1 . Three French students，using the name “Obvious”， have produced the first artwork created mainly by a computer program to be sold at auction (拍卖). Using artificial intelligence (AI)，Obvious created 11 portraits (肖像画) of an imaginary family they called Belamy.
Obvious used 15,000 real portraits to train an AI program which has two parts.One part tries to create pictures that look real.The other part judges the work.If the portrait doesn’t look real enough，the first part goes back and changes its decisions until it comes up with a better picture.These decisions are controlled by an algorithm (计算程序). The students made many choices，helping guide the AI’s decisions.But even so，the painting is “signed”by the algorithm，instead of the students.
On October 25，Obvious’s picture，Edmond de Belamy，was sold at auction at Christie’s in New York.The final price for Edmond de Belamy was $432,500—about ten times more than Christie’s expected.
This is not the first AI artwork，just the first one sold at auction.In fact，many people are not impressed with the portrait.“The work isn’t interesting，or original，”says 19yearold Robbie Barrat.He should know.He wrote much of the program that created the pictures.
But he doesn’t like the idea of Obvious selling the picture.He thinks it’s too simple and gives a bad idea of what real AI artists are doing.He points out that he created many pictures like these over a year ago.
Obvious doesn’t hide the fact that it used Mr.Barrat’s work，or even that its portrait is not the best AI artwork ever.Pierre Fautrel of Obvious said，“...the goal of our project was to do something that was simple enough for...my mother or brother to understand.”
Obvious got the attention of Christie’s by selling another work，Le Comte de Belamy，for over $11,000 in February. One reason Christie’s chose to auction Obvious’s work is because AI art is unusual now.In the future it will be much more common.
1. What does Paragraph 2 mainly explain?| A．How Obvious made its decisions. |
| B．How Obvious named its AI artwork. |
| C．How Obvious’s AI program did paintings. |
| D．How Obvious got the idea to become AI artists. |
| A．It’s Obvious’s first AI artwork. |
| B．It’s Obvious’s best AI artwork ever. |
| C．It’s the first AI artwork highly praised. |
| D．It’s the first AI artwork sold at auction. |
| A．It is of little artistic value. |
| B．It is worth more than the price paid. |
| C．It is a good example of real AI artwork. |
| D．It is hard for common people to understand. |
| A．Worrying. | B．Enjoyable. |
| C．Meaningless. | D．Moneymaking. |
2 . I sometimes find that watching a film adaptation (改编作品) of a book helps me to understand the story of a book.This is especially true for books from a different period or with a difficult dialect.My favourite example of these is Pride and Prejudice, which is also my favourite book.
Film and TV adaptations of books also mean that books reach a wider audience，prompting (促使) people to read the book if they really liked the film. In terms of language learning，watching film or TV adaptations of books can help to provide an understanding of a story that may have otherwise (否则) been difficult to understand.They also help to give a story a more modern twist (转折)，for example Oliver！As an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist.The language in the book can be enough to reduce a native speaker to tears，but the adaptation allows everyone to enjoy the story of the child Oliver. Similarly, the 1996 film Romeo and Juliet，an adaptation of the Shakespeare play of the same name，enables those of us who haven’t studied Shakespeare to still enjoy his play.
Of course, there are limitations and not every story that is translated onto the screen is liked by the many fans of the book，or even the author. For example, the author of the book Mary Poppins, P.L.Travers，hated Disney’s adaptation，but it is now a well－loved work. One of my least favourite adaptations is that of Still Alice by Lisa Genova.They changed the location from Boston to New York for no real reason，which for some readers changes the whole feel of the book.
In my opinion, adaptations are a great way to introduce people to the story and characters of a book before reading it.They’re also a good way for people who may not feel confident enough to read a whole novel in a different language，but still want to enjoy a specific story.
1. The film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice helps the author .| A．develop an interest in the book |
| B．understand the story of the book |
| C．learn history of a different period |
| D．understand the dialect in the book |
| A．By listing facts. |
| B．By giving examples. |
| C．By making comparisons. |
| D．By offering explanations. |
| A．The film Still Alice. |
| B．The book Still Alice. |
| C．The film Mary Poppins. |
| D．The book Mary Poppins. |
| A．He pays little attention to it. |
| B．He has doubts about it. |
| C．He is in support of it. |
| D．He is against it. |
3 . Newcastle, one of the fastest developing cities in the United Kingdom, is beginning to draw tourists from all corners of Europe. It’s said that most visitors come here to see the famous soccer team play. The mood of the locals is often changed by the success or failure of the local team.
Newcastle’s most popular place is the Gate, which is in the center of the city and has many attractions including bars, restaurants, sports bars, pubs and so on. During a home game it becomes a real home to happiness.
Culture and local history lovers can make their dreams come true by taking one of the local city tour buses. They come and leave every few minutes and stop at all the important historical sites in the city. Also the seats and the environment on the buses are comfortable. It’s the best way to see the city without tiring yourself out or getting cold. Places such as the Hancock Museum and Millennium Bridge are must-see attractions. But be careful if you’re short of time. Newcastle is a big place, so you should be prepared to kill a few hours on one of these buses.
If you want to watch the local team play soccer in the St. James Park, remember to book a ticket as early as possible. The locals are crazy soccer fans, and you’ll find it hard to get a ticket if you don’t wait in the queue early.
As you can see, Newcastle is a fascinating city with so much to be offered and so many things to see. You’re sure to have a wonderful time here!
1. Most visitors come to Newcastle in order to ________.| A．watch its soccer team play |
| B．take the local tour buses |
| C．visit the Hancock Museum |
| D．have a big meal in restaurants |
| A．should go to the Gate |
| B．can go on a city tour |
| C．must visit St. James Park |
| D．must drive your own car |
| A．history lovers | B．local people |
| C．city tour buses | D．local soccer teams |
| A．The most popular place in Newcastle is the Gate. |
| B．Millennium Bridge is attractive to culture and local history lovers. |
| C．The mood of the locals can’t be influenced by the success or failure of the local team. |
| D．You’d better book a ticket as early as possible if you want to watch the local team play soccer. |
4 . There is a popular belief among parents that schools are no longer interested in spelling. No school I have ever taught in has ever ignored spelling or considered it unimportant. There are, however, different ideas about how to teach it, or how much priority (优先) it must be given over general language development and writing ability. The problem is how to encourage a child to express himself freely and confidently in writing without holding him back with the complexities (复杂性) of spelling. That’s why teachers often encourage the early use of dictionaries and pay attention to content (内容) rather than spelling.
If spelling becomes the only focus of his teacher’s interest, clearly a bright child will be likely to “play safe”. He will tend to write only words within his spelling range, choosing to avoid adventurous language.
I was once shocked to read on the bottom of a piece of writing about a personal experience. “This work is terrible! There are far too many spelling mistakes and your writing is terrible.” It may have been a sharp comment on the pupil’s spelling in writing, but it was also a sad sign that the teacher had failed to read the composition, which contained some beautiful expressions of the child’s deep feelings. The teacher was not wrong to draw attention to the mistakes, but if his priorities had centered on the child’s ideas, an expression of his disappointment with the spelling would have given the pupil more encouragement to seek improvement.
1. Teachers are different in their opinions about ________.| A．the difficulties in teaching spelling |
| B．the complexities of the basic writing skills |
| C．the role of spelling in general language development and writing ability |
| D．the necessity of teaching spelling |
| A．fair | B．unreasonable |
| C．amusing | D．careless |
| A．The importance of developing writing skills. |
| B．The complexities of spelling. |
| C．The relationship between spelling and the content of a composition. |
| D．The correct way of marking compositions. |
5 . Mike Myers is a teacher at Chauncey Rose High School in Terre Haute,Indiana.Last year,he taught his students about the world’s rainforests.They learned that rainforests are important because the plants and animals of the rainforests give us food,wood,and medicine.
Destruction of the world’s rainforests is a serious problem.Unluckily,rainforests are disappearing at a rate of 80 acres per minute!As part of a class project,Myers’ students bought three acres of the rainforest in Central America.They paid $25 per acre.The students hope that the land they bought will be protected and not destroyed.The students became so interested in rainforests that they decided to get a closer look at a real rainforest.
So last June, Myers and four of his students took a boat ride down a river.They saw alligators and crocodiles.In the middle of the week,a guide took Myers and his students into the rainforest.“The monkeys were not happy that we were in their forest.They broke small branches off the trees and threw them at us,” one of the students said,“It was a great learning experience for all of us,” said Myers.
Each student chose something specific about Costa Rica to study involving the plants,animals,food,and culture.During the last few days the group had time to do fun activities.They went whitewater rafting and horseback riding,and visited Costa Rica’s active volcano.
Myers hopes to make the trip every year with a different group of kids.
1. What did Myers and his students do at the beginning of the trip?| A．They went into the rainforest. |
| B．They bought acres of the rainforest. |
| C．They took a boat ride down a river. |
| D．They visited Costa Rica’s active volcano. |
| A．destroyed | B．developed |
| C．described | D．discovered |
| A．did something to protect the rainforest |
| B．wanted to buy the rainforest in Costa Rica |
| C．were interested in the culture of Costa Rica |
| D．went to the rainforest for various fun activities |
6 . Everybody, at some point in their lives, has experienced failure. It could be something as simple as not getting the job you wanted, or getting fewer marks even after hard work. But what makes you is not your failure, but how you get back up after being hit.
Once, a young school boy was caught in a fire accident in his school and was assumed that he would not live. His mother was told that he was sure to die, for the terrible fire had destroyed the lower half of his body. Even if he were to survive, he would be lame throughout his life.
But the brave boy did not want to die nor did he want to be lame. Much to the amazement of the doctor, he did survive. But unfortunately from his waist down, he had no motor ability. His thin legs just hung there, lifeless. Eventually he left the hospital. But his determination to walk was unshakable. At home, when he was not in bed, he had to stay in a wheelchair. One day, he threw himself from the chair and pulled himself across the grass, dragging his legs behind him.
He reached the fence, raised himself up and then began dragging himself along the fence, firmly determined. He did this every day, with faith in himself that he would be able to walk unaided. With his iron determination, he did develop the ability to stand up, then to walk on and off, then to walk by himself and then to run.
He began to walk to school, and then run to school, to run for the joy of running. Later in college he was on the track team.
In February 1934, in New York City’s Madison Square Garden, this young man who was not expected to survive, who would surely never walk, who could never hope to run-this determined young man, Dr. Glenn Cunningham, ran the world’s fastest mile.
A good example of the power of positive thinking and faith in one’s self, Glenn Cunningham continues to be an inspiration for many, and his story, a brilliant evidence to how one can bounce back even when all difficulties are piled against one, to the degree that death seemed the preferable option.
1. What was the doctor’s opinion about Glenn?| A．Glenn was able to walk with his own great effort. |
| B．Great determination could make a difference to Glenn. |
| C．There was a slim chance that Glenn could survive. |
| D．Glenn could live a normal life with the upper half of his body. |
| A．Glenn took recovery exercise in hospital. |
| B．Glenn inspired people with his moving story. |
| C．Glenn won the first place in Marathon. |
| D．Glenn organized a track team in college. |
| A．Strengthen Determination. | B．Stand Up after Failure. |
| C．Go after Dreams. | D．Face Difficulty Bravely. |
7 . Learning a Second Language
Some people learn a second language easily. Others have trouble learning a new language. How can you help yourself learn a new language, such as English? There are several ways to make learning English a little easier and more interesting.
The first step is to feel positive about learning English. If you believe that you can learn, you will learn. Be patient. You do not have to understand everything all at once. It is natural to make mistakes when you learn something new. We can learn from our mistakes.In other words, do not worry about taking risks.
The second step is to practice your English. For example, write a diary every day. You will get used to writing it in English, and you will feel comfortable expressing your ideas in English. Several weeks later, you will see that your writing is improving. In addition, you must speak English every day. You can practice with your classmates outside class. You will all make mistakes, but gradually you will be able to communicate in English.
The third step is to keep a record of your language learning. You can write this in your journal. After each class, think about what you did. Did you answer a question correctly? Did you understand something the teacher explained? Perhaps the lesson was difficult, but you tried to understand it.
You must be positive about learning English and believe that you can do it.It is important to practice every day and make a record of your achievements. You will enjoy learning English, and you will feel more confident in yourself.
1. To feel positive about learning English means ________.| A．if you are patient, you will learn |
| B．you can understand everything all at once |
| C．if you make mistakes, you can learn from your mistakes |
| D．if you believe you can learn, you will learn |
| A．be patient |
| B．make mistakes |
| C．express your ideas in English |
| D．understand everything all at once |
| A．It is very important to learn a second language. |
| B．Some people learn a second language easily while other people do not. |
| C．There are ways to help you learn a second language more easily. |
| D．Don’t worry about taking risks when learning a second language. |
| A．Diary. | B．Composition. |
| C．Poem. | D．Newspaper. |
8 . I moved from the busy downtown to the countryside around Shanghai when I started elementary school. At first, I thought I was going to hate it, but to my surprise, I found that I preferred the quiet country life to the noisy city life.
The next move was more of a surprise for me.I was having a good time with my friends at school. But all of a sudden, my mom told me that we were going to move to the United States. Can you imagine how I must have felt? My English wasn’t that good, though I did know the basics.
The day I arrived in the US was a snowy day. For a girl who grew up in Shanghai and hadn’t seen real thick snow on the ground, it was a big thing.Compared with my school in China, there were a lot more creative thinking questions, which I was better at anyway.
Time flew by and it had been almost four years since I moved there. Then again, I was told we were going to move to Singapore.
As I’m writing this article, I am still new here and have been going to school for about two and a half months.I found out that the education here is quite special. Different from AP system in the US, the Singapore CIS uses the IB system.
This switch drowned me in constant stress. I was confused about the new curriculum, and I knew it would take me a long time to adapt. But what I’ve gotten out of my experience over three countries is that no matter where you are studying, you are always learning. And a piece of advice to people who are going to move around the globe:It’s always best to just roll with the punches.
1. What did the writer think of life in the countryside?| A．It wasn’t as interesting as she expected. |
| B．It was no better than city life. |
| C．She wished she had moved to the countryside earlier. |
| D．She loved to live in the countryside. |
| A．It would be difficult to make new friends. |
| B．Language would be a big problem for her. |
| C．She wouldn’t get used to the weather there. |
| D．She wouldn’t like the schools there. |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. |
| C．Critical. | D．Doubtful. |
9 . These days picture news is very popular with young people. Here is some news chosen from the Internet by Jack. Read on to find out which one you like best.
★SPRING is coming, together with butterflies! On March 31, the Natural History Museum in London, the UK, had a butterfly show. Children came over and played with these beautiful creatures.They also got to know how butterflies grow up. Colourful butterflies flew freely at the show. They sometimes landed on visitors. Look! A large blue butterfly sits on the nose of the girl.
★Earlier in April 2014, Sanlian Taofen Bookstore became the first 24-hour bookstore in Beijing. It hoped to encourage more people to read books.
“We welcome everyone who loves to read books at any time.” The general manager of the store told China Youth Daily.
Although many people can now buy books online, many readers still like the feeling in bookstores. They can touch the books and smell the print.
★ In recent years, many children in the UK have had a new language to study: Chinese.
Students aged 7-11 in the UK need to study one of seven foreign languages. They can choose from French, German, Spanish, Italian, Latin, Greek and Chinese.
The British government is offering to train a group of Chinese-language teachers. They will teach Chinese to more than 3,000 primary school students.
China and the UK work together in many fields. So it’s important that the future generation(一代人) can speak Chinese.
1. What could children get from visiting the butterfly show?| A．Beautiful creatures. |
| B．Pleasure and knowledge. |
| C．Colourful butterflies. |
| D．Care by the visitors. |
| A．You can read in the bookstore only during the daytime. |
| B．Sanlian Taofen Bookstore opens 24 hours a day. |
| C．Reading online is more enjoyable than reading in bookstores. |
| D．Many people read in bookstores in order to save money. |
| A．Primary schools in the UK |
| B．Chinese teachers in the UK |
| C．Chinese comes to the UK |
| D．Foreign languages in the UK |
| A．Picture a → Third news |
| B．Picture b → First news |
| C．Picture c → Second news |
| D．Picture d →Second news |
10 . Jadav Payeng lives on Majuli in Assam, India—the world's largest river island. In 1979, flooding(洪水) took away a large part of forest along the Brahmaputra River. Wildlife were left without enough shade(荫), and Payeng watched helpless animals begin to die off from the heat.
Deeply saddened, then the 16-year-old decided he would plant a young tree in the barren(贫瘠的) land every day for the foreseeable future and now, 39 years later, his woodland covers 1, 360 acres and it is home to Bengal tigers, rhinos, vultures and 115 elephants.
Amazingly, the work didn’t come to light until the autumn of 2007, when he was accidentally discovered seeding(播种) his forest by wildlife lover Jitu Kalita.
Kalita had borrowed a boat to take pictures of birds around the Brahmaputra River, which runs around Majuli Island, and while travelling through the waters he saw something unusual. Kalita recalls: “I saw something strange ... it looked like a forest far in the distance. I began walking towards it. When I reached it, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I had found a forest in the middle of a barren wasteland.” He was amazed by Payeng’s story and spent time learning about his lifetime’s work.
Payeng, who makes money with his wife selling cows’ milk to local villages, still works hard taking care of his forest and says he will continue to plant young trees and seeds until the last moment of his life. He said at first that planting was very time－consuming(耗时的) but now it’s much easier because the trees seed themselves.
Payeng’s work has been recognised far and wide and in 2015 he received one of India’s highest civilian awards, the Padma Shri.
Payeng says his dream is to fill up Majuli Island with forest again. Standing next to the first tree that he planted, he said: “People from around the world come here now because this forest amazes them.”
1. What happened to Payeng’s homeland in 1979?| A．It was destroyed by flooding. |
| B．Wildlife were being killed by humans. |
| C．Forest was cleared to make way for farming land. |
| D．Many people lost their lives because of the high temperature. |
| A．To take a boat trip. |
| B．To interview Jadav Payeng. |
| C．To take pictures of wildlife. |
| D．To search around Majuli Island. |
| A．It made the Brahmaputra River clear. |
| B．It has brought Payeng lots of money. |
| C．It helped Payeng win an award in 2007. |
| D．It didn’t become known to the public until 2007. |
| A．A man who planted a forest. |
| B．A way to protect the natural world. |
| C．How a special woodland was discovered. |
| D．How a wasteland became a tourist attraction. |
