1 . Standing on a school stage, the master swings his arms and moves his body as he conducts an orchestra. The 70 young musicians keep a sharp focus on the master’s white baton (指挥棒) as it shoots upward, downward, and sideways.
Michael Morgan was six years old when his father moved a neighbor’s unwanted piano into their living room. He started piano lessons, but it was when he saw a conductor leading an orchestra on television that he realized what he really wanted to do. At age eight, he began reading The Joy of Music by conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein and figured out how to direct with a baton. After graduating from Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, Michael worked under Bernstein. “Conducting is a thing you learn by apprenticing (当学徒). You do more watching than anything else,” Morgan says. Even after Morgan had graduated from Oberlin, Bernstein’s masterful teaching continued to influence him.
Morgan is committed to offering kids a chance to explore classical music. In his hometown, he started to volunteer in local schools, conducting student orchestras and talking with kids about music. Morgan is also the music director and conductor of the Oakland Symphony. He works with teachers in after-school programs to reach students who can’t afford lessons.
Morgan is focused and works very hard. “He’s mastermind behind all of these programs,” says Elizabeth, Oakland Symphony Education Coordinator. “He is in an amazing harmony with students. He is really serious in getting down to his business.”
Morgan says his work is mostly about providing young people with an entrance into music. “Instruments give kids a way of emotional expression, a source of pride, and an interest they can carry with them through life. Young musicians come from many different cultures and communities. But with instruments in hand, their hearts sing as one,” he says.
1. What inspired Morgan to begin his career as a conductor?| A．A gift from his neighbor. | B．The piano lessons he took. |
| C．The guidance of his teacher. | D．A TV program in his childhood. |
| A．Passionate and honest. | B．Generous and demanding. |
| C．Ambitious and humorous. | D．Warmhearted and devoted. |
| A．To show recognition on Morgan. | B．To share her cooperation with Morgan. |
| C．To encourage kids to learn from Morgan. | D．To express people’s expectations for Morgan. |
| A．Playing music is the best way to relieve people’s tension. |
| B．Morgan opens a door to music teaching for young musicians. |
| C．Music has the power to bridge cultural gap and unite people. |
| D．Young musicians tend to play the same song whole-heartedly. |
2 . Xiaomi, best known for its popular smartphones and domestic appliances, launched its SU7 model on March 28 in China. The tech company began accepting orders in China via an app. Xiaomi said that it received 50,000 orders for the SU7 in the first 27 minutes after sales opened.
“Entering the car-making business will be the last big start-up project of my life. This is to perform our agreement made three years ago,” Chief Executive Lei Jun wrote. He added that he was confident about entering the EV (electric vehicle) market.
Xiaomi introduced the SU7 at its technology conference in December 2023, saying it was capable of accelerating speeds faster than Tesla cars and Porsche EVs, with one version capable of hitting 100 kilometers per hour in 2.78 seconds. One version has a driving range of up to 800 kilometers, it added.
The SU7’s release comes when EV makers battle for sales in the world’s largest auto market. Xiaomi will enter the competition as leading brands like BYD and Tesla are cutting prices sharply to attract consumers to buy their EVs in an oversupplied market.
Analysts said the SU7’s release will likely cut into Xiaomi’s bottom line as marketing and other expenses rise. Xiaomi posted a net profit of 4.87 billion yuan ($677.9 million) in the third quarter, up 52% from the preceding quarter on the back of improved margins. The key thing to watch for the launch will be the price, specifically if it’s below or above ¥ 200,000, Huatai Securities equity analyst Leping Huang said. The level serves as a classification benchmark for EVs in the same class as the SU7.
Xiaomi may have some advantages over competitors since it is “already a very well-known brand and may be able to take advantage of existing distribution channels,” Morningstar equity analyst Dan Baker said, “but recent profit forecasts could well be negative.”
1. What can we learn from the first two paragraphs?| A．The SU7 is well received by consumers in China. |
| B．Lei Jun raised his concern about the future of EV market. |
| C．Xiaomi regards developing SU7 models as its last project. |
| D．Orders of the SU7 can be placed in the shops worldwide now. |
| A．Higher costs of production than other EVs. |
| B．Lack of advantages in acceleration speeds. |
| C．Fierce competition in oversupplied market. |
| D．Technical issues with an ideal driving range. |
| A．Symbol. | B．Background. | C．Standard. | D．Management. |
| A．Xiaomi released its first EV | B．Xiaomi hits the big time overnight |
| C．Xiaomi has changed the EV market | D．Xiaomi will take the lead in the world |
3 . Millions of people have conditions that make walking difficult. Millions more regularly perform tough movement as part of their jobs. Wearable robotic devices called exoskeletons that help the legs move could benefit both of these groups. In laboratory settings, such devices have helped people walk faster while using less energy. But various obstacles have kept these devices from being practical for everyday use.
A research team at Stanford University led by Dr. Steven Collins has developed an exoskeleton that can rapidly adapt to the user during normal walking. The team tested how well an exoskeleton based on their model could adapt to a user. They then compared it to one based on lab measurements. Both methods wound up applying similar forces at different speeds and reduced effort similarly across a range of conditions. But the model-based adaptation took only one-quarter as long as the measurement-based adaptation.
Next, the researchers created a portable, ankle-worn exoskeleton that could be used in the real world. The exoskeleton was powered by a battery pack worn at the waist.
The team conducted tests of the device outdoors on public sidewalks. Compared with walking in normal shoes, the exoskeleton increased walking speed by 9% while expending 17% less energy on average. This is equal to the energy savings of removing a 20-pound backpack. When walking on a treadmill (跑步机) at a constant speed, users expended up to 23% less energy, equal to removing a 30-pound backpack.
“This exoskeleton personalize s assistance as people walk normally through the real world,” Collins says. “This opens the door to a much broader use of exoskeletons to assist individuals with physical impairments (损伤) and people who need to carry heavy loads,” adds co-author Dr. Scott Delp.
1. Who are exoskeletons designed for?| A．Sportsmen in a race. | B．Firefighters on a mission. |
| C．Patients with mental disabilities. | D．Doctors doing an operation. |
| A．Barriers. | B．Applications. | C．Models. | D．Backpacks. |
| A．To illustrate the advantage of exoskeletons. | B．To compare exoskeletons with normal shoes. |
| C．To give examples of different kinds of shoes. | D．To list the reasons for designing exoskeletons. |
| A．Conservative. | B．Negative. | C．Favourable. | D．Indifferent. |
4 . We’re often told that there’s no age limit when it comes to pursuing our goals, but it’s truly inspiring to see someone achieve them later in life-especially if they are 95 years old. Angela Alvarez is a Cuban-born singer and songwriter who, after putting aside her dream of pursuing a career in entertainment for decades, finally released her first album in 2021.
Once Alvarez graduated from school, she told her father she wanted to become a professional singer. However, he prevented her from doing so. Eventually, she got married and found happiness in raising her four children, though life wasn’t easy.
With time, her grandson, Carlos Jos é Alvarez, grew up to be a music producer. When he found out his grandma had written over 50 songs throughout her life, he asked if she would like to record her songs. Her answer was “yes”. And that was the beginning.
Alvarez’s story even caught the attention of actor Andy García, who produced a documentary about this amazing woman and the recording process of her 15-song album. “She represents a generation, perhaps our greatest generation of Cubans,” said the actor.
The dream reached new heights as she became nominated for a Latin Grammy. Once she took to the stage to accept her award, she gave an inspiring speech, “I want to dedicate this award to my beloved homeland, Cuba; also to those who have not achieved their dream. Although life is difficult, there is always a way out, and with faith and love they can achieve it. I promise, it’s never too late.”
1. What do we know about Alvarez?| A．She lived a miserable life bringing up her children. |
| B．She has released 15 albums since she returned to music. |
| C．She got nominated as the best musician of her generation. |
| D．She gave up her dream after graduation owing to her father’s prevention. |
| A．Her hard life after marriage. | B．Her grandson’s support. |
| C．Her desire to make more money. | D．Her enthusiasm for music. |
| A．Inspiring. | B．Interesting. | C．Amusing. | D．Moving. |
| A．To introduce a woman’s life-time story. |
| B．To call on others to learn from Alvarez. |
| C．To praise what Alvarez has done in music. |
| D．To tell us it’s never too late to achieve one’s dream. |
5 . Global Support assists you to organize and undertake activities outside of New York.
If you are a student, please contact Office of Global Services about visa-related questions, the Student Health Center about health insurance abroad, Office of Global Programs about studying away at one of our university’s global sites, and Office of General Counsel about any travel to Cuba.
When Should I Contact Global Support?
Conducting a university activity outside of New York, whether it is research, short trips, exchange programs or study-away programs, may present obstacles as a result of U.S. or local legal requirements. Countries and local districts have their own set of rules and regulations, and it can be challenging to be knowledgeable and current on the rules and regulations of the many countries and districts where the university operates.
How Can Global Support Help?
We will help you identify important issues relating to your activity, obtain information about these issues, engage the appropriate administrative departments and function al experts, and address these issues.
Our university maintains functional experts in a range of administrative areas to provide you with technical advice and guidance. Because there are often changes to local country rules and regulations, these university experts have relationships with third party local country experts, from whom they at times seek advice and guidance. Allowing the university functional experts to remain current on the best local country experts ensures you get the best advice at the best price.
1. Where should you go to ask questions about travel to Cuba?| A．Office of Global Services. | B．The Student Health Center. |
| C．Office of Global Programs. | D．Office of General Counsel. |
| A．researches | B．laws | C．programs | D．cultures |
| A．Their constant adaptation to changes. | B．Their expertise in introducing regulations. |
| C．Their cooperation with local country experts. | D．Their diverse educational backgrounds. |
6 . San-Francisco based OpenAI made its big drop during the Spring Festival holidays. The up-to-one-minute-long realistic videos created by the text-to-video AI generator Sora are so remarkable that they resulted in people imaging the limitless possibilities of this generator could have. Sora is probably able to reshape the entire movie industry.
According to OpenAI’s explainer, Sora is capable of generating complex scenes with accurate details, including multiple characters, specific types of movements, themes, and backgrounds. It understands not only what the user requests, but also how these things exist in the physical world.
Industry observers have noted that the emergence of the video-generation model was highly anticipated. However, there have been comments expressing surprise at the speed of its development, with some individuals excitedly declaring “the arrival of a new industrial revolution.” On the other hand, there are concerns that this advancement may lead to “the disappearance of reality” as we know it, and that it could potentially cause a battle against the dominance of Hollywood in the movie industry.
“When I see Sora, the first word that comes to my mind is ‘shock,’ like the majority in the film industry. As film producers, we understand the potential impact of AI on the various aspects of film production, some positions such as those relating to movie preview would be impacted,” Ma Heliang, a film producer said.
“But the current technology is still far from reaching the levels required for making theatrical films, or to hollow out the entire movie industry. Over the past 100 years, movies have established an emotional connection and a shared social space with the audience. It involves socializing and sharing aesthetics, making it a complex entity. It is not possible to replace this experience with a simple video clip generated by AI,” Ma noted.
But the strong capability of Sora tells us that the direction of relying on AI to assist in human creativity is becoming increasingly clear. It allows creators to be less restricted by industrial processes and enables them to express what they want more freely using AI tools.
1. What is Sora’s function?| A．It can improve holiday atmosphere. |
| B．It can produce videos based on texts. |
| C．It can enrich people’s imagination. |
| D．It can reshape the whole film making tools. |
| A．The arrival of a new industrial revolution. |
| B．The speed of social media’s development. |
| C．The emergence of the video-generation model. |
| D．The rapid advancement of the video-generation model. |
| A．AI will take over the entire movie industry. |
| B．Theatrical films have been made by AI currently. |
| C．Film production can’t be completely replaced by AI. |
| D．AI can establish an emotional connection with the audience. |
| A．Movie industry comes into a new age |
| B．Sora shows potential of AI technology |
| C．Sora starts a battle against Hollywood |
| D．OpenAI’s productions bring shocking news |
7 . Writing competitions
Closing date in AprilAuthor of Tomorrow aims to find future adventure writers. Young people under 21 can send entries (参赛作品) between 1,500 and 5,000 words (under 500 words for primary-aged pupils). The prizes are £1,000 for the 16-21 age group, £100 and £150 in book tokens (购书券) for the 12-15 age group, and £100 and £150 in book tokens for the 11 and under age group. The closing date is 29th April.
Tadpole Press is running a worldwide 100-word writing competition open to writers of all ages. Entries of 100 words can be sent in any type. The competition requires a small entry fee and 1st place receives a cash prize, while 2nd and 3rd places get writing coaching and editing packages. The deadline is 30th April.
Closing date in MayThe Martha Mills Young Writers’ Prize invites young people in the UK aged 11-14 to send under 500 words of “writing that is lively, unusual or otherwise original”. This year’s topic is “The Stranger” and the closing date is 22nd May.
War Through Children’s Eyes is open to children aged 7-17 in the UK and aims to “raise awareness of the impact of wars on the communities caught up in them, and particularly on the most vulnerable members of those communities: their children”: Entries of up to 1,000 words are invited, and full details about the competition are available on its website. The closing date is 10th May.
1. Which competition is suitable for a person good at writing adventure stories?| A．Tadpole Press. |
| B．Author of Tomorrow. |
| C．War Through Children’s Eyes. |
| D．The Martha Mills Young Writers’ Prize. |
| A．All types of entries are accepted. |
| B．It is free of charge for all writers. |
| C．The winners will receive cash prizes. |
| D．It welcomes writers across the world. |
| A．They have specific topics. | B．They close on the same day. |
| C．They are only for teen writers. | D．They accept entries over 500 words. |
8 . Monet gets his place in the art timeline because of his leading role in the impressionist art movement, and through the lasting appeal of his artistic style. The painting he titled Impression: Sunrise, done early in his career, may not seem one of Monet’s best paintings, but the big deal about it is that it was the painting that gave impressionism its name.
Done with oil paint on canvas, this painting is characterized by thin washes of rather mild colors, on top of which he painted short strokes of pure color. Monet gave depth and perspective to an otherwise flat painting by the use of aerial perspective (空间透视法). Look closely at the three boats, and you can see how these get lighter in the tone, which is the way aerial perspective works. The lighter boats appear to be further away from us than the darkest one.
Monet exhibited the painting in what we now call the First Impressionist Exhibition, in Paris. Monet and a group of about 30 other artists, frustrated by restrictions and politics of the official annual art salon, had decided to hold their own independent exhibition, an unusual thing to do at the time. They called themselves the Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors, Engravers, etc., which included artists who are now world famous such as Renoir, Degas, Pissarro, Morisot, and Cezanne. Monet said he’d called the painting “impression” because “it really couldn’t pass as a view of Le Harve”.
Louis Leroy, an art critic, in his review of the exhibition used the title of Monet’s painting as the headline, calling it the “Exhibition of Impressionists”. Leroy had meant it ironically as the term “impression” was used to describe a rapidly finished painting of an atmospheric effect, and artists rarely, if ever, exhibited pictures so quickly sketched. The label stuck. In his review published on 25 April, 1874, Leroy wrote,“Wallpaper in its embryonic (萌芽期的) state is more finished than that seascape.” Then in a supportive review published a few days later, Jules Castagnary was the first art critic to use the term “Impressionism” in a positive way.
1. What do we know about Monet’s Impression: Sunrise?| A．It was universally acknowledged as Monet’s best painting. |
| B．Leroy was deeply impressed by the painter’s remarkable skill. |
| C．The different tones of the three boats gave depth to the painting. |
| D．It was exhibited in the official annual art salon with 30 other artists. |
| A．The label met strong opposition from other art critics. |
| B．The label was stuck to the surface of Monet’s painting. |
| C．The label was not regarded as a positive image. |
| D．The label stayed and became widely used after that. |
| A．Monet. | B．Leroy. | C．Renoir. | D．Castagnary. |
| A．Impression: Sunrise gave Impressionism its name. |
| B．Critics had a disagreement over Monet’s painting. |
| C．Monet is a leading artist of Impressionism. |
| D．Impressionism is an appealing artistic style. |
9 . If you look at the dynamic “Global Temperatures” map on NASA’s website, you can see the historic temperature change over time across the planet as the timeline goes from 1880 to the modern day. By 2019, the entire planet is in red, orange, and yellow colors, indicating temperatures much higher than the historical average in every country and human inhabitance.
If the timeline went to 2023, the map would look even worse. That’s because the summer of 2023 was the hottest ever, according to ocean monitors. July was the hottest month in recorded history. Next July could be worse. Unless we do something quickly, we face dealing with more and more dangerous and expensive natural disasters in the future.
Forest fires sent smoke from Canada across the North American continent, causing New York City to have the worst air quality in its recorded history. Heavy rainstorms fell on Vermont and the Northeastern United States in just a couple of days in the middle of July, which exceeded the amount that area would usually receive in two months and caused extreme damage to homes and businesses. Around the same time, flash flooding in Bucks County, Pennsylvania — north of Philadelphia — killed nearly a dozen people.
Erich Fischer, a researcher specializing in climate studies at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, is concerned that natural disasters could get much worse in the future—and in ways we cannot predict. He called for a “strike for climate justice,” which actually took place on Sept. 15, 2023. “The strategy needs to be twofold (双重的) . We need to decrease carbon emissions as much as realistically possible. That is already happening with people using electric cars and other green technologies. At the same time, we also need to find ways to predict the risk of natural disasters ahead of time,” said Erich Fischer.
1. Why does the writer mention the data on NASA’s website in paragraph 1?| A．To explain a concept. | B．To introduce a topic. |
| C．To provide a solution. | D．To make a prediction. |
| A．The severity of natural disasters. | B．The worst air quality in New York City. |
| C．The extreme damage by flash flooding. | D．The cause of the forests fires in Canada. |
| A．He advocated a twofold strategy. |
| B．He suggested forbidding carbon emissions. |
| C．He required people to use more electric cars. |
| D．He emphasized the awareness of climate changes. |
| A．The Hottest Month in History | B．Natural Disasters in the World |
| C．Extreme Weather Could Get Worse | D．Green Technology Would be Needed |
10 . In 1999, David Dunning and Justin Kruger did a series of studies evaluating people’s competence in certain areas, including grammar, humor and logic. The people in the studies were asked to evaluate their own abilities in each area. Dunning and Kruger found that people who scored low on the tests have the tendency to overestimate their abilities, indicating that people who lack skills tend to lack the ability to realize their shortcomings.
This principle has become known as the Dunning-Kruger effect. It occurs because only when people have skills in a given area are they equipped to evaluate their own skills. Admittedly, most people are overconfident in their abilities. They want to believe that they are more capable, knowledgeable and even superior to others, and when someone really wants something to be true, it can be hard for them to admit that it isn’t. By the way, the opposite of the Dunning-Kruger effect also happens: capable people have a more accurate view of their own abilities, and sometimes they even underestimate themselves.
It’s tempting (吸引人的) to think of the Dunning-Kruger effect as a problem. People may even laugh at those who think themselves more competent than they truly are, but everyone has areas where they lack competence, and the Dunning-Kruger effect means they may be relatively bad at self-evaluation in those areas. Even if someone is very intelligent in general, there are still things they don’t know much about. Expertise in one area cannot always be transferred to other areas.
That’s why it’s important to keep digging for information even when you think you’ve found answers. It can also be helpful to check your ideas with other people. Receiving negative feedback can hurt, but if you’re willing to listen, it can help you grow. Even just keeping in mind that the Dunning-Kruger effect exists can help you stay modest, accept criticism and, thus, keep learning throughout your life.
1. What did Dunning and Kruger find in their research?| A．Unskilled people tend to think too much of themselves. |
| B．Skilled people are usually more humorous and logical. |
| C．Self-evaluation makes people more logical in some areas. |
| D．Knowledgeable people sometimes think they are superior to others. |
| A．Complicated. | B．Problematic. | C．Universal. | D．Dismissive. |
| A．Evaluate yourself on a regular basis. | B．Remain humble and eager for knowledge. |
| C．Be yourself and ignore negative feedback. | D．Make friends with intelligent individuals. |
| A．A biology textbook. | B．A book review. |
| C．A feature report. | D．A. psychology journal. |
