1 . As artificial-intelligence products steadily improve at pretending to be human — an AI produced voice that books restaurant reservations by phone, for example, or a chat robot that answers consumers’ questions online people will increasingly be put in the worrying situation of not knowing whether they are talking to a machine. But the truth may make such products less effective: recent research finds a trade-off between transparency (透明度) and cooperation in human-computer interactions.

The study used a simple game in which paired players make a series of decisions to cooperate with or betray their partner. In the long run, it pays for both to keep cooperating. The researchers used an Al product, when pretending as a person, which was better than people are at getting human partners to cooperate. But previous work suggested people tend to disbelieve machines, so the scientists wondered what would happen if the robot revealed itself as such.

The team hoped people playing with a known robot would recognize its ability to cooperate and would eventually overcome their disbelief. “Sadly, we failed at this goal,” says Talal Rahwan, a computer scientist at New York University in Abu Dhabi and a senior author on the paper, published last November in Nature Machine Intelligence. “No matter what the robot did, people just stuck to their prejudice.” A robot playing openly as a robot was less likely to get cooperation than another human, even though its strategy was clearly more beneficial to both players. In an additional experiment, players were told, “data suggest that people are better off if they treat the robot as if it were a human.” It had no effect.

Virginia Dignum, who leads the Social and Ethical Artificial Intelligence group at Umea University in Sweden and was not involved in the study, praises the researchers for exploring the transparency effectiveness trade-off, but she would like to see it tested in a different setup.

Talal’s team said that in the public field, people should be asked for agreement to be deceived (欺骗) about a robot’s identity. It cannot be on an interaction-by-interaction basis, or else the “deception” obviously will not work. But overall permission for deception still raises ethical quandaries (困境). Dignum says humans should have the option to know after they have interacted with a robot — but if she is calling customer service with a simple question, she adds, “I just want to get my answer.”

1. The underlined word “trade-off” is closest in meaning to            .

A．distinguishing

B．balancing

C．switching

D．combining

2. According to the passage, what attitude do people generally take towards robots?

A．Positive.

B．Casual.

C．Uncertain.

D．Distrustful.

3. What can be inferred about the research findings from the third paragraph?

A．They fail to support the team’s assumption.

B．They are different from the previous findings.

C．They will draw people’s attention to robots’ problems.

D．They can explain why people treat a robot like a human.

4. According to the passage, what is Virginia Dignum most likely to agree with?

A．Tall Rahwan’s research findings can’t apply to the real-world situations.

B．Overall permission for interacting with a robot does more harm than good.

C．People needn’t be told that they are interacting with a robot on all occasions.

D．The relationship between transparency and effectiveness has been fully explored.

3 . Is there a link between social media and depression?     1     It’s complicated.

Sometimes, looking through Instagram just makes you feel bad. You try not to envy your friends, but they always seem to be traveling somewhere cool, eating something fancy, or looking cute in perfect just- rolled- out- of- bed hair.     2     Clearly, social media isn’t all bad.

    3     Things like cyberbullying (网上欺凌), screen addiction, and being exposed to endless filtered images (美颜) that make it impossible not to make comparisons between yourself and others often make the news. In July, a big study came out in the journal JAMA titled “Association of Screen Time and Depression in Adolescence.” This big headline seems to confirm what a lot of people have been saying —     4    

The study followed over 3,800 adolescents over four years as part of a drug and alcohol prevention program. Part of what the investigators measured was the teens’ amount of screen time, including time spent on social media, as well as their levels of depression symptoms.     5     That was true both when the researches compared between people and compared each person against their own mental health over time.

A．Screen time is horrible for young people.

B．Is there anyone in your family who uses stamps?

C．Social media is a valuable way to cope with stress.

D．Do Facebook and Instagram have a negative impact on your mental health?

E．There are also times when you laugh at funny memes and catch up with old friends.

F．They found those who used social media more had higher depression scores.

G．However, people are increasingly suspecting the potential problems of social media.

4 . The outstanding biography portrays (刻画) the life of the complicated Renaissance (文艺复兴) artist with details. We come to see da Vinci as not only an inventor of music al instruments and early flying machines, but also a notebook keeper and vegetarian, who had trouble finishing many of the projects and paintings he started.

Yet what is most thrilling is getting to know da Vinci the scientist. Isaacson explains how loving science and applying the scientific method to observing the world was really what made da Vinci a great artist and, Isaacson argues, a genius. Da Vinci was fascinated with observing and understanding phenomena in nature. He wanted to know about everything around him, in minute detail, Isaacson writes. He wondered about questions “most people over the age of ten no longer puzzle about”— for instance, how the tongue of a woodpecker works.

To learn about the world, da Vinci combined his own observations with experimentation. Never formally schooled, “he preferred to induce (归纳) from experiments rather than deduce (推理) from theoretical principles.” Isaacson explains. He recorded his observations, looked for patterns among them, and then tested those patterns through additional observation and experimentation.

When he became fascinated with the idea that he could invent flying machines, he observed various birds and filled notebooks with the function and speed at which their wings flapped. That’s why Isaacson calls da Vinci an exemplar of this scientific method. He goes on: “Galileo, born 112 years after Leonardo, is usually credited with being the first to develop this kind of approach and is often regarded as the father of modern science.” There can be no doubt that this honor would have been bestowed (赠与) on Leonardo da Vinci had he published his scientific writings during his lifetime.

Da Vinci’s emphasis on empirical observation also helped him improve his art. First, he was able to use what he learned from looking at nature to paint and draw. His studies of the body, animals, motion, shadow and light, perspective and proportion helped him better understand what he was seeing in front of him, and render(表现) it in art more accurately and finely than anyone else of his time. Most importantly, his ability to connect art and science, helped him innovate in his work. Da Vinci made surprisingly diverse series of discoveries, including conceptualizing the helicopter and solar power and advancing knowledge about everything from the reproductive organs to botany. This genius is also what drew Isaacson to Albert Einstein and Steve Jobs as subjects: They’ re all innovators who were inspired by and drew connections between art and science.

“Leonardo da Vinci is the ultimate example of the main theme of my previous biographies: how the ability to make connections across disciplines — arts and sciences, humanities and technology — is a key to innovation, imagination, and genius,” Isaacson writes. And this wonderful book is a reminder, in a time of increasingly narrow specialization and focus, that the methods of Renaissance men like da Vinci are as relevant as ever.

1. What is the highlight of da Vinci’s biography?

A．His unfinished paintings.	B．His preference for vegetables.
C．His spirit of exploring science.	D．His opposition to formal education.

2. Why does Isaacson mention Galileo in the book?

A．To introduce his important findings in science.

B．To illustrate the significance of da Vinci’s research method.

C．To show the challenges faced by da Vinci during his lifetime.

D．To memorize his contributions as the father of modern science.

3. Which of the following statements is true?

A．Da Vinci improved his art and drew more accurately by painting mostly in the natural world.

B．The methods of Renaissance men like da Vinci can still apply to contemporary scientific research.

C．Albert Einstein and Steve Jobs are as famous as da Vinci for combining art with science.

D．Da Vinci failed to publish his scientific writing because the scientific method was inaccessible at that time.

4. What might be the best title for the passage?

A．How a Genius Changed the World	B．The Features of Renaissance Art
C．How Science Shaped His Art	D．The Comparison between Art and Science

5 . Whether it be a person, an animal, or even an insect, a mother’s instincts (本能) are never wrong. This idea rings true for a mother cat who acted fast and sought out help when her kittens were in trouble. This mother cat’s quick thinking may have just saved her babies.

In the urban district of Izmir in western Turkey, a cat walked into a regular hospital bolding a kitten in her mouth. As the mother cat moved through the hospital, people were surprised to see such a sight, but let her pass. The mother cat asked for help, crying for a long time. She was familiar to the hospital staff, who had been leaving her food and water outside, but they were unaware that she had given birth to kittens.

The mother cat was concerned for her young because they weren’t able to open their eyes. After the doctors looked at the kittens, they noticed that they were suffering from eye infections. One of the doctors recalls, “We consulted with vets (兽医) and gave medicine as described. When the kittens opened their eyes a short time later, we were excited.” Later, they were sent to an animal hospital for further care. The cats are now up for adoption and will hopefully find loving forever homes.

When it comes to mother cats and kittens, kittens completely depend on mothers for the first few months of their lives. Because they are blind and almost deaf until about two or three weeks old, the mother cat must protect them from any threat or danger. Without the mother cat’s help, the kittens may not make it to adulthood.

As shown by the mother cat in Turkey, a mother’s love and protection knows no bounds. Whether the mom is a human or a cat, mothers will always look out for their babies and make sure they are safe and healthy.

1. Why did the mother cat show up in the hospital?

A．To beg for food.	B．To get her babies treated.
C．To express thanks.	D．To give birth to her babies.

2. How did the doctors help the baby cat?

A．They built them a home.	B．They adopted all of them.
C．They operated on them immediately.	D．They gave them right medicine.

3. What makes newly-born cats dependent on their mothers?

A．Their physical state.	B．Their eating habit.
C．Their appearance.	D．Their behavior.

4. What can we learn from the story?

A．Love makes a difference.

B．One good turn deserves another.

C．Humans can live peacefully with animals.

D．God helps those who help themselves.

6 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Despite its rapid industrialization, there are still some comers in China that have maintained its original color.

Ancient towns and villages in China are places       1     traditions are well preserved in terms of architecture, lifestyle and folk customs. All of these can be found in Huangyao Ancient Town, one of the most-visited tourist     2     (spot) in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

    3     (cover) an area of 3.6 Square kilometers, Huangyao has a history of nearly 1,000 years       4     its origins dating back to the Song Dynasty. People have     5     (carry) on traditional festivals and customs here for hundreds of years up to now. During Chinese Lunar New Year, over 20 traditional performances     6     (hold), including the dragon dance and suona horn show. On July 14 in the Chinese lunar calendar, residents often come to the riverbank and put lanterns into the river     7     (celebrate) Zhongyuan Jie, the Hungry Ghost Festival.

Black soybean is often added to its local food to create an     8     (extreme) distinctive flavor. When you visit, Huangyao tofu is       9     must as it is sold only in this town.

It usually takes a day or two to tour around the old town due to its small size, but you can always stay     10     (long) to experience more of its local hospitality and culture.

7 . Love it or hate it, there is no escape from Internet slang.

This is especially true among young people in some English- speaking countries such as Australia, the UK, and the US. These days, if they haven’t caught up with the latest popular Internet slang, chances are that they often feel out of the loop on social media.

Take these posts by The Washington Post for example: “David Bowie dying is totes trade” and “When Cookie hugged Jamal, it made me totes emosh”. What on earth do these mean? Well, “totes” is a short form of the adverb “totally”. Likewise, “tradge” means “tragic” and “emosh” means “emotional”.

It seems that for millennials ( those born between the early 1980s and late 1990s), typing in this abbreviated (缩写) form is not only time- saving but also stylish. Many millennial slang words are formed by what linguists call the practice of totesing — the systematic abbreviation of words, according to a recent article in The Washington Post.

Some people think that millennial slang affects the English language negatively. However, Melbourne University linguist Rosey Billington doesn’t agree.

“When you are able to use language in a creative way, you show you are linguistically knowledgeable because you know the language rules well enough to use words in a different way,” Billington told News.com. Her view is backed up by two linguists, Lauren Spradlin, and Taylor Jones, from the City University of New York and the University of Pennsylvania respectively. The two believe that totes- speak is a highly- organized system that can only be used by speakers who have mastered English pronunciation,

“The ability to break apart syllables and mix different sounds together is key. Totesing is about sounds, and it follows the sometimes- complicated sound system of English,” Jones told The Washington Post. Totesing is not random (随意的). On the contrary, it has strict rules to follow. You need to be very fluent in the English language to be able to understand totes-speak.

1. The underlined phrase “out of the loop” in the second paragraph probably means ______.

A．declined by others	B．welcomed by others
C．unaware of certain information	D．clear about certain information

2. What are the characteristics of millennial slang?

A．Useless but time-saving.	B．Time- saving and fashionable.
C．Complicated and outdated.	D．Systematic but time- consuming.

3. What does Lauren Spradlin think of the practice of totesing?

A．Positive.

B．Negative.

C．Confusing.

D．Critical.

4. Which of the following might Taylor Jones agree with?

A．Internet slang is mostly created by professional linguists.

B．Totesing is mainly about making words easier to pronounce.

C．Totesing requires speakers to master the language’s rules very well.

D．Internet slang should be prevented since it is difficult to understand.

8 . In memory of Marie Curie on her birthday on Saturday, the official website of the Nobel Prize posted a photograph of her notebook _________, “Marie Curie died of a plastic anaemia (再生障碍性贫血) on 4 July1934, a result of years of exposure to radiation through her work. And even today her laboratory notebook from 1899-1902, is _________ and will be for 1,500 years.”

The tales of Marie and other scientists of her time are in some sense very _________. Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen discovered X- ray in 1895. A year later, Antoine Henri Becquerel found that some natural substances _________ rays, too. Later, Marie and her physicist husband, Pierre Curie, gave it a(n) _________, radioactivity. _________, the harmful effects of radioactivity were not discovered until decades later. Marie and her contemporary scientists dealt with radioactive substances for decades almost with no _________.

Marie’s death is a reminder about the risks pioneers in science _________. It was only after people handling radioactive substances began to get similar _________ that medical experts asked people to use protection. Today, medical health workers and patients wear heavy protective __________ during X- rays.

It is almost __________ that those exploring new frontiers for science are exposing themselves to unknown dangers. There is a(n) __________ for better protection for the pioneers, but that is not possible until the dangers are fully known. For example, the space suits astronauts wear protect them against radiation. However, only __________ will tell if there are some other unknown dangers.

The contributions and sacrifices by such pioneers to the field of science are __________ and deserving of our respect. Because the pioneers not only __________ new frontiers, but also help us better protect ourselves from unknown surroundings.

1.

A．saying

B．writing

C．recording

D．forecasting

2.

A．extraordinary

B．radioactive

C．protective

D．creative

3.

A．tragic

B．inspirational

C．mysterious

D．meaningful

4.

A．put out

B．made out

C．left out

D．gave out

5.

A．guideline

B．name

C．concept

D．identity

6.

A．Therefore

B．Moreover

C．Instead

D．However

7.

A．protection

B．permit

C．fund

D．instruction

8.

A．reduce

B．ignore

C．undertake

D．generate

9.

A．rewards

B．warnings

C．diseases

D．titles

10.

A．glasses

B．gloves

C．shoes

D．covers

11.

A．odd

B．unavoidable

C．critical

D．incredible

12.

A．focus

B．evolution

C．demand

D．breakthrough

13.

A．space

B．time

C．technology

D．history

14.

A．unmatched

B．satisfying

C．sufficient

D．concrete

15.

A．declare

B．indicate

C．reveal

D．explore

9 . Tidying your desk, watering your plants, folding clothes — these household chores are hardly the height of pleasure. Yet I often find myself _________ these little tasks.

If I’m stuck in writer’s block with a deadline _________, I’ll have to clear up the papers placed around my office — and it’s sometimes the most _________ I feel all day. I’m not alone in this. In the face of the pandemic, many people reported finding renewed interest in _________ their homes as a way of coping with uncertainty.

Psychologists suggest there are many potential mechanisms (机制) that can explain the _________ from these tasks and their benefits — these may well encourage you to _________ these odd jobs more often.

Little chores may be useful because they _________ the mind, leading us to devote fewer resources to the things that _________ us. Even if we struggle with activities that are meant to help us relax, we may find household tasks can help us _________ the here and now. But this depends on what we give our most __________ to.

In one of the few studies to examine the mental health benefits of washing the dishes, researchers at Florida State University __________ fifty-one participants into two groups, half reading a text that encouraged them to focus their thoughts on the activity __________ while the rest just reading factual instructions on how to do washing up.

__________, the participants were asked to take a questionnaire about their feelings. Those who had fully engaged with the experience reported a significantly better mood. This included __________ nervousness and even a sense of “inspiration”, as if the simple activity had __________ their minds.

1.

A．ignoring

B．enjoying

C．avoiding

D．simplifying

2.

A．agreed

B．established

C．passing

D．approaching

3.

A．relaxed

B．bored

C．worried

D．annoyed

4.

A．opening up

B．setting up

C．returning to

D．looking after

5.

A．burden

B．pleasure

C．problems

D．expectations

6.

A．deal with

B．give up

C．learn about

D．engage in

7.

A．occupy

B．broaden

C．motivate

D．challenge

8.

A．interest

B．bother

C．delight

D．surprise

9.

A．forget

B．evaluate

C．escape

D．appreciate

10.

A．hope

B．attention

C．happiness

D．credits

11.

A．sorted

B．divided

C．isolated

D．ranked

12.

A．entirely

B．quickly

C．mainly

D．initially

13.

A．Therefore

B．Afterwards

C．Still

D．However

14.

A．continued

B．increased

C．unexplained

D．reduced

15.

A．slipped

B．refreshed

C．developed

D．exhausted