My best friend, Cocoa, and I live in a senior-citizen apartment complex in a lovely small town. Cocoa is a ten-year-old poodle(卷毛狗) and I am a sixty-nine-year-old lady, so you can see we both qualify as senior citizens.
Years ago, I promised myself that when I retired I would get a chocolate poodle to share my golden years. From the very beginning, Cocoa has always been exceptionally well-behaved. I never have to tell him anything more than once. He is extremely neat—when taking toys from his box to play, he always puts them back when he is finished. I have been accused of being obsessively neat, and sometimes I wonder if he mimics me or if he was born that way, too.
He is a wonderful companion. When I throw a ball for him, he picks it up in his mouth and gives it back to me. He does many amusing things that make me laugh, and when that happens, he is so delighted that he just keeps it up. I enjoy his company very much.
But almost two years ago, Cocoa did something that challenged comprehension. Was it a miracle or a coincidence? It is certainly a mystery.
One afternoon, Cocoa started acting strangely. I was sitting on the floor playing with him when he started pawing and sniffing at the right side of my chest. He had never done anything like this before, and I told him, “No.” Usually, one “no” is sufficient, but not that day. He stopped briefly, then suddenly ran toward me from the other side of the room, throwing his entire weight—eighteen pounds—at the right side of my chest. He crashed into me and I yelled in pain. It hurt more than I thought it would have.
Soon after this, I felt a lump (肿瘤). I went to the doctors, and after X-rays, tests and lab work were done, they told me I had cancer.
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。
When cancer starts, a wall of calcium(钙) builds to which the lump or cancer attaches itself.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Was Cocoa just aware of what he was doing?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2 . Architects often spend months or even years perfecting a design to express their ideas more clearly, convey additional information, or outline the right proportions for a building. However, the urgent issue of climate change is placing new demands on their work. For example, in July, Super Typhoon Doksuri battered China, affecting more than 2.66 million people in Fujian Province alone.
Green architecture that conserves energy and reduces carbon dioxide emissions offers a solution, and concerted efforts have been made in diverse research fields over the past three decades to minimize heat loss. In addition, new buildings have to be tailored to the needs of people’s lifestyles.
Ren Jun, a professor at Tianjin University’s School of Architecture, who designed the first near-zero energy house in China in December 2019, said, “You can construct low-energy, environmentally-friendly houses, but if the interior design and environmental quality don’t meet residents’ requirements, these properties won’t be suitable to live in.”
The near-zero energy house, located-in Banbidian village in Beijing’s southern district of Daxing, won the International Design Award in the United States in January last year. The 400-square-meter property, which stands at the entrance to the village, runs on solar power gathered from rooftop panels, with the addition of a small amount of power from the grid (电网).
Ren said the first obstacle to conserving energy in the property was heat retention, which he attempted to achieve by keeping the indoor temperature at a certain level. The property is divided into five areas: a solar garden in the front yard, a central lounge, a water courtyard, a sponge zone, and a back room. For the exterior walls, Ren used three types of insulation (隔热层), including plastic foam, each about 25 centimeters thick.
Ren also looked for ways to deal with emissions at the house. He decided to install a ventilator, which pipes air that is polluted and replaces it with fresh air from outside in every room at the property.
Ren said it would take three to five years before more ultralow or near-zero energy buildings appeared in Chinese cities.
1. Which is not an important factor for designing green houses?| A．Energy consumption. | B．Carbon emission. |
| C．People’s lifestyle. | D．Architecture style. |
| A．The house consumes little electricity. |
| B．The house is deliberately designed to keep heat. |
| C．The house is equipped with many intelligent facilities. |
| D．The house is the first International Design Award-winning building in China. |
| A．He designed the house in five stories to trap heat in it. |
| B．He applied 75 centimeters of plastic foam to exterior walls. |
| C．He tailored the interior design to the demand of local people. |
| D．He installed a ventilator to cut down carbon dioxide emissions. |
| A．Green Homes Offer Hope amid Climate Change |
| B．Green Houses Feature Near-Zero Energy Consumption |
| C．Ren Jun Won the International Design Award |
| D．China Strives for Low Carbon Strategy with Green Houses |
A woman remarried a man from Mexico. She already had a 16-year-old daughter named Bethany, while her husband had a 14-year-old daughter named Maria. Maria and Bethany had been in each other’s lives since they were children. Their relationship as stepsisters was good until recently.
The entire family was busy planning Maria’s Quinceanera (成人礼). The woman’s husband and his ex-wife joined forces to get her a beautiful dress to celebrate the occasion. In total, the dress cost $3,000.
Bethany made it clear that she was jealous (嫉妒的) of the party. Her mom had to make her understand that in Mexican culture, a Quinceanera was a great deal, just like how she had a sweet sixteen party. However, Bethany kept comparing her party to that of Maria’s. It was a massive issue for her, and it reflected in the way she behaved around everyone at home.
Knowing how it made Bethany feel, the mom tried to spend more time with her daughter to assure her that she wasn’t being disregarded. They even got her a lovely dress for the Quinceanera, but much cheaper than Maria’s dress.
Two weeks before the big day, Maria and Bethany got into an argument regarding the TV. Bethany retaliated (报复) against her stepsister by tearing off the back part of her Quinceanera dress. After finding out what Bethany did, everyone was angry. The mom couldn’t believe what her daughter did and quickly gave her husband and his ex-wife money to get a new dress.
The mom told Bethany that she needed to get a job to pay back the total price of the dress. It was her punishment for such an unreasonable act against her stepsister. However, Bethany claimed her mom was unfair by choosing Maria over her. This made the mom question whether she was in the wrong for giving her daughter no choice but to find a job. She wrote about the story online, hoping to get opinions from others on whether what she did was wrong.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
To her surprise, she got everybody’s support.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Finally, the mom was determined to teach her 16-year-old a lesson.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“Don’t bug me! Hug me!” Bumper Sticker Lee Shapiro is a retired judge. He is also one of the most genuinely loving people we know. At one point in his career, Lee realized that love is the greatest power there is. As a result, Lee became a hugger. He began offering everybody a hug. His colleagues dubbed him “the hugging judge”, which is opposed to the hanging judge. The bumper sticker on his car reads, “Don’t bug me! Hug me!”
About six years ago Lee created what he called his Hugger Kit. On the outside it reads “A heart for a hug.” The inside contains thirty little red embroidered hearts with stickers on the back. Lee will take out his Hugger Kit, go around to people and offer them a little red heart in exchange for a hug. Lee has become so well known for this that he is often invited to keynote conferences and conventions, where he shares his message of unconditional love.
At a conference in San Francisco, the local news media challenged him by saying, “It is easy to give out hugs here in the conference to people who self-selected to be here. But this would never work in the real world.” They challenged Lee to give away some hugs on the streets of San Francisco. Followed by a television crew from the local news station, Lee went out onto the street. First he approached a woman walking by. “Hi, I’m Lee Shapiro, the hugging judge. I’m giving out these hearts in exchange for a hug.” “Sure,” she replied. “Too easy,” challenged the local commentator. Lee looked around. He saw a meter maid who was being given a hard time by a traffic police, who was giving a ticket to her for illegal car parking. He marched up to her, camera crew in tow, and said, “You look like you could use a hug. I’m the hugging judge and I’m offering you one.” She delightedly accepted it. The television commentator threw down a more hug challenge to Lee.
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 had never before hugged people who were severely terminally ill as Leonard.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Doctors said it was the first time that they had seen Leonard smile.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________5 . Jeannie Di Bon has a strong belief that movement heals. Following a 35-year quest for answers, a physical therapist was able to connect the dots of her symptoms by asking just a handful of questions. Finally, armed with an explanation, the diagnosis of hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) was more of a relief than a surprise. Since qualifying as a yoga instructor in 2008, Di Bon has seen the condition appear in various ways among her clients.
Thought to be the most common of 13 known subtypes of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), the hEDS connective tissue disorder is most often associated with joint hypermobility, instability, chronic pain, and dislocations. However, those impacted can face multi-systemic symptoms and co-morbidities, such as gastrointestinal (肠胃的), and neurological disturbances, presenting a wide range of severity.
Despite yielding positive results, as Di Bon’s work with hEDS clients increased, she began to notice gaps in her teaching, and set out to address them. “That’s why I started to look more into the mind, into the breath, and relaxation... and modify the exercises so that they were safe and suitable for somebody who is maybe feeling very unstable.”
Having experienced her own difficulties navigating the healthcare system, Di Bon has been thinking about why so many with EDS carve out a vocation linked to the disorder. “I think it happens because we go through such a personal struggle to find information, to figure it out. For me personally, I just want to share that.” The Wimbledon native is constantly seeking a greater understanding of the body, currently studying for an MSc in Pain Management alongside her multi-hyphenate lifestyle as an author, movement therapist, app founder, and award-winning community champion. But, through her six principles of pain-free movement, Di Bon offers a sincere message of hope.
“We can always change something that would make your life better. Even if it’s the tiniest thing. I work with people who are bed bound, who have had to give up work, who are house bound, and we are working together to make their lives more fulfilling, and to give them a better quality of life.”
1. Why was her diagnosis of hEDS viewed as more of a relief than a surprise?| A．Its cause put her in a panic. | B．Its result came out in the wash. |
| C．It was not beyond her expectation. | D．It was not as serious as it seemed. |
| A．Kind and inspiring. | B．Generous and hard-working. |
| C．Firm and productive. | D．Reflective and considerate. |
| A．The desire to help others. | B．The exploration for a cure. |
| C．The passion for learning something new. | D．The determination to get over challenges. |
| A．More haste, less speed. | B．It never rains but it pours. |
| C．Focus on the big, start small. | D．There is no royal road to learning. |
1. What is Jennifer?
| A．A student. | B．A tour guide. | C．A manager. |
| A．Take a trip abroad. | B．Visit her grandparents. | C．Do some volunteer work. |
| A．English. | B．Science. | C．Geography. |
| A．On July 10th. | B．On July 16th. | C．On July 23rd. |
Several years ago, I worked as a writing teacher in a rural middle school. I knew all my students. They trusted me with their stories and so I was given the privilege of having a secret bond with each one of them. I taught my students about the power of words, and tried to let them find expression through writing. We learned to trust each other, because we learned how hard it was to write openly and honestly, and we learned sharing your words took courage. I was always amazed at the words that came from my students’ hearts.
Later, we had a new student to the school, Al. Al was small and looked younger than other students in my class. He was with us for only a short while and still trying to fit in. So I was a little surprised when he volunteered to read. I smiled and nodded for him to do, while in my mind I was afraid that the others would make fun of the new kid after he read. The room fell silent, and Al began to read.
“If I had one wish, it would be to meet my dad...” He started out loud and clear.
He had held the attention of my usually restless students for what seemed like 15 minutes. He told of how he had never known his father, who had left the family when he was a baby. He shared the intimate details of his struggles to be the only man in the house at such a young age, of having to mow the lawn and fix broken pipes. He revealed to us the thoughts that went through his mind constantly about where his father might be and why he might have left.
注意：1. 续写的词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
I looked around the classroom, finding no snickers (窃笑).
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When Al finished the last sentence, all the class stood up and applauded.
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“Keep this a secret,” Jessica whispered to me, “and the money is yours, Raelyn.” After saying that, she looked me in the eye with a stare that was intense. It looked like it was saying, “Do not betray (背叛) my trust.” Then, she gathered her books from her locker and walked off.
I quickly came to my senses after I agreed to Jessica’s strange request. Why did I agree? Just for money? I knew it was wrong for her to lie to her parents, telling them that she was going to meet me for a school project. In truth, she wanted to go to East Coast Park to meet her online friend. It was not safe and I knew this, but I did not want to ruin our friendship, neither did I want to betray her trust.
A few hours later, I received a phone call. It was from Jessica’s mom. Cold sweat started dropping down my forehead. What should I do? Multiple questions flooded my mind. My trembling fingers were forced to pick up the call. “Hello, Aunt May.” I greeted her with some nervousness in my voice.
“Hello,” she said. “How is your project going? I need to tell Jessica something as she doesn’t seem to be picking up the phone. Can I trouble you to pass the phone to her?”
My eyes widened. I quickly thought of an excuse. “She’s in the toilet now. I think she’s having a stomach ache.” Then, many more thoughts rushed through my mind. After a big struggle and debating in my mind, I decided to tell the truth.
Before Aunt May could reply. I said directly. “Aunt May, I’m sorry I lied to you just now. Well...you see. Jessica isn’t at my place doing our project. She went to East Coast Park to meet her online friend. She asked me to keep it a secret, but I had to betray her. This is for her own good if her online friend is a bad person.” I paused and then added, “I think you and Uncle Ron should look for her now before it’s too late.”
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。
“Thank you so much, Raelyn, ”Aunt May replied and I could sense the worry in her voice.
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I rushed towards Jessica as fast as my legs could carry me.
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Tripod’s story started one spring morning as I finished morning surgery at the veterinary clinic (兽医诊所) I owned. I was writing up medical records of the surgery patients when my receptionist stuck her head into my office, saying that a lady phoned that she’d just found a cat in her back yard with a badly injured leg.
I immediately sent my two pre-vet students in the clinic right out to pick up the cat. They eagerly accepted the challenge and soon returned with my newest patient. We gently removed the large gray tabby (斑猫) from the carrier and placed him on a warm towel on the exam table. He lay very still, his breathing rapid and shallow. His right front leg was mutilated (残废的) from just below the shoulder. The students hadn’t exaggerated; the odor (气味) coming from what remained of the leg was overpowering. This guy was in pretty bad shape, with a mangled (轧平的) front leg, some scars on his head and no collar or tag on him. The poor thing…We were close to tears, especially those two students.
“Looks like he was caught in a trap. See those ragged wound edges?” I felt the ice-cold toes and foot pads, recognizing there was little, if any, chance of saving the leg. The only way I could save him was to amputate (截肢) that leg. The students watched in somber silence as I carefully cleaned the wound. I knew from years of experience this guy didn’t have an owner. “Well, then,” I sighed, “Either remove the leg and see if we can find a home for him or put him to sleep.” Just then, one of the students stroked the cat’s head. Somewhere deep in the cat’s throat, a faint purr began. As the student continued to pet the tabby, I noticed the cat’s breathing became less labored.
“You’re a fighter, aren’t you, boy?” I whispered. “You deserve a chance.” After stabilizing the cat’s vital signs, I performed the amputation in the hope of saving his life.
Over the next few weeks, Tripod, who the students had named, went through many ups and downs. I was cautiously optimistic about his recovery. Word got around about the three-legged “miracle cat” and many clients stopped by on a regular basis to check on his progress.
注意：1．所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2．请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1:
The day finally came when I decided Tripod had truly survived.
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One day, one of our regular and favorite clients came in the door.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________10 . 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. |
| A．By listing data. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By making comparisons. | D．By quoting experts’ arguments. |
| A．Users of AI. | B．Words’ frequency. |
| C．AI’s cultural nature. | D．The length of a sentence. |
| 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 |
