1 . The release of OpenAI’s Sora text-to-video AI tool last month was met with a mix of worries and excitement from researchers who are concerned about misuse of the technology. The California-based company showcased Sora’s ability to create photorealistic (超级现实主义的) videos from a few short text prompts (提示词), with examples including clips of a woman walking down a neon-lit (霓虹灯闪烁的) street in Tokyo and a dog jumping between two windowsills.
Tracy Harwood, a digital-culture specialist at De Montfort University in Leicester, UK, says she is “shocked” by the speed at which text-to-video artificial intelligence (AI) has developed. A year ago, people were laughing at an AI-produced video of the US actor Will Smith eating spaghetti. Now some researchers are worried that the technology could upend global politics in 2024.
OpenAI, which also developed ChatGPT and the text-to-image technology DALL·E, first released Sora on 15 February, announcing that it was making the technology “available to red teamers to assess critical areas for harms or risks”. Red teaming’ refers to the process of conducting simulated attacks (模拟攻击) or exploration of a technology to see how it would cope with criminal activity, such as the creation of misinformation and hateful content, in the real world.
Sora isn’t the first example of text-to-video technology; others include Gen-2, produced by Runway in New York City and released last year, and the Google-led Lumiere, announced in January. Harwood says she has been “underwhelmed” by some of these other products. “They are becoming more and more ordinary in what they present to you,” she says, adding that the programs require very specific prompts to get them to produce compelling (引人入胜的，可信的) content.
Misinformation is a major challenge for these text-to-video technologies, Harwood adds. “We’re going to very quickly reach a point in which we are flooded with a barrage of (一连串) really compelling-looking information. That’s really worrying.”
1. Why did some researchers worry about the the release of Sora?| A．Because the videos Sora creates will be untrue. |
| B．Because Sora needs many prompts to create videos. |
| C．Because they are worried about the misuse of technology. |
| D．Because they don’t have ability to create videos themselves. |
| A．Overturn. | B．Update. | C．Overcome. | D．Disturb |
| A．Sora is the first example of its kind. |
| B．Sora may be helpful in real world. |
| C．Sora is flooded with misinformation. |
| D．Sora is an ordinary product of its kind. |
| A．The release of Sora raised questions. |
| B．Sora is a new t hreat to global politics. |
| C．Sora becomes a vital tool to create videos. |
| D．Misinformation is a major challenge for Sora. |
2 . In human behavioral science, bandwagon effect is a cognitive bias (认知偏见) where people assume that an idea or belief is true because many or most others believe in it or have adopted it. As many people already support the belief others also “join the bandwagon” and do not consider questioning the decision or if there is evidence supporting the same. Cognitive biases help people think and reason more quickly, but there is a high possibility of making mistakes.
For example, when talk shows in the west had hosts wearing suits, other people started following the same trend regardless of their working conditions and climate. In India, we have climates ranging from warm to extremely hot and moderately cold conditions. It never gets cold enough for an overcoat. Also, not all shooting locations have air conditioning facilities. Even though the “suit” is not the best fit for working and climatic conditions in India, people still wear it because it is recognized by many people as classy and suitable clothes for talk shows or outdoor media events.
One more fitting example for the bandwagon effect is a whole generation of teens all over the world going crazy over a “Korean” band because they were liked by many others. With all respect to the music they made and their popularity, teens were going crazy even though they didn’t understand a word of what was being listened to. Although the band was covering much needed and sensible subjects like bullying (霸凌), elitism (精英统治), and mental health, not all people following them got the true meaning of the songs. People got onto the “bandwagon” as they wanted to go along with the trend that was a hit throughout the world.
We can use various debiasing (消除偏见) techniques in order to avoid falling for the bandwagon effect. One is to consider alternative options that are not necessarily supported by the majority but may be a better choice. Give yourself some time to think and understand what is it that you really need which will allow you to make decisions in a less biased manner. It’s also important to remember that going with the crowd is not entirely bad. In many situations, it can be beneficial while making a decision, as long as you can do it in a way that allows you to make reasonable decisions.
1. What may people do if they fall for the bandwagon effect?| A．Trust every one around them. |
| B．Do as most people do. |
| C．Doubt people surrounding them. |
| D．Make reasonable choices. |
| A．All the hosts in talk shows wear suits. |
| B．Indian talk show hosts love suitable suits. |
| C．Following trend may make mistakes. |
| D．India weather is agreeable for outdoor media events. |
| A．They all love the members. |
| B．They all appreciated the lyrics. |
| C．Most of them follow the trend. |
| D．Most of them understand the songs. |
| A．Objective. | B．Favourable. | C．Critical. | D．Indifferent. |
3 . Australia may be better known for its beaches and natural wonders — and, of course, kangaroo s and koalas. But it is also a country rich in art and culture. From historical to contemporary art, including both local and international artists, there is a lot to be seen in Australia. Here is a selection of three Australian art galleries and museums to visit.
Art Gallery of New South Wales
Located in Sydney, the Art Gallery of New South Wales is one of the largest art galleries in Australia. It was first founded as the New South Wales Academy of Art in 1872. Presenting nearly 40 exhibitions per year, the gallery holds a strong collection of Aboriginal (土著的), Asian, Australian, and Pacific art. European and contemporary art are also present, as well as photographic works.
Location: Sydney, New South Wales
Opening Hours: Daily, 10 a. m. — 5 p. m.(Wednesday s 10 a. m. — 9 p. m.)
Admission: Free entry (a few special exhibitions might require tickets)
Art Gallery of South Australia
The Art Gallery of South Australia holds one of the largest art collections in Australia: almost 47,000 works of art, including paintings, sculptures, photographs, ceramics (陶器), jewelry, and much more. The collection of Australian art is especially renowned, but European, Asian, and North American art are also represented. Located in Adelaide, the gallery welcomes around 512,000 visitors per year.
Location: Adelaide, South Australia
Opening Hours: Daily, 10 p. m. — 5 p. m.
Admission: Free entry(charges may apply for some exhibitions)
Heide Museum of Modern Art
The Heide Museum of Modern Art is a museum of modern and contemporary art located in Bulleen, Victoria. It was founded by the couple John and Sunday Reed, who collected a broad range of art themselves. The Heide consists of three exhibition buildings that hold a collection of over 3,500 works in all media. Besides that, a sculpture park and Heide’s heritage-listed gardens can also be visited. Admission fees are required to enter the museum but entrance to the gardens is free.
Location: Bulleen, Victoria
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a. m. — 5 p. m.
Admission: Adult-$20, free for children under 16 (other concessions can be found on the museum’s website)
1. What do Art Gallery of New South Wales and Art Gallery of South Australia have in common?| A．They were totally free to visit. |
| B．They were founded by private persons. |
| C．They are largest art galleries in Australia. |
| D．They have noted Australia and Asian art collections. |
| A．$ 20. | B．$ 60. | C．$ 40. | D．$ 32. |
| A．Writers. | B．Artists. | C．Archaeologists. | D．Photographers. |
4 . School Rules
All students are expected to read and learn the School Rules. These rules aim to make each each student aware of the value of self-control, orderliness and the need to develop a sense of responsibility for their own behavior and for the larger community of which they are a part.
Dress regulations
The school expects its students to wear their full school uniform correctly and with pride.
Punctuality, absence and illness
Should a student be ill during school hours, he is to go straight to the School Medical Center.
·Proper behavior is expected within and around buildings and on the sporting field at all times.
·Students are not to enter laboratories, language rooms, the Technics and music rooms until invited to do so by teachers.
·The riding of bicycles or skateboard is prohibited along the front drive.
·No knives, explosives or dangerous materials may be brought into the school or boardinghouses.
·Students are forbidden to interfere with fire safety equipment.
| A．Safety |
| B．Punishment |
| C．All students must be at school on time |
| D．Appropriate action will then be taken there |
| E．An automatic fine will be imposed if this occurs |
| F．Uniform and shoes will be clean and in good repair |
| G．Students riding bicycles must wear an approved bicycle helmet |
5 . Anne Sullivan was born on 14 April 1866 in Feeding Hills, Agawam, Massachusetts. Her family lived in extreme poverty. When she was five years old, Sullivan contracted the bacterial eye disease trachoma (沙眼), a painful infection that left her nearly blind. When she was eight, her mother died, and two years later, her father gave up his children as he could not raise them on his own.
Anne was transferred to the Perkins School for the Blind on 7 October 1880. Anne was terribly behind in her education, and the rough manners required to survive in the almshouse (救济院) made it difficult for her to fit in among a student group that was mainly composed of children of the rich. Yet, she soon closed the gap with her classmates with iron-willed determination. Sullivan underwent a series of eye operations that significantly improved her vision. In June 1886, she graduated as the best one of her class.
Sullivan arrived at Helen Keller’s house on March 5, 1887. Sullivan immediately began to tea ch Helen to communicate by spelling words into her hand, starting with“d-o-l-1” for the doll that she had brought Keller as a present. At first, the work was slow and frustrating; Keller had no understanding of connecting objects and words. However, after a month of Sullivan’s constant and patient efforts, there was a breakthrough. As Sullivan spelled the word water in one hand while running cool water over the other, Helen Keller made the connection that the gestures symbolized “water.”
Sullivan’s breakthrough in communicating with Keller came the next month when Helen realized that the motions her teacher was making on the palm of her hand while running cool water over her other hand symbolized the idea of “water.” Keller later recalled, “I stood still, my whole attention fixed upon the motions of her fingers. Suddenly I felt a misty consciousness as of something forgotten — a thrill of returning thought; and somehow the mystery of language was revealed to me.”Having released the genie (精灵) of language out of the bottle, Keller nearly exhausted Sullivan with her zeal to learn the names of the other objects in her world. Within six months under Anne Sullivan’s guidance, Keller learned 575 words.
It was no less a person than Mark Twain who described Anne Sullivan as a Miracle Worker. Sullivan not only conquered the darkness of her own early life but opened the world to a young girl cut off and alone. Anne Sullivan’s resolute spirit should inspire all of us.
1. What can we learn about Sullivan from the first two paragraphs?| A．She was deserted by her father because of her illness. |
| B．She couldn’t fit in the almshouse due to her bad manners. |
| C．She was the best student in the Perkins School for the Blind. |
| D．She went through a rough and tough childhood. |
| A．She was too frustrated to learn. |
| B．She was a slow language learner. |
| C．She could not interact with others. |
| D．She could not connect objects with words. |
| A．Interest is the best teacher. |
| B．A patient teacher is helpful. |
| C．Persistence is the key to success. |
| D．A good beginning is half done. |
| A．A Miracle Teacher: Anne Sullivan |
| B．Sullivan’s Determination to Teach |
| C．Keller’s Rough Journey of Learning Words |
| D．An Inspiring Language Learner: Helen Keller |
6 . In Lulea, a city in northern Sweden, the sun only shines around three hours a day in the winter months. People tend to stay warm at home and that can be very lonely. To help ease winter loneliness, the local authority is asking everyone to just say hello to each other. The new campaign is called Sag hej.
While the world is experiencing an increase in loneliness following the Covid-19 pandemic, in places that do not get a lot of sunlight during the winter months, the issues are exasperating.
“Loneliness and isolation are major problems at any time of the year and almost everywhere in the world right now,” Micael Dahlen, professor of wellbeing and happiness at the Stockholm School of Economics, said. “It comes with the times that we live in, with the lifestyles that we have, where we don’t necessarily encounter each other to the same extent that we used to. This increases in winter when we are outside less and socializing less,” he added.
While most people believe that loneliness is most common amongst seniors who tend to live alone, the opposite is true. It is actually rising in young people. A recent study published in the International Journal of Adolescence and Youth found that loneliness in young people has been increasing and this negatively impacts mental and physical wellbeing. Research about Lulea found that 45 percent of 16-to-29-year-olds were experiencing problems due to being lonely.
Asa Koski, who works for the city, came up with the idea of the Sag hej! campaign. She wants the city, which is undergoing rapid growth due to green industry jobs, to be a friendlier, more welcoming, and less lonely place for newcomers. “We don ’t just want that Lulea is going to grow as a city; we want Lulea to be a pleasant and safe and friendly city as well where there’s culture, leisure activities, and sport,” said Koski.
Many people agree that saying hello should be encouraged and believe that the more international the city becomes, the more people will become friendlier too.
1. Which word can replace the underlined word “exasperating” in Paragraph 2?| A．annoying | B．interesting | C．inspiring | D．surprising |
| A．Loneliness and isolation dominate people’s feeling. |
| B．Saying hello helps people deal with winter loneliness. |
| C．A lack of sunshine in winter contributes to loneliness. |
| D．People ’s lifestyles in winter increase their feeling lonely. |
| A．Seniors suffer more from loneliness. |
| B．There are more young people feeling lonely than seniors. |
| C．The phenomenon of loneliness is common in different age stages. |
| D．45 percent of 16-to-29-year-olds have problems because of loneliness. |
| A．Her job is connected with the city. |
| B．She has confidence in Lulea ’s culture. |
| C．She wishes the city to develop rapidly. |
| D．She expects the city to be a better place for newcomers. |
7 . Join us for an in-depth look at a range of our courses. Our Subject Masterclasses run throughout the year, we will update this page with future sessions at regular intervals throughout the year. Both UK and international students are welcome to attend.
What are they?Subject Masterclasses are subject-specific events that offer students the chance to experience typical undergraduate teaching at the University of Cambridge. The events are designed for students looking to apply in October 2024, including mature students.
Each Masterclass includes:·two taster sessions delivered by academic staff from the University
·an introduction to the Cambridge admissions process
·the chance to hear about life as a Cambridge student from current undergraduates
How do I book?The events are open to individuals at a cost of £12.50 for online and £20 for in-person.
Booking is essential and must be made in advance of the Masterclass through our online store. Bookings will close approximately one week prior to each Masterclass, so do ensure you book in advance if you wish to attend.
Funded places are available for qualified students and must be booked by the deadline shown in the table below. Please find our criteria and application form, on our Funded Place web page.
We will be announcing more Subject Masterclasses throughout the year so sign up to our Student Newsletter for dates and subjects.
1. Who will find the events useful?| A．Students who lack money. |
| B．Students who want to study in Cambridge. |
| C．Students who just graduated from university. |
| D．Students who dreamt to be employed by Cambridge. |
| A．It is cheaper to book the event in person. |
| B．Masterclasses are only available in summer. |
| C．You don’t need to book for the Masterclass. |
| D．Students have the chance to get financial support. |
| A．A website. | B．A magazine. |
| C．A brochure. | D．A book. |
8 . Since we live in a world that requires your eyes to routinely stare at small types and images on cell phones, computer screens, and televisions, it is important that you take steps to improve your eyesight.
Eyes are just like any other part of the body — they need nutrition to function at an optimal level. Similar to other organs, a diet high in fruits and vegetables and low in sugar and fatty foods will go a long way in maintaining healthy eyes.
Exercise your eyes
Exercising your eyes daily will help you maintain healthy eyes and optimal vision.
Rest and relax your eyes
Since you use your eyes every waking moment, you’d better give them lots of rest and relaxation by taking breaks throughout the day and getting enough sleep every night to fully rest, repair, and recover your vision.
Wear corrective lenses
| A．“Feed” your eyes |
| B．Don’t ignore your eyes |
| C．Plan to exercise your eyes when you wake up |
| D．A lack of sleep will weaken your vision health |
| E．If you have either nearsightedness or farsightedness |
| F．There are several different types of surgery to choose from |
| G．Poor eyesight could lead to expensive surgeries or partial blindness |
9 . I was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, and it was a shock to my parents that I arrived without arms or legs. My parents did their very best to keep me in the mainstream school system and give me every opportunity to live to the fullest.
We later moved to Brisbane, Australia. At age eight, I could not see a bright future ahead and I became depressed. When I was ten years old, I decided to end my life by drowning myself in a bathtub. After a couple of attempts, I realized that I did not want to leave my loved ones with the burden and guilt that would result from my suicide. I could not do that to them.
I wasn’t depressed in my entire childhood, but I did have ups and downs. At age thirteen I hurt my foot, which I use for many things like typing, writing and swimming. That injury made me realize that I need to be more thankful for my abilities and less focused on my disabilities.
A cleaner at my high school inspired me to start speaking about my faith and overcoming adversity when I was seventeen. Then, I found myself in front of three hundred sophomore (grade 10) students and I was very nervous. My knees were shaking. Within the first three minutes of my talk, half the girls were crying, and most of the boys were struggling to hold their emotions together. One girl in particular was sobbing very hard. We all looked at her and she put her hand up. She said, “I am so sorry to interrupt, but can I come up and hug you? ”
She came and hugged me in front of everyone, and whispered in my ear, “Thank you, thank you, thank you. No one has ever told me that they loved me and that I am beautiful the way I am.” Her gratitude inspired me to go across 44 countries and speak 2, 000 times. I realized that we all need love and hope.
I spoke on motivational topics after creating the company ‘Attitude is Altitude ‘to spread my messages of faith and hope around the world.
Dream big, my friend and never give up. We all make mistakes, but none of us are mistakes. Take one day at a time. Embrace (拥抱) the positive attitudes, perspectives (思考方法), principles and truths I share, and you too will overcome.
1. Nick first became depressed when ________.| A．he realized he was quite different from others | B．he found there was faint light in his future |
| C．he sensed heavy burden from his parents | D．he felt he had no one accompanying him |
| A．His faith in himself. | B．An injury to his foot. |
| C．The advice of a cleaner. | D．A talk with his classmates. |
| A．she wanted to show her love to him | B．she felt sympathy about Nick ‘s disability |
| C．Nick moved her with some encouraging words | D．she was sad that Nick could never pull through |
| A．With a positive attitude, any dream can be achieved. |
| B．By focusing on our disabilities, we can overcome them. |
| C．Those disabled can live as normally as common people. |
| D．We should focus on what we can do, not what we can’t. |
10 . Cities, covering less than 2% of the earth ’s surface, greatly influence climate change, consuming almost 80% of the world’s energy and producing more than 60% of greenhouse gas emissions. Fortunately, net zero emissions (净零排放) by 2050, a target set at the COP26 conference, could be achieved faster using digital twins cities, according to a recent research.
Looking and behaving identically in their real—world physical environments, digital twins can help track, manage and reduce environmental damage rapidly. These replicas (复制品) link to networks of sensors that collect data from buildings, transport, air quality, and energy use, to see where emissions can be cut and efficiency improved. Similar technologies have been in use since NASA ’s Apollo moon mission in 1969, where computers and machine replicas were used to test and monitor spacecraft.
Research shows that digital twins can save cities more than $ 280 billion globally by 2030 through more efficient urban planning. Digital twin provider Cityzenith believes that net zero deadlines could be achieved 15 years earlier if the world ’s 100 biggest cities use the technology to decarbonize. “They are the perfect tool for managing and speeding up the energy transformation,” said CEO Michael Jansen. “We could get to net zero globally by 2035. ”
Over the past decades, big tech companies around the world, including GE Digital and Siemens, have developed software for replicating cities, including a district of Berlin, the island nation of Singapore, and the entire city of Shanghai in China. In the US, the Digital Twin Consortium is working to standardize how digital twins are built and share data. Technology company MX3D built the world ’s first 3D-printed stainless steel bridge and co-created its digital twin. CEO Gijs van der Velden believes twins will give us precise control over the built environment.
Recently, OpenAI also made advances in this field. On February 15, the company revealed its latest groundbreaking tech—Sora to the world. Sora is a text -to -video generative AI model. It can generate videos that matches the text prompt (文本提示) given to it in a few seconds. Experts believe Sora is likely to be applied in science and national defence in the future.
1. How does the author show the influence of cities on climate change?| A．By listing data. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By comparing opinions. | D．By quoting research findings. |
| A．Optimistic. | B．Doubtful. | C．Indifferent. | D．Objective. |
| A．Sora has been used in scientific research and military. |
| B．Gijs van der Velden has little faith in digital twins ’future. |
| C．Digital twins technology is developing rapidly around the world. |
| D．Few tech companies are involved in the study of replicating cities. |
| A．Big Cities Are to Blame for the Severe Environment Pollution |
| B．Digital Twins Can Save Cities Much Money Globally by 2030 |
| C．Digital Twin Cities Can Reduce the Pollution Impact of Large Cities |
| D．The Target of Net Zero Emissions Could Be Reached 15 Years Earlier |
