Smartphones have become a big part of people’s lives. When we temporarily can’t find them, it causes a feeling of anxiety or panic. Some psychologists have called it “nomophobia”. Thankfully, I rode through the withdrawal of my smartphone and it was short-lived.
When I got my first smartphone over a decade ago, I loved it. It gave me instant access to my music, a world of information and thousands of photos and videos. But over time, I became increasingly ambivalent about its role in my life. I would repeatedly refresh my email, shop online for stuff I didn’t need and constantly scroll through the latest news. I’d often complain to my husband and to my seven-year-old son, Louis, that I felt trapped by it.
Then, one day last summer, while I was playing with Louis, I was once again distracted by dings and pings. He finally reminded me of my complaints, but rephrased them as a plea: “Mommy, just give it up already!”
I decided to try. Instead of going cold turkey — no cellphone at all — I bought a flip phone. With no touch screen, texting is time-consuming. Once, while trying to catch up on texts with a friend, I finally got frustrated and called her. I realized I hadn’t spoken to her since her big move. It made a difference to hear both the excitement in her voice as she described seeing the northern lights and her sadness in being away from a sick parent.
Nowadays, people may prefer text-based communication over using the phone because they fear that the call will be awkward. But, just as I learned, when we were forced to connect voice to voice, we would find ourselves more bonded to that person.
Wuyou Sui, an expert researching digital health, describes nomophobia as a reliance that’s been placed upon us. “Whenever something is designed to make a choice easier, it’s called a behavioural nudge,” he explains, adding that the more central to our lives the smartphone’s functions are, the more prisoned we become.
Ultimately, though, that sense of dependence is false. As I’ve found, you can do all the things you need to do in other ways. It’s not always convenient, but I know I’m much calmer on a regular basis without my smartphone.
1. What does “nomophobia” refer to?2. Why did the author decide to give up her smartphone?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
▶According to the author, we will find it awkward to talk with a friend on the phone.
4. Apart from the ways mentioned in the passage, what can you do to avoid “nomophobia”? (In about 40 words)
My six-year-old daughter, Rona, listened attentively to the radio on the hardships people suffered
3 . In the annals of human history, few subjects have generated as much excitement, debate, and guess as artificial intelligence (AI). This revolutionary technology, which enables machines to perform tasks that once required human intelligence, has the potential to transform every part of our society, from healthcare and finance to transportation and entertainment.
At its heart, AI is all about data. Massive amounts of data are fed into algorithms that learn from this data, allowing them to make predictions, recognize patterns, and even make decisions. This “machine learning” is the driving force behind many of the AI applications we see today, from virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa to more advanced systems like IBM’s Watson, which can analyze vast amounts of information to assist doctors in diagnosing diseases.
The transformative potential of AI is undeniable. In the medical field, for instance, AI can assist in early detection of diseases, predict patient outcomes, and even suggest treatment options. In finance, algorithms can predict stock market trends, and provide personalized financial advice. In transportation, self-driving cars equipped with AI systems promise to reduce accidents, ease traffic jams, and transform urban landscapes.
However, with great potential comes great responsibility. The rise of AI has caused debates about is ethical implications (道德含义). The machines are only as good as the data they are fed, and there’s a growing concern about biases (偏见) being built into AI systems. For instance, facial recognition technologies, used in everything from unlocking phones to police monitoring cameras, have come under check for misidentifying individuals based on race or gender.
Moreover, the widespread adoption of AI could lead to significant job displacement. While new roles and industries might emerge as a result of AI, it is not sure that these will pay off the jobs lost. This could increase income inequalities and causes difficulties to social systems.
Another major concern is the “black box” nature of AI. Many AI systems operate in ways that even their creators don’t fully understand. This can be problematic, especially in critical applications like healthcare or criminal justice where understanding the logic behind a decision is important.
Then there’s the potential for AI to be weaponized. In the hands of evil actors, AI could be used to spread misinformation, control public opinion, or even engage in internet warfare. The global community must come together to set standards and regulations to prevent such misuse.
On the brighter side, many experts believe that by setting the right frameworks and investing in education and retraining, we can use the power of AI for the greater good. By fostering (促进) a culture of continuous learning and staying abreast (并排的，并肩的) of technological advancements, society can benefit from the promise of AI while avoiding its potential dangers.
In conclusion, artificial intelligence stands as one of the most profound inventions of our time. While it offers vast opportunities, it also poses significant challenges that we, as a society, must welcome. As we stand at this technological crossroads, our choices will determine whether AI serves as a benefit or a harm for humanity.
1. Which of the following best describes the method by which machines acquire the capability to perform tasks that traditionally required human intelligence?| A．By programming predefined rules. |
| B．Through user interactions every day. |
| C．By ingesting and processing vast amounts of data. |
| D．Via regular software updates from developers. |
| A．By citing numerous statistical data. |
| B．By presenting both the positive potential and the challenges of AI. |
| C．Through personal experiences. |
| D．By focusing on the negative effects of AI. |
| A．The Rise of Virtual Assistants: Siri and Alexa |
| B．Understanding the Mechanisms Behind AI Algorithms |
| C．Artificial Intelligence: Charting the Course for Tomorrow’s Tech |
| D．Balancing the Potential and challenges of AI in Modern Society |
| A．AI has already replaced most human jobs and is the leading cause of unemployment. |
| B．The global community has taken measures to prevent AI misuse. |
| C．The operation of many AI systems is easily understood by their creators. |
| D．The solving to the dilemma brought by AI needs collective efforts of our society. |
In the 1950s and 1960s, people were widely using chemicals in agriculture, which polluted the food web and broke the eggs of Bald Eagles. Concern for the birds helped to pass the Endangered Species (物种) Act (ESA) on December 28,1973.
The ESA is now 50 years old. It is a vital part of protection efforts in America, but it comes into play only when a species is nearly gone. There is much we can do to prevent our weak creatures from needing the act in the first place.
Recent studies have shown that the best way to protect species is to protect their habitats (栖息地), because it follows a sound, nature-based logic. People and progress depend on nature for large benefits. Compared to recovering a species, protecting habitats won’t need to decide which species is the most serious case that should be treated first.
In January 2023, a bill named Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA)was passed, which would provide significant funding for protection of wildlife habitat that supports species at risk. It basically modernized the Pittman-Robertson Act in 1937, one of the first species-protection acts in America. RAWA was one of the most important acts in wildlife conservation in decades providing $1.397 billion to fund local and state efforts not only to help recover endangered species but also prevent at-risk wildlife from becoming endangered. While this funding has worked for decades, the accelerating (加速) loss of biodiversity requires a new way and more investment.
Protecting habitat doesn’t just protect wildlife; it protects humanity. If the desire to care for our world is not enough, it’s wise to remember that if you destroy your home, you des troy your life.
1. What is the disadvantage of ESA?2. Why protecting habitats is better than recovering a species?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
▶RAWA, a modern version of the Pittman-Robertson Act, mainly helps to save the species that are endangered.
4. Apart from protecting habitats, what else can we do to protect animals? (In about 40 words)
5 . Over the past century, the average lifespan (平均寿命) in developed countries has increased by 30 years, from roughly age 50 to 80.
While lifespan is certainly an important measure of health and well-being, it is not the only one.
By a study based on the World Health Organization, an American who expects to live to 79 might first face serious disease at 63.
Lengthening healthspan starts with thinking about aging well overall, meaning putting physical health, mental health, and daily lifestyle all in one.
For now, there are some familiar steps to extend healthspan: common-sense nutrition, sleep, exercise and social connection are the four main factors.
| A．Some disease is less linked with lifestyle habits. |
| B．It also means taking ways to feel joy and connection. |
| C．It is important to remember that aging is a natural process. |
| D．Longer lifespans overall have been a public health success. |
| E．That could mean he will live in sickness for at least 15 years. |
| F．Healthspan is increasingly being known as an important idea. |
| G．The reason those things work is that they improve the biology of aging. |
6 . Whenever anyone asks me what tech I’d like to see invented, I always say the universal translator, which lets you understand and speak any language.
Meta AI recently announced the start of the universal speech translator (UST) project, which aims to create AI systems that enable real-time speech-to-speech translation across all languages, even those that are spoken but not commonly written. Meta says that today’s AI translation models are focused on widely-used written languages, and that more than 40% of primarily spoken languages are not covered by such translation technologies.
According to Meta, the model is the first AI-powered speech translation system for the unwritten language Hokkien (闽南语), a Chinese language spoken in southeastern China. The system allows Hokkien speakers to hold conversations with English speakers, a significant step toward bringing people together wherever they are located.
To build UST, Meta AI focused on overcoming three important translation system challenges. It addressed data scarcity by getting more training data in more languages and finding new ways to use the data it had found. It solved the modeling problems that arise as models grow to serve many more languages. And it sought new ways to improve on its results.
Meta AI claims that the techniques it pioneered with Hokkien can be extended to many other unwritten languages—and eventually work in real time. For this purpose, Meta has released the Speech Matrix, a large collection of speech-to-speech translations, which enables other research teams to create translation models for other languages.
Artificial (人工的) speech translation could play a significant role in our world. For interactions, it will enable people from around the world to communicate with each other more smoothly, making the social net more interconnected. For content, using artificial speech translation allows you to easily localize content.
Yashar Behzadi, CEO and founder of Synthesis AI, believes that technology needs to enable more natural experiences if the digital world is to succeed. He says that one of the current challenges for UST models is the computationally expensive training that’s needed because of the wide range and very slight differences in meaning or sound of languages. Also, to train strong AI models requires vast amounts of typical data. A significant bottleneck to building these AI models in the near future will be to ensure training data collect the privacy in agreement with rules and law.
1. What is the feature of the UST project?| A．It changes spoken languages to written forms. |
| B．It attracts wider attention to written languages in translation. |
| C．It adds 40% of spoken languages into translation technology. |
| D．It enables real-time speech-to-speech translation across all languages. |
| A．Lack. | B．Mistake. | C．Recovery. | D．Management. |
| A．It is expensive to collect typical data. |
| B．It increases the use of a certain language. |
| C．Its techniques are finally developed for Hokkien. |
| D．It helps inspire interactions and content localization. |
| A．AI Translation: Make Translation Faster |
| B．AI Translation: Meet You in All Languages |
| C．Unwritten Language: Bring People Together |
| D．Unwritten Language: Translation Challenge |
7 . Getting older often involves a series of challenges, such as cognitive (认知的) decline, late-life depression and social isolation. In a society that is aging fast, it has become important to find ways to promote successful aging to prevent and limit cognitive and emotional disorders. Music is a promising tool for improving cognition and promoting well-being.
Cognitive reserve (储备) is the mind’s power to stop age-related brain damage. Research has shown that stimulating (令人兴奋的) life experiences are linked with higher power to prevent age-related brain diseases. Music is known to be cognitively stimulating and it could contribute to building such reserve throughout the life course. Music makes unique demands on our nervous system, like cognitive control. For example, lifelong musical expert knowledge and skills seem to reduce cognitive decline. However, it is not necessary to be a professional musician to benefit from musical training. Research shows that even short-term musical training strengthens cognition in the elderly.
The brain is built to change over our lifetime, which can be shaped by experience. Importantly, this happens over time and in response to a specific new skill. Research studies have identified structural and functional differences between the brains of musicians and non-musicians, especially in regions related to motor control and auditory processing. Evidence shows that even short-term musical interventions (干预) can promote brain plasticity and increase grey matter volume. Even passive music listening can result in improved cognitive abilities.
Music can open forgotten doors to our memories — such as weddings, school dances, and parties — with little cognitive effort. Music helps to recall all the memories that you have connected with a song. The “reminiscence bump” is used to describe enhanced memory for events that occur during adolescence (青春期) and early adulthood that are often sharp. A song becomes a soundtrack for a particular time, such as during a summer hanging out with a specific group of friends.
Music has a great power to bring strong emotions and intense pleasure into your mind, thus changing mood. Music can be used as an aid for escaping from everyday life through imagination of your own memories. Moreover, musical activities often involve social functions promoting social contact, cooperation, and a sense of belonging with others.
In sum, music is a powerful tool to fight against aging-related emotional and cognitive disorders. Music is also considered as a social activity, accessible to anyone regardless of background. So, this intervention should become a major policy priority for health y aging.
1. What does Paragraph 2 mainly tell us about music?| A．The effect of music on musicians. | B．The benefit of music for cognition. |
| C．The power of music over loneliness. | D．The demand of music on nervous system. |
| A．introduce a topic | B．provide an opinion |
| C．compare with music | D．explain an argument |
| A．Short-term musical training doesn’t work. |
| B．The brain can’t be influenced by experience. |
| C．Music can be used to limit emotional disorders. |
| D．Music is a powerful tool to fight against aging. |
8 . As a little boy, the first time I stepped into the Taekwondo dojang (跆拳道道场), I knew that I had discovered my interest. The physical training, mental focus, and spiritual development of Taekwondo drew me in, and I started a journey that would change my life.
My journey began as a White Belt filled with excitement. I was introduced to the basic skills, forms, and principles of Taekwondo. With each belt promotion (晋级), I faced new challenges. The training pushed me to test my limits and develop mental strength. Self-control became the most important part of my training. Early mornings and late nights were spent improving skills, perfecting forms, and pushing myself to the edge of tiredness. Taekwondo taught me valuable lessons, not just on the training floor but also in other areas of my life.
The path to the Black Belt was not without challenges. I experienced moments of frustration (挫折) and wanted to give up. However, it was during these challenging times that I discovered the power of determination (决心). With the support of my teachers and friends, I found the strength to push through the hard times. Each challenge became an opportunity for growth. Dealing with these challenges strengthened my desire to become a Black Belt and inspired me to keep pushing forward.
Beyond the physical and mental aspects, the art has taught me to treat others with kindness. It has allowed me to face life’s challenges with a calm and focused mind. Taekwondo has also taught me the importance of leadership, as I now have the opportunity to guide and inspire junior students on their own journeys.
Finally, after years of training and personal growth, I stand before you as a Black Belt. I have grown both physically and mentally, gaining valuable life skills along the way. As I continue my journey, I look forward to meeting new challenges and inspiring others.
1. What drew the author in Taekwondo?| A．The support of teachers. | B．The interest in Taekwondo. |
| C．The hope to change his life. | D．The decision to start a journey. |
| A．Self-control. | B．Leadership. | C．A calm mind. | D．Determination. |
| A．He never thought of giving up. | B．His friends pushed him forward. |
| C．He is ready for new challenges in life. | D．His training was relaxing and meaningful. |
| A．describe the training process | B．express thankfulness to teachers |
| C．inspire others with personal growth | D．show the importance of friendship |
9 . The end of the school year is often when we celebrate student growth. I know how important it is for students to look back at everything they’ve achieved.
Students don’t always remember how far they’ve come over the year. When we praise students for their growth, we help them remember or see it themselves. This can help inspire them to continue learning. That’s why I’ve written this letter to my fifth-grade students.
| Dear Students, I can’t believe it, but we’re coming to the end of our school year. Let’s look back at all you’ve done this year. I saw you learn to set goals, focus on learning, and find ways to deal with stress. I saw your confidence soar throughout the year. I saw you explore your interests and you taught me about the problems you care deeply about. I feel good knowing the world is in your hands! As you look back at all of these achievements, here are a few things I hope you remember next school year. • Lifelong learners ask questions. You’ve learned how to ask this year, so keep asking! • Stay curious. You are so much more than what can ever be shown with a test score or a grade. • Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Use mistakes as chances to learn and grow. • Continue to get along well with your friends and teachers. I can tell you how lucky I was to be your teacher. Yours, Lily |
I encourage you to write your own letter to your students. Personalize it for each student by adding a sticky note or a handwritten message to point out specific growth areas.
1. The author wrote the letter to students because ________.| A．it is a school tradition | B．she has much to tell them |
| C．they remember how far they’ve come | D．it can encourage them to keep learning |
| A．To set goals. | B．To stay curious. | C．To deal with stress. | D．To build up confidence. |
| A．Teachers | B．Parents | C．Teenagers | D．School leaders |
Every day most of us can order and buy all sorts of items online, thanks to e-commerce platforms such as Taobao, JD and Pinduoduo. The number of people
