Chengdu is regarded by many as one of the happiest cities in China, as well as the home of pandas. It
Chengdu is a place where it seems to blur (难以区分) the boundaries between past and future. Its ancient temples, traditional alleys and historic architecture open a window into ancient China,
Chengdu is not only rich in history and modernity, but also in flavor. This city is known
All this richness that Chengdu has to offer led to its selection as the host city for the 31stFISU World University Games. The athletic event was an opportunity not only
2 . ChatGPT has quickly become popular around the world because of its advanced conversational abilities. It can answer questions, do translations, give the main idea of articles and even write codes (代码) for a computer program. It is as good as a human inside a computer.
ChatGPT is making life very convenient. A time might come when people hand it some articles and it makes a well-made report. That could, however, mean job losses. After all, if a computer program can write codes, then it would make a programmer lose his job.
That may be a worry, but it is still too early to worry about that. ChatGPT has more advanced learning features, but it still follows the same technological way. Its biggest advantage lies in the ability to turn words into a language from an ocean of data, but it's still not that creative. AI can quickly draw a picture, but that picture will be based on pictures that it has seen. It can also write books about the future, but the books will be based on articles about the future that it has read.
In comparison, a human brain imagines the future and then tries hard to realize it. AI can imagine a future with faster spaceships, but it can't imagine a world of space as humans can.
So there is no need to worry too much. By being creative there will be plenty of chances for humans to win over AI.
1. What does the underlined word “It” in Paragraph 1 refer to?| A．The world. | B．ChatGPT. | C．A computer. | D．A program. |
| A．By telling stories. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By listing numbers. | D．By making comparisons. |
| A．It has its own creativity. |
| B．It has conversational abilities. |
| C．It has more advanced learning features. |
| D．It has the ability to turn words into a language. |
| A．Sports. | B．Science. | C．Education. | D．Business. |
3 . When my son, Mark, was in the third grade, he saved all his pocket money for over three months to buy Christmas presents. The third Saturday in December Mark said he had made his list and had twenty dollars in his pocket.
I drove him to a nearby supermarket. Mark picked up a basket and went in while I waited and watched in the car. It took Mark over 45 minutes to choose his presents. Finally he came to the checkout counter and reached into his pocket for his money. It was not there! There was a hole in his pocket, but no money. Mark stood there holding his basket, tears falling down his face.
Then a surprising thing happened. A woman came up to Mark and took him in her arms. “You would help me a lot if you let me pay for you,” said the woman. “It would be the most wonderful gift you could give me. I only ask that one day you will pass it on. When you grow up, I would like you to find someone you can help. When you help others, 1 know you will feel as good about it as I do now.”
Mark took the money, dried his tears and ran back to the checkout counter as fast as he could. That year we all enjoyed our gifts almost as much as Mark enjoyed giving them to us.
I would like to say “thank you” to that very kind woman, and tell her that four years later, Mark went house to house collecting blankets and clothes for the homeless people in the fire. And I want to promise her that Mark will never forget to keep passing it on.
1. When did the story probably happen?| A．On Christmas Day. | B．Before Christmas Day, |
| C．On New Year’s Day. | D．After New Year’s Day. |
| A．His gifts were stolen. | B．He broke his basket. |
| C．He lost his money. | D．He lost his way. |
| A．Because she bought Mark a nice present. |
| B．Because she always paid money for others. |
| C．Because she collected clothes for the homeless. |
| D．Because she taught Mark to help people in need. |
| A．A big supermarket | B．A kind woman |
| C．A happy family | D．A wonderful gift |
4 . Most of us can’t start our day until we’ve had our morning coffee. However, the production of coffee makes large amounts of agricultural waste, about 50 percent of the actual weight of the coffee produced. Agricultural waste was a huge environmental issue for coffee producers and didn’t have any other purpose for it.
In the past, when coffee beans were roasted to make coffee, husks and pulp (外壳和果肉) were eventually turned into a powerful greenhouse gas. Now a company called Woodpecker mixes recycled plastic along with the coffee husks and pulp to create a new material that’s being used to build houses. The idea was not just to create any material but build one that was both affordable and lightweight. The material could change the way people build houses in hilly areas and remote destinations, where it’s usually harder to transport the traditional material such as bricks, and concrete.
Woodpecker experimented by combining various natural fibers with recycled plastic including rice, palm, and grass fiber. Through trial and error, the company came to the conclusion that the best natural fiber to combine with recycled plastic was coffee husks and pulp which lent the material strength and durability (耐久性). Most importantly, the material would be easily available. The material is also fireproof and prevents insect problems.
The company sponsored (赞助) two complete houses after a hurricane destroyed more than a thousand homes in Colombian. “The system worked perfectly considering there was no power supply, the ground was muddy, the airport was damaged, there was no food, etc., all the problems you can imagine. We believe that our houses are an excellent solution to the housing crisis there,” said Alejandro Franco, CEO of Woodpecker.
1. What makes the material a good choice to build houses in hilly areas and remote destinations?| A．They are easily available. | B．They are fireproof. |
| C．They are lightweight. | D．They are durable. |
| A．By collecting figures online to make a decision. |
| B．By doing experiments to make comparisons. |
| C．By turning to experts to find a solution. |
| D．By asking local people for help. |
| A．The lack of power supply. | B．The damage to the airport. |
| C．The shortage of food and water. | D．The housing crisis after a hurricane. |
| A．Positive. | B．Doubtful. | C．Concerned. | D．Subject. |
5 . Do you know what Mark Zuckerberg, Barack Obama, and Christopher Nolan all have in common? They wear the same kind of clothing every day. The greatest scientist, Albert Ein-stein, had five similar gray suits in his wardrobe (衣柜). What’s with geniuses and their limited clothing choices?
When asked about why they do it, many successful people cite a phenomenon called decision fatigue (疲劳). So, what is decision fatigue and how can we overcome it? Will wearing the same thing every day do the trick?
Like it or not, decision-making is a part of our everyday lives. From the moment we wake up, we deal with an endless stream of choices — when to get up, what to eat, what to wear, and so on. The human brain makes about 35,000 decisions per day, most of which we may not even be aware of.
Decision fatigue is a state when the mind becomes tired after making too many decisions within a short amount of time.
What should you do when you’re tired of making decisions? Einstein himself said that he chose the same gray suit every day, “So that I don’t waste any brainpower in the mornings deciding which set of clothes to wear.”
Please remember: having fewer choices means less time and energy wasted—a simplified life! The best way to achieve this is to stick to regular tasks on a daily basis. That way, your brain doesn’t have to sweat those little decisions every day. While shopping or doing any kind of cognitively demanding activities, try to make a list, and cross things off as you go. This will reduce decision fatigue and help you make choices more rationally (理智地), fairly, and objectively.
1. Why is Albert Einstein mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．To introduce his poor life. | B．To show his preference for black suits. |
| C．To lead to the topic of decision fatigue. | D．To compare him with other famous people. |
| A．It can wear people out. | B．It is caused by too few choices. |
| C．It is put forward by Albert Einstein. | D．It can be effectively solved by a rich life. |
| A．Having a rain plan in advance. | B．Getting up early to get more time. |
| C．Buying as many clothes as possible. | D．Sticking to regular tasks every day. |
| A．The richer, the more choices. | B．The simpler, the more relaxed. |
| C．The poorer, the fewer clothes. | D．The busier, the less chances. |
6 . Prabodh Malhotra, a retired Melbourne economist, 71, on Wednesday walked the final steps of a 1,000km, 52day hiking between the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) to raise funds for the McGrath Foundation.
His “crazy” idea to hike between the two great cricket (板球) grounds came this time last year when he saw a group of men walk 150km between Newcastle and the SCG for the same breast cancer charity. “I thought if they can do it and raise $1,000 per kilometre, I should be able to raise the bar,” he said on Wednesday.
Before the end of January, he signed up. But his friends thought he was crazy, pointing to the lack of footpaths and the danger caused by trucks, buses and cars passing by. But Malhotra was undeterred.
“If something happens in the process of doing something good for the country, I’m more than happy to go,” he said.
With the help of friends, he set a course through Shepparton, Jindabyne, Canberra and Moss Vale, rotating (换穿) through four pairs of shoes, including a nowrundown pair of Hokas.
Malhotra said he was amazed by the generosity of people along the way. Traders and accommodation providers declined payment and often donated to the McGrath Foundation when they discovered his charitable cause.
“To walk 1,000km up from the MCG at the age of 71 just proves you can do anything you want if you put your mind to it,” McGrath said. “It’s an incredible effort. The raised money will help fund nurses for 2,100 families going through breast cancer in 2024”.
1. What inspired Prabodh Malhotra to start his hike?| A．His love for sports. | B．His desire for health. |
| C．His sight of others hiking. | D．His dream of being famous. |
| A．Unshakable. | B．Undesirable. | C．Unavoidable. | D．Understandable. |
| A．Conservative. | B．Supportive. | C．Negative. | D．Objective. |
| A．Easy and worthwhile. | B．Lengthy and thrilling. |
| C．Comfortable and rewarding. | D．Tough and meaningful. |
7 . These days, if there’s something you’re scared about while traveling, from insect bites to having your credit card stolen on the beach, there’s a piece of technology to deal with it.
The Smart Suitcase
An IndieGogo campaign has produced the Bluesmart, a suitcase for people who like every part of their travel life to be connected — and the features are pretty impressive. The Bluesmart can be locked and unlocked via your phone, tracked worldwide, weigh its own contents, charge your devices, and warn you if it’s separated from you. It costs $329.00.
The Portable Water Sterilizer
If you’ve ever had Delhi Belly or any kind of waterborne disease while travelling, this will seem like a complete life saver. The SteriPen is a handheld UV water purifier, and can kill 99.9percent of waterborne bacteria and diseases in whatever water you stick it in. It can purify a full liter of water in 90 seconds. It’s also pretty reasonable at $69.95.
The RealTime Translator
Sigmo is designed to be a small, handheld realtime translator for 25 languages. It’s tiny—barely the size of a square of chocolate— and can be used with earphones or speakers and during phone calls. Right now, they’re predicting that it will be $65.00, but keep an eye on the developers for news.
The Cooling TeeShirt
Sol Cool is designed for people hiking around in heat. The fabric of the clothes has significant cooling functions when it comes to human body heat, creating a nice cool sense next to the skin. The fabric is also very highwicking and UV protected, so you can still wear clothes in extreme heat without boiling. A woman’s shirt costs $60.00.
1. What should be bought for those sensitive to bacteria?| A．Bluesmart. | B．SteriPen. | C．Sigmo. | D．Sol Cool. |
| A．$329.00. | B．$69.95. | C．$65.00. | D．$60.00. |
| A．They are techfriendly. | B．They protect your luggage. |
| C．They can drive away insects. | D．They make you cool in summer. |
8 . Yuewen Miaobi (Great pen for online literature), China’s first Artificial Intelligence Generated Content (AIGC) Large Language Model (LLM), designed particularly to assist writers in the online literature industry, was recently introduced by China Literature Limited, a pioneer of the online literature market. It also operates a leading online literature platform in China.
The new AI “pen” aims to bring improved cost-effectiveness to online literature authors’ writing process by reducing work that is “repetitive and time consuming”, Huang Yan, the vice president of China Literature Limited, told the Global Times.
Taking an author’s request to design a “treasure tool for a fantasy novel” as an example, after the writer inputs (输入) the scenario and data for the object, the AIGC tool will automatically respond with a name such as “fire dragon ball“, and tags (标签) describing its function such as ”used for regaining fiery energy“.
This smart design is ”adaptable to different settings“ and can help writers with tasks such as giving characters personalities and writing detailed descriptions of the scenery, Li Yilun, an online literature industry insider, told the Global Times.
According to Liu Dingding, an independent technology analyst, the LLM suits the online literature industry extremely well, even though it has been rarely used in the field.
“The LLM is useful in dealing with works that are logical and routine-like,” he said. Despite the professional efficiency, Liu said that the use of AI was still a “debatable” issue that might involve “copying and un-reviewed (未经审查的) sensitive content”.
“The platform should strengthen its management of the tool’s use. For example, sensitive words are required to be filtered out (过滤) in the system before they get used,” Liu noted.
1. What is the underlined word ”scenario“ in paragraph 3 mean?| A．outline | B．detail | C．title | D．character |
| A．To help the writer with a story. |
| B．To help the writer to give a description of characters personalities. |
| C．To help the writer with data collecting. |
| D．To help the writer adapt to different settings. |
| A．favorable | B．pessimistic | C．critical | D．objective |
| A．Attention should be paid to when we use Yuewen Miaobi. |
| B．China Literature Limited operates a leading online literature company in China. |
| C．China launches its first LLM for online literature. |
| D．The use of AI caused a debate online. |
9 . Like humans, dogs have tear ducts (泪腺) that well up with tears to keep their eyes clean and healthy. But tears in dogs, which tend not to fall as they do when humans cry, hadn’t been linked with emotion before.
Takefumi Kikusui, a professor at Azabu University in Japan, decided to study dog tears after watching his poodle (鬟毛狗) when she had puppies six years ago. He noticed that her eyes got teary as she nursed her puppies. So Kikusui and his team measured tear production among 18 dogs with a standard test known as the Schirmer Tear Test (STT). It involved a paper strip placed inside the eyelids (眼睑) of the dogs for a minute before and after they were reunited with their owners following five to seven hours of separation.
“Tear production was evaluated by the length of the wet part on the STT. The baseline was about 22 mm, and the reunion with the owner increased the length by 10%,” Kikusui explained. With the help of 20 dogs, researchers then compared tear production before and after reunions with their owners and people with whom the animals were familiar. Only the reunion with the owner increased tear production.
Researchers also tested if oxytocin, a hormone thought to be connected to emotional bonding in humans and dogs, could be causing the tear production. They found that dropping oxytocin in dogs’ eyes really increased tear production, while a control solution did not.
The findings suggest “dogs’ tears are associated with positive emotions, such as a reunion with the owner,” according to Takefumi Kikusui. Still, some scientists think it’s a stretch to say that dogs cry tears of joy. “It would take a lot to let me accept the evidence of this research,” said Clive Wynne, an animal behavioral specialist at Arizona State University.
1. What inspired Kikusui to carry out the research?| A．The cry of his poodle’s babies. |
| B．The problem with his poodle’s eyes. |
| C．The changes in his poodle’s eyes while nursing. |
| D．His poodle’s reaction to the reunion with him. |
| A．They can be a sign of dogs’ happiness. |
| B．They can show dogs’ negative feelings. |
| C．They can keep dogs’ eyes healthy and clean. |
| D．They can rarely be seen in young dogs’ eyes. |
| A．Applying oxytocin to dogs’ eyes. |
| B．Placing a paper strip in dogs’ eyelids. |
| C．Keeping dogs away from their owners. |
| D．Increasing the length of the STT’s wet part. |
| A．Dog’s positive and negative emotions can result in tears in their eyes. |
| B．There is a powerful emotional bond between humans and dogs. |
| C．Dog’s eyes are watering due to tear ducts. |
| D．Dogs cry tears of joy when they reunited with their owners. |
10 . Educational authorities have asked schools to make sure students have 10-minute breaks between classes after hearing complaints that some school students are not allowed to leave classrooms during breaks-unless they need to go to the toilet-- to ensure their safety.
Some students said teachers often overrun by a few minutes, and that some start their classes a few minutes before the breaks are scheduled to end. In these cases students do not even have time to go to the toilet.
A mother of a primary school student in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province said her child’s school does not allow students to leave the classroom building during breaks. They are also forbidden to jump, run around or speak loudly.
The issue has caused a heated discussion on social media platforms.
“Teachers do not want to supervise students during class breaks. However, if students have accidents, some parents will still hold schools accountable,” said one netizen in a comment that received more than 10,000 likes. Another said, “Teachers are also tired, but the school makes such a requirement, and they have to follow.”
An official from the Ministry of Education said that it is important for schools to ensure students have time to rest during class breaks, which can help students relax, be healthy and avoid myopia (近视).
The ministry attaches great importance to class breaks, the official said. Apart from breaks between classes, schools should also make sure students have a 30-minute break each day for exercise. The ministry will urge local authorities and schools to implement the policies and prevent the practice of restricting class breaks in the name of “ensuring students safety”, the official said.
1. According to some parents, who is to blame if students have accidents during class breaks?| A．The children. | B．The schools. |
| C．Educational authorities. | D．The parents. |
| A．Because they have a lot of homework to do. |
| B．Because the teachers often end the classes late than scheduled. |
| C．Because schools want to ensure the students’ safety. |
| D．Because the students are told to do so by their parents. |
| A．relaxation for students. | B．avoid being short-sighted. |
| C．wellness of the students. | D．playing happily. |
| A．Schools will be urged to ensure students to have moderate class breaks. |
| B．Although tired, teachers are willing to supervise students during class breaks. |
| C．Students do not have time to go to the toilet because teachers often overrun by a few minutes. |
| D．Parents are in favor of not allowing the students to leave classrooms. |
