1 . During the initial stages of instructed L2 (the second language) acquisition students learn a couple thousand, mainly high frequency words. Functional language proficiency, however, _______mastery of a considerably large number of words. It is therefore _______ at the intermediate and advanced stages of language acquisition to learn a large vocabulary in a short period of time. There is not enough time to _______the natural (largely incidental) L1 (the first language) word acquisition process. Incidental acquisition of the words is only possible up to a point, _______, on account of their low frequency, they do not _______often enough in the L2 learning material.

Acquisition of new words from authentic L2 reading texts by means of strategies such as contextual deduction (演绎) is also not a _______for a number of reasons. There appears to be no _______to intentional learning of a great many new words in a relatively short period of time. The words to be learned may be _______in isolation or in context. Presentation in bilingual (双语的) word lists seems an _______shortcut because it takes less time than contextual presentation and yields excellent short term results. Long term memory, ________, is often disappointing so contextual presentation seems advisable.

Any suggestions on how to use this in educational contexts should be based on a systematic ________ of the two most important aspects of the L2 word learning problem, this is to say,   selecting the relevant vocabulary (which and how many words) and creating the best conditions for the acquisition process. This article sets out to ________a computer assisted word acquisition programme (CAVOCA) which tries to do exactly this: the programme operationalises current theoretical thinking about word acquisition, and its ________ are based on a systematic list of the vocabulary relevant for the target group. To ________its frequency, the programme was ________ in a number of experimental settings with a paired associated method of learning new words. The experimental results suggest that an approach combining the two methods is most advisable.

1.

A．inquires

B．requires

C．receives

D．inspires

2.

A．difficult

B．easy

C．possible

D．necessary

3.

A．copy

B．focus

C．find

D．clean

4.

A．however

B．moreover

C．because

D．nevertheless

5.

A．disturb

B．seem

C．occur

D．disappear

6.

A．solution

B．approach

C．problem

D．wonder

7.

A．official

B．annual

C．objective

D．alternative

8.

A．predicted

B．presented

C．postponed

D．preferred

9.

A．available

B．outstanding

C．attractive

D．evident

10.

A．by means of

B．moreover

C．in spite of

D．however

11.

A．focus

B．analysis

C．object

D．target

12.

A．describe

B．grasp

C．link

D．force

13.

A．conclusions

B．appointments

C．aspects

D．contents

14.

A．react

B．establish

C．memorize

D．leave

15.

A．enhanced

B．invented

C．contrasted

D．behaved

2 . Background noise—like the chatter in a coffee shop or the drone of passing traffic—might slow our reading speed, but according to a study of Russian readers, it doesn’t _________ how our brain understands written text.

_________, if you’re wondering whether you should be listening to podcasts or music while working, the study has some interesting points to make. In particular, it examined how we might change our reading style to compensate for auditory noise and visual distractions such as typos or poor formatting.

“Overall, previous studies reported a harmful effect of both auditory and visual noise on reading fluency and _________, though their results varied,” write linguistics researcher Nina Zdorova and colleagues. “So far, none of the studies exploring the influence of noise _________ it in the framework of the language processing theories.”

One of the language processing theories examined was the noisy channel model, which proposes that our brain deals with noise by looking at the meaning of _________ words more and at entire sentences less. We then use a bit of smart guesswork to _________ the overall meaning and relationships between words.

The second theory is the good enough model; that’s when our brains aren’t analyzing every single detail of a text but instead only grabbing enough words for a ‘good enough’ understanding. By focusing less on the precise words, our brains can _________ some cognitive resources to deal with noise.

To see how reading was affected by noise _________ these models, the researchers ran two experiments: one on auditory noise (71 participants) and one on visual noise (70 participants). When it came to the auditory noise test, background chatter from overlapping podcasts caused people to spend longer looking at the key section of sentences before completing their reading. This extra time could _________ the noise, meaning sentence comprehension isn’t affected by it. In the visual noise test, comprehension remained the same while reading speed __________. That’s a bit __________ considering previous studies, but the researchers think people just wanted to finish the task, with the visual noise an uncomfortable distraction.

“In both experiments, we observed that longer total reading time was __________ with an accuracy increase for incorrect sentences,” write the researchers.

There’s a lot going on in this study, but overall it’s a bigger win for the good-enough language processing theory and an indication that auditory and visual noise doesn’t make us __________ any more or less on any particular comprehension method while we’re reading.

With so many variables to measure in terms of what’s being read and what the __________ noise is, further study is required to learn more. __________ potential distractions may not interrupt your reading as much as you think.

1.

A．reinforce

B．estimate

C．affect

D．interpret

2.

A．First of all

B．For example

C．Above all

D．To start with

3.

A．context

B．efficiency

C．comprehension

D．device

4.

A．evaluated

B．identified

C．established

D．employed

5.

A．individual

B．different

C．new

D．unfamiliar

6.

A．confirm

B．imply

C．refer

D．infer

7.

A．exploit

B．spare

C．commit

D．consume

8.

A．on account of

B．regardless of

C．in regard to

D．in contrast to

9.

A．make up for

B．live up to

C．catch up with

D．put up with

10.

A．declined

B．shrank

C．expanded

D．increased

11.

A．embarrassing

B．depressing

C．puzzling

D．annoying

12.

A．associated

B．compared

C．replaced

D．mixed

13.

A．take

B．set

C．rely

D．base

14.

A．accompanying

B．strange

C．deafening

D．distant

15.

A．Therefore

B．However

C．Instead

D．Otherwise

3 . History has not yet _______ what we will definitively call the postmillennial cohort (2000年后出生的人) that now _______ more than 60 million people in the U.S. These kids and _______ with no concept of life _______ the Internet have so far been called the App Generation and Generation Z. They’ve been referred to as Homelanders, having grown up under the ghost of terorism. They’ve also been _______ the Plurals, for their historic diversity, as well as the Founders, at least by MTV.

Whatever we _______ naming them, marketers and academies are turning their attention to this group, which has billions in _______ and is already shaping the culture. This generation is growing up “totally and utterly connected,” says California State University psychologist Larry Rosen. Experts like Rosen have concerns about these kids’ Google-inspired expectations that everything be _______. They worry about their inability to _______ even five seconds of boredom. And they worry about the demands that come with ________ several identities online, from Facebook to Twitter to Snapchat. “There’s so much pressure on young people, who are still ________ their identities, to present this crystallized, idealized identity online,” says the University of Washington’s Katie Davis.

Historian Neil Howe sees ________ with the Silent Generation, the spoilt, risk-avoiding, “nice” generation of kids who grew up during the Great Depression and World War II, although some marked differences are found. Today’s youths are also coming of age among geopolitical trouble and fears about the economy, he says, ________ schools emphasize an intense far-reaching sensitivity to other kids. He suspects this ________ will be known for being well behaved and perhaps boring the culture by playing it safe. “There are typical examples that occur repeatedly,” Howe says, “even if they go by different ________.”

1.

A．remarked

B．convinced

C．guaranteed

D．revealed

2.

A．numbers

B．houses

C．accommodates

D．contains

3.

A．peers

B．adolescents

C．folks

D．guys

4.

A．over

B．without

C．besides

D．beyond

5.

A．diagnosed

B．dismissed

C．labeled

D．coined

6.

A．end up

B．consider about

C．appeal for

D．approve of

7.

A．distribution force

B．purchasing power

C．global view

D．unique outlooks

8.

A．vivid

B．instructive

C．instant

D．profitable

9.

A．feed up with

B．put up with

C．make up for

D．identify with

10.

A．faking

B．revising

C．illustrating

D．maintaining

11.

A．supervising

B．forming

C．representing

D．promoting

12.

A．parallels

B．contrasts

C．comparisons

D．reservations

13.

A．because

B．although

C．while

D．when

14.

A．emphasis

B．generation

C．intensity

D．cultivation

15.

A．routes

B．schemes

C．names

D．definitions

4 . If at first you don’t succeed, as the old saying goes, try, try again. Good advice, up to a point. But let me offer a _________: even when you do succeed, try, try again. Tempting as it is to declare victory and move on, in many endeavors there is much to be said for rethinking an apparently satisfactory formula.

Consider the advice for job interviews in Talent, a new book by economist Tyler Cowen and venture capitalist Daniel Gross. They suggest asking a(n) _________ question, such as “give me an example of when you resolved a difficult challenge at work.” Then ask for another example. And another. The pat answers will be _________ quickly, and the candidate will have to start improvising, digging deep — or perhaps admit to being stumped.

Indeed, one way to describe this tactic is that the interviewer is asking for answers in _________ rather than for answers in series. Instead of stringing together a logical sequence of 17 questions, the interviewer is asking for 17 different answers to the same question.

While that approach is _________ in job interviews, it is common practice among designers. They often produce several _________ attempts to meet a given brief, rather than immediately focusing on what seems to be the best idea. In doing so, the designers force themselves to _________ the full range of possibilities, to avoid the risk of committing too early to a concept that seems attractive but may _________ be a dead end.

A striking example of parallel design is the creation of the Windows 95 startup sound. Microsoft was looking for an opportunity to _________ the audio capabilities of the computers of the day, so it is commissioned the famed music producer Brian Eno to do so.

Eno recalls receiving a brief, asking for music that was “inspirational, sexy, driving, provocative, nostalgic... there were about 150 __________. And then at the bottom it said, ‘and not more than 3.8 seconds long’”.

Eno describes himself as being “completely bereft of ideas” at the time. He found the brief both hilarious and inspiring. In the end he __________ more than 80 tiny pieces of music. The final result was a musical signature that has stood the test of time and was one that helped to creatively liberate Eno. “It really __________ a logjam in my own work,” he told The San Francisco Chronicle.

Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, in their delightful book Designing Your Life, suggest an exercise in which you sketch out a vision for the next five years of your life. What will you be doing? Where will you live and with whom? Are you hoping to run a marathon? Start a business? Write a novel?

This is often a straightforward act of __________, but what makes the exercise excruciating is what comes next: Burnett and Evans ask you to do it again, only this time, you’re to write an entirely different projection — the idea at the heart of the plan is one that is completely forbidden: Forcing yourself to go back to the __________ board, not only a second, but a third time.

I’ve tried this myself and seen others try it. People squirm. They protest. Sometimes they cry. And then, sooner or later, the ideas start pouring out.

We all contain __________. But we don’t always let them see the light of day. Perhaps we should try producing answers in parallel more often. Even when you do succeed, try, try again.

1.

A．suggestion

B．promotion

C．recommendation

D．modification

2.

A．routine

B．academic

C．personal

D．controversial

3.

A．presented

B．exhausted

C．challenged

D．accepted

4.

A．style

B．parallel

C．detail

D．privacy

5.

A．fundamental

B．flexible

C．unconventional

D．practical

6.

A．distinct

B．determined

C．deliberate

D．vain

7.

A．dismiss

B．restrict

C．explore

D．overlook

8.

A．inevitably

B．accidentally

C．theoretically

D．eventually

9.

A．scale up

B．figure out

C．experiment on

D．show off

10.

A．adjectives

B．statements

C．variables

D．copyrights

11.

A．purchased

B．composed

C．performed

D．appreciated

12.

A．exhibited

B．created

C．broke

D．underestimated

13.

A．aggressiveness

B．imagination

C．wisdom

D．will

14.

A．dart

B．score

C．drawing

D．notice

15.

A．emotions

B．ambitions

C．desires

D．multitudes

6 . ‘Small Data’ Are Also Crucial for Machine Learning

Many people relate “artificial intelligence” with “big data.” There’s a reason for that: some of the most prominent AI breakthroughs in the past decade have relied on enormous data sets. Image _________ made great progress in the 2010s thanks to the development of ImageNet, a data set containing millions of images hand sorted into thousands of categories. More recently, GPT-3, a language model, was trained on _________ online texts to produce humanlike text in Jan, 2021. So it is not surprising to see AI being tightly connected with “big data” in the _________ imagination. But AI is not only about large data sets, and research in “small data” approaches has grown extensively over the past decade. The so-called transfer learning serves as an especially _________ example.

Also known as “fine-tuning,” transfer learning is helpful in settings where you have _________ data on the task of interest but abundant data on a related problem. You need to first train a model using a big data set and then retrain slightly using a smaller one related to your _________ problem. A research team working on German-language speech recognition, _________, showed that they could improve their results by starting with an English-language speech model trained on a larger data set. Then, they used transfer learning to _________ that model for a smaller data set of German-language audio.

Small data approaches such as transfer learning are more _________ than more data-intensive methods. They can promote progress in areas where little or no data exist, such as in forecasting natural hazards that occur relatively __________. In this context, small data approaches will become increasingly important as more organizations look to diversify AI application areas and invest in previously __________ fields.

Despite the progress in research, transfer learning has received relatively little __________. While many machine learning experts are likely familiar with it at this point, the existence of techniques such as transfer learning does not seem to have reached the awareness of the broader space of policymakers in positions of making important decisions about AI funding and __________.

As long as the success of small data technique like transfer learning is __________, resources can be allocated to support their widespread use. In that case, we can help correct the popular __________ regarding the role of data in AI and foster innovation in new directions.

1.

A．standard

B．classification

C．quality

D．acquisition

2.

A．written

B．limited

C．spoken

D．abundant

3.

A．moral

B．visual

C．literary

D．popular

4.

A．complicated

B．interesting

C．promising

D．distinguished

5.

A．extra

B．different

C．available

D．few

6.

A．personal

B．specific

C．technical

D．potential

7.

A．in addition

B．or rather

C．in particular

D．for example

8.

A．adjust

B．invent

C．follow

D．check

9.

A．definite

B．advantageous

C．complex

D．precise

10.

A．remotely

B．severely

C．ultimately

D．rarely

11.

A．underexplored

B．underestimated

C．underpopulated

D．underqualified

12.

A．guidance

B．respect

C．supervision

D．visibility

13.

A．publication

B．adoption

C．tracking

D．polishing

14.

A．celebrated

B．evaluated

C．recognized

D．diversified

15.

A．challenge

B．concern

C．fear

D．misunderstanding

7 . Group-Centered Societies Have Just as Much Creativity

What does culture have to do with creativity? The answer could be “a lot”. For decades, psychologists trying to understand the roots of creative imaginations have looked at the ways in which two different types of cultures can come to have an effect over its artistic and _________ output. Individualistic cultures encourage people to be unique and to _________ their own interests even if doing so comes at a cost to the group overall. Collectivistic cultures are based on relationships and duties to other people. These types of cultures often _________ the individual’s wants for the needs of those who are close to them or for those in their community.

Individualism has long been thought to have a creative _________. Individualists _________ social convention, the logic goes, and that pushback supports innovation. For instance, around the world, individualistic cultures have more patents than collectivistic cultures do. _________, a new study suggests that these ideas about culture and creativity could be off base. People in collectivistic cultures actually do better with a particular type of creative thinking than those in individualistic cultures. And the findings overall reveal the shortcomings of thinking about innovation too _________.

The new work comes from comparing communities in different parts of China. Though it scores high, as a nation, on measures of cultural _________, China’s 1.4 billion people are more than just a single culture. People from areas north of the Yangtze River tend to be more _________, open to strangers and self-confident, whereas people along the river and farther south are often more inter-dependent, partial to friends over strangers and likely to try harder to __________.

In the new creativity study, researchers investigated innovation with these two groups in mind. The team used a drawing test that had been created by psychologists. They gave kids a sheet of paper with just a few basic elements printed on it: some dots here, squiggles (弯曲的线条) there, and a rectangle that suggested a drawing frame. The children got 15 minutes to use the elements already on the page to draw whatever they wanted. They could get “adaptive creativity” points for doodling in ways that connected the squiggles and lines into an original and __________ image. In addition, a judge checked whether the children chose to incorporate a small shape that could be found just outside the rectangular. This element was easy to __________, so those who included this outside-the-box detail could get points for “boundary-breaking creativity.”

The researchers gave the test to 683 middle school students from north and south of the Yangtze River. When the scientists got the scores back, they discovered that there were no differences in the children’s overall creativity. When they broke down the results into components, they found that students from collectivistic regions scored __________ in adaptive creativity while those from individualistic areas did better in boundary-breaking creativity.

The findings are also a warning against cultural chauvinism (极端民族主义). Western countries have tended to lead the way in innovation — at least as defined by the metrics (指标) we Westerners have created. Perhaps we have been __________ China’s adaptive creativity. For example, while the country may not have invented the assembly line, it is largely thanks to the __________ its people have made to this system that the country has such a thriving manufacturing sector today.

1.

A．theoretical

B．inventive

C．productive

D．regular

2.

A．prioritize

B．deprive

C．tolerate

D．abandon

3.

A．satisfy

B．stimulate

C．cherish

D．sacrifice

4.

A．shelter

B．edge

C．border

D．alternative

5.

A．embrace

B．propose

C．resist

D．create

6.

A．However

B．Therefore

C．Meanwhile

D．Moreover

7.

A．broadly

B．objectively

C．seriously

D．narrowly

8.

A．individualism

B．identity

C．collectivism

D．flexibility

9.

A．selfish

B．collective

C．individualistic

D．realistic

10.

A．fall apart

B．fit in

C．give in

D．show off

11.

A．separate

B．ugly

C．unified

D．tiny

12.

A．catch

B．miss

C．target

D．misuse

13.

A．higher

B．averagely

C．lower

D．vaguely

14.

A．capturing

B．approaching

C．imitating

D．overlooking

15.

A．improvements

B．drawbacks

C．insights

D．attempts

8 . Technology is connecting us in ways never seen before in human history. How will that change our societies, our relationships, ourselves?

That’s the question that ________ Michael Wesch. The last time communications technology had such a wide-ranging impact was 500 years ago with the invention of the printing press. Being able to print texts instead of writing them by hand ________ the world. It changed the way people could communicate with each other. Suddenly, multiple copies of books could be made quickly and easily. As more books became ________, ideas spread much more rapidly. But what will be the impact of digital technology, the most powerful ________ tool we have ever seen?

Michael Wesch argues that communication is ________ to our relationships, so it follows that a change in the way we communicate will change those relationships. Wesch, a university professor, explores digital communication in his work. ________, Wesch and his students look at social networking and other interactive Internet tools like YouTube. When people create and share personal videos on YouTube, anyone anywhere can watch them. Wesch says that this ________ some people feeling a sort of deep connection with the entire world. But it’s not a ________ relationship; it’s not the same as the connection you feel with a member of your family. In fact, as Wesch says, it’s a relationship without any real ________ that you can turn off at any moment. So does it make sense to talk about a YouTube “community”?

Wesch himself ________ the impact of digital media when he created and posted his own short video on YouTube. It attracted immediate attention and has been viewed millions of times. In his video, he tells us that webpages get 100 billion hits a day and that a new blog is started every half second. He asks us to ________ the power of this technology and how we use it. What could we do with it? What is its potential?

________ the university, in the real world, Wesch believes it’s crucial for people to be able to use the new environment of digital media for the greatest possible impact. “It’s the ________ of our times that we are now so connected we fail to see it. I want to believe that technology can help us see relationships and global connections in ________ new ways. It’s pretty amazing that I have this little box sitting on my desk through which I can talk to any one of a billion people. And yet do any of us really ________ all the potential that’s there?

1.

A．awakens

B．interests

C．dominates

D．terrifies

2.

A．separated

B．oppressed

C．overestimated

D．transformed

3.

A．outdated

B．original

C．cheap

D．available

4.

A．connecting

B．designing

C．printing

D．copying

5.

A．opposed

B．attached

C．possible

D．fundamental

6.

A．In addition

B．In particular

C．In summary

D．In detail

7.

A．leads to

B．sorts out

C．takes down

D．makes for

8.

A．healthy

B．virtual

C．real

D．working

9.

A．choice

B．reference

C．responsibility

D．downside

10.

A．experienced

B．avoided

C．underrated

D．disliked

11.

A．turn to

B．think about

C．make up

D．set aside

12.

A．Outside

B．Opposite

C．Against

D．Inside

13.

A．debate

B．end

C．tragedy

D．achievement

14.

A．pointless

B．positive

C．personal

D．peaceful

15.

A．damage

B．affect

C．use

D．forget

10 . Brazil’s election offers hope for the rainforest

A presidential election in 2022 will offer a chance for Brazil’s government to reverse policies that have________to global climate change. The country is home to 60% of the Amazon rainforest, which has historically been an important carbon________. But a worrying study published in 2021 in Nature found that over the past decade it has________become a carbon source. The culprits: forest fires and deforestation, which has soared by more than 40% since President Jair Bolsonaro________in 2019.

On his watch, environmental enforcement and fines dropped to record lows. Activists say this has encouraged________logging, mining, and land-grabbing. In June the environment minister, Ricardo Salles, resigned after federal police began investigating him for alleged________in timber trafficking.

A greener president would try to crack down on such crimes. Polls________that Mr Bolsonaro is likely to lose the election. His successor could convince Germany and Norway to unfreeze the Amazon Fund, a pot of money for enforcement and________development that was withdrawn in 2019 amid concerns about Mr Bolsonaro’s policies. A new president could also revive talks with President Joe Biden, who has offered to________a $20bn fund for the rainforest once Brazil starts showing results.

But even an enlightened president will have to battle a________Congress, which is considering a number of laws that threaten the rainforest and its inhabitants. These include a land-regularisation bill nicknamed the “land-grabbing law” and a bill that would________wildcat mining on indigenous territories. In August thousands of indigenous people camped out in the capital as the supreme court debated a case that would restrict their territories to land that was________when a new constitution was passed in 1988. The court postponed its________, but Congress is considering a law that would have the________effect.

Better leadership in Brazil could jump-start regional efforts to boost enforcement and find sustainable________to deforestation for the rainforest’s inhabitants. But if Mr Bolsonaro wins again, his determination to fill the forest with roads, dams and mines could cause destruction far beyond the borders of Brazil.

1.

A．referred

B．contributed

C．amounted

D．related

2.

A．footprint

B．sink

C．source

D．emission

3.

A．indeed

B．instead

C．accidentally

D．otherwise

4.

A．stepped down

B．took office

C．claimed precedence

D．kept watch

5.

A．seasonal

B．selective

C．illegal

D．professional

6.

A．involvement

B．attachment

C．limitation

D．existence

7.

A．advise

B．advocate

C．suggest

D．represent

8.

A．sustainable

B．economic

C．rapid

D．rural

9.

A．claim

B．manage

C．create

D．borrow

10.

A．farmer-friendly

B．warm-blooded

C．pressure-free

D．profit-making

11.

A．realise

B．normalize

C．publicise

D．legalise

12.

A．sold

B．explored

C．cleared

D．occupied

13.

A．election

B．argument

C．appeal

D．decision

14.

A．main

B．varied

C．final

D．same

15.

A．replacements

B．transitions

C．alternatives

D．references