1 . Computer-generated (产生) writers…writing computer-generated stories?

Sports Illustrated is the latest media company to see its good name damaged—if not totally dishonest—about who or what is writing its stories at the beginning of the artificial intelligence (AI) age. The once-powerful media company said it was firing a company that produced articles for its website written by writers who clearly don’t exist.

This week, the Futurism website reported that Sports Illustrated used stories written by writers it could not identify. Upon questioning Sports Illustrated, Futurism said all of the writers with Al-generated photos disappeared from the magazine’s website. No explanation was offered. Futurism quoted (引用) an unnamed person at the magazine who said AI was used in the creation of some content as well—“no matter how much they say that it’s not.”

Sports Illustrated said the articles in question were created by a third-party company, AdVon Commerce, which made the magazine believe that they were written and edited by humans. AdVon had its writers use a pen name, “actions we don’t agree on,” Sports Illustrated said.

Earlier this year, experiments with AI went wrong at media companies. Many companies are testing the new technology at a time when human workers fear it could cost jobs. But it doesn’t work in journalism, which builds and markets its values-based products on truth. “Although there’s nothing wrong in media companies’ experimenting with AI, the mistake is in trying to hide it,” said Tom Rosenstiel, a University of Maryland professor who teaches journalism ethnics (新闻道德). “If you want to be in the truth-telling business, you shouldn’t tell lies,” Rosenstiel said, “A secret is a form of lying.”

1. What can we learn about Sports Illustrated according to Paragraph 2?

A．It was an honest media company.	B．AI might do harm to its good name.
C．It fired a company started at an AI Age.	D．Al made it the latest technology company.

2. Why did the Futurism question Sports Illustrated?

A．Because Sports Illustrated used the same writers to create stories.

B．Because AI-generated stories were used on the magazine’s website.

C．Because Sports Illustrated quoted an unnamed person at the magazine.

D．Because AI-generated photos disappeared from the magazine’s website.

3. Which “cost” below is in the closet meaning to the “cost” in the last paragraph?

A．This dictionary cost him 10 dollars.

B．The house cost my aunt an arm and a leg.

C．Such behaviour could cost you your place in the team.

D．I didn’t get my dream sports shoes because they cost a lot.

4. What might be the best title for the text?

A．Media Companies that Use AI Tool.

B．Writing Computer-generated Stories.

C．Al Writing Ruining Media Company’s Fame.

D．Firing Companies that Produce Al-written Stories.

2 . Do you have a story to share?

Traces welcomes article submissions (提交)from historians, genealogists (系谱学者), family history researchers, and history lovers.

·Ancest or stories

·Historical research and news

·Research tips

·Character studies

·Historical building profiles

·Antiques, collections, and preservation

·Personal heirlooms

Please note that all article submissions will be reviewed by the editor. The editor has the right to refuse submissions.

Articles are between 1,000 and 1,200 words (except personal heirloom submissions, which are 100-200 words). If imagery is available, it must be high resolution (300 dpi).

Send your submissions to eden.cox@executivemeida.com.au.

1. Who decides whether your article will be accepted?

A．History lovers.	B．Historians.
C．Genealogists.	D．Editors.

2. What submission is likely to be accepted?

A．An imagery with low resolution.	B．A research tip of around 200 words.
C．An ancestor story of around 1,100 words.	D．A personal heirloom of around 1,200 words.

3. Where is this text probably taken from?

A．A note.

B．A story.

C．An advertisement.

D．An encyclopedia.

7 . Animals can be heroes.

One sunny afternoon as I sat on my back porch, I noticed my loyal dog Louie playing in the yard. Suddenly, barking (吠叫) ________, he rushed to the chicken cage.

________, I walked over to see what was going on. As I approached I saw a small snake slithering (爬行) along the ground. Louie was barking and ________ the snake around the cage, ________ to protect his feathered friends. I watched in amazement as Louie ran around the yard, ________ over flowerpots. The snake, ________ by Louie’s sudden appearance, slithered away as fast as it could. But Louie wasn’t about to let it ________. He continued his chase, trying to ________ the snake out of the yard.

The hunting went on for what full like ages, with Louie and the snake moving quickly around the yard. Finally, Louie managed to ________ the snake near the garden shed. With a winning bark, he dashed forward to grab the snake in his Jaws — but ________ and ended up falling into a pile of leaves. The snake, ________ its chance, slipped away into the underbrush, Louie ________ from the leaves, looking a bit confused but still determined to protect the chickens. He settled down next to the cage, keeping a watchful eye on the area ________ the snake came back. The chickens seemed to sense Louie’s ________, and they looked out at him through the wire mesh, clucking their thanks.

And that’s how Louie became a ________ in our yard.

1.

A．happily

B．wildly

C．softly

D．proudly

2.

A．Curious

B．Awkward

C．Amazed

D．Annoyed

3.

A．playing with

B．looking at

C．running after

D．jumping over

4.

A．continuing

B．attempting

C．learning

D．pretending

5.

A．knocking

B．turning

C．going

D．watching

6.

A．confused

B．impressed

C．frightened

D．attracted

7.

A．fight back

B．get away

C．come out

D．pass by

8.

A．drive

B．bring

C．sweep

D．pull

9.

A．kill

B．catch

C．strike

D．corner

10.

A．quit

B．waited

C．suffered

D．missed

11.

A．losing

B．ruining

C．creating

D．sensing

12.

A．escaped

B．recovered

C．rose

D．started

13.

A．or else

B．so that

C．if only

D．in case

14.

A．bravery

B．friendliness

C．wisdom

D．sincerity

15.

A．member

B．model

C．hero

D．guard

8 . Each day, I woke up with a mental list of the tasks I had to complete. My routine was ________ : class, soccer practice, and sleep. I adapted well to it. However, my life ________ on the day of the final game.

As I ________ the center of the field, I ________ myself that I would give this game my all as if it were my ________ game.

The whistle sounded, and the ball was kicked in my direction. ________ the ball, I crossed it, just in time for my teammate to meet it and pound it right into the ________ .“Goal!”The game had started out ________. But the game grew intense as the score was tied at 1-1, until I had the ball with one minute ________. I needed to put the ball in the net, and I did just that, making the ________ score 2-1. But it didn’t go exactly as planned. To block my shot, my opponent ________ me in midair. But instead of heading the ball, her body ________ mine, leaving me unconscious in the middle of the field.

I went through a very difficult operation, followed by a long,________ road to recovery. I couldn’t play soccer any more. It did turn out my last game. Yet, looking back on the situation in its entirety, I have no ________. I said I would give it 100 percent. I did just that, and finally, I came out a ________.

1.

A．strange

B．boring

C．old

D．simple

2.

A．improved

B．began

C．changed

D．continued

3.

A．explored

B．approached

C．discovered

D．decorated

4.

A．warned

B．begged

C．taught

D．promised

5.

A．last

B．professional

C．lucky

D．favorite

6.

A．Missing

B．Receiving

C．Throwing

D．Avoiding

7.

A．field

B．corner

C．center

D．net

8.

A．well

B．safely

C．late

D．normally

9.

A．delayed

B．left

C．wasted

D．lost

10.

A．extra

B．average

C．final

D．former

11.

A．challenged

B．identified

C．threatened

D．injured

12.

A．passed by

B．fell behind

C．crashed into

D．guarded against

13.

A．painful

B．dangerous

C．lonely

D．special

14.

A．losses

B．regrets

C．comments

D．fears

15.

A．master

B．leader

C．winner

D．survivor

9 . Everywhere I look, there are new buildings under construction. The neighborhoods that I knew as a boy, filled with beautiful old buildings, have mostly disappeared, and in their place, modern, high-rise buildings have appeared. There is good reason for this. Residents want all the conveniences of modern living. However, how can our children understand and maintain their cultural identity if we erase so much of the physical evidence of it?

The arguments for preserving historic buildings are not simply about an emotional attachment to the past. There are also good economic arguments in favour of preservation. The renovation (修缮) and preservation of historic districts can become an economic engine, drawing tourists and small businesses to the area. For example, in Dubai, the historic Al Bastikiya district draws thousands of tourists every year from all over the world. It also attracts local residents, eager to learn about their city's past.

Some have argued that historic preservation is too expensive, but many recent projects have demonstrated that this is not necessarily the case. In fact, renovation of an existing structure for adaptive reuse can cost about £40 per square metre less than even the most basic new construction, while preserving the beauty of the original building. And, although it is often claimed that old buildings have a more significant environmental footprint than new construction because they aren’t very energy efficient, architects and environmental experts maintain that the greenest building is the one that is already built. New construction almost always has a more serious environmental impact (影响) because it requires the use of all-new materials that must be transported, often over long distances, instead of recycled materials that are already on site. We recycle so many other things. We can and should recycle buildings, too.

Historic preservation is an option that opens many possibilities; demolition (拆毁), in contrast, is irreversible. Once these treasures are lost, they are lost forever, an important link in our heritage that can never be recovered.

1. What drives people to replace old buildings with new ones?

A．Their dislike of old buildings.	B．Their pride in cultural identity.
C．Their concern about young generations.	D．Their desire for modern comforts.

2. What does the example of Al Bastikiya show?

A．Historic renovation costs much money.

B．Local governments support small businesses.

C．Historic preservation brings economic benefits.

D．International tourism promises economic recovery.

3. What can be inferred about renovating old buildings from paragraph 3?

A．It uses green materials.	B．It damages architectural beauty.
C．It reduces enviromental impact.	D．It worries environmental experts.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards historic preservation?

A．Positive.

B．Doubtful.

C．Disapproving.

D．Objective.

10 . If exercise seems like a great idea but you can never keep up a routine, it’s worth thinking about your exercise “mindset” — defined by psychologists as attitudes that shape our behaviour and reality. Research evidence is mounting that identifying some of our most habitual beliefs and replacing them with more adaptive ones can revive our ability to keep ourselves healthy.

“Whether they’re true or not, mindsets have an effect,” says Dr. Alia Crum. “They change what we pay attention to, what we’re motivated to do, how we feel emotionally about what we’re doing and what we decide to prioritize (优先处理).” For instance, maybe you’ve tried to shame or scare yourself into going to the gym by reconsidering the health risks of not moving. Or perhaps you’ve aimed to get active by thinking of the long-term positive aspects of exercise: exercising regularly is 1.5 times more effective than taking medicine in easing depression, stress and anxiety.

In contrast, thinking about exercise in all-or-nothing terms — “I need at least 30 minutes or there’s no point” — is the enemy of consistency. You want to use the mindset that “any and all movement is worth it, and everything counts,” says Dr. Michelle Segar, a researcher at the University of Michigan. Even a quick walk in the middle of a busy day is good for your well-being. If that doesn’t agree with your perfectionist tendencies (倾向), consider whether those tendencies have worked for you. Though strict standards may help some people, for many others they backfire, creating a cycle of failure.

Besides bringing flexibility (灵活性) to how you view your movement, changing your “why” for getting active can also help keep up motivation. Rather than seeing workouts as a way to lose weight, it can help to focus on more immediately pleasant reasons to do it, like clearing your mind or feeling less stressed.

Regarding the process of exercise as something that’s attractive makes a difference. The key is to focus on the pleasure that exercise can bring, and then pick an activity that is actually rewarding.

1. What’s the writing purpose of paragraph 1?

A．To give a general description of mindset.

B．To explain people’s confusion over mindset.

C．To investigate the reasons for habitual behaviors.

D．To stress the importance of adapting exercise mindset.

2. What can be learned about Alia Crum’s point of view?

A．Everything matters in promoting one’s health.

B．Mindsets affect one’s motivation and decision to act.

C．It’s a good idea to make an exercise plan more flexible.

D．It’s necessary to take some enjoyable and valuable exercise.

3. What does the author mean by the underlined sentence in paragraph 3?

A．Strict standards require people to work out every day.

B．Strict standards aren’t suitable for those perfectionists.

C．Strict standards may lead to the opposite result for others.

D．Strict standards stop people revising their plans regularly.

4. Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A．A New Study of Exercise Routine	B．Focus on the Pleasure of Exercise
C．The Power of Your Exercise Mindset	D．Exercise Mindset and Failures Connected