1 . Programs that drive the digital experiences today seem to turn to contents that are popular, and they are unable to tell facts from fictions. And due to the fact that anyone can post anything they want online, unconfirmed reports and irresponsible and unchecked contents are common in the online world.
The problem is so common that the British newspaper The Independent has a whole page contributed to news about fake news, along with Mashable’s social media and a growing number of others.
During the past days when most kids used textbooks that had been edited and reviewed responsibly before they were used, the need for students to check their sources was not great. Today, it’s different. Students use the Internet for research, and teachers and parents can’t keep them away from bad contents all the time. And they’re on their own as they get older. They have to master information literacy, the skills of recognizing bad information, identifying good information, and understanding the difference between the two.
There are people and organizations dealing with the problem and developing information for Internet searchers, both adults and children. The website of Encyclopedia Britannica, for example, has provided Internet searchers with extra information at the top right of their results page. The move was intended to make people slow down and think twice before accepting search results as facts.
Fake news is here to stay. We all need to fight. We can start with awareness and a few rules: don’t make the web full of bad information: don’t spread or share information if you aren’t sure about it. And be mindful of how we use information: practice information literacy. And human curiosity is of great importance in this fight against misinformation. Curiosity drives learning and makes people question information. We need everyone to join in researching and questioning for the truth.
1. What problem is described about the online world?| A．We are given too much information. |
| B．Useless results often show up first online. |
| C．The Internet includes much fake information. |
| D．Fake news is spread purposely to attract searchers. |
| A．The need for information literacy. | B．Different generations’ learning style. |
| C．How networks affect today’s students. | D．Why fake contents exist on the Internet. |
| A．It marks the facts. | B．It provides more details. |
| C．It corrects the search results. | D．It alarms searchers if necessary. |
| A．It is hard to clean up all fake news. | B．We can’t speak freely in cyberspace. |
| C．People should be forced to follow the rules. | D．We should keep curious to discover the truth. |
2 . Artificial intelligence (AI) tools designed to operate at human levels have greatly expanded in popularity over the past year. These include OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Bard and Microsoft’s AI-powered search engine Bing. Such tools, also known as chatbots or generative AI, are computer-powered systems. They are designed to interact smoothly with humans and perform high-level writing and creative work.
In recent months, these tools have demonstrated an ability to produce high-quality work. This has led some technology experts to warn that generative AI systems could end up replacing workers in many industries.
This year, researchers at Harvard Business School and other organizations carried out an experiment. It aimed to test how well AI tools could help workers perform their usual duties or tasks. It involved more than 700 business advisors, called consultants, from Massachusetts-based Boston Consulting Group.
Harvard Business School recently published the results from the experiment in a working paper. The main findings suggest that AI tools like ChatGPT can greatly improve worker performance. For example, researchers found that, on average, workers who used OpenAI’s latest ChatGPT 4 tool completed 12 percent more tasks than non-ChatGPT users. Tasks carried out with help from the AI technology were completed 25 percent faster. And the team found the quality of work performed by consultants using ChatGPT 4 increased by about 40 percent.
However, the paper also noted areas where the performance of consultants using ChatGPT 4 dropped. The researchers said this was especially true with tasks the AI tool was not good at completing. “Of tasks the AI was good at, the experiment showed it significantly improved human performance,” the paper said. “But for tasks ChatGPT 4 was not right for, humans relied too much on the AI and were more likely to make mistakes.”
The team suggests one of the biggest barriers to companies effectively using AI is not knowing which tasks can be completed best with the technology. Finding this out will require businesses to carry out thoughtful research and training efforts in order to find the right mix of AI and human-level work.
1. What is a purpose of designing AI tools according to the text?| A．To perform low-level writing. | B．To replace technology experts. |
| C．To finish high-quality work. | D．To improve interpersonal communication. |
| A．To explain the disadvantages of AI tools. |
| B．To show how well AI tools could help workers. |
| C．To forecast changes in the future working environment. |
| D．To compare the work performance between humans and AI tools. |
| A．Companies need to balance the work of AI and humans. |
| B．It is useless to train so many workers to learn to use AI. |
| C．It is easy to find the right mix of AI and human-level work. |
| D．Research on using AI effectively has been made by businesses. |
| A．ChatGPT Can See, Hear and Speak Now |
| B．Ways to Improve Your Performance at Work |
| C．The Fast Development of Artificial Intelligence |
| D．AI Tools Help but also Harm Worker Performance |
3 . Chinese culture values family bonds (纽带) very much. Family members don’t just gather during the holidays, in fact they often live under one roof all year round.
Different cultures have different family values.
In most East Asian cultures, extended families (大家庭) are common.
In many Western countries, most families are nuclear families (小家庭). These are only made up of children and their parents.
Additionally, the duties parents have toward their children can also differ.
In most Western countries, however, kids usually move out of the house after they turn 18.
While the East cares more about close family bonds, the West values privacy and independence.
| A．But in the end, home is best — east or west. |
| B．Nuclear families are the most common type in China. |
| C．Both Easterners and Westerners value quality family time. |
| D．Families in the east and west are very different from each other. |
| E．These families have three or even four generations living together. |
| F．In China, many parents look after their children all the way into adulthood. |
| G．Many college students often work part-time in order to pay for tuition and rent. |
4 . We always put into children’s minds that learning to read is extremely important to their future success. But we don’t put that same urgency(迫切性) on adults, even though a large percentage of American adults have a low reading or writing ability.
Learning those skills requires many levels of support. Take, for example, the three hours every day in a Louisville community center.
Ardo Ahmed and Yurilia Manzanares are among the people sitting in classrooms and listening to teachers. These three hours are about learning English. Yurilia came to the United States from Mexico, and Ardo from Somalia. “Everyone is coming here to learn English, to have the same kind of support as their children,” their teacher Meagan Lamb said.
Literacy(读写能力) among adults, specifically among moms, is a concern that reaches far beyond Louisville, far beyond immigrant communities. A Barbara Bush Foundation study found fewer than half of American adults can read beyond a 6th-grade level. A study supported by the National Institutes of Health stated “a mother’s reading skill is the greatest determinant of her children’s future academic(学业的) success.”
“There’s a stigma(耻辱) there,” said Felicia Cumings Smith, the new head of the National Center for Families Learning. “There’s quite a bit of funding that goes into literacy for K-12, but if students are not successful during those schooling years, that all comes to an end.”
These three hours, every day, make a difference. But they’re only possible because the community center where they take place provides childcare while the parents learn English.
The children are learning English, which creates even more stimulus for the parents to learn as well.
“The kids are speaking English in school every day,” Meagan said. “And then they go back home, and little by little Spanish doesn’t feel like their native language.” It’s why, in the last of these three hours, Yurilia and Ardo attend “Parent Time”. It’s where they practice not just the language but how to apply it.
1. What is the example used to mainly explain in Paragraph 3?| A．Adults actively promote their literacy. |
| B．Immigrants’ English literacy is worrying. |
| C．Many programs are aimed at adults’ literacy. |
| D．Teachers improve adults’ literacy in different ways. |
| A．Female illiteracy has affected their work. |
| B．Adult illiteracy is a widespread problem. |
| C．Adult illiteracy exists mainly among immigrants. |
| D．Female illiteracy is more serious than male illiteracy. |
| A．The service provided. |
| B．The flexible class time. |
| C．The support from their family. |
| D．The increasing need for lifelong learning. |
| A．Value. | B．Knowledge. |
| C．Evidence. | D．Encouragement. |
5 . Schoolchildren spend most of their time surrounded by their peers (同龄人). They spend a lot more time with classmates, teammates and fellow club members than with adults in their lives. Peer pressure can have a huge influence on the lives of children in grades two through twelve.
From birth through age six, the family shapes a child’s sense of identity (个性). Parents and brothers and sisters affect (影响) a child’s likes, dislikes, tastes in clothing, food and music and, perhaps most importantly, values. Once children enter school, they form connections to the larger group of their peers. This group brings new ideas and experiences. Peer pressure happens when a student’s actions are influenced by this group. The “pressure” happens when peers suggest or demand actions different from the child’s normal behavior and values.
Peer pressure leads to some disturbing negative (消极的) behavior in schoolchildren. In the USA, about 75% of high school students have tried alcohol (酒) offered by their friends in middle or high school. According to a survey, students felt pressured by their peers between 35 and 49% of the time. The power of peer pressure can result from a schoolchild’s growing desire to fit into a group.
Thankfully, peer pressure can also be positive (积极的). For example, wanting to join an athletic group of friends may force a student who has been sitting for a long time to try out for the soccer team. In a survey on peer pressure, 51% of teenagers felt that peer pressure was sometimes positive. One teenager responded, “Sometimes it can help you gain confidence.” Other examples of positive peer pressure include students encouraging a classmate to run for school president, or friends suggesting that that a talented peer try out for a talent show.
1. What leads to schoolchildren’s peer pressure?| A．The identity shaped by their family. | B．The connections with their classmates. |
| C．The childhood experiences with their friends. | D．The differences in their behavior and values. |
| A．To kill their boring time. | B．To fit into a peer group. |
| C．To help gain confidence | D．To improve social skills. |
| A．Peer pressure does more harm than good |
| B．Peer pressure is very good for schoolchildren’s growth. |
| C．Peer pressure is not necessarily bad for schoolchildren. |
| D．Peer pressure plays an important role in shaping a child’s values. |
| A．Why schoolchildren turn out the way they do | B．Ways to help schoolchildren deal with peer pressure |
| C．Peer pressure highly influences schoolchildren | D．How to improve schoolchildren’s behavior and values |
6 . Social media allow teenagers to create online identities, communicate with others and build social networks. These networks can provide teenagers with valuable support. Teenagers also use social media for entertainment and self-expression. And the platforms can expose teenagers to current events, allow them to communicate across geographic barriers and teach them about different kinds of subjects, including healthy behaviors. However, social media use can also negatively affect teenagers, distracting them, influencing their sleep, and exposing them to bullying (恐吓), rumor (谣言) spreading, untrue views of other people’s lives and peer pressure.
There are steps you can take to encourage responsible use of social media and limit some of its negative effects.
Set reasonable limits. Talk to your teenager about how to avoid letting social media affect his or her activities, sleep, meals or homework. Encourage a bedtime routine that avoids electronic media use, and keep cellphones and iPads out of teenagers’ bedrooms. Set an example by following these rules yourself.
Monitor your teenager’s accounts. Let your teenager know that you’ll be regularly checking his or her social media accounts. You might aim to do so once a week or more. And make sure you follow through.
Explain what’s not OK. Discourage your teenager from gossiping, spreading rumors, bullying or damaging someone’s reputation—online or otherwise. Talk to your teenager about what is appropriate and safe to share on social media.
Encourage face-to-face contact with friends. This is particularly important for teenagers who are vulnerable to social anxiety disorder.
Talk about social media. Talk about your own social media habits. Ask your teenager how he or she is using social media and how it makes him or her feel. Remind your teenager that social media is full of unrealistic images.
If you think your teenager is experiencing signs or symptoms of anxiety or depression related to social media use, talk to your child’s health care provider immediately.
1. How does the author mainly develop the first paragraph?| A．By providing reasons. | B．By making comparison. |
| C．By following the order of importance. | D．By raising questions. |
| A．Powering them off. | B．Putting them in the schoolbag. |
| C．Keeping them out of bedroom. | D．Listening to them instead of watching. |
| A．Warm-hearted. | B．Easily hurt. | C．Deeply moved. | D．Hard-working. |
| A．Teenagers. | B．Officials. | C．Teachers. | D．Parents. |
7 . Haley Curfman, 25, of Blackwell, Oklahoma, is a teacher at Blackwell Public School and last year she bought a plain(朴素的) white dress, which she set up a station in her classroom for her students to decorate, encouraging them to go and draw on the dress whenever they had free time. Haley set up a station at a table with the dress and some colored markers so that her students could draw on it, having first seen the idea on Pinterest.
After the kids had finished the design, she then surprised them all by wearing the dress to class, sharing pictures of herself in it on Facebook in a post that has since been shared over 200, 000 times.
For teachers looking to do something similar for their own students, Haley said that she bought the dress off Amazon for less than $ 20 about six months ago and pre-washed the dress before she started the project. She used markers from Walmart. But she said these things can be bought in other places. She said, “To do the project, I set up a station at a table with the dress and markers. It takes anywhere from two weeks to a month to complete as we just work on it here and there when time allows. You'd better give the students enough time so they don't have to hurry.”
“Teachers have been sharing their dresses, T-shirts, etc. with me that they've been creating since the 1950s with the same idea. It is amazing, and I love the fact that you are sharing them with me! Thank you all so much for your kindness and support,” she wrote on Facebook.
Asked why she came up with the idea, Haley told Scary Mommy. “We don't have art in our school, so, I always try to do little creative projects when possible.”
1. What did Haley use the plain white dress to do?| A．To teach her students painting. |
| B．To prepare for her presentation. |
| C．To ask her students to draw on it. |
| D．To help her students with their homework. |
| A．It took Haley by surprise. | B．It is kept by Haley at home. |
| C．It is the product of a new idea. | D．It has enjoyed popularity online. |
| A．Buy the same dress online. | B．Give the kids enough time. |
| C．Buy the same markers in Walmart. | D．Leave the finished work untouched. |
| A．To teach art to her students. | B．To show her idea on Pinterest. |
| C．To share it with other teachers. | D．To excite her students' creativity. |
8 . Learning math can something be difficult. Then math websites come to the rescue! We’ve gathered some of the best math websites for both students and teachers They will help keep students learning and having fun. If your students need extra help with their math, try one of the websites that are listed below.
Greg Tang Math
It tries to provide good math lessons for students as well as professional development for in-service teachers. It has games, puzzles ,and other resources, like free downloads, worksheets, and math centers.
Cost: free.
Stepping Stones
Stepping Stones, from Origo Education, is a special math website that combines printed and digital materials. It features problem-solving activities, methods, and practice. Teachers can also visit a professional blog that provides advice and support.
Cost: a small fee.
Arithmetic Four
Two users play a game in which each player tries to connect four game pieces in a row. The players answer math questions to connect the pieces. The teacher chooses how much time each player has to answer, the level of difficulty, and the type of math problem, and then gives marks to the users after the game.
Cost: free.
Front Row
It allows kids to practice math at their own level. It has more than 30,000 math questions and has a tool that can organize material at just the right level. Front Row also features lessons, assessments(评估), and reports for teachers.
Cost: free for teachers, and a small fee for upgrades and other features.
1. What do Greg Tang Math and Stepping Stones have in common?| A．They both encourage good teamwork. |
| B．They both offer professional help to teachers. |
| C．They both teach math through interesting puzzles. |
| D．They both allow users to talk with in-service teachers. |
| A．It provides excellent math lessons at low price. |
| B．It invites many experts to answer users’ questions. |
| C．It organizes various outdoor problem-solving activities. |
| D．It uses games to test students’ mastery of knowledge. |
| A．Front Row. | B．Arithmetic Four. | C．Stepping Stones. | D．Greg Tang Math. |
9 . Cyber bullying (网络霸凌) is a form of bullying but because it happens online or on mobile phones it can happen 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are being bullied at school you can usually get away from the bullies when you are at home.
It is a good idea to keep a copy of the abusive (辱骂的) texts, emails, comments or messages that you receive and record the date and time they were sent.
You should not reply to any messages you receive because it can encourage the bullies and end up worrying you more. In addition, you must never give out any personal details on the Internet.
| A．They can be there to help you. |
| B．It is a good idea to check your phone. |
| C．But with cyber bullying there is no way out. |
| D．No one has the right to make you feel this way. |
| E．Keeping records can be useful when it comes to reporting the bullying. |
| F．When bullying happens at school, it's usually a small group of people. |
| G．Such information includes your real name, address, age or phone number. |
Humanity’s ongoing destruction of wildlife will lead to a shrinking (萎缩) of nature, with the average body size of animals
The researchers estimate that more than 1,000 larger kinds of animals will die out in the next century. They say this could lead to the collapse (崩溃) of ecosystems
Humans
Animal populations have fallen by 60% since 1970, suggesting a sixth mass
The future disappearance can be avoided if complete action is taken
