1 . States will be able to force more people to pay sales tax when they make online purchases under a Supreme Court decision Thursday that will leave shoppers with lighter wallets but is a big financial win for states.

The Supreme Court’s opinion Thursday overruled a pair of decades-old decisions that states said cost them billions of dollars in lost revenue annually. The decisions made it more difficult for states to collect sales tax on certain online purchases.

The cases the court overturned said that if a business was shipping a customer’s purchase to a state where the business didn’t have a physical presence such as a warehouse or office, the business didn’t have to collect sales tax for the state. Customers were generally responsible for paying the sales tax to the state themselves if they weren’t charged it, but most didn’t realize they owed it and few paid.

Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote that the previous decisions were flawed. “Each year the physical presence rule becomes further removed from economic reality and results in significant revenue losses to the States,” he wrote in an opinion joined by four other justices. Kennedy wrote that the rule “limited States’ ability to seek long-term prosperity and has prevented market participants from competing on an even playing field.”

The ruling is a victory for big chains with a presence in many states, since they usually collect sales tax on online purchases already. Now, rivals will be charging sales tax where they hadn’t before. Big chains have been collecting sales tax nationwide because they typically have physical stores in whatever state a purchase is being shipped to. Amazon.com, with its network of warehouses, also collects sales tax in every state that charges it, though third-party sellers who use the site don’t have to.

Until now, many sellers that have a physical presence in only a single state or a few states have been able to avoid charging sales taxes when they ship to addresses outside those states. Sellers that use eBay and Etsy, which provide platforms for smaller sellers, also haven’t been collecting sales tax nationwide. Under the ruling Thursday, states can pass laws requiring out-of-state sellers to collect the state’s sales tax from customers and send it to the state.

Retail trade groups praised the ruling, saying it levels the playing field for local and online businesses. The losers, said retail analyst Neil Saunders, are online-only retailers, especially smaller ones. Those retailers may face headaches complying with various state sales tax laws. The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council advocacy group said in a statement, “Small businesses and internet entrepreneurs are not well served at all by this decision.”

1. The Supreme Court decision Thursday will ______.

A．better businesses’ relations with states

B．put most online businesses in a dilemma

C．make more online shoppers pay sales tax

D．force some states to cut sales tax

2. It can be learned from paragraphs 2 and 3 that the overruled decisions ______.

A．have led to the dominance of e-commerce

B．have cost consumers a lot over the years

C．were widely criticized by online purchasers

D．were considered unfavorable by states

3. According to Justice Anthony Kennedy, the physical presence rule has ______.

A．hindered economic development	B．brought prosperity to the country
C．harmed fair market competition	D．boosted growth in states revenue

4. In dealing with the Supreme Court decision Thursday, the author ______.

A．gives a factual account of it and discusses its consequences

B．describes the long and complicated process of its making

C．presents its main points with conflicting views on them

D．cites some cases related to it and analyzes their implications

2 . AI can transform education for the better

As students return to classrooms for the new year, it is striking to reflect on how little education has changed in recent decades. The sector remains a digital laggard (落后者). American schools and universities spend 2% and 5% of their budgets, _________, on technology, compared with 8% for the average American company.

When the pandemic forced schools and universities to shut down, the moment for a digital _________ seemed close when the market value of online tutoring providers like Chegg and Byju’s both increased. However, once covid was brought under control, classes continued much as before.

If the pandemic couldn’t overcome the education sector’s _________ to digital interruption, can artificial intelligence? ChatGPT-like generative AI, which can converse cleverly on varieties of subjects, certainly _________. So much so that educationalists began to _________ that students would use it to cheat on essays and homework. Increasingly, however, it is generating excitement as a means to provide _________ tutoring to various students and speed up boring tasks such as marking.

Learners, for their part, are _________ the technology. Two-fifths of undergraduates reported using an AI chatbot to help them with their studies. Indeed, the technology’s popularity has raised awkward questions for companies like Chegg, which was losing customers _________ ChatGPT. Yet there are good reasons to believe that education specialists like Chegg who employ AI will eventually _________ generalists such as OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT.

For one, AI chatbots often talk nonsense, an unhelpful trait in an educational context. “Students want content from __________ providers,” argues Kate Edwards, chief pedagogist at Pearson, a textbook publisher. The company has not allowed ChatGPT and other AIs to __________ its material, but has instead used the content to train its own models, which it is embedding into its set of learning apps.

__________, as Chegg’s Mr Rosensweig argues, teaching is not merely about giving students an answer, but about presenting it in a way that helps them learn. Understanding pedagogy (教学法) thus gives education specialists an __________. Pearson has designed its AI tools to __________ students by breaking complex topics down, testing their understanding and providing quick feedback, says Ms Edwards. Byju’s is incorporating “forgetting curves” for students into the design of its AI tutoring tools, refreshing their memories at personalized __________.

Bringing AI to education will not be easy, but once answers on how to make use of this technology become clearer, such a development will certainly deserve top marks.

1.

A．respectively

B．appropriately

C．totally

D．ultimately

2.

A．divide

B．reverse

C．boom

D．withdrawal

3.

A．tendency

B．resistance

C．attention

D．anxiety

4.

A．serve the purpose

B．break the ice

C．take the initiative

D．do some good

5.

A．maintain

B．panic

C．doubt

D．wonder

6.

A．personalized

B．individualistic

C．characteristic

D．attentive

7.

A．attempting

B．declining

C．opposing

D．embracing

8.

A．for

B．under

C．to

D．in

9.

A．detect

B．transform

C．overtake

D．enhance

10.

A．comprehensive

B．advanced

C．distinguished

D．trusted

11.

A．give away

B．take in

C．bring about

D．hold up

12.

A．By contrast

B．Despite this

C．What’s more

D．As a result

13.

A．applause

B．edge

C．hesitation

D．improvement

14.

A．convince

B．engage

C．capture

D．challenge

15.

A．intervals

B．cost

C．mercy

D．best

3 . Questions 17 through 20 are based on the following conversation.1.

A．Sharing pictures online with his followers.

B．Picking out the pictures to be shared online.

C．Having pictures taken by his followers online.

D．Helping others to take some pictures online.

2.

A．His friends and relatives.	B．His friends and followers.
C．His social media friends and followers.	D．All people online.

3.

A．Opposed.

B．Favorable.

C．Indifferent.

D．Doubtful.

4.

A．There are a lot of virus and various crimes online.

B．It’s full of too many false and unqualified products.

C．It’s changeable and hard to be controlled by people.

D．There are all kinds of cheats online actually.

4 . Questions 11 through 13 are based on the following passage. 1.

A．It varies from person to person.

B．It is decided by the most healthy lifestyle.

C．It needs some tests and comparison to the standard.

D．It is based more on individual needs than personal goals.

2.

A．Strength.

B．Endurance.

C．Flexibility.

D．Health.

3.

A．The variety of fitness in the future.

B．The importance of three basic factors concerning fitness.

C．The new concept of fitness and its essential factors.

D．Training effects of some sports on people.

5 .

A．The number of the train.	B．When the next train will depart.
C．Where to find some equipment.	D．Where to board the train.

6 .

To the Editors: I am surprised to read that Dr. Strojnik (“Direct Detection of Exoplanets,” September-October2023) states that we have not yet and cannot directly image exoplanets (外部行星). This is incorrect. NASA/IPAC has a list at exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/docs/imaging.html. One example is an image of 51 Eridani b. The planet is 2.6 times as massive as Jupiter and has the same radius (半径). Gerard Kriss Space Telescope Science Institute

Dr. Gerard: I am pleased that my article brought a response. The phrase “planet detection” arouses in people’s imaginations beautiful images of planets that are creative artistic representations of novel worlds. But a blur of brightness is not an image. Exoplanet researchers routinely call videos such as the one below of 51 Eridani b “direct images” because the planet’s light has been separated from that of its star. “Directly imaged” is the standard language of exoplanet astronomy. But to an optical (光学的) scientist such as myself, there is a strong distinction between direct detection (the planet’s light separated from the light of its star) and direct imaging (a proven picture of the exoplanet). From an optical researcher’s perspective, a single bright spot simply is not an image. Indeed, even the word “direct” in direct detection is debatable from an optical researcher’s point of view. The detection of the light of the exoplanet requires significant processing, adding multiple images and removing starlight based on theoretical models of the source signal. But the interpretation of a bright spot as a planet is only possible upon visual inspection and optimistic thinking. As an optical scientist, I cannot look at a single spot and call it an image of exoplanets. A trajectory (轨迹), or a series of bright points, is not an image of a planet, although it very likely represents something that nowadays is described as an exoplanet. Marija Strojnik

1. ________ is the main disagreement between Marija Strojnik and Gerard Kriss.

A．The definition of a planet	B．The importance of detecting exoplanets
C．The artistic representation of exoplanets	D．The use of the term “direct imaging”

2. How does Dr. Strojnik feel about the interpretation of a bright spot as an exoplanet?

A．She supports it, as it is a common practice in exoplanet astronomy.

B．She approves of it, although it does not provide a clear picture of the exoplanet.

C．She believes it is only possible through visual observation and positive assumption.

D．She considers the interpretation to be debatable, as it requires significant processing.

3. Where can you find these two letters?

A．In the textbook.	B．In a local newspaper.
C．In a published essay.	D．In a science journal.

7 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

Sora: OpenAl will now let you create videos from verbal cues

Artificial intelligence leader OpenAI introduced a new AI model called Sora which it claims can create “realistic” and “imaginative” 60-second videos from quick text instructions. In a blog post on Wednesday, the company said Sora is capable of generating videos up to 60 seconds in length from text instructions,     1     (serve) up scenes with multiple characters, specific types of motion, and detailed background details.

This is the latest effort from the company behind the viral chatbot ChatGPT,     2     continues to push the generative AI movement forward.     3     “multi-modal models” are not new and text-to-video models already exist, what sets this apart is the length and accuracy that OpenAI claims Sora to have, according to Reece Hayden, a senior analyst at market research firm ABI Research. Hayden said these types of AI models     4     have a big impact on digital entertainment.

Sora     5     (make) available to online security professors soon in order to assess the product for harms or risks. It is also granting access to a number of visual artists, designers and filmmakers to collect feedback on     6     creative professionals could use it.

For now, OpenAI said Sora is still a work     7     progress with clear “weaknesses,” particularly when it comes to spatial details of a prompt-mixing up left and right-and cause and effect. The latest update comes as OpenAI continues to advance ChatGPT. Earlier this week, the company said it is testing a feature in which users can control ChatGPT’s memory, allowing them to ask the platform to remember chats to make future conversations     8     (personalized) or tell it to forget something previously     9     (discuss). The company also said it plans to work with a team of experts     10     (test) the latest model and look closely at various areas including misinformation,hateful content and prejudice.

8 . ①The world’s heaviest snake has been hiding a big secret.

② According to a study published today in the open-access journal MDPI Diversity, the animal known as the green anaconda, or Eunectes murinus, is actually two genetically distinct species, despite each species looking so similar that even experts can’t tell them apart.

③“Genetically, the differences are massive,” says Bryan Fry, a National Geographic Explorer, biologist at the University of Queensland in Australia, and coauthor of the new study. “They’re five-and-a-half percent different, genetically. Now, to put that into context, we’re about two percent different from chimps,” he says.

④ To make the shocking discovery, Fry and his coauthors collected blood and tissue samples from green anacondas in Ecuador, Venezuela, and Brazil.The study authors also examined each animal closely to count scales and look for other physical traits that could signal an evolutionary difference. After running the genetic data, they found a clear divide between anacondas sampled in the northern part of the range as opposed to those in the south. And based on those findings, they propose renaming the snakes found in the north as the northern green anaconda (Eunectes akayima), while E. murinus will continue to refer to southern green anacondas.

⑤Fry says his jaw dropped when the analyses completed. “I didn’t expect that level of difference,” he says. “It’s just mind-blowing. We were all of us very much doing happy dances.”

⑥While it may seem like splitting hairs to re-classify two populations of snakes that look identical to one another, Fry emphasizes how important such delineations can be for understanding the threats posed to these creatures. Right now, the International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies the green anaconda as a species of least concern when it comes to extinction risk, but this classification is based, in part, on how widely distributed a species is. “It’s important, because the newly described northern green anaconda has a much smaller range than the southern, and so that means it’s much more vulnerable,” says Fry.

⑦Working with giant snakes isn’t easy. The fact that anacondas are massive, powerful predators is just one reason the animals haven’t been more closely studied. However, more work of this kind may be needed to understand how the northern and southern green anacondas started separate evolutionary tracks. After all, the two species appear to coexist in French Guiana, even as close as being found on opposite riverbanks, says Fry. And yet, there’s no evidence of interbreeding in their genetics.

1. W'hy did the author mention “we’re about two percent different from chimps” in paragraph 3?

A．To show how genetically different green anacondas are.

B．To show how distant we humans are from green anacondas.

C．To show how similar green anacondas are in appearance.

D．To show how hard it is for experts to tell green anacondas apart.

2. Based on the context, what does the underlined word “delineations” in paragraph 6 mean?

A．similarity

B．conservation

C．classification

D．extinction

3. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Experts suggest continuing to refer to the northern green anacondas as Eunectes murinus.

B．Experts are sure of how green anacondas started different evolutionary tracks.

C．The classification of green anacondas helps arouse awareness of its protection.

D．The two species of green anacondas once interbred in their genetics when living close.

4. Which is the best title of the passage?

A．Eunectes akayima: splitting hairs

B．Eunectes murinus: the world’s heaviest snake

C．Northern green anaconda: a newly found species

D．Green anacondas: two genetically different species

9 . Talking therapies for anxiety and depression

Talking therapies, or psychological therapies, are effective treatments delivered by fully trained and qualified experts. They can help if you’re struggling with things like feelings of depression, excessive worry, social anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

· You can access talking therapies for free on the National Health Service (NHS) in UK.

· You can refer yourself directly to a talking therapies service without recommendation.

· Help is available in person, by video, over the phone or as an online course.

What can talking therapies help with?

You do not need to have a diagnosed mental health problem first. Getting support as soon as you start having difficulties can help to reduce their impact.

You may be:

· feeling anxious

· feeling low and hopeless

· having panic attacks

· finding it hard to cope with work, life or relationships

· struggling with flashbacks and nightmares about things from your past

· feeling stressed

Other things that talking therapies can help with include:

· worrying a lot

· excessive thoughts or behaviours

· fear social situations

· being afraid of things, such as spiders, flying or heights

Types of talking therapies

There are a range of evidence-based talking therapies. Which therapy you are offered depends on which one has been shown to be most helpful for your symptoms.

Examples of talking therapies include:

· guided self-help-where a therapist coaches you as you work through a self-help course in your own time, either using a workbook or an online course

· cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)-based on the idea that thoughts, feelings, what we do, and how our bodies feel physically, are all connected. CBT helps you notice and challenge thoughts or behaviours to help you feel better.

· interpersonal therapy (IPT) or dynamic interpersonal therapy (DIT)-therapies that look at the link between your depression and your relationships

Talking therapies can also help if you have mental health problems resulting from other conditions, such as diabetes (糖尿病), cancer, long-term pain.

Talking therapies are oftered in different ways, including:

· using a self-help workbook with the support of a therapist

· as an online course

· one-to-one sessions either in person, over the phone or as a video consultation

· in a group

1. You are recommended talking therapics if you are________.

A．feeling optimistic about the future

B．suffering from diabetes or cancer

C．lacking in thoughts or behaviours

D．afraid of getting along with others

2. During the therapy, which of the following might happen?

A．You conduct a self-help course all by yourself.

B．Your thoughts and how your body feel disconnect.

C．You feel better after noticing and challenging thoughts.

D．You have to work in a group to receive talking therapies.

3. What is the purpose of the passage?

A．To inform people of talking therapies.

B．To persuade people to take talking therapies.

C．To call for donation for talking therapies.

D．To describe the history of talking therapies.

10 . It is certainly difficult to make money. But should money be difficult to give away? In The Gilded Age, industrialists such as Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller worried about waste and misuse; Carnegie wrote in 1889 that $950 of every $1,000 that went to charity was “unwisely spent”.     1     Donors ran lengthy application processes, provided funds and fulfilled painstaking reporting requirements. In 2006 The Economist called it “philanthrocapitalism (慈善资本主义)”.

    2     The 400 richest Americans have given away just 6% of their combined fortunes, according to Forbes. At the last count in 2022, almost $1.2 trn was sitting in American private foundations and $230bn in donor-advised funds, a sort of savings account for donors. Plenty of money is being marked for charity. But it is not getting to worthy causes fast enough.

Fortunately, a new generation of donors is once again shaking up the world of big philanthropy (慈善事业). Leading the mission is MacKenzie Scott, who simplified the process of giving and is donating billions of dollars a year with few conditions. This “no-strings giving” is changing mega-donors’ long-held assumptions.     3    

One is the recognition that philanthropists do not have to do everything themselves.     4     An upside of a decades-long trend for businesslike philanthropy is that armies of consultants have emerged to help donors draw up a strategy and conduct due diligence on potential recipients. Donors can team up and share the work, too.

Another lesson from the no-strings crowd is that philanthropists can trust recipients to put money to good use once the proper due diligence is in place. That means analyzing a nonprofit organization’s annual reports and interviewing its leaders and other funders.

A．It offers lessons for those struggling to get money out of the door.

B．In addition to that, her charity work is too numerous to mention.

C．However, this idea that charities’ money is wasted has been proven wrong by evidence.

D．Mega-donors no longer need to endure the trouble of setting up a foundation and hiring staff.

E．Two decades on, however, it’s become clear that all this paperwork puts the brakes on giving.

F．Around the turn of the millennium donors looked to data and rules as a way to stop waste.