1 . Roosters (公鸡) act differently when faced with another chicken rather than just their own reflection. This may mean that the birds can recognize themselves in a mirror, a key indicator of self-awareness. In the traditional mirror self-recognition test, which originated in1970, researchers place a mark on an animal’s body in a spot that it only see when seeing its reflection. They note if the animal touches the mark while examining its mirror image, which suggests it understands that what it sees represents its own body. Few non-human species have passed this test, but they include some great apes, dolphins, elephants.
However, results from the test are often variable.Sonja Hillemacher and her colleagues from the University of Bonn in Germany wondered if this was because there is little natural reason for many animals to find out such marks. So, they have tried to adapt the test to the natural behaviour of roosters. Roosters usually make loud noises to warn other chickens when they see predators (捕食者) but generally stay quiet when they are alone.
In the lab, they tested 68 roosters one by one in an arena divided by a wire net. They placed a bird on one side, and either left the other side empty or put another rooster in it. Then they added a mirror to the divider for some tests. The results showed that when a rooster was paired with another rooster, it raised the alarm more often than when it was alone, regardless of whether it could see its own reflection. When another rooster was present but hidden behind a mirror, few alarms were raised, showing that roosters can distinguish between reflection and reality through vision rather than smell or sound.
Since the birds acted similarly when alone and with a reflection, they may realize their reflection is of themselves, say the researchers. While the research suggests that roosters may recognize themselves in mirrors, it is too early to claim that chickens possess this ability.
1. What can we learn about the traditional mirror self-recognition test?| A．The test was improved in 1970. |
| B．Elephants failed to pass the test. |
| C．Most non-human species have passed the test. |
| D．Animals touching the mark show self-awareness. |
| A．Their sharp vision. |
| B．Their poor smell. |
| C．Their loud sound. |
| D．Their native behavior. |
| A．They sent fewer alarm before another rooster. |
| B．They showed more interest in their reflection. |
| C．They used vision to tell reality from reflection. |
| D．They were unable to recognize their reflection. |
| A．Roosters: Quiet Reflection-observers |
| B．Roosters: Possible Self-recognizers |
| C．Roosters: Clever Mark-checkers |
| D．Roosters: Brave Alarm-raisers |
2 . Nowadays, shopping online enjoys great popularity, but my
With four children, I spent a lot of time in supermarkets. When they started selling fashion, I found myself
One New Year, I made a(n)
The start of the year was especially
I survived my year without
| A．contribution | B．addiction | C．response | D．approach |
| A．picking | B．checking | C．making | D．carrying |
| A．broke | B．ended | C．filled | D．shut |
| A．relaxed | B．curious | C．satisfied | D．stressed |
| A．added up | B．put aside | C．handed over | D．took away |
| A．trouble | B．puzzle | C．idea | D．shock |
| A．reservation | B．choice | C．announcement | D．prediction |
| A．confusion | B．disbelief | C．excitement | D．embarrassment |
| A．confident | B．discouraged | C．determined | D．interested |
| A．tough | B．promising | C．smooth | D．amazing |
| A．dress | B．item | C．bargain | D．store |
| A．worry | B．smile | C．refuse | D．cry |
| A．gave | B．passed | C．threw | D．hid |
| A．long-forgotten | B．badly-treated | C．well-made | D．easily-obtained |
| A．color | B．light | C．beauty | D．value |
| A．in a row | B．at a distance | C．in a way | D．at a loss |
| A．exchanged | B．liked | C．mentioned | D．selected |
| A．remembered | B．regretted. | C．imagined | D．realized |
| A．wearing | B．purchasing | C．changing | D．washing |
| A．casually | B．carefully | C．gradually | D．constantly |
3 . Almost 40% of all global employment may be affected by AI, according to analysis by the International Monetary Fund. But don’t be alarmed. That doesn’t mean 40% jobs will disappear altogether. Instead, we’re talking about humans working alongside AI tools, not being replaced by them.
Speaking at the 2023 World Economic Forum’s Growth Summit, economist Richard Baldwin said, “AI won’t take your job. It’s somebody using AI that will take your job.” This means that if you don’t know how to work with AI, you’re in a much riskier position — certainly compared to someone who knows how to use it to improve their job efficiency.
So, consider how you could start integrating AI into your everyday work. Can you use it to polish an email, for example? Can you use it as a productivity tool… If not, try your best to get to g rips with it. There are tons of free （and paid） courses out there that can help you.
However, just knowing how to work effectively with AI is far from enough. It’s also important to position yourself in the organization in line with the things that AIs can’t do. Basically, think about how you can take on more responsibilities in the areas where human skills are still needed and will always be needed — areas like creativity, complex decision making, interpersonal relationships and so on. These are the areas where humans will continue to have the edge over machines. Anyone who wants to gain future workplace success should develop the relevant skills.
It’s not surprising that change is uncomfortable. But today’s workplaces are full of rapid and near-constant change. So, if change is something you struggle with, now is a good time to embrace and address that.
1. How may AI influence global employment in the future?| A．It may cause severe job loss. | B．It may threaten people’s safety. |
| C．It may change the way we work. | D．It may lessen peer competition. |
| A．AI helps us become more creative. |
| B．AI can hardly replace us in some areas. |
| C．AI is much less effective than we think. |
| D．AI is able to make complicated decisions. |
| A．Positive. | B．Doubtful. | C．Disappointed. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．To share experience of using AI in work. |
| B．To advise us to stay relevant in the age of AI. |
| C．To introduce different functions of generative AL |
| D．To explain why we should improve our productivity. |
注意：词数100左右。
Ladies and gentlemen,
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The famous composer Ludwig van Beethoven did not inherit much musical talent from his ancestors, according to a new study. Researchers say the findings are a good example of how
The researchers examined Beethoven’s DNA using a hair sample
“Interestingly, Beethoven, one of the
The authors who published the study in Current Biology said it would be wrong to conclude that Beethoven had little talent, but it does highlight the problems in making predictions based
“The mismatch between the DNA-based forecast and Beethoven’s musical genius
6 . The news cycle is driving us to the edge of madness, so why not switch off, unplug and pick up a book? We know you could use a laugh right now — and luckily, several thousands of you told us all about the books, stories and poems that make you laugh.
We took your votes and with the help of our panel (专家小组) of expert judges we created this list of 100 reads designed to make you laugh out loud. Want slice-of-life essays? Loopy poetry? Texts from famous literary figures? Scroll down — we’ve got it all.
As with all our reader polls, this is a curated (精心筹划的) list and not a straight-up popularity contest; unlike last year, you’ll see the books are grouped into categories rather than ranked from one to 100.
And, as always, there are a few things that didn’t make the list — surprisingly, Shakespeare didn’t get enough votes to make it to the semifinals. Then there were books that didn’t quite stand the test of time, or were so new we couldn’t tell whether they’d stand up.
Some of the authors on this list are incredibly popular, and you voted them in over and over again. Because space is limited, we try to hold each author to one spot on the list, but there are some exceptions such as Nora Ephron, who our judges thought was perfect.
And speaking of our judges, you will find a couple of their works on the list this year — we don’t let judges vote for their own works, but readers loved works such as Samantha Irby’s We Are Never Meeting In Real Life, so the panel agreed they should stay.
Laughter is the best medicine. Just click here and start reading!
1. How is the list of this year different from that of last year?| A．More books are included. | B．It is made all by readers. |
| C．It mainly focuses on poetry. | D．The listed books are classified. |
| A．She fails to stand the test of time. |
| B．She is not so popular as other authors. |
| C．She gets more than one spot on the list. |
| D．She belongs to the panel of expert judges. |
| A．It is written by a judge. | B．It reflects real life. |
| C．It gets enough readers’ votes. | D．It attracts the experts. |
7 . I turned 65 this February, a big milestone. The last 12 months has indeed been a time of profound thinking for me, but not for the reasons you may think.
Recently our culture has started to acknowledge that a perfect woman image is totally unrealistic. I suppose there are a small minority of women born with incredible genes. But for most of us, short of starving ourselves, having plastic surgery, or airbrushing our photos, perfection is an unattainable goal.
I applaud many celebrity women who have come forward recently and said, “Hey, you see that picture of me on the magazine cover. This is what I really looked like before specialized hair and makeup and the magic of Photoshop.” I am so happy that our daughters and granddaughters are being raised with a much more realistic concept of what beauty is.
Being a woman of a certain age, that old message of feminine (女性的) perfection took hold long ago and has been hard to shake. My legs, waist and stomach are bigger than the charts say they should be. I would avoid looking for too long in the mirror. A swimsuit always required a cover-up to be worn over it. I had been very successfully taught to be ashamed of my imperfect body.
However, after a pretty serious health issue last year, I started to have a different feeling about my body. This body has given me two incredible children and endured too many surgeries. My belly, back, feet and knees are marked with countless scars but finally I see what they truly are — my battle scars. My extra pounds are the result of countless dinners I have made and enjoyed with those I love. My scars remind me of all the talented and kind doctors and nurses who have looked after me.
My body has allowed me a wonderful life thus far. I thought my body was not ideal, but now I thank it for being a source of strength, endurance and pleasure. At 65, I finally realize it is truly beautiful.
1. Why did the author mention celebrity women in Paragraph 3?| A．To show perfection is difficult for celebrities to achieve. |
| B．To indicate the concept of beauty is becoming more realistic. |
| C．To suggest only a minority of women are born with incredible genes. |
| D．To prove a perfect body image requires a strict diet and much exercise. |
| A．The body parts that the author felt unsatisfied with. |
| B．The body image that a woman should keep at a certain age. |
| C．The tricks that the author used to avoid facing her imperfect body. |
| D．The effect that the traditional feminine perfection had on the author. |
| A．A severe health problem. | B．The impact of celebrity women. |
| C．The social concept of beauty. | D．Encouragement from her family. |
| A．To tell us what a perfect woman image should be. |
| B．To express her gratitude to the doctors and nurses. |
| C．To share her understanding of beauty after going through a lot. |
| D．To compare the beauty standards between the past and the present. |
As night falls, the sound of drums fills the air as an 8-meter fish-shaped lantern swims through the streets of Wangmantian village, Huangshan, in East China’s Anhui province.
Within the crowd, Wang Lijun — a 27-year-old villager who serves
Every year between
With a history of over 600 years, the fish-shaped lantern
As fish-shaped lanterns continue to benefit local tourism and related industries, the future looks brighter than ever.
9 . Amazing Castles in Spain: Four of the Best
The Alcázar of SegoviaFans of old Disney movies will know what Snow White’s castle looks like. But did you know that it’s said to be based on a real castle in Spain — the Alcázar of Segovia? This castle is almost the shape of the front of a ship — built on a rock between two rivers. First used by the Romans, its location made it a very difficult place to attack. It’s one of thousands of amazing castles in Spain.
Bellver CastleMany people visit Mallorca for its bars and beaches, but if you’re on this island, take a trip to Bellver Castle, just outside the main city of Palma. This 14th century castle is known for the large ring at its center, something that is unusual in European castles. People can also walk around the top of the central ring, which offers views of the castle below, as well as over the town and out to sea.
The AlhambraOne of the most popular places in the country to visit, Granada’s Alhambra is a fortress (堡垒) built by the North Africans who ruled Spain for more than seven centuries. Visitors love the palaces inside known as the Palacios Nazaries, with their beautiful wooden ceilings. Travel website Lonely Planet says these palaces are the most beautiful Islamic buildings in Europe.
Coca CastleFrom far away, this castle in central Spain looks a little like a wedding cake — if wedding cakes were brown - brick and in the Gothic style. This castle isn’t on the top of a hill but on flat land — it was protected instead by a deep moat (护城河). It’s not too difficult to get to by car from Madrid, the Spanish capital.
1. What can people do in Bellver Castle?| A．Watch old Disney movies. | B．Enjoy the wooden ceilings inside. |
| C．Have a good time on the beaches. | D．Walk around a large ring to enjoy views. |
| A．They were built by the Romans. | B．They were made of brown brick. |
| C．They have distinctive appearance. | D．They are on the top of mountain. |
| A．Those who like to surf the Internet. | B．Those who intend to take boat trips. |
| C．Those who are keen on natural landscape. | D．Those who plan to visit different buildings. |
10 . Isabel Allende, born in 1942 in Peru, is a Chilean-American writer. When she was a young girl, her father Tomas was appointed to work in Chile, causing them to move from Peru to Chile. During the 1960s, she began work in television journalism and eventually became a television hostess. From 1969 to 1973, she was an editor of a children’s magazine.
Allende is the author of over twenty books which have been translated into numerous languages and sold over 65 million copies. In addition to writing novels, she has also penned short fiction, plays and stories for children. A letter to her sick, elderly grandfather became the manuscript of her first novel. She rose to prominence in Latin American literature after the success of this novel. Allende’s own experiences from Chile have filled much of her writing through the years, and her book Paula is a memoir of her childhood and youth in Chile and her departure from that country.
Allende has been a highly influential voice in Latin American literature, often providing an important female perspective on the world. Allende’s writing style combines realistic writing with surprising elements of magic. Her work is sometimes compared to the work of Gabriel Marquez, a famous Colombian novelist known for his work in the magical realist style — “magical realism”. However, her voice is also considered distinct with a style that combines concern for the inner, personal lives of her characters with their physical and social environments.
Two of Allende’s works have been adapted for feature films. She has won many awards, including the Dorothy and Lilian Gish Prize, which is given to whoever has contributed to the beauty of the world and to our understanding of it. Although she has an international reputation for writing, she states she doesn’t consider her books her greatest achievement, but her family and her time devoted to assisting others to be more vital.
1. Why did Allende move to Chile?| A．To live with her father. | B．To obtain more job offers. |
| C．To look after her grandfather. | D．To get more writing materials. |
| A．Became famous. | B．Gained wealth. |
| C．Remained unknown. | D．Changed a profession. |
| A．The topics basically focus on women’s world. |
| B．The materials come from her experience as a TV hostess. |
| C．The writing style can be considered as“magical realism”. |
| D．The content mainly highlights private lives of the characters. |
| A．Winning many awards. | B．Spending her time helping others. |
| C．Earning an international fame. | D．Adapting two works for feature films. |
