1 . On February 15, 2024, OpenAI, the maker of Chat GPT, released a new AI tool that can make instant short videos from written commands.
The new text-to-video generator, Sora, isn’t the first of its kind. Google, Meta and Runway ML are among the other companies to have demonstrated similar technology. But industry analysts are deeply impressed by the quality and length of the videos shared so far. Fred Havemeyer, head of AI and software research at Macquarie, said that Sora’s launch marks a big step forward for both OpenAI and the future of text-to-video generation technology.
“Sora’s videos not only run up to 60 seconds in length, but also look so natural that it seems to actually respect physics and the real world,” Havemeyer said. “The length and consistency of the videos represent new opportunities for creatives to generate videos from one or a few written commands.”
Although Sora’s abilities have amazed observers since its launch, anxiety over potential problems of AI-generated video uses also remains.
“Having a potentially magical way to generate videos that look and sound realistic may present a number of issues for the society,” Havemeyer added. “It’s a serious issue that every business and every person needs to face.”
However, tech companies are still calling the shots when it comes to controlling AI and its risks as governments around the world are still struggling to catch up. Last year, the European Union reached a deal on the world’s first comprehensive AI rules, but the act won’t take effect until two years after final approval.
OpenAI promised to take important safety steps before making Sora widely available. “We are working with experts in areas like misinformation, hateful content, and bias,” OpenAI’s Vice President of Global Affairs Anna Makanju said at a conference. “We’re also building tools to help detect misleading content such as a detection classifier that can tell when a video was generated by Sora.”
While Sora can create complex, incredibly detailed scenes, OpenAI admits that there are still some weaknesses. For example, a person might take a bite out of a cookie, but afterward, the cookie may not have a bite mark.
1. What did Fred Havemeyer say about Sora?A.It is more creative than artists. | B.It can make high-quality videos. |
C.It is based on an existing technology. | D.It can work without human intervention. |
A.in charge | B.at a loss | C.out of reach | D.under investigation |
A.OpenAI will help governments to regulate AI. | B.Sora will be available to the public very soon. |
C.OpenAI is sharply aware of Sora’s weaknesses. | D.Sora is smart enough to detect harmful content. |
A.The task itself is too difficult. | B.It is unnecessary to focus on details. |
C.Sora can be easily cheated by humans. | D.Sora cannot understand the real world very well. |
2 . You may feel like a master multitask er as you drink your morning coffee, catch up on email and tune into a conference call. But did you know for most people, in most situations, multitasking makes us less efficient and more likely to make a mistake.
This might not be as apparent when we’re doing simple and routine tasks, like listening to music while walking, or folding laundry while watching TV. But when the stakes are higher and the tasks are more complex, trying to multitask can negatively impact our lives — or even be dangerous.
So-called multitasking divides our attention. It makes it harder for us to give our full attention to one thing. For example, attempting to complete additional tasks during a driving simulation led to poorer driving performance. It can also affect our ability to learn, because in order to learn, we need to be able to focus. Dr. Kubu, a neuropsychologist, says, “If we’re constantly attempting to multitask, we don’t practice tuning out the rest of the word to engage in deeper processing and learning.” Another pitfall (缺陷) is that trying to do too much at once makes it harder to be mindful and truly present in the moment — and mindfulness comes with a plethora (过量) of benefits for our minds and our bodies. In fact, many therapies based on mindfulness can even help patients suffering from depression, anxiety and other conditions.
Choosing to focus on one task at a time can benefit many aspects of our life. Take surgeons for example. “People assume a surgeon’s skill is primarily in the precision and steadiness of their hands. While there’s some truth to that, the true gift of a surgeon is the ability to single-mindedly focus on one person and complete a series of task over the course of many hours.” Dr. Kubu explains. But surgeons aren’t necessarily born with this ability to monotask. Rather, they develop and perfect it through hours of practice. It is true that we perform best one thing at a time. Why not give it a try?
1. Multitasking will make negative influences when tasks are ________.A.clear and apparent | B.routine and regular |
C.simple and relaxing | D.risky and complicated |
A.By listing data. | B.By stating reasons. |
C.By giving definitions. | D.By making comparisons. |
A.Single-task. | B.Multitask. | C.Efficiency. | D.Task-switching. |
A.Why multitasking doesn’t work. | B.How to improve daily performance. |
C.Which career less needs multitasking. | D.What positive effects multitasking has. |
3 . A survey of 2,000 parents of primary and secondary school children found 34 percent were out of their depth with primary school homework and unable to help their child.
Trigonometry (三角学) provided the biggest headache, with 52 percent of parents unable to help, followed by algebra (代数), which left 46 percent confused. 39 percent of parents could not calculate Pi (π) and 35 percent did not understand the periodic table. Foreign languages stumped many, with 31 percent unable to ask for directions in French. The English language also proved a struggle, with 21 percent no longer knowing the difference between a noun, verb and adjective.
As for history, 19 percent said they did not know the beginning and end dates of the world wars. On average, parents spent four hours a week attempting to tutor (辅导) their children, according to the survey by MyTutor, a company that links families with private tutors. About 73 percent ended up arguing with their children over homework and 87 percent believed schoolwork had become more challenging than the work they completed when they were at school.
Families turned to schools for extra help, with 19 percent of parents saying they had requested this from their child’s school. Thirty-nine percent said not enough support was provided. Florence Milner, a manager at MyTutor, said, “Even though most parents devote a significant amount of time weekly to helping their children with schoolwork, it’s not surprising that many find the task challenging.” Schools can use the National Tutoring Programme to support pupils they believe are most in need, but government funding has dropped this academic year from 60 to 50 percent of the cost.
Some studies have suggested that homework has little impact on a child’s progress at primary school, but helps at secondary school. The Education Endowment Foundation, which provides evidence to help improve teaching, said homework has a positive impact, particularly at secondary level, but warned that some pupils may not have a quiet space for home learning.
1. What does the underlined word “stumped” in paragraph 2 probably mean?A.Assisted. | B.Amused. | C.Inspired. | D.Confused. |
A.They resist too much homework. |
B.They doubt their children’s ability. |
C.They may have an unpleasant experience when tutoring. |
D.They did study hard when they were young. |
A.Primary schools should assign more homework. |
B.Middle school students should have proper homework. |
C.Parents should provide more tutoring for their kids at home. |
D.Pupils should improve academic performance by doing more homework. |
A.quoting experts | B.making comparisons |
C.listing figures | D.analyzing reason and effect |
4 . That artificial food dyes (染料) are unhealthy is not news. Some are known to cause hyperactivity (多动症) in some children, affecting their ability to learn. But regulatory agencies (监管机构) around the world don’t necessarily agree on which food dyes are a problem, or why. That may soon change. A 2021 peer-reviewed report by California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment concluded that artificial food dyes “cause or worsen neurobehavioral (神经行为的) problems in some children” and that the current levels that are regarded safe for consumption by the federal government are too high.
California is now considering requiring warning labels on food products and dietary supplements containing the seven most commonly used artificial dyes. The warning label requirement would put California on par with the European Union, which since 2010 has required food products containing certain artificial food dyes to carry warning labels about their negative effect on activity and attention in children.
Artificial dyes are used in foods for one reason: to make products look prettier. Bright colors make candies appealing, especially to kids. But dyes are also in chocolate cake mixes, salad dressings and other products that don’t seem to cry out for a color boost.
In Europe, it was the 2010 label lawmaking that triggered (引发) companies’ decisions to reformulate. “If you’re a company, you do not want to put a warning label on your product.” says Lefferts, an environmental health consultant. Warning labels are why European Starburst Fruit Chews are now colored with natural products, not the artificial dyes that brighten their North American counterparts (同类商品).
Given that artificial food dyes are used far more than needed, we need to be more cautious. After all, we don’t dye fresh fruits and vegetables, but we do dye candy and sprinkles, points out Joe Schwarcz, a chemistry professor at McGill University in Montreal. “The foods in which you find food dyes are foods that are poor in nutrition,” he says. “If you limit foods that contain food dyes, you automatically make your diet better.”
1. What can we learn about artificial food dyes from paragraph 1?A.A 2021 report confirmed their negative effects. |
B.The fact that they are harmful is newly revealed. |
C.Regulatory agencies consider them a serious problem. |
D.The Federal government thinks their current standard too high. |
A.In opposition to. | B.In line with. | C.Ahead of. | D.Behind. |
A.Food companies will stop coloring their products. |
B.More fresh fruits and vegetables will appear in the market. |
C.Food companies may replace artificial dyes with natural products. |
D.It will be hard to find packaged foods without warning labels of dyes. |
A.Approving. | B.Neutral. | C.Tolerant. | D.Concerned. |
5 . The impact of technology on language is a topic that often causes concern, with many assuming that it is simply ruining it. However, language experts resist such opinion, noting that there is little evidence to support the view that speech is getting worse. Gretchen McCulloch, in her book Because Internet, focuses on what can be learned about language from the Internet rather than talking about its negative effects.
McCulloch compares studying language online to growing bacteria (细菌) in a Petri dish (有盖培养皿), where trends emerge and disappear quickly. The influence of strong ties like friends or family versus weak ties on language change is analyzed, with computer simulations (模拟) revealing that having both strong and weak ties helps spread updates in a community.
The role of social media platforms in language change is also discussed. Twitter, with its mix of strong and weak ties, is shown to drive more language change than Facebook, which is controlled by stronger ties. Emoji is highlighted as a universal digital expression of gestures, not a language. Additionally, there is evidence that the use of Internet “innovations” such as “omg” dates back to pre-computer eras.
McCulloch’s book focuses on the birth of a new medium for language rather than a new type of language. The rise of mass writing on the Internet, characterized by frequent, error-filled, and short-lived communication, challenges traditional ideas about writing’s importance. McCulloch suggests future historians should see this as a return to more casual (随意的) language, paying more attention to the value of tools that improve social interaction online. The book argues against the idea that these changes might lead to the end of “real” writing, advocating for an appreciation of anything that enhances human connection and the enjoyment of each other’s company.
1. Which of the following topics is NOT included in the book Because Internet?A.How technologies ruin languages. |
B.The new birth of a new medium for language. |
C.The changes Twitter brings to people’s language. |
D.What people can get about language on the Internet. |
A.The development of digital languages. |
B.The influence of the social media platforms on language change. |
C.The different functions of social media platforms. |
D.The connection between humans and the Internet. |
A.Interpersonal bonds play a role in online communication. |
B.Formal language is unlikely to improve social interaction. |
C.The birth of new media has removed writing’s importance. |
D.Mass writing may make traditional writing come to an end. |
A.In a poetry collection. | B.On a medical website. |
C.In a travel guidebook. | D.In a newspaper. |
6 . In much of the western United States, drought and access to fresh water is a critical issue. However, recently California came up with a novel solution. The state approved regulations that allow agencies to purify wastewater for drinking. This recycled wastewater may be consumed in homes, schools, and businesses.
As the population in California has exploded in recent decades, the state has struggled to meet demands for fresh water. Recycled wastewater will allow the state to increase access to the precious resource.
Recycled wastewater is not new to the state. It has previously been used in ice hockey rinks (冰球场), for crops, and to generate artificial snow. But now, water agencies will have the option to put recycled wastewater back into pipes for drinking. California is only the second state to allow purified wastewater to be consumed. The first was Colorado in 2022.
While the idea of drinking recycled wastewater may be off-putting, regulators spent more than a decade developing rules and regulations to ensure safety. Independent panels of scientists also reviewed the state’s rules around recycled wastewater consumption. All water will be treated for pathogens (病原体) and viruses before being available for consumption.
So far, the state’s plan has been met with approval from large water agencies. Many of them have plans to construct wastewater recycling plans over the next few years. In Southern California, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has set a goal aiming to produce 150 million gallons of direct and indirect recycled water per day. This water will be in the pipes of the 19 million people throughout the six counties that the agency serves.
Officials are aware that a certain amount of public convincing may still be necessary. However, they remain optimistic about the future of the project, reminding consumers that the water is safe, and that recycled water is already in use in California.
1. Why does California pass new regulations about recycled wastewater?A.To ease the pressure of drought. | B.To increase the supply of fresh water. |
C.To recycle the wastewater for industry. | D.To reduce the pollution of the wastewater. |
A.Surprising. | B.Necessary. | C.Funny. | D.Awful. |
A.The goal of wastewater recycling is hard to achieve. |
B.The state’s plan will be conducted by water agencies. |
C.Southern California will reduce its water production. |
D.People in California tend to prefer recycled water. |
A.Many people still disapprove of the project. |
B.The public are optimistic about the project. |
C.It will never be suitable to use recycled water. |
D.The project is the only solution to water shortage. |
7 . Few Americans remain in one position or one place for a lifetime. We move from town to city to suburb, from high school to college in a different state, from a job in one region to a better job elsewhere, from the home where we raise our children to the home where we plan to live in retirement. With each move we are forever making new friends, who become part of our new life at that time.
For many of us summer is a special time for forming new friendships. Today millions of Americans vacation abroad, and they go not only to see new sights but also with the hope of meeting new people. No one really expects a vacation trip to produce a close friend, but the beginning of a friendship is possible.
The word “friend” can be applied to a wide range of relationships — to someone one has known for a few weeks in a new place, to a fellow worker, to a childhood playmate, to a man or woman, to a trusted confidant.
1. Many Americans move from place to place for the following reasons except_______.A.going to college | B.getting a better job |
C.saving money | D.finding a place to live in retirement |
A.enjoy the sunlight | B.feel strange | C.get a new job | D.travel to other countries |
A.expect to find some close friends | B.hope to meet new people |
C.want to begin lasting friendships with new people | D.Both A and B |
A.Today millions of Americans vacation abroad. |
B.For many of us summer is a special time for forming new friendships. |
C.No one really expects a vacation trip to produce a close friendship. |
D.But surely the beginning of friendship is possible. |
8 . Rising food prices have taken a big bite out of what Canadians are able to serve up for dinner but food economists say our ability to cope has been deteriorated by our common decline in cooking skills. “We are less able to cook than we were 30 or 40 years ago, and so it’s much more difficult for us to adapt our diet,” said Mike von Massow, an associate professor at the University of Guelph.
A 2010 federal government report called Improving Cooking and Food Preparation Skills, the most recent of its kind, said that all across the population, processed and pre-prepared foods have been permitted. “Related to this permission is the potential lack of transference of basic, traditional cooking and food preparation skills from parents to children and adolescents,” the report reads.
Moreover, the quality of pre-prepared foods in the market remains uneven, with problems related to the lack of detailed labelling on such products, as well as difficulties in logistics and distribution.
Annie Belov, a 21-year-old student, has taught herself a lot about cooking since food prices started shooting up. “When the inflation (通货膨胀) wasn’t as bad, I was constantly eating out,” said Belov. That might mean food on campus or picking up a prepared item at Safeway when the price was still around $5, she said.
Belov now often makes dishes such as Caesar salad, as well as hearty pasta salads that combine carbs with vegetables and a bit of chicken. Belov said she’s a lot more efficient in the kitchen thanks to building her skills through trial and error. “Now, definitely more than before, I can kind of look in the pantry or in the freezer and be like, ‘OK, yeah, I can make a meal quickly and easily.’”
It’s important to note, however, that cooking skills alone cannot solve the affordability problem, said Elaine Power. And in 2023, Food Banks Canada says food insecurity is rising with inflation and the high cost of living. So while cooking skills can better position people to feed themselves and their families as best they can in forced circumstances, “that doesn’t, and can’t, make up for income that is inadequate in the first place.”
1. Which is the closest in meaning to the underlined word in paragraph 1?A.worsened. | B.interrupted. | C.puzzled. | D.upset. |
A.Failing to attract diners. |
B.The loss of cooking skills. |
C.Difficulties in keeping its flavors. |
D.Shortage of fresh ingredients. |
A.She suffers a tough financial patch. |
B.She ends up showing a love of cooking. |
C.She used to dine out at a restaurant. |
D.She receives cooking education in schools. |
A.Lower cost of living. | B.More cooking at home. |
C.Food security status. | D.Increased income. |
9 . Smart phones provide a palm (手掌)-size window to the world, enabling us to do almost anything at the touch of a button. Smart homes look after themselves, and virtual meeting s mean that for many, time spent commuting is a thing of the past.
So we should have more free time. Time which is now spent sleeping, relaxing or simply doing nothing-right? We recently interviewed 300 people across Europe to understand how they used digital devices in day-to-day life. This research showed that people want to avoid empty periods of time in their lives, so they fill those periods performing tasks, some of which wouldn’t be possible without technology.
Whether it was waiting for a bus, waking in the morning, or lying in bed at night, our research reported that time which would previously be “empty” was now filled with brain training apps, creating lists of things they should do or try based on their social media feed, and other life admin.
On the face of it some of these tasks may seem like examples of tech saving us time. In theory, online banking should mean I have more time because I no longer need to go to the bank in my lunch break. However, our research suggests that this is not the case.
If the idea that you have more time than ever before is making you choke on your coffee, you are not alone. There is growing evidence that while digital technology may help us to save some time, we end up using that time to do more and more things. For many people, it is no longer enough to simply eat dinner, watch TV or maybe do an exercise class. Instead, in an attempt to avoid wasting time, these activities are performed while also browsing the web in search of the ingredients for a more perfect life and trying to develop a sense of achievement.
It seems that people still see going for a walk or actually being with friends as more valuable than being online. Maybe if we put down the phone a little more, we would have the time to actually cook those recipes we watch online.
1. What conclusion can be drawn in the first paragraph?A.Technology makes our lives easier. |
B.We can’t live well without modern technology. |
C.Virtual meeting is a thing of the past. |
D.A smart home offers you luxury and convenience. |
A.It is an essential means of relaxation. |
B.It does good to perform daily tasks. |
C.It is secretly stolen by technology. |
D.It forces people to do more work. |
A.It’s not too late to get free time back. |
B.Lunch break can be saved by online banking. |
C.Doing little or nothing is sometimes OK. |
D.Technology leads to a denser form of life. |
A.Students in on-line learning. |
B.Employees working in the bank. |
C.People relying on digital devices. |
D.Researchers in the technological lab. |
10 . We are all aware of the damaging pollution that’s created by driving petrol and diesel (柴油) vehicles. Many of the world’s cities are blocked with traffic, creating fumes containing gases such as nitrogen oxides. The solution for a cleaner, greener future could be electric vehicles. But how optimistic should we be? There was much excitement last year when the UK government announced it will ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030. But is that easier said than done?
The road to global traffic being totally electric is still a long way off. Currently, battery life is an issue — a fully charged battery won’t take you as far as a full tank of petrol. There are also limited numbers of charging points to plug an EV into. Of course, technology is always improving. Some of the biggest tech companies, like Google and Tesla, are spending huge amounts of money developing electric cars. And most of the big car manufacturers are now making them too.
Colin Herron, a consultant on low-carbon vehicle technology, told the BBC: “The big leap forward will come with solid state batteries, which will appear first in mobile phones and laptops before they progress to cars.” These will charge more quickly and give cars a bigger range. Cost is another issue that may discourage people from switching to electric power. But some countries offer incentive, such as cutting prices by reducing import taxes, and not charging for road tax and parking. Some also provide exclusive lanes for electric cars to be driven on, overtaking traditional cars which might be stuck in jams.
These kinds of measures have made Norway the country with the most electric cars per capita (人均) at more than thirty electric cars per 1000 inhabitants. But Colin Herron warns that “electric motoring” doesn’t mean a zero-carbon future. “It’s emission-free motoring, but the car has to be built, the battery has to be built, and the electricity does come from somewhere.” Maybe it’s time to think about making fewer journeys or using public transport.
1. Which statement can we infer from the question at the end of Paragraph 1?A.Electric vehicles may not solve the traffic problems. |
B.Probably it is hard to procure a greener future by means of electric vehicles. |
C.We should not be too optimistic about the future. |
D.It’s not a good idea to replace petrol vehicles with electric ones. |
A.Improvements. | B.Drawbacks. | C.Communications. | D.Bonuses. |
A.Putting solid-state batteries in electric cars first will be a “great leap forward”. |
B.There are four obstacles on the road to global traffic being totally electric. |
C.Electric cars might not get stuck in traffic jams in the future. |
D.Electric motoring will create a zero-carbon future. |
A.Total Electric Traffic: a Long Way to Go. |
B.Electric Power or Petrol: a Tough Decision to Make. |
C.Petrol and Diesel Vehicles: a Main Source of Gases. |
D.Electric Vehicles: a Road to a Modern Society. |