1 . Dogs may have earned the title of our best friends through their interactions with humans, but now researchers say these social skills could, be present shortly after birth rather than being learned.
To better understand the role of biology in dogs’ abilities to communicate with humans, the researchers studied 375 eight-week-old service dogs. They looked at how these dogs performed in a series of tasks designed to measure their communication skills. The puppies were still living with their littermates (同窝出生者) and had not been sent to live with a volunteer puppy raiser, making it unlikely that they had learned about his or her behavior.
In the first task, a person hid a treat beneath one of two overturned cups and pointed to it to see if the puppy could follow the gesture. Since dogs are good at using noses to find things a treat was also taped to the insides of, both cups. In the second task, puppies watched as the researchers placed a yellow, block next to the correct cup, instead of pointing to indicate where the puppy should look for the food.
The third task was designed to observe puppies’ tendency to look at human faces. The researchers spoke to the puppy in a voice people sometimes use when talking to a baby. They then measured how long the puppy fixed a stare on the human.
In the last task, researchers sealed a treat inside a closed container and presented it to the puppy. They then measured how often the puppy looked to the human for help in opening the container.
The study found that while many of the puppies were responsive to humans’ physical and verbal cues, very few looked to humans for help with the unsolvable task. Researchers said, “This suggests that while puppies may be born knowing how to respond to human-initiated communication, the ability to initiate communication on their own may come later.” The next step will be to see if specific genes that may contribute to dogs’ abilities to communicate with humans can be identified.
1. Why were eight-week-old service dogs chosen for the study?| A．They were the best age to learn. |
| B．They were cute and safe to deal with. |
| C．They were unlikely influenced by their mates. |
| D．They had had little contact with humans before. |
| A．To provide clues for the puppies’ final decisions. |
| B．To make comparisons between different conditions. |
| C．To prevent the puppies from making use of their smell. |
| D．To check the puppies’ preference for a particular color. |
| A．Puppies can understand our body language. |
| B．Puppies are good at asking humans for help. |
| C．Puppies are born to arouse communication with humans. |
| D．Puppies need specific genes to communicate with humans. |
| A．Dogs—talented performers | B．Dogs—humans’ best friends |
| C．Dogs—born to be able to learn | D．Dogs—born to understand humans |
2 . I’ve never had a great sense of direction. And I often wander into shops and, upon coming back out, can’t remember which way I’ve come from — left or right? Many people are like me, and why do some constantly have no idea where they are?
The hippocampus (海马体) is a region of the brain associated with memory and involved in sense of direction. And a nearby region has also been associated with sense of direction. There are four known types of navigation-related neurons (神经元), found in these regions place cells, grid cells, border cells and head direction cells.
In short, you can think of place cells as an internal cognitive (认知的) map; they identify where you are. Grid cells are like a GPS system in our brain; they tell us about the relationship of this place to other places we’ve been to. Border cells respond to the presence of environmental boundaries at a specific direction and distance from us. Lastly, head direction cells are activated when our head faces a specific direction. These cells will fire electrical impulses when we enter familiar locations, with each group of cells relating to a specific place.
Our reliance on GPS and smartphones may have decreased the ability to use our internal maps. Older adults who regularly used GPS had less activity in their hippocampus, compared with those who did not use GPS. They also performed slightly worse in a cognition test. In contrast, a study involving London taxi drivers found they significantly larger hippocampus than ordinary people.
You can improve your way-finding ability specifically by practicing the skill, according to Aziz, PhD of neurology at Temple University School of Medicine. “The more you get out and go to places, the better,” he says. Physical exercise improves the blood flow to the brain, while mental exercise, such as doing puzzles or learning a new language, stimulates the development of new nerve cells and connections in your brain.
1. How does the author introduce the topic of the text?| A．By raising a question. |
| B．By making a comparison. |
| C．By stating personal opinions. |
| D．By referring to scientific research. |
| A．They depend closely on each other. |
| B．They are responsible for different jobs. |
| C．They will decrease in numbers as one ages. |
| D．They will fail to function in unfamiliar situations. |
| A．We will easily be misled. |
| B．Our hippocampus will get enlarged. |
| C．Our cognitive ability will be affected. |
| D．We will have our hippocampus relaxed. |
| A．Build up our body. | B．Take training courses. |
| C．Try different brain exercises. | D．Get out to connect with people. |
3 . In an awe-inspiring incident, a young killer whale recently demonstrated remarkable intelligence by seeking assistance from a group of humans to save its trapped mother, which challenged our conventional understanding of wild predators (食肉动物).
The online viral video, shared by Alvin Foo, began with a young killer whale emitting distressing cries towards a group of people on a boat. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, the concerned individuals promptly responded by contacting a rescue team. The young whale’s desperate request for help touched more people’s hearts and set a truly extraordinary chain of events in motion.
As the rescue team arrived, they were amazed to witness the young killer whale’s playful interaction with the humans. The whale appeared elated, seemingly understanding that assistance had finally arrived. This interaction between the mother killer whale and rescuers underlined the potential for mutual understanding beyond the boundary of traditional predator-prey relationships.
The young whale took on the role of a guide, leading the rescue team to its mother trapped in a fishing net. It navigated the water with purpose, as if fully aware that the humans possessed the means to save its mother. This display of intelligence left the rescuers in awe, highlighting the complex cognitive abilities of these magnificent marine creatures. With its guidance, the rescue team swiftly initiated the liberation process, carefully cutting the net to free the trapped whale. Astonishingly, they seemed to understand that the humans were there to help and did as asked.
The instant the mother whale was finally freed, an eruption of joyous cries filled the air. The emotional outpouring conveyed the immense gratitude of both the mother whale and the young whale to the humans who had intervened. As the rescue team made their way back to shore, the two whales swam alongside them. This heart-warming sight emphasized the lasting impact of the rescue. The bond formed through this extraordinary rescue operation was well obvious, proving that the profound connections can be established between various species. The journey back to safety symbolized the victory of compassion over adversity.
1. What can we learn about the video from paragraph 2?| A．It spread widely. |
| B．It went unnoticed. |
| C．It documented humans’ requesting help. |
| D．It recorded passive response to the rescue. |
| A．Tired. | B．Excited. | C．Frightened. | D．Confused. |
| A．Wise and cooperative. | B．Complex and mysterious. |
| C．Curious and careful. | D．Wild and rude. |
| A．Adversity is a good discipline. |
| B．It is urgent to protect wildlife. |
| C．Different species can coexist in harmony. |
| D．Human intervention poses a threat to whales. |
4 . My parents went shopping at the supermarket and a complete stranger came up and did something that really touched them. He
You can
This excellent gesture has
It’s a beautiful reminder that even the smallest acts of kindness can have a
So, let’s take a moment to
| A．paid for | B．watched over | C．focused on | D．referred to |
| A．mention | B．guess | C．measure | D．honor |
| A．activity | B．section | C．standard | D．moment |
| A．severely | B．really | C．sincerely | D．frequently |
| A．encouraged | B．persuaded | C．forced | D．warned |
| A．make | B．enlarge | C．spread | D．pack |
| A．reliable | B．cheap | C．wonderful | D．random |
| A．giving | B．remembering | C．receiving | D．shining |
| A．small | B．silent | C．deep | D．slow |
| A．dream | B．world | C．chance | D．situation |
| A．realize | B．remind | C．admit | D．praise |
| A．root | B．power | C．reward | D．anxiety |
| A．right | B．timely | C．needy | D．bright |
| A．success | B．wisdom | C．kindness | D．bravery |
| A．better | B．riper | C．bigger | D．cleaner |
5 . AI is just now starting to go mainstream, but these classic films about AI have been exploring the future of artificial intelligence for decades.
Ex Machina
In Ex Machina, a computer programmer is selected by the genius CEO of the company he works for to take part in an experiment involving the Turing test (图灵测试)with an impressive AI robot named Ava, convincingly played by a real actress.
A. I. Artificial Intelligence
No list on films featuring AI would be complete without A. I. Artificial Intelligence where a young AI boy with human-like feelings is left out by his human mother. As is so often the way, the questions posed by the story make the film way ahead of its time. What responsibility would humanity hold for an artificial intelligence that is advanced enough to actually experience feelings and emotional turmoil (混乱)？
I, Robot
As humans and robots struggle to survive together, and sometimes against each other, on Earth and in space, the future of both hangs in the balance. Here human men and women confront robots gone mad, telepathic robots, robot politicians, and vast robotic intelligence that may already secretly control the world. And both are asking the same questions: What is human? And is humanity out of date?
Brian and Charles
When an inventor in a Welsh village develops an AI being that looks like a mature professor who acts nothing like it, the result is quite possibly the funniest film of the decade so far. This is a film that is the perfect antidote to the apocalyptic threats surrounding modern life in the 21st century.
1. Who took the Turing test in the film Ex Machina?| A．A CEO. | B．An AI boy. |
| C．An inventor. | D．A programmer. |
| A．He is played by Ava. |
| B．He is experiencing emotional turmoil. |
| C．He is a life-like robot turning bad. |
| D．He is an orphan in real world. |
| A．I, Robot. | B．Ex Machina. |
| C．Brian and Charles. | D．A. I. Artificial Intelligence. |
6 . My father never kept anything for nostalgia (怀旧)—except once.
As the only sports fan in our family, I usually listened to Yankee games on the radio, dreaming of watching my heroes in person at Yankee Stadium (体育馆).
One winter, my father surprised me by suggesting we save up to go to Yankee Stadium.
I immediately washed out a jar (罐子) and stuck a label: YANKEE STADIUM FUND, 1960.
We contributed to the jar weekly, and by midsummer it was filled with money. By the end of August, however, we still hadn’t gone to a game because my father had had to work every Saturday and even some Sundays.
With only two weekends left in the season, I began to lose hope. He comforted me, “Well, don’t worry, Edwin. Things are sure to slow down and we’ll have a free Saturday.”
On the morning of the last game, I sat waiting hopelessly with no sign of my father when the door crashed open and my father yelled, “I’ve got tickets. We’re going!”
I could hardly breathe when we finally sat together, father and son, watching my New York Yankees. I sat cheering, but for my father it must have been a long afternoon trying to follow a game he didn’t understand. Several times I turned to look at him, All I could see was a face lined with tiredness from working all Saturday morning after working all week.
After the game, we kept saving money and went to two more games together.
On the second day of 1963, my father died suddenly while working. I threw away the jar.
After the funeral (葬礼), our house was filled with neighbours and relatives, but I didn’t want to talk to anybody. I walked upstairs to my parents’ bedroom, hoping, I suppose, to find some comfort from seeing what was his. As I looked through my father’s prayer (祈祷) book, something fell out. I picked it up. It was a yellowed ticket, which read, October 1, 1960, YANKEE STADIUM. My father, who saved nothing for nostalgia (怀旧) reasons, had decided to keep this, a memory of our afternoon at the ballpark. Carefully, I placed the ticket back into his prayer book, and slowly walked downstairs to begin the rest of my life without him.
1. The writer’s father kept the ticket to ________.| A．remind his son of his love after his death |
| B．use it just as a bookmark in his prayer book |
| C．keep a memory of the special moment with his son |
| D．show off to his friends that he went to a baseball game |
| A．Empty→Encouraged. | B．Sad→Serious. |
| C．Scared→Calm. | D．Lonely→Excited. |
| A．He was excited every time at the stadium. |
| B．He began to keep old things after the game. |
| C．He didn’t have enough money until the last game. |
| D．He worked long hours to support his family. |
| A．Worried. | B．Shouted. | C．Slept. | D．Sang. |
A middle-aged man was feeling very down. Everything had been going wrong for him. He had had problems at work and his wife had left him for another man. So, after he had been feeling depressed for over a month, he decided to go to the doctor. He had to wait for what seemed like ages in the doctor’s surgery. The bleeding man next to him was looking at his watch nervously; a woman was coughing and sneezing badly; and a baby was screaming. Finally, after he had been waiting for about half an hour, he was called in for his consultation. The doctor was writing a note at her desk when he came in. “Sorry, I’m just finishing something. I’m afraid we’ve been very busy this morning.” She then turned to the man. “So, what’s the problem?” she asked.
“Well, I’ve been having a bit of a crisis, you know, lots of problems,” replied the man. “And I’ve been doing a lot of work.”
“Mmm, you’re looking very pale.” The doctor started to examine him. “Well, everything is working OK,” she announced afterwards. “You have slightly high blood pressure and you’re breathing quite heavily, but otherwise everything’s fine.” “So what can I do?” asked the man. “I’m going on a trip soon. I will be working in the United States for three months. This time next week, I’ll be arriving in New York.”
The doctor thought for a while. “I think what you need is a good laugh. That would do you a lot of good. A circus is performing in town. Why don’t you go to see it? I hear there’s an amazing clown who’ll really make you laugh. His name’s Grock.” “I am Grock,” replied the man sadly.
注意：
1.续写词数应为 60 个左右；
2.请按照如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
When the doctor heard that he was Grock, the famous clown, he was getting excited.
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At last, Grock felt relieved after he listened to the jokes that the doctor told him. He went back to
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1.汉语里的幽默对外国人来说的难点在什么地方?
2.怎么克服这些难点从而能够听懂相声里的幽默?
注意：
1.写作词数应为 50 个左右；
2.请按照如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
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1. What is the woman now?
| A．A doctor in a clinic. | B．A university student. | C．A university teacher. |
| A．She was more experienced in medicine. |
| B．She was a top student in all courses. |
| C．She had ever acquired languages. |
| A．Most teachers handed out materials on each topic. |
| B．The hospitals always gave students surprises. |
| C．The doctors usually had no time to help students. |
| A．Do some summer work. |
| B．Get trained at a hospital in Paris. |
| C．Travel to Paris to have a good break. |
A good parent-children relationship should
