1 . I was ready to pay for my bananas at the grocery one night, when fear seized me. My wallet was gone. I could only have left it on the G9 bus, which was now speeding in the dark to some
The heart-stopping moment was quickly followed by mental math. How much time and money would it cost to replace the contents of that little wallet? The credit cards, the driver’s license, the cash, all lost to the bus.
Two hours later, back at my house, I heard a knock on the door. My husband
After sharing the story online, I heard from someone, who identified the lady as Erin Smith. Without
This one stranger responded beautifully to my small
| A．famous | B．unknown | C．familiar | D．convenient |
| A．ignored | B．interrupted | C．examined | D．answered |
| A．still | B．ever | C．yet | D．even |
| A．delay | B．question | C．regret | D．invitation |
| A．threw | B．placed | C．opened | D．spotted |
| A．selfless | B．risky | C．delightful | D．personal |
| A．crisis | B．danger | C．encounter | D．failure |
| A．exchanged | B．recalled | C．whispered | D．repeat |
| A．Going away | B．Turning around | C．Looking back | D．Coming along |
| A．longing | B．grateful | C．concerned | D．enthusiastic |
2 . Studying a subject that you feel pointless is never a fun or easy task. If you’re studying history, asking yourself the question “why is history important” is a very good first step. History is an essential part of human civilization. You will find something here that will arouse your interest, or get you thinking about the significance of history.
History grounds us in our roots. History is an important and interesting field of study, and learning the history of our home country can give us a deeper, more meaningful glimpse (一瞥) into our ancestral pasts, and how we got to where we are today. Many people feel like they need a sense of cultural belonging, which is something that studying your roots and being open-minded to the evolution (演变) of your culture can provide.
History enriches our experience. Reading history is an amazing experience because it enables us to reflect on the social and economic life of the people living long time ago. According to the experts, problems faced by people regardless of the past and present are the same. With the information about the ancestors, one can become more experienced in handling challenges of life.
History makes us more empathetic (具有共情能力的). Studying history can give us insight (洞察力) into why our culture does certain things, and how the past has shaped it into what we know now. It also provides a rather strong foundation for empathy across cultures. Fear and hate for others is usually caused by ignorance (无知). We’re scared of the things that we don’t understand. History has the potential to break down those boundaries by offering us insight into entire worlds that would otherwise be foreign to us.
History can inspire us to learn more. What’s fantastic about history is the way it broadens our horizons. It’s almost impossible to learn about one historical period without having dozens of questions about related concepts. Study the 19re century England, and you might catch a glimpse of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist. Look up Charles Dickens, and you might learn a thing or two about realism. Or maybe you end up switching your attention away from novels, and discover the history of romantic poets in England. It can go anywhere, and there is something in there for absolutely anybody.
The value of history cannot be underestimated. We don’t have to live in the past, but we can definitely do better by learning from it and using the lessons learnt to lead more meaningful lives.
1. People can get a sense of cultural belonging by studying history and _______.| A．thinking about the meaning of it |
| B．accepting the development of culture |
| C．analyzing how they get to the present state |
| D．reflecting on their social and economic life |
| A．It is difficult to get rid of cultural barriers. |
| B．People are willing to accept foreign cultures. |
| C．Cultural conflicts in history are difficult to ignore. |
| D．History helps us improve our cross-cultural awareness. |
| A．How to Build Cultural Identity | B．Why Studying History Matters |
| C．Know the Past, Know the Present | D．History: a Way to Broaden Horizons |
3 . Will you go on this ride with me? ”my friend’s eleven-year-old daughter Jenny asked. She stared at the ride, eager to experience the same excitement as the brave group of riders in front of us. I couldn’t say no.
After climbing into our seats, an attendant reached up, pulled down the bar, and locked it in place. The ride lifted us slowly, then turned us over like the blueberry pancakes I had eaten three hours earlier, and hoped to keep in their proper place. As I stared at the concrete directly below us, I had a sudden feeling of great fear. I wondered if I had replacement coverage (保险) for the phone that I was sure would slip out of my pocket and break into a million tiny pieces. I wondered when my new health insurance would kick in.
The ride touched down after twisting and turning our bodies. My friend was waiting for us at the exit. “How was it?” she asked. “Fine. No big deal,” I said, even though my head was spinning (旋转) like one of the other annoying machines dotting the midway.
Jenny walked ahead of us and convinced me to keep taking chances and sample more rides
“Oh, look at the pirate ship (海盗船)!” she said. “That looks like a calm ride.”
“Let’s go, Auntie!” she said as she rushed to join others in line.
I followed her, feeling confident the ride would be uneventful. When I reached the bottom, I tapped out like a WWF wrestler admitting defeat. Although my body was shaking and my head was still spinning, I felt exhilarated just like I was on the top of the world. That morning, I set a goal, took my first step to reach it, and felt the joy of achievement.
Each time you try something for the first time, you will grow — a little piece of the fear of the unknown is removed and replaced with a sense of satisfaction.
1. What made the author decide to try riding with Jenny?| A．The eagerness in Jenny’s eyes. |
| B．The curiosity about the unknown. |
| C．The encouragement from other riders. |
| D．The desire to experience something exciting. |
| A．She lost her phone. | B．She got into a panic. |
| C．She was served pancakes. | D．She almost fell off the seat. |
| A．Relaxed. | B．Confused. | C．Excited. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．He who hesitates is lost. |
| B．It’s never too late to learn. |
| C．Life is like riding a pirate ship. |
| D．It’s worthwhile to try something new. |
1.活动目的；
2.时间、地点及内容；
3.希望与呼吁。
注意：1. 词数 100左右；
2.开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
NOTICE
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The Students’ Union
April 26th, 2024
AI art, aka (又名) computation art or generative art, refers to the creation of any artwork through the use of artificial intelligence programs. This can include art forms like music, photography and video, but in this article we’ll focus on 2D and 3D illustrative art.
AI art should not be confused with digital art, which refers to artworks created using any type of digital software. Typically, with digital art, the creator has to employ some level of artistic skill and technique, and understand how to use tools such as Adobe Illustrator.
With AI art, in contrast, you typically only have to type in a text prompt (提示词). A finished artwork is then created by generative AI algorithms without any further input needed.
AI art is controversial (有争议的) within the art and design professions for two main reasons. Firstly, and most obviously, allowing people to generate art through software means they’re less likely to pay someone to create it by hand. And that’s inevitably (不可避免的) going to lead to job losses and the loss of freelance work to professional artists. The second reason is that AI art generators are trained on art made by humans. Yet in most cases, these artists have not been paid for this sampling of their work. And by copying their style, which they may have taken decades of hard work to develop, AI art generators are arguably carrying out the biggest copyright theft in history.
It all reminds us of the story of how an aging Pablo Picasso was one day sketching (素描) in a park. A woman approached him and asked him to sketch her. The famous artist took one look at her, and dashed off an abstract likeness in seconds. She loved it, and asked how much she should pay. “5,000 francs,” he replied. “Why so expensive?” she cried in shock. “It took you less than a minute!” He replied: “No, Madame, it took me a lifetime.”
The artist community is now in a similar position, on a massive scale. AI art generators are taking out the equivalent of 5,000 francs of value multiple times a second, and yet artists aren’t getting a penny. A number of court cases are testing out this argument in court.
1. What is AI art?2. With digital art, what does the creator have to do?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
➢The author tells the story of Pablo Picasso to show that he is a very great artist
4. Are you a supporter of AI art? Why or why not? (In about 40 words)
6 . According to a new Agriculture Department report, U. S. forests could exacerbate global warming because they are being destroyed by natural disasters and are losing their ability to absorb planet-warming gases as they get older. The report predicts that the ability of forests to absorb carbon will start declining after 2025 and that forests could release up to 100 million metric tons of carbon a year as their emissions (排放) from decaying (腐烂的) trees go beyond their carbon absorption. Forests could become a “substantial carbon source” by 2070, the USDA report says.
The loss of carbon absorption is driven in part by natural disasters such as wildfires, tornadoes and hurricanes, which are increasing in frequency and strength as global temperatures rise. The disasters destroy forestland, destroying their ecosystem and decreasing their ability to absorb carbon, according to Lynn Riley, a senior manager of climate science at the American Forest Foundation. Aging forests also contribute. The report found that older, mature trees absorb less carbon than younger trees of the same species, and U. S. forests are rapidly aging.
This trend is likely to continue, as forests come under increasing threat from climate change and exploitation (开采). The typical tropical (热带的) forest may become a carbon source by the 2060s, according to Simon Lewis, professor in the school of geography at Leeds University. “Humans have been lucky so far, as tropical forests are cleaning up lots of our pollution, but they can’t keep doing that indefinitely,” he said. “We need to cut down fossil fuel emissions before the global carbon cycle starts working against us.”
U. S. forests currently absorb 11 percent of U. S. carbon emissions, or 150 million metric tons of carbon a year, equal to the combined emissions from 40 coal power plants, according to the report. The loss of forests as natural carbon absorbers will require the U. S. to cut emissions more rapidly to reach net zero. “As we work to decarbonize (碳减排), forests are one of the greatest tools at our handling. If we were to lose that, it means we will contribute that much more in emissions.” Riley said.
1. What does the underlined word “exacerbate” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Relieve. | B．Worsen. | C．Address. | D．Measure. |
| A．The key role of forests in the ecosystem. |
| B．The consequences of frequent natural disasters. |
| C．The impact of rising global temperatures on forests. |
| D．The reasons for forests’ declining ability to absorb carbon. |
| A．Reducing fossil fuel emissions. | B．Dealing with decaying trees in time. |
| C．Planting younger trees on a large scale. | D．Limiting the exploitation of forest resources. |
| A．To stress the significance of forests. |
| B．To offer suggestions on forest management. |
| C．To present the efforts the U. S. has made to reach net zero. |
| D．To show the increasing carbon emissions from coal power plants. |
Xu Beihong (1895-1953) was important in modern Chinese folk art. During his lifetime, he developed the tradition of combining poetry with painting. Between 1933 and 1940, he
Chinese New Year Painting is a special Chinese art form. Usually it is put on walls, doors or windows. As Spring Festival
Most people believe when they live comfortably and earn enough money, they will have worries. However, most people never feel they
10 . As warm blood spattered all over us, I screamed… actually it was water, but that didn’t stop me being so scared that my heart was nearly beating out of my chest. My friend had persuaded me onto the Hotel Psycho ride at the Prater Amusement Park, I’m unwilling to experience any fear, but I decided to do it anyway. I came off the ride shaking but excited.
Apparently Eleanor Roosevelt didn’t actually say “do one thing that scares you every day”, as is often thought, but nevertheless it’s a great rule to follow. You don’t need to go on a fairground ride or jump out of a plane, but it is a good idea to push yourself out of your comfort zone regularly.
The human brain, particularly the amygdale (杏仁核), is designed to keep you safe. This sounds like a good thing, and obviously, sometimes it is. However, the fact that the amygdala is always on the lookout for danger means that it will prioritize protecting you over almost anything else: learning something new, experiencing something amazing, getting a great opportunity and meeting other people. The amygdala would really just like you to stay put in a nice safe dark cave.
The more you listen to its urgings to avoid all risks, the narrower and darker your life will become. There is plenty of evidence that the most effective way to deal with our fears and anxieties is exposing ourselves to what we fear. You can start off with small steps, but the more you confront (面对) your fears, the smaller they become: whereas the more you allow your fears to prevent you from doing things, the bigger those fears seem to be.
For this reason, it is important to stretch yourself and keep all those possibilities open. You need to take risks and do things that petrify you, so that you know just what you’re capable of. Sometimes those risks won’t work out, but that’s fine, as long as you can learn from the experience, and get ready for the next adventure.
1. How does the author introduce the topic of the text?| A．By giving a definition. | B．By telling a horrible story. |
| C．By quoting from a classic book. | D．By describing his own experience. |
| A．It stops people from trying things out. |
| B．It functions well in a dark environment. |
| C．It introduces some risk-taking activities. |
| D．It highlights people’s demand for learning. |
| A．They could be hard to overcome. |
| B．They should be addressed effectively. |
| C．They would be necessary for survival. |
| D．They might be regular visitors to our life. |
| A．Inspire. | B．Scare. | C．Comfort. | D．Anger. |
