1 . Phillip, 27, from the UK, pulled at the heart strings of people across the world after giving his mother, Trish, a special New Year present — he surprised his mom with a voice recording of his late father, which he made with the help of AI.
The young man’s dad, John, passed away from cancer in 2022 — leaving his wife and children mourning. After seeing his mom struggling to get through the holidays, he turned to AI to give her a gift she would never forget.
In a video, which has so far had more than 6.2 million views, the 27-year-old showed viewers his mom’s reaction to hearing her late husband’s voice.
“My dad passed away from cancer 1.5 years ago so I decided to do something special for my mom this New Year,” he said as his mother unwrapped the present. “It’s been so long since we heard his voice, so I made her a video using AI software to match his exact voice. And the result was amazing.”
In addition to his father’s voice, Phillip made a video that featured photos of his dad. When Trish opened the photo book, tears immediately formed.
“Hi, honey. I love you. I want you to know you are the best mother to our kids and the strongest woman in the whole world,” the AI voice said. “I’m always with you. I hope you guys have a happy New Year.”
Phillip revealed that his wife, Kassandra, first gave him the idea to use AI to recreate his dad’s voice. Although he was skeptical at first, once he got to work using the text-to-speech software, he was shocked at the outcome. “When the program said it in his voice... I got chills(寒战) all over my body. That’s why I decided to do this no matter what,” Phillip said.
1. What does the underlined phrase “pulled at the heart strings” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Encouraged creativity. | B．Touched the hearts. |
| C．Promoted good deeds. | D．Provided comfort. |
| A．Adaptable. | B．Demanding. |
| C．Heart-warming. | D．Hard-working. |
| A．She was terribly frightened. | B．She took it for granted. |
| C．She viewed it as a dream. | D．She was wild with joy. |
| A．Phillip’s interest in making the recording. |
| B．Phillip’s doubt over making the recording. |
| C．Phillip’s struggle for making the recording. |
| D．Phillip’s inspiration to make the recording. |
2 . My eleven-year-old son reads a lot, but for the past year he’s only been reading comics or graphic (图解的) novels. In my view, these are the books made up, mainly, of cartoons and speech bubbles and are lacking in full pages of text. As a PhD in classical literature, I turn my nose up at my son’s comics, considering them just picture books.
My son has argued well for his cause. His claim is that comics are literature or close enough and they do contain many of the basic elements of any novel: plot, backstory, dialogue and etc. But my view is that language is unique. The complicated details of plot, emotion, and inner thought that words alone can convey are surely lost when graphics take their place. And if the pictures are already there for you, what work is left to the imagination?
According to the view of some experts on parenting, we should encourage our kids to love books in all shapes and forms, without limiting the type of books they should love. I see their point, but I also worry that laziness might be playing a role here and that’s a motivation I’m less happy to enable. Comics are simply easier to read than other kinds of books; they demand less attention and my suspicion is that they become appealing for that very reason. While this is a fine way to help early or reluctant (不情愿的) readers get into better habits of reading, I’m not so sure the same is true for older kids. In an age of instant satisfaction from fragmentation (碎片化) reading, we are all losing the ability to focus on longer texts, and that’s worrisome.
My son is in his academic and emotional development. I want him to be reading things that will challenge him and force him to think deeply and critically, which will help him improve. Isn’t this what reading is for? Do his comic books have such power?
1. What is the author’s attitude toward comics according to paragraph 1?| A．Dismissive | B．Approving | C．Unclear | D．Objective |
| A．Plot can only be expressed by language. |
| B．All the details cannot be conveyed by graphics. |
| C．Language can show the basic storyline more clearly. |
| D．Graphics fail to develop children’s interest in reading. |
| A．He likes reading books with full pages of text. |
| B．He thinks comics give much space for imagination. |
| C．He believes comics share many similarities with novels. |
| D．He claims comics are easier to read than other kinds of books. |
| A．To advise kids to get rid of reading comics. |
| B．To show the significance of reading for children. |
| C．To share her worry about her son’s choice of reading. |
| D．To compare the differences between comics and novels. |
3 . Zac Clark was doing yard work with his mother this past weekend. They
Zac didn’t
“He had a couple of broken bones and his face was messed up pretty bad, but the doctors told him if I wasn’t there, then he’d be
Zac’s football coach Dave Carroll said he was
Zac said he was thinking of his late
The lucky man is now
| A．actually | B．gradually | C．suddenly | D．initially |
| A．trapped | B．laid | C．threatened | D．abandoned |
| A．afford | B．hesitate | C．intend | D．dare |
| A．functioned | B．maintained | C．slipped | D．switched |
| A．observing | B．struggling | C．resisting | D．crying |
| A．delay | B．recognition | C．reference | D．comparison |
| A．fix | B．press | C．restore | D．lift |
| A．kick | B．pull | C．pick | D．guide |
| A．saved | B．separated | C．prepared | D．admitted |
| A．dizzy | B．absent | C．dead | D．lost |
| A．satisfied | B．amazed | C．confused | D．excited |
| A．healthy | B．soft | C．strong | D．loyal |
| A．going through | B．taking on | C．working out | D．adapting to |
| A．teacher | B．mother | C．neighbor | D．father |
| A．exercising | B．competing | C．promoting | D．recovering |
4 . As an ordinary man, I have a special habit to confess. Whenever I walk down the street, I offer to pour a bottle of water from the nearby river into the dirt of a street tree. It’s just my personal habit, and I think it doesn’t make a difference, but I’d like to do it. I mention this in light of a campaign launched by the Arboricultural Association to call on the public to water new street trees.
The UK government has committed to planting millions of trees to help meet climate targets and aims to increase tree cover from 14.5% to 16.5% by 2050. However, as John Parker, chief executive of the Arboricultural Association, says, “Planting a tree is just the start of the story. The health and survival of new urban trees is threatened by increasingly dry weather. It is recommended that the newly planted trees be given about 50 litres of water per week for the first three years.” While in rural settings, the newly planted trees and woods can take care of themselves and adapt, the challenging conditions mean trees in the urban areas need a bit more care.
Long ago, I assumed that the good of street trees was to soften the hard edges of urban environments. But, what an underestimation of tree power that was! A study from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities illustrates they can provide inspiration or a calming atmosphere in an otherwise crowded city. Trees are responsible for easing urban heat island effects and air and pollutant filtration. And I think they provide the habitat for wildlife, especially birds.
Trees can’t run away. Unfortunately for them and fortunately for urban residents, city trees are stuck with us. If we want to continue enjoying all the good they do, we should try to understand their needs and do all that we can to support them. A bottle of water won’t do much, but next time you all together have a bucket of water to pour, you know what big effect will happen.
1. What does the author think of his personal habit?| A．It is of little effect. | B．It is enforced. |
| C．It is of much significance. | D．It is common. |
| A．They have started to be watered regularly. |
| B．More work needs to be done for their living. |
| C．They are threatened by the increasing flood. |
| D．The newly planted ones can’t look after themselves. |
| A．Their usage is overrated. |
| B．Their value is thought highly of by the public. |
| C．They benefit residents physically and mentally. |
| D．They can thoroughly solve environmental problems. |
| A．When in need, ask for it. | B．Tall trees catch much wind. |
| C．Many hands make light work. | D．Misfortunes seldom come alone. |
5 . Cultural Websites
Ancient GreeceThis is a guide with rich information and pictures to Ancient Greece, covering art, architecture, politics, Olympics, geography, history and other topics. The photo gallery with bird’s-eye images of Greek art is of note. Contents include maps, biographies and related links, though little in the way of engaging multimedia. The website last updated in 2008, and some links are broken.
GettyGetty, an online museum, focuses on the visual arts and serves both general audiences and specialized professionals. Its Research Library is accessible to both on-site and far-away users. The Explore Art part permits you to look through many of the works of art on show. You can also view present or past exhibitions. There are also topics for discussion on many sides of art and art history.
Library of CongressThe website contains main source materials connecting to the history and culture of the United States. It offers more than 7 million digital artworks from more than 100 historical collections. You can select collections to search and explore teaching and learning ideas with American memory.
Internet History Sourcebooks ProjectThe website is wonderful collections of public area and copy-permitted historical texts for educational use. With pages designed specifically to help teachers and students, it contains hundreds of well-organized sources and also includes links to visual and hearing materials, as art and archeology play an important role in the study of ancient history.
1. How is Ancient Greece different from other websites?| A．It covers art. | B．Its renewal is suspended. |
| C．Its topics include history. | D．It contains historical culture. |
| A．View artworks on display. | B．Purchase art pieces online. |
| C．Serve the Research Library. | D．Join the scientific discussion. |
| A．They focus on ancient science. | B．They provide teaching materials. |
| C．They deal with American issues. | D．They have several hundred pages. |
It was a warm Sunday. 16-year-old Stella settled down with a book, enjoying her quiet moment when her friend Bog came over with his 6-year-old sister. “Stella, please! I need you to help to watch Hazel! I have a lecture to attend this afternoon,” Bog begged.
Stella frowned, not thrilled with the idea of babysitting a little girl. However, Bog didn’t offer her any other choice. He dropped Hazel off with Stella and quickly ran away before she could react.
With a heavy sigh, Stella unwillingly turned her attention to Hazel. “Fine, just stay there and don’t cause any trouble,” she grumbled (嘟囔). To her surprise, little Hazel smiled and obediently sat by the table, drawing quietly without making a single noise.
For the next hour, Stella was quietly engaged in reading without being disturbed by Hazel. Gradually, her annoyance disappeared and she got accustomed to the company of Hazel. After a while, Hazel cautiously approached Stella, holding a picture. “Look, it’s you and me,” she said in a low voice. It was a simple drawing of two girls, hand in hand, smiling.
Stella’s heart softened as she looked at the drawing. She felt guilty about treating Hazel impatiently. Setting her book aside, Stella smiled warmly and said, “I love it. Thank you!” Then Stella began to join Hazel to create it together.
Just as they were lost in a world of colors, a sudden phone ringing broke the warm atmosphere. It was a phone call from her friend, reminding her about the long-awaited plan to go skating on the ice rink (溜冰场). Stella’s heart sank because she had forgotten all about it. She was torn between the desire to go skating and her duty to look after Hazel. She was also worried that taking her to skate would prevent her from enjoying gliding (滑) freely on the ice.
注意：1.续写词数应为150个左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
As Stella hesitated, Hazel looked up at her with hopeful eyes.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Hazel admiringly watched Stella and her friends gliding on the ice.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________7 . With graduation time around the comer, it’s a bitter-sweet moment for everyone involved.
Leaving school with style
It was inevitable that I would leave my school in London where I had spent most of my time. That day, we wore something a bit different from our usual suits and uniform and we all sat down and watched a high-light video of the last two years, including inspirational messages from our teachers and some funny photos. Two weeks later, we attended our school prom (毕业舞会), where we could dance and say a final goodbye to our teachers and friends.
Coming out strong
The graduation ceremony is one of the most memorable parts of school life in Kazakhstan. At the official farewell, teachers and parents expressed their wishes for our future and cracked some jokes about the graduates. Then students danced “the last waltz at school”. One or two days later, the graduating students went to the after-party event, involving fresh air, camping and having cozy chats by campfire. There is a tendency not to spend money on after-parties. Instead, many choose to give it to charities.
Filled with traditions
There are many traditions in the graduation ceremony in the United States. On the graduation ceremony day, four hundred of us sat on the football field and listened to speeches before we got to “walk”—went up for our diplomas and shook hands with the principal. We were dressed in formal clothing, went out for dinners and then danced the night away. There was usually an after-party at some-one’s house.
1. What are we least likely to wear in graduation ceremony in London?| A．Hanfu. | B．Costume. | C．Uniform. | D．Unusual clothes. |
| A．Spend lots of money. | B．Communicate with others. |
| C．Sleep in the restaurant. | D．Donate money to the school. |
| A．Graduates will have some parties after the ceremony. |
| B．Graduates will watch a video together in the ceremony. |
| C．Graduates’ teachers and parents will express their wishes in the ceremony. |
| D．Graduates and their friends and family will walk together after the ceremony. |
1. 二维码的利弊；2. 你的观点。
注意：
1. 词数100左右；
2. 标题与部分首句已写好，不计入总词数。参考词汇：二维码QR code
Convenience or Burden
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________9 . Growing up, Maitri Wadher, a left-hander, has struggled to cope in a world made for right-handed people. From school desks to spiral notebooks that stop the natural flow of writing, Maitri has faced tough challenges from a young age. “My mother used to tie my left hand and make me eat with my right until a doctor warned that this could significantly affect my growth and confidence,” Maitri says.
This childhood experience had gnawed (折磨) at the back of her mind, pushing her to do something to ease the lives of fellow left-handers. In September 2018, she started The Left Out Store, which makes everyday products ranging from left-handed writing tools and scissors to kitchen tools for left-handed people.
Starting The Left Out Store wasn’t in the cards for Maitri for a very long time. The idea for The Left Out Store came to Maitri in just 20 minutes during a festival at St. Joseph’s Institute of Management, where she was a post-graduate student. She presented the rough idea to judges who later became sponsors, and they enthusiastically supported it. This encouragement gave her the push to make it a market research project to test the waters and explore the potential market.
Initially, Maitri faced a few hiccups. It took her quite some time to find vendors (小贩) and make them understand how to make the products. With everything in place, Maitri went through a tough time reaching customers. The first time she made a proper sale was at an exhibition at Lalit Ashok. “People were surprised at first, but gradually more left-handed people began approaching me, and said they relate to my struggles.” Since then, she has been regularly marketing her products at exhibitions, and keeps The Left Out Store active on social media.
1. What challenge did Maitri face as a left-hander while growing up?| A．Unfair judgement. | B．Lack of parents’ love. |
| C．Limited access to education. | D．Struggle with school tools. |
| A．By seeking student sponsors. | B．By conducting market research. |
| C．By expanding the potential market. | D．By carrying out her long-thought plan. |
| A．Barriers. | B．Threats | C．Complaints. | D．Oppositions. |
| A．A Left-Hander’s Struggles | B．Maitri’s Marketing Strategies |
| C．Maitri: A Social Media Celebrity | D．The Left Out Store: Maitri’s Journey |
10 . Nir Eyal was part of a team of Stanford MBAs and also one of the brightest investors in Silicon Valley. He documented his experiences, reading and observations of hundreds of companies to know how mind manipulation(操纵) worked—how products change our actions, and create desires. The result of his research is the Hook Model.
A trigger is the actuator of behavior. Triggers come in two types: external and internal. Habit-forming products start by alerting users with external triggers like an email, a website link, or the app icon. For example, suppose Barbra, a young woman in Pennsylvania, happens to see a photo in her Facebook taken by a family member from a rural part of the state. It’s a lovely picture and since she is planning a trip there, the external trigger’s call-to-action intrigues her and she clicks. By cycling through successive hooks, users begin to form associations with internal triggers, which attach to existing behaviors and emotions.
The simple action takes Barbra to a website called Pinterest, a “pinboard-style photo sharing” site where she is dazzled by other fascinating objects related to what she is generally interested in—namely things to see on her upcoming trip.
Variable rewards are one of the most powerful tools companies implement to hook users. Research shows that levels of the dopamine(多巴胺) rise when the brain is expecting a reward. Wanting rewards creates a focused state, which suppresses the areas of the brain associated with judgment and reason while activating the parts associated with wanting and desire.
When Barbra lands on Pinterest, she’s spending more time hunting for the next wonderful thing. Before she knows it, she enjoys endlessly scrolling Pinterest, and she builds a desire to keep the things that delight her. By collecting items, she’ll be giving the site data about her preferences. Soon she will follow and make other investments, which serve to increase her ties to the site and prepare her for future loops through the hook.
1. What did Eyal’s research focus on?| A．His personal experiences. |
| B．His findings of Hook Model. |
| C．His observations of companies. |
| D．His researches on human brain. |
| A．The website has a unique style. |
| B．A photo in her Facebook attracts her. |
| C．External and internal triggers both work on her. |
| D．There is a lot of information about her upcoming trip. |
| A．How a reward works. |
| B．How the brain works. |
| C．Why the levels of dopamine rise. |
| D．What influences judgment and reason. |
| A．By suggesting on investments. |
| B．By offering appealing discounts. |
| C．By learning about her preferences. |
| D．By making workable plans for her future. |
