| A．By plane. | B．By bus. | C．By subway. |
2 . “Woman reading book, under a night sky, dreamy atmosphere,” I type into Deep Dream Generator’s Text 2 Dream feature. In less than a minute, an image is returned to me showing what I’ve described.
Welcome to the world of AI image generation, where you can create what on the surface looks like top-rank artwork using just a few text prompts (提示). But closer examination shows oddities. The face of the woman in my image has very odd features, and appears to be holding multiple books. And, while there’s an initial thrill at seeing an image appear, there’s no creative satisfaction.
AI image generation could influence everything from film to graphic novels and more. Children’s illustrators were quick to raise concerns about the technology. They say AI-generated art is the exact opposite of what art is believed to be. Fundamentally, art is all about translating something that you feel internally into something that exists externally. Whatever form it takes, true art is about the creative process much more than it’s about the final piece. And simply pressing a button to generate an image is not a creative process.
Beyond creativity, there are deeper issues. To create images from prompts, AI generators rely on databases of already existing art and text. This could lead to the creation of images that are intentionally meant to imitate the style of other artists, without their agreement. There is an argument that AI generators work no differently to humans when it comes to being influenced by others’ work. However, a human artist is also adding emotion and nuance (细微差别) into the mix. AI doesn’t do the same — it can only copy.
The increasing use of AI will also lead to a devaluing (贬低) of the work of artists. There’s already a negative prejudice towards the creative industry. People will begin to think that their “work” is as excellent as that created by someone who has spent a career making art. It’s nonsense, of course. You can use your mobile phone to take a nice picture of your daughter, but you are no match for professionals.
1. What does the writer think of his image creation?| A．Exciting. | B．Appealing |
| C．Unsatisfying. | D．Shocking. |
| A．The creating process. | B．The final work. |
| C．Personal feelings. | D．External forms. |
| A．The styles of human artworks and AI ones. |
| B．Human artists’ influence on AI generators. |
| C．Different means used in human and AI art creation. |
| D．The drawbacks of drawing from existing art and text. |
| A．Art is the mirror of life. | B．Rome is not built in a day. |
| C．No man can do two things at once. | D．Don’t judge a book by its cover. |
3 . Blue-light-filtering glasses (滤蓝光眼镜) have become an increasingly popular solution for protecting our eyes from electronic screens’ near-inescapable glow — light that is commonly associated with eyestrain (眼疲劳). In recent years they’ve even become fashion statements that are recognized by celebrities and ranked in style guides. But a recent review paper shows such glasses might not be as effective as people think.
The paper, published last week in Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, analyzed data from previous trials that studied how blue-light-filtering glasses affect vision tiredness and eye health. The study’s authors found that wearing blue-light-filtering glasses does not reduce the eyestrain people feel after using computers.
“It’s an excellent review,” says Mark Rosenfield, a professor at the State University of New York College of Optometry, who was not involved in the study. “The conclusions are no surprise at all. There have been a number of studies that have found exactly the same thing, that there’s just no evidence that blue-blocking glasses have any effect on eyestrain.” He adds that the new review reinforces the fact that there is virtually no evidence that blue-blocking glasses affect eyestrain despite them being specifically marketed for that purpose. As for using blue-light-filtering eyeglasses for eye health, for now, Rosenfield says, “there’s nothing to support people buying them”.
The strain we may feel while staring at our phone or computer screen too long is likely to be caused by multiple factors, such as bad habits or underlying conditions, an associate professor of vision science at the University of Melbourne, Downie says. She argues that how we interact with digital devices contributes more to eyestrain than screens’ blue light does. Changing the frequency and duration of screen usage and distancing one’s eyes from the screens might be more important in reducing discomfort, Downie says. She adds that people who experience eyestrain should see a doctor to assess whether they have an underlying health issue such as far-sightedness or dry eye disease.
1. What can we know about blue-light-filtering glasses from the text?| A．They can improve eyesight. | B．They may not reduce eyestrain. |
| C．They can promote eye health. | D．They can help to cure eye diseases. |
| A．A great many professors were involved in the study. |
| B．Blue-blocking glasses on the market are harmful to eyes. |
| C．The finding of the study comes as a surprise to the public. |
| D．Data from previous trials help the study a lot. |
| A．Denies. | B．Opposes. | C．Strengthens. | D．Evaluates. |
| A．Wear blue-light-filtering glasses. | B．Have an examination in the hospital. |
| C．Stop staring at the screen for ever. | D．Focus on the frequency of phone usage. |
1. What does the woman intend to do?
| A．Develop some photos. | B．Get photos digitized. | C．Beautify the photos. |
| A．$300. | B．$240. | C．$150. |
| A．It is stronger. | B．It is cheaper. | C．It is lighter. |
| A．In a photo studio. | B．In a post office. | C．In an advertising company. |
5 . When Jean-Philippe Michel, a career coach, works with secondary school students, he doesn’t use the word “profession”. Rather than encouraging his young clients to choose a profession, say, architect or engineer, he works backwards from the skills that each student wants to acquire.
Deciding the skills you want to use leads to a career that’s more targeted — and thus more likely to bring you satisfaction. “They need to shift from thinking about jobs and careers to thinking about challenges and problems,” Michel says.
“The purpose is to help teenagers plan for a “portfolio career”, which is made up of numerous micro-jobs and will be better received in the next decade, ”says Michel. “Instead of identifying your job role or description, you will be constantly adding skills based on what is going to make you more employable,” says Jeanne Meister.co-author of The Future Workplace Experience.
More traditional companies are offering various project opportunities to their own employees. Workers are encouraged to choose their next projects based on their skills, or skills they want to develop, which can mean working in different parts of the company. For companies, the payoff for experimenting with internal project-based opportunities means workers are less likely to jump from one company to the next. Micro-jobs can inspire a sense of belonging and autonomy within a company, which in turn might keep staff from job-hopping (跳槽) to the competition
“But when it comes to building a long-term career, there are disadvantages to creating a portfolio of work,” say experts. If you constantly hop from one project to the next, the change can be jarring and leave you without a clear path to success. “With fewer promotions and changes to job titles, it can be more difficult to feel like you’re succeeding even if you’re regularly completing projects,” says career coach Michel.
Of course, it can take companies years to change from traditional mentality to what boosts professional growth.
1. Why does Michel avoid using the word “profession” with his students?| A．To help them realize what they want to be. |
| B．To encourage them to choose a dream job. |
| C．To enable them to master survival skills. |
| D．To guide them to focus more on challenges |
| A．It will make them more popular with colleagues. |
| B．It will equip them with more competitive skills. |
| C．It will discourage them from switching jobs. |
D, It will help them enjoy a stable working state.
3. What does the underlined word “‘jarring” in paragraph 6 mean?| A．Unpleasant. | B．Significant. | C．Permanent. | D．Unavoidable. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Objective. | C．Doubtful. | D．Intolerant. |
The snowstorm was supposed to hit the evening of Monday, Jan. 31, 2022. I was working from home, but I had to leave that afternoon and go to my office at First Nations University in Regina, Saskatchewan, so I could sign an emergency financial aid check for a student. As director of finance, I wanted to get it to him as soon as possible, snowstorm or not. Besides, I wasn’t worried. I figured I had more than enough time to make it to the office and get back home.
The route to the university takes about 30 minutes along the Trans-Canada Highway. After I finished my work, it was just past 4:30 p. m. I started heading back home.
Not soon after I left office, the snow started and it was coming down fast. Within minutes I was in a whiteout. The storm was a “snownado,” or what the TV meteorologists call a Saskatchewan screamer, because it comes in fast and so windy that it screams.
The road condition was horrible, forcing me to slow down. The windows were fogging up and getting covered with snow, so I rolled down my driver’s side window, thinking I could better follow the edge of the road and keep to a straight line. But really, I didn’t have a clue where I was or even which side of the road I was on. At one point, I don’t know exactly when, I stopped because I was afraid of driving into a farmer’s field. The Trans-Canada Highway was in between two farms, each 500 yards away, I remember. I kept the car running to stay warm and called 911. They told me to sit tight and wait things out for the night, saying nobody was coming to get me until morning, at the earliest. It was now 6:30 p.m., I had to do something for help.
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。
I posted my situation onto my Facebook (网络社交工具), hoping anyone might read it and help.
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“I can’t drive,” the old farmer replied, “I walked here after my son phoned me about everything.”
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We moved to our new place, and everything was new and unfamiliar. I didn’t have new friends, so most of the time when I was free at home, I stayed with Socky, my cat and friend. One morning in winter, it was very cold outside and people mainly stayed indoors to keep warm. Before going off to my high school in Ouyen, Victoria, I called our pregnant(怀孕的) cat to be fed, but she didn’t come. I thought she’d probably found somewhere to have her kittens and would turn up later. But she didn’t.
When Socky still didn’t come at dinnertime, I anxiously asked my mum, “Where is Socky?” But she didn’t know either. The next day, Socky still didn’t appear and I really started to worry. Socky had kept me company for years, and she was just like my family member.
Socky had given birth to some lovely kittens before. She had a habit of having her kittens in strange places, so first I checked all her hidey-holes where she used to stay but she wasn’t in any of them. I became extremely anxious. What could have happened? “Where are you, dear Socky?” Having waited for hours again, I couldn’t sit still. The next day was Saturday and I had the whole day to search for her. Thinking over all the possible places where she could shelter herself, I rechecked under the house, then in the garage under and behind old books, every place I could think of, but still no Socky.
After lunch I took some food scraps(剩饭) with me in case I found her, then began searching the back shed, which was huge and filled with cardboard boxes full of junk and empty tea-chests(茶叶箱). After about an hour of moving cardboard boxes from one place to another and back again, I was tired out. I sat down on an upturned tea-chest to have a rest when I heard faint mewing(喵). I put my head up against each of the tea-chests, pressing my ear against the plywood(夹板) so I could catch the faint sounds. I had to move each one carefully before I could look inside.
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。
Finally, I found Socky and her three tiny kittens.
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Socky was very pleased to see me and purred(发出呼噜声) as loudly as she could.
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1．介绍丝绸；
2．说明流行的原因。
注意：
1．写作词数应为80左右；
2．请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Dear Jenny,
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Looking forward to your reply.
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
9 . All the Beauty in the World, Patrick Bringley’s memoir (回忆录) about his 10 years working as a guard at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met), brings new meaning to the term “art appreciation”.
Bringley is not the only Met staffer to write about the institution. But Bringley’s “guard’s-eye view” is unique, and he presents his personal story with sincerity. After his brother Tom’s death in 2008, Bringley gave up his job as a journalist for a job in which “I was happy to be going nowhere”. He explains, “I had lost someone. I did not wish to move on from that. In a sense, I didn’t wish to move at all.”
All the Beauty in the World offers well-chosen facts about the museum to support Bringley’s personal tale. The Met opened in 1880 and has since expanded to more than 2.5 million square feet — “the size of about 3,000 average New York apartments”. The “salmon run (鲑鱼回游) of visitors” that goes up the Grand Staircase every morning when the museum opens adds up to a crowd of nearly 7 million visitors a year.
As interesting as these facts are, it’s Bringley’s reflections on dozens of individual paintings, photographs, sculptures and ancient artifacts that turn this book into a tribute (致敬) to the power of art. I think that “sometimes we need permission to stop and adore things, and a work of art gives us that”. In a Vermeer portrait (肖像) of a dozing maidservant, he is moved to see that the artist captured “that feeling we sometimes have that a private setting possesses a holiness (神圣) of its own. It was my constant feeling in Tom’s hospital room.”
As rich in moving insights as the Met is in treasures, All the Beauty in the World reminds us of the importance of learning not “about art, but from it” and finding peace into art. This is art appreciation at a deep level.
1. What sets All the Beauty in the World apart from other books written by Met staffers?| A．The author’s unique writing perspective. | B．The author’s opinions on artworks. |
| C．Its focus on historical facts and truth. | D．Its detailed introduction to the paintings. |
| A．His hobby from childhood. | B．His failure as a journalist. |
| C．Loss of his beloved brother. | D．His ambition of being great. |
| A．By interviewing retired staff members. |
| B．By relating museum facts to his personal life. |
| C．By recording the number of daily visitors yearly. |
| D．By researching the background of each masterpiece. |
| A．Finding Peace in Art | B．Reflecting on Life with Art |
| C．Little-known Facts about the Met | D．Inner Worlds of the Famous Artists |
Katie was happily jumping rope on the grass in front of her house facing the expansive city park just across the road. The neighborhood residents often enjoyed walking around the lake in the park, and on this pleasant day, with the sun casting its warm light, Katie spent the unhurried moments devoted to her jumping routine.
Her thoughts were focused on her jumping: how to match the spinning of the jump rope in her hands and the jumping of her feet so that they didn’t get mixed, causing her to trip. When her mind and muscles were working together, and when every move flowed smoothly, all of it felt pretty good in the afternoon sunshine. While jumping, she remembered that her grandmother had given her the jump rope for Christmas. She knew that her grandmother didn’t have a lot of money and had to save up to buy the jump rope for her. Before Christmas, her grandmother had taken her to some toy shops to look at different things, hoping to find out what Katie wanted. When Katie finally got the gift, it was not just a jump rope but the very jump rope she had wanted for a long time. She felt especially loved by her considerate grandmother.
The warmth of the afternoon sun enhanced the joy Katie felt as she skipped along. Suddenly a boy rushed across the road to her. Without any warning he robbed her of her jump rope, shouting, “Give me that” and raced back across the road towards the park.
Empty-handed, Katie was left in confusion. It took her a while to recover from the shock. When she came to her senses and realized the theft of her grandma’s gift, tear swelled up. A wave of anger and disappointment swept over her. But in that moment of upset, something unusual in the park captured her attention.
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。
Following the boy quickly, she spotted a group of kids crying anxiously by the lake.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________After making sure the drowning girl was okay, the boy walked up to Katie with the jump rope.
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