1 . Pollination (授粉) is important for the reproduction of many plants. Some rely on the wind or water for pollination, but most depend on animals to serve as the pollinators. Insects like bees, moths, and beetles also serve as the pollinators, helping with this process.

Unfortunately, the worldwide spread of light pollution may be affecting the important interactions (相互作用) between plants and insects, causing bad consequences for both natural areas and agricultural lands.

A team of scientists in Switzerland recently studied how the complex interactions between plants and pollinators were affected by artificial light at night. By setting up several grasslands with LED street lamps, the scientists were able to compare the differences.

Focusing on cabbage thistle, a type of plants, the researchers counted 62% fewer insect visits to the lit grasslands. They also noted 29% fewer pollinators than the ones in the uncontrolled lands, which resulted in 13% fewer fruits on the cabbage thistle plants they were studying.

Based on the fact that there was reduced fruit production in the controlled lands, the scientists found that the pollinators who worked during the day were not able to make up for the reduced activity of the pollinators at night. Additionally, there seemed to be the potential for a very negative effect, because many of the plants some insects are helping to pollinate are the most important sources of food for them.

Artificial light affects pollination, and thus fruit production, in two different, but connected ways, according to a scientist from California. Imagine a moth flying into a light at night — the first way is by misdirecting pollinators. The second way is by confusing the sense of time of plants. Besides, plants and insects respond to varying wavelengths of light differently. More research is needed to understand the complex interactions between plants, pollinators, and different types of light.

“The annually increasing man made light improves humans’ life. It causes bad consequences for the environment, however. We can never base our life on the loss of the environment,” says Knop, lead author of the study.

1. According to the passage, the first paragraph is used to ________.

A．put forward a problem	B．present background information
C．inform the purpose of the study	D．introduce the subjects to be studied

2. According to the study, the plants under the artificial light ________.

A．stopped bearing fruits in the end	B．failed to be pollinated
C．were visited by fewer insects	D．were more attractive to pollinators

3. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 5 refer to?

A．The starvation of insects.	B．The loss of pollination.
C．The reduced fruit production.	D．The death of some plants.

4. What can we learn from Paragraph 6?

A．Misdirected insects confuse plants’ sense of time.

B．Pollination and fruit production are related in two ways.

C．The different effects of varying light on pollination are clear.

D．Artificial light affects plants’ pollination and sense of time.

2 . 阅读下面材料, 根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写第一段, 使之构成一篇完整的短文。

No amount of begging (乞求) would change my father’s mind about getting a pet. No matter how desperately I begged, his answer was "No! " Finally, I accepted that he was not going to change his mind. I did the only thing that I could. I spent as much time as possible around other people’s pets and I often spent time at a place called Best Friends, an animal shelter near my house. Animals ended up there when their owners could no longer care for them.

Whenever I visited the shelter (收容所), I dreamed about taking one of the dogs home with me. One day after school, I stopped off at Best Friends like I usually did. Suddenly, I saw a large, shaggy, yellow dog standing in the corner, and when he saw me, he wagged his tail and began whining (哀鸣).

“That’s Fenway,” Renee, the woman at the desk, said. “He whines continuously. His owners brought him here when they moved overseas.”

“He must be lonely,” I suggested.

“Your parents won’t let you have a dog?” Renee asked. I didn’t answer, but my look must have said everything, because then she said, “That’s too bad. These dogs need good homes and good people to take care of them.” On my way home, I had an idea to assist shelter pets like Fenway. I wrote a touching story as if Fenway were writing it. I told all about his family and why he had no home, shedding light on (解释) his longing for a loving family. With the shelter director’s approval, I proposed sharing more stories in newspapers and online to attract potential adopters.

The next weekend, the shelter was flooded with families who wanted pets. They were all drawn by the heartfelt stories of animals like Fenway. Fenway’s tail wagged so fast that I was afraid it might fall off. I stood with Fenway as people admired him. His playful nature and hopeful eyes won over many visitors` hearts, leading to a rise in adoptions.

注意：
1. 续写词数应为80左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Suddenly, I saw my parents walking into the shelter towards Fenway.

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I was confused why my father changed his mind.

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3 . AI agents are prediction engines using the web as their memory. They do no more than predict which words are more likely to follow any other word or group of words in a given language. When you ask ChatGPT a question, it analyzes it into words and their sequence, returning answers that match those sequences opposite. It might sound like a simple trick, and it is, yet the secret sauce is the size of the database the AIs use to perform it.

Of the very various mix of content used to train ChatGPT, 60 percent was information collected from websites, blogs or social media. Another 20 percent was content shared on Reddit and evaluated relatively highly by the users. The rest was books typically found in the public field (mostly older and general purpose), with a bit of Wikipedia (3 percent) mixed in for good measure.

AI’s store for each word the probability that any other word will follow it. The quality and value of these predictions depend very much on how often and on how many circum- stances the software encounters any two (or more words) in the neighborhood, how long a sentence goes, and which sentence might follow another. When put together, these predictions favour the most influential texts of a given culture, which shaped generations upon generations of English language teachers and the students they educated.

ChatGPT speaks like a parrot because its delivery is not automatically adjusted. More re- search and engineering are needed to adjust the tool to each request’s real-life intentions and consequences. In academic learning, these situations should be the pre- and post-stages of the research process: finding arguments and packaging them for public consumption.

In their current forms, ChatGPT and its siblings (姐弟) are like those three-year-olds who can recite entire stories read to them only once. But turning a three-year-old into a learned Person takes 20 years of labour—some, structured education. It is time to stop reading Al agents stories and send them to a real school.

1. Which determines the accuracy of AI predictions?

A．Words.

B．Network.

C．Database.

D．Questions.

2. How does the author support the theme of Paragraph 2?

A．By listing data.	B．By giving examples.
C．By making comparisons.	D．By quoting experts’ arguments.

3. What does the third paragraph mainly focus on?

A．Users of AI.	B．Words’ frequency.
C．AI’s cultural nature.	D．The length of a sentence.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．How a ChatGPT works	B．Where a ChatGPT is found
C．A ChatGPT needs packaging	D．A ChatGPT has a long way to go

4 . Blue whales eat up to 10 million pieces of microplastic every day, research estimated Tuesday, suggesting that the pollution causes a bigger danger to the world’s largest animal than previously thought.

A US-led research team put tags on 191 blue whales that live off the coast of California to observe their movements. “It’s basically like an Apple Watch, just on the back of a whale,” said Shirel Kahane-Rapport, a researcher at California State University, Fullerton, and the study’s first author.

The whales mostly fed at depths of between 50 to 250 meters, which is home to the “greatest concentration of microplastics in the sea,” Kahane-Rapport said. The researchers then estimated the size and number of mouthfuls the whales had daily, modeling three different situations. Under the most likely situation, the blue whales ate up to 10 million microplastic pieces a day. Over the 90 to 120 days’ annual feeding season, which represents more than a billion pieces a year.

The largest animal ever to live on Earth is also likely the biggest microplastic consumer, eating up to 43.6 kilograms a day, the study said. While it is easy to imagine whales sucking (吞没) in vast amounts of microplastics as they ate, the researchers found that was not the case.

Instead, 99 percent of the microplastics entered the whales because they were already inside their prey (猎物). “That’s concerning for us,” Kahane-Rapport said, because humans eat that prey. “We also eat sardines,” she said, adding that “krill (磷虾) is the basis of the food web.” “Previous research has shown that if krill is in a tank with microplastic, they will eat it,” Kahane-Rapport said.

Now that the researchers know how much microplastic is being consumed by whales, next they aim to determine how much harm it could be doing. “The quantity defines the poison,” Kahane-Rapport said.

1. Why is a tag placed on the back of the whales?

A．It can treat the illness of whales.	B．It can track the living of whales.
C．It can ensure the safety of whales.	D．It can record the danger of whales.

2. How do the researchers show their findings in the study?

A．By providing data.

B．By giving examples.

C．By explaining the reason.

D．By expressing their guess.

3. Which of the following may Kahane-Rapport agree with?

A．The research process was very complicated.	B．The whales live in the area free from pollution.
C．Most microplastics entered the whales directly.	D．Humans may eat microplastics through their diet.

4. What can we infer about the study from the last two paragraphs?

A．It will be highly profitable.	B．It will be further conducted.
C．It will involve food poison.	D．It will help whales avoid risk.

5 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

Your Name in Gold

Anne sat at the breakfast table, eating her cornflakes and reading the print on the cereal box in front of her. “Taste Cornflakes — Great New Offer!” the box read. “See back of box for details.”

Anne’s older sister, Mary, sat across from her, reading the other side of the cereal box. “Hey, Anne,” she said, “look at this awesome prize — ‘your name in gold’.”

As Mary read on, Anne’s interest in the prize grew. “Just send in one dollar with proof-of-purchase seal from this box and spell out your first name on the information blank. We will send you a special pin with your name spelled in gold. (Only one per family, please.)”

Anne grabbed the box and looked on the back, her eyes brightening with excitement. “That’s a neat idea,” she said. “A pin with my very own name spelled out in gold. I’m going to send in for it.”

“Sorry，Anne, I saw it first,” said Mary, “so I get first dibs on it. Besides, you don’t have a dollar to send in, and I do.”

“But I want a pin like that so badly,” said Anne. “Please let me have it!”

“No,” said her sister.

“You always get your way-just because you’re older than me,” said Anne, her lower lip trembling as her eyes filled with tears. “Just go ahead and send in for it. See if I care!” She threw down her spoon and ran from the kitchen.

注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Several weeks passed. One day the mailman brought a small package addressed to Mary.

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“Would you like to see it, Anne?” Mary asked.

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6 . When you see a slim tower topping out at 14 feet 6 inches (4.4m) and made up of 208 decks of cards, you may exclaim it’s so incredible!

The tower’s architect, Bryan Berg, is an expert card builder, holding the world’s record for the tallest structure built entirely of paper cards. He’s built houses, stadiums, capitols, and castles. There’s no glue, tape or clips (别针). How can he make them stand firm? He begins by balancing four cards to form a box with arms sticking out, which forms a grid (网格). Then he repeats the grid over and over, expanding outward, to build a solid base. After that, Bryan lays cards around the edge and then across the top to make the floor for the next story of the building.

Interestingly enough, Bryan did not get the idea from any of the physical books. Instead, he discovered the unique way to build solid structures using a trick from nature. The secret is plant cells. Plant cells have hard walls and fit together tightly to form a grid that helps leaves and stems to keep their shape. Bees use the same kind of pattern to create honeycombs. Bryan borrowed this idea to invent repeating grids of card cells.

Out of curiosity, people who come to see the card buildings sometimes push and poke (戳刺) to see if they have clips inside, but find they don’t! Once, when Bryan built a card castle at Disney World, birds kept trying to land on it. A squirrel managed to take down one wall and did plenty of damage inside. But, amazingly, the castle didn’t collapse.

When it’s time to take down a card house, Bryan likes to blow them apart with a leaf blower. Is he ever sad to do it? Bryan admits it’s sometimes painful to see his structures fall. But he always knows one thing: “What goes up must come down — even card houses. They wouldn’t be so special if they were permanent. I also learn a lot from taking them apart — the destruction shows me where the weak points are. That is what my next stronger buildings really need.”

1. What makes Bryan’s card buildings stand firm?

A．Fixed clips.	B．Repeating grids.
C．Light-weight cards.	D．Multiple stories.

2. What is the third paragraph mainly about?

A．The source of Bryan’s inspiration.

B．Bryan’s specific building process.

C．Bryan’s comprehensive knowledge of biology.

D．The similarity between plant cells and honeycombs.

3. Why is the Disney card castle mentioned in paragraph 4?

A．To arouse people’s interest in visiting.

B．To prove the strength of Bryan’s card works.

C．To indicate Bryan’s popularity among children.

D．To show the harmony between man and nature.

4. What life philosophy does Bryan convey in the last paragraph?

A．Pride comes before a fall.

B．It’s unrealistic to achieve perfection.

C．One can better himself by going beyond himself.

D．Nothing is difficult for one who sets his mind to it.

7 . You will have an opportunity to meet your new neighbors after you move into the neighborhood. And getting to know your neighbors will help you feel like you're at home and settle into your new space.     1    

Careful observation.     2     Note those who seem to have kids» those who are elderly, those who seem to be always in the garden, or even those who only seem to come out at night. If you can find some common interest, this will make it much easier to approach the person.

    3     A great way to meet your new neighbors is to spend time outdoors, in your garden or by raking a walk around the block. You'll be surprised how easy it is to meet people when they approach you first. Make sure you spend time outside after work hours or on weekends.

What if you have nothing in common? No problem. There's absolutely nothing wrong with just walking up to the from door, and introducing yourself or inviting them to a small get-together. Let them know you just moved in and where you moved from. If that still feels uncomfortable, then ask about garbage pick-up or recycling centers in the neighborhood. Remember that you live on the same street, in the same neighborhood.     4    

Host a get-together. Though it might be the last thing you warn to do while you're still unpacking, hosting a casual get-together is a great way to meet your neighbors all at the same time.     5     Ask people to bring snacks or drinks or chairs or all three. Everyone knows you've just moved in and don't expect much, plus they'll want to help out.

A．Meet neighbors outdoors.

B．Spend more time walking.

C．Check out your neighborhood.

D．If the weather is nice, host it outside.

E．That's enough to start any conversation.

F．If they're interested, they'll say so or even invite you in.

G．The following suggestions do necessarily make it easier to do.

8 . Some people, regardless of what they lack—money, looks, or social connections—always show with energy and confidence. Even the most doubting individuals find themselves attracted with these lovely personalities. These people are the ones you turn to for help, advice, and companionship. You just can’t get enough of them, and they leave you asking yourself, “What do they have that I don’t? What makes them so attractive?”

The difference? Their sense of self-worth comes from within. Attractive people aren’t constantly searching for value, because they’re confident enough to find it in themselves. There are certain habits they pursue every day to keep this healthy view. Since being attractive isn’t the result of dumb luck, it’s time to study the habits of attractive people so that you can use them to your benefit.

Get ready to say “hello” to a new, more attractive you. Attractive people treat everyone with respect. Whether interacting with their biggest shoppers or a server taking their drink order, attractive people are unfailingly polite and respectful. They treat every one with respect because they believe they’re no belief than anyone else.

They follow the golden rule. One person loves public recognition, while another hates being the center of attention. The golden rule is to treat others as they want to be treated. Attractive people are great at reading other people, and they adjust their behaviors and styles to make others fell comfortable.

Bringing it all together, attractive people have simply perfected certain appealing qualities and habits that anyone can adopt as their own. They think about other people more than they think about themselves, and they make other people feel liked, respected, understood and seen. Just remember: the more you focus on others, the more attractive you’ll be.

1. Why are the people with lovely personalities different from you?

A．Because they show confidence and energy.

B．Because they maintain their healthy view.

C．Because they get along well with doubting individuals.

D．Bemuse they don’t lack money, looks, or social connections.

2. What does the underlined phrase “dumb luck” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Bad luck.	B．Study habit.
C．Valuable belief.	D．Good fortune.

3. What will an attractive person probably do when having dinner with his leader?

A．He will comfort his leader and the waitress during the dinner lime.

B．He will treat his leader properly and help the waitress when necessary.

C．He will make the leader focused when the leader prefers to stay alone.

D．He will just care about his leader rather than the waitress when ordering.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．The Intelligent People	B．The Golden Rule
C．The Attractive Personalities	D．The Different Qualities

9 . People on the Move

Technology

Edgar Vargas, TransPerfect

Edgar Vargas brings nearly ten-year experience supporting large-scale business to TransPerfect as the new president of Business Department. With both buy-side and sell-side knowledge, Vargas brings various skills set to the TransPerfect team.

Advertising

Roy Massey, Version 2

Version 2, a leader in advertising technology, names Roy Massey Vice President, Head of Media Development. Roy considers participation and profitability(盈利能力)important. Previous leadership roles include Dentsu, AudienceX, PMI 5 Media Inc. and RCM Group.

Law

Jennifer Lieser, Kaplan Marino

White Collar Crinunal Defense Firm Kaplan Marino set up partnership with Jennifer Lieser. Jennifer practices white collar(白领)and complex criminal suits(诉讼), defending against various forms of Internet crimes. Jennifer brings unique point of view to each case and deals with matters with great skills as an experienced lawyer.

Public Relations

Kellie Hawkins, KEA

Kellie Hawkins has become a worker at KEA. She will run the company’s Health. Social Services and Education practice. Kellie served as COO for National Health Foundation before and managed the health and human services practice for the Hawkins Company. She holds degrees from Howard University and the University of Southern California.

1. What can we know about Edgar?

A．He is a beginner in large-scale business.

B．He is a COO for National Health Foundation.

C．He masters the skills of sales and purchasing.

D．He thinks highly of the willingness to make profit.

2. Who graduated from Howard University?

A．Edgar Vargas.	B．Roy Massey.
C．Jennifer Lieser.	D．Kellie Hawkins.

3. What do the four people have in common?

A．They all become leaders m new jobs.

B．They all do well in their working field.

C．They all have less working experience.

D．They all have a good knowledge of laws.

10 . Some Strategies for an Effective To-Do List

One of the age-old productivity techniques is an effective to do list. It’s powerful for everyone to get things done. But my argument is that maybe you aren’t making an effective to-do list.     1     If you’re not certain, don’t be afraid to experiment several combinations.

● Break the list into two parts. The first strategy is to break a list into two parts. These two parts are called dailies and to-do’s. Dailies are the everyday tasks that you want to develop more, such as a 15-minute workout routine.     2     Maybe you need to prepare a report at work. You can put that into your to-do column.

●     3     If you find breaking your list into two parts too much, you can set a limit to the number of items. Some people have no more than seven while others go as low as three. Do what makes you feel comfortable.

● Make your list easy to spot. From colorful paper to posting it in an obvious place, you want your list to be spotted easily. Mind you, you don’t need to have this list in front of you all the time as it could create unnecessary stress.     4     A glance to the side and you know exactly what needs to get done.

● Add gaming elements to it. If pen and paper isn’t your thing when making to-do lists, several to-do list apps can guide you along as well.     5     Besides, some of the developers add games to them, where you’ll feel a sense of achievement as you complete tasks.

So get started with your to-do lists today.

A．Put a limit on items.

B．Create a “done” list.

C．But setting it to one side is a nice idea.

D．Pick from the strategies below to find what suits you.

E．The beauty of them is that there is more room for creativity.

F．This allows you to ensure that you’re getting everything done the proper way. .

G．Your to-do’s are non-daily tasks that you need to be getting done at some point.