1 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. empowers          B. termed                 C. interaction          D. implications       E. advances   F. question                       G. obtained             H. additionally       I. pressure                  J. currently             K. defining

A New Era of Creative Partnerships

In a new paper in a Nature Human Behavior special issue on AI, researcher Janet Rafner from Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies and Center for Hybrid Intelligence at Aarhus University and Prof. Jacob Sherson, director of the Center for Hybrid Intelligence, together with international partners, discuss research and societal       1     of creativity and AI.

The team of researchers argue that we should direct our attention to understanding and developing co-creativity, the interaction between humans and machines towards what is       2     a human-centered AI and hybrid intelligence.   In this way we will be able to develop interfaces(界面) that at the same time ensure both high degrees of automatization through AI and human control and hereby supporting a relationship that best    3     each other.

Rafner comments: To date, most studies on human-AI co-creativity come from the field of human-computer     4     and focus on the abilities of the AI, and the interaction design and dynamics.

While these       5     are key for understanding the dynamics between humans and algorithms(算法) and human attitudes towards the co-creative process and product, there is an urgent need to enrich these applications with the insights about creativity     6     over the past decades in the psychological sciences.

“Right now, we need to move the conversation away from questions like Can AI be creative? One reason for this is that    7     creativity is not set in stone. When investigating human only, machine only, and human-AI co-creativity, we need to consider the type and level of creativity under       8    , from everyday creative activities that are perhaps more suitable to machine automatization to contributions that may require higher-level human intervention;     9    , it is much more meaningful to consider some questions like, what are the similarities and differences in human cognition, behavior, motivation and self-efficacy(自我效能) between human-AI co-creativity and human creativity?”explains Rafner.

We,     10    , don’t know enough about co-creativity between humans and machines, because the line between humans and artificial intelligence isn’t always clear. Looking ahead, researchers should balance predictive accuracy with theoretical understanding, towards the goal of developing intelligent systems to both measure and enhance human creativity.

2 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. flooded   B. leaps   C. increasingly   D. combines   E. reflects   F. emphasizing G. pioneering   H. crafted   I. technical   J. unexpectedly   K. classic

Chinese animations (动画) are booming

The “Black Cat Delective”, released 40 years ago, was a childhood favorite for many Chinese. Since then, Chinese cartoons have come a long way. While “Black Cat Detective” was simply drawn, current cartoons feature     1     advances and fascinating plots. One example is “Boonie Bears: Time Twist”, a family-friendly adventure released in February, with smooth animation reminding us of Pixar, a     2     animation studio now owned by Disney.

These recent     3     in quality have enabled Chinese cartoons to succeed at the domestic box office. “Ne Zha: Birth of the Demon Child” was the most well-received film in China in 2019,    4     beating out “Avengers: Endgame ”, a superhero movie by Marvel Studios.

In the 1960s, China’s animation industry saw a big downturn as American and Japanese films     5     into the Chinese market, dominating both domestic television and cinema screens. As a result, Chinese animators     6     began to work for western studios. However, things changed in 2015 with the release of “Monkey King: Hero is Back”, a breakthrough for Chinese animation. This film, based on the timeless     7     “Journey to the Wes/”, signaled a new era of creativity and success in the industry. The main character, the Monkey King, is depicted(刻画) as going through a mid-life crisis, which     8     the director’s view that cartoons are not just for children.

Light Chaser Animation, a Beijing-based studio, has contributed to the popularity of cartoons in China. Its production “30,000 Miles from Chang’ an”     9     elements of Chinese culture, history, and legends with aesthetic(美学的) feeling of Tang dynasty poetry. Indeed, traditional themes are widespread among successful Chinese animations,    10     the importance of traditional culture as a foundation for Chinese animation. Like other industries, cartoons in China are inspired by Western innovations but with added “Chinese characteristics”.

3 . Directions:   Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. emerge          B. absorbing            C. subject          D. defining          E. movement F. originally       G. course            H. universally        I. happens        J. constant       K. corresponds

How Long Is a Second?

The length of a second depends on how you’re measuring it. There are 24 hours in a day, 60 minutes in an hour, and 60 seconds in a minute — so surely a second is 1/86400, of a day, right? Well, it turns out that     1     time isn’t that simple.

“The second was     2     based on the length of the day,” Peter Whibberley, a senior scientist at the National Physical Laboratory in the U.K., told Live Science. “People observed the sun passing overhead and started measuring its     3     using sundials (日晷). However, sundials have a few disadvantages. Aside from the obvious problem of not being able to read a sundial when the sun isn’t visible, relying on Earth’s daily turning is surprisingly inaccurate. “The turning is not precisely     4    ,” Whibberley said. “The Earth speeds up and slows down over time.” So how can we precisely measure time if using the length of a day is so unreliable?

In the 16^th century, people turned to technological solutions to this problem, and the first recognizable mechanical clocks began to     5    . The earliest mechanical clocks, which were designed to click at a specific frequency, averaged over the     6     of a year.

By around 1940, quartz crystal clocks (石英钟) had become the new gold standard. However, problems arose, and this was where atomic clocks came in. “Atoms exist only in particular energy states and can only change from one state to another by     7     or giving out a fixed amount of energy,” Whibberley explained. “That energy     8     to a precise frequency, so you can use that frequency as a reference for time keeping.” The astronomical second continued to vary. Every few years, scientists must add a second to allow Earth’s slowing turning to keep up with atomic time.

In fact, scientists are discussing whether it’s time to redefine the second again. But while several important questions still need to be answered before this     9    , it’s clear that the strictly correct definition of a second is     10     to change.

4 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. conservation       B. relocate       C. momentarily       D. program       E.   critical      F. initiative       G. ensure              H. permanently        I. additional       J. reserve        K. unexpected

A team of scientists led by Alejandro Arteaga, grantee of The Explorers Club Discovery Expeditions and researcher at Khamai Foundation, discovered three new cryptozoic (living underground) snakes dwelling under graveyards (墓地) and churches in remote towns in the Andes region of Ecuador.

It was an exploration that led to the most     1    of places.

First published in the journal, Zookeys, Arteaga and his team named the small brown color-patterned snakes in honor of institutions or people supporting the exploration and    2     of remote cloud forests in the tropics.

The Discovery Ground Snake (Atractus discovery) was found underground in a small graveyard. Two     3    new species were found near an old church and inside a small school. Destruction of the snake’s native forest habitat may have forced them to     4     to these people-less areas according to Arteaga’s findings.

Atractus discovery was named to honor The Explorers Club Discovery Expedition Grants     5    , a program seeking to foster scientific understanding for the betterment of humanity and all life on Earth and beyond. The grant program supports researchers and explorers from around the world in their quest to ease the climate change crisis, prevent the extinction of species and cultures, and    6    the health of the Earth and its inhabitants.

Atractus zgap was named in honor of the Zoological Society for the Conservation of Species and Populations (ZGAP), a(n)     7     seeking to conserve unknown but highly endangered species and their natural environment.

Atractus michaelsabini was named in honor of Michael Sabin, grandson of American philanthropist and conservationist Andrew Sabin. Through conservation organization Re:wild, the Sabin family has supported field research of threatened reptiles and has protected thousands of acres of     8     habitat throughout the world.

“The discovery of these new snakes is only the first step towards a much larger conservation project,” says Arteaga. “We have already started the process of establishing a nature     9     to protect the ground snakes. This action would not have been possible without first unveiling the existence of these unique and cryptic reptiles, even if it meant     10     disturbing the peace of the dead in the graveyard where they lived.”

5 . 短语填空

refer to; ups and downs; date back (to...); point of view; relate to; lead to; be connected with; play an important role in; Chinese calligraphy; bridge the gap between us

1. Although she didn’t mention any names, everyone knew who she was ________.
2. Fluency in a second language cultivates an ability to see things from another person’s ________.
3. The traditional friendship between our two peoples ________ ancient days.
4. Your talk show can cover anything ________ English, or what school life is like in your country.
5. There is no denying that music ________ our daily life.

6 . 短语填空

in ruins; in shock; on hand; dig out; in the open air; sweep away come to an end; first aid kit; be trapped in; as usual

1. Jogging, walking and cycling ________ are good ways to make you energetic.
2. Everyone was in shock, thinking the world must be ________.
3. He wants to see me now, but I have so much work ________ that I would rather he came tomorrow than today.
4. Their houses were ________ by the flood, so they had to build new ones.
5. It is no wonder that the whole building is now ________; it caught so big a fire last night.

7 . 选词填空

in addition;   in addition to

1. ________________, the way that toddlers demonstrate that they like other children is markedly different from what adults think of as expressions of friendship.
2. ________________ learning about the past, history teaching can help students to think for themselves.

8 . 选词填空

fall in love with     have an impact on     be absorbed in sth/sb       set sth up     try out for     in addition (to sb/sth)     from (then) on     get through       for the first time     on one’s own

1. To get us interested in Chinese calligraphy, the club, ________________in our school, is looking for new members.
2. I’ve been trying to make a phone call for nearly 10 minutes and I just can’t ________________．
3. ________________, being “the lungs of our planet”, oceans provide most of the oxygen we breathe.
4. I ________________a voluntary activity for the first time, which proved a rewarding experience.
5. Though it was the first time that I had visited the old town, I ________________ it immediately.

9 . 短语填空

apply for;   take control of;   make up;   other than;   check in;   check out;   can’t wait to do sth;   package tour;   be known as;   credit card

1. There are more than two million farmers, ________ two thirds of the total population of the province.
2. The twins are learning in June, but ________that，they'll have fun traveling.
3. Please ________ at least an hour before the plane takes off.
4. Students are encouraged to ________their own learning, rather than depending on their teacher.
5. If you want to ________ the job, you must make good preparations for it seriously ahead of schedule.

10 . 短语填空

come along; work out; make it; set a good example; fall apart; lose heart; give up; make sense; pretend to do sth; make a difference; rather than; cut...out; now and then; compare...with/to...

1. Parents should behave well to ________________ to their children.
2. Regardless of what difficulties I will meet with on my way to success, I will never ________________ and go all out for my dream.
3. To ________________the difficult maths problem, I have consulted Professor Russell several times.
4. After all, it is our joint efforts that ________________ to the environment protection.
5. What the headmaster said on the importance of receiving education at the meeting ________________.
6. Last but not least, it is the inner beauty ________________ our appearance that makes us respectable.