1 . In the record of human history, few subjects have generated as much excitement, debate, and guess as artificial intelligence (AI). This revolutionary technology, which enables machines to perform tasks that once required human intelligence, has the potential to transform every part of our society, from healthcare and finance to transportation and entertainment.
At its heart, AI is all about data. Massive amounts of data are fed into algorithms that learn from this data, allowing them to make predictions, recognize patterns, and even make decisions. This “machine learning” is the driving force behind many of the AI applications we see today, from virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa to more advanced systems like IBM’s Watson, which can analyze vast amounts of information to assist doctors in diagnosing diseases.
The transformative potential of AI is undeniable. In the medical field, for instance, AI can assist in early detection of diseases, predict patient outcomes, and even suggest treatment options. In finance, algorithms can predict stock market trends, and provide personalized financial advice. In transportation, self-driving cars equipped with AI systems promise to reduce accidents, ease traffic jams, and transform urban landscapes.
However, with great potential comes great responsibility. The rise of AI has caused debates about its ethical implications (道德含义). The machines are only as good as the data they are fed, and there’s a growing concern about biases (偏见) being built into AI systems. For instance, facial recognition technologies, used in everything from unlocking phones to police monitoring cameras, have come under check for misidentifying individuals based on race or gender.
Moreover, the widespread adoption of AI could lead to significant job displacement. While new roles and industries might emerge as a result of AI, it is not sure that these will pay off the jobs lost. This could increase income inequalities and causes difficulties to social systems.
Another major concern is the “black box” nature of AI. Many Al systems operate in ways that even their creators don’t fully understand. This can be problematic, especially in critical applications like healthcare or criminal justice where understanding the logic behind a decision is important.
Then there’s the potential for Al to be weaponized. In the hands of evil actors, AI could be used to spread misinformation, control public opinion, or even engage in internet warfare. The global community must come together to set standards and regulations to prevent such misuse.
On the brighter side, many experts believe that by setting the right frameworks and investing in education and retraining, we can use the power of AI for the greater good. By fostering (促进) a culture of continuous learning and staying abreast (并排的，并肩的) of technological advancements, society can benefit from the promise of AI while avoiding its potential dangers.
In conclusion, artificial intelligence stands as one of the most profound inventions of our time. While it offers vast opportunities, it also poses significant challenges that we, as a society, must welcome. As we stand at this technological crossroads, our choices will determine whether AI serves as a benefit or a harm for humanity.
1. In what way does AI acquire the capability to perform tasks that traditionally required human intelligence?| A．By programming predefined rules. |
| B．Through user interactions every day. |
| C．By swallowing and processing vast amounts of data. |
| D．Via regular software updates from developers. |
| A．By citing numerous statistical data. |
| B．By presenting both the positive potential and the challenges of AI. |
| C．Through personal experiences. |
| D．By focusing on the negative effects of Al. |
| A．Al has already replaced most human jobs and is the leading cause of unemployment. |
| B．The global community has taken measures to prevent AI misuse. |
| C．The operation of many AI systems is easily understood by their creators. |
| D．The solving to the dilemma brought by AI needs co llective efforts of our society. |
| A．The Rise of Virtual Assistants: Siri and Alexa |
| B．Understanding the Mechanisms Behind AI Algorithms |
| C．Artificial Intelligence: Charting the Course for Tomorrow’s Tech |
| D．Balancing the Potential and challenges of AI in Modern Society |
2 . LEGO is to begin selling braille (盲文) bricks to help blind and partially sighted children learn to read the touch-based alphabet (全部字母).
After the first announcement of its braille bricks in 2019, LEGO has announced that shoppers would be able to buy the accessible kit for the first time. Up until now, the LEGO Foundation has given out the kits free of charge, as part of a pilot program, to organizations specializing in the education of children with vision impairment (障碍).
While some view braille as old-fashioned, given modern technology that can turn written text into spoken word, blind adults say they like to read with their fingers while listening to other things.
The European Blind Union says knowledge of braille leads to improved spelling, reading and writing, contributing to higher levels of education and better employment opportunities for those who are vision impaired.
Dave Williams, who works for the Royal National Institute of Blind People, which acts for blind and partially sighted people, said, “Who would want a greeting card read to you? And there are things like board games.” And he added learning braille with LEGO helped give those who could not read print independence.
Lisa Taylor, mum to seven-year-old Olivia, said, “Olivia first discovered LEGO braille bricks at school and they had such a big impact on her curiosity about braille. Before then, she found it hard to get started with the symbols but now she’s improving all the time.”
1. What can be inferred from paragraph 2?| A．LEGO is the first firm to put braille into use. |
| B．LEGO began its sell of braille bricks in 2019. |
| C．LEGO integrates old tradition with modern technology. |
| D．LEGO has donated braille bricks to certain organizations. |
| A．Reading with their fingers. | B．Listening to a greeting card. |
| C．Writing with new technology. | D．Learning from past experience. |
| A．By improving their social skills. | B．By bettering their reading ability. |
| C．By helping them develop independence. | D．By awakening their curiosity about braille. |
| A．To express users’ satisfaction. | B．To start a new topic. |
| C．To erase doubts about LEGO. | D．To compare different opinions. |
3 . More parental investment; slower children’s growth
Are teenagers less likely to participate in activities associated with adulthood because they’re busier with homework and extracurricular activities? Researchers found that time spent on homework and extracurricular activities has declined among 10th graders. It’s remained relatively steady among 12th graders.
The study researchers also found an association between a slower developmental trajectory and smaller family size, higher parental age at first birth, and higher median income. With fewer children and more money, parents can invest more time and resources in their kids.
There are also economic factors. With shifts in the economy, more people go to college and are dependent on their parents for longer.
| A．There are benefits and drawbacks to the decline in adult activities among adolescents. |
| B．It helps children enjoy a life with more material richness. |
| C．On the other hand, Internet usage has increased. |
| D．This may allow them to follow a slower developmental path. |
| E．On the downside, it poses an obstacle to teens’ all-round deveolopment. |
| F．More money is needed to cover their education. |
| G．That also gives rise to more careful parenting with the idea that education will last longer. |
4 . Do you feel like there are too many things to do in a day, but not enough time to do them? If so, you’re experiencing what researchers call time poverty.
If you want a satisfying social life, buy time for it. You might pay to have a disliked housework done by others, get a direct flight instead of a cheaper one with a stopover, or pay extra to drive the fastest route home.
Another way to get more time is to give it away. In one study, researchers asked people to devote part of their Saturday morning to doing something for themselves that they weren’t already planning to do or doing something for someone else. The people who gave away their time later felt like they had more of it.
If you have too many things to do and not enough time to do them, try to cut back on some things.
| A．Time poverty is a sign of the times |
| B．Helping others expands our sense of time |
| C．Buying time is a good way to free you from the boredom of repeated tasks |
| D．The choices we make with our time greatly affect our happiness and social lives |
| E．Then invest your free time in something socially engaging |
| F．You don’t have to keep up with the pace of the modern world |
| G．Yet, feeling short on time is associated with lower level of happiness and connection |
5 . Ignoring message is frowned upon (皱眉) in this always-on times. And according to most people, dropping out of communication is blamed as “ghosting”, which in the years since the term became widespread, has become a deadly killer of digital communications.
But in these exhausting times, when so many are overburdened with family responsibilities, stress, grief and anxiety, perhaps we should let go of the outdated, demanding requirement to participate in endless back-and-forth conversations. As Daniel Post Senning of the Emily Post Institution said, “You have to be a civil and decent person, but you don’t have to give your time and attention to everyone who asks for it.”
In an era when we understand more and more the importance of rest and time away from screens, triaging (优先选择) can be necessary for our peace of mind and relationships with the people in our lives: When we are on vacation. When it’s after 7 pm. When we are at the dinner table. When we are exercising. If you don’t reply immediately to a message during one of these times, don’t apologize. Just reply when you can. Or don’t.
Is triaging a blanket permission to fall into unexplained silence or become a bottleneck to your colleagues’ work? No. Instead, establish boundaries with your work colleagues frankly so that they don’t panic when they can’t reach you.
It’s also worth asking yourself who is putting the pressure on for immediate response. Perhaps it’s not the message sender, but you.
1. Which statement do most people agree with?| A．Giving full attention to whoever asks for it is a must. |
| B．Dropping out of a conversation equals killing other people. |
| C．It’s considered improper to cut off from an ongoing conversation. |
| D．It’s highly advised to carry on conversations despite heavy burdens. |
| A．By listing figures. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By comparing facts. | D．By stating reasons. |
| A．Barrier. | B．Milestone. | C．Opportunity. | D．Masterpiece. |
| A．Important Emails: Send Them Quickly | B．Urgent Calls: Answer Them Immediately |
| C．Unfriendly People: Avoid Them Carefully | D．Unnecessary Messages: Ignore Them Directly |
1. Where did 13% of the food waste happen?
| A．In the stores. | B．In the restaurants. | C．At homes. |
| A．Food waste is almost the same in all countries. |
| B．Richer countries may waste less food at homes. |
| C．Richer countries are more likely to waste food. |
| A．Poorer countries care less about that. |
| B．Food isn’t good to eat after that. |
| C．That might lead to food waste. |
| A．Clean energy. | B．Garbage sorting. | C．Waste recycling. |
7 . A shocking eruption has ended Iceland’s lengthy volcano warning as a flash of light burst across the evening sky and the lava (岩浆) flowed out quickly in a breathtaking show of the Earth’s power. But the eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula, about 50km southwest of the capital, Reykjavik, wasn’t expected to give out large amounts of ash (灰尘) into the air.
By early Tuesday afternoon, the size of the volcanic eruption continued to diminish. The lava flow, which reached as high as 30m, was also falling and was a quarter of what it was at the time of the eruption.
The November evacuation meant few people were near the site of the eruption and authorities had warned others to stay away. Nonetheless, residents of the evacuated fishing community had mixed emotions as they watched orange flames touch the dark sky. More than a month after the evacuation, many were still living in temporary (临时的) accommodations and did not expect to ever be able to return to live in their homes. “The town might end up under the lava,” said Ael Kermarec, a tourist. “It’s amazing to see, but there’s kind of a bittersweet feeling at the moment.”
University of Bristol Professor Matthew Watson said that the eruption was expected to continue getting weak, but he had no idea how long it could last. “Residents should strictly follow travel advice because new eruptions can quickly put people in harm’s way. This style of eruption is among the most impressive ever seen, and there will be a strong pull for tourists and locals,” Watson said. “It’s just something from a movie.”
Residents were evacuated and a state of emergency was announced in Iceland more than a month ago. However, the uneasy waiting game still continues.
1. Which of the following best explains “diminish” underlined in paragraph 2?| A．Keep growing. | B．Be destroyed. |
| C．Get dangerous. | D．Become smaller. |
| A．He couldn’t see the breathtaking show. | B．He forgot to share the feeling online. |
| C．He was worried about the town. | D．He wasn’t ready for a new life. |
| A．It may draw people to the site. | B．It will threaten wildlife. |
| C．It attracts many movie lovers. | D．It drives tourists to leave. |
| A．Playing games is an approach to killing time. |
| B．It will be a long time before the disaster ends. |
| C．Local residents will return home in one month. |
| D．Authorities should announce a warning early. |
8 . The topic of China’s “slash youth” has fueled heated debate on social media recently, drawing attention to the diverse pursuits of the younger generation.
The s lash youth, which could also be called slashers or slash-generation — means those who refuse to be defined or bound by just one personal identity. They are keen to present themselves as multiple and sometimes different identities, such as a nurse and model, a teacher and stand-up comedian, and an engineer and band player. Rather than material comforts, they pursue meaningful achievement.
A diverse career can enable them to develop new experiences and talents as well as social and professional networks, leading to greater flexibility in life and work, recognition and satisfaction.
A study on “slash youth” published in the China Youth Research magazine analyzes the background of this phenomenon: with part of modern society’s structured organization and stability norms (规范) broken, flexible labor markets and structural unemployment has appeared, removing the sense of job security of the young people in employment. Young people also face the problem of self-realization, including the sense of powerlessness, lost sense of value and lack of self-identity in the profession, which forces them to re-find the meaning of work.
“The ‘slash life’ shows that our society is becoming more and more diversified and inclusive, and it welcomes everyone’s self-fulfillment,” said Shi Yanrong, an associate researcher from Tianjin Academy of Social Sciences. “Young people no longer have to rely on work and money for their sense of self-worth. They tend to create their own identities.” The researcher added that against the background that people have multiple interests and are willing to pay for these interests nowadays, the “slash life” of the youth would drive the growth of a new economy, just as animation culture affected the market.
1. What do we know about the slash youth?| A．They tend to undertake multiple careers. |
| B．They are keen to pursue material comforts. |
| C．They enjoy posting themselves on social media. |
| D．They can easily adjust themselves to challenges in life. |
| A．The importance of flexible labor markets. | B．Reasons for the appearance of slash youth. |
| C．The pursuit of the youth in their profession. | D．Causes of losing self-identity among the youth. |
| A．It boosts the rise of a new economy. | B．It helps increase people’s independence. |
| C．It inspires young people’s creativity at work. | D．It enables young people to earn high incomes. |
| A．To provide career guidance. | B．To analyze a cultural difference. |
| C．To introduce a social phenomenon. | D．To share a unique life experience. |
9 . From students to executives, intelligence is shown to be a key factor in better leadership, as it is vital for navigating through complex situations like market changes and legal obstacles. But new research on leadership suggests that having a higher IQ can be viewed as harmful.
Past studies indicate that groups led by smarter individuals tend to perform better objectively, yet some research suggests followers perceive extremely intelligent leaders as less effective. Dean Simonton from the University of California, proposed that such leaders’ complex ideas might be difficult for people to grasp, their solutions harder to carry out, and followers might find it harder to relate to them. Recently, Simonton and his team put this theory to the test.
The researchers looked at 379 male and female business leaders, across fields that included banking, retail (零售) and technology. The managers took IQ tests, and each was rated on leadership style and effectiveness by an average of eight co-workers. IQ positively correlated with ratings of leader effectiveness, strategy formation, vision and several other characteristics — up to a point. The ratings peaked at an IQ of around 120, which is higher than 8 percent of office workers. Beyond that the ratings declined. The researchers suggest the “ideal” IQ could be higher or lower in various fields, depending on whether technical versus social skills are more valued in a given work culture.
“It’s an interesting and thoughtful paper,” says Paul Sackett, a psychology professor at the University of Minnesota. “To me, the right interpretation of the work would be that it highlights a need to understand what high-IQ leaders do that leads to lower opinions by followers. The wrong interpretation would be, ‘Don’t hire high-IQ leaders.”
The study’s lead author, John Antonakis, a psychologist at the University of Lausanne, suggests leaders should use their intelligence to generate creative metaphors (隐喻) that will persuade and inspire others — the way former U.S. President Obama did. “I think the only way a smart person can signal their intelligence appropriately and still connect with the people,” Antonakis says, “is to speak in appealing ways.”
1. Why are some high-IQ leaders regarded as less effective?| A．Followers assess them irresponsibly. |
| B．Followers lack understanding power. |
| C．They fail to express themselves properly. |
| D．They perform better by objective measures. |
| A．IQ isn’t related to leader effectiveness. |
| B．IQ tests are useless and imperfect. |
| C．IO is related to people’s social status. |
| D．IQ can be affected by certain factors. |
| A．High-IQ leaders can’t be employed. |
| B．He was not involved in the research. |
| C．The research can be interpreted differently. |
| D．The research is interesting and accurate. |
| A．how to be a high-IQ leader in the future |
| B．how to communicate with people effectively |
| C．what is the appealing way to speak to voters |
| D．what is the best way to generate creative metaphors |
10 . The world’s population is aging: by 2025, people aged 60 or above will represent 20 percent of the global population. The gains in socioeconomic development mean that many people are reaching old age healthier, wealthier and better educated than previous generations.
With significant purchasing power and specific needs, older people in developed and emerging economies are seen as the fastest growing consumer group in the world, offering opportunities for business growth for many major industries. The market for products and services aimed at people aged over 50—known as the “silver economy”—is currently estimated to be worth $ 15 trillion globally and is expected to rise exponentially (以指数方式) as the number of older people continues to grow.
Importantly, the “silver economy” can contribute to a country’s social development alongside the economic gains because when businesses set out to boost their profits by designing solutions to the challenges faced by older people, they can also create social value by improving the quality of life of people as they age.
China has the largest number of older people in the world with 216.8 million of its population aged 65 or above, and that number is set to increase to 400 million by 2050. As a result, China’s “silver economy” is projected to triple in value, from $750 billion in 2020 to $2.1 trillion by 2030, and could reach a value of $4.2 trillion, accounting for 10 percent of China’s GDP by 2035.
The recently published “Opinions on Developing the Silver Economy and Improving the Well-being of Older Person” is China’s first specific policy guideline for the development of China’s “silver economy”, and China’s experience over the next decade can offer important insights for emerging economies into how best to meet the needs of an aging population while also maximizing the economic development opportunities from such a dramatic shift.
1. What does “silver economy” mean?| A．The economy related to silver mine industry. |
| B．The economy concerning aging population. |
| C．The economy dealing with social development. |
| D．The economy connected with next generation. |
| A．Uncertain. | B．Pessimistic. | C．Negative. | D．Promising. |
| A．China is not worried about its aging population. |
| B．China will not experience aging population problem. |
| C．China’s silver economy will boom in the near future. |
| D．The aging population doesn’t make sense in China. |
| A．China published its first specific policy guideline. |
| B．China offered precious experience for other countries. |
| C．China made a dramatic shift in economy development. |
| D．China maximized its silver economy development. |
