1 . “ Humans and machine algorithms (算法) have complementary (互补的) strengths and weaknesses. Each uses different sources of information and strategies to make predictions and decisions, ” said Mark Steyvers, UCI professor of cognitive sciences. “ We show through experiments that humans can improve the predictions of AI even when human accuracy is below that of the AI, and vice versa (反之亦然). This accuracy is higher than combining predictions from two individuals or two AI algorithms. ”
To test the framework, researchers conducted an image classification experiment where human participants and computer algorithms worked separately to correctly identify disorderly pictures of animals and everyday items including chairs, bottles, bicycles and trucks. The human participants ranked their confidence in the accuracy of each image identification as low, medium or high, while the machine classifier generated a continuous score. The results showed large differences in confidence between humans and AI algorithms across images.
“ Human participants were confident that a particular picture contained a chair, for example, while the AI algorithm was confused about the image, ” said Padhraic Smyth, UCI Chancellor’s Professor of computer science. “ Similarly, the AI algorithm was able to confidently provide a label for the object shown, while human participants were unsure if the disorderly picture contained any recognizable object. ”
When predictions and confidence scores from both were combined using the researchers’ new Bayesian framework, the mixed model led to better performance than either human or machine predictions achieved alone.
“ While the past research has demonstrated the benefits of combining machine predictions or combining human predictions, this work shows a new direction in demonstrating the potential of combining human and machine predictions, pointing to new and improved approaches to human-AI cooperation, ” Smyth said.
“ The blend of cognitive science focusing on understanding how humans think and behave and computer science in which technologies are produced will provide further insight into how humans and machines can cooperate to build more accurate artificially intelligent systems, ” the researchers said.
1. Which of the following may the research’s findings agree with?| A．Humans have poor performance in making predictions. |
| B．Humans and machine algorithms should work together. |
| C．Machine algorithms have low accuracy in calculation. |
| D．Machine algorithms failed in the classification experiment. |
| A．Comparison. | B．Assumption. | C．Giving examples. | D．Analysing reasons. |
| A．Difference. | B．Combination. | C．Contradiction. | D．Advantage. |
| A．Humans are confident of their predictions |
| B．Humans can improve the predictions of AI |
| C．Develop mixed human- machine model for smarter AI |
| D．Identify the strengths of humans and machine algorithms |
2 . Parents, teachers and caregivers have long suspected the magic of storytelling to calm kids. Researchers have now quantified the biological and emotional benefits of a well-told tale.
“We know that narrative has the power to transport us to another world,” says Guilherme Brockington from Brazil’s Federal University. “Earlier research suggested that stories help children process and regulate their emotions — but this was mostly conducted in a laboratory, with subjects answering questions while lying inside functional MRI machines. There are few studies on biological and psychological effects of storytelling in a more commonplace hospital setting.”
So investigators working in several Brazilian hospitals split a total of 81 patients aged 4 to 11 into two groups, matching them with storytellers who had a decade of hospital experience. In one group, the storyteller led each child in playing a riddle game. In the other, youngsters chose books and listened as the storyteller read them aloud. Before and after these sessions, the researchers took spit samples from each child, then asked them to report their pain levels and conducted a free-association word quiz.
Children in both groups benefited measurably from the interactions; they showed lower levels of cortisol — the stress-related hormone and higher levels of oxytocin, which is often described as a feel-good hormone. Yet kids in the storytelling group benefited significantly more: their cortisol levels were a quarter of those in the riddle group, and their oxytocin levels were nearly twice as high. Those who heard stories also reported pain levels dropping almost twice as much as those in the riddle group, and they used more positive words to describe their hospital stay.
The study demonstrates that playing games or simply interacting with someone can relax kids and improve their outlook but that hearing stories has an especially dramatic effect. The researchers “really tried to control the social interaction component of the storyteller, which I think was the key,” says Raymond Mar, a psychologist at York University who was not involved in the new research.
Next, the investigators plan to study how long these effects last, along with storytelling’s potential benefits to kids with particular illnesses such as cancer. For now Brockington says the results indicate storytelling is a low-cost and extremely efficient way to help improve health outcomes in a variety of settings. Mar agrees. “It’s very promising and scalable,” he says, “and possibly generalizable.”
1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?| A．The effects of story-telling on children. |
| B．The limitations of the earlier research. |
| C．The methods used in earlier studies. |
| D．The major breakthroughs achieved so far. |
| A．accessible | B．comparable | C．adjustable | D．readable |
| A．It measured participants’ blood levels. |
| B．It divided subjects into groups of 81. |
| C．It quantified the benefits of story-telling. |
| D．It compared impact of two types of story-telling. |
| A．listening to stories reduces pain and stress in hospitalized kids |
| B．interacting with others improves sick kids’ mental sharpness |
| C．story telling has potential benefits for kids with cancers |
| D．riddle guessing is as effective as storytelling in helping sick kids |
3 . “You should get a cat, ”my therapist(治疗专家)said. “A cat?” I couldn’t even look after myself. . I took a deep breath and carefully considered the idea of welcoming a feline (猫科的)friend into my life. This seemed like too easy a fix for the fact that I couldn’t leave the house without bursting into tears.
When my partner and I found Cinnamon, her adoption profile made her out as the perfect kitten. We filled out the paperwork and prepared for her arrival.
When she came home, it became increasingly obvious that Cinnamon didn’t understand “no”, “stop it” or “don’t do that”. She was the worst cat I’ve ever owned. I was beginning to doubt my therapist’s advice.
After visiting our vet, she concluded that Cinnamon just wanted our attention. She fought tooth and nail to get a bite of our meals. She’d fearlessly lick sharp knives when left unattended for a split second. Cinnamon stole my heart with her bravery and kept me busier than I’d ever expected.
We decided to start taking her for walks. I could barely leave the house before, but my heart couldn’t say no to Cinnamon. Cinnamon showed me what bravery looked like. She didn’t stop to consider every possible outcome of a situation; she simply went for it. If there was a dog at a park, she would run toward it. She jumped without knowing where she would land. She loved adventure. I found myself mirroring her behavior after a while, jumping out of bed without a second thought. I began to find the motivation to get out of bed in the morning.
Cinnamon unfortunately passed away after a medical accident. I’m no stranger to sadness or grief, but losing my pet so suddenly was the most confusing emotional experience I’ve had to date. She no longer wakes me up at 5 am begging for breakfast, but she’s still the reason I get up every morning.
Our time is often cut unpredictably, unmistakably short. It would be a shame to live life being anything less than brave and adventurous.
1. Why did the author’s therapist recommend that she get a cat?| A．To learn how to interact with animals. | B．To help the author fill up her spare time; |
| C．To solve the author’s fear of going out. | D．To distract the author’s attention from her pain. |
| A．Thrilled. | B．Amazed. | C．Pleased. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．Walking Cinnamon outdoors became an adventure for the author. |
| B．The author was positively affected by Cinnamon’s courageous behavior. |
| C．Cinnamon loved going outside and took consequences into consideration. |
| D．The author decided to take Cinnamon outside as she was too troublesome to stay in. |
| A．Life is short and unpredictable. | B．The loss of a pet can be painful. |
| C．We should have the courage to take risks. | D．Animal-assisted therapy is the best cure for mental illness. |
4 . My best friend traveled to stay with our family last weekend. When she arrived, she went straight to the kitchen and, without asking, ate a spoonful of raspberry jam and some dried fruit. She wasn’t being rude. I knew she would do this. We’ve known each other for almost 20 years. She can eat anything she wants from my kitchen. Indeed, I bought her favorite fruits and snacks at the shop that morning.
Our long weekend together was luxuriously (惬意地) simple. I was recovering from surgery (手术) and couldn’t go to shopping malls. We passed the time running errands (做杂事), going to the post office and collecting dry cleaning. We drank way too many cappuccinos. But we talked about every little detail of our lives.
There’s never been a quiet moment in our friendship. We’ve lived in different cities for almost a decade. Reunions demand constant conversation. our personalities are matched, to be sure, and a shared history is indescribably valuable. We were competitors in high school before bonding over a bad experience. Then we discovered the many interests that we had in common. Our friendship cemented (巩固) itself quickly. We stayed companions through law school, through our first jobs and our first boyfriends. We supported each other through break-ups and breakthroughs. Ours is a friendship for the ages.
There is something special about friends who know everyone and everything about you. They are rare. These are the people you’ve chosen to witness your life. They have seen the bright lights of achievement, the depths of despair (绝望) and the boring routine (平淡乏味) of the in-between.
It’s special to unpack feelings and frustrations without wasting time filling in the blanks. As my long weekend shows, with such friends we don’t have to “do”, we simply have to “be”. We drop the act, the performance, the public version of ourselves.
The special friendships are those which never fail to delight, the continuation of which is worth the extra effort, despite distance and difference sneaking (溜进) into your separate lives. I had the very great joy of this reminder last weekend. I’m lucky to have found this friend, to see a future where her companionship remains. Being together is perfection.
1. What happened during her best friend’s visit?| A．They enjoyed an eventful long weekend. | B．They bonded by having long conversations. |
| C．They made their favorite snacks and coffee. | D．They talked about recent news events. |
| A．they help each other deal with the boredom of life |
| B．they prefer to witness each other’s lives from far away |
| C．they try to show each other their best selves |
| D．they are comfortable being themselves when together |
| A．Charm comes from differences. | B．Politeness brings best friends closer. |
| C．Good friendships last naturally. | D．Good friendships need devotion. |
| A．describe what her best friend is like | B．tell about the friendship she treasures |
| C．explore the key aspects of friendship | D．express thanks to her best friend |
5 . To persist, life must reproduce. Scientists at the University of Vermont, Tufts University, and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University have discovered an entirely new form of biological reproduction and applied their discovery to create the first-ever, self-replicating (自我复制的) living robots.
Named Xenobots after the African clawed frog from which scientists take their stem cells, the machines are less than 0.04 inches wide-small enough to travel inside human bodies. They can walk and swim, survive for weeks without food,and work together in groups. They even have regenerative capabilities; when the scientists sliced into one robot, it healed by itself and kept moving.
The Xenobots could potentially be used toward a host of tasks. Xenobots could be used to clean up radioactive waste and collect microplastics in the oceans. Some Xenobots had holes in their center, which could potentially be used to transport drugs or medicines. Traditional robots “degrade (降解) over time and can produce harmful ecological and health side effects,” researchers said in the study, which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. As biological machines, Xenobots are more environmentally friendly and safer for human health. Aside from these immediate practical tasks, Xenobots could also help researchers to learn more about cell biology — opening the doors to future advancement in human health and longevity.
While the prospect of self-replicating biotechnology could spark concern, the researchers said that the living machines were entirely contained in a lab and easily destroyed, as they are biodegradable and regulated by experts. “There are many things that are possible if we take advantage of this kind of plasticity (可塑性) and ability of cells to solve problems,” said Joshua Bongard, one of the lead researchers at the University of Vermont.
1. Which of the following best explains “regenerative” underlined in paragraph 2?| A．Fighting disease. | B．Replacing old cells. |
| C．Self-cleaning regularly. | D．Recovering and growing again. |
| A．They can be widely applied to curing diseases. |
| B．They can serve well the research on human health. |
| C．They are specially designed to collect radioactive waste. |
| D．They are harmless to the environment by degrading plastics. |
| A．Positive. | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Indifferent. | D．Ambiguous. |
| A．An experiment on African clawed frogs. |
| B．The trend of developing biotechnology. |
| C．An application of a machine in medicine. |
| D．The invention of the first self-reproduction robots. |
6 . New research suggests that a gene that governs the body's biological (circadian) clock acts differently in males versus females and may protect females from heart disease. The study is the first to analyze circadian blood pressure rhythms (节奏) in female mice.
The body's circadian clock-the biological clock that organizes bodily activities over a 24-hour period-contributes to normal variations in blood pressure and heart function over the course of the day. In most healthy humans, blood pressure dips (下降) at night. People who do not experience this temporary drop, called “non-dippers”, are more likely to develop heart disease. The circadian clock is made up of four main proteins (encoded by “clock genes”) that regulate close to half of all genes in the body, including those important for blood pressure regulation.
Previous research has shown that male mice that are missing one of the four clock genes (PER1) become non-dippers and have a higher risk for heart and kidney disease. A research team studied the circadian response and blood pressure of female mice that lack PER1 and compared them with a healthy female control group. On both low-and high-salt diets, both groups “retained an apparent circadian rhythm” of blood pressure, the researchers explained. Unlike the male mice in previous research, the females without PER1 showed normal dips in blood pressure overnight.
These results suggest that the lack of PER1 acts differently in males and females. The findings are consistent with research showing that women are less likely to be non-dippers than men of the same age. "This study represents an important step in understanding sex differences in the regulation of cardiovascular (心血管) function by the circadian clock," the researchers wrote.
1. What does the new research find?| A．Biological clock may protect males from heart disease. |
| B．Biological blood pressure rhythms in female mice acts normally. |
| C．Biological clock organizes bodily activities over a 24-hour period. |
| D．A gene controlling biological clock works differently between sexes. |
| A．Helping males cure heart disease. |
| B．Helping blood pressure vary normally. |
| C．Contributing to abnormal variations in blood pressure. |
| D．Making up four main proteins regulating almost half of all genes. |
| A．treated. | B．warned. | C．kept. | D．watched. |
| A．One clock gene is important | B．Women may benefit from body clock |
| C．New study analyzes blood pressure rhythms | D．Blood pressure of healthy humans dips at night |
7 . High school graduations are one of the most important moments in a teenager’s life. However, heading into the
David was about to
“I was hoping that she would let it go, but she
Although firstly
It’s said that a truly
| A．festival | B．conference | C．ceremony | D．exhibition |
| A．eager | B．upset | C．thrilled | D．frightened |
| A．violation | B．favor | C．honor | D．place |
| A．envied | B．guaranteed | C．allowed | D．refused |
| A．destroy | B．miss | C．seize | D．abandon |
| A．strange | B．happy | C．friendly | D．serious |
| A．accompanied | B．invited | C．pushed | D．directed |
| A．read | B．draw | C．relax | D．change |
| A．agreed on | B．complained about | C．insisted on | D．argued about |
| A．reason | B．talk | C．quarrel | D．bargain |
| A．decisive | B．unbelievable | C．important | D．appropriate |
| A．shirt | B．gifts | C．role | D．shoes |
| A．event | B．doors . | C．school | D．curtains |
| A．saved | B．prevented | C．benefited | D．excused |
| A．annoyed | B．entertained | C．confused | D．worried |
| A．sensitive | B．urgent | C．ridiculous | D．ugly |
| A．surprised | B．excited | C．disappointed | D．annoyed |
| A．considerate | B．grateful | C．loving | D．proud |
| A．inspired | B．optimistic | C．generous | D．wealthy |
| A．contributes | B．refers | C．turns | D．applies |
8 . Xi'an enjoys a reputations as a “Living History Museum” due to its rich, diverse collection of historical and cultural treasures. Apart from the Terracotta Warriors, there are also some other attractions in the city. Here are some of them.
Ancient City Wall
Xi'an City Wall was built in the 14th century in the Ming Dynasty as a military defense system. Now it is one of the oldest and best preserved Chinese city walls. The wall is now a landmark, dividing the city into inner and outer areas.
Giant Wild Goose Pagoda （塔）
Situated in an ancient temple, the pagoda built with layers of bricks was built in the Tang Dynasty. It is traditional Chinese architecture. One of the main functions of the pagoda was to store Buddhist scriptures（经文） and figurines brought to China from India by the famous monk and traveler Xuan Zang, who stayed here for 19 years translating Buddhist scriptures.
Shaanxi History Museum
The Shaanxi History Museum, built in 1991，is home to over 370,000 precious relics unearthed in Shaanxi over the years, The museum consists of three main sections. Its collections range from bronze ware（器血）to pottery ware, gold and silver ware and mural paintings from the Tang Dynasty tombs.
The Muslim Quarter
One of the highlights is its local snacks when you tour Xian. The best food destination is the Muslim Quarter，which has a history of several hundred years. Consisting of a number of food streets, the area has become a famous attraction in the city for its rich and authentic Muslim cultural atmosphere.
1. In which place can you know more about Buddhism?| A．Ancient City Wall. |
| B．Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. |
| C．Shaanxi History Museum. |
| D．The Muslim Quarter. |
| A．Great some bronze wares. |
| B．Eat diverse delicious snacks. |
| C．Visit some watchtowers. |
| D．Translate Buddhist scriptures. |
| A．The Shaanxi History Museum has exhibits made of gold. |
| B．Xuan Zang died in the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. |
| C．The Xi'an City Wallis the oldest Chinese city wall. |
| D．The Muslim Quarter has a history of 100 years. |
9 . In one Nebraska teen running race before graduating from high school, Brandon Schutt’s personal best turned out not to be about marking the fastest time but displaying the biggest heart.
During the race, he knew he had the potential to
Brandon Schutt, who was at his side,
In today’s competitive world in which the emphasis in athletics is so often put on breaking records, it was
| A．look | B．qualify | C．search | D．obtain |
| A．step | B．race | C．pace | D．run |
| A．win | B．break | C．overcome | D．keep |
| A．extra | B．down | C．best | D．hard |
| A．matched | B．struggled | C．sensed | D．failed |
| A．Enthusiastic | B．Determined | C．Devoted | D．Anxious |
| A．fall | B．stop | C．pause | D．push |
| A．took | B．reached | C．arrived | D．made |
| A．amazing | B．boring | C．unsteady | D．careful |
| A．start | B．mark | C．front | D．finish |
| A．arms | B．bones | C．legs | D．shoes |
| A．offered | B．ordered | C．spent | D．expected |
| A．trouble | B．attempt | C．pleasure | D．operation |
| A．seize | B．disappear | C．quit | D．admit |
| A．feet | B．notes | C．knees | D．terms |
| A．adventure | B．support | C．praise | D．comfort |
| A．competed | B．attended | C．completed | D．divided |
| A．opponent | B．enemy | C．member | D．hunter |
| A．awful | B．curious | C．dangerous | D．inspiring |
| A．meaning | B．memory | C．preparation | D．success |
10 . Very few of us become fluent in another language by learning it in high school.
I went to university and then moved across the country to seek a demanding job, married and
However, just before my 50th birthday, I
Contrary to my
| A．found | B．raised | C．chose | D．escaped |
| A．requirement | B．grade | C．operation | D．effort |
| A．pointless | B．helpful | C．worthwhile | D．necessary |
| A．health | B．concern | C．interest | D．age |
| A．got ready for | B．got on with | C．signed up for | D．fell in love with |
| A．level | B．position | C．attempt | D．test |
| A．disappointed | B．surprised | C．annoyed | D．excited |
| A．agreement | B．research | C．belief | D．action |
| A．clumsy | B．confident | C．serious | D．quick |
| A．absorbed | B．consulted | C．created | D．recognized |
| A．go down | B．pay off | C．slip away | D．build up |
| A．key | B．same | C．remaining | D．strange |
| A．catch | B．recite | C．guess | D．hear |
| A．changeable | B．international | C．difficult | D．easy |
| A．chance | B．trick | C．desire | D．courage |
| A．cautious | B．patient | C．polite | D．simple |
| A．faded | B．stopped | C．returned | D．presented |
| A．completely | B．equally | C．roughly | D．slightly |
| A．challenging | B．thinking | C．living | D．learning |
| A．slow | B．impossible | C．late | D．inconvenient |
