1 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

Sora: OpenAl will now let you create videos from verbal cues

Artificial intelligence leader OpenAI introduced a new AI model called Sora which it claims can create “realistic” and “imaginative” 60-second videos from quick text instructions. In a blog post on Wednesday, the company said Sora is capable of generating videos up to 60 seconds in length from text instructions,     1     (serve) up scenes with multiple characters, specific types of motion, and detailed background details.

This is the latest effort from the company behind the viral chatbot ChatGPT,     2     continues to push the generative AI movement forward.     3     “multi-modal models” are not new and text-to-video models already exist, what sets this apart is the length and accuracy that OpenAI claims Sora to have, according to Reece Hayden, a senior analyst at market research firm ABI Research. Hayden said these types of AI models     4     have a big impact on digital entertainment.

Sora     5     (make) available to online security professors soon in order to assess the product for harms or risks. It is also granting access to a number of visual artists, designers and filmmakers to collect feedback on     6     creative professionals could use it.

For now, OpenAI said Sora is still a work     7     progress with clear “weaknesses,” particularly when it comes to spatial details of a prompt-mixing up left and right-and cause and effect. The latest update comes as OpenAI continues to advance ChatGPT. Earlier this week, the company said it is testing a feature in which users can control ChatGPT’s memory, allowing them to ask the platform to remember chats to make future conversations     8     (personalized) or tell it to forget something previously     9     (discuss). The company also said it plans to work with a team of experts     10     (test) the latest model and look closely at various areas including misinformation,hateful content and prejudice.

2 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.
A Sip Through Time: The Rich History of Chai

No doubt you’ve enjoyed a delicious chai latte at your local coffee shop, but do you know where your drink comes from? Chai, an aromatic beverage enjoyed worldwide, has a history as rich and diverse as its flavour profile.     1     (originate) from the Indian subcontinent, chai has evolved over centuries. In this journey through time, we explore the fascinating history of chai.

We can trace the roots of chai back to ancient India. The earliest form of chai was     2     mixture of herbs and spices. As trade routes flourished, so     3     the exchange of exotic spices, which eventually found their way into this ancient medicine.

The Silk Road played a core role in the evolution of chai. The spices used in chai became valuable commodities     4     (trade) along these routes, influencing the recipes and flavours of local brews.

In the 19th century, the British East India Company wanted to establish dominance in the trade. Part of this involved     5     (bring) tea to India. Tea plants had been growing in the wild in the Assam region of India for a long time, of course, but typically tea was viewed as a herbal medicine rather than a recreational beverage.

The East India Company introduced tea to India as a recreational drink, and soon the drink was adapted to Indian tastes,     6     milk, sugar and various spices added. This cultural exchange gave birth to a unique fusion—masala chai.

After India’s independence, chai became deeply rooted in the land. Street vendors and small tea stalls became cultural hubs     7     people from all walks of life gathered to discuss politics, share stories, and savour a hot cup of chai. Chai’s accessibility and affordability made     8     a democratic beverage, breaking down social barriers and fostering a sense of community.

In recent decades, chai has gone beyond its cultural origins and become a global phenomenon. Its distinctive flavour profile, combining the richness of black tea with the warmth of spices and milk,     9     (capture) the taste buds of people around the world. Chai latte has become a popular choice in coffee shops and cafes, adapting to different tastes     10     maintaining the essence of its Indian heritage at the same time.

3 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

First published on October 15, 1952, “Charlotte’s Web” is a popular children’s book written by well-known American author E. B. White and     1    （illustrate）by Garth Williams that deals with themes of the nature of friendship, loss, fate, acceptance, and renewal. The story centers on a pig named Wilbur and the unlikely but deep friendship     2     shares with an uncommonly talented spider named Charlotte.

While it’s normal in the course of events on a farm for pigs     3    （kill）when they reach a certain size and age, clever Charlotte works out a scheme to keep Wilbur from his fate by weaving words into her web to create what amounts to a one-pig publicity campaign. By promoting Wilbur to celebrity status, Charlotte ultimately saves him     4     his date with the butcher’s knife.

The ending of the “Charlotte’s Web” is bittersweet, however,     5     while Wilbur survives, Charlotte does not. But even Charlotte’s passing is a lesson-for Wilbur and those reading his story-about the nature of death and renewal.

Death and destiny are both themes that the book explores. While Charlotte is willing to help Wilbur avoid a destiny that’s being imposed on him by outside forces beyond his control, she also understands that some fates are inevitable: All living creatures are born,     6    （have）a life cycle, and die. Charlotte accepts her role in this natural circle without regret.

Charlotte helps Wilbur realize that immortality is not about living forever, but rather,     7    （ensure）that new generations will follow. She also helps him understand that love and friendship are not fixed in quantity. While we may lose a friend, new friendships can come along, not as replacements for     8     we’ve lost, but as blessings to build on what we’ve learned.

“Charlotte’s Web” got its inspiration from true experiences that author E. B. White had on his farm in Maine,     9     he penned the book and lived until his death in 1985．While the author claims that the book     10     never be considered a moral tale, certain messages related to moral principles, or rights and wrongs, are obviously established in “Charlotte’s Web”.

4 . 阅读下列短文，根据短文内容或括号内所给词的恰当形式填空。

How sneaker culture took over the world

Sneakers have come a long way from when they were first invented in 1860s England for the upper-class playing croquet (槌球) and tennis.

Long worn for function     1     fashion, today sneakers have become an entire culture—both a form of self-expression and a high art found in museum exhibits and designer auction houses.

    2     transformed sneaker culture into a true phenomenon was the 1985 release of Nike’s Air Jordan 1s. In 1984, Michael Jordan was a talented rookie who had yet to play in a professional game.     3     that, Nike saw Jordan as the future of their brand, signing him to a five-year, $2.5 million endorsement (代言) deal.     4     Jordan matured into one of the greatest basketball players of all time, the sneaker’s popularity skyrocketed.

Meanwhile, another cultural shift     5     (take) place with casual Fridays introduced in white-collar businesses. It was when men were allowed to put aside their suits and wear something one day a week that showed people who they really were.

As sneakers became increasingly desired, footwear companies turned to     6    (generate) even more publicity by collaborating with celebrities and luxury brands, as well as releasing small batches of limited-edition shoes with eye-pop ping designs.

Celebrities also started their collaborations with sneaker brands, which helped target a whole new demographic of people to experience sneaker culture. It was a blending of high and low fashion,     7     the shoe industry has never really seen before. A pair that Jordan wore in his legendary final NBA season     8     (sell) even for $2.2 mllion, making them the most expensive sneakers ever to appear at auction.

By the mid-2010s, speakers     9     (become) solid gold status symbols. Wearing rare and cool sneakers became an expression of one’s social status. But not until recently, sneakers are finally getting their due as part of our cultural heritage—and particularly how Black culture has shaped that heritage. It took decades for the sneaker industry to recognize that     10     these Black athletes or artists that championed their products, there would be no sneaker culture.

6 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

Recreating Childish Drawings

Five art galleries have invited a man to exhibit recreations inspired by a series of artworks drawn by his four-and-a-half-year-old daughter.

The father    1    family name is Jin, from Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province,gained popularity for reproducing his daughter's childish drawings over a month-long period. Jin said he had spent time     2    (inspire) his girl to practice drawing. “    3    she was very little, I've been telling her that she is a painter. That's why she then fell madly in love with drawing," Jin told Star Video. He said both he and his wife never forced their daughter to paint but always praised the drawings she had produced.

Jin said it became clear that his daughter got a lot of fun and pleasure from drawing. At one point she drew a little girl     4    (dress) in red. He liked it so much    5    he immediately had the idea of recreating and adapting her artwork. “I was too obsessed (痴迷的) to stop     6    (recreate) her drawing," Jin said. Within a month, he turned the ears on the girl's head in the drawing into a variety of forms including ribbons moving with the wind, a heart shape, and a scarf. He also created different images for the girl, for example, an elegant but icy lady and a mysterious stranger    7    an indifferent (漠不关心的) facial expression.

Jin realized the potential they might have only after some of his adapted creations     8    (share) on the internet. "Five art galleries reached out to me to invite me     9    (launch) exhibitions," Jin said. He added that his artworks were in hot demand, and he     10    (choose) one from the five galleries soon. He hopes the gallery will provide a good place where his recreated artworks can be displayed.

7 . Directions: Read the following two passages. Fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper from of the given word. For the other blanks, fill in each blank with one proper word. Make sure that your answers are grammatically correct.

It’s a Friday morning in Boston, which means Dr. Jim O’Connell is making his rounds. He might be more comfortable inside an exam room, but that’s not where his patients are. O’Connell is one of a handful of physicians making house calls to the homeless in the city.

More than 550,000 Americans are homeless, and many have health problems but no access to care. O’Connell and his team,     1     (make) up of psychiatrists, internists, a nurse practitioner, a case manager, and a recovery coach, are doing something about it. They spend their days walking around     2     the homeless live—in parks, under bridges, and on the outskirts of town. They treat about 700 regular patients. During these rounds, O’Connell     3     usually sees about 20 patients. He knows where most of them sleep and whom to ask     4     they are missing. “I feel like I’m a country doctor in the middle of the city, you know?” he said.

O’Connell went to Harvard Medical School and was on his way to a prestigious oncology (肿瘤学) fellowship when his chief suggested he     5     (take) what was supposed to be a one-year position as the founding physician of a new health-care program for Boston’s homeless. That turned into a 33-year career at the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, one of the country’s     6     (large) of its kind.

“You realize, ‘You know what, I’m just a doctor. And what I can do is I can get to know you and ease your suffering, just     7     I would as an oncologist,’” O’Connell said. “You could not find     8     more grateful population.”

And his patients are grateful. “This man is unbelievable!” one remarked. “He’s like Jesus,” another added.

When asked about     9     his life might have turned out had he become a highly paid oncologist, O’Connell said, “I never think about it anymore.” Some things are more valuable than money. Just ask the man     10     gets everything from patients with nothing material to give.

8 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passages coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

Vertical Farms: Is the sky really the limit?

At a hyper-controlled indoor farm in industrial South San Francisco, four robots carefully transfer seeds from barcoded trays into 4.5-meter towers that then are hung vertically (垂直地) inside a 445 sq metre grow room. Workers in branded jumpsuits     1     (inspect) the greens for imperfect produce, but there is almost     2    . Then the pesticide-free product is packaged and put on a truck     3     (deliver) to a local market where the customer becomes the first person to touch it. With the world’s population expected to reach nearly 10 billion by 2050, most of     4     will be living in cities, experts say a 70% increase from current levels of global food production will be needed. But agricultural land is     5     short supply thanks to the climate crisis and urbanization.

Indoor farming raised more than $1 bn in 2021, exceeding the combined funding in 2018 and 2019. But critics say the massive energy costs     6    (need) to run vertical farms and greenhouses make the practice far less eco-friendly than their branding suggests.

Designed to produce yields hundreds of times larger than traditional outdoor farming, vertical farms occupy spaces such as buildings or shipping containers while using 70 to 95% less water     7     they can recapture and recycle rather than waste it due to poor irrigation (灌溉) or evaporation. Products are fully traceable from seed to shelf, stay fresher longer and there’s little risk of bacteria, infected animal faces (粪便) or     8    (have) to transport them long distances in trucks and planes.

Entrepreneurs like Irving Fain, CEO and founder of Manhattan-based Bowery Farming, say that they’re gathering knowledge about plant growth and agronomy (农学) that     9     take traditional farmers outdoors hundreds of years to accumulate. The possibilities raised by vertical farms have also captured the imagination of a number of large venture capitalists and private equality funds. “While it is still too early to tell     10     these high-tech, high-rise growing machines will become a real estate asset class in their own right, some investors are starting to take a serious look at vertical farming as a possible new asset category.” said Fain.