2 . Jennifer Destefano answered a call from a number she did not recognize. “Mom, I messed up,” her daughter’s voice told her, crying. “These bad men have me.” A man proceeded to demand money, or he would drug her daughter and leave her in Mexico. But while she kept him on the phone, friends managed to reach her daughter, only to discover that she was, in fact, free and well on a skiing trip in Arizona. The voice used on the phone was a fake.

Voice cloning’s influences will be huge. For several years, customers have been able to identify themselves over the phone to their bank and other companies using their voice. Not even a gifted mimic(巧于模仿的人) could fool the detection system. But the arrival of cloning will force adaptation in order to prevent cheating.

Creative industries could face the impact too. Voice actors’ skills, trained over a lifetime, can be copied in a matter of seconds. But some actors may, in fact. find cloning congenial. Val Kilmer, who has lost much of his voice to throat cancer, was delighted to have his voice restored for “Top Gun: Maverick”.

Another industry that will have to come to cope with the rise of clones is journalism. Now who will trust a story based on an audio clip(片段)? Slightly easier to manage might be the false positives: recordings claiming to be someone but which are fakes. The opposite problem—the false negatives—will arise when public figures deny authentic recordings. Proving that a clip is genuine is bard, perhaps even impossible. Journalists will need to show how they obtained and stored audio files.

The term “fake news” had existed long before voice cloning. Now, ever more people caught in a crime are likely to defend themselves. “It wasn’t me. ” And many people will have even more reason to believe them.

3 . Introduction to Sanxingdui Museum

Situated in the northeast of the state-protected Sanxingdui Site by the bank of the Yazi River in Guanghan — a city famed for its long history and splendid culture, Sanxingdui Museum is a modern theme museum which is 40 kilometers to the north of Chengdu.

Covering a total area of 530 yields, Sanxingdui Museum had its foundation laid in August 1992, and opened to the public in October 1997. Featured for its relics, architecture, demonstration and gardens, the museum has become a place of cultural and tourist attractions enjoying prestige both at home and abroad and one of the three exquisite spots Sichuan has offered to the world tourism.

Notice to Sanxingdui Site Museum Travelers

Ⅰ. Opening & Booking Time

Opening time: Gallery One 8:30-18:00 Gallery Two 8:30-18:30

Booking time: 8:30-17:00

Ⅱ. Visiting Route

Gallery One→Gallery Two

Ⅲ . Ticket Price

(1) Gallery ticket ¥72 ¥36 (students)

(2) Garden ticket ¥5

The ticket is used on the sold day and each gallery once.

Admission free for children under 1.2 meters (including 1.2m), seniors aged 60 or above and the disabled.

Ⅴ. Guide Service＆Price

(1) Guide Service

If you need a museum guide, please employ one at the reception desk in Gallery One.

Chinese, Cantonese, Tibetan: ¥80 (Group below 20 persons)

English, Japanese: ¥120 (Group below 20 persons）

(2) Guide Range: Gallery 1 & Gallery 2

(3) It takes about 80 minutes each guide service.

(4) We provide Chinese & English auto guiding device free of charge. Please deposit CNY ¥200 and your valid credential. If damaged or lost, you should compensate according to the cost price.

Ⅳ.Consulting telephone: 0838－5651526

Ⅵ. Complaint against the price telephone: 12358

4 . The latest photo taken at China’s well-known Tsinghua University became a hit, where a student was seen using his laptop while riding on a bike. The moral of the story is that wasting time on things like commuting between university facilities becomes unacceptable, since the pressure to graduate top of the class is so intense.

Into the real world, working extra hours is a common practice of China’s most brilliant figures in technology. In finite overtime, premature balding (秃顶) and hospital admissions are all but part of standard professional life for the nation’s brightest. Similarly, blue-collar workers don’t have it easier. Food delivery riders are reportedly trapped by an algorithm (算法) that automatically works out the best delivery time for app users, and never minds if the workers are at the risk of road accidents.

People are wondering whether all this hard work really makes life better. Actually, it may well be making things harder for everyone, but there doesn’t seem to be a way out. A popular sense of being stuck in an ever so exhausting rat race where everyone loses has given rise to a new buzzword: neijuan (involution). The Chinese word, neijuan, is made up of the characters for “inside” and “rolling”, and is understood as something that spirals in on itself, a process that traps participants who know they won’t benefit from it.

“From a sociological point of view, involution is unavoidable because of society’s structural shifts,” said Yan Fei, a professor of sociology at Tsinghua University, “One big question for the middle class is how to remain in the middle class. Meanwhile, the lower class still hopes to change their fate. But the middle and upper classes aren’t so much looking upward, and they are marked by a deep fear of falling downward. Their greater fear is perhaps losing what they already have,” he explained.

6 . Putri Prihardinni, a freshman at the Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, is amazed at how traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has continued to develop since she began studying it a year ago.

When she was 10, she _________ from constant headaches. So, her mother took her to see a TCM doctor near their home in Indonesia. After several weeks of _________ the bitter herbal medicine, her symptoms disappeared.

“His medical skills were like magic,” Prihardinni recalls. The _________ of being cured by TCM encouraged her to _________ TCM study.

Also from Indonesia, 21-year-old Banon Sayekti is one of Prihardinni’s _________. As she has never been _________ to TCM therapy before, Sayekti found it _________ to understand this branch of medicine at the beginning of her first semester.

“Chinese people believe that good health requires a _________ of yin and yang, and TCM doctors not only _________ a patient’s symptoms, but also to his or her __________ physical condition.” Sayekti says.

Many overseas students, __________, face difficulties in fully understanding the meaning and function of TCM medical terms __________ cultural and language barriers. To help them, the university offers various training courses for freshmen.

“People in my country are becoming increasingly interested in TCM. Numerous social media vloggers(视频博主) in my country are __________ their experiences with Chinese medicine,” Sayekti says. She plans to open a TCM clinic after graduation. “I want to tell my friends Chinese medicine is a __________ choice.”

As for Prihardinni, she wishes to obtain a postgraduate degree. “TCM study is a lifelong __________. I know it is not easy to persist, but I would like to give it a try.”

African students who participated in a Chinese agricultural development program have returned to their home countries, aiming to use     1     they’ve learned to help local farmers increase grain yields.

In the Science and Technology Backyard program, which     2     (launch) in 2009 at China Agricultural University in Beijing, students conducted research in experimental fields in rural areas while using their     3     (acquire) knowledge to help Chinese farmers. Phiri, one student from Malawi in Africa, expected hopefully, “We are well on our way to establishing successful STBs,     4     purpose is to empower the farmers of Malawi with the knowledge and tools they need     5     (shape) their agricultural futures.” Due to poor soil quality and a lack of modern agricultural technologies, the yield for Malawi’s main crop, maize, is     6     (relative) low. Many farmers are not growing enough food to sustain     7     (they).

Phiri and other African students, together with their teachers often engaged in conversations with farmers in the fields. Jiao Xiaoqiang,     8     associate professor in charge of the program, said such     9     (engage) is very necessary. “The core of the project lies     10     bringing technicians and farmers together. Only by truly participating in this process and understanding how to spread technology to farmers can they make a real impact when they return to Africa.”

The early 1400s was a glorious era in Chinese history. In 1405, a fleet of over 200 ships navigated the blue seas, with almost 28,000 people on board. The largest ships, which     1    (be) over 140 meters long, demonstrated the advanced technology and special skills in constructing ships. On behalf of the Ming Dynasty, Zheng He, a great explorer, made a total of seven     2     (voyage) between 1405 and 1433. The fleet, loaded with china, silk, tea and other treasures, paid friendly visits     3     more than 30 countries and regions. The navigators took compass readings, kept logs     4     charted the coast.

These journeys had     5     far-reaching impact on China and its neighbors. Legends have been passed on about Zheng He in the countries and regions     6     he set foot. Zheng He’s efforts helped develop     7     (harmony) relations with these countries and regions, introducing foreign people to Chinese culture, and     8     (allow) the Chinese to better understand overseas lands.

For many years, some historians dismissed the records of these explorations as legends. The final proof came when an enormous shipyard     9     (discover) in Nanjing, where the fleet had been built. With his accomplishments widely     10     (acknowledge), Zheng He is remembered as one of China’s most influential explorers.

Chinese Loong Year, also known as the Spring Festival or Lunar New Year, is a vibrant and festive celebration     1     (mark) the beginning of the lunar calendar. This annual event is deeply     2     (root) in Chinese culture, symbolizing renewal, family reunions, and guiding in of good fortune.

The festivities typically span 15 days,     3     colorful parades, dragon and lion dances, and dazzling fireworks shining the streets. Families come together for plentiful feasts, exchanging gifts, and paying     4     (respect) to ancestors. The air is filled with the sounds of joyous laughter and traditional music.

One of the     5     (much) iconic features of Chinese New Year is the red decorations brightening homes and streets. Red symbolizes good luck and     6     (prosper) in Chinese culture. People also participate in the tradition of giving and receiving red envelopes containing lucky money, known as “hongbao,” as     7     gesture of good wish and well-being.

As the Year of the Dragon, Loong Year is particularly auspicious, believed to bring strength, vitality, and success. People across the globe join in the festivities, creating a sense of unity and     8     (share) celebration.

Chinese Loong Year is a time-honored tradition that     9     (exceed) borders emphasizing the importance of family, cultural heritage,     10     the hopeful anticipation of a prosperous year ahead.

Chinese archeologists have successfully unearthed an animal bronze statue at the Sanxingdui Ruins in Southwest China’s Sichuan Province.     1     (weigh) more than 300 grams, the mythical beast is about one meter tall and one meter long and it is also the largest animal bronze statue ever     2     (see).

The bronze statue looks like a mythical beast     3     a large mouth, slim waist and four feet. Of note, a human figure wearing a long coat stands     4     (exact) on the head of the beast. Researchers think that it may show that the person is riding or controlling the beast.

Zhao Hao, the researcher in charge, explains that since the excavation of the Sanxingdui Ruins first started in 1986, all the animal statues     5     (be) small, around 20-30 centimeters long, but the     6    (discover) of the new bronze statue sets a new record, and as of now, is     7     only large-sized animal statue.

The chest of the beast also sports the image of a tree. “This tree,     8     was directly cast on the beast, reflects a fact that indicates that the Sanxingdui people regarded     9     (tree) as a kind of remarkable thing,” Zhao said.

So far, nearly 14,000     10     (culture) relics have been extracted from the sacrificial pits at Sanxingdui.