1 . Developed by US company OpenAI, ChatGPT has got viral, winning 100 million internet users since it came out in November 2022. People can ask the robot to write stories and emails, create instructions for cooking a certain food, translate languages, and answer all kinds of questions. In its own words, it is “a language model trained in a large amount of internet text to help users get human-like text. ”
Compared with Siri or other chatbots, ChatGPT uses a much bigger information center for training. It also uses stronger software and hardware to learn things by itself. For example, if it provides a wrong answer to your question, you can tell it the right one and it will correct itself. “It’s a totally different chatbot,” computer scientist Liu Xiaoguang from Nankai University said. “The knowledge level ChatGPT shows is the same as a university student. That’s why it shocked the world.”
But one big problem with ChatGPT is that it makes mistakes or even gives false information. When Rezza, a 28-year-old from Indonesia, used the robot to write an passage, it “gave out many examples which other writers actually hadn’t mentioned at all”, he told a local newspaper. Since the robot is trained using words from the internet, it can also pick up biases(偏见) about certain groups. These are all things that need to be dealt with.
1. What does the underlined part mean in Paragraph 1?| A．Done harm to the internet. | B．Brought strong wind and heavy rain. |
| C．Become popular overnight. | D．Caused serious changes of the weather. |
| A．It can find mistakes by itself. |
| B．It works differently from other chatbots. |
| C．Its information center is easier to control than Siri’s. |
| D．Its knowledge level is as high as a university student. |
| A．ChatGPT needs improvement. | B．Anybody may give false information. |
| C．Anybody can make mistakes. | D．ChatGPT can’t get on well with humans. |
| A．ChatGPT is Coming! | B．ChatGPT is Catching the World’s Eyes! |
| C．Can ChatGPT Take the Place of Humans? | D．Can ChatGPT Avoid Biases Properly? |
2 . There is nothing like a coast redwood. It is the planet’s tallest tree, up to heights of more than 320 feet into the sky. With trunks that grow to more than 27 feet wide, they can live for over 2,000 years. Some of them living today were alive during the time of the Roman Empire (帝国).
Coast redwoods have survived through thousands of years of natural floods, droughts, tsunamis and fires. They can thrive (茁壮成长) and recover from damage as long as they can count on rainwater and coastal fog banks that roll in every morning. And it is those critical water sources that are disappearing as temperatures continue to rise. The damp conditions the trees like are rarer than they used to be. Coast redwoods now occupy less than 10 percent of their original range.
Their loss will have some consequences, particularly in the vast amount of carbon they store. Redwoods can store 2,600 metric tons of carbon per hectare, more than double the absorption rate of the Pacific Northwest’s conifer trees (针叶树), according to a new research published in Forest Ecology and Management.
David Milarch, an arborist from Michigan, says he feels sorrowful about the disappearing redwoods. He spends his days tracking down the healthiest coast redwood specimens (样本) he can find, cloning them in his own lab, and then planting them in carefully chosen places where they can thrive. Milarch’s goal is both to strengthen the coast redwood gene pool with clones of the strongest individuals, and to store loads of carbon. It’s a complicated mission with a simple philosophy: save the big trees, and they’ll save us.
Milarch explains that we need a practical and measurable solution to fighting against climate change. He believes the redwoods are the answer. However, scientist Mark Maslin cautions against viewing tree planting as a magic bullet, since even fast-growing trees take a long time to grow and be mature enough to reach their maximum carbon-trapping time which climate change cannot afford. As a global society, the most important thing we should do now is to reduce our overall carbon emissions if we want to have any impact on the planet’s climate crisis.
1. What causes the decrease of coast redwoods?| A．Forest fires. | B．Soil pollution. |
| C．Climate warming. | D．Human overcutting. |
| A．To show the importance of redwoods to the environment. |
| B．To introduce the approach to reducing carbon pollutants. |
| C．To state the role of the Pacific Northwest’s conifer trees. |
| D．To explain the difficulty of protecting coast redwoods. |
| A．By seeking ideal specimens to clone. |
| B．By exploring ways to raise their adaptability. |
| C．By improving water sources in coastal places. |
| D．By creating a wet growing environment for them. |
| A．Scientists need to find ways to make redwoods grow faster. |
| B．Growing redwoods is an efficient solution to climate change. |
| C．Protecting redwoods can be much costlier than Milarch thought. |
| D．Reducing carbon emissions should be a priority (优先考虑) in solving climate crisis. |
3 . I used to think my life was perfect. My mom had her dream job and a beautiful office, and I had my own room with a computer and a garden to
But something
We started a new
I never knew Rosica, their daughter,
Looking back, I realize that the hurricane
| A．care for | B．worry about | C．dream of | D．search for |
| A．visited | B．joined | C．injured | D．hit |
| A．awkward | B．unexpected | C．annoying | D．unlucky |
| A．brought | B．booked | C．offered | D．recommended |
| A．challenge | B．request | C．wealth | D．kindness |
| A．hardly | B．carefully | C．naturally | D．clearly |
| A．sold | B．rented | C．showed | D．opened |
| A．business | B．project | C．tradition | D．life |
| A．campuses | B．dinners | C．journeys | D．competitions |
| A．family | B．volunteers | C．community | D．supporters |
| A．after | B．before | C．during | D．as |
| A．cooking | B．storytelling | C．singing | D．housekeeping |
| A．brought about | B．resulted from | C．made up for | D．got away with |
| A．saved | B．controlled | C．enriched | D．recorded |
| A．adventure | B．effort | C．party | D．disaster |
4 . With the approaching of New Year, more and more visitors will come to China. Don’t know where you should go? Here are some places recommended for you.
Shanghai Expo Culture Park
The Shanghai Expo Culture Park will soon open its northern section to the public, in which the major attractions include a traditional garden that is similar in design to Shanghai’s famous Yuyuan Garden and a 400-meter avenue exhibiting the history of the area, while in the southern section lies a grand theater.
Macao Tower AJ Hackett Bungee Jump
The Macao Tower, 338 meters tall, is the world’s 10th highest tower, with a variety of activities, such as eating and entertainment. One of the activities which enjoy good fame is the bungee jump. The AJ Hackett Macao Tower Bungee Jump is 233 meters high, making it a Guinness World Record as the highest commercial (商业的) bungee jump in the world. Raise your arms and off you go!
Harbin’s Frozen World
For those who have never been to Harbin, there is an almost endless list of things to do. At Harbin Ice—Snow World, you can not only see the world—famous ice architecture, but also have great fun! You can have hotpot at the restaurants which are made of ice, enjoying the product of both ice and fire, go down the world’s longest ice slide (滑梯) and join in the popular Ice and Snow Electronic Music Festival to welcome 2024.
The winter is cold and the night is long, so why not go to the theatre? Harbin was listed by the United Nations as a “music city” in 2010. Harbin Grand Theater is where artistic souls defrost (化霜) a little to share their love of art.
1. Where should visitors go if they want to do extreme sports?| A．Shanghai Expo Culture Park. | B．The Macao Tower. |
| C．Shangha’s Yuyuan Garden. | D．Harbin Ice—Snow World. |
| A．Attend a famous music festival. | B．Play with both ice and fire. |
| C．Turn water into instant ice. | D．Learn to make ice architecture. |
| A．They have a high tower. | B．They have a long ice slide. |
| C．They have a grand theater. | D．They have traditional architecture. |
5 . Whatever your interest is — Titanic, history, food, music or even Game of Thrones’ filming sites — one of the different tours on offer here in Belfast can satisfy you.
.GAME OF THRONES TOUR
A guided coach tour takes you to explore some of the exciting filming sites in the hit show. You can step into “Winterfell” and experience archery in a recreated film set in “Stark Family” costumes, or even meet some “Stark Family” members!
.TITANIC TOUR
Take the world’s only guided Titanic Boat tour to see the ever changing story of Belfast’s rich sea heritage and how the area has developed into a major tourist attraction. Exploring the Titanic story, the boat tour allows you to view the Titanic Quarter from the water. You also have a chance of seeing many seals living in Belfast.
.MUSIC TOUR
Take a bus journey through the heart of this rock and roll city. Sit back, relax, and enjoy music by way of amazing guitar players, from folk songs to rock and Hollywood soundtracks. Finish up at the wonderful Belfast Music show at the Oh Yeah Music Centre in the Cathedral Quarter.
.CITY TOUR
If you’re short on time but still want to get a general overview of the city, book a private guided taxi tour or a guided open top bus tour. It’s the best and quickest way to find out all about the city’s history and other places of interest.
1. Which tour is suitable for visitors with limited time in Belfast?| A．GAME OF THRONES TOUR. | B．TITANIC TOUR. |
| C．MUSIC TOUR. | D．CITY TOUR. |
| A．Learn how to sail a boat. | B．See a large number of seals. |
| C．Appreciate the movie Titanic. | D．View the Titanic Quarter on land. |
| A．A science magazine. | B．A history textbook. |
| C．A research paper. | D．A travel brochure. |
6 . Given the crowds of visitors and many attractions at the Disney parks, it's easy to get lost. Thankfully, you will always find a worker to point you in the right direction. When you do, you just might start to notice something unique about their body language—and it's just one of the many secrets Disney employees won't tell you.
Cast members, as park employees are called, are taught in their training to always point with two fingers instead of one. The first reason for this is that pointing with just the one index finger(食指), as most Americans do, is considered impolite in some cultures and countries. The Disney parks have always attracted many international visitors, so the friendlier two-finger gesture became the norm among employees, in an effort to be sensitive and welcoming to every person. Employees have even affectionately named it "the Disney point”. Michaela Paris, a former Disney employee, said the Disney point is a sign of respect.
"Disney receives plenty of foreign travelers to their parks. The typical single finger point is a symbol of disrespect and has a negative(负面的) meaning in many cultures. Therefore, Disney created 'the Disney point' to accommodate all of their guests, " Paris said.
Other sources say this way of pointing is related to Disney himself. According to the Huffington Post, it's actually how Walt Disney himself used to point things out to visitors, because he usually had a cigarette balanced between the two fingers. You won't find cast members today smoking a cigarette—there's no smoking allowed for anyone, employees or guests, once you are inside the entrances at Disney parks—but the tradition of pointing with two fingers still stands.
Keep an eye out for the statue of Walt and Mickey doing "the Disney point" next time you're at Disney World. Meanwhile don't miss other such rules that all Disney employees must follow.
1. When will a visitor probably notice "the Disney point"?| A．When asking the way. | B．When entering the park. |
| C．When greeting foreigners. | D．When smoking a cigarette. |
| A．A gesture. | B．An employee. | C．A park. | D．A statue. |
| A．offer space to. | B．put up. | C．provide food for. | D．adapt to. |
| A．Rules to follow in the park. |
| B．The life story of Walt Disney. |
| C．Some attractions at Disney World. |
| D．A possible origin of “the Disney point”. |
7 . I am rather good at using maps. But I forgot the maps and here we were, late afternoon, last day of holiday, my daughter, my cousin and I, driving along a two-lane highway in Oregon. No other car in sight, and the sun had just gone down. Where was that sweet little village?
It was supposed to be right along this river. We drove on, farther into the unknown river always at left as our guide. We kept passing farms and fields and now a few lights were coming out. In my head, I was doing a lot of self-criticism: Why didn’t we start earlier, bring the map and so on? My cousin and I were both impatient and stressed. My daughter, at least, was happy in the back seat, texting a friend. I pulled up on the shoulder of the road to think.
Just the — Wow! Amazing! A new scene appeared. Where did it come from?
Right there, out of nowhere: a magical misty landscape. Fields stretched in silent purple, with rows of tall trees, darkening in the dusk. I turned the car engine off. All was silent in the hot summer air. Beside us, a plum-covered river hardly moved between a border of trees, its dark lazy water reflecting the last light of day.
How breathtaking! Where had it been? If I had seen even a bit of beauty while driving along, I could have stopped and taken a look. I had missed it all.
We miss a lot, almost everything, in fact, in our world. Our task-focused filters (过滤器)takes care of that, selecting only what we need. We need to get to work. Have some lunch. We see what we need to see, often for purposes of survival. Gregory Bateson, speaking of beauty, said the judgment is selection of a fact. In our daily lives, who or what is doing the selecting? Can we make a change? Can we see further?
1. Where might the author be heading for?| A．A tourist attraction. | B．A destination of his holiday. |
| C．Her own home. | D．Her cousin farm. |
| A．That the holiday is unexpectedly tiring and boring. |
| B．That she hadn’t been well prepared got her cousin annoyed. |
| C．That lack of full preparation made her lose her way. |
| D．That there was no familiar river in sight. |
| A．she discovered a tourist spot unknown to others |
| B．she finally reached what she had intended |
| C．the right route to her destination was close |
| D．her carelessness brought an unexpected pleasure |
| A．Slow down your pace and enjoy the beauty in life. |
| B．Stay calm even if trapped in trouble. |
| C．Keep positive because everything has a way out. |
| D．Adjust your plan for the purpose of pleasure. |
8 . Joel Boyers and his wife, Melody Among, were heading home in their helicopter (直升机）when he received a call for help from a stranger. The caller’s brother and her
The caller
Upon arriving, he found the water below was
As Boyers drove the helicopter, Among began
Though the experience was
| A．neighbour | B．wife | C．friend | D．daughter |
| A．ordered | B．attracted | C．begged | D．challenged |
| A．pack | B．fly | C．quit | D．swim |
| A．immediately | B．secretly | C．gradually | D．creatively |
| A．card | B．pocket | C．computer | D．phone |
| A．unprepared | B．intended | C．relieved | D．recognized |
| A．peaceful | B．rapid | C．familiar | D．clean |
| A．revised | B．delivered | C．damaged | D．registered |
| A．house | B．tree | C．car | D．bridge |
| A．debating with | B．adapting to | C．commenting on | D．searching for |
| A．land | B．rise | C．jump | D．look |
| A．training | B．exploring | C．experimenting | D．struggling |
| A．reserved | B．lowered | C．followed | D．designed |
| A．home | B．school | C．helicopter | D．truck |
| A．plain | B．awkward | C．adventurous | D．formal |
9 . When I was 12 years old, I already knew that my teen years were going to be the worst years of my life. I was a total outsider, bullied at school. I felt completely alone in my small town.
But by starting to do volunteer work when I was 14, I turned my problem into a passion for helping others. The opportunity to practice kindness made me feel like my life had a greater purpose. The more positive energy I shared, the more kindness and appreciation I received. I realized that my purpose in life would be to reach out to people, specifically teenagers, and help them feel less alone.
Books were my true friends back then. I was so thankful that the authors wrote those books. The kindness they offered me with their books saved my life. One of my biggest dreams was to become an author so I could write books that would help other teenagers the way those books helped me.
After surviving terrible experiences at school and at home, I made a choice to take the optimistic, positive road in the next steps of my journey. My dream career, one I thought was only possible for the authors I loved, is what I am doing now. I have been a full-time author of teen novels since 2007 and am grateful for this amazing opportunity to reach out to readers every single day.
Kindness saved me when I needed help the most. Even small acts of kindness can change someone's life. You never know what someone else is going through. But by practicing daily kindness, you become an architect of positive change.
1. What was the author's life like when he was 12?| A．Boring. | B．Unpleasant. |
| C．Peaceful. | D．Meaningful. |
| A．It made him popular in his town. |
| B．It helped him understand others' lives better. |
| C．It helped him find the meaning of life. |
| D．It helped to shape his dream career. |
| A．He wanted to share his school experiences. |
| B．He could pass positive energy to readers. |
| C．He was inspired by his teacher. |
| D．He found he had a talent for writing. |
| A．Say 'no' to bullies bravely. |
| B．Make positive changes in their lives. |
| C．Learn to care more about others' feelings. |
| D．Treat others with kindness in daily life. |
10 . I had always been warmly praised for my shooting ability when I was in high school. But when I went to Ohio State, I discovered that everyone on the team was
To win a starting job on the team, I had figured I would have to
One day, when we were
Then, near the end of the game, in a(an)
Standing there in that circle of cheering audience, I came to
| A．ordinary | B．anxious | C．inexperienced | D．excellent |
| A．bless | B．impress | C．help | D．equip |
| A．turned out | B．turned to | C．turned up | D．turned down |
| A．count | B．focus | C．wait | D．call |
| A．problem | B．approach | C．comment | D．decision |
| A．looking | B．playing | C．applying | D．preparing |
| A．responsibility | B．potential | C．comfort | D．change |
| A．cheerful | B．satisfied | C．disappointed | D．frightened |
| A．mood | B．attempt | C．rush | D．position |
| A．opportunity | B．method | C．suggestion | D．lesson |
| A．caught | B．kicked | C．shot | D．held |
| A．rare | B．typical | C．key | D．possible |
| A．wish | B．achieve | C．advise | D．realize |
| A．Poor | B．Losing | C．Strong | D．Capable |
| A．income | B．praise | C．support | D．promotion |
