1 . If you’re someone who has been worrying about the rise of the robots—hold on there just a second, and let them help you impress your friends with some newfound skills in a foreign language. Using artificial intelligence (AI) to help us learn and improve those skills is not new—some of the online language tools we turn to every day are powered by AI.
But as new technologies flood into the market, now is a great time to take advantage of the tech. And according to experts, these tools aren’t replacing teachers—they’re making their lives easier. One of the things that stops some of us from practicing speaking in a new language is a lack of self-confidence. AI can help—chatbots don’t judge you. Of course, teachers don’t either, but for some people, communicating with a bot may erase that fear of failure or shyness.
The latest chatbots use something called natural language processing that allows them to understand human speech or writing, providing a human-like response right away. While chatbots are extremely useful for learners working individually, teachers can also offer course material and ask an AI system to produce personalized textbooks for groups of students. The AI can also provide feedback (反馈) in seconds—gone are the days of waiting a week for work to be graded.
Past online language tools and games were able to tell you when you were wrong, but they weren’t always able to explain why. Now, not only has that changed, but the explanations are detailed and immediate. But this is not to underestimate the role of the teacher, who can use the technology to help learn more about the strengths and shortcomings of their students and personalize their teaching.
So, if you want to impress your friends with your perfect speech, don’t be afraid of AI. Just think of it as a useful tool for both teachers and language learners, which will give you more time and space to enjoy learning something new!
1. What is the main idea of the article?| A．The dangers of Al-robots. |
| B．The history of online language tools. |
| C．The benefits of AI in language learning. |
| D．The role of teachers in the modern classroom. |
| A．Because bots grade work faster. |
| B．Because bots provide textbooks. |
| C．Because bots are more knowledgeable. |
| D．Because bots may remove the fear of failure or shyness. |
| A．It saves time for teachers. | B．It reduces the cost of education. |
| C．It meets individual students’ needs. | D．It provides detailed lesson plans. |
| A．weakness. | B．awareness. | C．witness. | D．darkness. |
2 . Students who are better able to understand and manage their emotions effectively, a skill known as emotional intelligence (EI), do better at school than their less-skilled classmates, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
“It’s not enough to be smart and hardworking. Students must also be able to understand and manage their emotions to succeed at school,” said Carolyn MacCann, lead author of the study. MacCann and her colleagues analyzed data from more than 160 studies, representing more than 42,000 students from 27 countries, published between 1998 and 2019. The students ranged in age from primary school to college. The researchers found that students with higher EI tended to get higher grades and better achievement test scores than those with lower EI scores. This finding held true even when controlling for intelligence and personality factors. What was most surprising to the researchers was the association held despite different ages.
As for why EI can affect academic performance, MacCann believes a number of factors may come into play. “Students with higher EI may be better able to manage negative emotions, such as anxiety, boredom and disappointment, which can negatively affect academic performance,” she said. “Also, these students may be better able to manage the social world around them, forming better relationships with teachers, classmates and family, all of which are important to academic success.” Finally, the skills required for EI, such as understanding human motivation and emotion, may overlap with (与……重叠) the skills required to master certain subjects, such as history and language, giving students an advantage in those subject areas, according to MacCann.
However, MacCann cautions against widespread testing of students to identify and target those with low EI as it may stigmatize (给……打上烙印) those students. Instead, she recommends interventions that involve the whole school, including additional teacher training and a focus on teacher well-being and emotional skills. “Programs that integrate emotional skill development into the existing curriculum would be beneficial, as research suggests that training works better when run by teachers rather than external professionals,” she said. “Increasing skills for everyone not just those with low EI would benefit everyone.”
1. What can we learn from MacCann’s study?| A．Only students in middle school and high school participated in it. |
| B．EI had an effect on learning for students of all ages. |
| C．Students with lower EI tended to get higher grades. |
| D．EI is also influenced by intelligence and personality factors. |
| A．High-EI students are capable of controlling negative emotions. |
| B．High-EI students are more likely to develop social relationships. |
| C．High-EI students can easily focus on their study. |
| D．High-EI students have helpful skills for certain subjects. |
| A．Equipping teachers with emotional skills. |
| B．Introducing a new curriculum. |
| C．Developing special programs for students with low EI. |
| D．Employing emotional specialists to give training to students. |
| A．Should EI be taught in school? |
| B．How can students develop high EI? |
| C．Students with high EI do better in school |
| D．Good students do better in managing emotions |
3 . It took a thunderstorm for Gordon Hempton to truly appreciate quiet. After a visit home to Seattle, Washington in 1980, the graduate student found himself tired from the 3,000km way back to his university in Wisconsin.
Deciding it was time to sleep for the night and that the August heat made it unnecessary to live in a motel, Hempton pulled over and laid down in a field. He stretched out after hours on the road. Suddenly, a thunderstorm sounded overhead. Too tired to move, he decided to stay right there. What he did next led to an awakening: he listened.
“I heard all: the movement of the air, the insect activity, the drops of the rain, the echo of the thunder,” he says. “My eyes were closed, but it was as if I could see all the creatures I’d been sharing life with but never known. I was impressed by my awareness.” So vivid was Hempton’s awakening that he immediately dropped out of university, giving up a degree in Economics, and changed the course of his life.
After that, Hempton travelled within Olympic National Park with microphone and recorder, where he captured the wonderful sounds from the wildlife in quiet. Quiet, in this sense, does not mean complete silence. He says, “We might say that quiet offers an opportunity to be aware of our surroundings.”
Yet, despite these ear-arresting experiences, Hempton realized that quiet places were disappearing at an alarming rate, with noise pollution making it more difficult to listen to the quiet sounds of nature.
In 1998, the Smithsonian hired Hempton to go on a trip to Hawaii, collecting sounds of endangered animals and plants to be played at a photography exhibition.
Now 67, he is a famous acoustic ecologist (someone who studies sound in living environments) and co-founder of Quiet Parks International (QPI), an organization that identifies and preserves natural soundscapes by testing sound levels and encouraging visitors to recognize the importance of quiet.
1. What made Gordon Hempton quit the university?| A．His concerns about future. |
| B．His tiredness of school work. |
| C．An experience on his way to university. |
| D．The long distance from the university to his home. |
| A．Quiet doesn’t mean no sound. |
| B．Quiet can awake one’s sense. |
| C．Quiet helps one capture sounds of nature. |
| D．Quiet places are damaged by human beings. |
| A．enthusiastic and devoted. | B．creative and expressive. |
| C．hardworking and outgoing. | D．modest and generous. |
| A．An appeal for environment protection. |
| B．An explanation of a science related to sound. |
| C．An introduction of a man with great achievements. |
| D．A story about fighting for quiet in a world full of noise. |
4 . When you think of a map, is north on the top or the bottom? Usually, maps are designed with north on top, though when we think about it, there is no logical reason for this bias (偏见). After all, there is no up or down in space. So what is wrong with south, east or west being on the top of the map? The answer is: nothing at all. In fact, north-up maps only became the norm in the last few hundred years.
Ancient Egyptian maps had south at the top because the Nile River flows downhill from mountains in the south to the Mediterranean Sea in the north. Mecca was to the south of most early Muslim civilizations, and south-up maps were designed so that viewers would look up to see Mecca. Medieval Christian maps had east at the top, as they believed the Garden of Eden was in the east. The only early maps that had north at the top were those of early China because the emperor lived in the north.
North seems to have settled at the top of maps during the 16th century, largely thanks to a Flemish mapmaker, Mercator. Mercator was a great admirer of an early Greek mapmaker, who, for reasons now unknown, put north at the top of maps, so Mercator did, too. When Mercator’s world map became the standard map to navigate the oceans, north up became standard as well.
What is the implication of this north-view of the world? Psychologically, people tend to think of up as good and down as bad. Just think of words and phrases like “upmarket”, “upbeat” and “moving up in the world”, and how they contrast with their opposites. Because north is so consistently put at the top of maps, people now think of north as good, too.
Several attempts have been made in recent years by introducing south-up maps to the market. These maps not only give us a chance to see the world differently, but also give everyone the chance to see themselves on top.
1. What can we learn from the first two paragraphs?| A．North-up maps were rare in ancient times. |
| B．Deciding up or down in space is ridiculous. |
| C．Mecca maps were based on a legend. |
| D．The south-up map first appeared in ancient Egypt. |
| A．An illogical reason. | B．The spread of Mercator’s maps. |
| C．People’s preference for up. | D．An age-old tradition in Greece. |
| A．Cautious. | B．Supportive. | C．Uncaring. | D．Disapproving. |
| A．To criticize a phenomenon. | B．To compare various facts. |
| C．To correct a cultural bias. | D．To argue for a viewpoint. |
5 . It was June 15, and in two days I would be turning thirty. I was insecure about entering a new decade of my life and feared that my best years were now behind me.
My daily routine included going to the gym for a workout before going to work. Every morning I would see my friend Nicholas at the gym. He was seventy-nine years old and in terrific shape. As I greeted Nicholas on this particular day, he noticed I wasn’t full of my usual vitality and asked if there was anything wrong. I told him I was feeling anxious about turning thirty. I wondered how I would look back on my life once I reached Nicholas’ sage, so I asked him, “What was the best time of your life?”
Without hesitation, Nicholas replied, “Well, Joe, this is my philosophical answer to your philosophical question.”
“When I was a child in Austria and everything was taken care of for me and I was nurtured by my parents, that was the best time of my life.”
“When I was going to school and learning the things I know today, that was the best time of my life.”
“When I got my first job and had responsibilities and got paid for my efforts, that was the best time of my life.”
“When I met my wife and fell in love, that was the best time of my life.”
“The Second World War came, and my wife and I had to flee Austria to save our lives. When we were together and safe on a ship bound for North America, that was the best time of my life.”
“When we came to Canada and started a family, that was the best time of my life.”
“When I was a young father, watching my children grow up, that was the best time of my life.”
“And now, Joe, I am seventy-nine years old. I have my health, I feel good and I am in love with my wife just as I was when we first met. This is the best time of my life.”
1. Why did the author feel anxious according to the article?| A．He would be 30 in two days. |
| B．He was worried about getting old. |
| C．He didn’t go to the gym to exercise. |
| D．Nicholas asked questions he didn’t want to answer. |
| A．He spent his childhood with his grandparents in Austria. |
| B．He dropped out of school, found a job and got paid. |
| C．He took part in the Second World War and met his wife. |
| D．He started a family and became a young father in Canada. |
| A．Casual. | B．Anxious. | C．Positive. | D．Negative. |
| A．Live a day at a time. | B．You get what you pay for. |
| C．Every man has his price. | D．Strike while the iron is hot. |
6 . Top Museums to Visit in Paris
Think Paris is all about the Louvre? Think again! Dive into the vibrant art scene of the City of Light with our guide to the best museums you shouldn't miss.
Louis Vuitton Foundation
Designed by the renowned architect Frank Gehry, the Louis Vuitton Foundation is a masterpiece of modern architecture. But it's not just the building that's stunning; inside, you'll find an impressive collection featuring artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Ellsworth Kelly, and Jeff Koons, among others. Admission is €16.
Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm (closed Sundays)
Paris Museum of Modern Art
Located in the 16th arrondissement, the Paris Museum of Modern Art boasts an array of monumental artworks and captivating exhibits. While entry is technically free, a suggested donation of €5 helps support the museum's preservation efforts and grants access to the permanent collection.
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm (closed Mondays)
Musée National Picasso-Paris
Immerse yourself in the genius of Pablo Picasso at the Musée National Picasso-Paris. Home to thousands of Picasso's works, this museum offers a comprehensive exploration of the artist's life and legacy. Admission is €14.
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Friday, 10:00 am to 6:30 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 9:30 am to 6:00 pm (closed Mondays)
Musée Marmottan Monet
Step into the world of Impressionism at the Musée Marmottan Monet. Devoted primarily to the works of Claude Monet, this museum houses a remarkable collection donated by Monet's son, Michel. Tickets range from €9 to €14.
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm; late nights on Thursdays until 9:00 pm (closed Mondays)
There you have it! With these top museums, you'll experience Parisian art and culture at its finest, beyond the iconic halls of the Louvre.
1. Who is the architect behind the design of the Louis Vuitton Foundation?| A．Michel Monet | B．Jean-Michel Basquiat |
| C．Olafur Eliasson | D．Frank Gehry |
| A．€10 | B．€5 | C．€20 | D．€15 |
| A．Works of Jean-Michel Basquiat | B．Sculptures by Rodin |
| C．Works of Claude Monet | D．Contemporary art installations |
7 . What can bring people from around the world together? Skin colour? Language? A favourite football team? According to a recent study conducted by OnePoll, a London-based marketing research company, food is the answer.
OnePoll surveyed 2,000 people around the world. 84% of participants said that food had the power to connect people of different cultures and backgrounds.
“Food has to do with how we live—it’s not just something that we ingest. Food is a part of our lives, and it helps bring people closer together,” one participant in the survey said.
People can get a better understanding of another culture through trying its cuisine. For example, Chinese culture is based on the idea of harmony (和谐), which can be seen in almost every aspect of life in China, most noticeably its cuisine. In Chinese cuisine, every ingredient is used in a balanced way to create delicious dishes that go well together. Another example is the rich diversity of American cuisine, which directly reflects the rich diversity of its multicultural influence.
Food can help strengthen cultural ties. Every country has its own way of doing things, which means that sometimes there can be very little common ground between countries. However, every country has food in common—after all, we all need to eat. So something as simple as a dinner gathering has the power to bring together people from different countries or cultures. In fact, food is often the catalyst (催化剂) in forming many important decisions and friendships.
“We believe food has a transcending (超越的) ability to connect us, and that delicious things can happen when we share heritage, culture, and uniqueness through food,” said Jason Levine, one of the survey’ s conductors.
1. How many people in the survey said food brings people together?| A．2,000 | B．1,680 | C．320 | D．84 |
| A．eat | B．appreciate | C．digest | D．prefer |
| A．Deep and vital. | B．Diverse and balanced. |
| C．Balanced and harmonious. | D．Harmonious and delicious. |
| A．By experiencing different cultures. |
| B．By accepting foreign ideas. |
| C．By bringing people together. |
| D．By sharing heritage with others. |
8 . If you like tasting food from different countries, here are some events you shouldn’t miss in New York City this year.
Chinatown Restaurant Week, March 14—30
Various meals will be offered for $18.88 per person at participating Chinatown restaurants such as Golden Unicorn, Nom Wah Tea Parlor, HK Wonton Garden, Pho Grand, Red Egg and Shanghai Gourmet. Peking Duck House will offer a special at lunch only.
More Info: www.chinatownrestaurantweck.com
Martini Week, March 15—30
Martini Week is a two-week-long celebration of America’s proudest invention. It will beheld at 23 bars and restaurants across the town. They’ll be offering their own unique specialities at low prices. Choose from places, including Ava lounge, Beaumarchais, Catch, Abe&Arthur’s Sons of Essex, Bounce Sporting Club, Aspen Social, Revel, Rayuela, and more.
More Info: www.sociallysuperlative.com
Malaysian Restaurant Week, June 18—24
Malaysian restaurants will offer various $20.12 meals, while Asian-influenced restaurants will feature a special limited-time-only menu inspired by the country’s special flavours. Participating restaurants include Fatty Crab, Mechelin-starred Laut, Penang and Spice Market.
More Info: www.Malaysiakitchennyc.com
Italian Restaurant Week, June 26—July 6
Celebrate New York City’s fifth Italian Restaurant Week --the Italian Dine Out. The 11-dayevent will offer special discounted lunch and dinner prices of $23 at New York City’s most authentic Italian restaurants. Sponsored by the Italian Trade Commission,the Italian Dine Out offers diners special 3-course menus for lunch and dinner.
More Info: www.italianmade.com
Belgian Restaurant Week, July 21—28
This is your chance to enjoy tasty multi-course meals and some of the world’s finest beers. The Belgian restaurants in NY bring you amazing cuisines and great beers during a week-long celebration of Belgian food.
More Info; www.belgianrestaurantweeknyc.com
I’m sure you’ll have a great time during the events. Remember: don’t eat too much for thesake of your health.
1. To enjoy an $18.88 supper during Chinatown Restaurant Week, you probably should avoid going to _______.| A．Peking Duck House | B．HK Wonton Garden |
| C．Golden Unicorn | D．Nom Wah Tea Parlor |
| A．Martini Week | B．Italian Restaurant Week |
| C．Malaysian Restaurant Week | D．Chinatown Restaurant Week |
| A．Bringing you free Chinese food. |
| B．Providing authentic Italian food. |
| C．Having a special limited-time-only menu. |
| D．Offering some of the world’s finest beers. |
9 . One Saturday in June, I got off the train from Vienna at Altenberg station, in the midst of a gathering of bathers, such as often flock to our village at fine weekends.
I had gone only a few steps along the street and the crowd had not yet scattered when, high above me in the air, I saw a bird whose species I could not at first determine. It flew with slow, measured wing-beats, varied at set intervals by longer periods of gliding. It seemed too heavy to be a hawk; for a stork (鹳), it was not big enough and, even at that height, neck and feet should have been visible. Then the bird made a sudden turn so that the setting sun shone for a second full on the underside of the great wings which lit up like stars in the blue of the skies. The bird was white. By Heaven, it was my cockatoo (凤头鹦鹉)! The steady movements of his wings clearly indicated that he was setting out on a long-distance flight.
“What should I do? Should I call to the bird?” Well, have you ever heard the flight-call of the greater cockatoo? No? But you have probably heard pig-killing in the traditional method. Imagine the loudest long cry a pig could make, picked up by a microphone and amplified many times over by a powerful speaker. A man can imitate it quite successfully, though somewhat weak, by shouting at the top of his voice “O-ah”. I had already proved that the cockatoo understood this imitation and promptly “came to heel”. But would it work at such a height? A bird always has great difficulty in making the decision to fly downwards at a steep angle. To yell, or not to yell, that was the question. If I yelled and the bird came down, all would be well, but what if it sailed calmly on through the clouds? How would I then explain my song to the crowd of people?
Finally, I did yell. The people around me stood still, rooted to the spot. The bird hesitated for a moment on outstretched wings, and then, folding them, it descended in one dive and landed upon my outstretched arm. Once again I was master of the situation.
1. What was the author’s cockatoo like?| A．It looked like a hawk. | B．It was blue and shiny. |
| C．Its neck and feet were long. | D．It was white with great wings. |
| A．By waving at it quickly. | B．By singing a song loudly. |
| C．By screaming his head off. | D．By using a powerful loudspeaker. |
| A．Flew about. | B．Came back. | C．Came around. | D．Landed on the ground. |
| A．He knew birds very well. | B．He could speak with his bird. |
| C．He liked showing off in public. | D．He often surprised people around him. |
10 . Diving in the ocean, marine biologist Erika Woolsey has seen how coral reefs (珊瑚礁) are being damaged by climate change. It has made her decide to find a way to share her experience —including those who can’t easily explore the ocean.
Through her non-profit, The Hydrous, Woolsey is using virtual reality to bring the ocean to everyone. Scientists, filmmakers and divers are taking people on immersive (沉浸式的) virtual dives, attracting attention to reef damage and expecting action to protect our sea. About 25% of marine species depend on coral reefs. However, climate change, pollution and overfishing have done harm to around half the world’s shallow water coral reefs.
Twenty years of underwater exploration has given Woolsey a detailed understanding of the dangerous situations facing reefs. “I’ve seen this first-hand shift. Healthy colourful coral reefs become what look like the moonscape step by step,” Woolsey says.
It is through this experience that The Hydrous team set out to recreate with their award-winning film Immerse. Intended to watch with a VR headset, viewers join Woolsey for a nine-minute guided virtual dive on the coral reefs, immersed in a 360-degree underwater view.
They swim alongside sea turtles and sharks before witnessing the worsening of the reefs. The experience often brings out strong feelings. “As soon as people take off that headset and look me in the eye, they want to tell me a story about their ocean experience,” Woolsey says. “It’s that human connection to our ocean that will solve our ocean problems.”
Woolsey hopes advances in camera technology will allow her team to take more and more people to places in the ocean that are under-explored and places further away from human civilization. They are developing a virtual experience that will put the people in the role of a marine biologist, carrying out biodiversity surveys underwater, and even transporting the viewers to space to monitor global sea surface temperatures.
1. Why did Erika Woolsey set up The Hydrous?| A．To collect money for ocean protection. | B．To let the public know about coral reefs better. |
| C．To help people enjoy the ocean’s beauty. | D．To encourage people to protect the ocean. |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. | C．Concerned. | D．Uninterested. |
| A．The story about the ocean. | B．The situation of coral reefs. |
| C．The connection with sea life. | D．The way to protect the ocean. |
| A．To bring more fun during the lockdown. | B．To help people learn more about the ocean. |
| C．To train talents for environment protection. | D．To discover more places that need protection. |
