1 . When I mentioned to some friends that we all have accents, most of them proudly replied, “Well, I speak perfect English/Chinese/etc.” But this kind of misses the point.
More often than not, what we mean when we say someone “has an accent” is that their accent is different from the local one, or that pronunciations are different from our own. But this definition of accents is limiting and could give rise to prejudice. Funnily enough, in terms of the language study, every person speaks with an accent. It is the regular differences in how we produce sounds that define our accents. Even if you don’t hear it yourself, you speak with some sort of accent. In this sense, it’s pointless to point out that someone“has an accent“. We all do!
Every person speaks a dialect , too. In the field of language study, a dialect is a version of a language that is characterized by its variations of structure, phrases and words. For instance,“ You got eat or not? ”(meaning “Have you eaten?” ) is an acceptable and understood question in Singapore Oral English. The fact that this expression would cause a standard American English speaker to take pause doesn’t mean that Singapore Oral English is “wrong” or “ungrammatical”. The sentence is well-formed and clearly communicative, according to native Singapore English speakers’ solid system of grammar. Why should it be wrong just because it’s different?
We need to move beyond a narrow conception of accents and dialects — for the benefit of everyone.
Language differences like these provide insights into people’s cultural experiences and backgrounds. In a global age, the way one speaks is a distinct part of one’s identity. Most people would be happy to talk about the cultures behind their speech. We’d learn more about the world we live in and make friends along the way.
1. What does the author think of his/ her friends’ response in paragraph 1?| A．It reflects their self confidence. |
| B．It reflects their language levels. |
| C．It misses the point of communication. |
| D．It misses the real meaning of accents. |
| A．To justify the use of dialects. |
| B．To show the diversity of dialects. |
| C．To correct a grammatical mistake. |
| D．To highlight a traditional approach. |
| A．Learn to speak with your local dialect. |
| B．Seek for an official definition of accents. |
| C．Appreciate the value of accents and dialects. |
| D．Distinguish our local languages from others’. |
| A．Favourable | B．Intolerant |
| C．Doubtful | D．Unclear |
Camping was so popular as to even become a fashion across China during the just-concluded National Day holiday, with some joking that “half of the friends
According to research firm iiMedia Research, the core market size of China’s camping economy reached 74.75 billion yuan ($10.5 billion) in 2021,
More market-sensitive players are plowing into the industry. In 2021, more than 20,000 new camping-related enterprises sprang up in China,
Huzhou,
“Consumers’ demand for outdoor activities
3 . I grew up on a university campus in eastern Nigeria.I was a(n)
What this demonstrates is how
Things
But
| A．early | B．aimless | C．careful | D．poor |
| A．instructors | B．neighbors | C．friends | D．characters |
| A．snow | B．fruits | C．cuisine | D．weather |
| A．disappeared | B．set | C．come out | D．gone down |
| A．briefly | B．regularly | C．scarcely | D．easily |
| A．convinced | B．puzzled | C．concerned | D．satisfied |
| A．heroes | B．foreigners | C．Africans | D．children |
| A．remained | B．changed | C．worsened | D．worked |
| A．read | B．understand | C．find | D．keep |
| A．in spite of | B．on behalf of | C．because of | D．instead of |
| A．confusion | B．shift | C．block | D．activity |
| A．realized | B．suspected | C．claimed | D．forgot |
| A．take | B．exist | C．believe | D．major |
| A．discovery | B．popularity | C．imagination | D．analysis |
| A．classic | B．remarkable | C．whole | D．single |
4 . In shallow coastal waters of the Indian ocean, Dugong, a kind of sea cow, is in trouble. Environmental problems pose such a major threat to its survival that the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) upgraded the species’ extinction risk status(地位)to vulnerable (脆弱的).
Much worse, Dugongs are at risk of losing the protection of the Torres Strait Islanders, who have looked after them historically, hunting them for food sustainably and monitoring their numbers. These native people keep their biodiversity, and have deep knowledge about their environment. But these people are also threatened, in part because rising sea levels are making it difficult for them to live there.
This situation isn’t unique to Dugongs. A global analysis of 385 culturally important plant and animal species found 68 percent were both biologically vulnerable and at risk of losing their cultural protection.
The findings clearly illustrate that biology shouldn’t be the primary factor in shaping conservation policy,says anthropologist Victoria Reyes-García.When a culture declines,the species that are important to that culture are also threatened.“Lots of conservationists think we need to separate people from nature,” says Reyes-García. “But that strategy misses the caring relationship many cultural groups have with nature.”
One way to help shift conservation efforts is to give species a “bio-cultural status,”which would provide a fuller picture of their vulnerability. In the study, the team used a new way to determine a species’ risk of disappearing: the more a cultural group’s language use declines, the more that culture is threatened.The more a culture is threatened, the more culturally vulnerable its important species are. Researchers then combined a species’ cultural and biological vulnerability to arrive at its bio-cultural status. In the Dugong’s case, its bio-cultural status is endangered, meaning it is more at risk than its IUCN categorization suggests.
This new approach to conservation involves people that have historically cared for them. It can highlight when communities need support to continue their care. Scientists hope it will bring more efforts that recognize local communities’ rights and encourage their participation-taking advantage of humans’ connection with nature instead of creating more separation.
1. What is the relationship between the native people and Dugongs?| A．The native people help conserve Dugongs. |
| B．The native people train Dugongs to survive. |
| C．Dugongs ruin the native people’s environment. |
| D．Dugongs force the native people to leave home. |
| A．The protection policy is used incorrectly. |
| B．Culture is connected to species’ existence. |
| C．Many groups take good care of each other. |
| D．Conservationists prefer nature over people. |
| A．It involves more preservation efforts. |
| B．It relies on the IUCN’s classification. |
| C．It highlights the effect of human languages. |
| D．It assesses the biological influence of a species. |
| A．Conservative. |
| B．Favourable. |
| C．Critical. |
| D．Ambiguous. |
5 . With an abundance of sun and wind, Spain is positioning itself as Europe’s future leader in green hydrogen production to clean up heavy industries. But some energy experts express caution because this process relies on massive availability of zero-carbon electricity.
Green hydrogen is created when renewable energy sources power an electrical current that runs through water, separating its hydrogen and oxygen molecules (分子). The process doesn’t produce planet-warming carbon dioxide, but less than 0.1% of global hydrogen production is currently created in this way.
The separated hydrogen can be used in the production of steel, ammonia (氨) and chemical products, all of which require industrial processes that are harder to stop fossil fuels. Hydrogen also can be used as a transportation fuel, which could one day transform the highly polluting shipping and aviation sectors.
Spain’s large, windswept and thinly populated territory receives more than 2,500 hours of sunshine on average per year, providing ideal conditions for wind and solar energy, and therefore green hydrogen production.
“If you look at where hydrogen is going to be produced in Europe in the next million years, it’s in two countries, Spain and Portugal,” said Thierry Lepercq, the founder and president of HyDeal Ambition, an industry platform bringing together 30 companies. “Hydrogen is the new oil.”
Lepercq is working with companies like Spanish gas pipeline corporation Enagas and global steel giant ArcelorMittal to design an end-to-end model for hydrogen production, distribution and supply at a competitive price. Criticism has centered on green hydrogen’s higher cost compared with highly-polluting “gray hydrogen” drawn from natural gas. Lepercq argues that solar energy produced in Spain is priced low enough to compete.
Globally, Lepercq said, “Electricity is 20% of energy consumption. What about the 80% that is not electrified? ... You need to replace those fossil fuels. Not in 50 years’ time. You need to replace them now.”
1. Why are some experts cautious about green hydrogen production in Spain?| A．It needs large amounts of sun and wind. | B．It has an effect on heavy industries. |
| C．It causes conflicts among countries. | D．It uses lots of zero-carbon electricity. |
| A．Ideal geographical conditions. | B．The support from government. |
| C．Hydrogen production technology. | D．Well-developed public transports. |
| A．It is highly priced. | B．It is easy to store. |
| C．It is competitive. | D．It is highly-polluting. |
| A．Spain manages to use zero-carbon electricity. | B．Spain struggles to lead EU in heavy industry. |
| C．Spain takes the lead in preventing air pollution. | D．Spain replaces fossil fuel with green hydrogen. |
6 . I joined the coast guard because I wanted to help people. Hovercraft (气垫船) are rare and special. They’ve been discontinued in most commercial operation, because they are so expensive to make, but when it comes to search and rescue, they’re priceless.
From far away, a hovercraft looks like a normal boat. But if you look under its skirt, the craft is not touching the water — it floats on a cushion of air. That cushion allows us to travel over everything from water to muddy land — and even break through ice. We do all of that as a 70-tonne machine, going a maximum of nearly 120 kilometers per hour. These features allow us to rescue a large number of people quickly get onto land, and get someone into an ambulance far easier than with any other device I can think of.
The advantages of hovercraft can also make them difficult to handle. We’ve got a massive vehicle moving fast, sometimes in a thick fog bank up a narrow river. During assignments on other coast guard ships, I had 20 minutes to make alterations to avoid a crash. In a hovercraft, I have 10 seconds. You have to have enough situational awareness to make the right decision every time.
People call us for all sorts of problems: missing divers, on-board fires, or even when they’ve run out of fuel or had a mechanical breakdown. A container ship could burst into flames. We have a strong network here at the base to help everyone through difficult situations like that. Thankfully, we have captains who train us in a safe environment, but you don’t ever get fully comfortable. Anything can throw the hovercraft off — maybe your lift settings are off a little, or the wind blows with a bit of extra weight. After several years operating a hovercraft, I’m still learning. Every one of the captains here agrees: you can drive this thing for 20 years and still be surprised.
1. What makes hovercraft unsuitable for commercial use?| A．Their safety risks. | B．Their poor durability. | C．Their low efficiency. | D．Their production costs. |
| A．How a hovercraft works. | B．What comprises a hovercraft. |
| C．What distinguishes a hovercraft. | D．How a hovercraft helps victims. |
| A．They have to make faster responses. |
| B．They often face mechanical breakdowns. |
| C．They need more people for decision making. |
| D．They must consider the environmental concerns. |
| A．Dull. | B．Demanding. | C．Enjoyable. | D．Effortless. |
7 . Emest Owusu was 13 in 1980 when he was given the opportunity to appear in the audience of a BBC show, and ask Thatcher how she felt about being called the Iron Lady. This encounter re-emerged in a BBC’s programme recently.
At the time of their meeting, Owusu was on free school meals, living on a public estate in Brixton, south London, where he and his sister were being raised by their mother Rose, a struggling hairdresser.
Now 57, Owusu looks remarkably similar even with a greying beard. But his life has been transformed. The father of three is a human resources director, and the first black captain of the Addington golf club in its 110-year history. As a black guy, it is about breaking the glass ceiling.
Speaking in its clubhouse, Owusu describes his rise in social status (地位) as a “Thatcherite Journey”. And he says it began by asking the woman herself. “To this day it still has an impact. My confidence changed from that sliding-door moment. Something about her connected with me.”
Thatcher told Owusu she enjoyed being called the Iron Lady. “I think it’s rather a praise, don’t you?” she said, “Because so often people have said to me if you’re in your job you’ve got to be soft and warm and human, but you’ve got to have a touch of steel.” Owusu recalls the moment, “I just remember her eye contact. She was answering me, not the camera. She welcomed the question saying you’ve got to be firm in this world. And that stuck with me.”
After the show was broadcast, Owusu said he became “a little hero in Brixton for a good three months”. Owusu added, “It all gave me extra confidence. Doors might not have opened so quickly. It was one of those key moments to make you do things maybe you wouldn’t otherwise have done.”
1. What do we know about Owusu when he was 13?| A．He met with Thatcher twice. |
| B．He joined a famous golf club. |
| C．He hosted a BBC’s programme. |
| D．He lived at the bottom of society. |
| A．Turning point. | B．Important decision. |
| C．Social status. | D．Remarkable achievement. |
| A．Others’ treating him equally at work. |
| B．Others’ voting him a hero in Brixton. |
| C．Thatcher’s efforts to preserve his dignity. |
| D．Thatcher’s faith in the necessity of toughness. |
| A．The Art of Dialogue | B．The Power of Confidence |
| C．A Life-changing Meeting | D．A Status-improving Tale |
8 . A new study reveals that pigeons (鸽子) can tackle some problems just like artificial intelligence, enabling them to solve difficult tasks that might challenge humans. Previous research has theorized that pigeons employ a problem-solving strategy, involving a trial-and- error approach, which is similar to the approach used in AI models but differs from humans’ reliance on selective attention and rule use. To examine it, Brandon Turner, a psychology professor at the Ohio State University, and his colleagues conducted the new study.
In the study, the pigeons were presented with various visual images, including lines of different widths and angles, and different types of rings. The pigeons had to peck (啄) a button on the right or left to indicate the category to which the image belonged. If they got it correct, they received food; if they were wrong, they received nothing. Results showed that, through trial and error, the pigeons improved their accuracy in categorization tasks, increasing their correct choices from about 55% to 95%.
Researchers believed pigeons used associative learning, which is linking two phenomena with each other. For example, it is easy to understand the link. between “water” and “wet”. “Associative learning is frequently assumed to be far too primitive to. explain complex visual categorization like what we saw the pigeons do,” Turner said. But that’s exactly what the researchers found.
The researchers’ AI model tackled the same tasks using just the two simple mechanisms that pigeons were assumed to use: associative learning and error correction. And, like the pigeons, the AI model learned to make the right predictions to significantly increase the number of correct answers. For humans, the challenge when given tasks like those given to pigeons is that they would try to come up with rules that could make the task easier. But in this case, there were no rules, which upsets humans.
What’s interesting, though, is that pigeons use this method of learning that is very similar to AI designed by humans, Turner said. “We celebrate how smart we are that we designed artificial intelligence: at the same time, we regard pigeons as not clever animals,” he said.
1. What is the purpose of the new study?| A．To test a theory. | B．To evaluate a model. |
| C．To employ a strategy. | D．To involve an approach. |
| A．Draw circles. | B．Correct errors. | C．Copy gestures. | D．Identify images. |
| A．They are of equal intelligence. |
| B．They are good at making rules. |
| C．They respond rapidly to orders from humans. |
| D．They employ simple ways to get things done. |
| A．Pigeons’ trial-and-error method is revealed |
| B．Pigeons outperform humans in tough tasks |
| C．“Not smart” pigeons may be as smart as AI |
| D．AI models after pigeons’ learning approach |
9 . Many people think that positive thinking is mostly about keeping one's head in the sand and ignoring daily problems, trying to look optimistic. In reality it has more to do with the way an individual talks to himself. Self-talk is a constant stream of thoughts of a person, who is often unaware and uncertain of some events, phenomena, people, or even the person himself.
In conclusion, positive thinking is a powerful and effective tool for dealing with hard times and improving the quality of one's life. It doesn't have anything to do with ignorant optimism when an individual refuses to notice a problem.
Thinking in a positive, self-encouraging way brings about many benefits to one's physical and mental health.
| A．It doesn't cause any severe emotional discomfort, either. |
| B．Negative self-talk damages self-confidence and decreases self-respect. |
| C．It helps one to remain clear-headed and confident in difficult situations. |
| D．Positive thinking has several beneficial effects on the body and the mind. |
| E．As thinking changes, an individual's behaviour and habits change as well. |
| F．They often offer a real alternative to the common and regular way of thinking. |
| G．They often feel discouraged long before trying to solve the problem, even if small. |
10 . About ten years ago, logging into Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram would mostly show posts from friends and family in the order they were posted. Today, these platforms present a mix of content, tailored by algorithms (算法) to match users’ interests, whether it’s plants, sports, cats, or politics.
Kyle Chayka, a writer for The New Yorker, discusses this topic in his book, Filterworld. He explains that algorithms analyze user data to predict and influence what they will likely engage with. This means that instead of a simple, chronological feed, users encounter a dynamic stream, constantly adapting to their preferences. Chayka examines how these algorithmic recommendations control what we consume, from music and movies to food and travel destinations. He argues that this machine-driven selection process has turned us into passive consumers, making our preferences and tastes more similar.
Chayka points out that algorithms make us passive by always showing us content that we’re unlikely to click away from but won’t find too unexpected or challenging. This constant stream of recommendations reduces our exposure to diverse or challenging content, subtly shaping our preferences and behaviors.
Moreover, Chayka points out that algorithms also pressure content creators, like musicians and artists, to tailor their work to fit these digital platforms. For instance, musicians on Spotify or TikTok might focus on creating catchy hooks at the beginning of their songs to grab the listener’s attention.
Despite the strong presence of these algorithms, Chayka believes that regulation could reduce their influence. He suggests that if Meta, the parent company of Facebook, were required to separate its various services, like Instagram or WhatsApp, and make them compete with each other, it could give users more control and choice over their digital consumption.
In summary, the change from simple, time-ordered social. media posts to algorithm-driven content has a big impact on both the viewers and the creators, influencing what we see, hear, and even think. Chayka’s insights highlight the need for greater awareness and potentially more regulation in our increasingly digital world.
1. According to the text, how have social media platforms changed in the past ten years?| A．They show posts in a time-based order. |
| B．They prioritize posts from friends and family. |
| C．They make adjustments to satisfy users’ needs. |
| D．They provide more content to meet different needs. |
| A．They make users more active consumers. |
| B．They shape users’ preferences and behaviors. |
| C．They reduce the influence of content creators. |
| D．They expose users to diverse and challenging content. |
| A．By encouraging musicians to create longer songs. |
| B．By discouraging musicians from using catchy hooks. |
| C．By giving musicians more control and choice over their music. |
| D．By requiring musicians to create their work to fit the platforms. |
| A．Tech companies should have more departments. |
| B．Social media algorithms give content creators less opportunities. |
| C．Social media algorithms flatten our culture by making decisions for us. |
| D．Network platforms have increased the common recommendations for 10 years. |
