1 . Technology is forever changing the way we get our news. Many people now get a lot of their news on electronic devices, instead of traditional media, such as newspapers, television or radio. Now, there is a new way we get the news: computer-created news readers.
Recently, China’s Xinhua launched(推出)the world’s first AI news presenters with the Chinese search engine Sogou. The news readers created by machine learning technology are based on two real-life newsmen. One is able to present newscasts in English; the other, in Mandarin Chinese.
Machine learning is used to examine video images and sounds of the two newsmen, which look and sound like real people. Some machine learning experts said the system showed off China’s latest progress in voice recognition, text-to-speech technology and data analysis. But several experts suggested that the term Al does not correctly describe abilities of the robotic news readers.
On social media, many Chinese noted that the AI presenters did not seem real. People blamed them for not being more lifelike. Others wondered about the effects robots might have on employment and workers. Some people argued that only low-level jobs requiring heavy labor will be easily replaced by robots. Others praised the technology as a way for companies to make money from low-cost labor machines.
Some businesses have experimented with similar technology for possible use in news operations. Britain’s BBC recently released a video that used machine learning to make it look like one of its news readers speaking different languages. The London-based company that developed the system says its goal is to “remove the language barrier” for many different kinds of video across the Internet.
1. What does the author intend to do in Paragraph 1?| A．Introduce the topic of the text. | B．Summarize the different opinions. |
| C．Add some data about the AI presenters. | D．Compare different ways of getting news. |
| A．To bring newscasts up to date every hour. |
| B．To help AI presenters speak more fluently. |
| C．To keep AI presenters from making any mistakes. |
| D．To ensure images and sounds are like those of real persons. |
| A．Robots will rule over the world in the end. |
| B．Robots will eventually replace human all over. |
| C．Robots may endanger most people’s health. |
| D．Robots may threaten some people’s employment. |
| A．BBC has done similar experiments as Xinhua does. |
| B．BBC has removed the language barrier in newscasts. |
| C．BBC shows interest in Xinhua’s AI news presenters. |
| D．BBC’s news readers can explore different technologies. |
2 . Those in the food industry understand the difficulty that comes from working with people. No matter how much you try, some customers are never
A customer approached the drive-through window
Bryanna was the
The customer next in line who witnessed what happened was Feroza Eyed. She
When Feroza approached the drive-through, she
Through this, Feroza and Bryanna have become friends. It’s just
| A．confused | B．frightened | C．troubled | D．satisfied |
| A．temper | B．passion | C．sight | D．temperature |
| A．sadly | B．angrily | C．happily | D．patiently |
| A．convinced | B．embarrassed | C．justified | D．misunderstood |
| A．interviewer | B．victim | C．looker-on | D．witness |
| A．unpleasant | B．reliable | C．responsible | D．avoidable |
| A．warning | B．weeping | C．begging | D．checking |
| A．heard of | B．thought of | C．spoke of | D．dreamed of |
| A．admit | B．behave | C．follow | D．approve |
| A．wonderful | B．funny | C．necessary | D．awful |
| A．paid | B．charged | C．offered | D．afforded |
| A．principle | B．program | C．destination | D．idea |
| A．assumed | B．realized | C．recognized | D．recalled |
| A．regret | B．relief | C．reward | D．joy |
| A．inspiring | B．demanding | C．amusing | D．puzzling |
There is a story from many years ago of a primary school teacher. Her name was Mrs. Thompson. And as she stood in front of the 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children a lie. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same.
But that was impossible because there in the front row, slumped (萎靡不振) in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.
Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he didn’t play well with the other children, his clothes were messy and constantly needed a bath. And, Teddy could be unpleasant.
It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in making his papers with a red pen, making bold Xs and then putting a “F” at the top of his papers. At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to relieve each child’s past records and she put Teddy’s off until last.
However, when she relieved his file, she was surprised, Teddy’s first grade teacher wrote, “Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners. . . he is a joy to be around.”
His second grade teacher wrote, “Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates. But he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness (绝症) and life at home must be a struggle.”
His third grade teacher wrote, “His mother’s death has been hard on him. He tried to do his best but his father doesn’t show much interest in him, and his home life will be in trouble.”
Teddy’s fourth grade teacher wrote, “Teddy is withdrawn and doesn’t show much interest in school. He doesn’t have many friends and sometimes sleeps in class.”
By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful paper and tied with pretty ribbons, except for Teddy’s. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Mrs. Thompson opened it in the middle of the other presents.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________After the children left, she cried for at least an hour.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Microsoft-backed OpenAI is developing software capable of generating minute-long videos based on text prompts (提示), the company announced on Thursday.
The software, named “Sora” after the Japanese word for “sky,” is currently available for red teaming (红队测试),
“Sora is able
In addition
The video generation software follows OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot, which
Sora is still a work-in-progress, with the company
OpenAI also mentioned that they are developing tools to determine whether a video is generated by Sora.
The new tool is not yet
5 . Kelly Roundtree was playing darts (飞镖) with his daughter on the balcony of his lakeside home on Aug. 1 when he heard calls for help coming from the other side of Stansbury Lake.
At first, Roundtree said he thought it might be children playing, but after another
He then
Officials say the paralyzed (瘫痪的) woman had rolled into the lake while
“911 had already been
While officials are
| A．dance | B．laughter | C．cry | D．sleep |
| A．wrong | B．interesting | C．missing | D．huge |
| A．detected | B．noticed | C．heard | D．sensed |
| A．decision | B．confusion | C．expansion | D．hesitation |
| A．jumped into | B．moved into | C．stepped into | D．skipped into |
| A．walked | B．drove | C．cycled | D．flew |
| A．invited | B．ordered | C．expected | D．directed |
| A．belted | B．addicted | C．locked | D．absorbed |
| A．roughly | B．softly | C．barely | D．visually |
| A．hand | B．head | C．heart | D．hair |
| A．treated | B．ignored | C．suspected | D．informed |
| A．story | B．novel | C．legend | D．trend |
| A．dizzily | B．happily | C．safely | D．humbly |
| A．appointing | B．recognizing | C．selecting | D．criticizing |
| A．office | B．rank | C．position | D．habitat |
6 . Fremont, Calif. , is the happiest city in the United States, according to a new WalletHub survey. There is no one way to define happiness or what causes it, but WalletHub researchers determined that people in the Bay Area city are content, in part, because of income.
According to the survey, about 80 percent of Fremont residents (居民) have an annual household income of over $75, 000—the most out of the 182 largest cities in the country. A landmark 2010 study found that increased income is linked to happiness up to a point—$ 75, 000 a year.
“A person living in poverty is, on average, less happy than a person who: makes enough money to pay the bills, have adequate health care, save a little, and take the occasional vacation,” said Matthew Joseph, an associate professor at Duquesne University. “And those in the top 1 percent are, on average, likely a good bit happier than the first person in poverty but only slightly happier (if at all) compared to the second person.”
However, another 2021 study contradicts (相矛盾) that study's findings, showing that people continue to report being happier even if their income climbs past this number.
Fremont residents also report high rates of life satisfaction and low rates of depression, the survey found. Most people in the city also, on average, have lived for a long time.
Another factor contributing to Fremont's happiness level is the city's. low separation and divorce rate—8. 9 percent, which is the lowest in the country.
Fremont residents also seem to be taking care of themselves psychologically (心理上) , according to the survey, since it has the lowest share of adults reporting 14 or more mentally unhealthy days in the past month.
1. What do the numbers in Paragraph 2 show?| A．Fremont residents are the happiest in the world. |
| B．There is no link between income and happiness. |
| C．80% of Fremont residents earn less than $75, 000 annually. |
| D．Fremont has the highest income among large cities in the country. |
| A．More money equals more happiness. |
| B．The top 1% are much happier than the poor. |
| C．Rich people are a lot healthier than the poor. |
| D．Economic security leads to more happiness than poverty. |
| A．High income. | B．Long life. |
| C．Low divorce rate. | D．Low separation rate. |
| A．To describe. | B．To entertain. | C．To inform. | D．To advertise. |
7 . People who eat just two servings of red meat per week may have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes (糖尿病) compared to people who eat fewer servings, and the risk increases with greater consumption, according to a new study led by researchers from Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health.
While previous studies have found a link between red meat consumption and type 2 diabetes risk, this study, which analyzed a large number of type 2 diabetes cases among participants being followed for an extended period of years, adds a greater level of certainty about the association.
Type 2 diabetes rates are increasing rapidly in the U.S. and worldwide. The disease is not only a serious burden, but also a major risk factor for kidney disease, cancer, and dementia.
For this study, the researchers analyzed health data from 216,695 participants from the Nurses' Health Study, and Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Diet was assessed with food frequency questionnaires every two to four years, for up to 36 years. During this time, more than 22,000 participants developed type 2 diabetes.
The researchers found that consumption of red meat, including processed and unprocessed red meat, was strongly associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
Participants who ate the most red meat had a 62% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those who ate the least. Every additional daily serving of processed red meat was associated with a 46% greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes and every additional daily serving of unprocessed red meat was associated with a 24% greater risk.
The researchers also assessed the potential effects of substituting one daily serving of red meat for another protein source. They found that substituting with a serving of nuts was associated with a 30% lower risk of type 2 diabetes, and substituting with a serving of dairy products was associated with a 22% lower risk.
In addition to health benefits, substituting red meat for healthy plant protein sources would help reduce greenhouse gas emissions: and climate change, and provide other environmental benefits, according to the researchers.
1. What sets the new study apart from previous research?| A．Different focus areas. | B．Scientists from Harvard. |
| C．Unique research methods and findings. | D．More participants and longer follow-up period: |
| A．By describing the research process. | B．By presenting the data of health risk. |
| C．By providing background information. | D．By comparing different kinds of meat. |
| A．Adding. | B．Decreasing. | C．Swapping. | D．Ignoring. |
| A．A medical journal. | B．A cook book. |
| C．A science fiction. | D．A fashion magazine. |
8 . The Best Hidden Beaches in the UK
Nanjizal Beach, Cornwall
Due to its remote location, stunning Nanjizal Beach is usually very quiet. You can reach it by walking along a pretty coastal path from Porthgwarra. The beach has caves to explore and an old watermill to see. It takes about 30 minutes to walk there from Porthgwarra, but it's worth it. The water is shallow and turquoise (蓝绿色的), perfect for a swim. You can bring your dog too because dogs are welcome here all year round.
Rhu Point, Scotland
Rhu Point in Scotland has beautiful white sand and blue water. It’s an isolated beach that you can get to by walking. If the weather is good, you can see great views of the Cuillin on Skye. There are rock pools to look in, and you can find shells on the shore. Keep an eye out for birds and marine animals like sea otters. It’s a lovely place to go for a holiday.
Steephill Cove, Isle of Wight
Steephill Cove on the Isle of Wight is a cute little fishing cove. You can get there by taking a ferry. It has colorful beach huts and sandy beaches. You can watch fishermen and explore rock pools. There are also nice walks nearby with beautiful views. If you walk to Ventnor, you’ll find shops and restaurants. It’s a nice place for a family holiday.
Bamburgh Beach, Northumbria
Bamburgh Beach in Northumbria is famous for its big castle. The beach is long and sandy, perfect for walks and playing in the sand. It’s also good for surfing if you like that. You can see rare birds and seals there. There are also rock pools and sand dunes to explore. It's a nice place to visit if you like nature and history.
1. What do Nanjizal Beach and Rhu Point have in common?| A．Both are dog-friendly. | B．Both are located in remote areas. |
| C．Both feature beautiful white water. | D．Both have numerous caves to explore. |
| A．Nanjizal Beach. | B．Rhu Point. |
| C．Bamburgh Beach. | D．Steephill Cove. |
| A．It is suitable for walks. | B．It is accessible only by ferry. |
| C．It has a large building to explore. | D．It offers rock pools to appreciate. |
When he was around 5-6 years old, my brother Ted, who is four years younger to me, suddenly found his legs unable to move one night. What followed was one of the hardest times of my parents'life. Months passed with them meeting various doctors, visiting different hospitals, and knocking at the doorstep of every possible chance — all the time with Ted in their arms, since he wasn't able to walk on his own anymore.
There were doubts of permanent paralysis（瘫痪）— the very mention of which was enough to break us down. From finding it extremely painful to walk, to not being able to get up on his own, and to not being able to stand at all, Ted's problem was worsening day by day. Most surprisingly, all this while, he was as strong as, perhaps, only children can be in such difficult times.
During this period, it was not unusual for my mother to have sudden breakdowns. Once, she burst into tears while watching Ted playing joyfully. He wiped off her tears, and said, “Don't cry, mummy. See, I can stand and even run on my own!” Saying this, he tried to get up, stood on shaking legs for just about a few microseconds and fell down, only to be safely caught in the arms of my mom, who hugged him dearly and cried some more.
This was the most heart-breaking thing that I had ever experienced. But it was also a powerful one for the simple fact that it was my little brother who taught us what life was all about—HOPE.
Witnessing my brother's strong will and positive attitude inspired me as well. As a brother, I could not stand by doing nothing at all. Hope was burning in my heart when I had the idea to train my brother to walk again. I firmly believe Ted could stand up and walk as he used to. Whenever school was over, I would put Ted into a pushchair and tell my mom that we'd just go to the park.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
In the park, I would put Ted one meter away from me, encouraging him to walk.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________We agreed to keep this a secret from our parents until mom's birthday.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________10 . Anytime I travel on my bicycle across the country, I’m always amazed by how kind people can be to strangers.
One night, my friends and I were camping in a town in Missouri. There was a severe storm and we were getting
Fortunately, we spent the night in a nice dry home. We were
The kindness of a stranger always
That family
| A．annoyed | B．impatient | C．excited | D．nervous |
| A．warn | B．show | C．convince | D．guarantee |
| A．demand | B．concern | C．desire | D．responsibility |
| A．drowned | B．deserted | C．killed | D．trapped |
| A．even | B．merely | C．often | D．simply |
| A．submitted | B．exchanged | C．checked | D．updated |
| A．experiences | B．messages | C．traditions | D．comments |
| A．fear | B．order | C．gain | D．offer |
| A．especially | B．officially | C．occasionally | D．definitely |
| A．ask about | B．complain about | C．agree with | D．associate with |
| A．reveals | B．shakes | C．strengthens | D．shapes |
| A．states | B．wishes | C．saves | D．gives |
| A．impressive | B．practical | C．satisfactory | D．evident |
| A．funded | B．inspired | C．owed | D．delighted |
| A．drove | B．sought | C．helped | D．pointed |
