1 . When you hear the word “artificial intelligence”, the first thing that comes to mind is robotics, but what truly is artificial intelligence and what does the future hold for it? Artificial intelligence is any device or machine that mimics cognitive (认知的) functions humans associate with the human mind, such as learning and problem solving. Examples of artificial intelligence in our day to day lives include: Siri, Google, advertising and so much more. Every industry is incorporating (吸收/包含) artificial intelligence into its back bone.

Currently, the effects of artificial intelligence seem all positive. Artificial intelligence will lead to more new and important discoveries in the future, through its predictive modelling. In 2017, NASA reported the discovery of an eight-planet solar system with the help of AI. It can also predict the emergence of any new virus, disease or epidemic and discover a corresponding drug to treat it by accessing and analyzing multiple sets of data. This in turn will help the healthcare industry develop Al programs that will improve longevity and predict the time of the first sign of diseases, improve drug research processes and assist doctors in diagnosis.

However, there are still a lot of public concerns. An article titled “The Future of Work” gives a practical view on the influence of artificial intelligence and automation in our job industry. It predicts that by 2030, job losses will reach a rate of twenty nine percent, with an even lesser job creation percentage of thirteen percent. In 2014, a chat bot known as Eugene Goostman passed the Turing test, making judges think it was a human and leading to a lot of raised concerns. Does this mean that with future research, robots can insert themselves smoothly into our environment? It gives people a lot of food for thought.

The future of artificial intelligence is both fascinating and alarming. Privacy laws and security guidelines should be reviewed to protect everyone from vulnerability (脆弱性). Still if researches continue to be done with exposure and responsibility, the balance would not tip in favor of the negative.

1. According to the passage, AI can be used ________.

A．to reduce job creation

B．to insert themselves smoothly into our lives

C．to make scientific breakthrough

D．to prevent the emergence of new virus, disease or epidemic

2. By mentioning the medical use in paragraph 2, the author wanted ________.

A．to introduce a new way to cure any disease.

B．to explain the value of artificial intelligence.

C．to show the effectiveness of artificial intelligence treatment.

D．to discuss the possibility of artificial intelligence replacing doctors.

3. What can we infer from the last sentence in paragraph 4?

A．Currently, there are more negative effects caused by AI.

B．More researches are needed in order to further develop AI.

C．It’s very difficult to balance the exposure and responsibility in researches.

D．It's possible to reduce the negative effects of AI in the future.

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．Artificial Intelligence will change the future.

B．The future needs regulation of Artificial Intelligence.

C．Artificial Intelligence has made scientific breakthroughs.

D．Artificial Intelligence does more harm than good to humans.

2 . Salad is good for you, generally speaking, so growing fresh greens in orbit seems like a winning way for space workers to stay healthy. New research suggests that as nutritious as space salad might be, it could pose something of a risk to astronauts.

The problem is growing leafy plants like lettuce (生菜) in space can come with a side dish of bacteria (细菌), according to a new study from a team at the University of Delaware. In tests on plants grown in modeled micro-gravity, they were shown to actually be more sensitive than normal to the Salmonella enterica (SE) (沙门氏菌).

We know that the International Space Station (ISS) is home to a lot of aggressive bacteria, and if these space virus were to cause widespread sickness in an astronaut crew, it would mean lives were at risk. “You don’t want the whole mission to fail just because of a food safety outbreak,” says plant biologist Harsh Bais from the University of Delaware.

Bais and his colleagues used a device to perform some clever rotation tricks in the lab, putting lettuce plants into a similar state as they would be in micro-gravity. They then added SE bacteria to the leaves. What was interesting — and surprising — was that the tiny stomata (气孔) in the lettuce opened up to allow the bacteria to get in. Ordinarily, the job of the stomata is to keep dangerous attackers out, while at the same time helping the plant to breathe.

The researchers then added a more helpful species of bacteria, one that typically protects plants from external stressors. Again, the defense didn’t work in micro-gravity — suggesting there’s something about this state that disables the chemical reactions that the lettuce would normally use to keep itself safe.

Add in what we know about space bacteria being particularly tricky, and this is a potential problem. The team behind the study wants to see a lot more research into making sure our foodstuffs are safe outside of orbit.

1. Why can’t lettuce be grown in ISS?

A．Its leaves takes up too much space.	B．It brings in illness-causing bacteria.
C．It is only a side dish to astronauts.	D．It can’t grow well in micro-gravity.

2. What is Bais’ attitude to growing plants in space?

A．Negative.

B．Sensitive.

C．Enthusiastic.

D．Unconcerned.

3. What did the tiny stomata do in the experiment?

A．They kept lettuce from breathing.	B．They ensure the safety of lettuce.
C．They failed to function as expected.	D．They stopped all bacteria coming in.

4. What is a best tile for the text?

A．SE, the Worst Bacteria in Space	B．Greens for Salad, a Risk in Space
C．Lettuce, Plant Samples Used in Space	D．Food Safety, a Key Problem in Space

3 . At just a few inches long and living on an affordable diet of flakes, goldfish are often viewed as the world’s most unnoticeable pet — a kind of gateway animal to prepare new caregivers for cats and dogs to come. But their blank stare and expression cover up a little-known and somewhat horrifying fact: Released into the wild and upping their caloric count goldfish can develop into massive fish, damaging local ecosystems.

According to The New York Times, the Great Lakes are currently suffering from an inflow of goldfish. They eat everything from algae (海藻) to plants to animals without backbones and can reach 16 inches to 19 inches in length, weighing in at 4 pounds. And all that consumption is destructive. The goldfish swallow plants that native fish eat. They also consume algae, which promotes further algae growth. Because they’re resistant to changing water temperatures, they can be lasting trouble. They are also forcing native fish out of their natural habitat.

Researchers have observed a significant increase in the goldfish population over the past few decades, a likely consequence of people releasing pets that then reproduce. It’s possible that tens of millions of goldfish now live in the Great Lakes; similar goldfish problems have also been observed in Australia.

Possible interventions include electrical currents that would kill the fish and netting to capture them and control the population in breeding grounds identified by tracking.

Goldfish grew popular in the U.S. in the late 19th century,when the U.S. Commission on Fisheries gave away thousands of them in Washington D.C They’re fairly crafty fish with the capacity to learn some simple tricks. Advocates say the typical fishbowl is too small for them and recommend a tank of at least 20 gallons per fish so they have room to move.

With the right environment, goldfish can reproduce fast and live for decades. But if you’re not interested in keeping them, experts at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service suggest donating them to a school, pet store, or interested party — not a local pond.

1. How can goldfish grow super big?

A．By growing uninterruptedly in a tank.	B．By staying together with other fish.
C．By living with considerate caregivers.	D．By eating enough food in a big lake.

2. What do goldfish do to the ecosystem?

A．They eat up local fish.	B．They help keep biodiversity.
C．They occupy the habitat of native fish.	D．They promote the spread of algae.

3. What is the goldfish problem in Australia?

A．Goldfish population is increasing fast.	B．Capturing goldfish becomes very difficult.
C．Goldfish are growing too big to live in a tank              .	D．Tracking goldfish’s breeding grounds is impossible.

4. Which can replace the underlined word “crafty” in paragraph 5?

A．Pitiable.

B．Foxy.

C．Cute.

D．Popular.

8 . Is it better to have powerful generative AI systems open or closed? This question is quickly becoming a significant technological and ideological (思想上的) debate in our times!

Supporters believe they help more people use the technology, create new ideas, and make it more reliable by encouraging outside inquiry. Smaller open models are cheaper to make and use, and they add competition to a field mostly controlled by big US companies like Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI, who have spent billions on making huge, private, and closely controlled generative Al systems.

However, those who disagree say that open models could cause a lot of problems. Bad people can use them to spread false information that is personalized, and terrorists might use them to create cyber or bioweapons. Geoffrey Hinton, one of the pioneers of modern AI, has warned that open source allows more crazy people to do crazy things.

Supporters of open models disagree, finding it ridiculous that open generative AI models enable people to access information that they can’t find on the internet or from a bad scientist. They also point out that big tech companies only talk about the dangers of open models to help themselves compete and become more powerful in the market.

However, this debate also involves an ideological aspect. Yann LeCun, the chief scientist at Meta, holds the belief that controlling technology may give rise to a knowledge gap, as only a chosen group of experts would be qualified and wise enough to deal with knowledge.

In the future, we will use AI systems to search and use the huge amount of digital knowledge created by humans. We should not want a handful of Silicon Valley companies to control that access. Wendy Hall, royal professor of computer science at Southampton university, says we do not want to live in a world where only the big companies run generative Al. Nor do we want to allow users to do anything they like with open models. “We have to find some compromise,” she suggests.   

We should avoid a strict either-or approach when it comes to AI models. Both open and closed models have their strengths and weaknesses. As these models improve, we will need to adjust the balance between encouraging competition and keeping control.

1. What can we learn from this passage?

A．It needs billions of dollars to develop open-source models.

B．Only self-selecting experts can handle open models wisely.

C．Small open models boost AI competition at a lower cost.

D．Users can do anything they like with open models recently.

2. Why is it undesirable for AI to be mainly controlled by large companies?

A．Because it allows more crazy people to do crazy things.

B．Because it limits competition in the AI field.

C．Because it slows down new and exciting AI innovation.

D．Because it restricts access to digital knowledge.

3. Regarding Wendy Hall’s suggestions, the author is ______.

A．supportive	B．puzzled
C．unconcerned	D．opposed

4. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．Why Open AI Models Are the Future

B．How to Create Powerful AI Systems

C．Where does the Debate on Open AI End

D．Open vs. Closed AI: The Great Debate

9 . Top Five Youngest Olympics Gold Medal Winners of All-Time

Marjorie Gestring

Marjorie Gestring of the US was only 13 years and 268 days old when she won the gold medal for her country. The diver won the medal at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games to become the youngest individual Olympic gold medalist. She would have won more gold medals considering her talent if it were not for the World War Ⅱ.

Klaus Zerta

Klaus Zerta was only 13 years and 283 days old when he won a gold medal at the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Italy. Klaus was from West Germany but represented the unified team of Germany at the Olympics. Moreover, he is the youngest confirmed male athlete to win a gold medal in the history of the Summer Olympics.

Nishiya Momiji

The ongoing Tokyo Olympics saw a few record-breaking feats in the skateboarding event. Japan’s Nishiya Momiji became the first ever women’s Olympic skateboarding champion. The athlete is merely 13 years and 330 days old, which makes her one of the youngest individual gold medal winners in the history of the Olympics.

Fu Mingxia

Chinese female diver Fu Mingxia is popular for being one of the youngest Olympic diving champions. She was born on August 16, 1978, and won a gold medal at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. She was 15 days older than Nishiya Momiji when they each won their first Olympic gold medal. Fu Mingxia dominated the sport throughout the 1990s with her skills in extremely difficult dives. In the coming years, she won three more Olympic gold medals and a silver across the platform and springboard events.

Nadia Comaneci

Nadia Comaneci is from Romania and is a five-time Olympic gold medalist. In 1976, she became the first gymnast to receive a perfect score of 10. She was merely 14 years old when she secured the Gold at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Interestingly, back then, a gymnast had to be 14 to participate but later the age limit went up to 16 years. Therefore, Nadia’s record cannot be broken.

1. What do we know about Marjorie Gestring?

A．She was the first women’s Olympic skateboarding champion.

B．She dominated the sport throughout the 1990s with her skills.

C．The war prevented her from achieving more.

D．A perfect score of 10 for a gymnast belonged to her.

2. How old was Fu Mingxia when she won a gold medal in Barcelona?

A．13 years and 315 days old.

B．13 years and 345 days old.

C．13 years and 283 days old.

D．13 years and 268 days old.

3. In which section of a webpage can you find the passage?

A．News.	B．Sports.
C．Life.	D．History.

10 . In 2010, Justin Horner was driving down a busy freeway in Portland, US, when his tire blew out. He _______ to the side of the road and made a _______ indicating his need for help.

Three hours later, _______ a van pulled up and out came a Latino family of four. Regardless of the _______ barrier, they worked together to repair Horner’s car, relying on the daughter’s broken English. One hour later, the car was _______ and the mom pulled out a big jug of water for them to drink and wash their hands. Horner thanked them sincerely and _______ to give what he had in his wallet — a $20 bill — but they _______the offer. Despite their resistance, Horner   _______ and placed the money in the mother’s hand before walking away. A few moments later, their small daughter called out and offered Horner a _______ — a tamale (玉米粉蒸肉)   — which he gratefully accepted.

As they slowly drove off, Horner unwrapped the tamale and discovered his ________ inside. He rushed over to the van to give it back, but the father ________ shook his head, saying only four words, “Today you, tomorrow me.” With a ________, he drove off.

Months later, Horner shared his experience online, which ________ thousands of likes and comments. Horner knows that the phrase, “today you, tomorrow me” wasn’t ________ by that stranger in the van. He said it’s a common expression in Mexico, where he believes the family was from. However, the idea behind it is ________.

1.

A．came in

B．moved on

C．pulled up

D．dropped out

2.

A．note

B．sign

C．call

D．deal

3.

A．notably

B．eventually

C．secretly

D．immediately

4.

A．race

B．traffic

C．nationality

D．language

5.

A．examined

B．powered

C．cleaned

D．fixed

6.

A．hesitated

B．attempted

C．refused

D．pretended

7.

A．declined

B．appreciated

C．withdrew

D．accepted

8.

A．promised

B．questioned

C．insisted

D．complained

9.

A．snack

B．pie

C．soup

D．fruit

10.

A．wallet

B．gift

C．money

D．key

11.

A．simply

B．carefully

C．truly

D．slowly

12.

A．wave

B．bow

C．sigh

D．touch

13.

A．confirmed

B．updated

C．made

D．drew

14.

A．expressed

B．practiced

C．invented

D．promoted

15.

A．regional

B．universal

C．funny

D．creative