2 . 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. range       B. novel        C. interest       D. unlikely     E. benefit       F. experiencing G. available     H. necessarily     I. initiative       J. generated       K. partnership

Google gives $1M grant to Press Association to develop robot journalists

New consumers of the future could be reading stories pieced together by advanced data-analyzing robots rather than human journalists, if Google has its way.

On Thursday, the Press Association, the U.K.’s national news agency, announced that it received €706,000 from the tech giant for its Reporters and Data an Robots (RADAR)     1    .

A collaboration between the Press Association and data-driven news start-up Urbs Media, RADAR aims to set up an artificial intelligene-fueled, news service that will generate tens of thousands of news stories a month using publicly     2     data.

Everyone from big-name news organizations to hyper-local outlets and bloggers could     3     from the program. Press Association editor-in-chief Peter Clifton claimed, “this is a hugely exciting development, and we believe our     4     with Urbs Media can be a genuine game-changer for media outlets across the U. K. and Ireland.”

According to the Press Association, RADAR won’t     5     mark the end of the flesh-and-blood journalists, but will rather enable the AI to produce a volume of stories that would be impossible to match manually.

The envisioned work-flow would begin with human journalists identifying open data sets and “creating detailed story templates across a(n)     6     of topics including crime, health and employment.” The robotic reporter would then take over and scan the data, use language generation software to craft together story text and automatically locate relevant photos and video. Press Association clients would then be able to use a special distribution platform to identify news stories of     7     to their audience.

Content automation isn’t a totally     8     concept in the news industry however. AP estimated that it can free up 20 per cent of journalists’ time, allowing them to focus on more complex, qualitative tasks.

Shockingly, not all journalists are sold on the AI infiltration. A study found that journalists from leading news organizations had several reservations when shown an automatically     9     sports story. “I would never, ever, ever have written a story like that,” one BBC journalist said, while a CNN reporter thought the story was repetitive and lacked variation.

Nevertheless, it looks like AI in journalism is here to stay. At a time when many media outlets are     10     commercial pressure, RADAR will provide the news ecosystem with a cost-effective way to provide insightful local stories.

3 . 根据句意，选择单词或短语并以其适当形式填空。

involve              thanks to              available break down              overcome              comfort

1. As long as you don’t lose heart, you’ll find a way to ________ the difficulty.
2. ________ the work of John Snow, we now know how to prevent cholera.
3. A smile can help us get through difficult situations and ________ barriers.
4. A good teacher is able to ________ her students when they are upset.
5. Mr. Leach is on holiday and is not ________ for the moment.
6. It is beneficial for teenagers to ________ themselves in social activities after school.

4 . 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. travelled               B. available        C. developed        D. requested            E. factor                   F. education       G. regularly               H. provided        I. incredibly     J. subjects                 K. decided

James Watt was born in 1736 in Scotland. Because of his poor health condition, he was unable to attend school     1    . Thus, he received his earliest     2     at home from his mother and in his father’s workshop. At the workshop, Watt     3     a keen interest in tools, instruments and model-making. He later attended grammar school, where he studied Greek, Latin, maths and other     4    . After his mother died, the 18-year-old Watt     5     to London, where he received training as an instrument maker.

Watt’s work with the steam engine (蒸汽机) began in 1769, when he was     6     to repair a Newcomen (纽科门) steam engine. Designed in the early 18th century, the engine was     7     inefficient. But it was better than any other steam engines     8     at that time. James decided to improve its efficiency. He     9     the engine with a separate condenser (冷凝器) to reduce the loss of energy. In 1769, Watt received his first patent for his separate condenser. His improvements to the steam engine were a significant     10     in the Industrial Revolution (工业革命).

5 . 从词汇框中选择合适的单词完成句子。

alternative     available     boils     conclusion     dramatic     exposure tackled     labelled     panicked     poses     resistance     strengthened

1. It is true that ________ to another culture can give students great insights into the world.
2. After our discussion, we’ve arrived at the ________ that he is not the right one for the job.
3. The high-quality electronic equipment is ________ “Made in China”.
4. Harry, an English addict, is always practicing Oral English at every ________ moment.
5. This disease is difficult to catch, as most people have a natural ________ to it.
6. It is forbidden to smoke in the factory as this ________ a safety risk.
7. Bicycles are regarded as an economical ________ to buses and cars.
8. That ________ growth has come at a time when the country has been getting stronger.
9. When doctors ran into the building, they got ________, thinking about bad aspects.
10. It is our teacher’s encouragement and support that ________ our determination to be better.

6 . 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. faith     B. support     C. instantly     D. establishments     E. available     F. thoroughly G. entitled     H. reflect     I. arise     J. represent     K. unrealistic

Zoos were originally created as places of entertainment, and their suggested involvement with conservation didn’t seriously     1     until about 30 years ago, when the Zoological Society of London held the first formal international meeting on the subject. Eight years later, a series of world conferences took place,     2     ‘The Breeding of Endangered Species’, and from this point onwards conservation became the zoo community’s buzzword. This commitment has now been clearly defined in The World Zoo Conservation Strategy (WZCS)，which –although an important and welcome document- does seem to be based on a/ an     3    optimism about the nature of the zoo industry.

The WZCS estimates that there are about 10000 zoos in the world, of which around 1000     4     a core of quality collections capable of participating in coordinated conservation programs. This is probably the document’s first failing, as I believe that 10000 is a serious reserve of the total number of places which claim to be zoological     5    . Of course it is difficult to get accurate data but, to put the issue into perspective, I have found that in a year of working in Eastern Europe, I discover fresh zoos on almost a weekly basis.

The second flaw in the reasoning of the WZCS document is its naive     6     in its 1000 core zoos. One would assume that the quality of these institutions would have been     7     examined, but it appears that the criterion for inclusion on this select list might merely be that the zoo is a member of a zoo federation or association. This might be a good starting point, working on the basis that members must meet certain standards, but again the facts don’t     8    the theory. The greatly respected American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums (AAZPA) has had extremely dubious, and even notorious (臭名昭著的) members. As they were always a collection of bad reputation, one is obliged to     9    upon the standards that the Zoo Federation sets when granting membership. The situation is even worse in developing countries where little money is     10    for redevelopment.

7 . 选词填空

apparently     appropriate     remarkable     committed     available     gradually accompanying     witness     visible     command     secure     warning

1. Tu Youyou, a __________ and patient scientist, was born in Ningbo, China.
2. Jane has made __________ progress in Chinese with teacher’s help and her own hard work.
3. __________, Quan Hongchan is one of the most talented divers in China.
4. These smart homes will keep us __________, save us energy and provide a more comfortable environment to live in.
5. I have such a good __________ of English that Lcan introduce Chinese culture to visitors in English.
6. It’s a good idea to choose another destination in case your first-choice tourist spot is not __________.
7. With volunteers __________ her during the festival, the old lady felt happier.
8. The rain had stopped and a star or two was __________ over the mountains.
9. The crucial thing is using body language in a way that is __________ to the culture you are in.
10. The police found the __________ to the accident.

8 . 辨析下列单词和短语，根据语境表达需要，将单词或短语填入句子中。

adapt to        approach          available       brave the elements       challenge occasion       participate in       replace        survive                      typical

1. If you couldn’t solve the problem by yourself, you had better wait for a right ______ to ask your teacher.
2. As you ______ the town, you will find our school on the left.
3. All citizens were encouraged to ______ the Shen-Zhen marathon, which started on December 3, 2023.
4. After the recent software update, many old features are no longer ______; they’ve been enhanced or removed entirely.
5. Unfortunately, more than 10.000 people including young children failed to ______ the war between Israel and Palestine.
6. The government has promised to ______ the petrol cars with electric cars in the future, which is good news to the environment protection.
7. The role was the biggest ______ of his acting career, but he succeeded in the end.
8. It was ______ of her to forget the things, so we reminded her many times.
9. Due to the sudden changes in the market, many businesses are struggling to ______ the new economic environment.
10. As a nature photographer, I have to ______ so I can grasp the chance to take photos of the rare animals in the wild.

10 . Complete the sentences with the adjectives in the box.

abnormal             automatic             available             constant             critical efficient             distant             instant             relevant             secure

1. Big data will become much more____________ in solving crimes in the future.
2. Many smart watches can provide____________ fitness data.
3. It is possible that this technological fantasy will come true in the____________ future.
4. After the accident, both drivers are in ____________condition.
5. The fridge keeps food at a____________ low temperature.
6. The air condlitioner works in ____________mode.
7. It is important to make food and water____________ to the survivors.
8. Houses with advanced appliances will keep us ____________and healthy.
9. We find the German transport system to be one of the most____________ in Europe.
10. The sensors can detect anything____________ and automatically call someone to come and fix it.