heart 3D-printed using human cells. |
| C．A scientist discovering a new technology. |
| D．Heart disease, the leading cause of death. |
【推荐2】Many everyday American expressions are based on colors.
Red is a hot color. Americans may say they are red hot about something unfair. They are red hot when they are very angry about something. The small hot-tasting peppers found in many Mexican foods are called red hot for their color and their fiery(辣的) taste. Fast loud music is popular with many people. They may say the music is red hot, especially the kind called Dixieland jazz.
Pink is a lighter kind of red. People sometimes say they are in the pink when they are in good health. The expression was first used in America at the beginning of the twentieth century. It comes from the fact that many babies are born with nice pink skin that shows that they are in good health.
The color black is often used in expressions. People describe a day on which everything goes wrong as a black day. A blacklist(黑名单) is illegal now. But at one time, some businesses refused to employ people who were on a blacklist for belonging to unpopular organizations.
The color green is natural for trees and grass. But it is an unnatural color for humans. A person who has a sick feeling in his stomach may say he feels a little green. A passenger on a boat who is feeling very sick from high waves may look very green.
Sometimes a person may be upset because he does not have something as nice as a friend has. That person may say he is green with envy. Some people are green with envy because a friend has more dollars or green-backs. Dollars are called greenbacks because green is the color of the black side of the paper money.
1. Americans use “red hot” to describe the following EXCEPT_______.| A．something unfair |
| B．small hot-tasting peppers |
| C．the person who is very angry |
| D．popular music like Dixieland jazz |
| A．the expression has a very long history |
| B．the color pink makes people feel happy |
| C．people think the color pink is gentler than red |
| D．healthy babies are born with nice pink skin |
| A．enjoys himself/herself in boating | B．is hit by a high wave |
| C．has a stomach ache | D．likes trees and grass |
| A．Being sent a beautiful gift | B．Passing a very difficult test. |
| C．Being refused during and important interview | D．Being invited to an exciting party |
【推荐3】China is developing a system that recognizes individuals by their body shape and walking movements.Systems that recognize human faces are already being used to identify people in crowds or as a secure way to unlock personal devices.
The new system,known as “gait recognition”,is already on trial by police on the streets of Beijing and Shanghai.The Chinese technology company Watrix developed the system.The company announced last month that it had raised $14.5 million to speed up the development and sale of the technology.
The system works in a similar way to face recognition.Cameras capture video of people in public places.Then,machines powered by artificial intelligence (AI) examine and study the video.
Facial recognition systems identify the shapes and expressions on a person’s face to identify them.Gait recognition uses a person’s body shape and their way of walking to identify them.The system records a person’s shape and movements and then creates a model of the way they walk.
Huang Yongzhen is a former researcher who co-founded Watrix in 2016.He told the Associated Press his system can identify people from up to 50 metres away.It is designed to work even when a person’s face is covered or hidden.Huang says his gait recognition system is correct 94 percent of the time.This is below the success rate of many face recognition systems.But he says the system can still be helpful to police and for other commercial purposes.He also believes the system can be effective when used together with face recognition.
Gait recognition is not new.The technology has been researched by scientists in Japan and Britain and by US defense officials for about 10 years.But attempts to sell the technology have been slow.One of the reasons the technology has not developed further is that the systems are more complex than facial recognition.
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．A system that can recognize human faces is around the corner. |
| B．It is tough to accurately follow a person in crowds. |
| C．A system that can identify a person by walking is being developed. |
| D．A new system that can check a body shape is under way. |
| A．It has invented a lot of systems adopted by the police. |
| B．It has earned $14.5 million by inventing the system. |
| C．It has become famous for the face recognition system. |
| D．It has got well prepared for the new system. |
| A．Cameras catch video of people’s expressions. |
| B．A person’s body shape can be recognized very easily. |
| C．Cameras record video of a person in public places. |
| D．A person’s action will be sent to the police. |
| A．Japan and Britain kept a secret about the system. |
| B．The systems of gait recognition are hard to develop. |
| C．Gait recognition will suffer a poor market very soon. |
| D．Almost no one understands how gait recognition runs. |
