2 . Predicting extreme weather events is a tricky business. Changing climate conditions have increased the frequency of severe storms, floods, and heatwaves, along with larger wildfires. As a result, scientists are using artificial intelligence (AI) techniques for more accurate forecasts that help to minimize damage and save lives.

Researchers at Pennsylvania State University have worked together with meteorologists (气象学家) to analyze more than 50,000 weather satellite images to quickly identify storms. They found comma-shaped cloud formations that often lead to severe weather such as hail, blizzards, high winds, and thunderstorms.

Computers were then taught using computer vision and machine learning to automatically detect these clouds from satellite images, with almost 100 percent accuracy, in less than a minute. By refocusing meteorologists’ attention on potential storm cloud formation the AI tool helped predict 64 percent of severe weather events and beat established detection systems.

Expensive supercomputers are often used to process vast amounts of data needed for accurate weather prediction. But powerful Al methods can run on smaller computers. Climate risk and planning company ClimateAI uses a technique to downscale global weather forecasts to a local scale, cutting down on costs and computing power.

It uses a machine learning technique that pits two neural networks against each other. The neural networks - designed to work like neurons connected in the brain-fight and train each other using global weather data until they get a result.

Using this method ClimateAI researchers generate highly accurate and inexpensive local forecasts for hours or days ahead. And because it is not as costly, it allows poorer countries affected by climate change to use forecasts to change the way they farm, build bridges, roads, or homes, and adapt to extreme weather.

Average costs associated with extreme weather events in the United States have increased steadily since 1980. These have costly impacts on cities’ basic services, infrastructure, housing, human livelihoods, and health. AI helps us to calculate that risk and can be used as a preventive measure.

1. What can be inferred from Para.1?

A．Inaccurate forecasts minimize the destruction.

B．AI enhances accuracy in making weather prediction.

C．Less natural disasters are caused by climate change.

D．Changeable climate decreased the frequency of serious storms.

2. Which is NOT an advantage of AI tool?

A．Being steadier.	B．Being cheaper.
C．Being quicker.	D．Being more precise.

3. What is the function of Para.5?

A．To explain how ClimateAI works.

B．To introduce why AI methods are used.

C．To show where ClimateAI can be applied.

D．To identify what effects of the AI tool has.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards AI techniques in predicting extreme weather?

A．Critical.	B．Approving.
C．Objective.	D．Indifferent.

3 . Many years ago, a teenage boy named David arrived at a children’s institution in England. He was referred to me, a (an)_________, by his head teacher. David had lost both his parents and was understandably sad and_________. I met with him twice, but he _________ silent.

I recognized the limitations of psychology in _________ his deep pain but found that empathetic listening and shared activities like chess provided a safe space for David to _________. So we played every Wednesday afternoon in _________ and without any eye contact. I _________ to ensure he won once or twice, providing a sense of _________ and success.

Gradually, David began to _________. He arrived early and __________ participated in setting up the chessboard. It seemed as if he enjoyed my __________. I thought David needed someone to share his pain with, and he sensed my respect for his __________. Months later, I watched David __________ over the chessboard. Suddenly, he looked up at me and said, “Your __________.” After that, he started talking and making friends. He wrote to me about his bike rides and plans to get into university. Later, he really started living his own life.

David showed me how one can reach out to another person without __________, just with a hug, a shoulder to cry on, or an ear that listens.

1.

A．doctor

B．tutor

C．adviser

D．psychologist

2.

A．ashamed

B．depressed

C．disappointed

D．annoyed

3.

A．remained

B．seemed

C．fell

D．became

4.

A．feeling

B．understanding

C．addressing

D．causing

5.

A．relax

B．heal

C．speak

D．play

6.

A．peace

B．chaos

C．silence

D．pain

7.

A．backed

B．expected

C．struggled

D．cheated

8.

A．comfort

B．security

C．direction

D．belief

9.

A．open up

B．show off

C．break down

D．fit in

10.

A．regularly

B．slowly

C．actively

D．curiously

11.

A．communication

B．company

C．contact

D．recognition

12.

A．suffering

B．loss

C．participation

D．progress

13.

A．thinking

B．turning

C．bending

D．tripping

14.

A．chance

B．favor

C．duty

D．turn

15.

A．limitation

B．hesitation

C．regret

D．words

4 . Spring breakers don’t need to spend a fortune to enjoy life in the sunshine for a week. U. S. News carefully considered everything to bring you the best inexpensive spring break destinations.

Key West

This small island in the Florida Keys is known for its odd residents and best snorkeling (浮潜) opportunities. While you’ll find plenty of spots for partying along rowdy Duval Street, you can also soak up some culture at the Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum. Plus, Key West offers several budget-friendly vacation rentals, so you can save your cash for bars and boat tours.

Panama City Beach

Panama City Beach is a tried-and-true Florida spring break location that is sure to please the masses. Scope out a spot across the town’s 27 miles of white sand beaches to sunbathe, play volleyball or scan the horizon for bottlenose dolphins. Hotel prices are reasonable if you book your accommodations in advance. Just note: This town bans alcohol consumption on the beach during March, so you’ll have to enjoy your adult beverages elsewhere.

South Padre Island

With hotels offering nightly rates around $200 or less and DJs and celebrities holding court at nightclubs, South Padre Island, Texas, is a hot spring break destination for college students. This South Texas local e is only about 30 miles north of the U. S.-Mexico border, meaning you’ll get to enjoy warm weather without having to leave the country. As an added bonus, the island offers a free public shuttle system, so budget-conscious travelers won’t have to worry about spending money on a rental car.

1. What can tourists do in Key West?

A．Have a good surfing.

B．Bath e in the sun on the beach.

C．Throw a party anywhere on the island.

D．Visit the Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum.

2. What is special about Panama City Beach?

A．The hotel prices are low whenever you go.

B．It is a perfect destination for spring vacation.

C．You can drink some wine on the beach in March.

D．You can see the bottlenose dolphins in person.

3. What do the three travel destinations have in common?

A．They are budget-friendly.	B．They are alive with wildlife.
C．They offer a taste of culture.	D．They offer free public shuttle system.

6 . “What beautiful music!”I shout loudly as my 9-year-old son practices playing the violin. He’s used to this praise; I give rewards like that most days. But every once in a while, I skip it, and when I do, I can see the disappointment on his face when he’s finished.

Am I a bad mom? Conventional wisdom says that consistency is key to parenting since it enables your child to predict how you’ll react, leading to good behavior. And it’s true that children need some level of predictability in their lives, particularly when it comes to discipline.

But research suggests that inconsistent gifts and praise can have a greater effect on motivation. While we all like to live in a predictable world, we often respond more strongly to unpredictable rewards.

In one experiment, my colleagues and I told participants they’d be paid if they could drink about one-and-a-half quarts of water in two minutes or less. In one condition, we offered people a $2 fixed reward. In another, there was an uncertain reward of either $2 or $1. The certain reward was a better deal, yet many more people successfully met the challenge when assigned an uncertain reward. Resolving the uncertainty — whether they would win $1 or $2 — was significantly more motivating than winning $2 for sure.

Here is one of the reasons why uncertainty is motivating. What scientists call “intermittent (间歇性) reinforcement” — rewarding behavior on some but not all occasions — makes it more arduous to know when rewards will show up. If you very often, but don’t always, praise your child for completing their chores, they’ll keep up the good behavior in the hope of receiving praise the next time.

So don’t assume that if kids are always praised for finishing their homework, they’ll be more likely to do it. Do praise young people for a job well done, just not every time. And pick rewards out of a hat when they complete chores—the surprise prize might keep everyone motivated to get things done.

1. Why does the author mention her kid’s story in the first paragraph?

A．To display the conclusion of her research.

B．To show that her kid is very smart.

C．To explain that she is a good mom.

D．To lead in the topic.

2. Why did more participants choose an uncertain reward in the experiment?

A．It was more inspiring.	B．It was more demanding.
C．It was fair to all participants.	D．It was easy to get more rewards.

3. What does the underlined word “arduous” in paragraph 5 mean?

A．Convenient.

B．Popular.

C．Flexible.

D．Difficult.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Why Consistency Is Critical to Parenting

B．Why Resolving Uncertainty Is Rewarding

C．How Inconsistent Praise Affects Motivation

D．How Parents’ Behaviors Affect Their Children

7 . Akira Toriyama, one of Japan’s leading comics authors, whose manga (漫画) “Dragon Ball” achieved worldwide success with its mix of comedic characters and rousing martial arts battles, died on March 1. He was 68.

Mr. Toriyama’s body of work is recognizable far beyond Japan’s borders, having influenced generations of manga artists and cartoonists. His best-known work, “Dragon Ball”, follows a young boy named Son Goku who starts a journey to collect the seven magical balls that summon (召唤) a wish-granting dragon. Since its creation in the 1980s, it has spanned 42 volumes, sold millions of copies worldwide and become one of the most famous manga, inspiring television, film and video game adaptations.

Throughout his career, Mr. Toriyama said in a 2013 interview with the Japanese newspaper The Asahi Shimbun, he did not care if his work did anything besides entertaining its readers. He was, he suggested, unlike “other manga artists concerned about conveying moral messages”.

When “Dragon Ball” was first published in 1984, it was an immediate hit, becoming one of the best-selling manga series of all time. It sold more than 260million copies worldwide, according to Toei Animation, the studio that produced the anime adaptation. “Dragon Ball” was serialized in the Japanese magazine Weekly Shonen Jump until 1995. In the year after the series ended, the magazine lost about one million of its six million readers, according to “A History of Modern Manga”.

A productive manga artist, Mr. Toriyama did not necessarily have an appetite for this genre as a reader. “I have always had a hard time reading manga, including my own work,” he said in a 2018 interview with Kiyosu City Public Library. He led a private life and gave few interviews. In a 2013 interview with the Japanese singer and actress Shoko Nakagawa, he said that he did not even share all his work with his family. “To tell you the truth, no one in my family has ever seen ‘Dragon Ball’,” he said, laughing. “I am also a hikikomori,” he added, using the Japanese word for a recluse (隐居者). But his stories continued to reach fans around the world years after their creation.

1. Where can you find this article most probably?

A．A news report.	B．An autobiography.
C．A manga introduction.	D．A funeral speech.

2. According to Mr. Toriyama, how is his manga different from the others?

A．It is classical.	B．It is engaging.
C．It is advanced.	D．It is educational.

3. What influence did “Dragon Ball” have on Weekly Shonen Jump?

A．A thickened size of each issue.	B．A leading magazine worldwide.
C．A period of increase in readership.	D．A record holder in manga history.

4. What can best describe Mr. Toriyama’s personality according to the text?

A．Unworldly and genuine.	B．Imaginative and flexible.
C．Innocent and well-informed.	D．Knowledgeable and courageous.

8 . Lobb and Jafri were queuing up for a lunchtime workout on Pier (码头) 15, overlooking the East River, when Lobb froze. What he saw was a person ______, lifeless. Before Jafri could respond, Lobb climbed over the ______ at the edge of the pier and jumped into the cold water. Jafri then took off his shoes and swan-dived.

Approaching the ______ victim, Lobb saw that it was a middle-aged man. The ______ felt around, grasped the man and kicked ______ until they both resurfaced. Jafri was there now. They floated the man on his ______. As Jafri looped (环绕) his arms around the man’s shoulders and Lobb ______ the hips and knees, the pair undertook the slog (重担) back to Pier 15. Their lungs heaved (起伏) and ______ burned as they pushed and pulled the ______ figure through the cold water.

On the pier, a crowd had gathered. From somewhere, the onlookers ______ a rope and a life preserver and threw them to Jafri and Lobb. The friends ______ the victim’s arm and head through the life preserver ring and tied the rope around him.

With the two men pushing from below and the crowd pulling from above, the victim was pulled onto the pier. Both men, thoroughly ______ from 15-plus minutes in the water, watched as rescue workers loaded the ______ drowned man into an ambulance and ______. Lobb and Jafri never ______ who he was, what became of him or how he’d fallen into the river.

1.

A．crying

B．swimming

C．floating

D．playing

2.

A．rail

B．ship

C．gym

D．platform

3.

A．desperate

B．frightened

C．insensible

D．nervous

4.

A．life coach

B．rescuer

C．onlooker

D．emergency services

5.

A．upward

B．off

C．around

D．forward

6.

A．hand

B．back

C．head

D．stomach

7.

A．supported

B．raised

C．downgraded

D．located

8.

A．cells

B．organs

C．tissues

D．muscles

9.

A．disabled

B．uncooperative

C．immobile

D．misshapen

10.

A．tore

B．produced

C．imported

D．organized

11.

A．circled

B．fixed

C．loaded

D．worked

12.

A．exhausted

B．abstracted

C．depressed

D．satisfied

13.

A．undoubtedly

B．nearly

C．fortunately

D．obviously

14.

A．took in

B．turned over

C．pull away

D．set forth

15.

A．appreciated

B．emphasized

C．recognized

D．learned

9 . Dr. Tatiana Erukhimova is a physics professor at Texas A&M who aims to show her students, especially the young women, that there are no limits.

Only 25% of physics undergraduate students are female. Perhaps it is because boys grow up playing with machines and making drawings of fast cars and rocket explosions. But girls are just as curious about the way the world works — they just haven’t jumped into the culture of chemical reactions, energy and magnetic force with as much enthusiasm. That is, until they see one of Tatiana’s videos showing the science behind real life’s magic. Tatiana is really one of the few living female examples they could follow.

Her videos get millions of views. She is a ball of energy with a short haircut, a Russian accent and a lively personality that makes physics accessible to the younger audience. Young girls are attracted to Tatiana’s attractive demonstrations the way they flock to pop concerts. This is real. This is science they can participate in. This is an open door to endless possibilities.

“These short clips are the spark that inspires,” Tatiana says with so much excitement that it lights up the room. Everything she does involves students. She believes the magic in learning is when your peers are part of the demonstration, when you are part of the teaching process.

“She wants everything to be a celebration of science,” says one of Tatiana’s former students. And indeed, the classroom is in a party atmosphere, with students cheering when amazed by Newton’s law of motion, demonstrated by a spinning bicycle wheel held upright by the professor. It’s hard to tell who is more delighted, Tatiana or her students. She is an attraction for female students who are graduating college and working in the sciences in higher numbers than ever before.

Dr. Tatiana’s story began in Russia and her parents were both physicists. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, Tatiana moved to Texas with her husband, also a physicist. They both teach at Texas A&M, and when Tatiana isn’t in the classroom, she is doing outreach with schoolchildren, amazing them with spinning lights that soon form words, liquid oxygen that shrinks objects and chemical reactions that expand matter to 10 times its size. But most importantly, she is expanding the audience of female physicists.

1. According to the passage, why do girls sometimes hesitate to jump into the culture of physics?

A．Lack of interest in chemical reactions.

B．Cultural differences in curiosity.

C．Absence of female role models.

D．Fear of liquid oxygen demonstrations.

2. Which of the following is TRUE about the videos mentioned in the passage?

A．They were made by a female physician.

B．They feature engaging demonstrations.

C．They are meant for Tatiana’s homeland.

D．They have received millions of likes online.

3. What is the primary focus of Dr. Tatiana’s outreach activities with schoolchildren?

A．Appealing to students with fascinating demonstrations.

B．Teaching students some difficult physics concepts.

C．Explaining the history of Newton’s law of motion.

D．Encouraging girls to attend parties and pop concerts.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Female Professor Rejecting Gender Barrier

B．Russian Physicist and Female Scientists

C．Physics Professor Stimulating Girls’ Passion

D．The Significance of Online Short Videos

10 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. How many kids were there in the research?

A．10.

B．14.

C．400.

2. How long do most kids spend on the screen every day in this study?

A．Less than 3 hours.

B．About 5 hours.

C．More than 6 hours.

3. What does the speaker suggest in the end?

A．Students should reduce their time on the screen.

B．Parents shouldn’t buy mobile phones for their children.

C．Parents should communicate with their children more frequently.