1 . A new study reveals that pigeons (鸽子) can tackle some problems just like artificial intelligence, enabling them to solve difficult tasks that might challenge humans. Previous research has theorized that pigeons employ a problem-solving strategy, involving a trial-and- error approach, which is similar to the approach used in AI models but differs from humans’ reliance on selective attention and rule use. To examine it, Brandon Turner, a psychology professor at the Ohio State University, and his colleagues conducted the new study.

In the study, the pigeons were presented with various visual images, including lines of different widths and angles, and different types of rings. The pigeons had to peck (啄) a button on the right or left to indicate the category to which the image belonged. If they got it correct, they received food; if they were wrong, they received nothing. Results showed that, through trial and error, the pigeons improved their accuracy in categorization tasks, increasing their correct choices from about 55% to 95%.

Researchers believed pigeons used associative learning, which is linking two phenomena with each other. For example, it is easy to understand the link. between “water” and “wet”. “Associative learning is frequently assumed to be far too primitive to. explain complex visual categorization like what we saw the pigeons do,” Turner said. But that’s exactly what the researchers found.

The researchers’ AI model tackled the same tasks using just the two simple mechanisms that pigeons were assumed to use: associative learning and error correction. And, like the pigeons, the AI model learned to make the right predictions to significantly increase the number of correct answers. For humans, the challenge when given tasks like those given to pigeons is that they would try to come up with rules that could make the task easier. But in this case, there were no rules, which upsets humans.

What’s interesting, though, is that pigeons use this method of learning that is very similar to AI designed by humans, Turner said. “We celebrate how smart we are that we designed artificial intelligence: at the same time, we regard pigeons as not clever animals,” he said.

1. What is the purpose of the new study?

A．To test a theory.	B．To evaluate a model.
C．To employ a strategy.	D．To involve an approach.

2. What were the pigeons expected to do in the experiment?

A．Draw circles.

B．Correct errors.

C．Copy gestures.

D．Identify images.

3. What do pigeons and AI have in common according to the study?

A．They are of equal intelligence.

B．They are good at making rules.

C．They respond rapidly to orders from humans.

D．They employ simple ways to get things done.

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

A．Pigeons’ trial-and-error method is revealed

B．Pigeons outperform humans in tough tasks

C．“Not smart” pigeons may be as smart as AI

D．AI models after pigeons’ learning approach

2 . I’ve been in an 18-year love-hate relationship with a black walnut tree.

It’s a unique tree. In late September or early October, falling fruits as hard as baseballs threaten the skulls (头骨) of you, your children, your neighbors and those that reside next door to them. Umbrellas in the yard are a must while dining in early August, and as for me, I wear my bike helmet while working in the garden.

The black walnut also releases a chemical substance through its roots as a competitive strategy. It’s poisonous to several common plants. There have been many new plant varieties that I brought home with hopes that maybe the black walnut would accept them, but they failed to flourish.

What does work are native plants that naturally grow in the area. Native plants are important to have around since they provide beneficial pollinators (传粉者) like birds, bees and butterflies with seeds and contribute to a healthy and biodiverse environment. Native plants for this area are generally easy to grow, so they experience less stress.

Have I thought of getting rid of this giant pain in my tiny backyard? Yes, however, getting rid of this tree standing at 50 feet with an 87-inch trunk is next to impossible. It’s also protected under the law. Rightfully so. Trees are important to the urban forest and for all of those that inhabit it.

Sometimes I think about my life without the black walnut. I can’t imagine a spring without the birds who arrive every year and loudly sing their songs before dawn. I’d miss falling asleep on lazy weekend afternoons as I look up into its leaves.

Every spring, I wonder what the season holds: What are the chances of being knocked unconscious while barbecuing? Like any good relationship, I’ll never be pleased. I’m stuck with this tree, so I’ll listen to its needs and give it the space it requires. In return, my walnut offers a habitat for wildlife and a reminder.

1. Why does the author wear a bike helmet while working in the garden?

A．To protect the injured skull.	B．To prevent herself from sunburn.
C．To avoid being hit by the nuts.	D．To reduce the chance of getting bitten by bees.

2. What is the tree’s survival strategy?

A．It attracts beneficial pollinators.

B．It lets out poison to drive away pests.

C．It produces a chemical fatal to some plants.

D．It competes for nutrition with similar species.

3. Which of the following DOESN’T account for the author’s love-hate relationship with the tree?

A．The volume of its fruits may bring inconvenience.

B．The tree outcompetes the native plants in the garden.

C．The tree is home to numerous birds and other creatures.

D．The presence of the tree takes up much space of the garden.

4. The author most probably got a reminder from the tree that ________.

A．it’s better to give than to take

B．trees and plants have their own ways to flourish

C．even a good relationship is not always trouble-free

D．acceptance, instead of resistance, is the better way to be

3 . Humanities departments(人文院系)in America are once again being cut down. Earlier this month, the State University of New York(SUNY)StonyBrook announced a plan to abandon several of the college’s well-known departments for lack of fund. The University of Pittsburgh has cut its German and classics.     1    In the UK, Middlesex University decided to gradually get rid of philosophy department. In June 2015, the Japanese minister of education sent a letter to the presidents of the national universities of Japan, suggesting they close their graduate and undergraduate departments in the humanities and social sciences and focus on something more practical.

These are hard times. Instead of Shakespeare or French, there will be(perhaps there already are)college classes in how to cut corporate spending.     2    But the only opportunity has been lost if they are denied the opportunity to study foreign languages, the classics, literature, philosophy, music, theater and art in the university. When else in their busy lives will they get that chance?

    3    . Essays explain why we need these subjects, and what their loss will mean. These areas of learning provide us with the ability to think critically and independently; to see both sides of an issue;to look beneath the surface of what we are being told; to appreciate the ways in which language can help us understand one another more clearly.

I don’t believe that the humanities can make you a decent person.     4    . Studying philosophy teaches us about those who have gone before us. A foreign language brings us closer to those with whom we share the planet. The humanities touch those aspects of awareness that we call intellect and heart.     5    

A．These subjects are under attack

B．Students need practical skills to find jobs

C．Defenses of the humanities have appeared

D．This problem has also arisen internationally

E．Therefore, courses in the humanities are beneficial

F．It helps us learn how to think and live in a harmonious society

G．But they can expand our sense of what humans can accomplish and create

4 . 假定你是校英语报主编李华，你发现随着信息技术的发展，高中生阅读纸质媒体的热情在逐步减少，请你写一篇英语短文，呼吁学生重拾对纸质阅读的热情。
具体内容如下：1.介绍现状；2.纸媒的重要性；3.提出呼吁。
注意：1.词数80左右；2.可适当增加细节，使内容充实，行文连贯。

Embracing the Magic of Print Media

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7 . It’s well-known that humor can benefit us both physically and mentally. The idea that laughter is the best medicine has been around since ancient times. In his 1905 book, Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious, Sigmund Freud argued that humor is the highest of the psyche’s defense mechanism (机制), capable of turning anxiety into pleasure.

There are four humor styles. Affiliative humor refers to jokes about things that might be commonly considered funny, which is usually employed to improve relationships or make others laugh. If you’ve ever shared a funny picture with a coworker, you’ve used affiliative humor. Self-enhancing humor involves being able to laugh at yourself, often used as a way for you to deal with stress or difficulties and feel better as a result. Aggressive humor is laughing at the expense of others, which often involves sarcasm (讽刺), teasing, and criticism. Self-defeating humor is the art of putting yourself down to gain favor from your peers, which is possibly used by someone who’s targeted by bullies.

Each style of humor actually carries a different influence, when it comes to mental health. Julie Aitken Schermer, a psychological researcher at The University of Western Ontario, says people using self-enhancing humor are less likely to show signs of loneliness and poor relationships with others. By contrast, both aggressive and self-defeating humor styles can hint at trouble. “We find that self-defeating humor is the most concerning style as it is also linked with loneliness and feelings of not mattering. Those with an aggressive humor style may not experience loneliness as much, however, since they rely on group dynamics (群体动力) in order to make fun of their peers,” says Schermer.

Even if you tend to favor more negative humor styles, there’s no reason to lose heart. Schermer says people can develop a positive, self-enhancing humor style by concentrating on the lighter and more humorous aspects of life. As author Kurt Vonnegut once wrote, “Laughter and tears are both responses to worries and anxieties. I prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward.”

1. Why is Sigmund Freud’s book mentioned in Paragraph 1?

A．To show the importance of mental health.	B．To stress the role of humor.
C．To persuade people to stay positive.	D．To introduce ancient jokes to us.

2. According to the text, which kind of humor may you use to relieve pressure?

A．Affiliative humor.	B．Self-enhancing humor.
C．Aggressive humor.	D．Self-defeating humor.

3. What does the underlined phrase “hint at” probably mean in the third paragraph?

A．Signal.

B．Explain.

C．Prevent.

D．Solve.

4. Which of the following will Kurt Vonnegut probably agree with?

A．Humor is difficult to control.	B．Crying is a good way of relief.
C．Humor is a double-edged sword.	D．Laughter is the best cure for stress.

9 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, with the development of production, astronomy attained many achievements. The Ganshi Star Classic,     1    (write) between 375-350 BC, is the earliest astronomical work in the world. 

Gan De and Shi Shen respectively conducted astronomical observations in their own aspects     2     published their works to the world. They had     3     (systematic) observed the movements of the five planets, namely, gold, wood, water, fire and earth, and had     4     grasp of the laws of the movements of these planets for the first time. They recorded the names of 800 stars, and determined the positions of 121. Later     5    (generation)called the records of Gan De and Shi Shen’s determination of stars ”Ganshi Star Classic“. The Ganshi Star Classic is the earliest star table in the world, about 200 years earlier than the first     6     (Europe) star table created by a Greek astronomer. To date, their achievements     7     (recognise) internationally. Shi Shen was referred to     8    one of the outstanding contributors to world astronomy, after     9     the largest crater (环形山) on the back of the moon was named. Many later astronomers use the data in the ”Ganshi Star Classic“ when     10     (measure) the position and motion of the sun, moon and planets. Therefore, the ”Ganshi Star Classic“ occupies an important position in the history of astronomy in China and the world.

10 . Let’s face it: Life is hard. But it doesn’t have to be, especially if you have the following products. From a workout mirror to a water purifier, your day today routine is about to get a lot easier.

Tempo Move

$495 SHOP. TEMPO. FIT

Tempo makes exercise truly convenient from your own home. You may recognize it as one of the many workout mirrors on the market, but the new tempo move system allows you to easily connect your phone and their apps to a TV, and follow along with all their wonderful classes.

VIVE Flow

$499 AT VIVE. COM

Vive goggles will bring an extremely accessible and refreshing approach to the VR world. The Vive goggles are, well, a pair of goggles not unlike something you’d wear to snowboard. They’re extremely lightweight with a lightning fast set-up that’s suitable for things like watching Netflix, or meditation (冥想). It’s the calmest headset I’ve ever worn and uses cameras to let you control everything with just your hands.

Hisense 75”U 80X0GR 8K ULED Roku TV

$1, 800 AT BEST BUY

8K sounded like a luxury, but now that brands like Hisense, which focus on a more affordable version, have got some time with the tech. You can finally bring the deep color output and astonishing detail into your living room. Calling it “afordable“ may be a little overstate, but compared to most 8K TVs which all run over $5, 000, it’s the most cost-efficient version of the tech we’ve got.

LARQ Water Purifier

$139 AT LIVELARQ. COM

Larq just made your water cleaner with light technology. The best part is that it somehow manages to taste clean and fresh too. And while I thought it may be a trick, I’ve forced friends, family, and strangers to compare, and they all agree. Even if you don’t care about clean water, you’ll care about that, right?

1. What can be inferred about Vive Goggles?

A．They are user-friendly.	B．They help keep track of weight.
C．They are intended for snowboarders.	D．They can control everything.

2. What is special about Hisense 8K TV?

A．Its look is luxurious.

B．Its tech is advanced.

C．It is economical.

D．It features deep color.

3. Where is the text probably taken from?

A．A consumer review.	B．A science report.
C．An online advertisement.	D．A product introduction.