A boy named Stevens was addicted to the Internet at a secondary boarding school. The online games were so interesting and attracted him so much that he had no interest in his study and life. He even often slipped out of the school dormitory in the middle of the night to go online.
After slipping out at midnight several times, he was caught by the school guards who were on duty. So his problem was exposed to the school and his parents. He was called to the head teacher’s office for a serious face-to-face chat. He surely knew as a student, he should give priority to learning, but he just couldn’t control himself. After several attempts, the teacher shook his head in disappointment. His father, a construction worker, had to leave work and took several buses to the school and had several chats with him. But the attraction of the games was still there, making him hard to sleep at night, so he just kept slipping out of the school as before. His classmates who knew this would always shook their heads and sighed (叹气).
One cold day, Stevens’ father came to the school again to pay his school fees. The father tried to find some words with the son, but only “Take care of yourself”. On the same night, Stevens still couldn’t resist the games and slipped out of the dormitory secretly. He climbed over the wall as usual, but rushed to climb back immediately. He looked frightened when he came back, but he didn’t say anything.
After that, he studied hard and stopped leaving school to go online. There was even a rumor (传闻) at the time that he saw a ghost. Everyone was curious to know what had happened that night, but Stevens always kept silent. He simply devoted himself to his study. Surely, hard work paid off. Later, he was admitted to a key university.
At the farewell(告别) party, his former classmates kept asking him about that night. He kept silent for a long time and eventually told everyone what had happened.
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。
He said there was a man sleeping at the foot of the wall.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________He felt deeply sorry and guilty, and made up his mind to study hard.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2 . A new study by a team of researchers shows that searching to evaluate the truthfulness of false news articles actually increases the probability of believing misinformation, not the opposite.
The reason for this outcome may be explained by search-engine outputs in the study. The researchers found that this phenomenon is concentrated among individuals for whom search engines return lower-quality information.
“This points to the danger that ‘data voids’ — areas of the information ecosystem that are dominated by low quality, or even outright false, news and information — may be playing a resulting role in the online search process, leading to low return of credible information or, more alarming, the appearance of non-credible information at the top of search results,” observes lead author Kevin Aslett, an assistant professor at the University of Central Florida.
To study the impact, they recruited participants through both Qualtrics and Amazon’s Mechanical Turk for a series of five experiments and with the aim of measuring the impact of a common behavior: searching online to evaluate news (SOTEN).
The first four studies tested the following aspects of online search behavior and impact:
◎ The effect of SOTEN on belief in both false or misleading and true news directly within two days an article’s publication
◎ Whether the effect of SOTEN can change an individual’s evaluation after they had already assessed the truthfulness of a news story
◎ The effect of SOTEN months after publication
◎ The effect of SOTEN on recent news about a key topic with significant news coverage
A fifth study combined a survey with web-tracking data in order to identify the effect of exposure to both low- and high-quality search-engine results on belief in misinformation.
Across the five studies, the authors found that the act of searching online to evaluate news led to a statistically significant increase in belief in misinformation. This occurred whether it was shortly after the publication of misinformation or months later. This finding suggests that the passage of time does not lessen the impact of SOTEN on increasing the likelihood of believing false news stories to be true. Moreover, the fifth study showed that this phenomenon is concentrated among individuals for whom search engines return lower-quality information.
“The findings highlight the need for media literacy programs to ground recommendations in search engines to invest in solutions to the challenges identified by this research,” concludes Joshua A Tucker, professor of politics.
1. What can we learn from the first three paragraphs?| A．The more you assess the realness of fake news online, the more you’ll believe it. |
| B．There is little low quality, or false news in the areas of the information ecosystem. |
| C．Evaluating online the realness of fake news would prevent you believing it. |
| D．Fake news and information usually can’t be found at the top of search results. |
| A．Knowledge level. | B．Time effect. |
| C．Web-tracking data. | D．News type. |
| A．Rely on. | B．Focus on. | C．Work on. | D．Hold on. |
| A．Economics | B．Entertainment | C．Science | D．Insights |
3 . For more than 60 years bringing the cost of food down had been one of the greatest challenge of the 21 century. That cost, however, is not in immediate cash, for most food is now far cheaper in relative terms than in 1960.
The cost is in the unintended damage of the very methods of food production that have made the food cheaper: in the pollution of water, the weakness of soil, the destruction of wildlife, the harm to animal welfare and the threat to human health caused by modern industrial agriculture.
First mechanisation, then mass use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, and now genetic engineering — modern industrial farming has seemed unstoppable, as the yields of produce have soared. But it comes with extensive loss of wildlife and habitat, soil degradation and fertilizer run-off.
Put it together and it’s like a battleground, but consumers rarely make the connection at the dinner table. The problems are called “externalities” by economists because they’re not part of the main transaction, like growing and selling wheat. These costs aren’t directly paid by the producers or consumers.
But the costs to society can amount to shocking sums. According to a research by Professor Jules Pretty at the University of Essex, repairing the damage caused by intensive farming in one particular year costs £2, 343m in the UK alone, almost as much as the total UK and EU spend on British farming in that year.
Can the true cost of food be brought down? In some countries, moving away from industrial agriculture to address hunger is difficult. However, in developed countries, it’s more possible. Governments should support sustainable farming that benefits the environment, economy, health, and animal welfare. Instead of immediately switching to organic farming, Professor Pretty suggests adopting a “Greener Food Standard” which would push the market towards more sustainable environmental practices than the current norm, while not requiring the full commitment to organic production. This standard would guide farmers on better practices in farming, promoting a shift towards a more sustainable agricultural system for both producers and consumers.
1. What is the cost associated with food production?| A．Immediate cash loss. | B．Increased agriculture yields. |
| C．Promotion of organic farming. | D．Impairment to human welfare. |
| A．The costs are included in the price. | B．The costs lie in food growing and selling. |
| C．The costs aren’t directly visible to people. | D．People aren’t affected by modern farming. |
| A．Giving up clean-up efforts. | B．Overlooking global hunger. |
| C．Making flexible farming policies. | D．Adopting full organic approaches. |
| A．Critical. | B．Supportive. | C．Unconcerned. | D．Mindless. |
4 . In America, the “Big Dig”, a highway project that resulted in a mess of traffic in the centre of Boston for years, came in five times over its initial budget. Even the Germans get huge projects wrong. Conception to operation of Berlin Brandenburg Airport has taken 30 years, with seven missed opening dates. The airport ended up costing $8.2 billion. However, the original estimate was about $2.7 billion.
Huge projects like Berlin Brandenburg Airport are the subject of an amusing new book called How Big Things Get Done by Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner. Mr. Flyvbjerg sets up a database of over 16, 000 projects and data analysis reveals that only 8.5% of the projects meet their initial estimates on cost and time, and 0.5% of them achieve what they set out to do on cost, time and benefits.
Over-optimistic time and cost estimates originate from both psychological and political perceptions: the reliance on intuition (直觉) rather than data, and a problem that Mr. Flyvbjerg calls “strategic misrepresentation”. This is when budgets are intentionally reduced in order to get things going. And once the projects are under way, they will not be stopped, because money spent on them will thus be wasted.
Mr. Flyvbjerg speaks highly of Pixar’s methodical approach to developing and testing films in great detail before they go into production. He also tells the story of how Frank Gehry’s well-developed architectural models helped ensure the success of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Narrowing down the producing window of a project before it is actually carried out reduces the probability of unexpected events.
Big customized projects are particularly likely to run into trouble. However, the more a project can be divided into standardized processes, the better its prospects are. Projects run into problems for specific reasons as well as general ones: Britain’s trouble is not something that China has to worry about, for instance. But the iron law is that if you plan strictly and standardize where possible, you are less likely to dig yourself into a hole.
1. How does the author introduce the topic of the passage?| A．By making a contrast. | B．By giving an explanation. |
| C．By presenting examples. | D．By showing an experience. |
| A．Projects’ success rates can be estimated. |
| B．Projects’ desired outcome can’t be achieved. |
| C．Most projects suffer overspending and delays. |
| D．Most projects lack comprehensive data analysis. |
| A．Failures in decision-making. | B．Methods of reducing massive costs. |
| C．Strategies for getting work done. | D．Reasons behind inaccurate estimates. |
| A．Planning thoroughly in advance. |
| B．Analyzing specific and general reasons. |
| C．Focusing on efficiency of projects. |
| D．Drawing lessons from former experiences. |
The Art of Blooming Late
Mozart struggled during his teens and early twenties. Though already a productive composer, he had to work as an organist (风琴手)to make ends meet.
Underpaid by his frustratingly average work, he felt a
If you aspire to do more personally fulfilling work — say,
In Aristotle’s Way, the classicist Edith Hall describes the ancient philosopher’s belief
What, then, is holding you back? Rich Karlgaard, author of Late Bloomers, argues that our culture’s obsession with early achievement discourages us from pursuing our passions.
As a result, most of us end up choosing professional excellence over personal fulfillment and often we lose ourselves in the process.
The authors of Dark Horse, Todd Rose and Ogi Ogas of Harvard’s School of Education, noticed the negative effects of early specialization in a study of people who came out of nowhere to achieve great success. “Despite feeling
To prompt this kind of revolution in your own life, Rose and Ogas suggest creating a goal tailored to extremely specific activities
I’m good at making excuses. I came up with a new one every time the idea of returning to college presented itself. I had enrolled in a university at 21 but later quit. As the years passed, I regretted not finishing my English degree. But I always comforted myself with excuses — I have three little ones who need me at home. I’m busy with the children’s school activities. I can’t go back to school at 50. Old dogs can’t learn new tricks.
The truth was that I was just plain scared to go back to school. What if I needed remedial (补习的) courses? What if a professor called attention to me? What if I walked into a classroom and there was nowhere to sit? What if I stood out in a sea of young faces?
After my children finished college, they insisted it was my turn, so I called Dalton State College and set up a time to take the Compass Test to see if I needed remedial courses. The next day, when I was on the highway heading there, Rachel, my middle child called. When she learned my destination, I heard the pride in her voice. “You’ve got this, Mama!”
That was all it took. Hot tears tumbled down my cheeks as she spoke words of encouragement to me. It turned out that I scored high on the English test but would need to take two remedial courses for the math section. But I didn’t care. After decades of excuses, I’d finally thrown my leg over the high fence of fear. I couldn’t wait to register for classes.
My first course was U. S. History. I’ve never been good with dates, but the professor calmed my nerves. “I don’t care about dates, but I expect you to know the names of significant individuals. For instance, who was the first person to set foot on the moon?”
“Neil Armstrong,” chorused several students.
“Does anyone know when that event took place?”
My heart leapt at the question, because I was celebrating my fifteenth birthday on that day!
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。
Since it might be the only question I could answer, I sheepishly raised my hand.
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Other fears didn’t turn into reality either.
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7 . When margarine (人造黄油) was first sold in the 1800s, plentiful alarmist words were uttered about it. However, it was simply a cream of vegetable oil and water, a processed, more sustainable and healthier alternative to an animal product. Anxiety about new foods and how they are produced continues today. Public discussions are full of concerns that “ultra-processed foods” or “UPFs” are downright unhealthy. One particular category in a fierce spotlight is plant-based meats. But how and where food is made doesn’t determine how safe or nutritious it is.
The term UPFs was first used in 2009 by Carlos Monteiro, a nutritionist. In a 2017 paper, he said he was worried that the shared experience of cooking was being increasingly lost and people weren’t eating together. In particular, he was seeing rising rates of diabetes and obesity. Keen to identify the root cause of these issues, he focused on food not made at home, but in factories. But the thing is, as Monteiro has stated openly, the UPF categorisation was never designed to group foods on the basis of nutrition.
Just like pork sausages and chicken popcorn, plant-based alternatives are made in factories, so are considered UPFs. But unlike those animal products, they don’t require antibiotics (抗生素) or hormones during production, require up to 96 percent less land, have carbon emissions up to 98 percent lower, need up to 99 percent less water and result in 100 percent fewer animals dying.
And side by side, they are almost always healthier than the over-processed animal meat products they replace, especially on fat and fibre content. Just compare the labels on the packets next time you are in the supermarket.
Many loud voices are raising concerns, suggesting that all UPFs, especially plant-based meats, are “unnatural”, “fake” and “full of chemicals”. We are seeing history repeat itself, and a fear of new foods being aroused all over again. But the science is unmistakably clear: diets rich in plant-based options are better for both people and the planet, factory or no factory.
1. Why does the author mention margarine in paragraph 1?| A．To stress the sales dilemma margarine faced before. |
| B．To illustrate people’s misunderstanding about margarine. |
| C．To show the ignored benefits of margarine to people’s health. |
| D．To emphasize people’s longstanding worry about novel foods. |
| A．To classify the food made at home. |
| B．To encourage people to cook and eat together. |
| C．To discover the cause of some rising health problems. |
| D．To determine the nutrition level of factory-produced food. |
| A．Plant-based meats are more ecofriendly. |
| B．Plant-based meats shouldn’t be considered as UPFs. |
| C．Plant-based meats will replace UPF animal meat products. |
| D．Plant-based meats are healthier than sausages and popcorn. |
| A．Unnecessary. | B．Temporary. | C．Reasonable. | D．Alarming. |
8 . The Psychology of Giving: Why do People Give to Charity?
Every day, leaders in the nonprofit sector invest valuable time, energy, and money into educating and spreading awareness of their mission in the hopes that this will increase support for their nonprofit. They assume that if only more people knew about a school’s budget cuts, for example, then they would surely donate! So, they bombard (连续轰炸) potential supporters with depressing statistics or complex arguments.
Why do people donate to charity? While it’s true that donors and volunteers are motivated to make the world a better place because it’s the right thing to do, that’s not the entire—or even the primary—reason for their generosity.
Since we give in part because it solidifies our connections to others, make sure that your communication with your donors is personal and specific (i.e. begin correspondence with “Dear Anna,” not “Dear Donor”). Prioritize community by finding ways to connect with your supporters on a personal level and give them the opportunity to interact with each other, whether it’s through a monthly video call or a donor appreciation night.
Remember that, at base, all philanthropic work is fundamentally a social act, so aim to make your donors feel like they’re a part of a broader community in which they are included, valued, and seen.
| A．Research shows that the number one motivator for charitable giving is the all-too-human quest for reward and social attachment. |
| B．But this begs the question: how do statistics influence people’s decision to donate? |
| C．The more human ties your donors have with your organization and with each other, the more committed they’ll be to your mission. |
| D．While statistics and figures are important, make sure that your messages to your donors are upbeat and optimistic. |
| E．In this way, you are more likely to build long-lasting connection with both contributors and receivers. |
| F．However, that’s not how the human mind works. |
9 . A flexible patch could help people with voice disorders talk
The human voice, with its unique ability to attract audiences, express love and sometimes annoy neighbors, is a delibate thing. Doppler’s vocal cords can easily get damaged by stress, infections, or overuse.
Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, have developed a soft patch that attaches to the neck, detecting muscle movements and translating them into clear speech using machine-learning algorithms. Even though the device is still in the early stages, it could be a significant improvement over existing communication aids for those who have lost their voice.
The patch works based on the magneto-elastic (磁弹性的) effect When magnetic nanoparticles are mixed into flexible materials like elastic or silicone, stretching the material can change its magnetic properties. Every time the material changes shape, the particles either rotate or move against each other, altering the material’s magnetic strength. The patch, with its copper coil border that creates a stable magnetic field, can precisely track these changes.
The patch is also designed to be user-friendly. It stays on even when the skin is sweaty and can be worn for 40 minutes without getting too warm.
However, there is more work to be done. For now the device can only recognize five pre-trained phrases.
| A．But the magnetization of the material holds great promise in the future. |
| B．Plus, individual differences in vocal-cords means the algorithm has to be personalized to each user. |
| C．When the throat muscles move under the patch, the changes in the magnetic field can also be turned into electrical signals. |
| D．Currently, people might resort to typing, texting, or writing, which can be slow or hard to read in poor light. |
| E．It is not just enthusiastic performers who risk damaging their voices. |
| F．In tests, the patch accurately recognized sentences spoken. |
10 . ChatGPT, the new artificial-intelligence technology created by Open AI, has many worrying about the future of education. The two largest public school districts, New York and Los Angeles, have banned the chatbot from their devices and networks, concerned that students may use it to cheat on assignments. Though ChatGPT’s capabilities are limited, it will likely continue to disrupt education as the technology advances.
But educators needn’t fear this change. Such technologies are transformative, but they threaten only the information-centric type of education that is failing to help students succeed. What young people need today is educational models that help them take ownership of their studies. They need instruction that equips them with real-life skills and prepares them for an economy in which rote, mechanical tasks will be increasingly performed by machines. AI may be a useful invention that hastens much-needed educational reform.
Practicing skills to enhance one’s facility with reasoning, analysis and argumentation — rather than memorizing basic information — should be central to learning. These are skills young people will need in future careers and, most important, that AI can’t replicate. Our experience with AI is perhaps best understood when compared with previous disruptions in education. When printed books, for example, began to emerge in the mid-1400s with the advent of the movable type, one can imagine university professors feared that students wouldn’t need to come to class because they could simply buy the book.
Yet in practice, printing had the opposite effect: The number of universities exploded along with the total number of books. The new technology disrupted the mechanical aspect of education, but in doing so it allowed educators to refocus on higher-level skills — the strategic elements rather than the tactical. The same followed the introduction of calculators and spreadsheets, which freed up time that would have been spent memorizing rote algorithms for mathematical problems.
This change didn’t make the underlying skills unnecessary; it merely transformed what could be done with them. The effect of such technology as ChatGPT will likely be similar. The AI will serve as an information-gathering and mechanical-organizing tool, but it won’t eliminate the fundamental need for critical thinking. These skills will persist and only increase in value. Therefore, schools must remember that the value created by education isn’t a head full of facts but a person with the skill to use these facts with the tools available to magnify his effect in the world. AI is best seen as another of these tools, which, when used strategically, can unleash student learning and performance in ways not yet seen.
1. What does this change refer to in Paragraph 2?| A．Some public school districts have banned from their devices and networks. |
| B．The information-centric type of education is failing to help students succeed. |
| C．Artificial-intelligence technology keeps making new progress nowadays. |
| D．The development of AI is making a difference to the traditional education. |
| A．the new technology disrupts education in our previous experience |
| B．the movable type printing negatively impacts our university teaching |
| C．such technology helps shift our attention to students’ higher-level skills |
| D．AI frees us from memorizing rote algorithms for mathematical problems |
| A．instruct students in obtaining as many facts as possible |
| B．adopt teaching strategies to enhance students’ performance |
| C．equip students with necessary skills with the help of AI |
| D．teach students to magnify the effect of tools in the world |
| A．AI can save education from itself. | B．ChatGPT disrupts educational reform. |
| C．AI raises worries about school education. | D．ChatGPT transforms education at all levels. |
