1.介绍活动内容；
2.询问是否愿意。
注意：
1.词数100左右；
2.开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Jim,
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
2 . My House
My mother moved a lot when she was growing up on account of Grandpa being in the army. She hated having to adjust to new schools and make new friends. That’s why I thought she was joking when she put forward the idea of moving. But she was completely serious. “For just the two of us,” my mother said, “an apartment in the city will suit our needs much better.” Personally, I think she’s lost her mind. I guess I can understand why she would want to move, but what about me and what this house means to me?
I suppose if you looked at my house, you might think it was just another country house. But to me it is anything but standard. I moved into this house with my parents ten years ago. I can still remember that first day like it was yesterday. The first thing I noticed was the big front yard. To me it seemed like an ocean of grass — I couldn’t wait to dive in. The backyard was full of gnarled (扭曲的，粗糙的) and scary trees that talk on windy nights. But I grew to like them and the shadows they cast in my room. My father and I even built a small treehouse, where I often go to remember all the wonderful times we had before my father’s death.
This house is special — maybe only to me — but special nevertheless. It’s the little seemingly insignificant things that make this house so special to me: the ice-cold tile floors that make me tremble on midnight; the smell of my father’s pipe that still exists: the towering bookcases of my mother; the view outside my bedroom window.
This house holds too many memories, memories which would be lost if we gave it up.
1. Why did the author’s mother decide to move?| A．Because she hated the countryside. |
| B．Because Grandpa was on constant move. |
| C．Because Dad’s death made her lose her mind. |
| D．Because she thought a city flat more fit for them. |
| A．The treehouse. | B．The green grass. | C．The big trees. | D．The cold floors. |
| A．By arguing whether the house was standard. |
| B．By explaining why the house suited their needs. |
| C．By describing the small things related to her house. |
| D．By comparing the differences between country and city life. |
Two firefighters
4 . A relationship between the amount of adult speech children are exposed to and the concentration of myelin, a substance in the brain, has been found, researchers say. “I think the take-home message is, absolutely talking to your kids. It’s literally shaping the structure of the brain,” says the lead author, Prof John P. Spencer of the University of East Anglia.
The team find, for the 30-month-olds, larger amounts of adult speech are associated with higher quantities of myelin in language-related pathways in the brain; however, for the 6-month-olds, it goes the opposite way.
While the latter is unexpected, Spencer points out one possible factor: the brain’s stage of development.
“When babies are six months old, they experience massive growth of new nerve cells,” he says. “So the input comes in and may help extend the period of brain growth.” “While at 30 months, the brain starts to cutback some of the cell growth, and form specific connections. That’s where myelin comes in. So now the input starts to help structure the myelin,” he adds.
The researchers conclude adult speech is significant for both age groups and that the more adult speech children go through, the more sensitive they will be to language. The next step for them is to figure out whether the 6-month-old babies showing that negative connection will surely turn into 30-month-old kids who show positive relationship.
Dr. Saloni Krishnan, Reader in cognitive neuroscience (认知神经科学) at Royal Holloway, University of London, who is not involved in the work, however, notes individual differences in language ability are linked to genetics. “Children who are exposed to more language at home and have higher myelination will also have inherited genes(经遗传获得的基因) from parents who are more excellent in languages,” she said. “No final conclusion could be made before this potential genetic effect are tested. And yet there being currently no standard around the amount of input children should receive, caregivers should not necessarily feel pressure to talk more to their children.”
1. What surprises the team?| A．The finding for the 6-month-olds. |
| B．The finding for the 30-month-olds. |
| C．How the input help nerve cells grow. |
| D．How the input help structure the myelin. |
| A．It is positively related to myelin. |
| B．It cuts back some of the cell growth. |
| C．Its effect varies with the size of brains. |
| D．It is helpful for both groups’ language ability |
| A．The team should do more research. |
| B．Parents must talk more to their kids. |
| C．Inherited genes decide language ability. |
| D．The concentration of myelin makes no sense. |
5 . There exist cruel wars, fighting and sadness in the world today, so it’s not only necessary, but also essential to have a good sense of humor just to help us tide through difficult times in our lives. Putting a smile on someone’s face when you know they are feeling depressed, as the saying goes, makes me feel good and warms my heart.
How would you feel if you could not joke around with your wife, husband, child, co-worker, neighbor, close friend, or even just someone that you are standing in line with at your corner store? I am always saying things that make others smile or laugh, even if I don’t know the person I’m joking around with. My Grandma always found humor in everything she did, even if it was the hardest job anyone could imagine. This not only relieves stress in any situation, but also is common courtesy (礼貌) to speak to others that are around you.
I know of a few people that don’t have a funny bone in their bodies, as they say. Everyone around them could be rolling on the floor after hearing a great joke and they would sit there without the slightest smile on their face. They don’t get the joke that makes others laugh. I am busting a gut while they just sit there, looking at me as if I were from outer space. How can people not get a really funny joke?
Laughing is essential to keeping your stress levels under control. Without humor we would find ourselves with a lot of psychological problems, or on a lot of medications to keep us from going crazy. There is too much sadness in this present world. It drives people crazy. We all need to find a way to bypass the sadness and bring a little light into our lives. So, I believe our best medicine is to get together and tell some jokes and have some fun laughing together.
1. What is the author’s attitude towards the present world?| A．Positive. | B．Satisfied. | C．Critical. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．evidence and argument | B．opinions and persuasion |
| C．examples and conclusion | D．descriptions and analysis |
| A．speaking loudly | B．laughing hard |
| C．acting strangely | D．explaining carefully |
| A．talk about his own understanding of humor |
| B．introduce a practical way to get through daily life |
| C．encourage people to make jokes about serious matters |
| D．convince people of the power of being optimistic about life |
6 . Research has shown that people tend to get more happiness from spending their money on experiences, such as travel and entertainment, than on things, such as clothes and electronic goods. But are people happier during the purchased experience itself? Or does the happiness come more from expecting or remembering the experience?
A new study, published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, offers an answer. Our experiential purchases bring us greater pleasure in terms of expectation and remembrance than do our material purchases, but they also bring us greater in-the-moment enjoyment, the study found.
For the study, the researchers found 2,635 adults who agreed to receive texts at any time during the day. The texts began with a happiness question, which asked the participants to rate how they felt “right now” on a scale from very bad to very good. Half of them were then asked if they had made a material purchase within the past hour, such as clothing or electronic goods. The others were asked if they had made an experiential purchase within the past hour, such as eating in a restaurant or attending a concert.
The researchers found that the purchasers of the experiences express higher levels of happiness than the purchasers of the material goods, no matter how much the purchases cost.
To address possible differences in types of purchasers, the researchers made a second study in which they researched more than 5,000 adults. “We still observed the same result,” said Steve Lacy, the study’s lead author.
The researchers said a possible explanation is the endurance (持久) of experiences in people’s memories, while the observed value of material goods weakens over time.
“If you want to be happier, it might be wise to move some of your spending away from material goods and a bit more toward experiences,” Lacy said. “That would likely lead to greater happiness.”
1. The author put forward two questions in Paragraph 1 to _______.| A．make a fact clear | B．introduce a new research |
| C．list possible problems | D．doubt the opinion presented |
| A．To ask them about their spending plans. |
| B．To understand their needs and spending habits. |
| C．To track their purchasing activities and feelings. |
| D．To find out the change in their purchasing choices. |
| A．One picks up a few good bargains. |
| B．One pays for an amusement park trip. |
| C．One buys electronic goods in an online shop. |
| D．One spends a great deal on high-end products. |
When I was in my second year in senior high school, I found a 16-dollar-an-hour part-time job at Lakewood Pizza. Like many teens, I longed to earn income as well as add experience for the time to enter the workforce. Just one week after I worked there, David Ross, the manager called me into his office. As the saying goes, “life isn’t always a bed of roses”. My first job ended in failure. His reason was that I showed up late twice and took more breaks than others.
“Oh, I’m a loser.” I thought to myself. I believed that thought was shared by my brothers, neither of whom had ever been fired, and my mother, though she would never express it in those terms.
“I am too sad to do anything.” I complained to my father.
After listening to my words, he laughed. “It’s not funny; I’m a loser.” I said. “No, you’re not. This is a part of growing up. You will be all right, my son,” he said, patting my shoulder. “Trust me. You are good enough.” I looked into my father’s eyes and I could see he really trusted me. And I believed him.
Since then, “Trust me. You are good enough.” are the only words I have repeated to myself. I have worked hard to be a better person and cherished (珍惜) every moment I have got. Finally, I succeeded in entering a good university. After graduation I found my dream job.
1. How much did the author earn at his part-time job?2. Why did the author lose his first job?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
After knowing the author’s failure, his father complained and laughed at him.
4. What can you learn from the author’s story? (In about 40 words)
8 . A Swiss radio station recently carried out a social experiment on air, testing robot-created voices and content. The 13-hour experiment took place at the French-language station Couleur 3. During the period, listeners heard the cloned voices of five human presenters. The station’s programming also included music created by artificial intelligence (AI) methods. The programming informed listeners about the experiment every 20 minutes.
“AI is taking your favorite radio by storm,” a voice said. “Our voice clones and AI are here to unsettle, surprise and shake you. And for that matter, this text was also written by a robot.”
Recent AI developments have led to the creation of a series of tools that permit robots to lead different human activities. These tools belong to a group of systems known as “generative AI”. The tools use machine learning methods to train AI systems on huge amounts of data to produce human-quality results. One of the most highly publicized generative AI tools is called ChatGPT. It received wide attention by demonstrating the ability to quickly produce written answers to questions at a level and quality similar to humans. However, the development of “generative AI” systems has led to some criticism of the technology. Critics have warned that such systems, if used incorrectly, could cause economic, cultural and social harms.
The station said in a statement it received hundreds of messages on the day of the experiment, with some supporting and others opposing. One person complained of unfunny jokes. Another listener admitted to not recognizing the programming as an experiment. One critic called the project a waste of time for a station that gets public financing. Many listeners noted, “You can sense these are robots, and there are fewer surprises, less personality.” Some listeners were even more forceful, urging station officials to “give us back our humans!”
The Swiss station’s chief, Antoine Multone, told The Associated Press that Couleur 3 was able to carry out the experiment because it is already known for doing provocative things.
Multone defended the project as a lesson on how to live with AI. “I think if we become ostriches (鸵鸟) ... we put our heads in the sand and say, ‘Mon Dieu, there’s a new technology! We’re all going to die!’ then yeah, we’re going to die because it (AI) is coming, whether we like it or not,” Multone said by phone. “We want to master the technology so we can then put limits on it.” He added that about 90 percent of the listener reactions suggested the experiment was a good idea.
1. What did the social experiment test?| A．Audiences’ feedback. | B．Robot-created systems. |
| C．Human presenters’ voices. | D．AI-generated programmes. |
| A．Stimulative. | B．Conservative. | C．Persuasive. | D．Instructive. |
| A．Limit and prevent its progress. | B．Take human elements out of it. |
| C．Take advantage of it without defence. | D．Research and make use of it sensibly. |
| A．Putting AI Voices on Radio | B．Creating Generative AI Tools |
| C．Exploring the Development of AI | D．Replacing Announcers with AI |
9 . 2002 it was, and I, a young girl who set out with the idea of getting my own library card, was permitted by my mother, Nichelle Nichols, to walk the mile from Prince George to the library in nearby Port Perry.
Down the street from Port Perry High was the library—a dark-brown brick building, imposing to a child of only seven years old.
To the left of the sidewalk was a series of steps that I climbed to push through a heavy door into a very large room filled with books. To an older lady I said, “I’d like a library card, please.”
She replied, “The children’s section is downstairs.”
“But I want adult books, because I can read.”
“Well, you are a child. You can’t get a card up here.”
“I’m six and I can read and write.”
“Go along child,” she said in a pleasant but authoritative voice.
I found the side door and walked in, seeing short and low shelves full of children’s books. Upon opening one, I read, “See Spot run. Run Spot. Run.” I opened another book. It read, “Once upon a time there was.” Sighing quietly, I walked out and back up to the main desk. By now, it was getting dark and I had to hurry.
“You’re back.” said the librarian.
“Yes. I will make you a deal. You hand me any book you like. If I can read a paragraph in it, you’ll give me a library card.” Shrugging (耸肩) happily, she handed me a thick book, I opened it and began to read. When I finished, the lady took the book back without a word.
I waited for a while and finally the lady stood up, handing me two cards. On one was printed the days and times the library was open to adults, and on the other were the precious words, Bonita Sue Nichols. I thanked her and quickly left the library.
1. What was the librarian’s response to the author’s request at first?| A．She made fun of it. | B．She turned it down. |
| C．She took it seriously. | D．She considered it reasonable. |
| A．Childish. | B．Outdated. | C．Short. | D．Strange. |
| A．She took pity on the author. |
| B．She was eager to get off work. |
| C．She found the author a good reader. |
| D．She was moved by the author’s courage. |
| A．Courage is a solution. | B．Age is a restriction. |
| C．Optimism leads to success. | D．Ability opens a door. |
10 . Top Family-Friendly Events in January
These family-friendly events and activities at popular spots in and around Denver will surely entertain you.
ZooLights: Glow Wild Jan. 1—14
The Denver Zoo’s yearly holiday light show is on until Jan. 14, allowing families one or more opportunities to enjoy the city’s zoo, with millions of lights giving an added dimension to the festivities.
Glow Wild, 765 N. Galvin Pkwy., Denver, denverzoo.org, $12.95 members, $14.95 general admission.
Joy Park Snow Days Jan. 14—28
A new, multi-faceted winter experience is taking over the Children’s Museum’s Joy Park. Take a slide down the Snow Hill, go ice skating, cozy up by fire pits with hot cocoa, take a photo in giant snow globe, and try your hand at curling.
Children’s Museum of Denver, Marsico Campus, joypark.com, $15 ages 2—59, $13 ages 1 and 60+, $1 Explorer Pass, free under age 1 and members.
Family Fun Winterfest Jan. 29
OdySea Aquarium in the Desert is hosting the third annual Family Fun Winterfest in its Desert Courtyard, featuring real snow for the kids to play in. This free event features everything from bounce houses to rides, games, snowflake crafts and face painting to go with various stands set up by local sellers, with food and other offerings for sale at the event.
8520 E. Via de Ventura, Denver, odyseainthedesert.com, free.
Youth & Teen Art Classes Jan.13—Feb. 3
Create Arts Center is hosting a four-week youth art course on Saturdays to teach artistic skills and knowledge through fun and challenging art classes in a wide variety of art materials, including painting, drawing, mixed media and sculpture, ensuring mentally stimulating sessions for all. Classes are designed for a variety of experience levels from beginners through advanced students.
Create Arts Center, 1 E. Main St, Denver, createartscenter.org or 301-588-2787, $98.
1. How can you get a discounted ticket to the ZooLights show?
| A．By bringing a friend. | B．By getting a membership. |
| C．By joining a tour group. | D．By booking a ticket online. |
| A．Have free food. | B．Take art classes. |
| C．Enjoy real snow. | D．Meet local artists. |
| A．ZooLights: Glow Wild | B．Joy Park Snow Days |
| C．Youth & Teen Art Classes | D．Family Fun Winterfest |
