1 . In today’s digital era, social media users are increasingly coming across fake news online. This leads to the pressing issue: What causes people to fall for misinformation on the Internet?

According to researchers at the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology,   users can easily fall into an echo chamber (回声室)—a sort of virtual space where users consume only one-sided news, eventually distrusting any opposing views. “We all tend to agree with the group opinion. Hence, people naturally get together with others who hold the same opinion,” said Dongwon Lee, one of the researchers. “But if you’re not cautious, there is a high risk of falling into an echo chamber.”

To prevent this phenomenon, the researchers have crafted a novel tool, a game named ChamberBreaker, to help players resist echo chambers and reduce the rate of fake news spread. The fundamental approach employed by ChamberBreaker centers around a decision-making procedure that mirrors the creation of echo chambers. In ChamberBreaker, a player is tasked with trying to have community members fall into an echo chamber. To begin, the player is randomly assigned a situation that focuses on a health, political or environmental issue, and is presented with six pieces of news on that topic. Then, the player selects news that could cause the other members to fall into an echo chamber while at the same time maintaining their trust. If successful, the community members will fall into an echo chamber and the player will witness the resulting negative effects on the community.

After developing ChamberBreaker, researchers tested it with over 800 subjects to see if it raised awareness of echo chambers and changed news consumption behaviors. The researchers found that those who played ChamberBreaker were significantly more likely to state their intention to observe online information from more diverse perspectives and showed an increased awareness of the echo chamber phenomenon.

Ultimately, the researchers hope that their methodology can excite a greater interest in the scientific and scholarly study related to information consumption. The application of tools like ChamberBreaker, which focuses on fostering analytical reasoning, may lead us towards a more informed online community.

1. What can be learned about an online echo chamber?

A．It encourages well-judged views.

B．It gathers like-minded individuals.

C．It functions as a virtual reality platform.

D．It serves as a tool for identifying fake information.

2. What is ChamberBreaker’s core method against echo chambers?

A．Assignment of situations.	B．Trust-building exercises.
C．News selection strategy.	D．Community impact assessment.

3. Which of the following can show ChamberBreaker’s effectiveness?

A．The results of scientific testing.

B．The theoretical framework of the game.

C．The description of the game procedures.

D．The common challenges faced during gameplay.

4. What is the likely long-term effect of playing ChamberBreaker?

A．Reducing news inquiry.	B．Encouraging passive reading.
C．Strengthening prejudiced views.	D．Enhancing critical thinking.

2 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What are they talking about?

A．Their favorite subjects.

B．Their performance in class.

C．Their preparation for the coming exam.

2. How does the woman feel about organic chemistry?

A．It is beyond her ability.

B．It is difficult to understand.

C．It has too much to memorize.

3. According to the man, what is a good way to improve English reading comprehension?

A．Practising a lot.

B．Understanding the rules.

C．Memorizing more words.

3 . “A new student is waiting in your room.” My principal announced. “Name’s Mary. I’ll talk to you about her.” I nodded, some materials in my hands. “Fine,” I said. “We’re making valentine envelopes, a good way for her to get ________.”

She sat in the back of the room, her hands ________ in her lap. “Welcome, Mary. I’m glad you are in our room.” No ________. “Mary.” I said again. She raised her head and looked into my eyes. A chill went through me. The eyes in that face were unexpectedly ________ as if the owner of a house had drawn the blinds (百叶窗).

The bell rang, little time to worry about Mary. After ________ Mary into her desk, I distributed materials and then hurried to the office. There I learned weeks ago, someone had broken into her home, killing her mother in Mary’s ________. She survived but had been ________ since. “Give her ________,” the principal suggested.

I returned and grabbed a chance to explain this to my students. “It may be a long time ________ she joins us, but you can do your bit.” How loving they could be once they understood. On Valentine’s Day, Mary’s envelopes overflowed. Although studying each card without ________, she replaced it in her container.

Later on a March day, my children noticed the flowers ________ and advised making flower baskets! It was something to lift our ________. Remembering the valentine incident, I expected nothing from Mary; ________, I encouraged her to try. Soon, a boy exclaimed: “Look at Mary’s basket. So pretty!” I was dumbfounded at its beauty, asking how she managed it. She looked at me with the shining eyes of any ________ girl and replied “Mother loved flowers.”

“God, you’ve given us a ________.” I put my arms around Mary. I’ve kept the followers in my desk just to remind me of the lasting power of love.

1.

A．involved

B．promoted

C．adopted

D．proposed

2.

A．spread

B．folded

C．swung

D．extended

3.

A．movement

B．response

C．complaint

D．cooperation

4.

A．strange

B．full

C．sharp

D．empty

5.

A．sliding

B．securing

C．settling

D．seeking

6.

A．presence

B．absence

C．existence

D．violence

7.

A．crazy

B．withdrawn

C．aggressive

D．risky

8.

A．kindness

B．mercy

C．love

D．comfort

9.

A．after

B．when

C．until

D．before

10.

A．comments

B．reactions

C．approaches

D．impressions

11.

A．came up

B．took up

C．came out

D．took out

12.

A．grades

B．spirits

C．insights

D．relations

13.

A．otherwise

B．furthermore

C．therefore

D．nevertheless

14.

A．normal

B．pretty

C．depressed

D．lovely

15.

A．gift

B．talent

C．miracle

D．basket

4 . With the emergence (出现) of intelligent transportation systems and the internet of things, the world is entering the next stage of movement — smart transportation.

In recent years, Chinese technology companies have worked hard to speed up the commercial use of robotaxis. In March, Beijing gave autonomous driving permits to tech giant Baidu and self-driving startup Pony.ai to run fully driverless robotaxis on open roads. In June, Baidu carried out its driverless ride-hailing (叫车) service in Shenzhen, Guangdong. Its Apollo Go robotaxis have been put into use across an area of 188 square kilometers in Shenzhen from 7 am to 10 pm daily.

Passengers can download apps like Apollo Go or Baidu Map to their smartphones, and tell the app where they are and where they want to go. Then, a car will appear. With sensors and cameras placed all over the car, a computer takes full control of the drive. A screen on the back seats shows how the robotaxi’s software looks at the space around the car to see other cars, humans, bikes, and anything else that might get in its way.

“The robotaxi goes at about the same speed, providing a good driving experience,” a user posted on Xiaohongshu. As of the first quarter of 2023, the user satisfaction rating for the Apollo Go app has reached 4.9 out of 5, with the latest data showing that 97.12 percent of the reviews are five-star ratings.

Meanwhile, drivers in the city can also enjoy the conveniences of smart transportation. In Guiyang, Guizhou, at some smart parking lots, drivers only need to park their cars at an induction (感应) line. A smart system can put the vehicles into a specific area. When drivers want to get back their cars, they make a request on the terminal (终端的) device and the car will come out of the parking lot by itself in about one minute.

All in all, smart transportation uses new technologies to make moving around a city easier and safer.

1. What do we know from paragraph 2?

A．Baidu competes fiercely against Pony.

B．Robotaxis begin to run in some cities in China.

C．Robotaxis can run on open roads without driving permits.

D．Tech companies do little research on smart transportation.

2. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．How to work robotaxis.	B．Why to use smartphones.
C．Where to download apps.	D．Who to control computers.

3. What is the purpose of listing the numbers in paragraph 4?

A．To compare speed ratings.

B．To show the users’ satisfaction.

C．To check the safety of robotaxis.

D．To introduce a driving experience,

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．Robotaxis: A New Development

B．Smart transportation: A Better Life

C．Giant Baidu: A Leader in Technology

D．Tech companies: Hope for the Future

5 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

For the past three years, I had worked tirelessly as a waitress at Lester’s Cafe during weekends and vacations, saving every penny I could for my $500 tuition (学费) bill for St John’s College of Nursing. But fate (命运) had other plans in store for me. Just days after my high school graduation, my father fell ill and needed an expensive operation to recover. My family, already struggling financially, was in urgent need of funds. With a heavy heart, I offered all my savings to help cover the medical bills.

But as the days went by, panic set in. How would I pay for my tuition? No bank would lend money to an eighteen-year-old with no hope of repayment for three years, and none of my friends had that kind of money. I felt lost, unsure of what to do.

I thought of Lester, but he always put the profits back into his little cafe. Five hundred dollars was a large sum of money then. There was only one person who came to mind — Mr. Smith, the successful engineer and a regular customer at Lester’s Cafe. He came into Lester’s early every morning for breakfast. Despite having barely exchanged more than pleasantries (客套话) with him while waiting tables, he was the only person who ever tipped me in the little cafe. Would he even remember me? And wouldn’t Lester be upset if I asked his customer for a loan?

On Saturday afternoon, I took the courage to call Lester and explain my difficult situation. To my surprise, he understood and encouraged me to approach Mr. Smith for help. “Mr. Smith still eats here every morning. And he asked about you yesterday. Come here on Monday and you’re welcome to ask him. And good luck, Jeanne,” he said to me.

注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

So on Monday morning, I found myself standing nervously in front of Mr. Smith.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As we left the bank, Mr. Smith smiled and shook my hand, wishing me good luck.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6 . Mobile Bay in Alabama is home to a strange and unique occurrence. During the summer months, hundreds of fish and crustaceans (甲壳纲动物) from the deep waters of the bay move to the shallow waters. The free seafood is so plentiful and easy to catch with nets or bare hands that locals gather to fill their buckets with it. This natural phenomenon has existed for centuries.

Sarah Van Winkle, a student at the Alabama School of Math & Science, is no stranger to the scene. Growing up there, the rich plants and animals never stop to amaze her.

As the world’s oceans face numerous issues such as pollution, overfishing, and habitat destruction, she intended to figure out whether Mobile Bay was experiencing similar environmental threats in her most recent science project. Sarah studied the environment of Mobile Bay and she even extended the range of the research to the Mobile Tensaw-Delta, and the canals of a living district in Fairhope, Alabama. She analyzed key nutrient and metal levels in the ocean ecosystem.

Through the project, Sarah found that turbidity, an important indicator of water quality, increased sharply. This result showed, clearly that the area is filled with tiny pieces of matter, making the water there quite opaque.

For the project. Sarah was chosen as one of this year’s 24 Society for Science & the Public Community Innovation Award winners. “To me, this honor symbolizes that the ten months of late night readings, weekend field trips, and after-school sessions in the laboratory have truly come to fruition and impacted lives,” Sarah noted.

“Our local ocean ecosystem is in danger of chemical pollution from a variety of sources,” Sarah explained in an interview. “The bay plays a vital role in our community and every local should value what the bay offers. It’s our responsibility to work together to preserve it.”

1. What’s the unusual scene in Mobile Bay in summer months?

A．The water’s becoming shallow and clear.	B．The decline of the natural environment.
C．The flood of seafood into shallow waters.	D．The locals’ growing interest in fishing with buckets.

2. What does the underlined word “opaque” mean in paragraph 4?

A．Fresh.

B．Cloudy.

C．Clear.

D．Shallow.

3. What can we learn from Sarah’s winning an award?

A．Hard work pays off.	B．Time waits for no man.
C．Practice makes perfect.	D．Failure is the mother of success.

4. What does Sarah mainly stress in the interview?

A．The focus of her future work.	B．Her concern for the local people.
C．The complexity of the local ocean system.	D．Her expectation of protecting the bay.

7 . Letters to customers

Letter 1
Dear Mr Johnson,

Thanks for your long-term trust. We take great pleasure in announcing that our latest product, the 1000-watt home theater system, has come onto the market.

The device comes with five speakers. It is Bluetooth-enabled and has a USB port. The sound quality and picture quality are outstanding.

Grab yours today! Contact us at 999-999-999.

Helen

Letter 2
Dear Miss Turner,

We are grateful for your good review of our printer. To express our thanks, we’d like to give you a special offer. In the upcoming three months, you will get one free cartridge (墨盒) for any three that you buy. It also applies to any paper you buy.

Please show this note to us when you visit our store. It will make sure you can get the offer and a significant discount on other products.

Call us at 333-555-999 if you have any questions.

Nicholas

Letter 3
Dear Mr Davis,

We’d like to congratulate you on the ownership of the new mountain bike. This bike is the first to succeed in all the standard safety tests set by the Cycling Association of America. You can get a free bike repair service within the first month of your purchase.

We also trade in old and new bikes. For more information, call us at 223-334-445.

Bob

Letter 4
Dear Miss Smith,

I am delighted that you are satisfied with the washer and dryer purchased from our store.

If you experience any damage within the first six months of your purchase, we will repair them at no cost. After that, we offer competitive rates to ensure your continued satisfaction.

Please feel free to contact us at 111-222-111 for any further information.

Amy

1. What’s Helen’s purpose in writing to Mr Johnson?

A．To show her trust.

B．To confirm an order.

C．To promote a new product.

D．To seek opinions on their product.

2. What should Miss Turner do to ensure a discount on a new product?

A．Give praise for the cartridge.

B．Bring the note to the store.

C．Buy at least four cartridges.

D．Recommend the printer to others. ‘

3. What do Letter 3 and Letter 4 have in common?

A．Both offer free maintenance.

B．Both stress the safety of products.

C．Both display competitive product rates.

D．Both involve the trade of new and old products.

8 . Every day Juanita Mengel, a 67-year-old woman from the state of Ohio, wakes up and puts on her prosthetic (假体的) leg.

Then, Mengel does the same for Lola-Pearl, her five-year-old cat. Lola-Pearl also missed her back left leg. Mengel has many cats. Most of them have disabilities. But Lola-Pearl is special. She is a therapy (治疗) cat. And, she and Mengel are partners of a kind. They are among 200 therapy cat teams registered in the United States by the non-profit group, Pet Partners.

The group helps humans and pets alike by setting them up into teams to provide animal-assisted (帮助) therapy. The teams visit hospitals, nursing homes and schools and assist those in need. Besides dogs and cats, Pet Partners registers other species as therapy animals, including horses, rabbits, rats, guinea pigs, birds and mini pigs.

Taylor Griffin is national director at Pet Partners. She said, “Therapy animals are animals who’ve been gauged whether they are suitable for assisting some people, and are based on their ability to meet new people and enjoy the process.”

Mengel said Lola-Pearl showed signs that she would make a good therapy cat soon after the animal joined her family. “I just knew she would be a good therapy because she was so good with people. People really were attracted to her, too,” Mengel said.

Mengel was a traveling nurse when she was in a car accident that almost killed her. One of her legs could not be saved. Later, she connected with a friend in the state of Missouri who had a severely injured kitten. The cat’s legs were twisted together. An animal medical specialist worked to repair the damage, but in the end, they had to remove one of the baby cat’s legs. That kitten was Lola-Pearl.

Mengel took Lola-Pearl as her cat after talking with her friend. Despite the difficulties Mengel has faced, she is grateful to Lola-Pearl and their work in Pet Partners.

“It’s a really rewarding experience,” she said. “I get just as much out of it as the people that I visit.”

1. What can we know about Pet Partners?

A．It mainly provides animal-assisted therapy.	B．It is a non-profit group founded by Taylor Griffin.
C．It only offers help to patients in hospitals.	D．It doesn’t register birds as therapy animals.

2. What does the underlined word “gauged” mean in paragraph 4?

A．Guessed.

B．Designed.

C．Explained.

D．Measured.

3. How did Juanita Mengel get to know Lola-Pearl?

A．By working in Pet Partners.	B．Through one of her friends.
C．By repairing Lola-Pearl’s leg.	D．Through moving to Missouri.

4. Which of the following can best describe Juanita Mengel?

A．Optimistic and helpful.	B．Proud and humorous.
C．Talkative and thoughtful.	D．Honest and talented.

9 . The dry land in Gir National Park and Wildlife Preserve, located near India western tip, is the proud — and only — home of the Asiatic lion. By the early 1900s, however, their populations had decreased for homo loss and hunting, leaving fewer than 50 known individuals alive. Though their numbers have risen over the past several decades — climbing to around 670 in 2020, a successful story — the lions are still considered endangered.

One of the biggest challenges to keep the lions’ future is to track them, a hard work. Some animals, like tigers and zebras, have special coat patterns (图案) that provide useful marks to the researchers. But for the Asiatic lions, researchers must look elsewhere.

In 2019, Banerjee, who worked for Indias National Tiger Conservation Authority, developed an AI system to recognize the lions with high accuracy (精准). The AI program, SIMBA, has been applied in practice. “It will be a fantastic tool for long-term lion monitoring,” says Banerjee. He adds, “It could help forest officials arrive at a more accurate estimate (评估) of Gir’s lion population. In a few years, the group will have a rich collection of information — how many lions are male, female, how many will bear babies and how many are dead.”

Despite the advantages, Baneijee also adds his worries. He suggests certain rules be made to prevent main information from being stolen. “Where tools like SIMBA really shine”, he says, “is in helping researchers develop monitoring plans that are keys to the protection of at-risk animals,” he says, “otherwise, all your efforts will be in vain.”

1. What is the greatest difficulty in protecting Asiatic lions?

A．Stopping them from being killed.	B．Keeping track of them.
C．Protecting their living environment.	D．Increasing their population.

2. How does SIMBA help researchers?

A．By locating lions’ homes.	B．By tracking other animals.
C．By monitoring the animal stealers.	D．By providing accurate information.

3. What’s Baneijee’s opinion about the AI program?

A．It needs to be widely used.	B．It has saved the at-risk animals.
C．Its possible risks should be aware of.	D．Its disadvantages should be ignored.

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

A．The Application of AI on Protecting Animals.	B．The AI Program for the Endangered Asiatic Lions.
C．The Measures of Protecting Asiatic Lions.	D．The Biggest Challenge of the AI system.

10 . I always listen to my local public radio station while I’m driving. My focus often changes as I stare out at the road ahead. But I became fully attentive on a recent morning once I realized the entire newscast was dedicated to local wildlife.

There was something about the pack of some 30 to 50 javelinas (野猪) that ruined a golf course near Sedona, Arizona, followed by talk of the recent sighting of a jaguar (美洲虎), a species that ranged across Arizona and Sonora, Mexico, until construction of the border wall blocked the way. Finally, there was an update on Mexican wolf reintroduction efforts in New Mexico and Arizona. The results were mixed: Nine of the wolves had died or been killed recently.

As I sat in my car, listening to the news, I felt helpless, even mournful. What would it take for most of us to understand that the javelinas’ behavior on that heavily irrigated golf course in the desert was a sign that maybe the course shouldn’t be in the desert to begin with? The way I saw it, the javelinas weren’t invading (入侵) the site; they were reclaiming it. After all, the javelinas’ needs—for food and space—are more basic than a few privileged humans’ desire to play golf.

As for the Arizona Mexican wolf pup reintroduction effort that I heard about in the news, for the past 25 years, scientists have been working hard to restore the native wolf population, and yet are unable to remove its greatest threat. Today, almost 250 Mexican wolves are believed to be in the wild, and every year, humans illegally kill one out of ten. The wolf recovery effort is necessary, but it’s extremely difficult because we humans keep getting in the way.

I need to tackle my helplessness, because helplessness leads to no longer wanting to take care of what matters most. Therefore, I think that it must be a good sign that my local news now regularly covers the challenges of coexistence and possible solutions to our problems. That’s progress and fuels my hope.

1. What is the morning news about?

A．Dangers of local wildlife.

B．Efforts to reintroduce wildlife.

C．Issues of human-wildlife coexistence.

D．Distribution of wildlife around the world.

2. Why did the javelinas destroy the golf course according to the author?

A．To meet basic needs.

B．To protect the desert.

C．To oppose golf playing.

D．To attack human beings.

3. What do we know about the Mexican wolves?

A．They are bound to go extinct.

B．Humans threaten their survival.

C．Their number has greatly increased.

D．10% of them have been reintroduced.

4. What is the author’s attitude to the challenges mentioned in the last paragraph?

A．Unclear.	B．Negative.
C．Optimistic.	D．Indifferent.