1 . The fast development of AI-generated content (AIGC), especially AI translation, is accelerating (加快) the speed at which China's online novels are being introduced to the world, while global online writers tend to flood to a common platform to expand the world's online novel market, according to the 2023 China Online Literature Exporting Overseas Trend Report.

"Online literature not only brings Chinese culture and works to the world, but also witnesses the global development of this Chinese model," said the president of a publisher.

"After going through publishing authorization (授权), overseas translation and exporting models overseas, China's online literature has reached a new stage of global IP co-creation as writers from different countries and regions work together to develop online literature IP, which has led to a new wave of globalization in online literature," he added.

"As of October 2023, an overseas website owned by the publisher, had launched about 3,600 translated works of Chinese online literature," said the report. The platform has been visited by more than 220 million users, who spend more than 1.5 hours daily on reading. More than 150,000 comments are usually made in a single day, including exchanges about works and discussions about the cities, food and culture from various countries.

With the help of AI, the translation efficiency (效率) of online novels has increased by nearly 100 times, and the cost has been reduced by more than 90 percent. "Due to these advantages, the platform WebNovel will introduce AI translation for English, Spanish, French, Japanese and other languages, to help good Chinese and foreign stories to reach a wider international audience," said Yang Chen, editor-in-chief of the publisher.

Chinese online literature has been exported overseas for more than 20 years. It has shared with the world not only excellent cultural works, but also a set of creative mechanisms (机制) and industrial models based on the digital age. As such, global industrial integration has become a significant trend in the development of online literature.

1. What's the value of China's online literature according to paragraph 2?

A．It contributes to regional cooperation.

B．It encourages global development.

C．It benefits overseas translation.

D．It helps spread Chinese culture.

2. What does the writer want to show by listing the data in paragraph 4?

A．To stress the importance of translating Chinese works.

B．To show the popularity of Chinese online literature.

C．To explain why Chinese literature develops so fast.

D．To call on people to read Chinese literature online.

3. What's the advantage of AI translation?

A．It produces better quality works.	B．It enables writers to work together.
C．It provides more language choices.	D．It's more productive and economical.

4. What is a suitable title for the text?

A．China Online Literature Faces New Challenges

B．AI Translation Boosts Global Cooperation

C．AI Helps Chinese Web Novels Sail Overseas

D．Online Literature Goes Viral Globally

2 . Family plays an important part in much fiction, of course, but sometimes the short story form has offered us an insight into family life that the longer novel does not. Here are some for you to taste.

Prelude, by Katherine Mansfield

Prelude is one of Katherine Mansfield's longest and finest short stories. Because Prelude is a modernist short story, the emphasis is on characters rather than plots. Mansfield is using the Burnells’ house-move, and the period when they are busy settling into their new home, as a situation to observe family, women and class.

He, by Katherine Anne Porter

Katherine Anne Porter (1890-1980) wrote just one novel and fewer than thirty short stories, yet she is regarded as an important twentieth-century American writer, with He among her most celebrated and critically praised works. An important theme of Porter’s work is the search for meaning in a modern and increasingly materialist world.

Signs and Symbols, by Vladimir Nabokov

It is a short story by the Russian-American author Vladimir Nabokov (1899-1977), originally published in the New Yorker in 1948. The story centers on an elderly married Russian couple who move to the United States; their son is suffering from paranoid delusions (妄想症) and has been limited to a care center. Signs and Symbols focuses on the couple’s attempt to visit their son and its result.

Down at the Dinghy, by J. D. Salinger

This short story was originally published in 1949. It involves an adult speaking to a child. It is about a young boy who runs from home and goes down to the nearby lake, where he gets into a boat and refuses to speak to his mother. The story ends with the mother bonding with her son.

1. What is special about Prelude?

A．It’s about scientific observation.	B．It’s the longest of the four.
C．It involves moving to a new place.	D．It focuses more on figures than plots.

2. What do we know about Katherine Anne Porter and Vladimir Nabokov?

A．They are contemporary writers.	B．Their works center on critical thinking.
C．They both seek for meaning in modern life.	D．Their works were published in the New Yorker.

3. Who are the target readers of the text?

A．Science fiction fans.	B．Family-based short story lovers.
C．Those who plan to be writers.	D．People trying to have a family.

3 . It’s no secret that reading good news feels a lot better than reading bad news. Like, would you rather bite into a lemon, or sip on a fresh glass of lemonade?

    1    The world is full of problems and conflicts and we need to stay informed and alert (警觉的) to what’s going on around us. While reading traditional, more negative news is important, consuming good news is also part of staying informed.     2    And it also brings meaningful benefits, like reduced stress and anxiety, higher rates of engagement, community building skills, and inspiration for creating a better world. Plus, knowing what to look for in the good news landscape is a key part of improving our media literacy skills and being thoughtful news consumers.

In fact, good news, known as solutions journalism, is becoming more popular, as publishers and news stations discover the benefits of sharing positive stories. Good Good Good is one of them.     3     A team of reporters and editors there work daily to deliver stories that make readers feel hopeful and equipped to do more good with possible solutions.

“If it bleeds, it leads.” has long been a saying used in the media to describe how news stories about violence, death and destruction draw readers’ attention.       4     The thing is, however, there’s also good stuff out there—the delightful and kind parts of humanity. “Beautiful stories are happening worldwide.    5    When you do find them, the world can suddenly feel like a very different place. Good news is a vital part of how we learn about the world and solving the world’s problems.” Hervey, one of Good Good Good’s editors said.

A．Share good news with people around you.

B．It’s just that we don’t hear as much about them.

C．But the “bad news” has its place in the world.

D．It provides a more balanced view of the world.

E．And so, negative news stories are everywhere on news media.

F．Heartwarming stories make you cry and feel good.

G．The news media company is devoted to providing good news intentionally.

4 . In honor of World Animal Day, celebrated annually on October 4, here are three picture books to stir up affection, appreciation, and empathy for our non-human friends. Find more related books and articles from Hbook.com here; or click the Animals and Pets subject tags in the Horn Book Guide/Reviews Database.

Gianferrari, Maria To Dogs, With Love: A Love Letter to the Dogs Who Help Us
40 pp. | Roaring Brook| December, 2023 | Trade ISBN 978-1-250-24494-9 $18.99

Illustrated by Ishaa Lobo. With a refrain of “thank you for,” this wholehearted shout-out to our canine companions (the narrator addresses them directly) lists their physical attributes to celebrate what makes them so harmonious with humans. A grief therapy dog, a courtroom support dog, and a future assistance dog are among the sung heroes featured in the artwork.

O’Watch, Heather Auntie’s Rez Surprise
24 pp.| Second Story | September, 2023 | Trade ISBN 978-1-77260-344-6 $21.95

Illustrated by Ellie Arscott. Cree, a young Nehiyaw girl, never fails to marvel at the neat stuff her kind aunt collects from garage sales. But this time, Auntie has brought a surprise. Unable to guess what it is, Cree is delighted when Auntie reveals a “puppy.” Nehiyaw people consider dogs their relatives, Auntie explains, and describes the integral role they have historically played in Nehiyaw communities — providing protection, furnishing warmth, and transporting goods. Cree learns the importance of caring for bowwows with heart and hands. Arscott’s sunny hand-drawn illustrations incorporate comic-book elements.

Ruddock, Nicholas This Is a Tiny Fragile Snake
40 pp.| Groundwood | February, 2024 | Trade ISBN 978-1-77306-784-1 $19.99

Illustrated by Ashley Barron. A raccoon (浣熊) is panic-stricken after taking a spill down a chimney. During a nighttime car ride, a family is startled when a moose (麋鹿) sallies out onto the road. A chipmunk (花栗鼠) is brought to bay in a rainspout by its feline predator. In the fifteen short narrative poems in this picture book, racially diverse children and their caregivers unexpectedly come face to face with undomesticated creatures, some imperiled, and choose to show them kindness and respect. A closing poem observes each animal’s whereabouts following their human encounters. Readers will warm to the wisdom of giving wildlife their space.

1. What can we know from Auntie’s Rez Surprise?

A．The author of it is Ashley Barron.

B．Nehiyaw people think highly of dogs.

C．Stuff collected from garage sales is useless.

D．Cree can always guess what Auntie brings for her.

2. What do the three books have in common?

A．They are all about dogs.

B．They are all about animal abuse.

C．They all include poems and pictures.

D．They all show harmony between animals and humans.

3. Where is this text probably taken from?

A．A website

B．A journal

C．A history book

D．A guidebook

5 . It’s a familiar plot in movies and books: A bright-eyed man moves to the big city in search of fame and fortune. In the noises and lights, all hopes and dreams come true. But why do we stick to this old story? In Four Lost Cities, author Annalee Newitz explores ancient settlements to find out why people flood into big cities — and why they leave.

The book is divided into four enjoyable, snack-sized sections, one for each city. Each section is accompanied by a handy map, drawn by artist Jason Thompson in an engaging cartoon style.

Rather than dry history, Newitz makes a special effort to highlight the oddities and innovations that made these cities unique. Take Catalhöyük, the oldest city they feature, which boomed between 7500 and 5700 BC in what is now Turkey. This ancient city existed for nearly 2, 000 years despite lacking things that we might consider necessary for a city, such as roads, special public spaces or shopping areas.

The section on Cahokia (AD 1050 to 1350) —located in what is now Illinois — offers an unexpected reason for a city’s emergence. Many people link cities with capitalism and trade. Cahokia’s 30-meter-tall pyramids, 20-hectare (公顷) squares and a population (at the time) bigger than Paris suggest that spiritual revival (复苏) can also build a large city. Cahokia and Angkor, which reached its peak from AD 800 to 1431 in what is now Cambodia, also show how cities can form when power gets concentrated in a few influential people.

Each city, of course, eventually fell. But Newitz also reveals something else: Collapsing infrastructure (基础设施) provided the final push that kept people away. Here we spot our potential future, as climate crises and political instability threaten our own urban networks. But Newitz’s vivid imaginings, bright language and boundless enthusiasm manage to keep the tone optimistic. These cities did end, yes. Yet the people lived on.

1. Why is a bright-eyed man mentioned in paragraph 1?

A．To introduce the topic.	B．To raise some doubts.
C．To make a comparison.	D．To present a phenomenon.

2. How is paragraph 3 developed?

A．By citing data.	B．By defining a term.
C．By giving an example.	D．By telling a story.

3. What was the reason for the rise of Cahokia and Angkor?

A．Trade.	B．Capitalism.
C．A large population.	D．Concentration of power.

4. What does the author think of Four Lost Cities?

A．It features a cartoon style.	B．It offers insight into our future.
C．It consists of no original ideas.	D．It promotes the ancient cultures.

6 . While visiting an elementary school library in 2016, 1 noticed there were hardly any science fiction books for readers under 12. This discovery prompted me to spend the next five years researching the shortage of science fiction books for children in this age group.

I reached two big conclusions. First, I found that adults often think that kids can’t understand science fiction—but they can. Second, I found that authors and illustrators (插画家) are not depicting characters from diverse backgrounds in children’s stories about the future.

Diverse representation in science fiction is especially important because these authors are not only imagining futures, but also are the sorts of people who create those futures.

When science fiction authors imagine a wide variety of people like women, people of color and disabled people as the scientists of the future, then they provide models for more children to imagine themselves in those careers. Research has shown that seeing female scientists in media affects whether girls imagine themselves in STEM—science, technology, engineering and math-careers. The first Black female astronaut, Mae Jemison, says that she was able to imagine herself going to space because as a young person she saw Nichelle Nichols playing Lieutenant Nyota Uhura on Star Trek.

An expert on race in science fiction says that science fiction must include a variety of humans rather than a variety of aliens to celebrate the potential of diversity in the future.

Science fiction authors could be leaders in the efforts to diversify children’s books if creators fill the shortage of children’s science fiction with stories that include characters from diverse backgrounds.

The burden is not only on creators, though. Educators and parents also need to seek out science fiction with diverse characters in order to make sure that children’s book collections reflect a future that welcomes everyone.

1. What did the author find after visiting an elementary school library in 2016?

A．Science fiction included a variety of humans and aliens.

B．Authors described characters from diverse backgrounds.

C．Readers under 12 almost had no science fiction books to read.

D．Readers under 12 could hardly understand science fiction.

2. What is especially important in science fiction according to the author?

A．Diverse representation.	B．Understandable language.
C．Abundant aliens.	D．Fantastic plots.

3. The quotation(引述) from Mae Jemison in Paragraph 4 is used to______.

A．stress women’s key role in space and science

B．justify influences of providing models in books

C．attract readers’ interest and introduce who she is

D．indicate how important children’s imagination is

4. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．Children’s book collections welcome everyone and should be easily understood by all walks of people.

B．Everyone is welcome in the future so children’s book collections should meet every child’s need.

C．Only science fiction authors are to blame if children read science fiction lack of diverse characters.

D．Creators, educators and parents should provide science fiction with diverse characters for children.

7 . In college, there are such a huge set of reading tasks. You might fall behind if you do not read before class. Here are reasons why you should read ahead of the class.

Make the most of the class time. Class time is valuable.    1    When you read ahead of time, you are more likely to understand the organization of the lecture. You’ll be better able to figure out what’s important and what isn’t and therefore, take effective notes.

Show respect. Reading ahead of time shows respect for the professor.    2    While professors’ feelings should not be the primary motivator of your behavior, relationships with professors are important. Think ahead—professors are often important resources for advice, recommendation letters, and opportunities.

    3    If everything that you hear in class is new, how will you determine whether you understand and whether you have questions? If you have read beforehand, you can focus your attention on filling gaps in your understanding by paying more attention during some parts of the lecture and by asking questions.

Take an active part in class.    4    Be ready to answer questions, discuss the topic and do group work. It’s easy to take part when you know the topic. Reading beforehand helps you to understand the material and gives you time to consider your viewpoints and opinions.

Show off. Reading before class lets you show that you’ve read, that you care, and that you are intelligent. You’ll be able to ask good questions and take part in a way that proves preparation, interest, and mastery of the material.    5    

A．Many students may get caught unprepared.

B．Most classes require some kind of participation.

C．These are all positive marks in professors’ views.

D．You should make sure that you can follow along.

E．Understand the topic and what you don’t understand.

F．In turn, they can tell when the group is taking a wrong way.

G．It is an easy way to get a better relationship with your professor.

8 . 为帮助同学们提升阅读兴趣、养成阅读习惯、增加民族自信，学校图书馆特在4月23日世界读书日举办了“阅读经典 点亮人生”的演讲比赛，请你写一篇新闻报道报道此次活动。内容包括：
1. 活动目的、时间、地点等；
2. 活动内容；
3. 活动意义。
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：阅读经典点亮人生：Reading Classics Enlightens life
世界读书日：the World Book Day
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . I grew up on a university campus in eastern Nigeria.I was a(n) _________reader, and what I read were British and American children’s books.I began to write when I was seven.I wrote exactly the kinds of stories I was reading: All my _________ were white and blue-eyed. They played in the snow. They ate apples, and they talked a lot about the _________，how lovely it was that the sun had _________.

What this demonstrates is how _________we can be influenced by what we read, particularly as children. Because all I had read were foreign books, I had become _________ that books had to have _________ in them and had to be about things with which I could not personally identify.

Things _________ when I discovered African books. There weren’t many of them available, and they weren’t quite as easy to _________ as the foreign books.

But __________ writers like Chinua Achebe and Camara Laye I went through a mental __________in my view of literature.I __________ that people like me, girls with skin the color of chocolate,could also __________ in literature. I started to write about things I recognized. What the __________ of African writers did for me was this: It saved me from having a __________ story of what books are.

1.

A．early

B．aimless

C．careful

D．poor

2.

A．instructors

B．neighbors

C．friends

D．characters

3.

A．snow

B．fruits

C．cuisine

D．weather

4.

A．disappeared

B．set

C．come out

D．gone down

5.

A．briefly

B．regularly

C．scarcely

D．easily

6.

A．convinced

B．puzzled

C．concerned

D．satisfied

7.

A．heroes

B．foreigners

C．Africans

D．children

8.

A．remained

B．changed

C．worsened

D．worked

9.

A．read

B．understand

C．find

D．keep

10.

A．in spite of

B．on behalf of

C．because of

D．instead of

11.

A．confusion

B．shift

C．block

D．activity

12.

A．realized

B．suspected

C．claimed

D．forgot

13.

A．take

B．exist

C．believe

D．major

14.

A．discovery

B．popularity

C．imagination

D．analysis

15.

A．classic

B．remarkable

C．whole

D．single

10 . After high school English teacher Larry Abrams started his teaching career in a far suburb outside of Philadelphia, he found he taught in a book desert (荒漠). Many of the kids in school simply struggled (挣扎) with reading and then writing .

In 2017, when one of his students told him she had no book to read to her 2-year-old daughter, Abrams took action. He put forward a call to friends and family asking for gently used children’s books, and in no time, he had more than 1, 000 of them. He began handing out the books to young moms and local elementary schools. That was the start of his nonprofit, BookSmiles, which has since collected, sorted, and handed out hundreds of thousands of books throughout New Jersey and the Philadelphia area — and will soon reach 1 million.

BookSmiles calls on people to help collect books and drop them off in the group’s large collection boxes, which are painted with literary-themed artwork and put outside local businesses, houses of worship, schools, and people’s homes. Books are often handed out through teachers, who come to the book bank and choose as many books as they want.

Larry Abrams thinks children should be read to because it’s something joyful that creates a bond (纽带) between the parent and the child in such an important way. Reading books creates a moment that will never die off and always stay with the child. And what’s more, reading books to kids gives them power. The most important tool that they get is words. There are some kids who grow up hearing lots of words because they’re read to every single night. They are used to hearing sentences connected together when they’re babies. And then there are other kids who never get that. Reading and books help level that playing field. It gives words, millions of words, to these babies who really, really need them.

1. What did Larry Abrams find about his working environment?

A．He had to live a hard life in a desert.

B．His students were very short of books.

C．His students couldn’t read or write at all.

D．His school was struggling to make ends meet.

2. What caused Larry Abrams to set up BookSmiles?

A．His student’s trouble.	B．His school’s requirement.
C．His daughter’s need for books.	D．His close friend’s request.

3. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．What books BookSmiles hands out.	B．Where BookSmiles’s boxes are.
C．How busy BookSmiles’s workers are.	D．How BookSmiles works.

4. What does Larry Abrams think of reading to children?

A．It helps parents and children to kill time.

B．It makes children depend more on their parents.

C．It puts children far ahead of those without being read to.

D．It develops children’s language skills by parent-child behavior.