1 . In looking through your social media, there’s a good chance you’ve noticed pictures accompanied by texts. The pictures are likely made possible by a text-to-image program called DALL-E. For example, Twitter user posted a tweet with the text, “To be or not to be, rabbi holding avocado, marble sculpture.” Then a matching picture appears below.
The AI models come from Google’s Imagen software as well as OpenAI. a start-up backed by Microsoft. On its website, OpenAI calls DALL-E “a new Al system that can create realistic images and art from a description in natural language.” But most of what’s happening in this area is coming from a relatively small group of people sharing their pictures. That’s because Google and OpenAI have not made the technology broadly available to the public.
The text-to-picture services identify the most important parts of a user’s text and then guess the best way to picture those terms. There’s generally a text box, a button to start the generation process and an area below to display images. To indicate the source. Google and OpenAI add watermarks in the bottom right comer of images from DALL-E and Imagen.
Engineers trained the models on various collections of words and pictures from the web. OpenAI recognizes the potential for harm that could come from a model. To avoid the risk, employees removed violent content from training data, and there are filters（筛选）stopping DALL-E from producing images if users submit（提交）violent or illegal content.
Boris Dayma, a developer from Texas spelled out the problems in an explanation of their software. Despite the risks, Dhariwal, a research scientist at OpenAI, said it could open up creative opportunities for individuals and could help with commercial applications for dressing up websites. Results should continue to improve over time.
| A．Beautifying pictures at users’ request. |
| B．Producing pictures from human words. |
| C．Changing pictures into vivid descriptions. |
| D．Providing pictures for users to choose from. |
| A．Its users’ rights. | B．Its operating conditions |
| C．Its working process. | D．Its company’s prospect. |
| A．All images come from a unified model. |
| B．The training data is selected beforehand. |
| C．Improper requests can’t be submitted. |
| D．Filters remove the unhealthy description. |
| A．Positive. | B．Objective. | C．Uncertain. | D．Worried. |
2 . Picture the scene: you’ve spent years working towards a very specific goal. You’ve put in countless hours of work and made many efforts along the way, but now that you’ve got there it doesn’t feel quite like you imagined. Instead of celebration, you feel emptiness, confusion and doubt.
Welcome to the anti-climax. The often-experienced but seldom-discussed downside of achieving life’s biggest milestones. Many of us work tirelessly towards our goals. We may spend our lives dreaming of the day we get married, publish our first hook or buy our first home. However, oftentimes, when we achieve these things it doesn’t feel quite as expected. In fact, the achievement of these goals feels a bit of a letdown.
So why do we often experience an anti-climax with big goals, even though we’re happy to achieve them? “An anti-climax can be an unexpected by-product of a milestone achievement. Usually, the more significant the milestone, the greater the anti-climax may be. The intensity（强度）of an anti-climax often relies on what we expect of this achievement.” says Rachel Vora. a psychotherapist（心理治疗师）.“The journey to achieving a milestone can he exciting and tiring in addition to giving us a sense of purpose and focus. Therefore, when this disappears overnight. we can often feel lost and confused, in spite of feeling proud of our achievement.
When this happens it can contribute to a mixture of emotions. We often falsely believe that we’ll feel completely different afterwards or that our feelings of low self-worth will disappear, but this is rarely the case. “Clients（客户）often present to me with an extremely great sense of ‘is this it?’ and ‘what now?’.” says Vora. “These feelings of confusion and disappointment, if let ignored, have the potential to cause clients to be in low spirits, or even worse.”
1. Why does the author mention the examples in paragraph 2?| A．To present a fact. | B．To prove a rule. |
| C．To explain a term. | D．To make a prediction. |
| A．Low self-worth. | B．High expectations. |
| C．Sense of purpose. | D．Unexpected achievements. |
| A．Amy felt empty before giving a speech. |
| B．Jack felt lost after his first novel came out. |
| C．Mary felt proud when she joined a ballet club. |
| D．Tom felt doubtful about taking further education. |
| A．How to hold back feelings. |
| B．How to improve self-worth. |
| C．Hon to identify the anti-climax. |
| D．How to deal with the anti-climax. |
3 . Humans have been living and working on the space station for 20 years. Their meals are packaged, though sometimes astronauts receive fresh treats from resupply missions. The longer that packaged food is stored, the more it loses nutrients like vitamin C and vitamin K.
Astronauts have successfully grown 10 different crops on the space station since 2015 and had the chance to sample each one. The International Space Station hosted a party for astronauts on Friday as they celebrated the harvest of the first Chili (辣椒) grown in space. The crew finally had a chance to taste the peppers after initially kicking off the plant experiment on the space station in July.
Plant Habitat-04 is one of the most complex plant experiments on the orbiting laboratory to date because peppers take much longer to grow than the previous experiment plants. After growing for four months, the peppers were harvested on Friday.
Peppers provide a great source of vitamin C, as well as other key nutrients. Pepper plants self-pollinate, so they are easy to grow, and they are a pick-and-eat crop that doesn’t have to be cooked. They are also safe to eat raw.
A side effect of life in zero gravity is that astronauts often lose some of their taste and smell, so spicy or well-seasoned foods are a favorite. Adding fresh greens or peppers to the menu allows astronauts to liven up their regular meals. But growing and tending to the plants can also produce other benefits.
Astronauts have described the joy from seeing—as well as smelling and caring for—leafy green plants on the space station that remind them of Earth.
“Growing colorful vegetables in space can have long-term benefits for physical and psychological health,” said Matt Romeyn, principal investigator for the experiment.” We are discovering that growing plants and vegetables with colors and smells helps to improve astronauts’ well-being.”
1. What does underlined “kicking off” in the 2nd paragraph mean?| A．Launch. | B．Complete. | C．Quit. | D．Announce. |
| A．The technology. | B．Growing process. |
| C．The varieties of plants. | D．Growing time required. |
| A．They are delicious. | B．They restore their appetite. |
| C．They help kill diseases. | D．They improve their memory. |
| A．The Fun in the Space Life |
| B．The Common Goal in the Space Mission |
| C．The First Chili Peppers Grown in Space |
| D．A Research Finding from the Space Mission |
4 . Craig Foster is a diver and wildlife filmmaker. Once he was
Before coming across the octopus, Craig was once in a dark and stressful period. “I was
Now Craig regards this daily diving
Diving himself into this freezing underwater world has
| A．swimming | B．surfing | C．diving | D．fishing |
| A．shy | B．confident | C．outgoing | D．ambitious |
| A．Frightened | B．Touched | C．Embarrassed | D．Overjoyed |
| A．learned from | B．kept away from | C．turned to | D．gave way to |
| A．otherwise | B．furthermore | C．however | D．therefore |
| A．colleague | B．assistant | C．organizer | D．friend |
| A．reached out | B．tried out | C．gave out | D．tested out |
| A．hesitating | B．preparing | C．pretending | D．struggling |
| A．anxiety | B．peace | C．disappointment | D．astonishment |
| A．campaign | B．competition | C．routine | D．regulation |
| A．lonely | B．lively | C．ashamed | D．surprised |
| A．discuss | B．record | C．imagine | D．explain |
| A．guiding | B．seizing | C．following | D．predicting |
| A．promising | B．annoying | C．disturbing | D．inspiring |
| A．confidence | B．satisfaction | C．suspect | D．respect |
| A．strangely | B．successfully | C．narrowly | D．occasionally |
| A．contributed | B．referred | C．compared | D．responded |
| A．appointment | B．connection | C．celebration | D．agreement |
| A．lesson | B．experience | C．theory | D．morality |
| A．attendants | B．survivors | C．helpers | D．visitors |
5 . Born in California and representing the United States before switching to China, teenager Gu Ailing will be most likely to be one of the faces of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
The 17-year-old is a freeskier(自由式滑雪运动员) and grade-A student with an American father and Chinese mother. She grew up and still lives in the United States, but in June 2019 she made the “quite difficult” decision to compete for China. She wrote on Instagram that she was “proud of my heritage and equally proud of my American upbringings (培养)”.
As for the decision to compete on behalf of China, she said it is “valuable opportunity to help inspire millions of young people in China where my mom was born.”
Gu graduated from a San Francisco high school last year and is focusing on her Beijing 2022 training. It is reported that She scored 1,580 points out of a maximum 1,600 in the SAT (美国大学入学考试), and has been offered a place at Stanford.
Gu started on the snow at the age of 3, was competing in national competitions at 9 and won her first World Cup event at 15. She won two gold medals and a silver for China at the 2020 Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne, Switzerland. On Jan. 30th, 2021, Gu made her debut(首次亮 相) at the X Games in Aspen, Colorado and won two golds and a bronze.
“My goal is to win Olympic gold,” she told the official Olympic website. “It’s the top achievement. And that would be rewarding for all the work that I’ve done to achieve greatness in the sport.”
1. What do we know about Gu Ailing?| A．She grew up in China. | B．She is an average student. |
| C．She will graduate from a high school. | D．She decided to compete for China. |
| A．Helpful and knowledgeable. | B．Modest and hard-working. |
| C．Clever and ambitious. | D．Creative and confident. |
| A．Gu Ailing won her first World Cup event at 15. |
| B．Gu Ailing’s achievements as a freeskier. |
| C．Gu Ailing’s training when she was young. |
| D．Gu Ailing learned to do snow sports in China. |
| A．Gu Ailing—An American Freeskier | B．Gu Ailing—A Stanford Graduate |
| C．Gu Ailing—A talented Chinese Freeskier | D．Gu Ailing—An Olympic Champion |
6 . Years ago, if a teenager had some problems in her life, she might go home and write in her diary. Now, a teenager with
The biggest difference is that blogging is much more
I have a little sister, and sometimes I go online to read her
The biggest
| A．the same | B．embarrassing | C．difficult | D．daily |
| A．familiar | B．special | C．similar | D．ordinary |
| A．a personal | B．an ordinary | C．a common | D．a traditional |
| A．attractive | B．public | C．convenient | D．quick |
| A．thoughts | B．puzzles | C．mysteries | D．secrets |
| A．tell | B．share | C．publish | D．solve |
| A．instead of | B．as well as | C．in favor of | D．in spite of |
| A．blog | B．diary | C．report | D．web |
| A．Although | B．Since | C．When | D．Because |
| A．only | B．already | C．still | D．never |
| A．angry | B．aware | C．glad | D．worried |
| A．problem | B．doubt | C．trouble | D．mistake |
| A．pleasant | B．wrong | C．bad | D．funny |
| A．Besides | B．However | C．Therefore | D．Then |
| A．should | B．will | C．must | D．might |
| A．reasons | B．disadvantages | C．shortcomings | D．advantages |
| A．everyone | B．no one | C．anyone | D．someone |
| A．happily | B．especially | C．quickly | D．particularly |
| A．like | B．miss | C．need | D．help |
| A．lose | B．stay | C．get | D．find |
7 . Hi, Dave Gieber here. Are you seriously thinking about starting a comic book(连环漫画册)collection yourself? Then “Comic Book Collecting, a Starting Point” was written just for you. This book was designed to help you jump-start your collection using Internet resources!
See what others are saying!
Dave,
As a layperson totally green about comic book collecting, the information provided in your book would allow someone like me to basically start a collection from the very beginning. The steps defined on what to look for and where to look when starting a collection are invaluable to a beginner. In addition, you provide information that not only appeals to those starting out but for those collecting for a long time as well. Great job.
Lorraine Cote
Dave,
I'm thinking it's a little long on history, but I am so impressed by all it presents. Wow! Quite an interesting read. I found the pieces on the Artists particularly interesting.
This is a great piece of work! I love artwork, and did a lot of watercolor work myself and was often fantasizing about comic book penciling myself someday.
If I have one negative thing to say about it…It has to be that I wish I had written it! Congratulations. Dave. This is a real winner.
James D. Tyler
Dear Dave,
Congratulations on a fine book. It is essential reading for people who want to turn their hobby into a money-making venture. I Only wish that I had had this information 40 years ago when I took 6 empty pop(汽水)bottles into the corner store and purchased my first comic book.
I'm amazed at the fact that 40 years ago 10 cents could buy a loaf of bread or the very first issue of The Fantastic Four. Today, 10 cents cannot buy you anything, but a near mint(未损坏的)copy of that comic book could bring you up to$35,000! Thanks for the good read.
Ian McBride
1. What do we know about Lorraine Cote?| A．She is inexperienced in comic book collecting. |
| B．She has been collecting comic books for years. |
| C．She asks for information about comic book collecting. |
| D．She knows nothing about comic book collecting. |
| A．He enjoys reading. | B．He wishes to write a book. |
| C．He is interested in history. | D．He is interested in artwork. |
| A．He bought it with the money for pop. | B．He bought it after he got six bottles of pop. |
| C．He made a lot of money by selling it later | D．He didn't realize its economic potential then. |
8 . I believe even the smartest people have to work hard to achieve success. People make themselves into winners by their own
Many years ago, I took the head
I started doing anything I could to help them build a little
Six months after our defeat, we won our first game and our second, and continued to
| A．tests | B．luck | C．efforts | D．nature |
| A．operating | B．editing | C．consulting | D．coaching |
| A．new | B．excellent | C．strong | D．successful |
| A．cheer for | B．prepare for | C．help with | D．finish with |
| A．realize | B．claim | C．permit | D．demand |
| A．decision | B．attitude | C．conclusion | D．intention |
| A．pride | B．culture | C．fortune | D．relationship |
| A．leaders | B．partners | C．winners | D．learners |
| A．risked | B．missed | C．considered | D．practiced |
| A．expand | B．improve | C．relax | D．defend |
| A．shame | B．burden | C．victory | D．favor |
| A．chance | B．joy | C．concern | D．offer |
| A．surprise | B．relate | C．interest | D．affect |
| A．encouraged | B．observed | C．protected | D．impressed |
| A．naturally | B．individually | C．calmly | D．differently |
9 . There’s no doubt that one of the greatest human achievements is the exploration of the space. Ever since astronaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person to be sent into the orbit around the moon in 1961, scientists have been pushing the boundaries further and further. But until now the exploration into the unknown has been dominated (主导) by men.
Of course, in the past, women were also included in the space projects and played an active role on the ground and behind the scenes. For example, they worked as seamstresses (女裁缝师), sewing vital spaceflight components. In fact, many of NASA’s key works would never have been possible without them. Recently Hollywood produced a movie called Hidden Figures to focus on a group of American female mathematicians, especially the black women, who helped NASA send the first American into space. But this was not women’s only contribution. Back in 1963, Soviet astronaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to be sent into space. However, after that, space flight programs were slow to employ women. In the USA. NASA didn’t accept applications from women to become astronauts until 1978.
But attitudes have changed and leading officials at NASA say that the first person to set foot on Mars should be a woman. The space agency aims to have a sex-balanced workforce but can only achieve that if equal numbers of men and women are trained for science and technology jobs. As Allison McIntryre told the BBC, “My director is a woman. We have female astronauts. We haven’t put a woman on the moon yet. And I think that perhaps the first person to step on Mars should be a woman.”
1. What did Yuri Gagarin do in 1961?| A．He landed on the moon in success. |
| B．He discovered many new boundaries. |
| C．He led scientists to explore the moon. |
| D．He made the first journey into the space. |
| A．To show women are the true heroes of NASA’s first launch. |
| B．To stress that black people have won equal rights in NASA. |
| C．To prove women can do as well as men in NASA’ projects. |
| D．To present women’s contributions to NASA’s space programs. |
| A．Uncaring. | B．Disapproving. |
| C．Supportive. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．Will the First Person to Step on Mars Be a Woman? |
| B．Great Achievements Have Been Made in Space Exploration? |
| C．Why Men Played an Important Role in Exploring the Unknown? |
| D．Men and Women Have Made Equal Contributions to NASA’s Projects? |
10 . How I Turned to Be Optimistic
I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt＇s house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America. We were on the bus then. I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to look at me. I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.I do not remember myself crying for this reason again. In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see—the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures. The country I was leaving never to come back was hardly in my head then.
The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism, but the idea did not come to me at once. For the first two years in New York I was really lost—having to study in three schools as a result of family moves. I did not quite know what I was or what I should be. Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me. Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other. I was often sad, and saw no end to “the hard times. ”
My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home. I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration officers, took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.
From my experiences I have learned one important rule: Almost all common troubles eventually go away! Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little! I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy.
1. How did the author get to know America?
| A．From her relatives. | B．From her mother. |
| C．From Books and pictures. | D．From radio programs. |
| A．confused | B．excited |
| C．worried | D．amazed |
| A．often lost her way |
| B．did not think about her future |
| C．studied in three different schools |
| D．got on well with her stepfather |
| A．She worked as a translator. |
| B．She attended a lot of job interviews. |
| C．She paid telephone bills for her family. |
| D．She helped her family with her English. |
| A．her future will be free from troubles |
| B．it is difficult to learn to become patient |
| C．there are more good things than bad things |
| D．good things will happen if one keeps trying |
