1.学习方法建议；
2. 鼓励 Tom。
注意： 1.词数80左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Dear Tom,
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
Jessica wasn’t doing well enough at school, or at least she wasn’t satisfied with herself. She wished she could do better.
“Let’s review the material we learned in the last unit,” the history teacher said. “Who can tell us what caused the War of 1812?” Jessica sat at her desk, staring ahead. She hoped the teacher wouldn’t call her name. They hadn’t studied the War of 1812 at her old school and she didn’t know the answer.
“Alison?” the teacher asked instead. Oh, perfect, Jessica thought. Of course Alison would have the answer. She seemed to have all the answers. Alison was the most popular girl in school-always surrounded by millions of best friends. She was like a brilliant sun.
Jessica hadn’t made one or two friends of her own so far. Her old school was small and low-key, but a shy person Jessica had a chance there, who always stood out among peers in study and play. This new school, however, seemed as big as an airport to Jessica, and it seemed very hard to get around in it. She still got lost sometimes in the school.
Jessica frowned (皱眉) as Alison answered the teacher’s question. Alison probably never got lost, Jessica thought to herself. You could probably put Alison down in the middle of a desert, and within five minutes she’d be able to tell you the best way to get home.
History class finally ended, and Jessica headed for the gym. The class had been playing basketball. Alison, who was as tall and thin and attractive as a tree, was very good at it. Beside her, Jessica felt like a very small and foolish ant. Today, however, the gym teacher pointed to a thick rope hanging from the ceiling and said, “Everybody! You’re going to climb this rope today.”
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。
Hearing the teacher's words, Jessica smiled.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jessica stepped forward and got close to the rope.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1.对活动的评价；
2.分享个人收获。
注意：1.词数80左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Dear Sir or Madam,
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Best regards,
Li Hua
4 . Scientists have found a way to decode (解码) a stream of words in the brain using MRI scans and artificial intelligence. The system reconstructs the main point of what a person hears or imagines, rather than trying to copy each word, a team reports.“It’s getting at the ideas behind the words, the meaning, says Alexander Huth, an author of the study.”
Previous efforts to decode language have relied on sensors placed directly on the surface of the brain. The sensors detect signals in areas involved in expressing words. But the Texas team’s approach is an attempt to “decode more freeform thought,” says Marcel Just, a professor of psychology at Carnegie Mellon University.
The new study came about as part of an effort to understand how the brain processes language. Researchers had three people spend up to 16 hours each in a functional MRI scanner which detects signs of activity across the brain. Participants wore headphones that streamed audio from the Internet. Those streams of words produced activity all over the brain, not just in areas associated with speech and language. After participants listened to hours of stories in the scanner, the MRI data was sent to a computer. It learned to match specific patterns of brain activity with certain streams of words. Then came a paraphrased version of what a participant heard.
The MRI approach is currently slower and less accurate than an experimental communication system being developed for paralyzed people, where people get a sheet of electrical sensors implanted directly on the surface of the brain. With an MRI-based system, no one has to get surgery.
But future versions of MRI scans could raise moral questions. “What if you can read out the word that somebody is just thinking in their head? That’s potentially a harmful thing.” Huth says. This technology can’t really read minds uncontrollably, though. It only works when a participant is actively cooperating with scientists. Still, systems that decode language could someday support people who are unable to speak because of a brain injury or disease. They are also assisting scientists in understanding how the brain processes words and thoughts.
1. What is special about the Texas team’s study?| A．Brain can be reconstructed. | B．Expression can be perfected. |
| C．Meanings can be comprehended. | D．Sensor signals can be improved. |
| A．The process of an experiment. | B．Patterns of brain activity. |
| C．Steps of word matching. | D．The way of speech decoding. |
| A．They are a double-edged sword. | B．They are potentially harmful to life. |
| C．They are helpful to treat brain disease. | D．They are well worth researching. |
| A．A Decoder That Can Read Your Mind | B．MRI Scanner: Raise a moral question |
| C．MRI Scanner: Still a Long Way to Go | D．A Decoder That Can Convey Meaning |
5 . By the late 1960s, abstract painter Harold Cohen had represented Britain at important festivals with his oil paintings and was seeking a new challenge. “Maybe there are more interesting things going on outside my studio than inside it,” he thought. Cohen turned from the canvas (画布) to the screen, using computers to find new ways of creating art. In the late 1960s, he created a program that he named Aaron. It was the first artificial intelligence software in the world of fine art, and Cohen first presented Aaron in 1974 at the University of California, Berkeley. Aaron’s work has since graced museums from the Tate Gallery in London to the Sand Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Now, with AI dominating the headlines, a new exhibition at New York’s Whitney Museum of American Art,“Harold Cohen: Aaron,” running through June 2024, draws attention to Cohen’s pioneering work. The Whitney is offering something deeper than most previous Aaron exhibits: a real-time experience, in which visitors can watch the software produce art.
Cohen seeded Aaron with all sorts of knowledge: about basic objects, physics, and fundamental techniques of drawing. Aaron uses this knowledge to follow instructions, complete tasks, and make decisions like human beings - a very different approach from today’s generative AI art programs, which don’t draw from scratch (从头开始) but rather rely on databases of images. Versions of Aaron still generate output, but anything done after Cohen’s death in 2016 is not considered genuine.
The Whitney is showcasing two versions of Cohen’s software, along with the art that each produced before Cohen died. The 2001 version, Aaron KCAT, generates images of figures and plants and projects them onto a wall more than ten feet high, while the 2007 version produces jungle-like scenes. The software will also create art physically, on paper, for the first time since the 1990s. “It is absolutely thrilling,” said Christiane Paul, the museum’s director of digital art, “to have one of those remarkable treasures of digital art in the collection.”
1. What was Aaron born out of?| A．Harold’s curiosity. | B．The museum’s donation. |
| C．Cohen’s imagination. | D．The university’s support. |
| A．Its ability to assign tasks. | B．Its use of modern techniques. |
| C．Its capability to make choices. | D．Its dependence on existing database. |
| A．See the original 1960s version of Aaron. | B．Generate images with the help of Aaron. |
| C．Learn about the physical rules in art. | D．Observe Aaron creating art on the spot. |
| A．The masterpieces of digital art. | B．A new show of the art world’s first AI. |
| C．The latest technologies in the Whitney. | D．Harold Cohen’s impact on generative AI. |
6 . There’s a useful concept from psychology that helps explain why good people do things that harm the environment: the false consensus effect. That’s where we overvalue how acceptable and prevalent (普遍的) our own behavior is in society. Put simply, if you’re doing something (even if you secretly know you probably shouldn’t), you’re more likely to think plenty of other people do it too. What’s more, you likely overestimate how much other people think that behavior is broadly OK.
This bias (偏见) allows people to justify socially unacceptable or illegal behaviors. Researchers have observed the false consensus effect in drug use and illegal hunting. More recently, conservationists are beginning to reveal how this effect contributes to environmental damage.
In Australia, people who admitted to poaching (偷猎) thought it was much more prevalent in society than it really was, and had higher estimates than fishers who obeyed the law. They also believed others viewed poaching as socially acceptable; however, in reality, more than 90% of fishers held the opposite view. The false consensus effect has also shown up in studies examining support for nuclear energy and offshore wind farms.
Just as concepts from psychology can help explain some forms of environmental damage, so too can they help address it. For example, research shows people are more likely to litter in areas where there’s already a-lot of trash scattered around; so making sure the ground around a bin is not covered in rubbish may help.
Factual information on how other people think and behave can be very powerful. Energy companies have substantially reduced energy consumption simply by showing people how their electricity use compares to their neighbors. Encouragingly, stimulating people’s natural desire for status has also been successful in getting people to “go green to be seen”, or to publicly buy eco-friendly products.
As the research evidence shows, social norms can be a powerful force in encouraging and popularizing environmentally friendly behaviors. Perhaps you can do your bit by sharing this article!
1. Which example best illustrates the false consensus effect?| A．A student spends long hours surfing the internet. |
| B．A blogger assumes many people dislike his posts. |
| C．A driver frequently parks illegally in public places. |
| D．A smoker believes people generally approve of smoking. |
| A．It is unacceptable. | B．It is widespread. |
| C．It is controversial. | D．It is complex. |
| A．Embrace green habits for better health. |
| B．Make green choices that others can perceive. |
| C．Join green movements for personal fulfillment. |
| D．Choose green items that are easy to spot in stores. |
| A．Understate social norms. | B．Highlight personal responsibilities. |
| C．Publicize sustainable practices. | D．Encourage technological innovations. |
7 . Some people today might be early risers because of DNA they take after Neanderthals tens of thousands of years ago, suggests new research.
When early humans migrated from Africa to Eurasia roughly 70,000 years ago, some of them mated with Neanderthals, who had already adapted to the colder, darker climates of the north. The ripple (涟漪) effects of that intermating still exist today: Modern humans of non-African ancestry (血统) have between 1 and 4 percent Neanderthal DNA. Some of that DNA relates to sleep more specifically, the internal body clock known as the circadian rhythm.
For the new study, researchers compared DNA from today’s humans and DNA from Neanderthal fossils (化石). In both groups, they found some of the same genetic variants involved with the circadian rhythm. And they found that modern humans who carry these variants also reported being early risers.
For Neanderthals, being “morning people” might not have been the real benefit of carrying these genes. Instead, scientists suggest, Neanderthals’ DNA gave them faster, more flexible internal body clocks, which allowed them to adjust more easily to annual changes in daylight. This connection makes sense in the context of human history. When early humans moved north out of Africa, they would have experienced variable daylight hours — shorter days in the winter and longer days in the summer-for the first time. The Neanderthals’ circadian rhythm genes likely helped early humans’ offspring (后代) adapt to this new environment.
Notably, the findings do not prove that Neanderthal genes are responsible for the sleep habits of all early risers. Lots of different factors beyond genetics can contribute, including social and environmental influences. The study also only included DNA from a database called the U.K. Biobank—so the findings may not necessarily apply to all modern humans. Next, the research team hopes to study other genetic databases to see if the same link holds true for people of other ancestries. If the findings do apply more broadly, they may one day be useful for improving sleep in the modern world, where circadian rhythms are disturbed by night shifts and glowing smartphones.
1. What does the new research focus on?| A．DNA’s dramatic changes. | B．Genes’ influence on early risers. |
| C．Neanderthals’ sleeping patterns. | D．Ancestors’ environmental adaptability. |
| A．Historical context. | B．Additional proof. |
| C．Sample analysis. | D．Studying process. |
| A．Getting up earlier. | B．Having healthier daily routines. |
| C．Being more flexible in their work. | D．Possessing a better circadian rhythm. |
| A．They get proof from other studies. | B．They are confirmed by early risers. |
| C．They suggest potential applications. | D．They reveal factors in sleeping disorders. |
8 . For eight years, Sophie created realistic-looking limbs (肢) for those who wanted to fit in. But she longed to work on more odd designs that would stand out. Then she met Pollyanna Hope, a young amputee (被截肢者).
“She wanted something a little different on her leg: pictures of a cartoon she loved, Peppa Pig,” said Sophie, who is now based in London. So she designed a unique leg covered in tattoo-like images of Peppa and other pigs riding a bicycle and eating ice cream. Working with Hope made Sophie realize there was a potential market for limbs.
Since then, Sophie founded the Alternative Limb Project (ALP) to make artistic limbs. Her work includes an arm wrapped in sculpted snakes and a leg that looks like porcelain (瓷器) covered in a painted flowery vine. She makes about six limbs per year, always including clients’ ideas so that they receive a personal piece they can celebrate rather than hide.
Of course, a fancy-looking limb won't suit everyone. For Sophie, the basis is that each limb must satisfy a combination of comfort, beauty and functionality, and pushing too hard in one direction can weaken other areas. But for amputees who appreciate novelty, Sophie has some amazing ideas.
“I’d really like to make a candy-dispenser leg with colorful candies inside it” she says. “Or a cuckoo-clock leg with a wooden bird that pops out every hour.” Her goal is to fashion a striking limb.
“It’ll transform the limbs from an elephant in the room into a conversation piece.”
1. Why did Pollyanna Hope come to Sophie?| A．She hoped to have a tailored limb. |
| B．She intended to design a cartoon figure. |
| C．She longed to expand the market for limbs. |
| D．She expected to sell Sophie some odd ideas. |
| A．boost users’ confidence | B．sharpen users’ creativity |
| C．improve Sophie’s sculpture skills | D．extend Sophie’s art business |
| A．The novelty of the pattern tops the list. | B．The balance of multi-needs comes first. |
| C．Fashion is the best policy. | D．Functionality is the key. |
| A．Sophie resolves to lead the fashion of limbs. |
| B．Sophie plans to further transform artistic limbs. |
| C．Amputees will feel at ease to talk about limbs. |
| D．Amputees will have easy access to artistic limbs. |
1. 你的观感；
2. 你的建议。
注意：
1. 写作词数应为 80个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
10 . Peru is prepared to approve new laws that would make it easier to investigate and punish researchers who engage in academic cheating, including paying to have their names added to a paper.
The move comes as Peru’s national science agency seeks to crack down on authorship buying and other dishonest practices. It recently removed two scientists accused of dishonest publications from a national registry that is key to receiving government sponsor, job promotions, and salary bonuses. And officials are investigating more than 170 other researchers at a Peruvian media report claimed were involved in academic misconduct, including 72 listed n the national registry who work at 14 universities in Peru.
The new laws will empower universities and government officials to punish such behavior. Dishonest publishing practices “transcend mere moral misbehavior” because they enable researchers to obtain government and private funding without telling the truth, says Edward Málaga Trillo, a member of Congress who is the driving force behind the bills, which lawmakers are expected to finalize early this year. “These individuals are operating academic cheating.”
Peru’s academic community has been struggling with a rising tide of false authorship and related problems. One cause, some researchers say, is a 2014 law that aimed to stimulate research by rewarding researchers who boost their publishing output. For example, under a scoring system used by universities, researchers can earn five points for authorship in a high-impact journal, and two points when the journal is lower impact. A massing points can bring bonus payments and career promotion.
Signs of dishonest publishing can be obvious, notes Nahuel Monteblanco, president of Cientificos. pe, a Peruvian group that investigates misconduct. Many of the papers cited by Punto Final have numerous co-authors from different nations with few prior publications on the same subject. “If your colleague consistently publishes 20 articles a year with co-authors from other countries, that’s highly suspect,” Monteblanco says.
1. What action did Peru take recently to address academic cheating?| A．Fining 72 offenders for academic dishonesty. |
| B．Disqualifying 2 scientists from a national registry. |
| C．Punishing 170 researchers for academic misconduct. |
| D．Withdrawing government fund from 14 universities. |
| A．Change. | B．Strengthen. | C．Go beyond. | D．Approve of. |
| A．It advocated a fair scoring system. | B．It applied to high-impact journals. |
| C．It led to an increase in false authorship. | D．It aimed to punish dishonest publishing. |
| A．career promotion | B．consistent research focus |
| C．few citations by Punto Final | D．co-authors from various countries |
