2 . In looking through your social media, there’s a good chance you’ve noticed pictures accompanied by texts. The pictures are likely made possible by a text-to-image program called DALL-E. For example, Twitter user posted a tweet with the text, “To be or not to be, rabbi holding avocado, marble sculpture.” Then a matching picture appears below.

The AI models come from Google’s Imagen software as well as OpenAI. a start-up backed by Microsoft. On its website, OpenAI calls DALL-E “a new Al system that can create realistic images and art from a description in natural language.” But most of what’s happening in this area is coming from a relatively small group of people sharing their pictures. That’s because Google and OpenAI have not made the technology broadly available to the public.

The text-to-picture services identify the most important parts of a user’s text and then guess the best way to picture those terms. There’s generally a text box, a button to start the generation process and an area below to display images. To indicate the source. Google and OpenAI add watermarks in the bottom right comer of images from DALL-E and Imagen.

Engineers trained the models on various collections of words and pictures from the web. OpenAI recognizes the potential for harm that could come from a model. To avoid the risk, employees removed violent content from training data, and there are filters（筛选）stopping DALL-E from producing images if users submit（提交）violent or illegal content.

Boris Dayma, a developer from Texas spelled out the problems in an explanation of their software. Despite the risks, Dhariwal, a research scientist at OpenAI, said it could open up creative opportunities for individuals and could help with commercial applications for dressing up websites. Results should continue to improve over time.

1. What is the function of the the AI system DALL-E?

A．Beautifying pictures at users’ request.

B．Producing pictures from human words.

C．Changing pictures into vivid descriptions.

D．Providing pictures for users to choose from.

2. What does paragraph 3 mainly talk about concerning DALL-E?

A．Its users’ rights.	B．Its operating conditions
C．Its working process.	D．Its company’s prospect.

3. How could DALL-E ensure the images it produces legal?

A．All images come from a unified model.

B．The training data is selected beforehand.

C．Improper requests can’t be submitted.

D．Filters remove the unhealthy description.

4. What is Dhariwal’s attitude to the future of DALL-E?

A．Positive.

B．Objective.

C．Uncertain.

D．Worried.

3 . Picture the scene: you’ve spent years working towards a very specific goal. You’ve put in countless hours of work and made many efforts along the way, but now that you’ve got there it doesn’t feel quite like you imagined. Instead of celebration, you feel emptiness, confusion and doubt.

Welcome to the anti-climax. The often-experienced but seldom-discussed downside of achieving life’s biggest milestones. Many of us work tirelessly towards our goals. We may spend our lives dreaming of the day we get married, publish our first hook or buy our first home. However, oftentimes, when we achieve these things it doesn’t feel quite as expected. In fact, the achievement of these goals feels a bit of a letdown.

So why do we often experience an anti-climax with big goals, even though we’re happy to achieve them? “An anti-climax can be an unexpected by-product of a milestone achievement. Usually, the more significant the milestone, the greater the anti-climax may be. The intensity（强度）of an anti-climax often relies on what we expect of this achievement.” says Rachel Vora. a psychotherapist（心理治疗师）.“The journey to achieving a milestone can he exciting and tiring in addition to giving us a sense of purpose and focus. Therefore, when this disappears overnight. we can often feel lost and confused, in spite of feeling proud of our achievement.

When this happens it can contribute to a mixture of emotions. We often falsely believe that we’ll feel completely different afterwards or that our feelings of low self-worth will disappear, but this is rarely the case. “Clients（客户）often present to me with an extremely great sense of ‘is this it?’ and ‘what now?’.” says Vora. “These feelings of confusion and disappointment, if let ignored, have the potential to cause clients to be in low spirits, or even worse.”

1. Why does the author mention the examples in paragraph 2?

A．To present a fact.	B．To prove a rule.
C．To explain a term.	D．To make a prediction.

2. What does Vora think is the leading cause of the anti-climax?

A．Low self-worth.	B．High expectations.
C．Sense of purpose.	D．Unexpected achievements.

3. Which of the following is a case of the anti-climax?

A．Amy felt empty before giving a speech.

B．Jack felt lost after his first novel came out.

C．Mary felt proud when she joined a ballet club.

D．Tom felt doubtful about taking further education.

4. What will the author probably talk about in the following text?

A．How to hold back feelings.

B．How to improve self-worth.

C．Hon to identify the anti-climax.

D．How to deal with the anti-climax.

5 . The public must be able to understand the basics of science to make informed decisions. Perhaps the most dramatic example of the negative consequences of poor communication between scientists and the public is the issue of climate change, where a variety of factors has contributed to widespread mistrust and misunderstanding of scientists and their research. The issue of climate change also illustrates how the public acceptance and understanding of science (or the lack of it) can influence governmental decision-making with regard to regulation, science policy and research funding.

However, the importance of effective communication with a general audience is not limited to hot issues like climate change. It is also critical for issues such as the genetic basis for a particular behavior or the use of animal models because in these areas, the public understanding of science can also influence policy and funding decisions. Furthermore, with continuing scientific advances, more non-scientists will need to be able to analyze complex scientific information to make decisions that directly affect their quality of life.

Science journalism is the main channel for the popularization of scientific information among the public. Much has been written about how the relationship between scientists and the media can shape the efficient communication of scientific advances to the public. Good science journalists are specialists in making complex topics accessible to a general audience, while sticking to scientific accuracy. Unfortunately, pieces of science journalism can also oversimplify and generalize their subject material. As a result, the basic information conveyed is difficult to understand or obviously wrong.

Even though scientists play a part in conveying information to journalists and ultimately the public, too often the blame for ineffective communication is placed on the side of the journalists. I believe that, at least in part, the problem lies in places other than the interaction between scientists and members of the media. It exists because we underestimate how difficult it is for scientists to communicate effectively with a diversity of audiences, and most scientists do not receive formal training in science communication.

1. What does the example of climate change mainly serve to show?

A．Adequate government funding is vital to scientific research.

B．Government regulation helps the public understand science.

C．The public’s scientific knowledge can influence policy making.

D．There is widespread public mistrust and misunderstanding of scientific work.

2. Why is it important for scientists to build a good relationship with the media?

A．It helps scientists to build a better public image.

B．It helps them to effectively popularize scientific information.

C．It enables scientists to better apply their findings to public health.

D．It enables the public to develop a positive attitude toward science.

3. What is the problem with some pieces of science journalism?

A．They give inaccurate or complicated information.

B．They oversimplify people’s health problems.

C．They fail to mention the scientific advances.

D．They lack detailed information about scientific research.

4. According to the writer, what should scientists do to communicate to the public more effectively?

A．Interact more with the media.

B．Give training to science journalists.

C．Improve their communication skills.

D．Arouse the public’s interest in science.

6 . Great Panda Center

Join GoEco on a 7-day volunteer program in China to help wildlife at a giant panda center!

Your schedule

Day 1: Arrive at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport. The local team will be waiting to pick you up and transfer you to the hotel in Chengdu.

Day 2: Walk around Chengdu, visit Panda Breeding Center and enjoy delicious hot pot dinner.

Day 3-6: Transfer to Panda Base in the mountains and take part in rewarding volunteer work! Each day, volunteers will work for 4-6 hours and in the evenings, volunteers will take part in cultural activities ranging from dumpling making to Chinese language lessons.

Day 7: Take a bus to either the airport or Chengdu City Center if extending stay.

Some of your tasks include

• Preparing food for the pandas

• Cutting down and carrying bamboos

• Cleaning panda enclosures

• Occasionally participating in observation and research

Requirements

• Ages 18-50 (This project may accept volunteers who are under 18 with a letter of consent（同意）from a parent)

• Basic English and/or Chinese

• Motivation to work with animals

Total project cost: $1200

• What’s included

Room: Shared hotel room

Food: Three meals a day

Airport transfers: Airport transfers upon arrival and departure

• What’s not included

Flights, travel health insurance, personal expenses

Important note: Please apply for this program 1-2 months in advance. Families upgrading to private accommodations must pay an additional charge.

1. What might volunteers do on the sixth day?

A．Visit Panda Breeding Center.

B．Clean panda enclosures.

C．Travel around Chengdu.

D．Depart from Panda Base.

2. What does the project cost include?

A．Accommodations.	B．Personal expenses.
C．Travel insurance.	D．The air ticket.

3. What is required of applicants?

A．Being fluent in both English and Chinese.

B．Having experience of working with animals.

C．Applying for the program in advance.

D．Being at least 18 years old.

7 . Whether you’re in the final research stages of a major paper, or on a Zoom (a calling app) call for work, a dropped WiFi connection at zero hour is something annoying.     1     One of the most common reasons it happens is that too many devices are connected.

    2     Now, with smartphones, iPads, smart TVs and so much more, it doesn’t take long for WiFi to hop aboard the struggle bus. Actually, even if a connected device isn’t actively sending or receiving data, it will still consume some of the available bandwidth. It means that if you have many devices connected, you can start to see slowdowns or drops in your WiFi connection.     3    

The first and easiest fix is to disconnect unused devices from your WiFi. The easiest way to do this is to simply change your WiFi password, which will kick everyone off. Then, you can allow only certain devices to rejoin.     4     It is workable to stop gaming or downloading a movie.

    5     First, run a speed test to check your current speed. (Google “speed test” to see a list of websites where you can do this.) You may have too many devices connected for the internet speed you’re paying for. If this is the case, contact your internet provider about upgrading to a higher speed. But you may want to try some of our other fixes first before spending the money.

A．What can you do about it?

B．Sometimes that’s all that’s required.

C．Finally, you may need to upgrade your connectivity.

D．People deal with this modern inconvenience all the time,

E．Cutting back on heavy WiFi use temporarily can also help.

F．In general, this is a very good solution to a dropped WiFi connection.

G．Back in the day, the average household had a computer or two to connect.

8 . Types of Maps

Different types of maps have different uses. Tourist maps, for example, have signs to show places of interest in an area. When tourists read these maps, it is easy for them to find where to go and what to see in a place and it is easy for them to go and find their ways to these places.

Road maps show large areas so that people can plan long journeys. Different types of roads are given different numbers. For example, if you want to go to Wood Green, you just follow No. 621 Road and keep looking at the road signs.

Distribution maps use colors or signs to show facts about an area. For example, where different languages are spoken, how many people live in an area, how cold and hot some places are, or whether a place is short of water.

Some maps, such as railway maps, use straight lines to show everything. This is easy for people to read. Trains are fast. People don’t have to think about small places they go past. They just need to know the two ends of their trips.

1. How can you tell different roads on road maps?

A．By using different colors.	B．By finding the numbers.
C．By following No. 621 Road.	D．By looking at the road signs.

2. Which of the following can distribution maps tell us?

A．How to get to Germany.	B．How to plan a long journey.
C．Where a famous museum is.	D．Which place is short of water.

3. Why do railway maps use straight lines?

A．Because railways are straight.

B．Because people like straight lines.

C．Because people can read them easily.

D．Because railways have only two ends.

9 . Brief Introduction of 21st Century English Education Media

China Daily launched the first 21st Century newspaper on May 5, 1993 as an English education weekly for Chinese students to learn English. Today, the brand consists of both print and digital platform, through which it constantly provides quality content. The 21st Century brands involve print media, new media, teaching research, brand activities and research training, establishing it as China’s leading brand in English education.

We Are Looking For: native English-speaking sub-editor

Job Description:

1) copy-editing stories written by staff and from other media sources

2) writing headlines, checking and contributing ideas for story selection and writing

3) helping production and development of other editorial materials - producing written content, recording audio/video material, hosting new media programs, etc.

Job Requirements:

1) a university degree (bachelor's or master's) in journalism with over two years' work experience in either journalism or teaching English.

2) skillful at writing content, including headlines.

3) the capability to work to a deadline in a team atmosphere.

Location: Beijing

Benefit package:

1) salary with bonus with a 12-month contract renewed annually

2) free on-site accommodation with water, gas and electricity all covered

3) roundtrip airfare

4) medical insurance

5) paid vacations, free workday meals, etc.

To apply, please send your resume and article samples (particularly pieces on culture, arts, entertainment, sports and science) to: wangru@_______stcentury.com.cn

1. Which of the following about 21^stCentury English Education Media is NOT true?

A．The 21st Century newspaper is aimed at helping Chinese students learn English.

B．The 21st Century newspaper is published every month.

C．We can either read the print or the digital version of the newspaper.

D．It plays an important role in China’s English education.

2. The job of the native English-speaking sub-editor involves the following EXCEPT ________.

A．teaching Chinese students English.

B．editing the stories written by others.

C．propose ideas to story selection and writing.

D．helping with the work of other editorial materials.

3. If one wants to apply for this job, he/she ________.

A．should have a university degree in language education.

B．doesn’t need to have related working experience.

C．should include one of his/her articles in the application e-mail.

D．doesn’t need to have the ability to cooperate.

10 . Tea is currently the world's most popular drink, only after water. However, there was a time when tea was known only to the Chinese.    1     And how did it get to conquer the world to the extent that people often describe something they really like as their “Cup of tea?”

While we know that tea drink started in China, its true origin remains something of a mystery. Legend has it that about 5,000 years ago, Shennong came across tea when dried leaves blew into a pot of boiling water. Following his discovery, tea was used as medicine, included in meals and later offered as a refreshing drink to officials and noblemen.     2    

    3     over the years, as tea drinking became an important part of China's rich culture. The great Tang poet Du Fu described his tea-drinking experience in poetic language. Lu Yu, a tea master, wrote The Classic of Tea, which remains the earliest and most famous detailed study on tea in the world.

It is then not surprising that the beauty of tea was eventually revealed to a wider world.    4     Porters carrying back-breaking loads of tea bricks made their way through dangerous snow-covered mountain passes, to trade Sichuan and Yunnan tea for horses:     5     As early as the Tang Dynasty, Japanese monks came to study in China and took with them tea seeds and tea-making customs when returning to Japan. Around the 1600s, tea was shipped to Europe from China by Portuguese and Dutch sea traders.

A．So, how did tea originate in China?

B．But how was tea introduced overseas?

C．Tea became the main theme in ancient poems,

D．The love of tea inspired many people to write about it,

E．Over time, the gift of tea was further delivered to Western Asia and Eastern Africa.

F．Eventually, it became a common drink enjoyed and embraced by all Chinese people.

G．Tang and Song Dynasties needed strong Tibetan horses, the Tea Horse Road was born.