1 . Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (ChatGPT), created by openAI, an AI and research company, is a natural language processing tool driven by AI technology that allows you to have human-like conversations and much more with a chatbot. The language model can answer questions, and assist you with tasks such as composing emails, essays and code.
ChatGPT is powered by a large language model, or LLM, meaning it’s programmed to understand human language and generate responses based on a large amount of data. What makes ChatGPT so impressive is its ability to log context from user’s earlier messages in a thread and use it to form responses later in the conversation.
According to analysis by Swiss bank UBS, ChatGPT is the fastest growing up app of all time. In January, only two months after its launch, UBS analysis estimates that ChatGPT had 100 million active users. For comparison, it took nine months for TikTok to reach 100 million.
Despite looking very impressive, ChatGPT still has limitations. Instead of asking for clarification on ambiguous questions, the model just takes a guess at what your question means. “The primary problem is that the answers that ChatGPT produces have a high rate of being incorrect,” says Stack Overflow moderators in a post. Critics argue that these tools are just very good at putting words into an order that makes sense from a statistical pint of view, but they cannot understand the meaning or know whether the statements it makes are correct. Another major limitation is that ChatGPT’s data is limited to 2021.
ChatGPT is an advanced chatbot that has the potential to make people’s lives easier and to assist with everyday tiring tasks, such as writing an email or having to navigate the web for answers. However, there are certain technical details that have to be figured out before it’s widely used, to prevent negative outcomes such as the spread of misinformation. In general, this AI model relies on lots of training and fine-tuning to reach a level of ideal performance.
1. What can we learn about ChatGPT from the first paragraph?| A．What its potential market is. | B．It is developed jointly by two companies. |
| C．Why it enjoys great popularity. | D．It is a conversational AI tool. |
| A．Context. | B．ChatGPT’s ability. | C．A thread. | D．LLM. |
| A．Low efficiency. | B．Disordered words. |
| C．Poor accuracy. | D．Frequent crashes. |
| A．Unclear. | B．Objective. | C．Doubtful. | D．Satisfied. |
内容包括：1.活动主题及参加人员；
2.活动详情；
3.活动反响。
注意：1.写作词数应为100左右；
2.可适当增加情节，以使行文连贯。
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词;
2.只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
“It’s been raining snakes during the recent heavy rain,” reported the Mumbai edition of the Times of India on July 26th, in a news piece about a snake which refused to forced out of a truck. The same paper contained several report of three other snakes rescued from a shipping container. A lost snake spotted on a city beach make the papers the next day. Later that week a 28-year-old man found a snake in the distant suburbs, wrapping it around his neck and walked through a nearby market area. He died after a snake bit him three times. It is not literally raining snakes. But a week of heavy rain has been had the same effect, driving snakes and other reptiles into the city, that they seek warmth and shelter. There are plenty to be found. Mumbai is high built up and densely populated. And it is also full of rubbish, thus attracting rats. The rats, by turn, attract hungry snakes.
Aesop’s fable, the town mouse and the country mouse,
5 . Daniel, my 8-year-old daughter, is on a crazy ride with our mail carrier, Anderson. My daughter has formed a
It’s likely that a letter from Daniel includes some jokes or questions to
On the following day, a package
I’m sharing this not because I’m proud, but because it’s relatively
| A．serious | B．awkward | C．ridiculous | D．temporary |
| A．receivers | B．carriers | C．contributors | D．partners |
| A．ruin | B．make | C．disturb | D．compensate |
| A．guarantee | B．approach | C．bless | D．celebrate |
| A．And | B．So | C．But | D．Also |
| A．mean | B．impatient | C．friendly | D．important |
| A．keep on | B．cheer up | C．approve of | D．let alone |
| A．lied | B．swallowed | C．survived | D．arrived |
| A．denied | B．forgot | C．missed | D．shared |
| A．thank | B．train | C．conduct | D．company |
| A．anxious | B．tolerant | C．upset | D．pleased |
| A．blow | B．shame | C．recognition | D．encouragement |
| A．Disappointingly | B．Abnormally | C．Surprisingly | D．Accidentally |
| A．human | B．private | C．creative | D．hopeful |
| A．rather than | B．other than | C．more than | D．less than |
| A．abandoned | B．seen | C．honored | D．punished |
| A．frequently | B．relaxingly | C．painstakingly | D．extremely |
| A．easy | B．complex | C．flexible | D．worthless |
| A．charge | B．links | C．assistance | D．comfort |
| A．loved | B．expected | C．forgiven | D．ignored |
6 . When it comes to going green, intention can be easier than action. Case in point: you decide to buy a T-shirt made from 100% organic cotton, because everyone knows that organic is better for Earth. And in some ways it is; in conventional cotton-farming, pesticides strip the soil of life. But that green label doesn’t tell the whole story. Or the possibility that the T-shirt may have been dyed using harsh industrial chemicals, which can pollute local groundwater. If you knew all that, would you still consider the T-shirt green?
It’s a question that most of us are ill equipped to answer, even as the debate over what is and isn’t green becomes all-important in a hot and crowded world.
But what if we could seamlessly calculate the full lifetime effect of our actions on the earth and on our bodies?
| A．Would you still buy it? |
| B．What if we could think ecologically? |
| C．It’s going to have a radical impact on the way we do business. |
| D．Ecological intelligence is ultimately about more than what we buy. |
| E．Not just carbon footprints but social and biological footprints as well? |
| F．But nothing in evolution has prepared us to understand the accumulative impact industrial chemicals may have on us. |
| G．That’s because our ability to make complex products with complex supply chains has outpaced our ability to comprehend the consequences. |
7 . Getting a package delivered is easy, but sending it back is not. Repacking, printing labels and shipping it back up to the seller is an increasingly familiar experience for online shoppers. In America 21% of online orders, worth some $ 218, were returned in 2021, according to the National Retail Federation, up from 18% in 2020. For clothing and shoes it can reach around 40%. It is a headache for retailers.
The problem has its roots in the birth of e-commerce. To compete with bricks-and-mortar sellers and make consumers comfortable with ordering online, e-commerce firms offered free returns. Consumers came to expect it. The scale of returns has been amplified by the covid-induced boom. In America online-shopping now makes up 15% of retail sales by value, up from 10% at the start of 2019.
Returns could grow as nervous consumers cut spending. In May, Boohoo, a British online fashion firm, forecast lower profits for the year, in part because of a higher return rate. In June, Asos, a rival, did the same. Overstocking, as retailers miscalculate changing demand, adds to the problem. Steve Rop of goTRG, a startup which helps retailers sort returns, notes an uptick in returns of discounted goods as consumers realise they don’t want them.
Each step of the process is costly. Retailers have to pay for goods to be picked up or posted. Processing returns is labour-intensive, explains Zac Rogers who worked as a return s manager at Amazon and is now at Colorado State University. The outbound system is highly automated and streamlined; a return must be opened and someone has to decide what to do with it. “A worker in an Amazon warehouse can pick 30 items in a minute, but a return can take ten minutes to process,” says Mr Rogers. Once processed, only 5% of returned goods can be resold immediately by retailers. Most go to liquidators at knock-down prices or are thrown away. Retailers typically recoup about a third on a $ 50 item, says Optoro, a firm that helps with returns.
Startups are getting in on the action. Using artificial intelligence to help retailers decide what to do with the returned goods, taking into account factors such as price trends in second-hand markets, is the brainchild of goTRG. Happy Returns, another startup bought last year by PayPal, a fin-tech firm, helps with logistics. It has 5,000 drop-off points for return s across America, mostly in chain stores. The returns are aggregated and sent back to retailers all at once, saving up to 40% of postage costs, says David Sobie, the firm’s boss. Some are experimenting with virtual reality (VR). Over half of items are returned because they are the wrong size. In June Walmart said it will buy Mamma, an augmented-reality (AR) startup that lets shoppers virtually try on glasses. Walmart also offers ways to try on clothes and arrange furniture in rooms using AR. Amazon recently launched a VR feature that lets users try on shoes. Retailers will now try virtually anything to cut down on returns.
1. What is a disturbing problem for retailers?| A．Printing labels on the package. | B．Getting a package delivered. |
| C．Receiving returned packages. | D．Shipping packages to consumers. |
| A．The necessary pay for picking up goods. |
| B．The higher wage for workers dealing with returns. |
| C．The loss of throwing away returns. |
| D．The complexity of highly automated sales system. |
| A．Happy Returns. | B．Mamma. | C．GoTRG. | D．Artificial Intelligence. |
| A．An economic magazine. | B．A science fiction. |
| C．An official report. | D．An academic research. |
8 . Craftsman Qian Gaochao and his son recently spent more than six months making three “chicken-blood” stone carvings showing the taekwondo and wrestling competitions of the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022. As a national inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗产) of the chicken-blood stone carving technique, Qian Gaochao says that he is working on the other carvings related to the Asian Games in the chicken-blood stone museum in Changhua town, Zhejiang Province.
Chicken-blood stone is one of China’s most prized decorative materials and has been used for centuries to create carved works with characteristic red markings. With its bright blood-red color, bright crystal-like jade texture, quality and shape, chicken-blood stones are celebrated the world over. The artistic value of Changhua chicken-blood stone lies in its adaptability, which can be made into decorations of various sizes and forms. It is not only a mineral specimen (标本) that records geological changes, but also a cultural relic that reflects the productivity of different eras, living conditions and folk customs.
The stone has become a cultural symbol of deepening bilateral friendship in diplomatic (外交的) activities. For example, in 1972, the Chinese premier gave Changhua chicken-blood stones to Japan as State gifts. In 1986, a seal of Changhua stone was presented to the US. In 2016, the Changhua stone sculpture “Haliaeetus Albicilla Dud a Portrait Seal” was presented to Poland. In September 2016, 36 sets of portrait seals were given as gifts to guests who attended the 11th C20 Summit held in Hangzhou.
“As a craftsman, I’m not only doing carving work but also recording the development and changes of our society and remembering the era through the medium of my carvings,” Qian Gaochao says. He has created fascinating works, many of which are related to important events in Chinese history and famous people who have made significant contributions to the country.
“We are also recruiting qualified people to continue to inherit and innovate these traditional skills,” Qian Gaochao says. “Additionally, we often hold research activities and provide training courses, enabling more young students to understand and learn Chinese traditional culture,” he adds.
1. What do Qian Gaochao and his son’s recent works describe?| A．Famous athletes. | B．Beautiful natural scenery. |
| C．International sporting events. | D．Ancient folk customs in Changhua. |
| A．It is rare for its unique shape. | B．It is a mirror of the local climate. |
| C．It features a bright blood-red color. | D．It has high adaptability to different designs. |
| A．Presenting the popularity of chicken-blood stone. |
| B．Showing the role of chicken-blood stone in diplomacy. |
| C．Explaining the approaches to promote Changhua’s economy. |
| D．Proving the importance of Chinese culture in connecting the world. |
| A．He provides free carving courses for qualified students. |
| B．The innovation of traditional culture faces great challenges. |
| C．Learning carving skills is not attractive to modern young people. |
| D．He devotes himself to recording China’s development through carving. |
9 . VUEUFROM HERE
The Great Outdoors February 2023
Giving a winter skill course a go
4 FEBRUARY
Rombalds Stride
YORKSHIRE DALES
Organized by the 15th Airedale Scout Group, the Rombalds Stride Winter Challenges is a 23-mile walking or running route taking in some of Yorkshire’s finest scenery. You’ll ascend the Airedale Valley, over Rombalds Moor to Hkley and across Otley Chevin.
Cost: $ 12
rombaldsstride.co.uk
16-19 FEBRUARY
Fort William
MOUNTAIN FESTIVAL
Scotland’s outdoor capital welcomes you for a packed programme of events inspired by its high places. From sessions to award ceremonies and film screenings, as well as a schedule of guided walks and runs, the activities are as varied as the landscape.
Cost: varies
mountainfestival.co.uk
21-22 FEBRUARY
Caravan, Camping &Motorhome Show
BIRMINGHAM
With more than 350 exhibitor stands showcasing their latest and greatest products, this huge show is the place to be if you’re on the lookout for a touring caravan, a motorhome or a campervan. You’ll also be able to browse a huge array of tents, tilted towards the family and car camping market, plus a wide array of accessories and gadgets, from sleep systems to stand up paddleboards.
Cost: $ 12 per adult, under 15 free
Ccmshow.co.uk
23-24 FEBRUARY
Winter Skills and Wild Camping
GLENCOE
This two-day course will help you hone your winter skills and combine your new-found knowledge with a high winter wild camp (and sunset, weather permitting!) with reduced legwork. Based around Glencoe and Kinlochleven, the course is provided by qualified guides on behalf of Rich Mountain Experiences. Camping gear can be supplied.
Cost: $ 250
richmountainexperiences.co.uk
22-28 FEBRUARY
The Winter reverse
DARTMOOR
Start your new year with a big dose of winter and a walk or run across Dartmoor. This fully supported 50km journey from south to north, through some of the most remote parts of the moors, is more challenge than race. Whilst good fitness is required, walkers can choose to be accompanied by local Mountain Leaders with first aid cover.
Cost: $ 255-275
climbsouthuest.com
1. What kind of course will you take if you want to enjoy a guided walking and running?| A．YORKSHIRE DALES. | B．MOUNTAIN FESTIVAL. |
| C．BIRMINGHAM. | D．GLENCOE. |
| A．$ 24. | B．$ 27. | C．$ 39. | D．$ 25. |
| A．The local guides’ company. | B．Some winter skills like running. |
| C．Necessary first aid. | D．New found knowledge. |
1.庆祝时间；
2.庆祝活动；
3.节日意义。
注意：
1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：粽子rice dumplings； zongzi
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
