1 . In January 2020, I left for a mission, along with a 75-person crew. I had got to know everyone quite well, which made me feel confident that everything would run smoothly. The main goal of the mission was to voyage through the water, identifying boats and aircraft with our sensors while remaining undetected. We were the eyes and ears of the French navy, 300 metres under the ocean.

Being in a submarine (潜水艇) is a bit like being in a spaceship. Letters from family were allowed to keep crew members motivated, but for safety and caution, all communication from the crew’s families was seen first by navy staff who removed any content that could cause panic on board.

In February 2020, as Covid-19 started to emerge in Europe, the navy began to block all Covid-19-related news in our life. Throughout March and April, we had no idea that Covid-19 was even a thing, let alone that France was under strict lockdown.

The day finally came when we were set to come back. The radio channels on the submarine announced the news: “There is a deadly virus, and the country is locked down.” Actually, the information didn’t make any sense to me at that time. “Lockdown” was a new word to me. I didn’t know what to expect.

When I got out of the submarine. I got my phone back and received weeks’ worth of panicked messages. I took a train back to Paris, where my family lives, and was completely lost. People had masks and gloves on. I put over my mouth a fireproof mask that had been given to me by the navy. I just thought, everyone is hiding their mouths, so I’ll do it, too, even though I didn’t know why.

1. What can we know about the mission?

A．It lasted for 3 months.	B．75 persons participated in it.
C．It served for the French navy.	D．Its main task was to explore the ocean.

2. What information may reach the author when in the mission?

A．His grandfather passed away.	B．His mother came across an accident.
C．His girlfriend would break up with him.	D．His son was elected captain of the soccer team.

3. Through which can crew members keep informed of outside news?

A．Cellphone access.	B．Submarine sensors.
C．Calls from families.	D．Radio channels broadcast.

4. How did the author feel on the train?

A．Confused.

B．Relaxed.

C．Excited.

D．Panicked.

2 . Top Scientific Breakthroughs in 2023

The pace of innovation never slows, and the impact of the breakthroughs will redefine the way we live, work and connect with the world.

A New Era for Space Exploration

Space exploration is one of the core missions in many countries. Recently, the newest mission to the moon was launched as NASA’s Artemis Program, which would pave the way for a future mission to Mars. This new era of space exploration will drive technological advancements in fields beyond astronautics and stimulate progress in real-world applications like materials, food science, and modern industry.

A Milestone in AI Predictions

For decades, the scientific community has chased a greater understanding of relationships between protein functions and 3D structures. In July 2023, Deep Mind revealed that the folded 3D structure of a protein molecule (分子), which reduced the number of human proteins with unknown structural data from 4,800 to just 29. While there will always be challenges with AI, the ability to predict protein structures in biology has implications across all life sciences.

Greener Fertilizer Production

Every year, billions of people depend on fertilizers for the ongoing production of food, and reducing the carbon footprint and expenses in fertilizer production would reshape the impact agriculture has on emissions. To reduce energy requirements, researchers from Tokyo Tech have developed a noble-metal-free catalyst (催化剂), which is much more environmentally friendly and safer to the agricultural produces.

Supercomputer—Exascale

Exascale computers, which can perform a mind-boggling quintillion (10¹⁸) mathematical operations per second, finally arrived in 2023. They’ve already helped refine weather forecasts and design new materials, and new ones will be coming online soon. The world’s most powerful supercomputers, operating at the far frontier of speed known as the exascale, have now begun to boom. These results from exascale machines coming online in the next few years promise to open a new window into materials, climate science, and medicine.

To stay ahead of emerging trends, new discoveries and unique perspectives, we invite you to subscribe to CAS Insights!

1. What do the Space Exploration and Fertilizer Production have in common?

A．They take a lot of time.	B．They make influence on the food.
C．They need government cooperation.	D．They cost a big sum of money to maintain.

2. Which aspect has a close connection with biology?

A．A New Era for Space Exploration.	B．A Milestone in AI Predictions.
C．Greener Fertilizer Production.	D．Supercomputers—Exascale.

3. Where is this text probably taken from?

A．A textbook.

B．An exam paper.

C．A magazine.

D．A science fiction.

3 . Developed by US company OpenAI, ChatGPT has got viral, winning 100 million internet users since it came out in November 2022. People can ask the robot to write stories and emails, create instructions for cooking a certain food, translate languages, and answer all kinds of questions. In its own words, it is “a language model trained in a large amount of internet text to help users get human-like text. ”

Compared with Siri or other chatbots, ChatGPT uses a much bigger information center for training. It also uses stronger software and hardware to learn things by itself. For example, if it provides a wrong answer to your question, you can tell it the right one and it will correct itself. “It’s a totally different chatbot,” computer scientist Liu Xiaoguang from Nankai University said. “The knowledge level ChatGPT shows is the same as a university student. That’s why it shocked the world.”

But one big problem with ChatGPT is that it makes mistakes or even gives false information. When Rezza, a 28-year-old from Indonesia, used the robot to write an passage, it “gave out many examples which other writers actually hadn’t mentioned at all”, he told a local newspaper. Since the robot is trained using words from the internet, it can also pick up biases(偏见) about certain groups. These are all things that need to be dealt with.

1. What does the underlined part mean in Paragraph 1?

A．Done harm to the internet.	B．Brought strong wind and heavy rain.
C．Become popular overnight.	D．Caused serious changes of the weather.

2. Why did ChatGPT shock the world?

A．It can find mistakes by itself.

B．It works differently from other chatbots.

C．Its information center is easier to control than Siri’s.

D．Its knowledge level is as high as a university student.

3. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．ChatGPT needs improvement.	B．Anybody may give false information.
C．Anybody can make mistakes.	D．ChatGPT can’t get on well with humans.

4. What might be the best title of the text?

A．ChatGPT is Coming!	B．ChatGPT is Catching the World’s Eyes!
C．Can ChatGPT Take the Place of Humans?	D．Can ChatGPT Avoid Biases Properly?

4 . In this digital age, there are plenty of AI tools to enhance your daily lives. Here are some to make your life easier in 2023.

Decktopus AI

Ever got asked to make a presentation for a school project or meeting but don’t know where to start? Decktopus AI has got all your presentation needs covered. Have your content ready to be keyed into Decktopus, then kick back and let the tool generate visually appealing and engaging presentations that will have your audience’s eyes glued to the screen.

Paperpal

If you’re rushing to get all your great ideas typed out and have no time to spare for grammatical or punctuation corrections, Paperpal is, well, your pal! This AI tool specializes in proofreading and editing documents and can even suggest ways to enhance the quality of your written content. Whether you are a student or a professional blogger, Paperpal will polish your piece until it shines.

Soundraw

It is difficult to source free, great-sounding music for videos because of copyright. Enter Soundraw, an AI platform that allows you to create royalty-free original music. After choosing the genre, speed, and length of your desired music, Soundraw will do all the work for you and compose unique tracks to accompany your video.

Fireflies

Fireflies can make virtual meetings more efficient and organized. The AI tool can perform myriad(无数的) actions such as meeting transcription, summaries, conversation analyses and more. With its AI-powered search you can review an hour-long meeting in just a few seconds and locate the key points you need. Say goodbye to long nights of reading through meeting records and hello to Fireflies AI!

1. Which of the following helps you with your articles?

A．Decktopus AI.

B．Paperpal.

C．Soundraw.

D．Fireflies.

2. What is a feature of Soundraw?

A．Charging copyright fees.	B．Making personal videos.
C．Processing documents.	D．Creating original music.

3. Who may be interested in the last tool?

A．Project organizers.	B．Professional bloggers.
C．Meeting attendees.	D．Student reporters.

5 . Chinese Astronauts in Outer Space

Here are some of the most famous astronauts in China who have travelled in outer space.

Yang Liwei

Yang is the first astronaut in China that visited outer space in 2003 by Shenzhou Ⅴ. Since then, space exploration has been inspired greatly in our country. After initial steps, upcoming missions are carried out smoothly nearly every year.

Liu Yang

Liu is the first Chinese woman taikonaut in space. She has travelled in the universe twice. Liu toured outer space by Shenzhou 9 in 2012 first, and now is in the Shenzhou ⅩⅣ along with Chen Dong and Cai Xuzhe. They are scheduled to stay in the Tiangong space station for six months.

Jing Haipeng

Jing is the first astronaut that has visited outer space for three times. He toured in outer space in Shenzhou Ⅶ in 2008, Shenzhou 9 in 2012 and Shenzhou Ⅺ in 2016.

Wang Yaping

Wang is called the first space teacher and is the first female spacewalker in China. “I hope the Tiangong classes will lead more teenagers to shoot for the stars and plant the seeds of passion for science.” Wang said. She, together with Zhai Zhigang and Ye Guangfu is also the first astronaut to welcome Chinese New Year in space in Shengzhou Ⅻ.

1. Who is the first woman astronaut to visit the universe in China?

A．Yang Liwei.	B．Liu Yang.
C．Jing Haipeng.	D．Wang Yaping

2. What is special about Wang Yaping?

A．She teaches lessons live in space.	B．She is still in the space station now.
C．She is the only one to walk in space.	D．She has travelled in space for three times.

3. What can be inferred according to the passage?

A．It is difficult to do sports in space.

B．Chinese space career develops slowly.

C．Male is more suitable than female to be spaceman.

D．There will be more Chinese astronauts in space.

6 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. How long did Dennis Tito stay at the International Space Station?

A．10 days.

B．14 days.

C．22 days.

2. Where is Kate from?

A．Canada.

B．The UK.

C．Australia.

3. What does Ben want to do?

A．Travel on earth.

B．Take action to protect the earth.

C．Explore in space and discover its secrets.

4. What does the speaker expect the listeners to do?

A．Share opinions about space travel.

B．Collect information about astronauts.

C．Show respect for Dennis and Martin.

7 . Instant Expert: Wonders of Space

Saturday 17th July, 10am - 5pm | Cavendish Conference Centre, London

Join us for a day of exploring the wonders of outer space with six leading scientists. You will start where everything began, at the Big Bang. Throughout the day, you will hear about everything from the exploration to find life on Mars to the discovery of liveable planets outside our solar system.

Who should attend?

Anyone interested in the mysteries of space, whatever your age or background. Whether you’re a scientist, a student or simply an attracted human being, our event offers the chance to learn directly from the experts at our one-day masterclass.

Benefits of attending:

·Open your mind and be inspired.

· Talk with like-minded people through informal set-up.

· Meet our six speakers and ask your burning questions.

What’s included in your ticket:

· In-depth and interesting talks from six leading scientists.

·Buffet lunch, plus morning and afternoon drinks and snacks.

· An Instant Expert certificate provided by event organizers.

Booking information:

We will email you your ticket immediately after purchase. Please remember to bring your ticket with you as you’ll need it to gain entry. We can scan (扫描) tickets from a printout, or off the screen of a phone.

A limited number of discounted early bird tickets priced at £129 will be offered, saving £20. These tickets can be bought by clicking the following green “Buy” button if still available.

1. Who is the event intended for?

A．Science students.	B．Space fans.
C．Leading scientists.	D．Research experts.

2. What can participants expect from the event?

A．Free meals throughout the day.	B．Certificates from famous schools.
C．Gatherings with event organizers.	D．Face-to-face meetings with scientists.

3. What should people do if they want to save money?

A．Buy tickets quickly.	B．Choose digital tickets.
C．Reserve tickets online.	D．Print tickets in advance.

8 . Recycling is good for our planet, but it can be confusing. Can I recycle plastic bags? What about pizza cartons? Toothpaste tubes? Which bin should I use? There are so many questions, and more than half of Americans are unsure about how to recycle.     1     Here’s a handy four-step guide on how to recycle effectively:

Know what to put in the recycling bin. Keep it simple and focus on the most commonly recycled items, such as paper, glass, aluminum and plastic.     2     Don’t use the recycled symbol as a guide. “The number on the container is really for people to identify the type of resin (树脂). That’s not helpful for the common consumer,” said Cody Marshall, a strategist at nonprofit Recycling Partnership.

    3     It is really important to know what you cannot put in your bin. You can always check with your city or at BeRecycled.org. If you live in the US, just plug in your postcode to search. Recycling companies struggle with the same problem items: hoses (软管), cords, needles and clothing, according to Marshall, so don’t put those items in your bin.

Wash or clean items. Do a quick clean to make sure there is no food left in containers before you put them in the bin.     4     Save food for composting (堆肥) in your garden.

Don’t bag it. Unless you live in a place that requires it, like New York City, keep the recyclables lost in the bin. “A lot of the time, it’s not safe for our employees to tear those bags open, or it takes too much time,” said Keller. “    5    ”

A．Know what is not recyclable.

B．The answers are not hard to find.

C．A lot of bagged stuff goes right to the landfill.

D．Plastic bags can be used again or returned to grocery stores.

E．If you really don’t know if an item is recyclable, then just throw it in the garbage.

F．This is really important if you only use one bin because food items could ruin paper.

G．Hard plastics like water and soft drink bottles or anything like these can be recycled.

9 . 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 group of Chinese experts, after years of research and testing, finally developed localized artificial snow technology (局部人工降雪技术) for the Beijing Winter Olympic Games that is able to adapt to Beijing’s dry climate,       1     features big changes in temperatures between day and night. The success opens up the path for the development of China’s winter sports.

Wang Feiteng, a member of the snow-making expert team     2     (work) to provide support for the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, said they stored artificial snow in     3     (prepare) for extreme weather conditions including temperature increases and sandstorms.

The artificial snow was used for Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games,       4     a few years before China had hardly had any experience in providing the snow services     5     (need) for the Games. In 2017, China established its own technology team for     6     event. Different competitions require different snow textures (质地). The most difficult task     7     (be) to make icy snow for the National Alpine Ski Centre. After three years of experiments at different ski places, the team developed     8     (suit) localized snow technology for Beijing’s climate. The icy snow got international praise. Bernhard Russi, chairman of the Alpine ski committee of the International Ski Federation, said, “The snow in the Yanqing National Alpine Skiing Center is     9     (absolute) perfect, and you cannot have it     10     (good).”

10 . Interesting Space Facts

As time goes by, technological advancements have made us learn more facts about space in the past century than in all time before that. We’ve already searched the universe for the most amazing space facts, including facts about the planets in our solar system, moons, the Milky Way and beyond!     1    

The highest mountain discovered is the Olympus Mons, which is located on Mars. It is 16 miles high, making it nearly 3 times higher than Mount Everest.    2     That’s the size of Arizona !

The sun weighs about 330,000 times more than Earth.    3     In fact, the sun is so huge that it contains 99.85% of all mass in our solar system.

Footprints left on the moon won’t disappear as there is no wind. But wait a minute.

    4     Well, it actually wasn’t blowing. That blowing you see is because of a telescopic horizontal rod (望远镜水平杆) that the astronauts were struggling to remove from the flag’s top.

    5     This is due to the lack of gravity in space causing the vertebrae (椎骨) to expand a little. However, this extra height is lost when they re-enter the earth’s atmosphere and are affected by the earth’s gravity again.

A．We’re pretty sure they will make you interested!

B．New discoveries will no longer be made in the future.

C．It is so large that it can contain about 1,300,000 Earths!

D．Not only is it tall, but it’s 114,000 square meters as well.

E．All these space facts may not be true at the time of writing.

F．Astronauts can grow about two inches in height when in space.

G．If there’s no wind to blow them away, then why is the flag blowing?