For most people， a cinema experience is not complete without a bag of popcom，but believe it or not， there’s actually a guy trying to get popcom forbidden at the theater.
Mike Shotton has never been able to enjoy himself there because his experience is always destroyed by having to bear people chewing popcorn. He finally lost his patience when he went to watch Star Wars with many children eating popcorm.
“The noise has annoyed me since I was a lttle kid，” Shotton said.“I’m the kind of person that if I hear something in the background， I focus on that until that’s all I can hear.I was really looking forward to Star Wars. I couldn’t believe the amount of noise during the film—it completely destroyed my viewing”
So the 39-year- old started a petition （请愿） on petition-buzz. com， hoping to get nid of popcorn from cinema across the U. K.“I call on you now to stand with me， and tell others that no longer are we prepared to let this destroy our film viewing，” he said.
Unsurprisingly， his petition has only received 126 signatures so far. In fact，someone started an opposite petition in response， arguing that popcorn is an important part of a cinema experience. However， more people were in support of Shotton， and he actually won.
“My next plan is to start a further petition which， if it gets enough signatures， will mean it has to be decided by the government whether it'll be forbidden，”he said.“I’m also planning to campaign （领导运动） outside cinemas and explain to people about the petition and trying to encourage them not to buy popcorn when they go into the cinema.”It sounds great， but I think people love popcorm too much for this to actually work.
1. What does Mike think of popcorn in the cinema?| A．It suits the atmosphere. |
| B．Its noise is disturbing and annoying. |
| C．It is a means of making profits for cinemas. |
| D．It brings more pleasure when watching films. |
| A．He has a bad temper. |
| B．He can get along well with others. |
| C．He likes doing everything on his oWn. |
| D．He is easy to be disturbed by surrounding noise. |
| A．To destroy their film viewing. |
| B．To stop popcorn entering cinemas. |
| C．To call on the government to take legal action. |
| D．To attract more viewers' attention to his bravery. |
| A．Mike finally achieved success in the peition. |
| B．Mike's next petition may not work well at first. |
| C．The government is in full support of Mike's deeds. |
| D．Most people are against forbidding popcorn in the cinema. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】In an era when fashion trends can change in a nanosecond(纳秒), people want to keep pace. They'll wear a look a few times and then move on to the next one. In reality, most people can't really afford this.
To meet this demand, online clothing rental services are growing in popularity. Shoppers can pay money online to rent the clothes they need, says the Fashion United website. The first company to put this idea into practice is Rent the Runway. The United States — based company has hit a $ 1 billion valuation. CEO Jennifer Hyman credits its success to the concepts of the sharing economy. She believes that the clothing rental business and the idea of dynamic ownership is a trend in the young generation. “The millennium generation(千禧一代)，the consumer, is so ready to adopt this behavior.” Hyman told CNBC.
She also points out that working women make up one of the biggest consumer groups subscribing to their services. They want more clothes but they have limited space and ability to purchase new fashion. “Rent the Runway can be a solution for them,” Hyman told CNBC, “where they can dress for the job they want and save money and time.”
Although the clothing rental business has many advantages, people still have some concerns. Journalist and author Elizabeth Cline wrote in Elle that “Renting the clothes is not as sustainable as it seems.”
Take shipping, for example, which has to go two ways if an item is rented—receiving and returning. Cline writes that consumer transportation has the second largest footprint of our collective fashion habit after manufacturing. Then there's the burden of washing, which has to happen to every item when it's returned, regardless of whether or not it was worn. For most rental services, this usually means dry—-cleaning, a high— impact and polluting process. “They can produce hazardous waste and air pollution if not handled correctly, and they're often paired with stain removers that are more toxic than the solvents themselves,” she told the Fashion Platforms website.
1. What is the article mainly about?| A．The fast changes of fashion trends. |
| B．The development of the sharing economy. |
| C．What contributes to the popularity of online clothing rental services. |
| D．The advantages and disadvantages of online clothing rental services. |
| A．Different fashion tastes. | B．Growth of delivery services. |
| C．The trend of the sharing economy. | D．The financial pressures facing consumers. |
| A．Consumers tend to rent more than they need. |
| B．They could lead to other unsustainable fashion habits. |
| C．The shipping and washing involved are not environmentally friendly. |
| D．People can catch infectious diseases by renting clothes from sick people. |
| A．supportive | B．indifferent |
| C．objective | D．passive |
【推荐2】Tokyo, with around 37 million people calling it their home, is the world’s most populated city which means it has the most people living in it. About 120 million people in total live in the country of Japan, which means that nearly a third of the country lives in one area.
The Japanese government is offering money to families to move away from the city Tokyo. The scheme (方案) aims to encourage young people to move to less popular villages and towns around the edge s of the city. The scheme has been running for the last three years, but the government has recently announced that it is increasing the amount of money it is offering to 1 million yen per child. To be able to claim the money, however, families must move outside the greater Tokyo area, live in their new homes for at least five years and one person must be in work or plan to open a new business.
Japanese officials hope that the offer will encourage families with children aged up to 18 to bring life to villages. This will help ease some of the pressure on space and public services in the center of Tokyo. They hope around 10,000 people will move from Tokyo to the countryside around it by 2027.
There is, in fact, a growing trend of young Tokyo-dwellers (居民) who want to leave behind urban life in the city to move to smaller, cheaper, and quieter parts of Japan. The small ski town of Niseko in Hokkaido is also enjoying a small increase in population, thanks to an explosion of interest overseas in Japan’s ski slopes. But with Japan’s vast government bureaucracy, its top schools, as well as companies all concentrated in Tokyo, escaping the capital looks set to remain a day dream for most.
1. What problem is Tokyo involved in at present?| A．Tough business environment. | B．A lack of foreign tourists. |
| C．A too large population. | D．High housing costs. |
| A．To help poor families go to cities. |
| B．To let children receive better education. |
| C．To urge the youth to leave their families. |
| D．To encourage more people to leave Tokyo. |
| A．It might be a failure. | B．It will be a growing trend. |
| C．It will bring success to businesses. | D．It will benefit government sectors. |
| A．Tokyo is an attractive city |
| B．Tokyo has too many cars |
| C．Japan pays to solve a population issue |
| D．Japan faces the problem of low birth rate |
【推荐3】As guochao 3.0, spearheaded by the New Chinese Style in fashion, continues to grow, we see many global brands trying to tap into the interest in traditional culture and aesthetics.
McDonald’s has recently launched a partnership with the Sanxingdui Museum, a historical ruins-turned-museum in Sichuan, with a new flavour of burger and packaging.
Along with the Sanxingdui Museum, McDonald’s released a couple of microdrama commercials.
Sanxingdui (“三星堆”, lit. Three Star Mount) is the ruins of the ancient Shu civilization. It is known for its idiosyncratic bronze ware. The museum went through a creative rebranding in 2020, resulting in several collaborations over the years, most recently an online-to-offline collab with the popular video game Genshin Impact.
Museum collaborations, especially with historical museums, have been popular among brands but as part of the “guochao 3.0” trend, as it adds cultural credibility to their “guochao” efforts. It is still not common for international brands. The country of origin fit between partners in a co-branding campaign is a key element, however, sometimes other aspects of fit can make up for it.
| A．Sanxingdui, located in China and the source of nearly 13,000 artifacts which have been recovered to date, poses almost as many questions now as the day it was found. |
| B．The fast-food chain invited a makeup artist to create a wearable mask based on the iconic Sanxingdui gold foil mask. |
| C．Starbucks’ collaboration with rural artists in Yunnan successfully launched the coffee chain in the guochao sphere. |
| D．This can be seen as the international fast-food chain’s exploration of the guochao trend. |
| E．Like temples, museums, especially that of history or traditional Chinese culture, have been a key element for guochao marketing. |
| F．The exhibitions in this large-scale museum date back to the Bronze Age, covering a wide range of relics, such as bronze masks, jade articles, and some gold objects. |
【推荐1】The sailing trip that 25 Dutch high school students took last month was supposed to end in Cuba (a country in the Caribbean Sea). There they would trade a tall ship for a plane flight back to the Netherlands. The coronavirus pandemic (冠状病毒流行病) forced a change in plans. Now, the students are taking the long way home — crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a 60-meter sailing ship called the Wylde Swan. They are under the watchful eyes of 12 sailors and three teachers.
In March the Wylde Swan had run into difficulties around the Caribbean when local ports and islands began taking steps to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, said Masterskip director Christophe Meijer. The plan to sail the students to the final port in Cuba and fly them home from there would need changing. Meijer decided the very best way of getting home was sailing.
The people working on the ship then had to tell the students’ parents who, instead of disagreeing, expressed a feeling of comfort after worrying how their children would get home during the pandemic.
The company Masterskip runs five educational voyages for about 150 students each year. And the people working on the ship had the know-how needed in ocean voyages with students. “The Wylde Swan has crossed the ocean some 20 times or more, so for us it’s a routine (例行的) operation,” Meijer said.
The goal of such educational voyages is to increase students’ knowledge about sailing. But these children have learned more than that.
“As we say in the Netherlands, you can’t make something shine without friction (摩擦),” Meijer said, noting that the students get along well while helping with day-to-day tasks on the ship.
“That’s because they have a shared goal — to get the ship and themselves safely home. That shared goal produces unity,” he said.
1. What is the new plan of these voyagers?| A．Returning to Cuba by ship. |
| B．Returning to the Caribbean by plane. |
| C．Returning to the Netherlands by plane. |
| D．Returning to the Netherlands by ship. |
| A．They support it. |
| B．They are worried about it. |
| C．They consider it to be boring. |
| D．They pay little attention to it. |
| A．They are humorous. |
| B．They are experienced. |
| C．They have a cheerful attitude to the future. |
| D．They show much patience toward the students. |
| A．It helps build their sense of teamwork. |
| B．It raises their courage to fight coronavirus. |
| C．It lets them know the importance of planning. |
| D．It deepens their understandings of their homes. |
The survey showed that 22 percent of EU households use only mobile phones, up from I8 percent a year ago,while the percentage of households with at least one fixed line decreased by 5 percent to 72 percent, although the percentage of households with at least one mobile phone remains fairly stable at 8l per cent.
Broadband is presenting a rapid upward trend in the EU, showed the survey, which polled(对…进行民意调查)27,000 households across the union. 'Itventy-eight percent of households are now connected to the Internet via high-speed "broadband" links, up six percent from last year, while narrowband usage has dipped by three percentage points to 12 percent. More than half of households access the Internet via an ADSL line and 34 percent of broadband connections are wireless.
"Europe's digital economy is growing strongly as more and more households love to choose between fixed, mobile and Internet services," said EU Information Society and Media Commissioner wiane Reding. "The challenge of this year's reform of the EU's telecom rules will be to respond to this rapidly changing technological environment while enhancing(提高）at the same time effective competition:'
Meanwhile, nearly 20 percent of Europeans buy two or more telecom products from a single service provider, the combination of fixed telephony and.Internet access being the most common. The result may strengthen the commission's case for breaking up telecom giants, whose control over the fixed line networks～accused of hindering(妨碍）competition."Today's survey findings will feed into the ongoing public debate on the reform of the EU telecom rules, planned for summer this year," said Reding.
1. Today, the percentage of households with at least one fixed line goes down to
| A．34%％ B, 22% | B．72% | C．81% |
| A．The quickly changing technological environment. |
| B．The plan to stop the use of the fixed lines. |
| C．Breaking up telecom giants. |
| D．The ongoing public debate on global economy. |
| A．Less than two services are provided for customers. |
| B．Competition will become fierce in the telecom field. |
| C．A plan on the reform of the telecom is breaking up. |
| D．It becomes more difficult to fight off big companies' control. |
| A．Mobile Phones Become Popular |
| B．More Europeans Go Digital |
| C．The disappearance of the fixed line |
| D．The Rules of the EU's Telecom |
【推荐3】SHANGHAI---Within 48 hours, 61 artists from 13 countries sent their videos supporting China’s ongoing campaign to fight the novel coronavirus (新型冠状病毒) via their Chinese partner---ASK, a Shanghai-based international theater presenter committed to introducing partner theater productions for young audiences to China.
Most of the artists showed in their videos the slogan:”stay strong! We are with you, China !”
ASK planned to introduce top-class performances to a special venue at the Tianjin Grand Theater since this February, but this had to be postponed due to the outbreak of the epidemic(传染病)。
The artists have shown strong confidence in China as well as Tianjin in their efforts to combat(对抗) the virus.
Within the video, Yvette Hardie, president of Assitej, the International Association of Theater for Children and Young People affiliated(隶属的) to UNESCO, took the initiative in responding to the campaign, joined by a large group of artists from leading theater organizations around the world, including the Edinburgh Children’s Festival and Australian Windmill Theater, to name a few.
Shona Reppe, who starred in The Curious Scrapbook of Josephine Bean, a top children’s drama from Britain, said she expects the outbreak of the epidemic will soon be overcome and she is keen to come to China.
Ian Cameron, 73, who started White, also an internationally acclaimed classical piece from Britain, said: My heart is with you, China.”
Helene Ducharme, director of Elisapee and the Northern Lights from the Canadian troupe Motus, led a group of local friends to shoot the video while she was doing a co-production in Africa, using different languages to encourage China’s efforts to combat the virus.
Tony Mack, chairman of Slingsby, an Australian performance troupe(剧团) which is famous for its Emil and the Detectives, said:“The medical workers: You are heroes. Thank you so much for standing on the front line, and you are not only keeping China safe but also the whole world safe!”
The ASK team said it will remain positive and active in connecting with audiences and followers by spreading online content to enhance energy, courage and creativity.
1. How did Helene Ducharme inspire China’s efforts to fight against the virus?| A．By using various languages. | B．By raising some money for China. |
| C．By showing in their videos a slogan. | D．By donating some medical equipment. |
| A．Ian Cameron | B．Shona Reppe |
| C．Yvette Hardie | D．Tony Mac |
| A．Very clear and detailed. |
| B．Praised enthusiastically. |
| C．Existing in thoughts or as an idea. |
| D．Extremely important in a particular situation. |
| A．China’s ongoing campaign to fight novel coronavirus |
| B．Top-class performances to be postponed due to epidemic |
| C．Outbreak of the epidemic in China will soon be overcome |
| D．International kids’ theater artists make videos to support fight against virus |
【推荐1】Every day on her walk to school, Khloe Thompson, a nine-year-old girl, kept noticing the same homeless people and couldn’t help but feel troubled. She kept asking her mom why or how they were there, and at the end of the conversation she always wondered, “What can I do to help?” Seeing these struggling individuals in her community, Khloe made a resolution to create her own charity devoted to improving the lives of local homeless people. After Khloe made the decision firmly, she quickly began to effect change in the homeless community, raising spirits while lending some much-needed assistance to those living on the street.
“No dream is too small or too big!” writes Khloe on her GoFundMe page, which was set up by Khloe and her mom Alisha and has raised $14,000 in the two months since it was established, exceeding its original $10,000 goal. “Any funds raised on this page will go toward our charity filing fees and any future volunteer projects. The more we raise, the more people we can help!”
The charity, called Khloe Kares, is a community service-oriented organization that plans different projects to give some assistance to those in need. Khloe’s first project was Kare Bags, which are intended to help the homeless. “I like to give them a nice sturdy bag that they can have forever,” says Khloe, “Sometimes they give me hugs and then they say thank you.”
“As a parent, you’re going to be concerned about her walking up to random strangers,” says Alisha, who accompanies Khloe when she hands out her Kare Bags. After seeing people’s positive reactions, she said “People really warm up to her quickly.”
As Khloe strives to help those near her, homelessness has become an increasingly pressing issue. For Khloe, Kare Bags are just the beginning. She is currently planning a toy drive for kids living in group homes, which will take place on July. She has collected about $1,000 worth of toys to give out, and additional voluntary gifts will go towards The Raise Foundation of Orange County, whose goal is to stop child abuse and neglect.
1. Khloe created her own charity to .| A．collect money for children’s toys |
| B．help homeless people of the local area |
| C．protect more children from abuse and neglect |
| D．improve the living condition of the community |
| A．is a community service-oriented organization |
| B．was set up by Khloe and some local volunteers |
| C．plans different projects to help those people in need |
| D．raises fund for filing fees and future volunteer projects |
| A．Devoted and open-minded. |
| B．Humorous and strong-willed. |
| C．Determined and warm-hearted. |
| D．Knowledgeable and hard-working. |
| A．No Life is Easy |
| B．The Road to Success |
| C．The Power of Volunteers |
| D．Lend a Hand to Strangers |
【推荐2】Liana nervously bit her nails while she waited for the exam to arrive. She looked around the room; hundreds of other law students sat in rows staring anxiously at the tables in front of them. Just as she began to take a deep breath to calm her anxiety, an exam booklet(册子) was placed in front of her. This was the moment she had been expecting ever since she began law school three years ago. She picked up her pencil, and opened to the first page of the bar exam, a test for all students wanting to become licensed lawyers.
Liana never thought she would want to become a lawyer. Her parents were both artists. Law was something she had not been exposed to as a child. But art made for a tumultuous career—both of her parents had struggled to find jobs and worked round the clock when they were young. Even though they finally seemed successful and happy, Liana wanted something different.
She was the anchor on her high school debate team, and consistently impressed her competitors with her analytical thinking. “Never argue with Ms. Lakes,” her teachers would say. So she chose to major in law. In her mind, she pictured herself in a New York City courtroom(法庭) dressed in an expensive suit, with papers in her hand, waving at the jury(陪审团) in a speech on human rights.
But now, with the bar exam sitting in front of her, she started to worry. “What if I don’t pass? Did I study enough?” Her thoughts raced through her mind. On the first page were seven paragraphs detailing a law situation followed by a series of questions. Liana read through the paragraphs, and quickly scribbled down an explanation of the first question before moving onto the next question. The next few hours went like this as the clock ticked closer and closer to the lunch hour.
At 12:00 p.m. sharp, a buzzer(蜂鸣器) sounded and everyone was told to put down their pencils and walked out for an hour-long lunch break. At lunch, Liana met her friend, Kevin.
“How did it go?” she asked. “To be honest, I’ve no idea. I just kept writing.” Kevin said. Liana laughed and said she felt the same way.
After lunch, the two exchanged words of encouragement. They strolled back into the exam center a bit more refreshed. Liana finished the second half of the exam that day with a better feeling than what she started with in the morning.
1. What do we know about the bar exam Liana is taking?| A．It is for someone to be a qualified lawyer. |
| B．It has many law situations to describe. |
| C．It lasts for hours without stopping. |
| D．It takes place every three years. |
| A．has lots of chances of success |
| B．needs to work in different cities |
| C．is full of competition and hard work |
| D．demands much professional knowledge |
| A．she was good at arguing and debating |
| B．she wanted to follow her friend’s advice |
| C．she believed it would bring her a rich and happy life |
| D．she aimed to devote herself to protecting human rights |
| A．nervous | B．curious |
| C．energetic | D．confident |
| A．The Wild Dream | B．A True Lawyer |
| C．The Big Test | D．A Hard Choice |
【推荐3】The use of AI (artificial intelligence) is becoming more common in many branches of industry and online shopping. Traditional lines of work, such as goods transport and driving, are developing in a similar direction although mainly out of public view. Scientists at the University of Göttingen have now investigated how efficient (高效的) the use of AI can be in the commercial management of trucks.
“Digital applications—as well as machine leaning, a kind of AI—are increasingly applied to operations and courses in the transport area,” explains Professor Matthias Klumpp from the Faculty of Economics. “The question in the commercial area, however, is whether or not this contributes to achieving goals.”
To answer this question, the researchers compared the work efficiency of truck drivers with their main use of AI applications. Looking at trade delivery by truck, they studied three groups: the first drove completely following human decision-making models; the second used a combination of human and machine; and the third depended completely on fully automated decisions.
The researchers found that an intelligent combination of human work and decision-making abilities with AI applications promises the highest transport and driving efficiency. “On average, the second group achieved the most efficient transport trips, with the fewest interventions (干预) and off-course from the best path.” one researcher said, “Clearly, neither a completely human decision-making structure nor a fully automated driving system can promise to meet current goods transport requirements.” The scientists therefore summarized that despite the progress of AI in the field of transportation by truck, human experience and decision-making abilities will still be necessary in the longer term. However, the challenge is that a wide range of training and qualification (资格) needs will come along by working with Al applications, especially for simple goods transport activities.
1. What does Matthias Klumpp focus on?| A．The efficiency of AI. |
| B．The advantages of AI. |
| C．The problems caused by AI. |
| D．The wide applications of AI. |
| A．By providing examples. |
| B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By using different trucks. |
| D．By listing three experiments. |
| A．Al is better at making decisions. |
| B．A balance is needed between human and AI. |
| C．Human will soon be replaced by AI in driving. |
| D．Al applications meet the current requirements. |
| A．The future of transport. |
| B．Artificial intelligence as a co-driver. |
| C．Artificial intelligence-a better choice in driving. |
| D．The strengths of artificial intelligence in transport. |
【推荐1】Qomolangma which translates to “Goddess Mother of the World” is the Tibetan name for Mount Everest.
Hundreds of climbers have died trying to reach the summit(山顶) or getting back down from the world’s highest peak. And the 2019 climbing season which ended up in May was the deadliest one in four years. There were 11 deaths on the mountain this spring. In addition to difficult weather, inexperienced climbers, inexperienced companies that brought them in and overcrowding on the mountain were all widely blamed for the deaths. In fact, some climbers criticized Nepal for allowing anyone who paid $11,000 to get a climbing permit.
Nepal is among the poorest countries in the world and tourism is a major industry there. After this year though, an expert group was set up to discuss the deaths on the mountain. It was made up of government officials, expert climbers and climbing agencies and it just recently gave its list of recommendations. Among them are requiring the climbers themselves to have training and experience at high altitudes. They wouldn’t be able to get an Everest permit before that. They also have to send in a certificate that says they’re in good health and good shape and they have to bring a trained Nepali guide with them.
The experts also suggest raising the fee to climb Qomolangma to $35,000. There would be additional rules concerning the tour companies that offer trips to the summit. And a Nepalese tourism official who was interviewed by the Reuters News Agency says the government will make the new rules the law of the land.
1. What feeling did the author convey by using “Goddess Mother of the World”?| A．Fright. | B．Worship. |
| C．Excitement. | D．Curiosity. |
| A．Exhausted climbers. | B．Snow slide. |
| C．Earthquake. | D．Too many climbers. |
| A．The climbers have to take a trained guide from any country. |
| B．The climbers have to be trained at a high altitude in Nepal before climbing. |
| C．The climbers have to show a permit showing they’re healthy for climbing. |
| D．The climbers have to belong to a tour company and have more than $35,000. |
【推荐2】Over 40 years ago, a country music DJ convention (大会) was held every year in Nashville, Tennessee. Many country performers used to attend (参加) the convention to give their performances. Fans would go to Nashville hoping to see their favorite performers. In the end, so many fans began showing up in Nashville that a festival named Fan Fair was born.
The first Fan Fair was held in April 1972, in Nashville for four days. Some of country music's biggest stars attended. There were about fifty thousand fans. The first Fan Fair was so successful that planning began almost immediately for 1973. The date was changed to June, when the weather would be better. Over one hundred thousand fans attended the second Fan Fair.
Every year brought so many performers and fans to Fan Fair that, in 1982, it was moved to the Tennessee State Fairgrounds. Fan Fair stayed at the fairgrounds for another nineteen years.
There was always the unexpected during the festival. In 1974, former Beatle Paul McCartney attended. In 1992, more than six hundred reporters from Europe, Asia, and South America went to cover the appearance of a popular star, Billy Ray Cyrus, who had introduced a new country line dance. In 1996, Garth Brooks, who made a surprise appearance, signed autographs (签名) for 23 hours.
In 2001, Fan Fair returned to downtown Nashville as the world's biggest country music festival. Now, over one hundred and twenty-five thousand country music fans go to Nashville every June. As you can imagine, those who want to attend Fan Fair must plan ahead. For example, they need to buy a ticket several months ahead of time. Of course, there’s much more to prepare.
1. According to the text, Fan Fair _____.| A．has a history of more than 50 years |
| B．lasts almost half a month every year |
| C．is the most important music festival in America |
| D．is a time when country music lovers get together |
| A．was held in the spring of 1972 |
| B．was more popular than the first one |
| C．was moved from Nashville to the fairgrounds |
| D．was attended by former Beatle Paul McCartney |
| A．show why Fan Fair has been popular |
| B．introduce three famous musicians |
| C．explain how Fan Fair started |
| D．ask people to attend Fan Fair |
| A．Advice for fans. |
| B．Music in America. |
| C．Education in Nashville. |
| D．The future of country music. |
【推荐3】You may think that creativity and artistic judgment are what sets humans apart from artificial intelligence (AI). Robots will be washing our windows long before they start creating masterpieces Right?
Not necessarily. At Amper Music (www.ampermusic.com), you can make the music you want based on mood, instrument, speed and length. You click “Render,” and boom! There’s your original piece, not only composed (作曲) but also “performed” and “mixed” by AI software.
But something has kept bothering me: What happens in a world where effort and scarcity (稀缺) are no longer part of the definition of art? A mass-produced print of the Mona Lisa is worth less than the actual Leonardo painting. Why? Scarcity—there’s only one of the original. But Amper turns. professional-quality original piece of music every time you click “Render.” It puts us in a strange world where works of art are unique but require almost zero human effort to produce. Should anyone pay for these things? And if an artist puts AI masterpieces up for sale, what should the price be?
That’s not just a thought experiment either. Soon the question “What’s the value of AI artwork and music?” will start impacting flesh—and—blood consumers. It has already, in fact.
Earlier, reporters discovered something suspicious (可疑的) about many playlists of Spotify—another online music service. According to the report, the composers and bands who wrote the songs appeared to be nonexistent. These playlists have names like Peaceful Piano and Ambient Chill—exactly the kind of music AI software is good at.
Is Spotify using software to compose music to avoid paying fees to human musicians? The New York Times reported that the tracks with false names have been played 500 million times, which would ordinarily have cost Spotify $3 million in payments.
But Spotify has firmly denied that the tracks in question were created by “fake” artists to avoid payments: while posted under pennames, they were written by actual people receiving actual money for work that they own. But the broader issue remains. Why couldn’t Spotify, or any music service, start using AI to produce free music to save itself money? Automation (自动化) is beginning to replace millions of human taxi drivers, truck drivers and fast-food workers. Why should artists and musicians be an exception to the same economics?
Should there be anything in place—a union, a law---to stop that from happening? Or will we always value human-produced art and music more than machine-made stuff? Once we’ve answered those questions, we can settle the really big one: When an AI—composed song wins the Grammy, who will be awarded?
1. What do we know from the example of Amper Music?| A．It doesn’t need any human effort to compose music. |
| B．It allows ordinary people to perform their own music. |
| C．It makes a challenge to the traditional definition of art. |
| D．It produces music works that are similar in styles. |
| A．it is hard to tell AI artworks apart from human artworks |
| B．people will be charged for AI art in the near future |
| C．people don’t know what price of AI art is reasonable |
| D．the scarcity of AI artworks means it is one of a copy |
| A．AI music can be performed free of charge |
| B．its musicians might not be paid fairly |
| C．playlists of its music did not actually exist |
| D．AI software has replaced human musicians |
| A．draw deserved attention to AI-made artworks |
| B．warn against the immediate threat from AI art |
| C．support the use of AI software in art creation |
| D．solve misunderstandings about AI’s role in art |
