1 . More people are using ChatGPT to create books for sale. Although sales have so far been slow, human writers are worried that ChatGPT-created books might hurt the writing and publishing industry.
Brett Schickler never imagined he could be a published author. After learning about the ChatGPT artificial intelligence program, Brett decided that he had a good chance. Using the AI software, Brett created a 30-pagchildren’s e-book in a few hours. He offered it for sale through Amazon’s self-publishing section and it made Brett less than $100.While that may not sound like much, it’s enough to drive him to create other books using the soft ware Amazon is by far the largest seller of both physical and e-books. It has well over half of the sales in the United States and over 80 percent of the e-book market. There were over 200 e-books in Amazon’s Kindle store as of mid-February that say ChatGPT is a writer or co-writer. And the number is rising daily. But due to the nature of ChatGPT and many writers’ failure to admit that they have used it, it is impossible to get a full count of how man ye-books may be written by AI.
Some professional writers are showing their concern. “This is something we really need to know, these books will flood the market and many writers are going to be out of work,” said Mary Rasenberger, the executive director of the Authors Guild, “The ability to create with AI could turn book writing from an art into a commodity (商品).”
Not everyone is impressed by the software. Mark Dawson, who has sold millions of copies of books he wrote himself through Kindle Direct Publishing, was quick to call ChatGPT-assisted novels dull. Dawson said that quality is important in the book business.“It plays a part in how books are recommended to other readers. If a book gets bad reviews, it’s quickly going to sink to the bottom
1. Why is Brett Schickler mentioned in paragraph 2?| A．To share the trick of making a fortune by writing |
| B．To share how to create e-books by using an Al program |
| C．To predict the development of an AI program in the future |
| D．To show how an Al program helped people with their writing |
| A．Many of them are related to AI topics |
| B．Many of them are accurately recorded by AI |
| C．Some of them are possibly created by AI |
| D．Many of them are more popular than before |
| A．Professional writers’ lack of inspiration |
| B．ChatGPT’s impact on the publishing industry |
| C．Readers’ difficulty in finding their favorite novels |
| D．Authors’ failure to write good novels without ChatGPT |
| A．ChatGPT might harm original writing |
| B．The impact of ChatGPT is huger than before |
| C．Many people rely on ChatGPT to make a living |
| D．ChatGPT is better than humans in terms of writing |
2 . One third of adults over 65 in America have never used the Internet, and half don’t even have Internet access at home. In San Francisco, “the center of technology”, 40% of older adults do not have basic digital literacy skills.
This situation is becoming appalling as over 10,000 Americans turn 65 every single day. By 2050, 22% of Americans will be 65 or older. Meanwhile, technology is developing very fast. This means that a large number of people will be unable to proficiently use emergent technology.
Many people believe that seniors aren’t required to participate in our technological future because they’ll be retired and relaxed soon. But this is the farthest thing from the truth. Baby boomers are currently experiencing a different boom: With more people getting older than ever before, their life expectancies (寿命) are also increasing dramatically. With medical advancements, the number of American people projected to live into their 90’s has doubled since 1965.
However, they don’t have strong financial or educational support. It is not a problem, it’s a crisis. More than half of employees over 50 have been laid off in what’s being called “forced retirement”. And few organizations are actively helping older employees make the transition from full-time jobs to part-time ones. For those fortunate enough to be employed, 3 out of 5 older workers experience prejudice.
The easiest solution is to teach digital literacy. If they want to survive the forthcoming retirement crisis, they should get enough digital knowledge and skills to operate today’s tools and tomorrow’s platforms. With every crisis comes an opportunity. Tutoring, customer service, editing, research, book-keeping, and other virtual assistance-based work open the doors. But again, digital knowledge is first required to live in our high-tech society and growing economy. So try to get more online and navigate the growing number of sites and apps.
1. What does the underlined word “appalling” probably mean in paragraph 2?| A．Confusing. | B．Terrible. | C．Controllable. | D．Inspiring. |
| A．A possible crisis after they retire. | B．A possible decline in aging. |
| C．Failing to receive good healthcare. | D．Tending to double their life span. |
| A．The features of high-tech jobs. | B．The way out for baby boomers. |
| C．Potential industries in the future. | D．The importance of developing technology. |
| A．Have a good sense of crisis. | B．Avoid retiring at an early age. |
| C．Look for many part-time jobs. | D．Improve digital literacy actively. |
3 . Ask ChatGPT to write a five-paragraph essay on the symbolism of “The Great Gatsby” and it will produce a response within seconds. Plug in an algebra equation (代数方程式) and it can solve it almost instantly and even explain its process.
That’s not all. The capabilities of the artificial intelligence chatbot tool, launched in November 2022 by San Francisco-based startup OpenAI are vast. It can fix spelling and grammar errors, give feedback on writing, write poems and songs, create lesson plans for teachers and much more. It does it all in human-sounding text and with high efficiency.
But its presence has received mixed responses. Due to the probability for plagiarism and cheating, New York City Public Schools, the largest school district in the U.S., announced in early January 2023 that it was banning ChatGPT across all district devices and networks. Educators are concerned the application will fundamentally change how writing is taught and will impact students’ abilities to craft ideas on their own.
Some, on the contrary, say they are excited about its potential to advance learning for some students and become a valuable tool in education. Those teachers are envisioning ways to adapt their teaching to incorporate it in their lessons. Kelly Gibson, an English teacher in rural Oregon, is having her students analyze essays written by ChatGPT and find ways that they can be improved.
“It’s definitely scary. I understand the desire to panic.” says Torrey Trust, associate professor of learning technology at the University of Massachusetts. “Teachers and students should see ChatGPT as a helpful tool, much like a calculator might be in math class, but it cannot do a teacher’s job. It’s there to help teachers reach their learning aims. Whether it’s ChatGPT or another technology down the road, AI isn’t going away and, if anything, is likely to be more of a part of classrooms.”
1. What does the author most likely to tell in the first paragraph?| A．The tool is quick off the mark. |
| B．The tool is smarter than people. |
| C．The tool stores amounts of information. |
| D．The tool excels at writing and calculating. |
| A．Because of the quick calculation of the monthly cost. |
| B．Because of the probability of the cheating in the study. |
| C．Because of the application of changing the writing habits. |
| D．Because of the complicated responses of its present usage. |
| A．Skeptical. | B．Indifferent. | C．Objective. | D．Sensitive. |
| A．Almighty chatGPT. | B．Powerful OpenAI. |
| C．Confusing OpenAL | D．Controversial ChatGPT. |
“A barbecue restaurant owner I know told me to come back on Monday, so as to leave the weekends to out-of-town visitors.” said Huang Yang, a native of Zibo city in Shandong province
Thanks to social media recommendations, Zibo has gone viral on Chinese social media platforms.
Taking advantage of the barbecue craze, Zibo has gone all out to promote local tourism resources, while
According to data from on-demand service platform Meituan, Zibo has seen an 800 percent increase in accommodation bookings for the upcoming holiday
5 . Dung the rush hour in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, White was driving home when he saw a car on the opposite side of the street. It was easy to
White made a U-turn to the same
White worked quickly. He forced the car into a
A police officer went to the
White’s actions weren’t
| A．remember | B．manage | C．generate | D．notice |
| A．shelter | B．problem | C．trick | D．sculpture |
| A．unfortunate | B．identical | C．bound | D．helpless |
| A．direction | B．situation | C．plan | D．insight |
| A．Involved | B．Confused | C．Trapped | D．Exposed |
| A．consumed | B．estimated | C．investigated | D．introduced |
| A．made out | B．broke out | C．took in | D．jumped in |
| A．reach | B．sight | C．experience | D．discipline |
| A．comprehensive | B．suitable | C．sharp | D．permanent |
| A．unexpectedly | B．awkwardly | C．automatically | D．specifically |
| A．scene | B．summary | C．conclusion | D．media |
| A．arranged | B．guaranteed | C．documented | D．decided |
| A．unusual | B．uncomfortable | C．frequent | D．elegant |
| A．advocated | B．committed | C．admitted | D．complained |
| A．breakdown | B．crash | C．conflict | D．emergency |
6 . Coming of age is that time in each of our lives when we begin to see the possibilities. The world opens up in ways that mature our vision and give us a sense of responsibility and gratefulness. Connor had just started college and loved being at that stage in his life where he could eat all the pizza he wanted, yet engage in adult conversations with his parents about the responsibility to make life better for others. Connor’s optimism was infectious. There was so much he could do, and so much he could become.
But it all ended one night when Connor was distracted while driving on a Colorado highway. A young man, who gave off so much light, suddenly went dark.
Connor’s father, David, took it particularly hard.A father sees more than his own traits(性格) in his son; he sees greater possibilities than he achieved. Taking that hope away left David feeling at a loss. But Connor ‘s optimism was one of those traits passed on to him by his father. So, David got to work.
First, he established the Honor Connor Scholarship Fund to reward students who served in the community, Next, he went to work creating a research-based curriculum that educates University of Colorado Boulder students and their families about the dangers of texting while driving. It includes a very simple three part promise: Do not text or use social media while driving, speak out if riding with a driver who is distracted and encourage friends and family to drive phone-free.
David now works with lecturers at various colleges’ and high schools, ensuring young minds understand how statistically at risk they are when they text while driving. He’s become a passionate advocate for preparing young people to drive safely and not reach for their phones while they’re at the wheel. “I just don’t want other parents to go through what I did when I lost Connor,” says David. “It’s just so preventable.”
1. What’s the purpose of paragraph 1?| A．To give the background of a funny story. |
| B．To explain why David chose to volunteer. |
| C．To set off David’s great pain of losing his son. |
| D．To sing high praise for Connor’s healthy growth. |
| A．The headlight of his car went wrong. |
| B．He drove carelessly and died in an accident. |
| C．He suffered an accident for his father’s fault. |
| D．He died from another driver’s careless driving. |
| A．His coach. | B．His grandfather. | C．His teacher. | D．His father. |
| A．He wanted to take a job in a college. |
| B．He took the classes that Connor hadn’t finished. |
| C．He wanted to prevent similar sad stories repeating. |
| D．He honored Connor for what he had done in the community. |
Provinces in China are putting efforts into the construction of digital villages. Through e-commerce, the government has taken measures
8 . A bright and impressive bus carrying fresh local produce appeared in a community of North Carolina in June 2022. It was the first pay-what-you-can Mobile Market. As the name implies, shoppers could pay any price out of their own will. Even the suggested price was about 25% less than that offered in grocery stores. This market gave shoppers a dignified way to provide food for their families regardless of their budget.
Seeing the joy in shoppers’ eyes, Will Komegay, the founder of this non-profit program—Mobile Market, felt a sense of accomplishment. He had once witnessed a wasteful and unfortunate reality. At that time, countless pounds of food had to be thrown away by farmers due to the interruption in the supply chain. Meanwhile, millions of people were struggling to afford enough food to feed their families. Kornegay didn’t want to stand by.
With much working experience in food industry and background about how food system was designed, Kornegay decided to use his company’s vast network of farmer and food industry relationships to address the issue. His team used buses to bridge the farmers, the food industries and communities that needed food most. Thousands of pounds of food that was sourced from local partners was placed into homes.
Kornegay still remembered how the first Mobile Market came into being. His team made a detailed plan and chose the colors and images they preferred. Then they purchased a “retired” school bus and renovated it, giving it a new different look and equipping it with refrigerators and freezers. Thus was born the first Mobile Market.
To date, the project has partnered with dozens of local farmers and food producers and has already served an estimated 10,000 families over 150,000 pounds of food. In 2023, the team hope to serve 80 sites across 20 counties in Eastern North Carolina. Their vision is to perfect the project where they live, and scale into every state nationwide.
1. What is the purpose of the Mobile Market?| A．To boost the income of local residents. |
| B．To promote sales in local grocery stores. |
| C．To raise money for the family with a tight budget. |
| D．To enable people to buy food at an affordable price. |
| A．He ensured the food safety. | B．He improved the supply chain. |
| C．He increased the food production. | D．He built a network between communities. |
| A．Transformed. | B．Replaced. | C．Photographed. | D．Exchanged. |
| A．It will be highly profitable. | B．It is expected to expand in scale. |
| C．It will become a new economic trend. | D．It is estimated to provide worldwide service. |
9 . Getting a driving license was once a universal passage into adulthood. But now a growing minority of young people ignore or actively oppose it, into their 20s and beyond. That starts to create more support for anti-car policies in cities around the world to pass anti-car laws, changing planning rules to favour pedestrians over drivers. After a century in which the car remade the rich world, the tide begins to swing the other way.
By 1997, 43% of America’s 16-year-olds had driving licenses. But the proportion has been falling for every age group under 40. Even those who have them are driving less. A similar trend is seen in Europe. One study of five European capitals found the number of driving trips made by working people was down substantially since a peak in the 1990s.
No one is entirely sure why young adults are proving resistant to owning a car. The growth of the interest is one obvious possibility—the more you can shop online, or stream films at home, the less need there is to drive into town. The rise of taxi apps like Uber has contributed as well. Driving generally is more expensive. Other reasons seem more cultural. One big motivator is worries about climate change.
The falling popularity of cars among the under-40s chimes with the mood among city planners and urbanists. In America, New York has banned cars from Central Park and some streets. In the past few years, dozens of American cities have removed rules that force developers to provide a certain amount of free parking around their buildings.
As the example in Oxfond shows, political opposition could put the brakes on the growth of anti-car policies. But in the parts of Europe where anti-car policies have been in place, they appear to have worked. Giulio notes that almost nowhere in the world that has removed a big road, or pedestrianised a shopping street, has decided to turn back. “Once people see, they generally don’t want to go back.” If that pattern holds, the 21st century might just see the car’s high-water mark.
1. What do a minority of young people ignore?| A．Owing a home as a sign of adulthood. | B．Making it into the world of the rich. |
| C．Getting a driving license as an adult. | D．Being involved in a kind of campaign. |
| A．Strict traffic regulations. | B．Environmental concerns. |
| C．Some social prejudices. | D．The use of self-driving apps. |
| A．Agrees with. | B．Sticks to. | C．Cooperates with. | D．Emerges from. |
| A．People are keen about banning driving. | B．Banning cars benefits city development. |
| C．It’s hard for young people to be drivers. | D．Anti-car policies are met with opposition. |
10 . You never know how good your neighbors are until there’s an emergency.
It was after midnight when Clifford
“Come down, come down,” he called up to the family. He
Nine people are homeless after the house was
After the big fire, Clifford was praised for his
| A．woke up | B．stood by | C．calmed down | D．set off |
| A．on display | B．in order | C．on fire | D．under control |
| A．cheated | B．tied | C．attacked | D．trapped |
| A．preparing | B．fighting | C．punishing | D．screaming |
| A．steam | B．dust | C．fire | D．fog |
| A．examined | B．pulled | C．sold | D．buried |
| A．misjudged | B．assumed | C．acknowledged | D．ensured |
| A．scare | B．catch | C．educate | D．prevent |
| A．faith | B．honesty | C．curiosity | D．warning |
| A．floor | B．stair | C．field | D．window |
| A．safe | B．creative | C．formal | D．confusing |
| A．bought | B．used | C．destroyed | D．decorated |
| A．property | B．shelter | C．life | D．jewels |
| A．audiences | B．patients | C．firefighters | D．performers |
| A．modesty | B．politeness | C．carelessness | D．bravery |
| A．learn | B．escape | C．suffer | D．differ |
| A．tough | B．worried | C．grateful | D．excited |
| A．Suddenly | B．Sadly | C．Interestingly | D．Thankfully |
| A．neighbors | B．doctors | C．passers-by | D．businessmen |
| A．dangerous | B．clever | C．embarrassed | D．fortunate |
