1 . Before traveling to Lake Tahoe, make sure your plans are in order. Complete vacation packages of the area are now offered online.

Package 1. Get Outdoors in Lake Tahoe Package Get outdoors and explore! With this fun vacation package, you can stay in the Lake Tahoe area for three nights and have a few adventures along the way. This package also features Lake Tahoe Sport Fishing, allowing guests to get out and fish! Click here to book	Package 2. Lake Tahoe Family Vacation Package If your next trip happens to be in the Lake Tahoe area, then consider booking this one. It is great because it can offer you four full nights at the hotel of your selection and an amazing sightseeing tour through the Emerald Bay. You also can enjoy Lake Tahoe Hot Air Balloons tours and the Wild West Tour. Click here to book
Package 3. Lake Tahoe Romantic Getaway Package This is perfect for people who want to have a romantic time. It includes a two-night stay at the hotel of your choice and one of the finest activities in all of Lake Tahoe — the Lake Tahoe Emerald Bay Sunset Boat Tour on the Bleu Wave. During this romantic sail, you can enjoy the beautiful surroundings of Lake Tahoe. Click here to book	Package 4. Lake Tahoe Weekend Getaway Package The Lake Tahoe Weekend Getaway Package is great for people of all ages, so this is a great choice for families. This package includes a two-night stay at the hotel you choose. It also includes a trip which takes place on the Bleu Wave by boat. Click here to book

1. Which package offers the longest visit to Lake Tahoe?

A．Package 1.

B．Package 2.

C．Package 3.

D．Package 4.

2. What is the similarity between the last two packages?

A．Their boat tour.	B．The hotel for staying.
C．The places for traveling.	D．Their target customers.

3. Where is the text probably from?

A．A guidebook.

B．A travel report.

C．A local newspaper.

D．A website.

2 . Researchers examined 120 babies aged 6 to 14 months as they watched a children’s opera performed at a concert hall (61 babies watched in person, the other 59 watched a recorded form). They carefully set the recording so the performers were at the same size, distance and volume as the live form. The babies’ responses were tracked through heart monitors and tablets, and afterward research assistants searched through the footage (镜头) to note when babies were looking at the stage and when they looked away.

The live performance kept their attention for 72% of the 12-minute show and also had them continually watching for longer periods of time. The findings suggest that even babies feel the impact of being at a live show, through both musicians’ interactions with an audience and the social experience of being in a crowd. “Their heart rates were speeding up and slowing down in a similar fashion to other babies watching the show. Those babies were dealing with all these distractions (使人分心的事) in the concert hall, but still had these interests in the performance,” says Laura Cirelli, an assistant professor. In comparison, the recording held the babies’ attention for just half of the 12-minute show.

“If there’s something happening that we collectively are engaging (参与) in, we’re also connecting with each other. It speaks to the shared experience,” says Cirelli. “It’s well established that socialization (社会化) is important during early childhood development — a baby’s brain is laying the groundwork for future life skills and abilities as it grows. Music can play a powerful part in making those important bonds. Babies are more likely to socialize with someone after hearing them sing a familiar song or dancing to music with them.”

The study, which was co-authored by Haley Kragness, now an assistant professor at Bucknell University, will also feed into some of Cirelli’s other work. “If a baby is frequently brought to these kinds of events, will that provide the foundation (基础) for their engaging in music and the community later in childhood?” Cirelli says. “It speaks to why we are inborn to consume music and attend live shows in the first place.”

1. How did the researchers make the experiment convincing?

A．By airing two different performances.

B．By tracking babies’ activity with caution.

C．By asking a smaller group to see the live show.

D．By making the recording similar in every detail to the live form.

2. What can we learn about babies enjoying the live show?

A．They watched the show more carefully.	B．They had faster heart rates.
C．They formed bonds with musicians.	D．They enjoyed it without distractions.

3. What might be Cirelli’s attitude to babies’ watching live performances?

A．Concerned.

B．Uninterested.

C．Supportive.

D．Indifferent.

4. What will Cirelli’s further study focus on?

A．The reasons for our attending live shows.

B．The benefits of socialization for babies.

C．Live performances’ other influences on babies.

D．Babies’ growth after seeing recorded shows.

3 . Spiders are master builders, expertly turning silk into complex 3D webs that serve as their home and hunting ground. To gain a deeper understanding of their world, scientists have translated the structure of a spider’s web into music.

“The spider lives in an environment of vibrating (振动的) strings,” says Markus Buehler, the project’s principal investigator. “They don’t see very well, so they perceive their surroundings by detecting vibrations, which have different frequencies.” Such vibrations occur, for example, when the spider stretches a strand of silk during construction or when the wind or a trapped fly moves the web.

The researchers scanned a natural spider web to capture 2D cross-sections and reconstructed its 3D network using a mathematical model. They assigned different frequencies of sound to strands of the web, creating musical “notes” that they combined in patterns based on the web’s 3D structure to generate music. Then they made a harp-like (像竖琴的) virtual instrument and played the spider web music in several live performances around the world, creating an inspiring harmony of art and science.

To gain insights into how spiders build webs, the researchers also scanned a web during construction, transforming each stage into music with different sounds. “The spider’s way of ‘printing’ the web is remarkable because no support material is used, as is often needed in current 3D printing methods,” Buehler says. This knowledge could help develop new 3D printers that work like spiders, enabling them to construct complex structures without using additional materials for support.

The team is also interested in learning how to communicate with spiders in their own language. They recorded web vibrations produced when spiders performed different activities, such as building a web, communicating with other spiders or sending signals to admirers. “Now we’re trying to generate signals to basically speak the language of the spider,” Buehler says. “If we expose them to certain patterns of vibrations, can we affect what they do or can we begin to communicate with them? Those are really thrilling ideas, and I believe they could be achieved in the near future.”

1. What do we know about spiders?

A．They have good eyesight.

B．They adapt to surroundings quickly.

C．They spin a web similar to a musical structure.

D．They sense the environment through vibrations.

2. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．Steps to create spider web music.

B．Ways to recreate a web’s 3D network.

C．Challenges of combining music with science.

D．The potential applications of 3D printing methods.

3. What do the underlined words “This knowledge” in paragraph 4 refer to?

A．3D printers can construct complex structures.

B．Spiders’ vibration patterns vary with activities.

C．Spiders build webs without using additional materials.

D．The web-building process can be translated into music.

4. What is Buehler’ attitude towards communicating with spiders?

A．Hopeful.

B．Doubtful.

C．Uncertain.

D．Disapproving.

4 . Computer scientist Pascale Fung can imagine a bright future in which AI helpers like ChatGPT bridge language barriers. In that world, Indonesian store owners fluent only in local dialects might reach new shoppers by listing their products online in English.

“It can open opportunities,” Fung says—then pauses. She’s spotted the bias (偏好) in her vision of a more interconnected future: The AI-aided shopping would be one-sided, because few Americans would bother to use AI translation to help research products advertised in Indonesian. Fung, director of the Center for AI Research at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, who herself speaks seven languages, sees this bias in her own field. Fung would like to see Al change that, not further strengthen the primary position of English.

Fung is part of a global community of AI researchers testing the language skills of ChatGPT and sounding the alarm about evidence that they are significantly less capable in languages other than English. “One of my biggest concerns is that we’re going to exacerbate the bias for English and English speakers,” says Thien Huu Nguyen, a University of Oregon computer scientist. “People are going to follow the norm (标准) and not think about their own identities or culture. It kills innovation.”

The AI systems are good at translating other languages into English, but they struggle with rewriting English into other languages. Nguyen’s study reports that tests on ChatGPT in March showed it performed substantially (基本上) worse at answering factual questions or summarizing complex text in non-English languages and was more likely to fabricate (捏造) information. “This is an English sentence, so there is no way to translate it to Vietnamese,” the robot responded inaccurately to one question.

At a US conference, Senator Alex Padilla of California asked Sam Altman, CEO of ChatGPT’s creator, OpenAI, which is based in the state, what his company is doing to close the language gap. About 44 percent of Californians speak language other than English. Padilla, who also speaks Spanish, is questioning about the systems delivering fair linguistic (语言的) outcomes without big shifts in strategies by their developers.

1. What’s Fung’s attitude to the non-English language skills of ChatGPT?

A．Optimistic.	B．Dismissive.
C．Doubtful.	D．Unclear.

2. What does the underlined word “exacerbate” mean in Paragraph 3?

A．Restrict.

B．Worsen.

C．Encourage.

D．Disturb.

3. What is in line with Nguyen’s study regarding ChatGPT?

A．It struggles with turning English to other languages.

B．It performs better in translating into English.

C．It excels in non-English language translation.

D．It tends to invent information in translations.

4. What’s the most suitable title for the text?

A．ChatGPT: Exposing linguistic bias

B．ChatGPT: AI Translation Revolution

C．ChatGPT: Bridging Language Barriers

D．ChatGPT: Leaving Non-English Out in AI

5 . Edinburgh is famous for its many museums where you can learn its rich history.

Museum on the Mound

Located in the heart of Edinburgh’s city center, this appealing museum takes a fresh look at money — and much, much more. You will see coins and banknotes from over the ages, including the first Scottish banknote printed in 1727. There are also interesting interactive displays and you can even try your hand at opening a safe!

The Writers’ Museum

It is housed in the beautiful Lady Stair’s House, a category A listed building. The collection celebrates the legacy (遗产) of Scotland’s literary contributions, with special emphasis given to Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson and Robert Burns. The museum is home to numerous paintings, books and manuscripts (手稿), and you can also see Burns’ writing desk and Scott’s chess set.

Our Dynamic Earth

It celebrates the beauty of the earth via technology. Interactive exhibits allow visitors to experience earthquakes, the ocean floor, ice ages and mountains by the use of computer software. Particularly interesting is the “tour” around the eleven Earthscapes. It is educational fun for the whole family and can serve as a good introduction to concepts surrounding the formation of the planet and the creatures we share the earth with.

National Museum of Scotland

The diverse collections here include the history of Scotland with exhibitions of international interest. The natural world, science and technology, discoveries, art, and world cultures are all explored. There are interactive elements and activities to suit children of all ages, including science experiments and musical instruments.

1. Which might be the most attractive to finance majors?

A．Our Dynamic Earth.	B．Museum on the Mound.
C．The Writers’ Museum.	D．National Museum of Scotland.

2. What do The Writers’ Museum and National Museum of Scotland have in common?

A．They have an artistic atmosphere.	B．They have interactive exhibits.
C．They provide hands-on activities.	D．They showcase world cultures.

3. What can you do at Our Dynamic Earth?

A．Play with your family.	B．Tour the world virtually.
C．Design computer software.	D．Learn about ancient creatures.

6 . Late last year, in the days before the Dosakian election, a video featuring a well-known journalist and a key candidate circulated on social networks. However, it was absolutely fake (虚假的). The International Press Institute has called this episode in Dosakia the first time that AI deepfakes — fake images, or videos generated by artificial intelligence — have influenced a national election greatly.

Security experts consider misinformation the biggest global risk recently — more dangerous than war, and extreme weather events. A constant stream of people is wrestling with this issue. Now even economists are joining in.

Economist Iyan Smith, and others conduct a real-world experiment to see whether simple, low-cost nudges, or interventions, can be effective. Instead of focusing on the supply side of misinformation like social media platforms, they pay attention to the demand side: increasing our capacity to identify the fake information.

The economists split participants randomly into four different groups. One group was shown a video demonstrating a convincing journey of two people from two different social groups who, before interacting, express negative stereotypes (刻板印象) about the other’s group, overcoming their differences and ultimately regretting unthinkingly using stereotypes to dehumanize one another. Another group completed a personality test that shows them their cognitive traits (认知特点) causing prejudice, hoping to increase their self-awareness, and decrease their demand for misinformation. A third group did both while a control group did neither.

The economists find the simple intervention of showing the video makes the participants over 30 percent less likely to “consider fake news reliable”. But the personality test has little effect. As for participants doing both, they were about 31 percent less likely to view true headlines as reliable. In other words, they became so skeptical that even the truth became suspect.

Smith and his colleagues are far from the first scholars to fight misinformation by helping people to think more critically. University of Weymouth psychologist Lisa Kindle also advocates similar ways to help reject misinformation in the wild.

1. What does the author intend to do in the first two paragraphs?

A．Highlight the risk of AI deepfakes.	B．Discuss the global threat landscape.
C．Describe Dosakia’s election outcome.	D．Introduce the concept of misinformation.

2. What is “an effective nudge” in Smith’s new study?

A．The cognitive trait.	B．The short video.
C．The personality test.	D．The negative stereotype.

3. What conclusion can be drawn from the study?

A．Videos reduce misinformation.	B．Deepfakes may discredit truth.
C．Misinformation causes dehumanization.	D．Personality tests sharpen thinking skills.

4. What might be the best title for the text?

A．Battling Fake News	B．Deepfakes in Elections
C．The Spread of Misinformation	D．Expanding Thinking Capacity

7 . The tendency to engage in negative self-evaluation affects almost everyone. Listening to your loud inner voice is a habit. But there’s a good reason to work on silencing self-criticism, which has been found to worsen depression, anxiety, disordered eating and etc.     1     We asked experts to share their favorite ways to overcome critical self-talk.

1. Investigate the origins.

The first step to stop self-criticism is understanding where the thoughts originated, says Tiffany Green, a psychotherapist in Chicago. When her clients say negative things about themselves, she often asks them, “Where did this come from? Who was the first person you heard say this about you?” The response tends to be revealing: maybe their mom called them lazy, or their grandmother told them they needed to lose weight.     2    

2. Set up a self-criticism jar.

Every time you catch yourself engaging in a critical thought, throw a coin or piece of paper into a jar. The goal in the beginning is to fill the jar with lots of coins,     3     Over the next three to six months, however, you should notice that you’re adding to it less frequently. Having a visual way to monitor your progress can be motivating and rewarding, Green says.

3.     4    

One of Turow’s self-talk strategies is called “spot the success.” Every night before you go to bed, write down 10 things you did that day that benefited you, or somebody else. “No item is too small. You helped your friend, you got up early, you took exercise regularly,” she notes. “It generates this sense in your brain, like, ‘I am doing these good things.’”

4. Look for the gentle lessons.

Self-criticism can sometimes contain important information and even prove helpful, Turow says. You might, for instance, be hard on yourself for not keeping in good touch with your friends. That’s valuable information. If you’re upset with yourself for not making it to the gym, that could signal a desire for a healthier lifestyle. Turow advises noticing the criticism gently, and then learning from it.     5     Instead of “You’re not good at keeping in touch.” try “This is really important to me. I wonder how I can make it happen more often.”

A．Celebrate your wins.

B．Correcting negative thoughts isn’t easy.

C．you can work your way up to the positive ones later.

D．Fortunately, plenty of tools can help us talk more kindly to ourselves.

E．Shift how you talk to yourself, and change the message into a better one.

F．because that’s a sign that you’ve increased your awareness of your thought patterns.

G．The experience is a helpful way to separate yourself from critical thoughts, she says, rather than accepting them as your own.

8 . For Mother’s Day I asked for one thing: a house cleaning service. Bathrooms and floors specifically, windows if the extra expense was reasonable. The gift, for me, was not so much in the cleaning itself but the fact that for once I would not be in charge of the household office work. I would not have to make the calls, get multiple quotes (报价), research and compare each service, arrange payment and schedule the appointment. The real gift I wanted was to be relieved of the emotional labor of a single task that had been nagging (唠叨) at the back of my mind. The clean house would simply be a bonus.

My husband waited for me to change my mind to an “easier” gift than housecleaning, something he could one-click order on Amazon. Disappointed by my unwavering desire, the day before Mother’s Day he called a single service, decided they were too expensive, and promised to clean the bathrooms himself. He still gave me the choice, of course. He told me the high dollar amount of completing the cleaning services I requested (since I control the budget) and asked repeatedly if I still wanted him to book it.

What I wanted was for him to ask friends on Facebook for a recommendation, call four or five more services, do the emotional labor I would have done if the job had fallen to me. I had wanted to hire out deep cleaning for a while, especially since my freelance (自由职业的) work had picked up considerably. The reason I hadn’t done it yet was part guilt over not doing my housework, and an even larger part of not wanting to deal with the work of hiring a service. I knew exactly how exhausting it was going to be. That’s why I asked my husband to do it as a gift.

But, I was gifted a necklace for Mother’s Day while my husband stole away to deep sweep the bathrooms, leaving me to tend to our children as the rest of the house fell into total mess…

1. Why did the author request a housecleaning service for Mother’s Day?

A．To reduce her husband’s financial burden.

B．To force her husband to do some housework.

C．To treat herself to a break from household chores.

D．To experience a pricy service for a special occasion.

2. What does the underlined word “unwavering” in the 2nd paragraph mean?

A．Unyielding.

B．Undemanding.

C．Unbearable.

D．Unreasonable.

3. What did the author’s husband decide to do the day before Mother’s Day?

A．He arranged for the service as a gift.

B．He searched relevant information online.

C．He determined to clean the bathroom himself.

D．He purchased a necklace instead as an apology.

4. How did the author feel about her husband’s final solution?

A．She felt completely satisfied with it.

B．She felt being ignored with her real needs.

C．She was relieved to see her problem solved.

D．She was disappointed but tried to understand him.

9 . To get the most out of literary works, one must approach them with intention and skill. Here are five key strategies to enhance your reading experience.

Engage with the text. Engagement is crucial when reading literature.     1    . Ask questions as you read: Why did the character do that? What does this scene symbolize? What might the author be trying to say? This active engagement helps you to think critically and to immerse (沉浸在) yourself in the literary world.

Understand the historical and cultural context.     2    . It reflects the culture in which it was written. By researching the historical period, the author’s life, and the social norms (规范) of the time, you can gain a deeper understanding of the text.

    3    . Literature is an art form that uses language in creative and often complex ways. Pay attention to the author’s use of literary devices such as imagery, symbolism, metaphor, and irony. Knowing these techniques can reveal hidden layers of meaning and give you a greater appreciation of the author’s craft.

Reflect on themes and personal relevance. Great literature often deals with themes that are universal and timeless. Reflect on the themes you encounter in the text and consider how they relate to your own experiences and beliefs.     4    . Besides, it can offer insights into both the literature and your own life.

Discuss and share insights. Literature is meant to be shared and discussed. Conversations with others can enhance your understanding and enjoyment of a text. Join a book club, participate in online forums, or simply discuss the book with friends or classmates. These discussions can provide you with new perspectives (观点).     5    

A．Think of words in the book

B．Analyze literary techniques

C．Every piece of literature is a product of its time

D．They can lessen your appreciation of the literature

E．Interacting with others will lead you about the book

F．This personal connection can make reading more meaningful

G．This means actively interacting with the text, not just reading the words

10 . As people worldwide focus on a healthy planet, renewable (可再生的) energy engineers are key. These engineers work on cool projects that use the power of the sun, wind, and water to create energy. Their work combats climate change, leading to a cleaner world. Here are details.

Key responsibilities:

System Design: It’s like being an inventor who figures out the best way to turn sunlight, wind, or water into electricity that we can use to power things like homes and schools.

Project Management: This is like being the leader of a team working on a school project, but instead, it’s for big energy projects. The engineer makes sure everything is done right on time, and doesn’t cost too much money.

Technical Research: Here, the engineer is like a detective or a scientist, always looking for new and better ways to make energy. They try to find methods that are more effective and less expensive.

Maintenance and Optimization: This part is about taking care of the energy systems that are already built. The engineer checks the systems, fixes any problems, and makes improvements so they work even better.

Skill requirements:

Engineering background: A degree in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or a related field.

Analytical Skills: Abilities to analyze data and system performance to propose improvements.

Innovative Thinking: Maintain (保持) an openness to new technologies and methods, constantly seeking innovation.

Environmental Awareness: A deep understanding of environmental protection and sustainable development.

Career prospects:

The renewable energy industry is having a period of rapid development, with strong support from both the government and the private company. Renewable energy engineers can find opportunities in energy companies, consulting firms, research institutions or government agencies. With technological advances and the growing demand for energy, the future prospects to r this career are very bright.

1. What do renewable energy engineers mainly do?

A．Do fuel tests.	B．Do plant preservation.
C．Make use of clean energy.	D．Make a great many budget plans.

2. Which ability is unmentioned as for renewable energy engineers’ requirements?

A．Analytical skills.	B．Innovative thinking.
C．Environmental awareness.	D．Fluency in multiple languages.

3. What is the future of renewable energy engineers?

A．Promising.

B．Uncertain.

C．Decreasing.

D．Limited.