1 . The older I get, the more I understand how my teachers have transformed my life.

On a recent Sunday afternoon, I went to see Mr. C at Roxbury Park in Beverly Hills. His love of life has not dimmed despite the fact that his legs no longer work like they used to. He visited some of his former students while he was in town. At Beverly Hills High School, Mr. C taught ancient history, coached football and golf, and risked his life teaching driver’s training on Saturday mornings from 1964 to 1988. The gray and hobbled students lined up one after another to thank their favorite teacher. One called him a rock star. Another was grateful for helping him when he couldn’t say so. It was a beautiful tribute, especially in these times of catastrophic teacher shortages.

Spending that Sunday in the park with Mr. C was nothing short of magic. It was a reminder of all that is promising and possible in public education, including a teacher whose rare emotional honesty could be appreciated and honored decades later. It also brought to mind Maya Angelou’s saying “People will forget what you said and did, but never forget how you make them feel.” He made me and others in the park feel heard and seen.

Mr. C changed my perception of myself. Rather than seeing myself as a loser cheerleader who couldn’t compete with the smart kids, I realized how much I loved learning. His history class was so interesting. In his classes about the Persians, Greeks, and Romans, extra credits can be earned for creativity. During earthquake drills, we counted on Mr. C to scream his head off in mock terror.

It should come as little surprise that I’d value the role of teachers in my life. Both of my parents taught; so did my siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins. I, too, have become a teacher and I try to follow in Mr. C’s footsteps. Some days, I fantasize what it would be like to go on a teacher tour, reaching out to my mentors to express my deep gratitude for all they’ve given me. Seeing Mr. C sparked that fantasy again. When I finally worked up my courage to thank him, knowing a floodgate of tears would open, he said to me with his typical modesty: “You were doing me more good than I was doing you.”

1. What does the underlined word “tribute” mean in Paragraph 2?

A．enthusiasm

B．admiration

C．devotion

D．commitment

2. Why does the author mention Maya Angelou’s saying?

A．To make a suggestion.

B．To introduce a celebrity.

C．To show respect to an educator.

D．To interpret the influence of education.

3. What does the author think of her job as a teacher?

A．Enjoyable.

B．Intolerant.

C．Incompetent.

D．Patient.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．A reunion.

B．A rock star.

C．A surprise.

D．A great teacher.

3 . One of the curious things about social networks is the way that some messages, pictures, or ideas can spread like wildfire while others that seem just as catchy or interesting barely register at all.

Before you go deep into the puzzle, consider this: If you measure the height of your male friends, for example, the average is about 170 centimeters. You are 172 and your friends are all about the same height as you are. Indeed, the mathematical concept of “average” is a good way to capture the nature of this data set.

But imagine that one of your friends was much taller than you. This person would dramatically skew the average, which would make your friends taller than you, on average. In this case, the “average” is a poor way to capture this data set.

Exactly this situation occurs on social networks. On average, your coauthors will be cited more often than you, and the people you follow will post more frequently than you, and so on.

Now Lerman from University of Southern California has discovered a related paradox, which they call the majority illusion. They illustrate this illusion with an example. They take 14 nodes linked up to form a small network. They then color three of these nodes and count how many of the remaining nodes link to them in a single step.

In one situation, the uncolored nodes see more than half of their neighbors as colored. This is the majority illusion — the local impression that a specific feature is common when the global truth is entirely different.

So how popular is it in the real world? It’s found out that the majority illusion occurs in almost all network scenarios. “The effect is largest in the political blogs network, where 60% of nodes will have majority active neighbours, even when only 20% of the nodes are truly active,” says Lerman.

It immediately explains many interesting phenomena. For a start, it shows how some content can spread globally while other similar content does not — the key is to start with a small number of well-connected early adopters fooling the rest of the network into thinking it is common. The affected nodes then find it natural to follow the trend. A real spread finally comes into being.

But it is not yet a marketer’s charter. For that, marketers must first identify the popular nodes that can create the majority illusion for the target audience. These influencers must then be persuaded to adopt the desired behavior or product, which is essential to the prospect of the marketing plan.

1. The phrase skew the average in the passage most probably refers to the action of ________.

A．hiding the real average to be unrecognizable to others

B．producing an average against the general feature of data

C．working out the common feature suggested by the average

D．ignoring the average because of the frequency by which it is reviewed

2. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Majority illusion rarely has impacts except in political blogs field.

B．The majority illusion on social networks relies on that people you follow post more than you.

C．The essence of successful opinion spread is to initiate the trend with well-connected sharers.

D．The spread scale of ideas on networks mainly depends on the quality of content.

3. To guarantee the success of marketing promotion, it’s vital to ________.

A．thoroughly understand the concept of majority illusion

B．accurately figure out who is the powerful person to affect others

C．definitely decide who are the target audience for the promotion

D．successfully convince the influencers to practice certain action

4. What is most probably the title of the passage?

A．The social network vision that tricks your mind.

B．Who is stealing your network identity?

C．Minority network opinion spread, curse or blessing?

D．Have you been misled during the last political voting?

4 . Television has transformed politics in the United States by changing the way in which information is spread, by altering political campaigns, and by changing citizen’s patterns of response to politics. By giving citizens independent access to the candidates, television reduced the role of the political party in the selection of the major party candidates. By centering politics on the person of the candidate, television accelerated the citizen’s focus on character rather than issues.

Television has altered the forms of political communication as well. The messages on which most of us rely are briefer than they once were. The stump speech, a political speech given by traveling politicians and lasting 1 to 2 hours, which was popular in the nineteenth-century, has given way to the 30-second advertisement and the 10 second “sound bite” in broadcast news. Increasingly the audience for speeches is not that standing in front of the politician but rather the viewing audience who will hear and see a short video of the speech on the news.

In these simplified forms, much of what comprised the traditional political speech of earlier ages has been lost. In 15 or 30 seconds, a speaker cannot establish the historical context that shaped the issue in question, cannot detail the probable causes of the problem, and cannot examine alternative proposals to argue that one is preferable to others. In short videos, politicians assert (断言) but do not argue.

Because television is an intimate (亲密的) medium, speaking through it requires a changed political style that is more conversational, personal, and visual than that of the old-style stump speech. Reliance on television means that increasingly our political world contains memorable pictures rather than memorable words. Schools teach us to analyze words and print. However, in a world in which politics is increasingly visual, informed citizenship requires a new set of skills.

Recognizing the power of television’s pictures, politicians craft televisual, staged events designed to attract media coverage. Much of the political activity we see on television news has been crafted by politicians, their speechwriters, and their public relations advisers for televised consumption. Sound bites in news and answers to questions in debates increasingly sound like advertisements.

1. What do we know about “stump speech” in paragraph 2?

A．It’s an event created by politicians to attract media attention.

B．It’s an interactive discussion between two politicians.

C．It’s a kind of political presentation typical of the nineteenth century.

D．It’s a style of speech common to televised political events.

2. It is suggested in paragraph 4 that ________.

A．politicians need to learn to become more personal

B．attractive politicians are favored by citizens

C．citizens tend to favor a politician who analyzed issues

D．citizens need to learn how to evaluate visual political images

3. What can we infer from the passage?

A．Political presentations today are more like advertisements than in the past.

B．Politicians today tend to be more familiar with the views of citizens than in the past.

C．Citizens today are less informed about a politician’s character than in the past.

D．Political speeches today focus more on details about issues than in the past.

4. What’s the best title for the passage?

A．Television: an Agent of Change in Politics	B．Television: a Platform for Political Debate
C．Television: an Alternative to Stump Speech	D．Television: a New Medium for Communication

5 . In August, Jason M. Allen’s piece “Theatre D’opéra Spatial” — which he created with Al image generator Midjourney — won first place in the emerging artist division’s “digital arts photography” category at the Colorado State Fair Fine Arts Competition. The definition for the category states that digital art refers to works that use “digital technology as part of the creative process”.

Allen’s award-winning image has led to debates about what, exactly, it means to be an artist and whether AI can truly make art. “It felt bad for the exact same reason we don’t let robots participate in the Olympics,” one Twitter user wrote. “This is the literal definition of ‘pressed a few buttons to make a digital art piece’,” another tweeted.

Yet while Allen didn’t use a paintbrush, there was plenty of work involved, he said. First, he played around with phrasing that led Midjourney to generate images of women in elegant dresses and space helmets, in an attempt to mix Victorian-style costuming with space themes. Over time, with many slight changes to his written prompt (提示符), he created 900 different versions of what led to his final image. Then he improved its resolution through Gigapixel AI and finally had the images printed.

Allen is glad the debate over whether AI can be used to make art is attracting so much attention. “Rather than hating on the technology, we need to recognize that it’s a powerful tool and use it for good so we can all move forward,” Allen said.

Cal Duran, one of the judges for the competition, said that while Allen’s piece included a mention of AI, he didn’t realize that when judging it. Still, he sticks by his decision to award it first place. “I think the AI technology may give more opportunities to people who may not find themselves artists in the conventional way,” he said.

1. Why has Jason’s work led to debates?

A．It was a copy of a photograph.

B．He challenged the older artists.

C．It was created with the help of AI.

D．He broke the rule of the competition.

2. What can best describe Allen’s creating process?

A．Cooperative.

B．Energy-consuming.

C．Straightforward.

D．Imagination-lacking.

3. What can we learn about AI from the last paragraph?

A．It is a double-edged sword.

B．It attracts conventional artists.

C．It strikes art judges as no surprise.

D．It may open a new world to artists.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．A trend to be AI artists.

B．An AI-generated art contest.

C．Responses to a winning AI artwork.

D．Curiosity about an image generator.

6 . When I was in third grade, my family and I took on an unforgettable trip across the country. It turned out to be more than just a/an _______ journey; it was a journey of discovery into our _______. Every day, Dad _______ us with his trusty road map. Mom, the heart of our family, shared folk tales and painted pictures about the upcoming _______. We went through diverse _______from the thick forests to the vast deserts of the West.

One day, while hiking through the Grand Canyon, I _______   a particularly rough path. Frightened, I _______, not knowing how to proceed. That’s when my parents _______ .

As Dad showed me footholds, Mom coached me with calming _______and reminded me of the breathtaking views that lay ahead. Then, I________the confidence as my feet ________ solid ground again. When I finally overcame my fear, I felt we became ________ as a family.

From then on, every evening, we’d gather around a campfire for what we________called “Family Reflection Time”. During these sessions, we’d share laughs, ________, and insights from the day’s experiences.

The trip taught me that the true meaning of travel isn’t merely about reaching the destination but about the personal growth that happens on the route, and the family bonds formed when facing ________ together.

1.

A．crowded

B．physical

C．creative

D．necessary

2.

A．relationships

B．potentials

C．dreams

D．inspirations

3.

A．guided

B．encouraged

C．comforted

D．attracted

4.

A．events

B．stations

C．locations

D．shows

5.

A．cultures

B．landscapes

C．groups

D．countries

6.

A．imagined

B．constructed

C．smoothed

D．encountered

7.

A．froze

B．flew

C．fell

D．forgot

8.

A．reached down

B．stood aside

C．stepped in

D．turned back

9.

A．words

B．worries

C．noises

D．thoughts

10.

A．lost

B．maintained

C．demonstrate

D．restored

11.

A．left

B．broke

C．found

D．dug

12.

A．nicer

B．tougher

C．braver

D．closer

13.

A．originally

B．affectionately

C．frequently

D．simply

14.

A．sympathy

B．conflict

C．tears

D．profits

15.

A．challenges

B．defeats

C．opposition

D．uncertainty

7 . Some years ago, I was stuck on a crosstown bus during rush hour. The bus was filled with cold, tired people________ with one another. Two men________ at each other for an unintentional push. An elderly woman got on, and nobody offered her a________. Anger was in the air; no________ could be found here.

As the bus approached Seventh Avenue, the driver’s words came from the speaker. “Folks,”   he said. “I know you’ve had a(n)________ day and that you are depressed, but I will________. When each of you walks by before getting off, drop your________ into my palm (手掌). My route goes right by the Hudson River, into which I’ll________ them.”

It seemed as if a spell had lifted. Everyone burst out laughing, their faces shining with________. The passengers who had been________each other’s existence were suddenly grinning (咧嘴笑) at each other — is this guy serious?

At the next stop, just as________, the driver held out his hand, palm up, and waited. All the________passengers performed the gesture of dropping something into his palm. The driver________the same action at every stop that followed.

Occasionally we may sink into a grey world, but someone can ________it like a ray of light, showing us hope. What if we are the light?________, anyone possesses the power to shine on others’ dark days.

1.

A．satisfied

B．associated

C．impressed

D．annoyed

2.

A．waved

B．nodded

C．barked

D．shot

3.

A．reminder

B．seat

C．ride

D．choice

4.

A．mercy

B．fortune

C．courage

D．security

5.

A．tough

B．average

C．important

D．fruitful

6.

A．make comments

B．show up

C．help out

D．take risks

7.

A．memories

B．troubles

C．faults

D．tips

8.

A．transform

B．stretch

C．accompany

D．cast

9.

A．envy

B．greed

C．pleasure

D．pride

10.

A．suspecting

B．ignoring

C．expecting

D．appreciating

11.

A．ordered

B．promised

C．requested

D．reported

12.

A．chosen

B．fooled

C．sitting

D．exiting

13.

A．repeated

B．designed

C．interpreted

D．evaluated

14.

A．divide

B．explore

C．reward

D．brighten

15.

A．However

B．Instead

C．Actually

D．Consequently

9 . Ramirez Castañeda, a Colombian biologist, spends her time in the Amazon studying how snakes eat poisonous frogs without getting ill. Although her findings come in many shapes and sizes, she and her colleagues have struggled to get their biological discoveries out to the wider scientific community. With Spanish as her mother tongue, her research had to be translated into English to be published. That wasn’t always possible because of budget or time-and it means that some of her findings were never published.

“It’s not that I’m a bad scientist,” she says. “It’s just because of the language.”

Castañeda is not alone. There is plenty of research in non-English-language papers that gets lost in translation, or is never translated. A research looked through more than 400, 000 peer-reviewed papers in 16 different languages and found 1, 234 studies providing evidence on biodiversity conservation which, because they weren’t in English, may have been overlooked. These included Japanese-language findings on the effectiveness of relocating the endangered Blakiston’s fish owl, the largest owl species.

Some experts argue that for the sake of the bigger picture, scientific knowledge should converge (转换) into one common language. Science is very globalised and becoming more so, so the use of a global language is enormous for that.

Of course, scientists can work with an English partner, or use a translator-but this ultimately strengthens the cycle of dependency on the global north, leading to inequality in international influence. The specific meanings of words can also pose a problem in translation. For example, it is difficult to find in English one single word to describe forest snakes and frogs in the work Castafieda does with indigenous (土著的) communities in the Amazon.

“So we’re losing observations for science, too, ” says Castañeda. “For me, it’s not possible to just have everything translated into English. We need multilingual (多语种的) science, and we need people that feel comfortable doing science in their own languages. It could be possible to switch to a world where, say, Chinese, English and Spanish are the three languages of science, just as English, French and German were the languages of science in the 19th century.”

1. What prevented Castañeda’s discoveries from being more widely known?

A．Poor management.	B．Opposition from her colleagues.
C．Her bad reputation.	D．The language barrier.

2. What’s the consequence of the dominant focus on English in scientific research?

A．Inefficient wildlife conservation.

B．A knowledge gap in the scientific world.

C．A growing interest in non-English papers.

D．Inadequate job opportunities for translators.

3. What does the author want to illustrate by mentioning forest snakes and frogs?

A．The urgency to protect rare species.

B．The need to adopt one global language.

C．The challenges in translating scientific texts.

D．The biodiversity on the South American continent.

4. What is presented in the last paragraph of the text?

A．A potential solution.	B．A theoretical model.
C．A popular belief.	D．A global trend.