1 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Why is Shakespeare-style writing mentioned in the conversation?

A．To introduce a new game.

B．To advocate a famous writing style.

C．To indicate ChatGPT’s advanced function.

2. What is Bard?

A．A chatbot

B．A search engine.

C．A tech company

3. What is Satya Nadella’s attitude towards ChatGPT?

A．Conservative.

B．Optimistic.

C．Critical.

4. What does the man suggest doing in the era of AI?

A．Avoiding heavy reliance on AI.

B．Developing our innovative ability.

C．Being adaptive and using AI fully.

2 . 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。

Word came that the annual school sports meet would take place next Friday through Saturday. At the exciting news, the whole class burst into cheers. Without any hesitation, we set about making     1     (arrange) for the grand gala for us students.

With the sports meet approaching, we could hardly concentrate on our daily routine. Every day, we spent much of our spare time     2     (talk) about the weather for fear that the sports meet might be postponed again. Then finally came the big day, when the sports meet was held as     3     (schedule). The sports meet was pretty impressive. One of the highlights     4     (be) the parade before the start of the race. Students were marching past the podium with slogans high up in their hands, while spectators were screaming    5    (crazy). Shortly after the parade was over, the race started. Well known for running in junior high school, I     6     (recommend) to enter for the 3000-meter running race, representing my class.

Time was ticking away. Before I knew it, it was my turn to step onto the track. But all of     7    sudden, I felt a bit panicky. As I hadn’t received any training recently, I puffed and panted halfway. I was about     8     (quit) when my classmates cheered me on all the way. Anyway, I made it to the finishing line. Unable to earn a single point for my class, I was     9    low spirits. However, my friends came over and encouraged me to cheer up. It was their encouragement    10    helped heal the pain of failure.

Now two weeks have passed, but the memory still stay fresh in my mind. Disappointed as I am, I never regret taking part in the race. After all, being part of the sports meet is what I really care about.

3 . In today’s digital era, social media users are increasingly coming across fake news online. This leads to the pressing issue: What causes people to fall for misinformation on the Internet?

According to researchers at the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology,   users can easily fall into an echo chamber (回声室)—a sort of virtual space where users consume only one-sided news, eventually distrusting any opposing views. “We all tend to agree with the group opinion. Hence, people naturally get together with others who hold the same opinion,” said Dongwon Lee, one of the researchers. “But if you’re not cautious, there is a high risk of falling into an echo chamber.”

To prevent this phenomenon, the researchers have crafted a novel tool, a game named ChamberBreaker, to help players resist echo chambers and reduce the rate of fake news spread. The fundamental approach employed by ChamberBreaker centers around a decision-making procedure that mirrors the creation of echo chambers. In ChamberBreaker, a player is tasked with trying to have community members fall into an echo chamber. To begin, the player is randomly assigned a situation that focuses on a health, political or environmental issue, and is presented with six pieces of news on that topic. Then, the player selects news that could cause the other members to fall into an echo chamber while at the same time maintaining their trust. If successful, the community members will fall into an echo chamber and the player will witness the resulting negative effects on the community.

After developing ChamberBreaker, researchers tested it with over 800 subjects to see if it raised awareness of echo chambers and changed news consumption behaviors. The researchers found that those who played ChamberBreaker were significantly more likely to state their intention to observe online information from more diverse perspectives and showed an increased awareness of the echo chamber phenomenon.

Ultimately, the researchers hope that their methodology can excite a greater interest in the scientific and scholarly study related to information consumption. The application of tools like ChamberBreaker, which focuses on fostering analytical reasoning, may lead us towards a more informed online community.

1. What can be learned about an online echo chamber?

A．It encourages well-judged views.

B．It gathers like-minded individuals.

C．It functions as a virtual reality platform.

D．It serves as a tool for identifying fake information.

2. What is ChamberBreaker’s core method against echo chambers?

A．Assignment of situations.	B．Trust-building exercises.
C．News selection strategy.	D．Community impact assessment.

3. Which of the following can show ChamberBreaker’s effectiveness?

A．The results of scientific testing.

B．The theoretical framework of the game.

C．The description of the game procedures.

D．The common challenges faced during gameplay.

4. What is the likely long-term effect of playing ChamberBreaker?

A．Reducing news inquiry.	B．Encouraging passive reading.
C．Strengthening prejudiced views.	D．Enhancing critical thinking.

4 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

Grandma tried to straighten out her fingers.“You know, Ann, I think I am done knitting.” she said.“My fingers just won’t do what I tell them any more.”

I looked at her hands.When I was little, she had taught me how to sew dresses for my dolls and how to embroider (刺绣) the faces of my dolls on the dresses.

But now she can hardly bend her fingers.The doctor said she should keep her hands warm.I made her cups of tea to hold and moved her chair closer to the fire.But it didn’t work.

I wasn’t used to seeing her hands so still.When I came downstairs, her quiet hands made even her voice stay still.I missed her voice more than ever.

I tried to help her find her voice.“Grandma, tell me about when you were a little girl,” I begged, knowing she loved to tell stories.“Tell me about Peti and Zoe.” Peti and Zoe were her brother and sister.“That was so long ago, Ann,” whispered Grandma.“I can barely remember.” But I still remembered her story about Peti cutting off Zoe’s two beautiful long braids (辫子) and then hiding them in the closet.Were those words still moving silently in her head?

Mom was sorting through our clothes for spring.“Ann, take these out to the trash,” Mom said.“There’s no need to keep worn-out clothes.”

I looked sadly at the pile of sweaters and then picked it up.

“Wait,” Grandma said as I walked by her and put the pile downstairs.“Let me see those.”

“Ann, wind the yarn (纱线) of the old sweater into a ball, like this.Then you can use the yarn to knit something new.” Grandma wrapped yarn around and around her fingers, first in one direction and then the other to keep the ball round.

After dinner Grandma fell asleep in her chair.

Mom came downstairs with an old pair of gloves with small holes to add to the pile of sweaters.

注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Suddenly, the pair of old gloves gave me an idea.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Your family,” I said, handing the gloves with the faces of Peti and Zoe to Grandma.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 . The opening of California’s commercial crab season, which normally starts in November, is delayed once again to protect whales searching for their prey (猎物) along the coast.

California has been affected by a marine heat wave since May. The Blob, as this mass of warm water has become known, is squeezing cooler water preferred by whales and their prey close to shore, where fishermen set their traps. This crowding can lead to tangle (缠结) between whales and fishing equipment, endangering the animals’ lives and requiring rescue missions.

In a new study, scientists say they can now use global temperature models, commonly used in climate science, to predict up to a year in advance when hot ocean temperatures raise the risk of tangles between whales and fishing equipment.The tool analyzed in the new study, called the Habitat Compression Index, works by feeding sea-surface temperature measurements into an equation (方程式) that estimates the likelihood of whale habitat shrinking closer to shore.Regulators and fishermen agree that the new forecasting research could help them walk the tightrope between protecting whales and protecting local livelihoods (生计).

Mr Ogg, a commercial fishing boat captain, describes himself as a conservationist who doesn’t want to see whales harmed.“Fishermen have a big motivation to protect the natural environment,” he said, “because that’s where they make their living.” Previously, the challenge was adapting to changing conditions and fishing regulations on short notice, especially for smaller business owners and their crews.“One of the biggest problems we had was the unpredictability,” Mr Ogg said, “We were living from week to week then.”

Though scientists have shown the Habitat Compression Index can now forecast months in advance, state officials would probably wait to see conditions in real time before making decisions about the crab fishery, said Ryan Bartling, an environmental scientist at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

1. What do the whales come to shore for according to the first two paragraphs?

A．Safety.

B．Shelter.

C．Leisure.

D．Food.

2. What does the underlined phrase “walk the tightrope” probably mean?

A．To take a risk.	B．To join in an act.
C．To strike a balance.	D．To walk on a rope.

3. What’s the state officials’ attitude towards the tool in the study?

A．Supportive.

B．Indifferent.

C．Cautious.

D．Pessimistic.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．How climate data gives whales room to swim

B．What causes the decrease in whale population

C．Why global temperature models are in great need

D．Whether to protect whales or the local livelihoods

6 . My earliest reading memory takes me back to being five years old, sitting in my grandfather’s cozy study. He would read to me from his French-translated copy of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. I was so familiar with the stories that I could correct him word-for-word if he tried to change something.

Growing up, my favorite book was Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes. It was a treasure for an imaginative and lonely child like me. The book was filled with magical elements: a magical carousel, monsters, and the charming scent of autumn leaves lying in the sun. The language was as crisp and sweet as an October apple, awakening in me a deep passion for words and the magic they could bring out. I’ve reread it regularly and it never fails to satisfy me.

In my adult years, I revisited Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights. When I first read it at 16, I perceived it as a love story. However, rereading it as an adult, I was struck by how different it seemed to me, and how much of the humour I’d missed. Now I love its poetry. And the love story not only exists between the characters but between Brontë and the North York Moors.

James Joyce’s Ulysses was a book I came back to after 40 years. Initially, at 15, I found it ugly, depressing, and dull, and I hated it. It took me four decades to return to it, and this time, I found myself understanding and beginning to appreciate it. I could see the details, the mythic parallels, the references to different writing styles, and the groundbreaking technique.

Though some exceptional books can develop and grow alongside us, others fall by the wayside. I’ve revisited so many childhood favourites only to find the magic gone, but I’m usually happy to leave the book behind. I’ve taken from it what I need.

1. What was the author’s earliest reading memory?

A．Copying the stories of Rudyard Kipling.

B．Reading Something Wicked This Way Comes.

C．Studying Ulysses for writing styles.

D．Listening to The Jungle Book in French.

2. Which part of Wuthering Heights gave the author a different feeling as an adult?

A．The complex plot.	B．The characters.
C．The humour and poetry.	D．The love story.

3. What do the underlined words “fall by the wayside” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Remain unchanged over years.	B．Lose their original attraction.
C．Gain widespread popularity.	D．Are left by the side of the road.

4. Which is the most suitable title for the text?

A．The Changing Power of Reading

B．The Development of Reading Taste

C．The Lifelong Journey of Rereading Classics

D．The Childhood Memories in Reading Habits

7 . The Power of Insensitivity

Highly sensitive(敏感的)person, or HSP, is a term invented by psychologist Elaine Aron. HSPs can come with many challenges. They may find it hard to adapt to new surroundings, and easily become uncomfortable in response to certain feelings or others’ opinions.     1    

The power of insensitivity can be explained as “slow power”. Usually, people connect “insensitivity” with something bad, but indeed, it stresses the ability to keep doing something difficult without complaining.     2     It is not a weakness but an approach to winning a better life.

    3     Knowing yourself is difficult, and knowing yourself correctly is undoubtedly an excellent ability. The successful people clearly know where their strengths are, what they can do and what direction to go.

There are some ways to practice “insensitivity”: Don’t pay too much attention to the ups and downs of life at the moment.     4     Don’t get involved in other people’s lives and don’t let others affect yours. Regarding relationships, learn to view problems as two parts: One part is what you need to face and solve. The other part is the responsibility of others, which is not your business.

Everyone can gain the ability to be insensitive.     5     And the world will also be a better one if we focus on major goals and stay insensitive to something else.

A．Insensitivity plays a significant role.

B．Rather, you should be looking forward.

C．That’s where the need to be insensitive comes from.

D．Once you slow down the pace, you will feel more comfortable.

E．Those not easily affected are the people who care less about others.

F．That is, calmly facing the downtime in life and moving towards one’s own direction.

G．One reason why insensitivity allows people to better survive is the strong self-awareness.

8 . Italki works with Emmersion and Oxford Online Placement Test to provide online language tests for language learners.

Test contents:

Italki Language Test is powered by Emmersion, which offered two kinds of test contents, Emmersion Speaking test and Emmersion Grammar test. The Emmersion Speaking test is available for 7 languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Japanese, Portuguese and Italian, and is mostly designed to use neutral accents and not focus on a specific dialect. However, the Spanish test uses a Latin American accent, and the Portuguese test leans towards a Brazilian accent. The Emmersion Grammar test is available for 5 languages: English, French, Spanish, German, and Italian.

OOPT, Oxford Online Placement Test includes an English Grammar test.

Expiration (有效期):

1. OOPT is valid for a year from the purchase date.

2. Italki Language test is valid for 1 year after purchase. You can take up to 4 times tests within one purchase. To take the test, you need to activate (激活) it to start. Italki Language Test won’t limit you to activate the same language for these 4 tests. You can choose any available language you want to activate each time.

What should I prepare before taking the Italki Language Test?

A stable internet connection.

An updated internet browser. Chrome is recommended, but here, you’ll find a list of compatible (可兼容的) browsers and equipment, including mobile devices and computers: https://support.emmersion.ai/support/solutions/articles/60000703287-device-and-browser-requirements.

A quiet environment with little or no background noise.

A headset with a built-in microphone (Optional).

How long will the test take?

The test will ask you 40-45 questions, which should take 15 minutes to 30 minutes.

However, it depends on you. The computerized adaptive testing adapts to the examinee’s level. There isn’t a set number of questions, and the questions won’t always be the same. For the OOPT test, please make sure that you click “submit” to complete your test within the one-hour time limit. Otherwise, you won’t get a score as the exam didn’t finish in time.

1. How many foreign languages are available for a Spanish student in an Emmersion Grammar test?

A．one

B．four

C．five

D．seven

2. Which is a must for a Italki Language test?

A．A quiet environment.

B．The Chrome browser.

C．A computer.

D．A headset with a built-in microphone.

3. What else should you pay attention to when taking a test?

A．Accents are not acceptable in the test.

B．You should stick to one language for tests within one purchase.

C．The numbers of questions in the test are not fixed.

D．You should click “submit” within 45 minutes in an OOPT text.

9 . Sharon Roseman was five years old when her world changed forever.She was playing Blind Man’s Bluff with friends outside her house.When she removed her blindfold (眼罩), she couldn’t recognize where she was.From that moment on, Roseman has been lost every day of her life.

Roseman is not alone in her experience.As an adult living in Denver, Colorado, in 2008, Roseman was diagnosed with a rare and newly discovered condition called Developmental Topographical Disorientation(DTD), which is a disorder that dramatically affects people’s abilities to navigate their familiar environment.

Dr. Giuseppe Iaria of the University of Calgary in Canada is credited with first identifying DTD.He confirms that odd as it sounds, people with DTD have no brain damage. He thinks genetic factors are likely to be responsible for it.

Paul Dudchenko, from the University of Stirling in the United Kingdom, has what he calls a place-cell theory. He says we get lost because all our hippocampal cells appear to be connected to landmarks. “They use things in the environment to orientate (确定方向) themselves and create a cognitive map,” he says. “If we don’t have things in the outside world to update the cognitive map, then it is likely to error.” That’s why people who are lost in a snowstorm, for instance, tend to go in circles. They think they’re heading in the right direction, but without external reference points their brain is unable to form a cognitive map, so they naturally tend to get lost.

“There seems to be a systematic error in the way people with DTD place landmarks in their mind,” Dudchenko says. How exactly this happens is still under investigation, but Dudchenko thinks the answer lies in the relationship between the various regions of the brain responsible for spatial cognition (空间认知).

For his part, Giuseppe Iaria is continuing with his research.Some of his recent work has focused on the role genes play in DTD.As well as helping sufferers of DTD, Iaria believes his research will offer an explanation for why some people are better at finding their way than others.While top researchers have more to learn, they are confident the answers won’t stay lost in the complexity of the brain forever.

1. Why does the author mention Roseman’s experience?

A．To inform us of a sad story.

B．To give us background information.

C．To introduce a rare disease.

D．To support the author’s argument.

2. What trouble would people with DTD have?

A．Navigating novel and unfamiliar environments.

B．Remembering the layout of their neighborhood.

C．Understanding the detailed information on a map.

D．Recalling the names of familiar places and people.

3. What does Dudchenko say about DTD?

A．It gives rise to severe brain damage.

B．It happens when cognitive map fails.

C．It connects one’s brain and cognition.

D．It arises from a systematic genetic error.

4. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．Genes play the most important role in DTD.

B．The ability to find one’s way can be improved.

C．Iaria’s research has already helped sufferers of DTD.

D．The truth about DTD will be brought to light someday.

10 . Award-winning Chinese shoe designer, Huang Qinqin, shares her transformative journey, combining cultural heritage and international design to shape the art of practical wear.

Believing that the value of her products doesn’t lie in business operation, Huang always focuses on how to convey the stories behind her shoes to customers instead.“It is like storytelling, a natural ability I possess,” she said with a smile.

However, Huang’s journey into design was unforeseen and it took her several years to discover her true passion. Huang switched her major from physics to international communications studies at university.While she found great enjoyment in these courses, she still didn’t know what she could do in the future.

“One day, I grabbed a sheet of paper and began drawing some shoe designs I saw online.It was at that moment that the light suddenly dawned.” recalled Huang.

To her astonishment, Huang discovered while international luxury shoe brands like Jimmy Choo and Christian Louboutin are household names, Chinese brands are rarely seen.This finding fueled Huang’s determination to pursue her career as a shoe designer, hoping to fill the blank in the international market.

After returning to China from the UK, Huang established her own shoe brand.“I think Chinese students studying abroad today all share a strong sense of mission—to showcase what China truly has to offer to the world,” Huang said.

Looking back, Huang said that she took a long time to finally find her lifelong passion.“There is a saying that one must achieve fame at a young age, but I believe it is never too late to unlock one’s potential, since everyone operates on their unique ‘time zone’,” she said.

Before her current career path, Huang never stopped trying new things, including garden design and dance.These diverse experiences have all become precious treasures in her life, nurturing her self-directed learning abilities, which have turned out to be essential skills for her startup business today.

1. What does Huang value most about her products?

A．Design concept.	B．Market share.
C．Quality standard.	D．Business operation.

2. What further motivated Huang Qinqin to be a shoe designer?

A．Passion for fashion and design.

B．Lack of Chinese brands in the field.

C．Desire to challenge conventional norms.

D．Love for international luxury shoe brands.

3. What can best describe Huang?

A．Creative and flexible.

B．Ambitious and easy-going.

C．Talented and accessible.

D．Responsible and humorous.

4. What might Huang agree with?

A．Well begun is half done.

B．Think twice before you leap.

C．Every step counts in your life.

D．It matters much when you succeed.