1 . San-Francisco based OpenAI made its big drop during the Spring Festival holidays. The up-to-one-minute-long realistic videos created by the text-to-video AI generator Sora are so remarkable that they resulted in people imaging the limitless possibilities of this generator could have. Sora is probably able to reshape the entire movie industry.

According to OpenAI’s explainer, Sora is capable of generating complex scenes with accurate details, including multiple characters, specific types of movements, themes, and backgrounds. It understands not only what the user requests, but also how these things exist in the physical world.

Industry observers have noted that the emergence of the video-generation model was highly anticipated. However, there have been comments expressing surprise at the speed of its development, with some individuals excitedly declaring “the arrival of a new industrial revolution.” On the other hand, there are concerns that this advancement may lead to “the disappearance of reality” as we know it, and that it could potentially cause a battle against the dominance of Hollywood in the movie industry.

“When I see Sora, the first word that comes to my mind is ‘shock,’ like the majority in the film industry. As film producers, we understand the potential impact of AI on the various aspects of film production, some positions such as those relating to movie preview would be impacted,” Ma Heliang, a film producer said.

“But the current technology is still far from reaching the levels required for making theatrical films, or to hollow out the entire movie industry. Over the past 100 years, movies have established an emotional connection and a shared social space with the audience. It involves socializing and sharing aesthetics, making it a complex entity. It is not possible to replace this experience with a simple video clip generated by AI,” Ma noted.

But the strong capability of Sora tells us that the direction of relying on AI to assist in human creativity is becoming increasingly clear. It allows creators to be less restricted by industrial processes and enables them to express what they want more freely using AI tools.

1. What is Sora’s function?

A．It can improve holiday atmosphere.

B．It can produce videos based on texts.

C．It can enrich people’s imagination.

D．It can reshape the whole film making tools.

2. What may make people astonished according to Paragraph 3?

A．The arrival of a new industrial revolution.

B．The speed of social media’s development.

C．The emergence of the video-generation model.

D．The rapid advancement of the video-generation model.

3. Which statement will Ma Heliang probably agree with?

A．AI will take over the entire movie industry.

B．Theatrical films have been made by AI currently.

C．Film production can’t be completely replaced by AI.

D．AI can establish an emotional connection with the audience.

4. What would be the best title for this text?

A．Movie industry comes into a new age

B．Sora shows potential of AI technology

C．Sora starts a battle against Hollywood

D．OpenAI’s productions bring shocking news

2 . Writing competitions

Closing date in April

Author of Tomorrow aims to find future adventure writers. Young people under 21 can send entries (参赛作品) between 1,500 and 5,000 words (under 500 words for primary-aged pupils). The prizes are £1,000 for the 16-21 age group, £100 and £150 in book tokens (购书券) for the 12-15 age group, and £100 and £150 in book tokens for the 11 and under age group. The closing date is 29th April.

Tadpole Press is running a worldwide 100-word writing competition open to writers of all ages. Entries of 100 words can be sent in any type. The competition requires a small entry fee and 1st place receives a cash prize, while 2nd and 3rd places get writing coaching and editing packages. The deadline is 30th April.

Closing date in May

The Martha Mills Young Writers’ Prize invites young people in the UK aged 11-14 to send under 500 words of “writing that is lively, unusual or otherwise original”. This year’s topic is “The Stranger” and the closing date is 22nd May.

War Through Children’s Eyes is open to children aged 7-17 in the UK and aims to “raise awareness of the impact of wars on the communities caught up in them, and particularly on the most vulnerable members of those communities: their children”: Entries of up to 1,000 words are invited, and full details about the competition are available on its website. The closing date is 10th May.

1. Which competition is suitable for a person good at writing adventure stories?

A．Tadpole Press.

B．Author of Tomorrow.

C．War Through Children’s Eyes.

D．The Martha Mills Young Writers’ Prize.

2. What do we know about Tadpole Press?

A．All types of entries are accepted.

B．It is free of charge for all writers.

C．The winners will receive cash prizes.

D．It welcomes writers across the world.

3. What do the two competitions closing in May have in common?

A．They have specific topics.	B．They close on the same day.
C．They are only for teen writers.	D．They accept entries over 500 words.

3 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

When it comes to ancient Chinese detectives, the name Di Renjie, a famous judge and administrator of the Tang Dynasty (618—907), often     1     (spring) to mind. For centuries, Di has been portrayed as a heroic investigator in popular novels and stories throughout ancient China, who was     2     (high) logical and dialectical (辩证的), and much adored by his contemporaries. Today, this tradition lives on in Chinese entertainment, with numerous TV and film adaptations of Di’s detective stories.

The new TV series “Judge Dee’s Mystery” records the life of Judge Dee. While solving various criminal cases in different places     3     he serves during the early stages of his career, Dee also uncovers the mystery     4     (surround) his own birth.

    5     traditional Chinese detective fiction, which often combines supernatural elements, the new series emphasizes logic, reason, and realism. Facing a tangled web of cases, Judge Dee and his assistants employ reasoning skills to crack mysteries. “    6     (compare) to other adaptations of Di Renjie’s stories, our drama stands out for its     7     (diverse) and inclusiveness,” said Li Yunliang, the director of the series.

However, the series never intends     8     (pursue) a faithful recreation of the Tang Dynasty     9     offers a modern interpretation of the classical stories that still strike a chord with contemporary audiences.

Li believes that every audience can gain     10     unique insight into Judge Dee’s character and the cultural roots of Chinese civilization. “Judge Dee shows traditional Chinese virtues that deserve to be admired by the Chinese people.” he adds.

4 . Monet gets his place in the art timeline because of his leading role in the impressionist art movement, and through the lasting appeal of his artistic style. The painting he titled Impression: Sunrise, done early in his career, may not seem one of Monet’s best paintings, but the big deal about it is that it was the painting that gave impressionism its name.

Done with oil paint on canvas, this painting is characterized by thin washes of rather mild colors, on top of which he painted short strokes of pure color. Monet gave depth and perspective to an otherwise flat painting by the use of aerial perspective (空间透视法). Look closely at the three boats, and you can see how these get lighter in the tone, which is the way aerial perspective works. The lighter boats appear to be further away from us than the darkest one.

Monet exhibited the painting in what we now call the First Impressionist Exhibition, in Paris. Monet and a group of about 30 other artists, frustrated by restrictions and politics of the official annual art salon, had decided to hold their own independent exhibition, an unusual thing to do at the time. They called themselves the Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors, Engravers, etc., which included artists who are now world famous such as Renoir, Degas, Pissarro, Morisot, and Cezanne. Monet said he’d called the painting “impression” because “it really couldn’t pass as a view of Le Harve”.

Louis Leroy, an art critic, in his review of the exhibition used the title of Monet’s painting as the headline, calling it the “Exhibition of Impressionists”. Leroy had meant it ironically as the term “impression” was used to describe a rapidly finished painting of an atmospheric effect, and artists rarely, if ever, exhibited pictures so quickly sketched. The label stuck. In his review published on 25 April, 1874, Leroy wrote,“Wallpaper in its embryonic (萌芽期的) state is more finished than that seascape.” Then in a supportive review published a few days later, Jules Castagnary was the first art critic to use the term “Impressionism” in a positive way.

1. What do we know about Monet’s Impression: Sunrise?

A．It was universally acknowledged as Monet’s best painting.

B．Leroy was deeply impressed by the painter’s remarkable skill.

C．The different tones of the three boats gave depth to the painting.

D．It was exhibited in the official annual art salon with 30 other artists.

2. What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 4 mean?

A．The label met strong opposition from other art critics.

B．The label was stuck to the surface of Monet’s painting.

C．The label was not regarded as a positive image.

D．The label stayed and became widely used after that.

3. Who is the first to use the term “Impressionists”?

A．Monet.

B．Leroy.

C．Renoir.

D．Castagnary.

4. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．Impression: Sunrise gave Impressionism its name.

B．Critics had a disagreement over Monet’s painting.

C．Monet is a leading artist of Impressionism.

D．Impressionism is an appealing artistic style.

5 . If you look at the dynamic “Global Temperatures” map on NASA’s website, you can see the historic temperature change over time across the planet as the timeline goes from 1880 to the modern day. By 2019, the entire planet is in red, orange, and yellow colors, indicating temperatures much higher than the historical average in every country and human inhabitance.

If the timeline went to 2023, the map would look even worse. That’s because the summer of 2023 was the hottest ever, according to ocean monitors. July was the hottest month in recorded history. Next July could be worse. Unless we do something quickly, we face dealing with more and more dangerous and expensive natural disasters in the future.

Forest fires sent smoke from Canada across the North American continent, causing New York City to have the worst air quality in its recorded history. Heavy rainstorms fell on Vermont and the Northeastern United States in just a couple of days in the middle of July, which exceeded the amount that area would usually receive in two months and caused extreme damage to homes and businesses. Around the same time, flash flooding in Bucks County, Pennsylvania — north of Philadelphia — killed nearly a dozen people.

Erich Fischer, a researcher specializing in climate studies at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, is concerned that natural disasters could get much worse in the future—and in ways we cannot predict. He called for a “strike for climate justice,” which actually took place on Sept. 15, 2023. “The strategy needs to be twofold (双重的) . We need to decrease carbon emissions as much as realistically possible. That is already happening with people using electric cars and other green technologies. At the same time, we also need to find ways to predict the risk of natural disasters ahead of time,” said Erich Fischer.

1. Why does the writer mention the data on NASA’s website in paragraph 1?

A．To explain a concept.	B．To introduce a topic.
C．To provide a solution.	D．To make a prediction.

2. What does the third paragraph mainly tell us?

A．The severity of natural disasters.	B．The worst air quality in New York City.
C．The extreme damage by flash flooding.	D．The cause of the forests fires in Canada.

3. What did Erich Fischer suggest to deal with the current situation?

A．He advocated a twofold strategy.

B．He suggested forbidding carbon emissions.

C．He required people to use more electric cars.

D．He emphasized the awareness of climate changes.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．The Hottest Month in History	B．Natural Disasters in the World
C．Extreme Weather Could Get Worse	D．Green Technology Would be Needed

6 . My school holiday routine usually involves sleeping in, but one morning, I woke up early for no particular reason. With nothing to do, I decided to _______ glance out of my window at the parking lot below, but unexpectedly witnessed something that greatly _______ my life.

As I _______ people coming and going, getting into their cars and driving away, my attention was drawn to a(n)_______ man busy washing and cleaning the cars near a bicycle with a bucket attached to its _______. The damp ground _______ that he must have started his work quite early.

He was just simply dressed. However, there was a _______ sense of pride in the way he went about his tasks — cleaning one window at a time,_______ to admire his work, and repeating the process. He seemed devoted to his small business, happily _______ at passers-by and occasionally stopping to chat with other old folks heading to the nearby market.

________ his simple life, he appeared content. This incident made me reconsider my ________. If we are willing to work hard,________ should not be a barrier to earning a living. I felt ashamed and ________ when compared with him. It ________ me that at any age, we should make the most of time and ________ the value of hard work.

1.

A．gradually

B．causally

C．constantly

D．regularly

2.

A．attracted

B．disturbed

C．touched

D．impacted

3.

A．observed

B．recognized

C．felt

D．heard

4.

A．adult

B．young

C．elderly

D．poor

5.

A．bicycle

B．handle

C．wheel

D．seat

6.

A．explained

B．concluded

C．indicated

D．described

7.

A．slight

B．visible

C．hidden

D．possible

8.

A．backing off

B．stepping forward

C．taking over

D．showing up

9.

A．pointing

B．looking

C．laughing

D．waving

10.

A．Due to

B．According to

C．In spite of

D．In view of

11.

A．attitude

B．principle

C．identity

D．standard

12.

A．sex

B．age

C．character

D．position

13.

A．grateful

B．sympathetic

C．exhausted

D．guilty

14.

A．confused

B．informed

C．warned

D．struck

15.

A．predict

B．reflect

C．appreciate

D．convince

7 . Joan Donovan was 84 years old when she finished her college degree, but the great-grandmother said she didn’t want to stop learning just yet.

“I couldn’t wait to get up in the morning to go to school. I met the most ________ people and fessors. Everyone surrounded me with ________ and support. And I learned that I had a ________ for writing,” Donovan said. “That’s when I found Southern New Hampshire University, which is a wonderful school. I just loved every minute of it.”

Four years later, on December 13, 2022, Donovan graduated from Southern New Hampshire University with a master’s ________ in creative writing.

Donovan said the university heard she was graduating when her son called the school to ________ a frame for her diploma as a Christmas present. ________, the school decided to send more than just a framed diploma, including a cap and gown, cupcakes, balloons and university spirit wear (印有大学精神的服装).

When she was young, Donovan’s mother called her “Brilliant”. She started first grade at the age of 4 and graduated high school by 16. The family couldn’t ________ college, but she was able to take some post-graduate classes for free at her high school.

Donavan always wanted a ________ education, but marriage, babies and a busy life ________ things a bit. But she never gave up on her dream.

“I’m a goal-seeker,” she said. “And it was a goal, and I________ it. It’s a dream come true, really.” Now, Donovan said she is using her new degree to write a novel as well as an autobiography.

“Well, I waited 60 years to ________ my dream. So I hope others don’t have to wait that long,” said Donovan, adding that her autobiography will be about ________ the “roadblocks” of life.

Donovan, who has 10 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, said the most important thing she’s learned in life is to be a “________ learner”.

“Don’t ever give up. I mean,________ something doesn’t work the first time, just try it again,” she said. “And ________, you’ll find your dream come true.”

1.

A．important

B．competitive

C．promising

D．intelligent

2.

A．curiosity

B．encouragement

C．admiration

D．congratulation

3.

A．love

B．trick

C．interest

D．hobby

4.

A．position

B．document

C．degree

D．grade

5.

A．apply for

B．ask for

C．care for

D．look for

6.

A．Still

B．Besides

C．However

D．Anyway

7.

A．attend

B．admit

C．approve

D．afford

8.

A．formal

B．valuable

C．special

D．flexible

9.

A．buried

B．delayed

C．permitted

D．expanded

10.

A．reached

B．established

C．searched

D．succeeded

11.

A．satisfy

B．challenge

C．discover

D．fulfill

12.

A．building

B．abandoning

C．overcoming

D．seizing

13.

A．hard-working

B．lifelong

C．well-known

D．selfless

14.

A．if

B．since

C．though

D．while

15.

A．fortunately

B．immediately

C．thankfully

D．eventually

8 . In 1999, David Dunning and Justin Kruger did a series of studies evaluating people’s competence in certain areas, including grammar, humor and logic. The people in the studies were asked to evaluate their own abilities in each area. Dunning and Kruger found that people who scored low on the tests have the tendency to overestimate their abilities, indicating that people who lack skills tend to lack the ability to realize their shortcomings.

This principle has become known as the Dunning-Kruger effect. It occurs because only when people have skills in a given area are they equipped to evaluate their own skills. Admittedly, most people are overconfident in their abilities. They want to believe that they are more capable, knowledgeable and even superior to others, and when someone really wants something to be true, it can be hard for them to admit that it isn’t. By the way, the opposite of the Dunning-Kruger effect also happens: capable people have a more accurate view of their own abilities, and sometimes they even underestimate themselves.

It’s tempting (吸引人的) to think of the Dunning-Kruger effect as a problem. People may even laugh at those who think themselves more competent than they truly are, but everyone has areas where they lack competence, and the Dunning-Kruger effect means they may be relatively bad at self-evaluation in those areas. Even if someone is very intelligent in general, there are still things they don’t know much about. Expertise in one area cannot always be transferred to other areas.

That’s why it’s important to keep digging for information even when you think you’ve found answers. It can also be helpful to check your ideas with other people. Receiving negative feedback can hurt, but if you’re willing to listen, it can help you grow. Even just keeping in mind that the Dunning-Kruger effect exists can help you stay modest, accept criticism and, thus, keep learning throughout your life.

1. What did Dunning and Kruger find in their research?

A．Unskilled people tend to think too much of themselves.

B．Skilled people are usually more humorous and logical.

C．Self-evaluation makes people more logical in some areas.

D．Knowledgeable people sometimes think they are superior to others.

2. What does the author think of the Dunning-Kruger effect?

A．Complicated.

B．Problematic.

C．Universal.

D．Dismissive.

3. What can we do to avoid the Dunning-Kruger effect according to the text?

A．Evaluate yourself on a regular basis.	B．Remain humble and eager for knowledge.
C．Be yourself and ignore negative feedback.	D．Make friends with intelligent individuals.

4. Where is this text probably from?

A．A biology textbook.	B．A book review.
C．A feature report.	D．A. psychology journal.

9 . 听下面一段对话，回答以下小题。
1. When did the museum reopen?

A．In 2004.

B．In 2008.

C．In 2012.

2. Which exhibit will focus on Asian culture next year?

A．“World View”.

B．“Moving Arena”.

C．“Life on Earth”.

3. What attracts visitors most in the museum?

A．The interactive exhibit.

B．The periodical shows.

C．The expert talks.

10 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The Guangdong Lion Dance, a national tradition popular in Foshan and Guangzhou, is a typical Southern Lion Dance.

Lion dancing    1     (date) back thousands of years, to the Tang Dynasty, and a legend about the emperor having a dream    2    a lion saved his life. And later it    3     (introduce) to the south by migrants from the north. The Guangdong Lion Dance developed into    4     (it) modern form during the Ming Dynasty (AD 1368-1644). In Chinese tradition, people regard the lion as    5    symbol of braveness and strength, which can drive away evil and protect humans and livestock. Lion dancing    6     (main) focuses on the performance of the lion dance, attaching much attention to movements    7    scratching an itch (抓痒), shaking the mane (鬃毛) and licking (舔) the hair.

The Guangdong Lion Dance, a    8     (combine) of martial arts, dance and music, is popular not only in Guangdong and Guangxi provinces, but also among overseas Chinese in Southeast Asian countries,    9     (make) it a cultural bridge for overseas Chinese keeping in touch with their national roots. It is considered to be a tradition with far-reaching cultural value. Lunar New Year is the perfect time    10     (share) and celebrate that culture and heritage.