1 . My daughter Rachel had severe ADHD (多动症) as a child. The most
Rachel is now twenty-four and has grown into an amazing young woman.
Last week, Rachel and I were shopping in the supermarket when we heard a child’s
As we approached, I could see people whispering to each other and shaking their heads. Then I saw the embarrassment and
She hugged me back, so tightly that I knew she was
Sometimes, a stranger’s kind words during a
| A．critical | B．embarrassing | C．precious | D．entertaining |
| A．in danger | B．in shock | C．in trouble | D．in public |
| A．using | B．raising | C．shaking | D．burying |
| A．Therefore | B．Moreover | C．Instead | D．However |
| A．encountered | B．corrected | C．judged | D．applauded |
| A．record | B．share | C．forget | D．refresh |
| A．scream | B．story | C．appeal | D．laughter |
| A．regretted | B．replied | C．promised | D．suggested |
| A．fear | B．desire | C．pride | D．mercy |
| A．working on | B．preparing for | C．going through | D．dreaming of |
| A．joked | B．assumed | C．declared | D．explained |
| A．grateful | B．polite | C．generous | D．familiar |
| A．annoyed | B．scared | C．surprised | D．excited |
| A．shame | B．disappointment | C．satisfaction | D．relief |
| A．magical | B．stressful | C．peaceful | D．decisive |
2 . Wandering around his spacious plantation in the hills outside Los Angeles, Luke has the swagger (阔步) of an actor who has made it in Hollywood. After six successful years in the movies he lives in an open-plan home with mountain views, a large swimming pool and staff who bring him steak or juice when required. A driver is on hand to take him into the city when he gets a call to shoot an ad or make a paid appearance at an event, for which he commands a fee equal to a week’s pay for a lowlier actor. Luke turns heads like few other artists. His agent’s only complaint is that, given half a chance, he might try to eat his co-stars.
As a 500lb African lion, Luke has to deal with challenges not experienced by other actors. But lately, he and his human colleagues have found a common cause. Writers and actors in America have been on strike for half of 2023. One of the reasons for their bust-up with the studios was the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in film and television production. Writers worry that AI will soon create massive scripts, while actors fear that, as the technology improves the quality of computer-generated imagery (CGI), they may be replaced by digital stand-ins (替身).
Well, at present, for most human actors, that is still an assumed worry. But for four-legged screen stars it is already a reality. Work for animal actors is drying up as computer graphics offer an easier-and, some argue, more humane-way to portray creatures on screen. As AI makes those special effects still more realistic and easier to produce, the replacement of real animals with digital ones is accelerating, in television and advertising as well as in high-end movies.
As demand for animal actors declines, their owners and trainers are leaving the business. Luke and his colleague, Maasai, who lies dozing in a nearby place, are the last two working lions in Hollywood.
1. Which can describe Luke’s life shown in Paragraph l?| A．Easy and comfortable. | B．luxurious and fashionable. |
| C．Risky and dangerous. | D．Busy and efficient. |
| A．Lack of confidence. | B．Sympathy. | C．Breakup. | D．Harmonious relationship. |
| A．A great tool. | B．An urgent threat. | C．A promising career. | D．An imaginary fear. |
| A．AI has limited influence on animal actors. | B．Animal actors are to withdraw from the stage. |
| C．Digital animals cost more than animal actors. | D．The decline of animal actors harms the business. |
Summer vacation was finally coming, and Rose couldn’t wait to have a trip with her parents. She recalled the joyful experiences they shared last summer, which filled her with excitement for the upcoming holiday.
“Girls!” Rose heard her father calling. She raced to her big sister’s room, telling her that Dad was calling them, and they rushed downstairs log either. Dad put his arm around Mom and told them that they were going on a trip to the Virunga Mountains of Africa. There were three national parks that they would visit.
Rose and Gina looked at each other. “What?” they said with one voice. Mom told them it would be really exciting to go there on a trip. At 12 years old, Rose would prefer going to an amusement park or a beach. She thought it important to let her parents know she didn’t want to go there but to the beach for a week or two.
“Well,” said Dad, “I have to go for an assignment for the paper. We’re covering the mountain gorillas (大猩猩) because they’re critically endangered these years. So, I thought it’d also be a great place to take a vacation. I’m sure it’ll be very educational for you girls.”
Gina let out a sigh, unable to contain her disappointment. She wanted to say something but Mom interrupted and announced that the trip was set on the next Monday.
“Sit down, both of you.” Dad had on his severe look. “Girls, it’s important for you to know about the world around you. This is a wonderful chance for you to experience and learn an amazing place. Do you know anything about the mountain gorillas?”
The sisters shook their heads.
“Well, get your laptop computer, Gina. I want you to look them up right now,” said Dad, “Rose, there is a book on the bookshelf about the cute mountain gorillas. Find it and read it.”
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。
The girls dragged their feet upstairs.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The next Monday came and the family set out excitedly.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________China’s first domestically-built large cruise ship (游轮), the Adora Magic City, completed its formal delivery on September 4, 2023. This was a development that experts said showed
The large cruise ship,
The fact that China is able to build aircraft carriers, large LNG carriers and large cruise ships
As cruises are important part of the international tourism market, the
5 . Episode 4: The Invisible Pirate
Paper boy: Extra! Extra! Read all about it!: Hero Pickles’s Story will be brought to the big screen! Victory bless the England!
Sonetto: The Hero Pickles... This is...
Rock Girl: Hey, coming through! Tommy, she’s not here again today? I’ll take this motorbike if she doesn’t show up!
Paper boy: Hush —! Don’t be such a bugger! Did you listen to the radio this morning? Her ship has been sunk!
Vertin: Are you talking about Regulus of the APPLe?
Paper boy: Whooo areee youuu ?!
Vertin: I’m her friend. She left something here.
Paper boy: Huhh — These are...!
: Be quiet. Don’t get caught ! Take chances around that cafe!
Vertin: Thank you very much for your assistance.
Paper boy: You are very serious. If you really wanna thank me, just take a copy of the Times.
: See, it’s all good news on the first two pages,only comes along every once in a thousand years , right?
Sonetto: P...Please give me a copy.(a sheepish nod)
(Sonetto hastily stowed the newspaper away and, with a studied composure, made her way to the café.)
(Scene transition)
Vertin: Do you like the world outside...Sonetto?
Sonetto: (gasp) Huh —!
: Nnnno, I am just...I am just curious. I will throw it away when I finish it. Please don’t take it to heart.
:Hum~hum~hum~hum~♪
(upon the deserted café table, a loaf of bread floated, diminishing gradually.)
Sonetto: Hum? That voice...Timekeeper, look at that table!
Regulus: Hum~hum~Yummy~So yummy~♪
: One more earl grey with brown sugar, please~♪
Sonetto: Oh! The optical arcana could to be invisible...... Now I understand.
(Sonetto swiftly retrieved her cane and gestured towards the teacup )
Regulus: Wow.....! ! W、w、w、what?!
: Who spilled my tea!
Sonetto: Regulus, will you cooperate or not? Please answer me.
Regulus: ......Ehhhooohhh — (sigh) Your foundation is just an authority working with government. If I register in , my location will be exposed anywhere anytime.... I’m not doing it ~★
(Sonetto let out a sigh, gazing into the distant sky.)
(This appears to be a ritual she follows before each battle.)
Sonetto: ......Made the peace be with us.
1. Where may the conversation accurately took place before Sonetto headed towards café?
| A．the motorbike store | B．England | C．block | D．theatre |
| A．The conversation ended up with Sonetto’s successful cooperation. |
| B．Sonetto is a patriotic girl who actually familiarize something true. |
| C．Regulus faked her own death so as to conceal herself in case of being discovered. |
| D．The Hero Pickles’s ship had been sunk, which was definitely a tragedy. |
| A．narrative | B．exposition | C．fiction | D．drama |
It was 40 years ago. One day, Emma came back to their apartment from work and realized that her husband, David, was extremely ill. He was throwing up and slurring (发音不清) his words. Immediately, Emma grabbed her purse and took him by taxi to the nearest hospital, on the Lower East Side of New York City. The minutes slowly passed as they waited to see a doctor.
They sat there for a couple of hours, and it was pretty clear that nobody was going to pay attention to David. So they rushed to a second hospital, where they were also ignored. Emma knew something was very wrong with David, so they went to a third hospital. As she told the receptionist what was happening, Emma sensed the person wasn’t going to treat their case with urgency.
Emma was on the edge of a breakdown. After three failed attempts to get help, she had reached her limit. She started to shout in the lobby (大厅). That’s when her unsung hero appeared.
That person was a young man with dark hair and a white physician’s coat. He came to Emma and said, “How can I help you? What’s going on here?” Emma explained what was happening to David, and that she was afraid it was serious.
The young man said, “You know, I just got done with my neurological residency (神经系统的实习期) up at Lenox Hill Hospital. I’ll take him in the back and look.” Within two or three minutes, the young man came out and said, “You are absolutely right. Something is very seriously wrong with your husband.”
The man told Emma to take her husband to Lenox Hill Hospital, and that he had called the doctor with whom he had done his residency.
“He’ll be waiting for you,” said the young man.
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。
But Emma began to cry, realizing she had no way of getting there, because she didn’t have any more cash for a taxi.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Soon Emma and her husband arrived at the hospital.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________7 . At Reader’s Digest, we understand a holiday is never just a holiday. It’s visiting new and inspiring places, enabling you to experience different cultures, broaden minds and discover the unknown. It’s something exciting to look forward to and talk about when you get home. It’s making memories that will last a lifetime.
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1. From which is the text probably taken?| A．A magazine. | B．A web page. |
| C．A book guide. | D．A shopping list. |
| A．Experienced authors. | B．Experts in group travel. |
| C．Reader’s Digest subscribers. | D．Publishers of Reader’s Digest. |
| A．£60. | B．£100. | C．£120. | D．£200. |
8 . Researchers are training robots to perform an ever-growing number of tasks through trial-and-error reinforcement (强化) learning, which is often laborious and time-consuming. To help out, humans are now employing large language model (LLM) AI. A team at NVIDIA Research directed an AI protocol (协议) powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4 to teach a simulation (模拟) of a robotic hand nearly 30 complex tasks, including throwing a ball, pushing blocks, pressing switches, and some other seriously impressive abilities.
NVIDIA’s new “AI agent” Eureka uses GPT-4 by asking the large language model to write its own reward-based reinforcement learning software code. According to the company, Eureka doesn’t need complicated reminders or even pre-written patterns; instead, it simply begins experimenting with a program, and then follows any external human feedback.
In the company’s announcement, Linxi “Jim” Fan, a senior research scientist at NVIDIA, described Eureka as a unique combination of LLMs and simulation programming. “We believe that Eureka will enable robots to control items flexibly and provide a new way to produce physically realistic animations for artists,” Fan added. After testing its training protocol within an advanced simulation program, Eureka then analyzes its collected data and directs the LLM to further improve upon its design. The result is a protocol capable of successfully numbering a variety of robotic hand designs to operate scissors, turn pens and open cupboards within a physics-accurate simulated environment.
Eureka’s alternatives to human-written trial-and-error learning programs aren’t just effective—in most cases, they’re actually better than those authored by humans. In the team’s open-source research paper findings, Eureka-designed reward programs outperformed humans’ code in over 80 percent of the tasks—amounting to an average performance improvement of over 50 percent in the robotic simulations.
“Reinforcement learning has contributed to impressive wins over the last decade, yet many challenges still exist, such as reward design, which remains a trial-and-error process,” said Anima Anandkumar, an AI researcher. “Eureka is the first step toward developing new algorithms (算法) that integrate generative and reinforcement learning methods to solve hard tasks.”
1. Why is AI used for the training?| A．To simplify robots’ tasks. | B．To advertise OpenAI’s GPT-4. |
| C．To speed up the training process. | D．To recognize artists’ role in art creation. |
| A．Design reward programs. | B．Copy pre-written patterns. |
| C．Get complicated reminders. | D．Avoid human intervention. |
| A．It is still poor at the reward design. | B．It should learn from hard tasks. |
| C．It has few challenges to solve. | D．It is of pioneering significance. |
| A．Trial-and-error learning programs are promising. |
| B．Robots can finish complex tasks through learning. |
| C．Reinforcement learning improves robotic simulations. |
| D．AI can better teach a simulated robotic hand to perform tasks. |
9 . In 1972, Barbara Rieco penned a heartfelt children’s book that held her dream within its pages. Despite her best efforts, the manuscript (手稿) faced repeated rejection from publishers, leading her to eventually set aside her dream of becoming a published author.
Little did she know that, decades later, her grandson would turn the dream into reality. Chad Cooper, a production professional, decided to give his grandmother the ultimate Christmas gift — the publication of her treasured book. Visiting her in Baltimore for the holidays, he secretly took her original manuscript, along with the drawings for the book she had obtained from an artist years ago, and transformed them into a beautifully printed book.
On Christmas morning, as Barbara unwrapped the carefully crafted gift, she was overcome with emotion as she realized what the surprise was. The moment, captured and posted online by Chad, quickly resonated (产生共鸣) with viewers, and the video became a hit.
“This is probably the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me in my entire life,” Barbara said in the video, who also gave her grandson a big hug, with tears.
Chad’s thoughtful gesture didn’t just end with the surprise; he also included a link to the book on Amazon, making it available to the public. The response was nothing short of magic — within days, Barbara’s once-forgotten book skyrocketed to the top of Amazon’s bestseller list, earning the coveted spot as a best seller.
Chad filmed the reaction to that news and shared more updates. Barbara said she had been reading every single comment online and wanted to respond to them all but there were thousands of them.
“I’ve bought Barbara Rieco’s book even though I’m 21 and don’t even have kids. I’ve read it and I really like it,” said one viewer.
“My children enjoy reading the book and they recommend me to read it as well,” another viewer commented.
Barbara Rieco’s book, now accepted by a new generation of readers, continues to spread joy and inspiration.
1. What did Chad Cooper do for his grandmother?| A．He had her book published. | B．He drew for her new book. |
| C．He arranged an artist to meet her. | D．He helped finish her manuscript. |
| A．Calm and proud. | B．Lucky but regretful. |
| C．Delighted but worried. | D．Excited and grateful. |
| A．Dangerous. | B．Desired. | C．Empty. | D．Forgotten. |
| A．To reveal Barbara’s gift for writing books. |
| B．To show the popularity of Barbara’s book. |
| C．To tell the influence of reading on the young. |
| D．To highlight the value of Chad’s Christmas gift. |
| A．Paris. | B．Rome. | C．Vienna. |
