1 . When you’re meeting someone new, concentrate your full attention on him.     1     Instead, look the person in the eye, shake hands, and listen carefully to his whole name as it’s said.

Ask 

Speak the name back to the person in the form of a question. “Hi, I’m Katherine. I’m sorry, did you say Don or Dom?” Or “Robert, is it? Nice to meet you. I’m Katherine.”     2     Thus, by repeating the name this way, you’re increasing your chances of remembering it. To up the odds even more, try working in another question if possible: “Are you Stephen with a ‘ph’ or a ‘v’?” “Ty...Is that short for Tyler?”

Associate

    3     If your new acquaintance goes by Bill, make quick mental associations with famous people named Bill, relatives named Bill, or any other kind of bill. Creating mental connections and supporting them with a statement said aloud further cements the name in your memory. 

Employ 

After repeating the name and then commenting on it, use it once or twice more in conversation. Do this either by addressing the person directly or referring to him while speaking to someone else (“Hey, Jim! Bill and I were just talking about that new Brad Pitt movie!”)     4     Be careful not to overuse the name, though, since that can come off as awkward or insincere. 

Using a person’s name is a key to opening doors for you and to maintaining an initial rapport(和谐的关系) that could make this person a new friend for life or a lifelong business partner.     5    

A．You can write down the name when it is necessary.

B．When the conversation ends, use the person’s name again.

C．The brain responds more actively when a question is answered.

D．Whenever you are introduced to someone, keep your mind on it.

E．Don’t race ahead in your mind to come up with something to say.

F．Next, tell yourself something about the name to ensure that it sticks.

G．Make the decision to start remembering people’s names from today!

2 . 如何平衡日益发展的心理需求，也是个颇让人头疼好的大问题。
It can be a big headache to ________ your ________ ________ needs too.

3 . “Going wireless is the future for just about everything!” That is a quote from scientist Sreekanth Chalasani, and we can’t help but agree. Realizing this, a team of scientists has made a breakthrough toward wirelessly controlling human cells using sound, in a technique called “sonogenetics (声遗传学).” This concept may seem strange but let us explain.

Basically, the term “sonogenetics” means using ultrasound (超声波) to change the behavior of cells in a non-invasive manner. “We already know that ultrasound is safe, and that it can go through bone, muscle and other tissues, making it the ultimate tool for controlling cells deep in the body,” says Chalasani.

Low-frequency ultrasound waves can target a particular protein that is sensitive to the signal. This research, published in Nature Communications, focused on TRPA1. When this protein is stimulated through the ultrasound waves, it also stimulates the cells which carry it. What type of cell is being stimulated depends on the outcome. For example, a muscle cell may contract with stimulation, or a neuron (神经元) in the brain will fire. In this experiment, scientists genetically marked cells with an increased concentration of TRPA1, making them the key targets of the ultrasound waves.

Currently, treating conditions like Parkinson’s disease requires scientists to implant electrodes (电极) in the brain which stimulate certain disordered cells. Researchers hope that sonogenetics can one day replace these invasive treatments.

In the future, the team wants to adjust the placement and amount of TRPAI around the body using the gene treatment. Gene delivery techniques have already been shown to be successful in humans, such as in treating blindness. Therefore, it’s just a case of adjusting this theory to a different sound-based setting.

“Gene delivery techniques already exist for getting a new gene—such as TRPA1—into the human heart,” Chalasani says. “If we can then use an external ultrasound device to activate those cells, that could really change pacemakers.” There is still a while to go before this treatment can become a reality. The future for sonogenetics, though, looks bright.

1. What’s working principle for sonogenetics?

A．Using medicine interventional therapies.

B．Changing cells’ shape with new equipment.

C．Controlling cells in a non-invasive manner.

D．Using a kind of unique medical composition.

2. What did the scientists do in the experiment?

A．Change the concentration of the protein.

B．Find target cells for treatment precisely.

C．Analyze the protein sensitive to the sign.

D．Choose the type of cell to be stimulated.

3. What can we learn about sonogenetics from Paragraphs 4 and 5?

A．It can be applied to other fields besides medicine.

B．It may replace some traditional medical therapies.

C．It will totally transform gene delivery techniques.

D．It has succeeded in curing diseases like blindness.

4. What’s the best title for the text?

A．Can cells be controlled by sound?

B．How is sonogenetics clinically used?

C．Are gene delivery techniques available?

D．What are applications of sonogenetics?

4 . There are thousands of incredible trails that allow us to get up close to nature and here are 4 of the best hiking trails in the world.

Pennine Way, the United Kingdom

Stretching 268 miles from the Derbyshire Peak District to the Scottish Borders, the Pennine Way is the United Kingdom’s most famous long-distance path. The entire walk takes around three weeks, passing over wild east of Manchester and through the picturesque Yorkshire Dales, before crossing the ancient border of Hadrian’s Wall and moving on toward Scotland.

Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Rather than following a single path, the Camino, also known as the Way of St James, is actually a series of different pilgrimage (朝圣) routes. The most popular modern route follows a line across northern Spain from the French Pyrenees. While some choose to stay at monasteries (修道院) along the way, plenty of operators offer hotel stays and luggage transfers.

Appalachian Trail, the United States

Extending for 2,200 miles, the Appalachian Trail is billed as the longest hiking-only footpath in the world. It runs from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine, passing through some of the most remote places in the United States. Those keen on comfort can use companies like Go Shenandoah, which offers pre-booked accommodation and packed lunches.

The Basho Wayfarer, Japan

This self-guided trip follows a route taken by the poet Matsuo Basho over 300 years ago. The six-day hike starts in Sendai and works its way through the northern Toboku region, passing through the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hiraizumi and along the ancient Dewa Kaido path, with its wonderful forests, before heading into the mountains of Natagiri-toge and finishing at the temple of Yamadera.

1. Which hiking trail will allow hikers to see the old wall?

A．Pennine Way.	B．Appalachian Trail.
C．The Basho Wayfarer.	D．Camino de Santiago de Compostela.

2. What do Camino de Santiago de Compostela and Appalachian Trail have in common?

A．They have more than one popular route.

B．They have beautiful scenery along the way.

C．Hikers on the two trails can get the desired help.

D．Hikers on the two trails may get across two countries.

3. What can a hiker do if he chooses The Basho Wayfarer?

A．Stay at a monastery.	B．Visit famous ancient sites.
C．Find a guide to accompany him.	D．Pre-book accommodation and lunches.

5 . An updated version of the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot ChatGPT was launched recently by OpenAI. Its ability to write in an intelligent and human-like manner left users impressed and also a little bit frightened. People have used ChatGPT to write entire blocks of code, television scripts, and even complete academic essays — causing fears that students might use the bot to cheat their way to an easy A.

But some college professors aren’t that concerned. While ChatGPT’s writing might seem “quite good in an abstract way”, Professor Stuart Selber, who teaches English at Pennsylvania State University, thinks it struggles to address local issues, produce an original argument, or challenge other arguments rather than just citing (引用) them. These are all key aspects of effective essay writing in his opinion. That’s why Selber doesn’t think essays written entirely by ChatGPT have any hope of scoring high grades. ChatGPT won’t replace original writing, said Selber, but it might help college students improve their work. Indeed, he thinks it might offer a shortcut for some of the more difficult tasks of essay writing, like preparing a literature review.

Dr Leah Henrickson, a lecturer at the University of Leeds, thinks that, if used carefully, AI might even make education fairer. He said: “I think there’s a lot of potential for it to help students express themselves in ways that they hadn’t necessarily thought about. This could be particularly useful for students who speak English as a second language, or for students who aren’t used to the academic writing style.” AI tools like Grammarly, which analyzes and improves written sentences, are already widely used by college students. In Henrickson’s view, ChatGPT is just the next step — and these tools aren’t going away. “Our students know that these tools exist,” she said. “Our job is to help them use them critically.”

According to Henrickson, the University of Leeds is already looking at revising its assessments in reaction to the rise in AI. It hopes to focus more on critical analysis and judgement — a human skill — rather than straightforward information, which a chatbot like ChatGPT can easily replicate.

1. What do people think of ChatGPT’s writing ability?

A．It is real but overvalued.

B．It is impressive but frightening.

C．It is as good as that of humans.

D．It is based on ready-made building blocks.

2. In what way might ChatGPT be helpful for college students according to Selber?

A．By writing an excellent essay for them.

B．By providing an original argument for them.

C．By helping them make a literature review.

D．By teaching them to develop abstract thinking

3. Why is Grammarly mentioned in the last but one paragraph?

A．To compare it with ChatGPT.

B．To prove AI tools are here to stay.

C．To indicate its usefulness is beyond praise.

D．To encourage college students to use AI tools.

4. What does the underlined word “replicate” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Copy.

B．Overcome.

C．Understand.

D．Revise.

6 . I try to be a good father. Cook my kids good dishes, and take them to photo shoots. But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck. Eighty-five times he’s pushed his disabled son, Rick, in marathons.

This love story began in Winchester, Mass., 43 years ago, when Rick was strangled (缠住)by the umbilical cord（脐带）during birth, leaving him brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs (四肢). “He’ll be a vegetable（植物人）the rest of his life,” doctors told Dick and his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. “Put him in an institution.” But the Hoyts weren’t buying it. They noticed the way Rick’s eyes followed them around the room.

When Rick was 11, they took him to the engineering department at Tufts University. Equipped with a computer, Rick was finally able to communicate. After a high school classmate was paralyzed（使瘫痪）in an accident, and the school organized a charity run for him, Rick said, “Dad, I want to do that.” How was Dick, a man who never ran more than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he tried. That day changed Rick’s life. “Dad,” he typed, “when we were running, it felt like I wasn’t disabled anymore!”

That sentence changed Dick’s life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. They even decided to try marathons. “No way,” Dick was told by a race official. They weren’t quite a single runner, and they weren’t quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few years, Dick and Rick joined the massive field and ran anyway. In 1983, they ran another marathon so fast that they made the qualifying time for the Boston Marathon the following year.

Now they’ve done 212 triathlons and 85 marathons. “ My dad is the Father of the Century,” Rick typed.

1. What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 2 mean?

A．The Hoyts didn’t believe it was true.	B．The Hoyts couldn’t afford any institution.
C．The Hoyts couldn’t deal with the situation.	D．The Hoyts had no money for their son’s treatment.

2. What’s discussed in the third paragraph?

A．Why Rick became paralyzed.	B．How Rick started running.
C．Why running changed Rick’s life	D．How Rick communicated with others.

3. They got the chance to join the 1984 Boston Marathon because __________.

A．they ran a marathon very fast	B．they got support from a charity
C．they met a sympathetic race official	D．they had become very famous in the process

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

A．A boy with a rare disease	B．The greatest dad in the world
C．A tough road to world champion	D．Parents' influence on children's future

7 . Having spent more than a decade on the dance floor, ROME — Niccolo Filippi, a 23-year-old Italian dance performer, recently decided to explore Chinese culture and its traditional dance forms and believes that this experience will not only boost his career, but also broaden his horizons beyond the world of dance.

His interest in diversifying his skills grew after he stumbled upon a short video of traditional Chinese-styled dance on YouTube. “I saw it as an art that combines tradition and modernity, which was mostly the reason why I liked it,” says Filippi.

Ever since, he has been closely following Chinese dance performers and watching numerous videos to learn more about the traditional style that he admires. “I prefer the traditional style because of its light movements. It also reflects my personality with elegance,” he adds.

Filippi’s chance came when he was invited to perform for a Chinese New Year celebration in the central Italian city of Florence. He has since fully committed himself to the art form, learning several pieces and putting his newfound passion into practice.

“The biggest difference that I found (compared to other disciplines) is the change of mood and emotional expressions among dances,” says Filippi, adding that he needed to shift from the dynamic moves of hip-hop to the graceful and fluid movements of Chinese dance. Despite various obstacles, Filippi’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. Two of his friends shared videos of his performances on social media, and the response was overwhelming. One video garnered 500,000 views, while the other received 200,000 views.

Filippi believes that learning about different cultures is priceless, and he sees it as a means of personal growth. “I like to think of a person as a book,” he says. “Embracing different traditions and cultures, such as Chinese culture and many others, is like adding new chapters to my book, making it more diverse and wonderful.”

1. What is the main reason why Filippi falls in love with traditional Chinese dance?

A．Its potential to boost his career.	B．Its mix of traditional and modern elements.
C．Its graceful and light movements.	D．Its true reflection of his elegant personality.

2. How does the author illustrate the popularity of Filippi’s videos?

A．By listing numbers.	B．By giving an example.
C．By sharing a story.	D．By making a comparison.

3. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．Filippi thinks little of learning from other cultures.

B．People prefer to write down their past experiences.

C．Accepting various cultures boosts personal growth.

D．A book with chapters on traditions is more wonderful.

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．Chinese-styled dance videos go viral on social media.

B．An Italian’s dance journey towards specialization starts.

C．Filippi’s desire for Chinese culture extends beyond dance.

D．An Italian dancer shows passion for Chinese-styled dance.

8 . Last December, Warner Bros announced that its entire 2021 slate (提名) of releases would be going digital in the US, its most important market. It’s likely the same will happen in Britain too. This means that most people will be watching the most blockbusters (大片) such as Dune and the fourth Matrix film, not in cinemas, but on the small screen.

However, it’s not just about the pandemic. COVID has merely accelerated existing trends, because film streaming and the role of Big Tech in the film industry is shaking up the entire economics of filmmaking.

Today, the biggest players in the film industry are streaming services. There’s Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Disney+, and US telecoms company AT&T, which owns Warner, has its own streaming service in the US called HBO Max, which is expected to launch worldwide this year.

And this changes everything. For instance, though Hollywood has always had some creative accounting practices, it now seems completely reasonable that films do not have to make a profit in order to be successful. Why? Because instead of worrying about selling tickets to individual films, these companies are much more interested in maintaining your monthly subscription (订阅) fee, with their investments paying off not in the short term at the box office, but in the long run.

Streaming is also changing the form of what we watch. For instance, when Disney decided to make Star Wars spin-off (周边产品) The Mandalorian, it made it as an eight-part TV show, not a movie. This wasn’t a trick to save money. But it’s because the more important thing for streaming services is increasing the time you’ve spent watching. If you watch as the show is released week-by-week, you’ll have to keep subscribing for two whole months in order to follow it through to its conclusion.

Perhaps the strangest transformation though is the business models behind the streaming services. For everyone aside from Netflix, film and TV is just a valuable form of advertisement for where they really make their money.

The only reason Apple has a streaming service is because it’s a source of recurring (循环的) interests. Over time a monthly fee is more valuable than a one-off iPhone purchase, and is more likely to lock you into another iPhone purchase in the future, if they can watch Apple TV on it.

Disney actually makes most of its money from the selling of its resort holiday packages to its Disney theme parks. What Disney really wants you to do is book a pricey trip to Disney World in Florida. Disney+ is really about making your kids fall in love with their characters.

And what about Amazon? It is all about Amazon Prime, the company’s subscription service that bundles (免费附送) its streaming offerings with its other products and services, such as free shipping on goods. Once the company had hooked you in with the promise of some blockbuster films and TV shows… Well, you’ll suddenly find yourself buying a lot more from Amazon too.

1. According to the passage, what’s the consequence of Warner Bros’ announcement last December?

A．People in US and Britain will not watch blockbusters in cinemas.

B．There is no need for people to pay for films after they going digital.

C．All Warner Bros’ film release will go digital in 2021.

D．A majority of viewers will watch new films online instead of in cinema.

2. How is Big Tech changing the film industry?

A．Steaming services are now having power over the film industry.

B．Streaming companies don’t care about what users watch.

C．The film industry no longer makes a profit from its films.

D．The film industry is now only focusing on short-term profits.

3. Why have many enterprises started their own streaming services?

A．To overcome the inconvenience caused by the pandemic.

B．To help them sell their products with appealing services.

C．To get consumers to become more familiar with their products.

D．To provide consumers with more choices and better services.

4. Which of the following statement is true according to the passage?

A．Consumers can book Disney theme park trips on Dinsney+.

B．Disney began making TV shows to reduce the cost of production.

C．Apple may attract potential customers with its Apple TV+.

D．Amazon offers subscription services in order to promote its films.

9 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入一个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Like something straight out of a fairytale, the abandoned village of Houtouwan on Shengshan Island     1    the eastern coast of China, has recently become an Internet sensation (网红打卡地)     2     an unusual travel hotspot. Houtouwan     3     (be) once a prosperous fishing village, with more than 3,000 residents. However, because of its remote and hard-to-access location, its residents started to move out in the 1990s. In 2002, the village was     4     (official) depopulated and merged into a nearby village. Deserted for decades, empty houses in the ocean-facing, cliff-side village have been occupied by a blanket of climbing plants.

Houtouwan soared to fame among Chinese netizens in 2015 when     5     series of attractive photographs of the deserted village went viral (走红). Instead of celebrating its new-found     6     (popular), the officials were cautious of the impact     7     (bring) by the sudden boom of tourists. But now, it’s ready for tourists.

After more than two years of planning, Houtouwan—despite still being comparatively off-grid (不入网的) —has implemented a few new     8     (move) to control and take advantage of the boom to develop local economy. Visitors can hike around the     9     (hill) village. Signs are put up outside empty houses     10     (keep) tourists off possible dangers.

10 . From a young age, I was fascinated by language. I ________ the Welsh words my grandmother taught me and parroted (鹦鹉学舌) my relatives’ local ________.

I remember a holiday in Spain when two boys asked if I spoke Norwegian. When I couldn’t ________, they ran off, leaving me sad. Back home, I’d search shops for language books and enjoyed trying all these different words to ________ what was in my head. I thought it was ________, and still do.

The first language I learned was Spanish. At sixth-form college, I ________ Spanish GCSE, then A-level. After university, I cycled to the Netherlands, ________ Dutch. It turned out that speaking a language abroad with ________ people was an ideal way to learn.

Travelling to learn a language became an ________—it came with excitement and lonelier moments. I have found that the ________ of learning depends on the language. If it is similar to a language I already speak, I can use it in a ________ way within weeks.

During lockdown, I took short courses in Scots, Korean and Irish. I joined conversation groups and ________ exams in Cornish. In 2022, I founded the annual Polyglot Conference. I also ________ for indigenous and endangered languages.

I’ve studied dozens of languages now. The most important thing about learning languages is the ability to build ________ with other people. They allow you to experience ________ and perceptions you may never have otherwise considered.

1.

A．imagined

B．explained

C．absorbed

D．revised

2.

A．quotes

B．tales

C．opinions

D．accents

3.

A．respond

B．wait

C．bear

D．decline

4.

A．express

B．influence

C．remove

D．evaluate

5.

A．complex

B．temporary

C．disturbing

D．amazing

6.

A．favoured

B．completed

C．skipped

D．promoted

7.

A．making up

B．picking up

C．relying on

D．lecturing on

8.

A．civilized

B．successful

C．modest

D．local

9.

A．addiction

B．option

C．adventure

D．honour

10.

A．style

B．speed

C．method

D．criterion

11.

A．comprehensible

B．fashionable

C．responsible

D．thoughtful

12.

A．prepared

B．discuss

C．sat

D．failed

13.

A．celebrate

B．train

C．resign

D．advocate

14.

A．bridges

B．identities

C．confidence

D．loyalty

15.

A．challenges

B．failures

C．sufferings

D．dimensions