1 . I used to be anorexic (厌食的). I was skeletal, each of my rib bones jutted out, like ridges on my body; my head, which looked abnormally huge, was barely supported by my backbone.
It would take an hour for me to eat a spoon of food. Should I attempt to eat to please my parents on teachers, I would lock myself in the toilet and throw up the food. I looked pale and weak all the time because of the lack of food. My family members were distressed. They cried a lot.
It all started when a boy in my class called me “fat” I was devastated. I adopted an extremely strict diet and exercise routine. I lost 10kg within three months and continued to lose more weight. I was absolutely obsessed about losing even more weight. One day, my heart rate dropped and I was breathless. I almost lost my life. That was when I decided to turn my life around.
Looking good is extremely important to a teenager. We want to look a certain way so we can be popular and accepted. We are attracted by well-toned and sculpted bodies. Now, with social media, we have access to a pool of photographs of people, whose bodies and appearances we admire. Those images make us envious. We long to be like them.
We're in danger when we start to hate the way we look and take drastic measures to attain the body we dream of having. These measures can lead to eating disorders, unrealistic and unhealthy exercise habits, low self-esteem and depression. Besides affecting the physical health, teenagers who are body conscious can also suffer from mental instability. They may plunge into despair, guilt and hopelessness if they are unable to keep up with their rigid exercise routines or eating habits. They can be emotionally fragile too. They become sensitive to comments made by others. They are ashamed of the way they look. If you are currently experiencing these feelings, seek help before itis too late.
It is important to feel confident and positive about your image and not subscribe to man-made standards of beauty, which will change with time. You are unique.
1. What can we infer about the author from the first two paragraphs?A.He developed a deadly disease. |
B.He was on an exceptionally strict diet. |
C.He was upset because of not achieving the goal. |
D.He was in bad condition due to food shortage. |
A.To look good. | B.To stay healthy. |
C.To satisfy his parents. | D.To disappoint the boy. |
A.Extreme. | B.Immediate. | C.Temporary. | D.Preventive. |
A.Be unique. | B.Seek beauty. |
C.Build your body. | D.Accept your body. |
2 . Medicine is not exclusively a human invention. Many other animals, from insects to birds to nonhuman primates, have been known to self-medicate with plants and minerals for infections and other conditions.
Behavioral ecologist Helen Morrogh-Bernard of the Borneo Nature Foundation has spent decades studying the island’s orangutans (猩猩) and says she has now found evidence they use plants in a previously unseen medicinal way.
During more than 20, 000 hours of formal observation, Morrogh-Bernard and her colleagues watched 10 orangutans occasionally chew a particular plant (which is not part of their normal diet) into a foamy lather (泡沫) and then rub it into their fur. The apes spent up to 45 minutes at a time massaging the mixture onto their upper arms or legs. The researchers believe this behavior is the first known example of a nonhuman animal using a topical painkiller.
Local people use the same plant Dracaena cantleyi, an unremarkable-looking plant with stalked leaves-to treat aches and pains. Morrogh-Bernard’s co-authors studied its chemistry. They added extracts (提出物) from the plant to human cells that had been grown in a dish and had been artificially stimulated to produce cytokines, an immune system response that causes inflammation (炎症) and discomfort. The plant extract reduced the production of several types of cytokines, the scientists reported the finding in a study published last November in Scientific Reports.
The results suggest that orangutans use the plant to reduce inflammation and treat pam. Such findings could help identify plants and chemicals that might be useful for human medications.
In creatures such as insects, the ability to self-medicate is almost certainly innate: woolly bear caterpillars infected with flies seek out and eat plant substances that are poisonous to the flies. But more complex animals may learn such tricks after an initial discovery by one member of their group.
For example, an orangutan may have rubbed the plant on its skin to try to treat parasites and realized that it also had a pleasant pain-killing effect. That behavior may then have been passed on to other orangutans. Because this type of-self-medication is seen only in south-central Borneo, Morrogh-Bernard says, it was probably learned locally.
1. What do we know about Dracaena cantleyi?A.It can serve as a pain killer. | B.It is orangutans normal diet. |
C.It is a plant with a foamy lather. | D.L can function as building materials. |
A.By studying the plant’s chemistry. | B.By observing apes eating the plant. |
C.By extracting cytokines from the plant. | D.By watching local people using the plant. |
A.Botanists can better understand plants. |
B.Scientists can find a new way to study apes. |
C.Doctors may have the power to cure more diseases. |
D.Drug companies may find new materials for medicine. |
A.Medicine is a human unique invention. | B.Plant extracts are the best to treat-pain. |
C.Humans and animals have a lot in common. | D.Insects have the natural ability to self medication. |
3 . All of us want to strive for perfection, don’t we? It could be submitting the perfect assignment or performing a flawless musical.
When people work as a team, the end product is more likely to be of better quality than if an individual produces it alone. There is a name for this-synergy (增效) . Now, how does synergy work?
In teamwork, there is much creativity.
A.Let’s turn to nature for inspiration. |
B.Let’s not wave away the chance to work in teams. |
C.Each member will contribute his expertise to benefit the team. |
D.However, this ideal circumstance is not always accomplished alone. |
E.The clownfish and sea anemone make a clever team in surviving the wild. |
F.Team members also offer unique perspectives before reaching an agreement. |
G.The clownfish and sea anemone make the ocean bed beautiful, don’t you agree? |
4 . Scientists have found a way to decode (解码) a stream of words in the brain using MRI scans and artificial intelligence. The system reconstructs the main point of what a person hears or imagines, rather than trying to copy each word, a team reports.“It’s getting at the ideas behind the words, the meaning, says Alexander Huth, an author of the study.”
Previous efforts to decode language have relied on sensors placed directly on the surface of the brain. The sensors detect signals in areas involved in expressing words. But the Texas team’s approach is an attempt to “decode more freeform thought,” says Marcel Just, a professor of psychology at Carnegie Mellon University.
The new study came about as part of an effort to understand how the brain processes language. Researchers had three people spend up to 16 hours each in a functional MRI scanner which detects signs of activity across the brain. Participants wore headphones that streamed audio from the Internet. Those streams of words produced activity all over the brain, not just in areas associated with speech and language. After participants listened to hours of stories in the scanner, the MRI data was sent to a computer. It learned to match specific patterns of brain activity with certain streams of words. Then came a paraphrased version of what a participant heard.
The MRI approach is currently slower and less accurate than an experimental communication system being developed for paralyzed people, where people get a sheet of electrical sensors implanted directly on the surface of the brain. With an MRI-based system, no one has to get surgery.
But future versions of MRI scans could raise moral questions. “What if you can read out the word that somebody is just thinking in their head? That’s potentially a harmful thing.” Huth says. This technology can’t really read minds uncontrollably, though. It only works when a participant is actively cooperating with scientists. Still, systems that decode language could someday support people who are unable to speak because of a brain injury or disease. They are also assisting scientists in understanding how the brain processes words and thoughts.
1. What is special about the Texas team’s study?A.Brain can be reconstructed. | B.Expression can be perfected. |
C.Meanings can be comprehended. | D.Sensor signals can be improved. |
A.The process of an experiment. | B.Patterns of brain activity. |
C.Steps of word matching. | D.The way of speech decoding. |
A.They are a double-edged sword. | B.They are potentially harmful to life. |
C.They are helpful to treat brain disease. | D.They are well worth researching. |
A.A Decoder That Can Read Your Mind | B.MRI Scanner: Raise a moral question |
C.MRI Scanner: Still a Long Way to Go | D.A Decoder That Can Convey Meaning |
5 . By the late 1960s, abstract painter Harold Cohen had represented Britain at important festivals with his oil paintings and was seeking a new challenge. “Maybe there are more interesting things going on outside my studio than inside it,” he thought. Cohen turned from the canvas (画布) to the screen, using computers to find new ways of creating art. In the late 1960s, he created a program that he named Aaron. It was the first artificial intelligence software in the world of fine art, and Cohen first presented Aaron in 1974 at the University of California, Berkeley. Aaron’s work has since graced museums from the Tate Gallery in London to the Sand Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Now, with AI dominating the headlines, a new exhibition at New York’s Whitney Museum of American Art,“Harold Cohen: Aaron,” running through June 2024, draws attention to Cohen’s pioneering work. The Whitney is offering something deeper than most previous Aaron exhibits: a real-time experience, in which visitors can watch the software produce art.
Cohen seeded Aaron with all sorts of knowledge: about basic objects, physics, and fundamental techniques of drawing. Aaron uses this knowledge to follow instructions, complete tasks, and make decisions like human beings - a very different approach from today’s generative AI art programs, which don’t draw from scratch (从头开始) but rather rely on databases of images. Versions of Aaron still generate output, but anything done after Cohen’s death in 2016 is not considered genuine.
The Whitney is showcasing two versions of Cohen’s software, along with the art that each produced before Cohen died. The 2001 version, Aaron KCAT, generates images of figures and plants and projects them onto a wall more than ten feet high, while the 2007 version produces jungle-like scenes. The software will also create art physically, on paper, for the first time since the 1990s. “It is absolutely thrilling,” said Christiane Paul, the museum’s director of digital art, “to have one of those remarkable treasures of digital art in the collection.”
1. What was Aaron born out of?A.Harold’s curiosity. | B.The museum’s donation. |
C.Cohen’s imagination. | D.The university’s support. |
A.Its ability to assign tasks. | B.Its use of modern techniques. |
C.Its capability to make choices. | D.Its dependence on existing database. |
A.See the original 1960s version of Aaron. | B.Generate images with the help of Aaron. |
C.Learn about the physical rules in art. | D.Observe Aaron creating art on the spot. |
A.The masterpieces of digital art. | B.A new show of the art world’s first AI. |
C.The latest technologies in the Whitney. | D.Harold Cohen’s impact on generative AI. |
6 . The high intelligence levels of orangutans (红毛猩猩) have long been recognised, partly due to their practical skills such as using tools to crack nuts and search for insects. But new research suggests the primate (灵长动物) has another handy skill: applying medicinal herbs intentionally to an open wound.
A male Sumatran orangutan known as Rakus was observed by the research team with a fresh facial wound in June 2022. Three days later, Rakus was witnessed feeding on the stem and leaves of a plant. Thirteen minutes after Rakus had started feeding on it, he began chewing the leaves without swallowing them, then used his fingers to apply the resulting juice directly on to his facial wound. He repeated this behavior for seven minutes and at last fully covered the wound with the chewed leaves. He then continued feeding on the plant for 30 minutes. Over the following days, there were no signs of infection. The wound closed within five days and was healed, with only a faint scar remaining after one month.
It is not the first time wild primate species have been spotted self-medicating: among other examples, Bornean orangutans have been seen rubbing their arms and legs with chewed leaves from a plant used by humans to treat sore muscles, while chimpanzees have been recorded chewing plants known to treat worm infections and applying insects to wounds. However, the new discovery is the first time a wild animal has been observed treating open wounds with a substance known to have medicinal properties. “In the chimpanzee case they used insects and unfortunately it was never found out whether these insects really promote wound healing. Whereas in our case, the orangutan used the plant, and this plant has known medical properties,” said Dr Caroline Schuppli, senior author of the research.
Rakus’s goal-oriented behavior and the medicinal properties of his chosen treatment offer insight into the origins of human wound care-the treatment of which was first mentioned in a medical manuscript dating to 2200BC. “It definitely shows that these basic cognitive capacities that you need to come up with a behaviour like this were present at the time of our last common ancestor most likely,” said Schuppli.
It remains unclear whether Rakus figured the process out for himself or learned it from another orangutan, although it has not been seen in any other individual.
1. How did the team conduct their research?A.By analyzing previous records. | B.By tracking the research object. |
C.By quoting others’ findings. | D.By categorizing qualities of primates. |
A.The primate’s awareness of herb selection. | B.The locations of the wild primates. |
C.The sizes of the application range. | D.The outcome of the treatment. |
A.Supporting evidence for the research results. |
B.Potential significance of the research findings. |
C.A further explanation of the research summary. |
D.A reasonable doubt about the research process. |
A.The origin of Rakus’ intentional self-medication. |
B.Different medicinal plants used by wild primates. |
C.Active wound treatment s shared by humans and primates |
D.The possible influence from Rakus’ family. |
7 . Some people today might be early risers because of DNA they take after Neanderthals tens of thousands of years ago, suggests new research.
When early humans migrated from Africa to Eurasia roughly 70,000 years ago, some of them mated with Neanderthals, who had already adapted to the colder, darker climates of the north. The ripple (涟漪) effects of that intermating still exist today: Modern humans of non-African ancestry (血统) have between 1 and 4 percent Neanderthal DNA. Some of that DNA relates to sleep more specifically, the internal body clock known as the circadian rhythm.
For the new study, researchers compared DNA from today’s humans and DNA from Neanderthal fossils (化石). In both groups, they found some of the same genetic variants involved with the circadian rhythm. And they found that modern humans who carry these variants also reported being early risers.
For Neanderthals, being “morning people” might not have been the real benefit of carrying these genes. Instead, scientists suggest, Neanderthals’ DNA gave them faster, more flexible internal body clocks, which allowed them to adjust more easily to annual changes in daylight. This connection makes sense in the context of human history. When early humans moved north out of Africa, they would have experienced variable daylight hours — shorter days in the winter and longer days in the summer-for the first time. The Neanderthals’ circadian rhythm genes likely helped early humans’ offspring (后代) adapt to this new environment.
Notably, the findings do not prove that Neanderthal genes are responsible for the sleep habits of all early risers. Lots of different factors beyond genetics can contribute, including social and environmental influences. The study also only included DNA from a database called the U.K. Biobank—so the findings may not necessarily apply to all modern humans. Next, the research team hopes to study other genetic databases to see if the same link holds true for people of other ancestries. If the findings do apply more broadly, they may one day be useful for improving sleep in the modern world, where circadian rhythms are disturbed by night shifts and glowing smartphones.
1. What does the new research focus on?A.DNA’s dramatic changes. | B.Genes’ influence on early risers. |
C.Neanderthals’ sleeping patterns. | D.Ancestors’ environmental adaptability. |
A.Historical context. | B.Additional proof. |
C.Sample analysis. | D.Studying process. |
A.Getting up earlier. | B.Having healthier daily routines. |
C.Being more flexible in their work. | D.Possessing a better circadian rhythm. |
A.They get proof from other studies. | B.They are confirmed by early risers. |
C.They suggest potential applications. | D.They reveal factors in sleeping disorders. |
8 . For eight years, Sophie created realistic-looking limbs (肢) for those who wanted to fit in. But she longed to work on more odd designs that would stand out. Then she met Pollyanna Hope, a young amputee (被截肢者).
“She wanted something a little different on her leg: pictures of a cartoon she loved, Peppa Pig,” said Sophie, who is now based in London. So she designed a unique leg covered in tattoo-like images of Peppa and other pigs riding a bicycle and eating ice cream. Working with Hope made Sophie realize there was a potential market for limbs.
Since then, Sophie founded the Alternative Limb Project (ALP) to make artistic limbs. Her work includes an arm wrapped in sculpted snakes and a leg that looks like porcelain (瓷器) covered in a painted flowery vine. She makes about six limbs per year, always including clients’ ideas so that they receive a personal piece they can celebrate rather than hide.
Of course, a fancy-looking limb won't suit everyone. For Sophie, the basis is that each limb must satisfy a combination of comfort, beauty and functionality, and pushing too hard in one direction can weaken other areas. But for amputees who appreciate novelty, Sophie has some amazing ideas.
“I’d really like to make a candy-dispenser leg with colorful candies inside it” she says. “Or a cuckoo-clock leg with a wooden bird that pops out every hour.” Her goal is to fashion a striking limb.
“It’ll transform the limbs from an elephant in the room into a conversation piece.”
1. Why did Pollyanna Hope come to Sophie?A.She hoped to have a tailored limb. |
B.She intended to design a cartoon figure. |
C.She longed to expand the market for limbs. |
D.She expected to sell Sophie some odd ideas. |
A.boost users’ confidence | B.sharpen users’ creativity |
C.improve Sophie’s sculpture skills | D.extend Sophie’s art business |
A.The novelty of the pattern tops the list. | B.The balance of multi-needs comes first. |
C.Fashion is the best policy. | D.Functionality is the key. |
A.Sophie resolves to lead the fashion of limbs. |
B.Sophie plans to further transform artistic limbs. |
C.Amputees will feel at ease to talk about limbs. |
D.Amputees will have easy access to artistic limbs. |
9 . Peru is prepared to approve new laws that would make it easier to investigate and punish researchers who engage in academic cheating, including paying to have their names added to a paper.
The move comes as Peru’s national science agency seeks to crack down on authorship buying and other dishonest practices. It recently removed two scientists accused of dishonest publications from a national registry that is key to receiving government sponsor, job promotions, and salary bonuses. And officials are investigating more than 170 other researchers at a Peruvian media report claimed were involved in academic misconduct, including 72 listed n the national registry who work at 14 universities in Peru.
The new laws will empower universities and government officials to punish such behavior. Dishonest publishing practices “transcend mere moral misbehavior” because they enable researchers to obtain government and private funding without telling the truth, says Edward Málaga Trillo, a member of Congress who is the driving force behind the bills, which lawmakers are expected to finalize early this year. “These individuals are operating academic cheating.”
Peru’s academic community has been struggling with a rising tide of false authorship and related problems. One cause, some researchers say, is a 2014 law that aimed to stimulate research by rewarding researchers who boost their publishing output. For example, under a scoring system used by universities, researchers can earn five points for authorship in a high-impact journal, and two points when the journal is lower impact. A massing points can bring bonus payments and career promotion.
Signs of dishonest publishing can be obvious, notes Nahuel Monteblanco, president of Cientificos. pe, a Peruvian group that investigates misconduct. Many of the papers cited by Punto Final have numerous co-authors from different nations with few prior publications on the same subject. “If your colleague consistently publishes 20 articles a year with co-authors from other countries, that’s highly suspect,” Monteblanco says.
1. What action did Peru take recently to address academic cheating?A.Fining 72 offenders for academic dishonesty. |
B.Disqualifying 2 scientists from a national registry. |
C.Punishing 170 researchers for academic misconduct. |
D.Withdrawing government fund from 14 universities. |
A.Change. | B.Strengthen. | C.Go beyond. | D.Approve of. |
A.It advocated a fair scoring system. | B.It applied to high-impact journals. |
C.It led to an increase in false authorship. | D.It aimed to punish dishonest publishing. |
A.career promotion | B.consistent research focus |
C.few citations by Punto Final | D.co-authors from various countries |
10 . Is forgiveness against our human nature? To answer our question, we need to ask a further question: What is the essence of our humanity? For the sake of simplicity, people consider two distinctly different views of humanity.
The first view involves dominance and power. In an early paper on the psychology of forgiveness, Droll (1984) made the interesting claim that humans’ essential nature is more aggressive than forgiving allows. Those who forgive are against their basic nature, much to their harm. In his opinion, forgivers are compromising their well-being as they offer mercy to others, who might then take advantage of them.
The second view involves the theme of cooperation, mutual respect, and even love as the basis of who we are as humans. Researchers find that to fully grow as human beings, we need both to receive love from and offer love to others. Without love, our connections with a wide range of individuals in our lives can fall apart. Even common sense strongly suggests that the will to power over others does not make for harmonious interactions. For example, how well has slavery worked as a mode of social harmony?
From this second viewpoint of who we are as humans, forgiveness plays a key role in the biological and psychological integrity of both individuals and communities because one of the outcomes of forgiveness, shown through scientific studies, is the decreasing of hate and the restoration of harmony. Forgiveness can break the cycle of anger. At least to the extent the people from whom you are estranged (不和的) accept your love and forgiveness and are prepared to make the required adjustments. Forgiveness can heal relationships and reconnect people.
As an important note, when we take a classical philosophical perspective, we see the distinction between potentiality and actuality. We are not necessarily born with the capacity to forgive, but instead with the potential to learn about it and to grow in our ability to forgive. The actuality of forgiving, in real situations, develops with practice.
1. What is Droll’s idea about forgiveness?A.People should offer mercy to others. |
B.Aggressive people should learn to forgive. |
C.Forgiveness depends on the nature of humanity. |
D.People who forgive can have their own welfare affected. |
A.To fight is to grow. | B.To give is to receive. |
C.To forgive is to abuse. | D.To dominate is to harm. |
A.Favorable. | B.Reserved. | C.Objective. | D.Skeptical. |
A.Forgiveness is in our nature. | B.Forgiveness grows with time. |
C.It takes practice to forgive. | D.Actuality is based on potentiality. |