1 . “The Worthington Christian defeated the Westerville North by 2—1 in an Ohio boys’ soccer game on Saturday.” That’s according to a story that appeared last month in The Columbus Dispatch. That lead was written not by a sportswriter, but by an artificial intelligence (AI) tool.
Many news organizations are now examining how AI might be used in their work. But if they begin their “experimenting” with high school sports because they are less momentous than war, peace, climate change and politics, they may miss something crucial. Nothing may be more important to the students who play high school sports, and to their families, neighborhoods, and sometimes, the whole town. That next game is what the students train for, work toward, and dream about. Someday, almost all student athletes will go on to have jobs in front of screens, in office parks, at schools, in hospitals or on construction sites. They may suffer blows and setbacks. But the high school games they played and watched, as well as their hopes and cheers, will stay vivid in their memories.
I have a small idea. If newspapers will no longer send staff reporters to cover high school games, why not hire high school student journalists? News organizations can pay students an hourly wage to cover high school games. The young reporters might learn how to be fair to all sides, write vividly, and attract readers. That’s what some celebrities in sports did, and do.
And think of the great writers who were inspired by sports: Hemingway on fishing, Bernard Malamud and Marianne Moore on baseball, Chen Zhongshi on football, and CLR James on cricket, who said, “There can be raw pain and bleeding where so many thousands see the inevitable (不可避免的) ups and downs of only a game.” A good high school writer, unlike a robot, could tell readers not just the score, but the stories of the game.
1. Why is the lead mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．To introduce an original idea. | B．To show AI’s wide application. |
| C．To bring in the opinion about AI. | D．To stress AI’s importance to news. |
| A．Hopeful. | B．Eye-catching. | C．Competitive. | D．Far-reaching. |
| A．Rich in contents. | B．Fair in comments. |
| C．Centered on results. | D．Targeted on readers. |
| A．News Organizations Are Abusing AI | B．High Schoolers Can Do What AI Can’t |
| C．Great Writers Are Crazy About Sports | D．AI Ruins High School Students’ Memory |
2 . It’s happened to all of us: a song comes on the radio, and we are immediately transported back to a time in our past.
There are a few things that connect tunes with our memories. Music is often a necessary element of many important life events, and it is also very effective in arresting our attention.
We often become familiar with a piece of music because we hear it as background music. The more familiar a piece of music is, the more effective it is in bringing back memories.
Tiffany Jenkins, writing for a culture column, has a different opinion:
It’s clear that our memories and music are closely linked — to the point that music is being used to help Alzheimer’s disease sufferers access memories that they thought they had lost.
| A．Familiarity is important. |
| B．Music itself is easy to remember. |
| C．But what makes music so effective in doing this? |
| D．Our musical preference usually forms during our teens. |
| E．This applies to music more than other cultural products. |
| F．Pop music especially can be connected with an important memory. |
| G．Music and these life events are likely to be linked together in our memories. |
演讲的内容包括：
1、网瘾的危害；
2、摆脱网瘾的方法。
注意：开头结尾已给出；字数100字左右。
Hi, everyone!
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Thanks, everyone!
4 . Teaching comedy is a delicate craft that Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Teaching Artists handle with expertise. Sabrina Mandell, specializing in clowning and physical comedy, believes in starting with examples of what she finds funny, helping students understand humor and its subtlety (微妙之处). She emphasizes the importance of discovering what works for individuals rather than specifying a right way.
Overcoming fear is crucial in comedy, with Mark Jaster noting that comedians must be willing to push beyond social norms. Sabrina also advocates opening up emotionally, recognizing the closeness of laughter and tears. After all, pushing students to face fear head-on can tap into their full comedic potential.
Precision is also essential in comedy, requiring crisp, clean, and well-timed performance. Jim Gagne emphasizes the need for precision in comedy compared to the flexibility allowed in drama. Teaching comedic timing is challenging, with some students naturally possessing the talent, while others need more guidance to refine this essential skill. Jim, however, believes it can be developed through awareness, practice, and thorough exploration.
Play and fun are crucial in teaching comedy. Sabrina emphasizes the importance of rediscovering the joy of play. Mark envisions a comedy lab where exploring its mysteries is as significant as its performance.
Despite the desire for laughs, teachers emphasize the importance of storytelling within comedic scenes. Jim provides a valuable insight: “In drama, you throw the dishes down; in comedy, you throw them up.” This comparison underscores that comedy demands a different approach, one that is more lighthearted and humorous. Nevertheless, the ultimate goal is to truly engage the audience and genuinely make them laugh.
1. What does Sabrina Mandell find important when teaching comedy?| A．Conveying her sense of humor to students. | B．Prioritizing storytelling over humor. |
| C．Focusing on creating physical humor. | D．Inspiring students to explore their humor. |
| A．fear is one of the primary sources of humor | B．comedians need to go beyond social conventions |
| C．laughter and tears enhance the comedic effect | D．it enables people to unlock comedic potential |
| A．He considers it merely a natural gift. |
| B．He emphasizes precision more in comedy than in drama. |
| C．He thinks teaching precision requires a sense of timing. |
| D．He believes precision in comedy is similar to flexibility in drama. |
| A．Comedy aims to find out mysteries. |
| B．Comedy requires a serious and dramatic approach. |
| C．Comedy brings the audience new inspirations. |
| D．Comedy can be taught through play and exploration. |
5 . Over the last two million years, our species has experienced a significant increase in brain volume, contributing to our perceived intelligence and dominance. However, recent research led by Jeremy DeSilva from Dartmouth College reveals an unexpected turn: our brains diminished (缩减) in size after the last Ice Age, about 3,000 to 5,000 years ago.
Contrary to the initial belief that brain size reduction matched the appearance of agriculture 10,000 years ago, DeSilva’s team points to a more recent period marked by the flourishing and advancement of ancient civilizations in North Africa, the Middle East, and South America. They suggest that the shrinkage may be linked to the development of cooperative societies and what researchers term “Collective intelligence,” where group problem-solving goes beyond individual capabilities.
Inspiration for this idea came from observations of “ultra-social” insects like ants, where smaller-brained individuals succeed in highly cooperative societies. The researchers suggest that as human societies became more organized over the past 3,000 years, the need for an individually large brain to store information about food, relationships, and the environment diminished. Instead, information could be collectively stored within social circles, towns, and groups.
The rise of external information storage, including books, personal devices, and the internet, further lessened the demand on individual brains, allowing them to operate more efficiently. While the average human brain volume remained around 1,450 cubic centimeters for the past 150,000 years, it decreased by approximately 10%, or up to 150 cubic centimeters, in the last few millennia. This reduction in brain size is not a direct consequence of shrinking bodies, as the relative size to body proportion also decreased.
Importantly, researchers advise against equating brain size with intelligence, suggesting that our mental circuitry (回路) may have evolved to be more efficient, similar to the advancements seen in the evolution of computer sizes from room-filling to pocket sized.
1. What does the recent research by Jeremy DeSilva reveal?| A．Agriculture appears 10,000 years ago. |
| B．“Ultra- social” insects become more organized. |
| C．The human brain size diminishes after the last Ice Age. |
| D．Group problem-solving goes beyond individual capabilities. |
| A．the advancement of ancient civilizations |
| B．the change of the environment |
| C．decreased external information storage |
| D．cooperative societies and “collective intelligence” |
| A．Decreased body proportion leads to smaller brains. |
| B．A larger brain guarantees higher intelligence. |
| C．People should prioritize brain size over mental circuitry. |
| D．Social factors have lessened the demand on individual brains. |
| A．Surprising Changes in Human Brain Volume. |
| B．Social Adaptation and Human Brain Shrinkage. |
| C．The History of Brain Size Reduction in Humans. |
| D．Exploring the Evolution of Human Cognitive Abilities. |
In the quiet of the earthquake shelter, I found myself calling out to a nameless cat, hoping for the familiar sound of a meow or the sight of a black and white figure running toward me. My worry grew as time passed, realizing that the cat I had been feeding for months, the highlight of my day, was nowhere to be seen.
Our unlikely friendship began on a cold night as I sat on those same cement (水泥) steps, rain soaking through my pants. The only light came from my last cigarette, exposing the pieces of a broken picture frame and a handwritten letter illustrating the consequences of the earthquake on my computer screen. Having experienced the impact of an explosion in the earthquake, I returned home with a severe brain injury and PTSD, facing challenges in adapting at Fort Riley, Kansas. Anxiety seized me, and each day felt like a struggle. That night, as I wrestled with the pain of depression with the last drag of my cigarette, a faint “Meow?” echoed through the darkness.
A small black and white kitten with round green eyes emerged from the bushes, wet and seeking shelter. Fearlessly, he approached me, rubbing against my legs. As I reached down to pet him, he leaned into my touch, purring (猫的呼噜声). In that moment, tears blending with the rain on my face, I found an unexpected companion. The kitten stood there, as if understanding my desperate need for companionship.
Looking into his eyes, I realized he was a wanderer. The plan to end it all was briefly set aside; now, my mission was to find him food. The cigarette was forgotten as I stood up, determined to tackle his problems since I couldn’t face my own.
A routine developed—daily visits to the back steps with a packet of tuna (金枪鱼) and a paper plate. The kitten, a source of comfort and purpose, became more than just a reason to live. Over time, he inspired me to seek help for my depression and find the confidence to enter a serious relationship with Becky, a high school classmate from Pittsburgh.
Despite the fear of losing my new found companion, roll call and the early morning darkness forced me indoors. Worried that I had seen the last of him, I called Becky, expressing my concerns. The hope of his return remained, but he never did.
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。
One day, Becky and I found an animal adoption event near the base, surrounded by various cats.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In July 2009, Scout moved with me to Pittsburgh.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Last month, scientists from Harvard Medical School talked about EVEscape in the journal Nature. This model is all about figuring out how viruses change. It learned from the history of how viruses
People are wondering if EVEscape could be the solution
In September, UNESCO Director-General Audrey visited Zhoukoudian in Beijing. She was full of praise
The structure protects the site from the extreme weather, secretary-general Qin Changwei said at the 2nd World Cultural and Natural Heritage Forum. “
Organized by various organizations,
“Climate change has been the subject of in-depth discussion by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. Questions like how to balance humans and nature, how to respond to natural disasters
“Addressing the issue requires multi-sectoral and interdisciplinary cooperation, making full use of cutting-edge technology and jointly
9 . My favourite rock band graced the town. I headed to the concert with the desire to
From the first song, I was
The following day, I eagerly downloaded their new album. I found the song ‘Welcome to Wherever You Are’
Within four months, I had proudly published my first short story. Another success soon
This
| A．forget | B．conclude | C．analyze | D．revisit |
| A．behind | B．beyond | C．above | D．below |
| A．struck | B．pained | C．confused | D．annoyed |
| A．hobby | B．character | C．age | D．talent |
| A．physically | B．creatively | C．mentally | D．emotionally |
| A．deserts | B．professions | C．directions | D．occupations |
| A．finally | B．especially | C．hardly | D．hopefully |
| A．discover | B．respect | C．understand | D．stretch |
| A．followed | B．disappeared | C．escaped | D．admitted |
| A．appreciated | B．discovered | C．penned | D．established |
| A．Settled | B．Encouraged | C．Shocked | D．Defeated |
| A．print | B．progress | C．consideration | D．decision |
| A．risky | B．transformative | C．wasted | D．plain |
| A．holiday | B．task | C．obstacle | D．crossroad |
| A．unbearable | B．unreachable | C．unfamiliar | D．untouchable |
1. 活动的过程；
2. 活动的意义。
注意：1. 写作词数应为80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
