1 . Pindar Van Arman is a painter, but he’s also a software designer. He has built some machines and worked on a DARPA challenge team in California to build a self-driving car. His latest project? A robot painter, BitPaintr.

BitPaintr is Van Arman’s fifth robot in 10 years. Earlier versions included devices that produced simpler paintings with algorithms (算法). But the idea for BitPaintr is simple: A user just uploads a picture, and it can paint totally on its own and develop its own style.

Although his friends joke that he has invented a really expensive, slow, bad painter, Van Arman says teaching a machine how to be creative has helped him get to the bottom of what creativity is — and appreciate it.

“When you’re trying to teach a machine to do something that’s easy for humans, it really makes you sit back and see what humans are doing,” he says.

So what is creativity, then, if a robot with a paintbrush can be — or appear to be — just as creative as a human with a paintbrush?

Mark Riedl, a professor at the Georgia Tech School of Interactive Computing, says it depends on how you define creativity. “There is creativity and Creativity,” Riedl says. “Being ‘creative’ usually has something to do with the little things that we do hundreds of times in our daily lives. They could be creative, but usually aren’t. To be ‘Creative’ is to have an imagination that will have a huge impact on a social level — the Picassos and the Mozarts of the world; the people who have produced something that’s taken on this additional level of meaning.”

Riedl admits what robots create is far from human-level quality art, but he sees robots entering the creative process as a positive thing.

“We want the computers to keep up with us,” he says. “And thanks to researchers like Van Arman, it seems like they will, although they will not replace us, but to help us to be more creative.”

1. Which is a new quality of BitPaintr?

A．Simplicity.

B．Creativity.

C．Speed.

D．Profitability.

2. What is Van Arman’s friends’ attitude to BitPaintr?

A．Favorable.

B．Doubtful.

C．Unclear.

D．Hopeful.

3. What does Mark Riedl suggest about computers?

A．They will defeat the greatest artists soon.

B．They can produce “Creative” things by themselves.

C．They will learn more from the Picassos and the Mozarts.

D．They can help us to do daily things in more “creative” ways.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Can BitPaintr-like Robots Replace Artists in the Future?

B．Why Do People Have Sharply Different Views on AI Robots?

C．What Is the Difference Between the Two Kinds of Creativity?

D．Can BitPaintr Be Considered a “Creative” Painting Software?

2 . Grace Choi, whose nickname is Sunny, is a gymnast in America. “I remember her doing cartwheels (翻跟头) when she was a kid,” her brother Jin says.

One night at college, Choi saw members of a breaking (霹雳舞) club dancing by accident. She was immediately attracted to the dance and came to a class. Choi’s gymnastics skills gave her an advantage. After graduating from business school, she began working in the cosmetics (化妆品) industry. But on the side, she kept breaking.

Breaking was added to the Paris Olympics program in 2020. In late 2021, Choi attended a camp. It was for the top U. S. breakers. A coach there asked those who wanted to become Olympians to raise their hands. Everyone’s hand went up except Choi’s. Working full-time while training to make the Olympic team seemed impossible.

But after finishing second at the World Games in July 2022, Choi left the cosmetics industry. In 2023, she was chosen for the 2024 Paris Olympics by winning the Pan American Games.“I’m so much happier,” she says. “I feel lighter. I have more energy for the things I want to do.”

Thirty-two breakers will go to Paris. “Choi has power moves,” says Mary Fogarty, a professor of dance at York University, in Toronto, Canada. “Choi is someone who has enough material to go all the way through.” Choi struggles with self-doubt. She’ll work on her mindset. She’ll lift weights with a strength coach. And she’ll eat a healthy diet.

Choi is confident about one thing: If you give breaking a chance, you won’t be disappointed. “You feel the energy,” she says. “You feel the excitement. You feel the happiness or the anger or whatever emotion that the dancer is expressing in that moment. What’s so cool about breaking is that you get to be really you.”

1. What introduced Choi to break dancing?

A．An accidental chance.	B．Her gymnastics skills.
C．Her brother’s encouragement.	D．The camp for the top breakers.

2. What did Choi give up in order to attend the Olympics?

A．Her job.	B．Her health.
C．Her college education.	D．Her chance of promotion.

3. How does Fogarty feel about Choi attending the 2024 Paris Olympics?

A．Anxious.

B．Confident.

C．Uncertain.

D．Unexpected.

4. What can we learn from Choi’s story?

A．A youth is to be regarded with respect.	B．The young thirst for being famous.
C．Where there’s interest, there’s success.	D．Curious minds never feel contented.

3 . 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。

“Tomorrow is Mother’s Day. I’ve been saving up for the past month and I’m going to buy my mother a lipstick she loves,” Cherry, my friend, said on the way home from school. “See you tomorrow!”

We waved goodbye as she went into a gift shop. But her excitement reminded me that I hadn’t prepared anything special for my mother yet. I continued walking along the road, carefully thinking about what gift I should choose. I had planned to buy her some flowers and chocolates. Now, compared with my friend’s lipstick, they seemed to be too simple.

“Maybe I should go to the gift shop, too.” I told myself.

I pushed open the door to a nearby shop and tried to find a perfect gift. I picked up a lipstick but immediately put it back after seeing its price. I could never afford that! Then I walked into another shop and saw a very lovely cup.

“It’d be a wonderful gift and Mum would love it!” I thought.

I picked it up and turned it over to see the price, hoping it was not too expensive. Once again, I couldn’t afford it. Feeling sad, I continued to wander around the shops until darkness fell outside. Eventually, I gave up and went home. When I opened the door, I was greeted by the good smell from the kitchen.

“Mum, I am home!” I pretended to be cheerful.

Mom turned around and kissed me lightly on the cheeks, saying, “Dinner is almost ready. Today, I happened to be able to come home a little bit earlier. I have made some of the snacks you loved when you were a kid. I really missed the happy time we spent together!”

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

Just then and there, I had a good idea.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Early in the morning, I was woken up by the gentle knocks on my door.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 . 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。

A farming-themed reality show has taken Chinese social media by storm. The show,     1     (name) Become a Farmer, highlights the importance of agriculture in Chinese culture. Many young urbanites (城市居民), however, may be unfamiliar     2     the word “farming”.     3     (bridge) this gap, the 50-episode program invites 10 young men from diverse backgrounds to experience life on the farmland. This show aims to provide insights into farming     4     (activity) and modern agricultural production.

Yang Changling, chief director of     5     program, said it intends to show farming through a documentary approach. By sharing these young people’s experiences and personal growth stories, it hopes to deepen the audience’s understanding of agriculture and raise the     6     (aware) of food security.

Wu Han, the producer, said the show aims to promote traditional Chinese farming culture while     7     (strengthen) communication between urban and rural residents (居民).     8     (additional), cast members document their experiences through vlogs,     9     contents vary from building a hen house to digging up fresh bamboo shoots.

In one vlog, 27-year-old Jiang Dunhao recalled helping with the birth of lambs, writing on Weibo: “A newborn lamb struggled to stand, but after resting, it gathered its strength and finally     10     (rise).”

Become a Farmer has emerged (为人所知) as an influential show that not only entertains but also educates, which has becomes a hit.

6 . I received one act of kindness from a stranger after my husband died. It happened when I went to have a photo _________ for the funeral (葬礼). Enveloped by grief, I was unable to talk with anyone. Printing the photo should have been an easy task, but it felt _________ as I walked into the building.

I had often used the print service and was _________ in and out within ten minutes. But, on this day, nothing went _________. My USB wouldn’t load properly and I couldn’t locate the photo. Overcome with _________, I broke into tears.

Then a woman _________ me and asked if she could help. I cried that I couldn’t get the machine to _________. She sat down and with a few quick taps (敲击) on the keyboard, _________ the photo. She moved as if to leave. _________, she sat back. She asked if this was what I would like printed. Still sobbing, I said it needed to be cropped (裁剪). She put it all into the system and waited. I thanked her as she __________ the USB to me. She nodded and sat silently until I was __________ enough to walk out.

By sitting __________, she permitted me to cry without judgment. She didn’t ask what was wrong or offer well-meaning but unhelpful __________. She allowed me to deal with my __________ in a cared-for space. Through that brief exchange of time, I felt some of the hopelessness __________.

1.

A．taken

B．delivered

C．attached

D．printed

2.

A．challenging

B．annoying

C．frightening

D．discouraging

3.

A．occasionally

B．obviously

C．casually

D．normally

4.

A．crazy

B．public

C．right

D．bad

5.

A．terror

B．helplessness

C．confusion

D．shock

6.

A．supported

B．attracted

C．impressed

D．approached

7.

A．change

B．exist

C．work

D．improve

8.

A．brought up

B．set down

C．cut out

D．put aside

9.

A．Anyway

B．Therefore

C．Otherwise

D．Instead

10.

A．brought

B．handed

C．gifted

D．supplied

11.

A．courageous

B．delighted

C．calm

D．confident

12.

A．aimlessly

B．quietly

C．joyfully

D．temporarily

13.

A．comments

B．promises

C．requests

D．apologies

14.

A．embarrassment

B．anxiety

C．agony

D．shame

15.

A．work out

B．die away

C．show up

D．come about

7 . How to Improve Your Sense of Self-worth

Self-worth is a key factor when it comes to your mental and physical health. Stress, depression and anger have all been shown to pave the way to illness and disease.     1     If so, you’re probably more content, confident and successful. You’re likely also healthier. If you find that your self-esteem (自尊) is weakening a little, there are plenty of ways to build it back up again.

Let yourself off the hook. As the saying goes, it is better to try something and fail than to not try anything. Focus on goals that are linked to activities you are interested in. Don’t care about whether or not you achieve your goal in full, just enjoying the process.     2    

Keep your body healthy. Eat a balanced diet and stay physically active to keep your body in good shape. You will look better, feel better and have more energy for new activities.

    3     Redefine the roles you play in the society and give yourself more sense of self-worth. Instead of “sales manager” or “mother”, start thinking of yourself as “community organizer”, “literacy volunteer”, “great cook”, “gifted gardener” and more.

Be aware of your advantages.     4     Are you fun to be around, thoughtful, generous? Keep adding to the list and pull it out whenever you need an improvement.

If you feel good about yourself, have a positive outlook and stay active and involved, you’re more likely to be happy and healthy.     5    

A．Rebuild your identity.

B．Find out your original roles.

C．These emotions influence your self-worth.

D．You will enjoy a sense of purpose and pleasure from it.

E．Remind yourself of your best qualities and make a list of them.

F．But a healthy level of self-worth can deal with life’s challenges well.

G．Therefore, increasing your self-worth with these methods is necessary.

8 . With stories about legends, romance and superpowers, Chinese online literary works are gaining a growing global readership.

Online literature, or web literature, refers to a new literary form created and published in a digital format (格式) on the Internet, which can include novels, poetry or prose. It mainly consists of original works which are posted onto a website previous to any type of physical publication in book form. Authors are free to build their stories on online reading platforms, which are usually update d on a daily basis. Fans log on to platforms, reading the latest content and paying for it. On online reading platforms, readers not only rank books based on their plot, word building, translation, but they also interact with the author.

Chinese web novels are popular among young Chinese, who share similar reading preferences with their overseas counterparts (相似的人). Popular Chinese web novels adopt the styles of Western fantasy novels which are familiar to Western readers, who also find freshness with elements from traditional Chinese culture. By the end of 2022, more than 16, 000 Chinese online works of literature had been exported abroad, reaching over 150 million readers outside China.

As a literature scholar who took notice of the phenomenon, Noah Forrin noticed the growing number of local writers overseas on WebNovel. He said they understand the preferences of the locals and are well aware of the taboos of their culture so that they can decide what can be included in their writing and what should be avoided, while having the potential to create popular online works for local readers using the production system of Chinese online literature.

The young scholar has full confidence for the future of online literature, since both the literary circle and readers are pushing authors to write better works. He believes adaptations to films, TV dramas, and games will also boost (促进) the development of online literature. “For now, Chinese online literature is seizing the moment, but other countries and cultural circles will join in, bringing about changes worldwide,” said the young scholar.

1. What can we learn about online literature?

A．Its off-line version is published earlier.	B．The authors usually update their works weekly.
C．It is a digital literary form with various types.	D．The readers can give comments and adapt the works.

2. Why do Chinese web novels appeal to readers overseas?

A．Western literature is gradually losing its freshness.

B．Westerners are crazy about traditional Chinese culture.

C．The novels combine Western styles and Chinese elements.

D．Readers overseas have the same reading habits as Chinese readers.

3. What does the underlined word “taboos” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Something unacceptable.	B．Something hidden.
C．Something unnoticed.	D．Something available.

4. What’s the writing purpose of the text?

A．To explain the features of online literature.

B．To show the popularity of Chinese online literature.

C．To introduce different attitudes to Chinese online literature.

D．To compare Chinese online literature with that of Western countries.

9 . Fu Zai, a lovely corgi only six months old who has been trained to be China’s first corgi police dog, made his debut (亮相) during the opening day of a police camp in Weifang, Shandon g Province.

His debut once again hit people’s fixed idea that “little short legs” cannot join the police force. Unlike those long-limbed dogs full of strength and energy, Fu Zai quickly went viral online thanks to his symbolic smile, special short legs and excellent explosion device-seeking abilities.

As a reserve police dog, Fu Zai faces a “heavy workload”: training is scheduled for every morning and afternoon, involving a variety of subjects, such as obedience (服从) exercising, bomb search, sniffing techniques and so on. Throughout the whole process, Fu Zai stood out and outperformed many of his peers at two months old.

However, some have doubted whether this adorable police dog can actually be qualified. In the face of questioning, Fu Zai performed well thanks to its unique advantages in the training. “His strong environmental adaptability, his desire for possession (拥有) of items and his fondness of food are particularly beneficial to our training,” said Wang Yanan, head of the police dog base of the Weifang Public Security Bureau.

“Police dogs are cute, but trainers have done a lot of work and effort to train them,” said Wang. “After a period of further training to adapt to the complex environment, Fu Zai is sure to be appointed and given missions.”

Following four months of training, Fu Zai now can take advantage of his short legs to directly search beneath the car and easily search narrow spaces. He can also improve interactions between police dogs and the public because of his appearance.

1. What should police dogs be like in people’s mind?

A．Energetic and fierce.	B．Smart and cute.
C．Devoted and calm.	D．Long-legged and strong.

2. What do we know about Fu Zai?

A．He has become a qualified police dog.	B．He can adapt to the surroundings easily.
C．He performed best in the training process.	D．He met some problems due to his short legs.

3. How does Wang sound in Paragraph 5?

A．Confident.

B．Serious.

C．Interested.

D．Concerned.

4. What can we learn from the text?

A．Every man has his faults.	B．A good dog deserves a good bone.
C．Good things come to those who wait.	D．Never judge a book by its cover.

10 . If you’re searching for a new way to work, we’ve put together a list of some great options for you to look into.

SANODESK QS+ electric standing desk       www.sanodeskqs.co.uk

This desk is made from maple wood and primarily designed to be used as a computer desk. It has a white frame and a base made from alloy steel (合金钢) that can hold up to 60kg. This model also has a control button, for adjusting the direction and height of the desk itself, whether you prefer to stand or sit.

YITAHOME electric standing desk             www.yitahome.co.uk

Primarily designed as a computer desk, this model comes with a firm black frame, with more than enough room for a monitor, keyboard and other items. It also includes step-by-step instructions and a toolkit (工具箱) for easy installation (安装). Also featured is an intelligent keypad for height adjustment, which has anti-collision (防冲撞的) technology.

TRIUMPHKEY electric standing desk             www.triumphkey.co.uk

This desk is two-double, with a main desk and an attached monitor shelf. It is designed to have at least 60kg capacity, with an industrial grade steel frame keeping it in place. Also featured are two preset adjustable height settings, ranging from 72cm to 117cm, depending on your preferred working height.

PANANA electric standing desk             www.panana.co.uk

Great for home office use, this electric desk comes in a brown finish, with its top material made from firm iron, with engineered wood as the base material. The desk also has an adjustable height feature and an extra installation instructions, which will let you install it easily.

1. Which brand will you choose if you need to control the direction of the desk?

A．SANODESK QS+.

B．YITAHOME.

C．TRIUMPHKEY.

D．PANANA.

2. Which website can you visit to learn about a desk with a shelf?

A．www.sanodeskqs.co.uk.	B．www.yitahome.co.uk.
C．www.triumphkey.co.uk.	D．www.panana.co.uk.

3. What do the four desks have in common?

A．They are made of steel.	B．They hold at most 60kg.
C．They provide installation instructions.	D．They are adjustable in height.