3 . OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, had some big changes in its leadership (领导层) in November. It’s not just drama (戏剧性场面) of one company—it made people worried about the development of the field as a whole.

On Nov 17, OpenAI said on its website that Sam Altman, one of its founders and CEO, would leave. However, many workers didn’t agree with this. More than 700 out of about 770 OpenAI workers signed a letter to ask the company to bring Altman back. In just five days, Altman was back as company CEO again.

OpenAI was started in 2015 by Altman and others as a non-profit (非营利性的) research organization. They didn’t want to be driven by a need to make money. Instead, they wanted to make AI tools that could help everyone. In 2019, OpenAI changed a bit. They made a part of the company start to make money for investors (投资人). But the non-profit part keeps control of the business, even going so far to fire (开除) its top boss.

The different opinions of the board (董事会) members toward AI development might be one reason for the drama. According to The New York Times, the people who fired Altman are more worried about AI and called for more rules to keep it in check. Altman, however, saw the further development of AI as more important.

The OpenAI drama “shows how fragile (脆弱的) the AI ecosystem (生态系统) is right now”, Johann Laux, an expert in the UK, told AP. The ecosystem is about all kinds of things related to AI, such as technologies and regulations (监管). They need to keep up with the fast development of AI.

Also, according to AP, many experts think it should be governments, not big tech companies, to decide on rules for AI. Enza Iannopollo from research company Forrester said to AP that Altman’s return stopped the board from trying to introduce more rules about AI’s ethical (伦理的) problems. The lesson is that companies alone can’t make AI safe for everyone, Iannopollo said.

1. OpenAI was set up in the first place to _______.

A．develop helpful AI tools	B．make big money
C．build an AI ecosystem	D．control the AI field

2. Altman might have been fired because _______.

A．he called for more rules on AI	B．he paid less attention to the rules on AI
C．he was against the development of AI	D．he sided with most investors

3. According to the article, which part of OpenAI keeps control of the business after their restructure in 2019?

A．The profit-driven part.

B．The investors.

C．The non-profit part.

D．The government.

4. According to Johann Laux, right now the AI ecosystem is _______.

A．incomplete

B．strong

C．fast-growing

D．standing still

5. What can we learn from the news?

A．OpenAI will stop running without Sam Altman.

B．Competition is common inside big companies.

C．AI safety depends on the joint efforts of many sides.

D．Altman’s return will lead OpenAI to an uncertain future.

5 . 【语篇来自二十一世纪学生英文报·试题原创】

UK vs US manners

Britons may like to complain a lot, but they rarely do so in the moment, explains BBC writer Ruth Margolis. They would rather grumble afterward.

This is because Britons hate to put someone out and cause a scene. Margolis writes: “For instance, I’m much more comfortable just leaving that lump of raw chicken on my plate [instead of complaining to restaurant staff]. But beware: if this kind of thing happens when you’re dining with an American, they will most likely speak up on your behalf and not understand why you find this humiliating.”

In a BBC blog post comparing cultural differences between the UK and the US, Margolis mentions a few other things that Americans like to do that are offensive to Britons.

Not making introductions

Americans rarely remember to introduce a new friend to their friends at parties. Strangers are supposed to introduce themselves. But Margolis says most Britons dislike this approach because “talking to strangers without a facilitator gives them a stomachache”.

‘Quite’ good

Using “quite” to mean “very” happens a lot in the US. But if you are invited to a dinner party in a British household, don’t describe the meal as “quite good” if you want to express high praise. To Britons’ ears, “quite” detracts from the “good”: the meal was passable but could have been better.

Money Talk

Americans can talk about money subjects for hours without feeling uncomfortable. For Britons, says Margolis: “talking about how much we make is unthinkable - only less so than discussing our feelings”.

Over-politeness

In the US, it is not unusual to be greeted by a perfect stranger as “honey” or “sweetie”. But Margolis says Britons find put-on friendliness, especially in stores, deeply irritating. “It’s not that I want shop assistants to be actively rude. But neither do I want to expend energy responding to someone who’s been paid to ask: ‘How are you today?’” says Margolis.

1. When do Britons prefer to do if they want to complain something?
________________________________________________
2. How many examples does the writer tell us?
________________________________________________
3. Why do most Britons dislike the American approach of strangers introducing themselves at parties?
________________________________________________
4. What does the use of the word "quite" imply when describing a meal in a British household?
________________________________________________
5. What do Britons think of “honey” or “sweetie” in stores?
_________________________________________________

7 . 阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。

Webster always loved to run, even when he was very young. Running gave him _________, making him feel like he could do anything. Although he could run far and he could run fast, the other boys _________ seemed to believe in him.

When Webster grew older, he visited a volcano (火山) called El Misti, which is about 1,000 meters below the tallest volcano on the earth. As the boy ________ at the volcano, he made a decision to get to the top of it. He imagined what it would be ________ to run all the way to the top. This was his chance to become a real runner, like he always ________ he would be.

Early the next morning, he began his long journey. He ran and ran and never stopped. He ran all the way through a sea of sand ________ he reached the volcano. As he made his way up, his body ached, but he didn’t stop.

________, the peak (顶峰) of the volcano was within the boy’s sight. His heart was filled with _________! He ran faster and pushed farther, but every time he thought he was getting     9    , it was another climb away, another corner, another impossibly steep slope (陡坡).

“The other boys were ________. I’ll never be a real runner,” the boy cried.

But as he looked down at the city lights below, he saw how far he had already come. He _________ that if he could just put one foot in front of the other, for just a little longer, he could make it. He _________ again and climbed his way up to the peak.

As he stood above the cities, above the deserts in the clouds, he felt a sense of _________ for believing in himself and accomplishing what no one else thought he could. At that time, Webster really understood _________ was impossible if you could try your best. He might be short and he might be small but he was a _________ runner. He always was.

1.

A．luck

B．beauty

C．pleasure

D．courage

2.

A．often

B．never

C．always

D．sometimes

3.

A．looked up

B．looked down

C．looked around

D．looked back

4.

A．like

B．with

C．against

D．about

5.

A．dreamed

B．decided

C．worried

D．caught

6.

A．unless

B．until

C．since

D．when

7.

A．Actually

B．Recently

C．Suddenly

D．Finally

8.

A．love

B．anger

C．regret.

D．excitement

9.

A．faster

B．slower

C．closer

D．farther

10.

A．tall

B．small

C．right

D．impolite

11.

A．saw

B．doubted

C．realized

D．suggested

12.

A．cried

B．ran

C．visited

D．planned

13.

A．pride

B．pain

C．fear

D．trouble

14.

A．nothing

B．anything

C．something

D．everything

15.

A．free

B．real

C．kind

D．weak