1 .

To the Editors: I am surprised to read that Dr. Strojnik (“Direct Detection of Exoplanets,” September-October2023) states that we have not yet and cannot directly image exoplanets (外部行星). This is incorrect. NASA/IPAC has a list at exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/docs/imaging.html. One example is an image of 51 Eridani b. The planet is 2.6 times as massive as Jupiter and has the same radius (半径). Gerard Kriss Space Telescope Science Institute

Dr. Gerard: I am pleased that my article brought a response. The phrase “planet detection” arouses in people’s imaginations beautiful images of planets that are creative artistic representations of novel worlds. But a blur of brightness is not an image. Exoplanet researchers routinely call videos such as the one below of 51 Eridani b “direct images” because the planet’s light has been separated from that of its star. “Directly imaged” is the standard language of exoplanet astronomy. But to an optical (光学的) scientist such as myself, there is a strong distinction between direct detection (the planet’s light separated from the light of its star) and direct imaging (a proven picture of the exoplanet). From an optical researcher’s perspective, a single bright spot simply is not an image. Indeed, even the word “direct” in direct detection is debatable from an optical researcher’s point of view. The detection of the light of the exoplanet requires significant processing, adding multiple images and removing starlight based on theoretical models of the source signal. But the interpretation of a bright spot as a planet is only possible upon visual inspection and optimistic thinking. As an optical scientist, I cannot look at a single spot and call it an image of exoplanets. A trajectory (轨迹), or a series of bright points, is not an image of a planet, although it very likely represents something that nowadays is described as an exoplanet. Marija Strojnik

1. ________ is the main disagreement between Marija Strojnik and Gerard Kriss.

A．The definition of a planet	B．The importance of detecting exoplanets
C．The artistic representation of exoplanets	D．The use of the term “direct imaging”

2. How does Dr. Strojnik feel about the interpretation of a bright spot as an exoplanet?

A．She supports it, as it is a common practice in exoplanet astronomy.

B．She approves of it, although it does not provide a clear picture of the exoplanet.

C．She believes it is only possible through visual observation and positive assumption.

D．She considers the interpretation to be debatable, as it requires significant processing.

3. Where can you find these two letters?

A．In the textbook.	B．In a local newspaper.
C．In a published essay.	D．In a science journal.

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.

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.

3 . In recent years breakfast cereals (谷物) seem to have lost their appeal. Many contain things that ________ consumers avoid, from carbohydrates and gluten to artificial flavours and genetically modified (GM) grain. Add to this a rising ________ for big brands and adoration of small, “authentic” ones, and large cereal-makers have been suffering declining sales. The market for “ready-to-eat” cereals shrank by 9% in America between 2012 and 2015, according to Euromonitor, a data firm. In Britain, the second-biggest cereal market, sales fell by 6%.

Now, the manufacturers are boasting a(n) ________. On February 16th General Mills told investors that its American cereal sales were stabilising. Kellogg follows, reporting on February 17th that it expects its American cereal sales to grow this year. But it will take hard work to make breakfast’s business ________ again.

Cereal firms have tried many ways to cope with customer’s ________ appetites. They have ________. Post Holdings, which sells Honey Bunches of Oats and Grape-Nuts, now also sells eggs and protein shakes. Some firms have ________ trendier brands, with mixed results. After Kellogg bought Kashi in 2000, many of its loyal customers ________. Kellogg is now trying to win them back, returning Kashi’s headquarters to California. A new Kashi cereal features popped sorghum （高粱）, crispy yellow peas and smashed red beans.

Makers are also spending to help their main brands. Kellogg has put more fruit in its Special K Red Berries cereal. General Mills plans to ________ all artificial flavours and colours from its cereals by 2023. Retailers do not want cereal to enter terminal decline — it is too ________ for them. Jim Holbrook, who led Post’s cereal business and is now boss of Daymon Worldwide, a retail consultant, says grocers might ________ sales by placing milk or bananas alongside cereal.

For now, cereal-makers can take ________ that at least some brands are still popular. Sales of Kellogg’s Froot Loops and General Mills’ Cinnamon Toast Crunch have ________ in recent years, points out Alexia Howard of Sanford C. Bernstein, a research firm, even as more virtuous brands such as Fiber One, All-Bran and (until recently) Special K were failing. ________ shoppers may or may not come back to their cereal habit just due to smashed red beans. But cereal’s most ________ customers are those who don’t mind heaps of sugar, or “red #40” food colouring, in their breakfast bowls.

1.

A．anxious

B．regular

C．satisfied

D．potential

2.

A．demand

B．standard

C．reputation

D．disrespect

3.

A．continuity

B．distinction

C．turnaround

D．equivalent

4.

A．compete

B．succeed

C．protest

D．refuse

5.

A．shrinking

B．promoted

C．inexhaustible

D．intellectual

6.

A．declined

B．regretted

C．diversified

D．patented

7.

A．changed

B．embarrassed

C．acquired

D．replaced

8.

A．doubted

B．fled

C．ignored

D．wandered

9.

A．conceal

B．receive

C．remove

D．expect

10.

A．distant

B．traditional

C．mysterious

D．profitable

11.

A．boost

B．review

C．reject

D．describe

12.

A．responsibility

B．comfort

C．charge

D．action

13.

A．failed

B．risen

C．paused

D．mattered

14.

A．Warm-hearted

B．Fun-loving

C．Would-be

D．Health-conscious

15.

A．reliable

B．wealthy

C．famous

D．intelligent

4 . Apps such as CCTV Sports and Tencent Sports are ______ for NBA fans in China, boasting high volume of ______ in peak competition seasons.

A．portals; traffic

B．competitors; roar

C．stadiums; audience

D．commentators; yell

5 . Trees are magicians with carbon, pulling it out of the air at remarkable rates to store it in their bodies. They are so good at removing this greenhouse gas that “planting trees” is often synonymous with doing environmental good.

And lots of people are planting trees. The number of tree-planting organizations has grown by almost 300 percent in the past 30 years, according to a 2021 paper in the journal Biological Conservation. But while tree planting can capture a great amount of carbon, it is hardly a silver bullet for the climate crisis — express estimate that even if we maximized our available lands for trees, this alone would not be enough to counteract carbon emissions caused by humans. Plus, many plantations grow the same few species in monocultures, which can hurt local biodiversity.

The minority of tree plantations are set up with carbon capture solely, or even primarily in mind, says Jacob Bukoski, a forestry scientist at Oregon State University. Most trees are planted with the goal of harvesting timber or wood pulp (木浆) for paper. Tree-planting organizations are more likely to create plantations for commercial reasons, the authors of the 2021 paper also note, rather than for biodiversity or carbon capture.

In forestry, there’s a saying that you have to plant “the right tree in the right place, for the right reason.” But when many tree plantations are established for commercial purposes, the tree that is planted is often not the “right” tree, says Jesús Aguirre-Gutiérrez, an ecologist at the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford.

In a paper published recently in the journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Aguirre-Gutiérrez and colleagues argue that focusing on the goal of carbon removal by natural process causes organizations to ignore the importance of restoring balanced ecosystems. The result is a collection of trees that do not support local organisms or promote biodiversity in the way native plant species would have. These problems deserve particular notice in tropical areas where land is vast, and conditions such as stable temperatures and high humidity promote tree growth, as ignoring them while planting trees is damaging. When plantations increased the woody cover of the Brazilian savannah by 40 percent, this “resulted in an about 30 percent reduction in the diversity of plants and ants,” Aguirre-Gutiérrez and his co-authors write in the new paper.

Aguirre-Gutiérrez doesn’t want to discourage people from growing more trees, he says. Rather, we need a better way to protect the natural ecosystems and species there, like encouraging the restoration of native forest tree species. Local plants will be “better adapted to the conditions” in these environments, he says, which means they, and nearby species, are more likely to thrive. “If we go in that direction, that will bring us the added value of capturing carbon, but also this sustainability.”

1. Experts are concerned about tree plantation to reduce greenhouse partly because ______.

A．the number of tree-planting organizations is growing too fast.

B．the speed of tree planting falls far behind that of carbon emission.

C．the selection of species in tree planting can harm local biodiversity.

D．the land available to plant trees is not fully explored and developed.

2. In paragraph 4, “the right reason” refers to ______.

A．mass plantation of carbon-absorbing trees

B．biodiversity preservation with local species

C．harvest of timber or wood pulp for paper

D．tree plantation for commercial purposes

3. Why does the author mention “Brazilian savannah” in paragraph 5?

A．To show the benefits of planting trees in tropical areas

B．To illustrate the vastness and eco-diversity of tropical areas

C．To highlight the negative impact of planting trees in tropical areas

D．To discourage people from randomly planting trees in tropical areas

4. Which of the following statements will Aguirre-Gutiérrez most likely approve of?

A．People and organizations should plant as many trees as they can to capture carbon.

B．Plants in tropical areas can thrive better due to its vast land and agreeable climate.

C．Preserving biodiversity plays a more sustainable role than capturing carbon only.

D．Tree plantation organizations are irresponsible and focus only on making profits.

6 . It is more ______ to make another effort and try to finish the work on time rather than ______ there, telling your sufferings to those unrelated people.

A．worthwhile; sit

B．worthwhile; seating

C．worthy, seat

D．worth, sitting

7 . —Could you tell me ______ I can get a bigger paper bag?
—It is in the corner ______ various fruits and vegetables are stored.

A．how; how

B．where; that

C．how; that

D．where; where

8 . 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. cracked B. court C. assured D. stressed E. harboring F. making G. roared H. groundbreaking I. ultimate J. sensation K. check

“Queen Wen” Ready to Reign

Zheng Qinwen has become the second Chinese to ever reach a major singles final after Li Na’s pioneering triumph at the Australian Open a decade ago. So close to the championship and so disappointed! Yet, it is with so much pride that we can reflect on the journey of a Grand Slam champion in the     1    . Despite her tough final loss to defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, the tennis     2     Zheng’s amazing run at the Australian Open has served up another major boost for the sport in China.

An aggressive talent,     3     championship dreams since watching Li in 2014, Zheng was one step away from having her own name on the same trophy, as she started battle against the mighty Sabalenka on Saturday evening,     4     by an enthusiastic Chinese crowd at the Rod Laver Arena and the entire tennis community back home.

Two sets and 76 minutes later, Zheng’s first Grand Slam final ended in an alert reality     5     that, the 21-year-old still has plenty of catching up to do before reaching the very top of the game, technically and mentally, even though she     6     the world top 10. It is a must because, if one loses, there must be a reason behind it. Zheng has to try to figure out why, and then she will come back stronger and better next time.

Coming up just one step short of the     7     prize, Zheng held back tears at the award ceremony while gazing at the trophy when Sabalenka lifted it for a second time in a row. She     8     how much better she could have done during the postmatch interviews, even with media all greeting her with words of encouragement. Nothing seemed enough to satisfy the ambitious competitor, who’s already achieved many “firsts” for Chinese tennis over the past two weeks.

With Zheng leading the way, China will have seven female players ranked within the top 100. This progress owes a lot to Li’s     9     career, which helped encourage Zheng’s generation to dream bigger. Witnessing the collective rise of the next generation, Li said she can rest     10     that the game’s future is in good hands.

9 . For what is in store for the future, I am confident that our friendship can ______ a raging ocean storm, like an oasis in the desert unafraid of the threat of a drought.

A．leave off

B．settle for

C．carry on

D．ride out

10 . To get a(n) ______ result that artemisinin is effective in curing malaria, Tu Youyou even made a test on herself.

A．conclusive

B．curable

C．overwhelming

D．practical