2 . 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.

2. Which is closest in meaning to “rose to prominence” in Paragraph 2?

A．Became famous.	B．Gained wealth.
C．Remained unknown.	D．Changed a profession.

3. What can we learn about Allende’s works?

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.

4. What does Allende consider to be more meaningful?

A．Winning many awards.	B．Spending her time helping others.
C．Earning an international fame.	D．Adapting two works for feature films.

3 . Amazing Castles in Spain: Four of the Best

The Alcázar of Segovia

Fans 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 Castle

Many 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 Alhambra

One 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 Castle

From 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.

2. What do The Alcázar of Segovia and Coca Castle have in common?

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.

3. Who will most probably be interested in the passage?

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.

4 . Steven took his 7-year-old son Alex and 4-year-old daughter Mia out on his boat for fishing and fun. But in the blink of an eye, things took a terrifying _______ when a strong current suddenly swept through, causing Mia to _______ her hold on the boat.

While Mia wore a life jacket, Alex did not. But as the current pulled his sister away, Alex wasn’t going to leave her alone. He, too, let go of the _______ and swam toward his sister.

Realizing the danger, Steven _______ jumped into the water and tried to help his kids. But the strong current made it difficult even for him. So he told Alex to swim to shore while he tried to rescue Mia.

“I told them both I loved them because I wasn’t sure what was going to happen,” Steven recalled. “I tried to _______ Mia as long as I could. But finally I wore myself out, and she drifted away (漂走) from me.”

Alex followed his dad’s _______ and headed for the shore. But it was no easy task. “The current was going the opposite way,” he explained.

This little boy spent an hour _______ his way back to land. He swam more than a mile. Once he finally made it to the shore, the boy ran to the first house he could find and begged for _______. From there, Jacksonville authorities _______ and rescued Steven and his daughter.

Alex, the brave and __________ little boy saved his sister and dad. If not for him, it would have been a different story.

1.

A．hit

B．turn

C．pause

D．risk

2.

A．release

B．find

C．escape

D．regain

3.

A．fish

B．jacket

C．boat

D．current

4.

A．unusually

B．suddenly

C．instantly

D．unexpectedly

5.

A．relate to

B．wait for

C．count on

D．stick with

6.

A．explanation

B．footsteps

C．example

D．instructions

7.

A．clearing

B．fighting

C．picking

D．changing

8.

A．security

B．understanding

C．permission

D．help

9.

A．cut in

B．looked out

C．took over

D．came around

10.

A．tough

B．humble

C．hard-working

D．confident

6 . When your child plays youth sports, we know you want to be the best parent you can be and make sure they're set up for success! It's easy to get caught up in the game just like the players and coaches do.     1     Check out these tips for parents with kids who compete in youth sports.

·    2    

Don't force children to play basketball just because you were a child basketball player, or because you missed an opportunity of a basketball career. Some parents may find themselves caring more about how well the child plays than they do. It may be a sign to take a step back. Let your young athlete create their own path.

·Let the coach do the coaching.

    3     While you may want to step in and give out pointers to your child, always let the coach do the coaching. The biggest problem with parents coaching is you might be telling them one thing while the coach is telling them another. It's essential to keep the roles of parents and instructors separate.

·Encourage positive life lessons.

You should leave the coaching to the coach, but what you can do is encourage core positive values. Talk to them about the importance of commitment.     4     Don't let them get discouraged if they're playing badly. Explain to them that it takes hard work and dedication to be good at something.

·Be a positive role model.

Make sure that you're being a positive example on the field for your child. Treat the other players and the coach with respect, and your child will follow. It's also important to set a good example of being active. Get outside and play with each other.     5    

A．Never live your dreams through your children.

B．This makes it more likely for them to get injured.

C．A coach is the instructor encouraging young players.

D．Avoid getting children trapped with competitiveness.

E．But you can support your kids in sports in constructive ways.

F．If they see you up and moving, it'll motivate them to get up too.

G．They should also be reminded of their contributions to their team.

7 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What is Caroline Smith?

A．A zoo specialist.

B．A social worker.

C．A TV reporter.

2. What does Caroline talk about in the Kyrie Belle Show?

A．Recently extinct wildlife.

B．Latest campaigning activities.

C．Common misunderstandings of animals.

3. What does a monkey's ear-to-ear smile suggest?

A．They are quite shy.

B．They feel at risk.

C．They are impatient.

4. Why does the speaker deliver the speech?

A．To advertise a national zoo.

B．To present a charity show.

C．To introduce a preservationist.

10 . When people hear “artificial intelligence,” many envision “big data.” There’s a reason for that: some of the most important AI breakthroughs in the past decade have relied on enormous data sets. But AI is not only about large data sets, and research in “small data” approaches has grown extensively over the past decade—with so-called transfer learning as an especially promising example. Also known as “fine-tuning,” transfer learning is helpful in settings where you have little data on the task of interest but abundant data on a related problem. The way it works is that you first train a model using a big data set and then retrain slightly using a smaller data set related to your specific problem.

Research in transfer learning approaches has grown impressively over the past 10 years. In a new report for Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET), we examined current and projected progress in scientific research across “small data” approaches. Our analysis found that transfer learning stands out as a category that has experienced the most consistent and highest research growth on average since 2010. This growth has even outpaced the larger and more established field of reinforcement learning, which in recent years has attracted widespread attention.

Small data approaches such as transfer learning offer numerous advantages over more data-intensive methods. By enabling the use of AI with less data, they can bolster progress in areas where little or no data exist, such as in forecasting natural disasters that occur relatively rarely or in predicting the risk of disease for a population set that does not have digital health records.

Another way of thinking about the value of transfer learning is in terms of generalization. A recurring challenge in the use of AI is that models need to “generalize” beyond their training data. Because transfer learning models work by transferring knowledge from one task to another, they are very helpful in improving generalization in the new task, even if only limited data were available.

Moreover, by using pretrained models, transfer learning can speed up training time and could also reduce the amount of computational resources needed to train algorithms (算法). This efficiency is significant, considering that the process of training one large neural (神经系统的) network requires considerable energy.

Despite the growth in research, transfer learning has received relatively little visibility. The existence of techniques such as transfer learning does not seem to have reached the awareness of the broader space of policy makers and business leaders in positions of making important decisions about AI funding and adoption. By acknowledging the success of small data techniques like transfer learning—and distributing resources to support their widespread use—we can help overcome some of the common misconceptions regarding the role of data in AI and facilitate innovation in new directions.

1. What does the underlined word “bolster” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Promote.	B．Seek.
C．Track.	D．Monitor.

2. In which of the following settings can transfer learning be best applied?

A．Predicting the frequency of floods in Amazon rainforest.

B．Designing a program that can read handwritten documents.

C．Forecasting the number of people infected with an unknown illness.

D．Predicting house prices based on basic features like area and location.

3. What is the writer’s attitude towards transfer learning?

A．Doubtful.	B．Optimistic.
C．Critical.	D．Unconcerned.

4. Which would be the best title for the passage?

A．Transfer Learning: Where Does It Best Fit?

B．Small Data Are Also Crucial for Advancing AI

C．Transfer Learning Powers Technological Advances

D．Big Data vs. Small Data: Which Is the Future of AI?