1 . Artificial intelligence (AI) is showing promise in earthquake prediction, challenging the long-held belief that it is impossible. Researchers at the University of Texas, Austin, have developed an AI algorithm (算法) that correctly predicted 70% of earthquakes a week in advance during a trial in China and provided accurate strength calculations for the predicted earthquakes.
The research team believes their method succeeded because they stuck with a relatively simple machine learning approach. The AI was provided with a set of statistical features based on the team’s knowledge of earthquake physics, and then instructed to train itself using a five-year database of earthquake recordings. Once trained, the AI provided its prediction by listening for signs of incoming earthquakes within the background rumblings (隆隆声) in the Earth.
This work is clearly a milestone in research for AI-driven earthquake prediction. “You don’t see earth-quakes coming,” explains Alexandros Savvaidis, a senior research scientist who leads the Texas Seismological Network Program (TexNet). “It’s a matter of milliseconds, and the only thing you can control is how prepared you are. Even with the 70% accuracy, that’s a huge result and could help minimize economic and human losses and has the potential to remarkably improve earthquake preparation worldwide.”
While it is unknown whether the same approach will work at other locations, the researchers are confident that their AI algorithm could produce more accurate predictions if used in areas with reliable earthquake tracking networks. The next step is to test artificial intelligence in Texas, since UT’s Bureau TexNet has 300 earth-quake stations and over six years worth of continuous records, making it an ideal location for these purposes.
Eventually, the authors hope to combine the system with physics-based models. This strategy could prove especially important where data is poor or lacking. “That may be a long way off, but many advances such as this one, taken together, are what moves science forward,” concludes Scott Tinker, the bureau’s director.
1. How does the AI forecast earthquakes?| A．By identifying data from the satellites. |
| B．By analyzing background sounds in the Earth. |
| C．By modeling data based on earthquake recordings. |
| D．By monitoring changes in the Earth’s magnetic field. |
| A．The ways to reduce losses in earthquakes. |
| B．The importance of preparing for earthquakes. |
| C．The significance of developing the AI prediction. |
| D．The limitation of AI algorithms in earthquake prediction. |
| A．Conducting tests in different locations. |
| B．Applying the AI approach to other fields. |
| C．Building more earthquake stations in Texas. |
| D．Enlarging the database to train the calculation accuracy. |
| A．Stable but outdated. | B．Effective but costly. |
| C．Potential and economical. | D．Pioneering and promising. |
2 . As the shift from traditional farming to modern farming is progressing, the use of technology such as drones (无人机), robots and machinery has also begun, producing favorable results and increasing efficiency in the industry. A farmer from the Philippines, Rey Kent Dejesica, wanted to help and contribute to the agriculture industry. Through an advertisement, he saw DIAGRAS drones and was interested in the idea of drones being used for farm applications.
In the Philippines, when people think of farmers or agriculture, they usually picture long hours working in the sun. Farming is an onerous process, especially for young people, who like everything instant. “Rice and bananas are the primary sources of income in my city. I want to contribute to the agriculture industry in a way to reduce growers’ expenses and make the usage of pesticides (农药) more precise and efficient because I’ve seen how innovative individuals are and how they always find ways and methods to make tasks easier,” Rey Kent Dejesica said.
“Using drones as a sprayer (喷雾器) also lessens human labor. Besides that, we can obtain a bird’s-eye view of fields and spay crops precisely and effectively with drones,” Rey Kent Dejesica said. Moreover, farmers stated that the use of drones also minimized the Panama disease. “After we switched to drone technology, our field became more beautiful,” they added.
Agriculture is the main source of income for some Asian regions. Parts of Asia are now going through a rapidly aging farmer population and a fear of food shortage. That is why the youth must be part of the trade to ensure food security in the future. Advancements in agricultural technology such as drones can attract the youth back to the farming scene.
Armed with his knowledge of drone technology and having a positive attitude, Rey Kent sets an example for the next generation of farmers. May this be a stepping stone showing that farming is not something to be embarrassed about, but to be accepted through applying new technology.
1. Why was Rey Kent Dejesica interested in using drones for farming?| A．He was influenced by his parents. |
| B．He was doing experiments with drones. |
| C．He wanted farmers to stop using pesticides. |
| D．He aimed to use them to help the agricultural industry. |
| A．Simple. | B．Creative. | C．Heavy. | D．Dangerous. |
| A．Helpful. | B．Harmful. | C．Useless. | D．Funny. |
| A．The aging farmer population in Asia. | B．The importance of food security in the world. |
| C．The youth’s role in high-tech agriculture. | D．The advancements in agricultural technology. |
3 . Studies have shown that gardening and garden-based activities have positive impacts on childhood development, including better eating habits and stress relief.
Involve them from the very beginning
Take your kids to the store and give them options to pick from. This will allow them to select plants that they can handle and are appropriate for your home conditions. Then give them tasks suitable to their age. For example, younger kids can be assigned to water plants or just cut yellow and brown leaves.
Pick the perfect plant
To make sure your garden is a success, assess both your home environment and your kids’ attention span.
Instead, think about your goal: Growing something tasty? Filling your home with flowers? Then ask your kids to choose plants in their favorite colors.
Another way to get kids excited about gardening—and to raise lifelong nature lovers in the process—is to adopt eco-friendly methods. Seeds from ripe peppers or tomatoes can be saved and planted. Potato “eyes” can be planted and grow into potato plants.
Reuse household items as planting vessels (容器). Almost anything can be used as planters, from old food containers to kids’ toys.
| A．Above all, let them make mistakes |
| B．Use leftovers to feed hungry plants |
| C．Make gardens environment-friendly |
| D．Taking care of the plant is a great way to learn |
| E．Gardening may even help them become better science students |
| F．Just make sure that your planters will hold up in the environment |
| G．Don’t just pick up a plant because you like how it looks or the price is right |
4 . It is no secret that building a large language model（LLM）requires huge amounts of data. In conventional training, an LLM is fed mountains of texts and encouraged to guess each word before it appears. With each prediction, the LLM makes small adjustments to improve its chances of guessing right. The end result is something that has a certain statistical "understanding" of what is proper language and what isn't.
But an LLM that has only undergone this so-called "pretraining" is not yet particularly useful. When asked for a joke to cheer you up, for instance, the pretrained model GPT-2 just repeated the question back three times. Clearly, improved training methods have to be found.
Here comes the so-called Reinforcement Learning From Human Feedback（RLHF）, which normally involves three steps. First, human volunteers are asked to choose which of potential LLM responses might better fit a given situation. This process is repeated many thousands of times over. Then the final data set is used to train a reward model. Finally, the well-trained reward model is employed to train the original LLM. But this way of doing RLHF is quite complex and using two separate LLMs takes time and money.
It now turns out that the same result can be achieved with much less effort. Dr Rafailov and his colleagues, including Archit Sharma and Eric Mitchell, presented this alternative in December 2023 at an AI conference. Their method, Direct Preference Optimisation（DPO）, relies on a satisfying mathematical trick.
According to the authors, removing the middleman makes DPO between three and six times more efficient than RLHF, and capable of better performance at tasks such as text summarisation. Its ease of use is already allowing smaller companies to train their own models. "A year ago, only a few world-leading models, such as Google's Gemini and OpenAI's GPT-4, could afford to use RLHF, "says Dr Rafailov. "But as of March 12, eight out of the ten LLMs used DPO."
1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?| A．The applications of GPT-2. | B．The secret of building LLMs. |
| C．The process of pretraining. | D．The limitations of pretrained LLMs. |
| A．Expensive. | B．Efficient. | C．Useless. | D．Simple. |
| A．It has to use more LLMs. | B．It is much more popular than RLHF. |
| C．It is still too complex to use. | D．It is not cheap enough for small companies. |
| A．DPO, the Perfect LLM Training Method |
| B．The Development of Large Language Models |
| C．A Brief Introduction to LLM Training Methods |
| D．GPT-4, the Most Intelligent Large Language Model |
5 . Some civilizations record their pasts with art or books. Others pass on history through folk songs and dances. In Singapore, the story of how a ramshackle fishing village in Southeast Asia developed into a wealthy and modern country often comes in spoonfuls of peppery pork rib soup or bites of fried egg noodles at its hawker centers (小贩中心).
For visitors, hawker centers might just seem like food courts: Follow your nose or the longest line, then pay a few Singapore dollars for a plate of food to enjoy at a shared table. For Singaporeans, hawker culture is about more than just a good meal. These food centers are symbols of the country’s diversified culture. Hawker centers are so central to Singapore that the country recently led a successful campaign to have the practice listed as the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
To accommodate (容纳) Singapore’s diversified population, the government made sure the hawker centers included Malay, Indian, and Chinese store owners. “Hawker centers are likely the first places where people will try another ethnic group’s food,” says Chee Kien Lai, author of Early Hawkers in Singa pore. “They’re open to everyone. You can get Chinese food or try Indian cuisine and get connected to different cultures and religions.”
After Singapore’s rapid development in the 1970s and 80s, there was a sudden stop in the construction of hawker centers. Everybody was concentrating on becoming a knowledge-based society. By the time the government returned to building new hawker centers in 2011, many people wondered if there were enough people to carry on the tradition.
“Even though locals love eating at hawker centers, few are interested in running a small food shop themselves,” says Chee. “The cost of labor has gone up, with the younger, better-educated generation put off by the long hours and physical work the job requires. As aging hawkers retire, their recipes risk extinction.”
That’s one of the reasons that, in 2019, Singapore’s National Heritage Board put the hawkers forward for UNESCO recognition. “We need to make them our local cultural heroes,” says Tay.
1. Which is closest in meaning to the underlined word “ramshackle” in paragraph l?| A．Poor. | B．Big. | C．Unfriendly. | D．Pretty. |
| A．a means of passing on their history | B．an easy way to earn a living |
| C．symbols of being a modern country | D．just good places for cheap food |
| A．Singapore has a very diversified population. |
| B．Hawker centers declined shortly after the 1980s. |
| C．There is intense competition among the hawkers. |
| D．Young people enjoy working at the hawker centers. |
| A．The rising prices of food. | B．The high cost of labor in Singapore. |
| C．The disappearance of hawker centers. | D．A lack of customers for hawker centers. |
6 . It's a sunny March afternoon at Winchester Village Elementary School in Indianapolis, and teacher Natasha Cummings surprises her second graders when she declares the day's activity: They'll be demonstrating a total solar eclipse (日食) using the real sun, a globe and a moon made out of a plastic ball fixed on a stick.
In a grassy area outside the school, Cummings' eclipse experiment begins: Students take turns holding the globes and casting a shadow with their plastic balls. Cummings directs them to aim the shadow over the spot on the globe where Indianapolis would be. It's a little disorganized at first, but the students quickly figure out how to properly position the moon's shadow over their hometown.
On April 8, 2024, part of America will experience a total solar eclipse, in which the moon entirely covers the sun, darkening the sky so that only an amazing white ring of the sun will be visible. Indianapolis is one of several cities in the path of totality.
"For most of my students, this event is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity since the next one won't happen until 2153," Cummings says. "I hope learning about and witnessing the eclipse will get them excited about science. Above all, I want to show that science is not done by old, gray-haired people in lab coats, necessarily. Instead, it's all around us."
Thomas Hockey, a professor of astronomy at the University of Northern Iowa, says the fact that elementary school teachers like Cummings are now teaching about the eclipse is an indication that science education has improved since he was a child.
"I didn't learn about solar eclipses when I was in grade school, but I still remember my first eclipse experience outside my home in Angola, Indiana. It was on March 7, 1970, nearly a year after the Apollo program had put the first person on the moon, "Hockey recalls. "My interest in space was already developing. But the partial eclipse was one of the reasons I chose to study astronomy."
1. What does the author intend to do in paragraph 3?| A．Summarize the previous paragraphs. | B．Provide some advice for the readers. |
| C．Add some background information. | D．Introduce another topic for discussion. |
| A．To protect her students. | B．To try a new teaching method. |
| C．To learn about the eclipse. | D．To show that science is not mysterious. |
| A．He loved science when he was a child. | B．The Apollo program is more important. |
| C．He regrets never meeting a good teacher. | D．The eclipse experience is very inspiring. |
| A．A lesson plan. | B．A news report. |
| C．A guidebook. | D．An interview. |
7 . From the gardens of Iceland to the mountains of Nepal, here are four places to celebrate abundance and beauty in the natural world.
Keukenhof Gardens, the Netherlands
The Netherlands produces nearly 90% of the world's tulips, making it the unique destination for a wonderful spring experience. Cycle along the 25-mile Flower Route, where flower fields paint the countryside in bright colors. Travelers can also visit Keukenhof Gardens 16 miles southwest of Amsterdam. Considered the world's largest flower garden, Keukenhof features seven million flowering tulips from March to May.
Umm Qais, Jordan
Despite being 75% desert, Jordan's northern highlands burst with brightly colored flowers from March to May. Take a self-guided hike on one of the several ancient trails starting from the ruins of Umm Qais or hire a local guide who can offer cultural and historical context and help you identify wildflowers along the way, including Jordan's endangered national flower, the black iris.
Blue Ridge Mountains, North Carolina
Travelers can find a wealth of plant species in North Carolina's mountains—the most in any similarly sized area in North America. The best known may be the pink and purple rhododendrons that blanket the Blue Ridge Mountains in summer.
Numerous hiking trails leading to the amazing sights are just 30 miles from downtown Asheville. In June, travelers can take the hour-long drive from Asheville to Bakersville to enjoy the North Carolina Rhododendron Festival.
Ghorepani Poon Hill, Nepal
Travelling along the Ghorepani Poon Hill trek in spring offers breathtaking views of the country's iconic rhododendrons. March or April gives travelers the rhododendrons in full bloom, but November gives drier weather. Go with local Sherpa guides and cooks—it's part of the experience.
1. What is probably the best time to see the tulips in Keukenhof Gardens?| A．February. | B．April. | C．June. | D．November. |
| A．Jordan. | B．America. | C．Nepal. | D．The Netherlands. |
| A．They are surrounded by deserts. | B．They have the most plant species. |
| C．They offer unique ancient ruins. | D．They are known for the same flower. |
8 . Plastic is everywhere in our environment, especially in the ocean. Actually, a large amount of plastic waste is floating around the world’s oceans today, waiting to be eaten by some fish or oyster, and finally perhaps by one of us.
Because plastic wasn’t invented until the late 19th century, and its production only really took off around 1950, we have a mere 9.2 billion tons of the stuff to deal with. Of that, more than 6.9 billion tons have become waste. And of that waste, a surprising 6.3 billion tons never made it to a recycling bin. No one knows how much unrecycled plastic waste ends up in the ocean. In 2015, Jenna Jambeck, an engineering professor, caught everyone’s attention with a rough estimate: between 5.3 million and 14 million tons of plastic waste each year just come from coastal regions.
Meanwhile, ocean plastic is estimated to kill millions of marine (海洋的) animals every year. Nearly 700 species, including endangered ones, are known to have been affected by it. Some are stuck by abandoned things made of plastic. Many more are probably harmed invisibly. Marine species of all sizes, from zooplankton to whales, now eat microplastics. We are closely related to oceans so the consequences of throwing plastic away may return to affect us some day.
“This isn’t a problem where we don’t know what the solution is,” says Ted Siegler, a Vermont resource economist, “We know how to pick up garbage. Anyone can do it. We know how to deal with it. We know how to recycle.” It’s a matter of building the necessary systems, he says, ideally before the ocean turns into a thin soup of plastic.
1. What’s the function of the first paragraph?| A．To prove plastic was difficult to invent. | B．To tell us what marine animals like eating. |
| C．To call on us to protect marine animals. | D．To introduce the topic of the passage. |
| A．By listing figures. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By analyzing reasons. | D．By making comparisons. |
| A．results | B．functions | C．causes | D．aims |
| A．Some people don’t know the solution of plastics waste. |
| B．It’s time to take measures to deal with plastic waste. |
| C．Plastics will turn the ocean into a soup of plastic. |
| D．People should avoid using plastics to protect the ocean. |
9 . Dragons, a famous imaginary creature born from fantasy, are often present in stories in the west and east. In both cultures, dragons are recognized as massive creatures capable of flight. They have great power and magical abilities. However, due to their different cultural roots and images, there are significant differences in the different dragon elements in the west and east, particularly in China.
Chinese dragons most look like snakes, and have four claws (爪) and no wings. They often have features of other animals, including carp, tigers, and eagles. In the contrast, Western dragons look like huge lizards (蜥蜴) with big claws and large bat-like wings, and are often shown rough scales.
In traditional Chinese culture, a dragon is a symbol of luck, power and high position. They can cause weather changes and bring rainfall to the fields to ensure rich harvests. They are considered sacred creatures, which hold an important position as the head of the four spirits. Therefore, to symbolize their power, ancient Chinese emperors decorated their clothes with dragon patterns. These clothes are known as dragon robes. Many Chinese view the dragon as a national symbol, proudly referring to themselves as “descendants of the dragon”. In the west, however, a dragon symbolizes an evil creature that spreads violence and terror throughout the land. They are believed to be transformed by the devil (魔鬼), with the ability to breathe fire or spit poison. Many western tales show dragons being defeated and killed to protect people from danger.
Today, dragons continue to change, finding new significance in global culture. They are no longer connected with evil or good, but with their own unique personalities and motivations. For example, Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon begins as a dangerous dragon but changes into a misunderstood creature with love and kindness. This changes the idea of dragons as naturally evil, showing their both emotions and motivations.
1. What do western dragons and eastern dragons have in common?| A．They have rough skin. | B．They have big claws and wings. |
| C．They are in the shape of snakes. | D．They are huge and powerful. |
| A．Dragons are believed to make trouble in western culture. |
| B．Dragons in China can protect people from danger. |
| C．Chinese dragons can control rainfall and breathe fire. |
| D．Western dragons are a symbol of authority. |
| A．They are regarded as adventurous creatures. |
| B．They are closely linked with evil or good. |
| C．They have more various emotions and personalities. |
| D．They represent human spirits facing challenges. |
| A．The Origin of Dragons in Chinese History | B．The Dragon Elements in World Culture |
| C．The Magical Animals in Different Countries | D．The Images of Dragons in Western Traditions |
10 . Arsh believes in the importance of making the world a more beautiful place. The talented boy not only paints but also sells his artwork and donates the money.
It all started when his parents bought him a set of painting tools for his 8th birthday. Once he had his own materials, he began spending much of his free time putting color on his canvas. As Arsh’s paintings began to grow in number, he decided to give them as gifts to friends and family. Receiving a positive response from people around him, he soon realized his pieces had the potential to get much more than smiles and praise.
His light-bulb moment came shortly after: he would sell his artwork and donate the money to charity. His first plan was to raise $1,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which he accomplished in around nine months by selling his paintings on social media and at local art shows. Since then, he’s broadened his reach to benefit other organizations, including childhood cancer nonprofit Compass to Care and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He’s raised over $16,000 for charities so far.
Arsh’s artwork is often colorful and cheery, as one might expect from a youngster, but it showcases the impressive technique of a gifted artist. Some pieces are more abstract in nature; others feature realistic renditions (演绎) of flowers and animals. They range in size and complexity, and, accordingly, price. Small paintings might sell for $10 while larger canvases, up to five feet, have gone for $800.
Last year, Arsh won The Diana Award, an honor presented by a UK charity founded on Princess Diana’s belief that young people have the power to change their country. And the young artist has advice for other kids looking to make a difference. “Helping others doesn’t have to be, like, money or anything. It can be your time, your skills, your talent,” he says, “and overall, just be kind to other people to make their day better.”
1. What made Arsh interested in painting?| A．A birthday present from his parents. | B．His parents’ deep love for painting. |
| C．The encouragement of others around him. | D．His fascination with the beauty of nature. |
| A．To pay for his painting materials. | B．To get more attention from others. |
| C．To attract children’s interest in art. | D．To help those people who are in need. |
| A．His fundraising plan is going well. |
| B．He will turn his attention to his studies. |
| C．All his paintings sell at high prices now. |
| D．He is going to teach other children to paint for free. |
| A．Every child has a unique talent. |
| B．Everyone has the ability to help others. |
| C．Talent plays an important role in learning art. |
| D．Helping others is the responsibility of young artists. |
