1 . Willful ignorance exists in large amount in daily life. People regularly look the other way rather than examining the consequences of their actions. Despite plenty of scientific evidence for climate change, for instance, many people still avoid engaging with facts about global warming.

We wanted to understand how common willful ignorance is and why people engage in it. After collecting data from multiple research projects that involved more than 6,000 individuals, we discovered that willful ignorance is common and harmful, with 40 percent of people choosing “not to know” the consequences of their actions to free themselves of guilt while maximizing their own gains. But we also found that about 40 percent of people are unselfish: rather than avoiding information about the consequences of their actions, they seek it out to increase the benefits to others.

In the experiments, the decisions were made in one of two settings. In the transparent (透明的) setting, decision-makers had information about how their choice would affect themselves and their partner. In an ambiguous (模糊的) setting, decision-makers knew how their choice would matter for themselves but not for their teammate — although they could request that insight.

The overall balance tipped toward selfishness when participants had the option to avoid information. Only 39 percent of people in the ambiguous setting made the choice that ultimately benefited their partner — a significant drop from 55 percent in the transparent condition.

If we can avoid putting a strong moral emphasis on decisions, it may make people feel less threatened and, as a result, be less willfully ignorant. Other research groups have found promising ways to do this. For instance, we could encourage people to think more positively about good deeds rather than guilt-trip them for what they have failed to do. Highlighting recent global achievements, such as healing the ozone (臭氧) layer, can inspire people to keep up the good work rather than feeling like the battle is lost and that the situation is hopeless.

In short, we can encourage one another and ourselves toward more selfless and generous actions.

1. Why do some people choose not to know the consequences of their actions?

A．To make easier choices to be a good person.

B．To increase their own benefits more than others’.

C．To avoid the influence of consequences on actions.

D．To get the most benefits without a sense of shame.

2. How can willful ignorance be prevented?

A．By focusing less on its morality.	B．By stressing its potential threat.
C．By being more positive about oneself.	D．By getting people aware of their actions.

3. Which part of the magazine is the passage taken from?

A．Culture.

B．Environment.

C．Psychology.

D．Biology.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．The reason for willful ignorance.

B．The results of willful ignorance.

C．The harmful effects of willful ignorance.

D．The influence of willful ignorance on environment.

2 . Many people assume today’s easy long-distance collaboration (合作) should release a flood of creative scientific research—but, strangely, a new study suggests the opposite may be true.

Several reasons have been suggested for an apparent slowdown in new research ideas, but it seems remote collaboration itself may be a limiting factor. For a recent study in Nature, University of Pittsburgh social scientist Lingfei Wu and his colleagues found that teams collaborating remotely produce fewer breakthroughs.

The researchers analyzed 20 million research papers published between 1960 and 2020 and four million patents filed between 1976 and 2020 to assess how “disruptive” they were by analyzing quotations. Highly disruptive studies were those that put earlier work to shame and open new avenues of research; articles that quote them usually don’t also quote earlier studies they build on. Less disruptive studies build on previous work, and articles quoting them typically also quote prior studies.

The researchers found that as the distance between authors’ workplaces increases from zero to at least 600 kilometers, their papers’ being disruptive falls by roughly a quarter. To investigate why, Wu and his team analyzed researchers’ self-reported roles. They found that those working together in person were more likely to focus on conceptual tasks—the kind of work likely to produce new ideas. Researchers collaborating remotely were more likely to do technical work such as data analysis.

The team also found that when researchers were gathering in person, even big differences between individuals’ quotation numbers had little effect on the likelihood of their collaborating on conceptual work. But in remote teams, the chances of researchers jointly producing ideas declined when one had significantly more quotations than the other.

The findings challenge the assumption that merely connecting people online leads to the growth of new ideas. In theory, remote collaboration enables more new combinations of knowledge. However, if new innovation is encouraged, people should be brought together instead of relying on digital infrastructure (基础设施). ”

1. What does the underlined “disruptive” mean in paragraph 3?

A．Creative.

B．Destructive.

C．Unique.

D．Representative.

2. What does paragraph 4 mainly prove?

A．In-person collaboration brings about technical work.

B．Long-distance collaboration doesn’t benefit new ideas.

C．Long-distance collaboration is of great importance.

D．In-person collaboration is better than long-distance one.

3. In remote teams, new ideas may occur at least when ______.

A．online individuals contribute to the discussion

B．equipment for remote collaboration is available

C．individuals’ quotations in both sides are equal

D．researchers’ quotations differ greatly in number

4. What can be a suitable title for the passage?

A．Researchers collaborate remotely to be more creative.

B．Scientists collaborate better when they are farther apart.

C．Scientists innovate more while working together in person.

D．Researchers make breakthroughs with digital infrastructure.

3 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Cinemas may be dying. But the high end is thriving.

The box office has a bad case. Worldwide takings last year were a quarter below their peak. Americans, who went to the cinema more than five times each in 2000, last year went     1     (few) than three times. As streaming services keep audiences     2     (glue) to the small screen, theatre chains including Cineworld, the world’s second-largest, have gone bankrupt.     3     the biggest of the big screens are thriving.

IMAX,     4     screens are as large as 38 metres wide with denture-rattling (震感十足的) sound systems, had worldwide box-office takings of $1.1 bn last year and its biggest-ever haul in America. The luxury-cinema trend is not limited to America. IMAX’s share of the international box office     5     (rise) from 1.7% in 2019 to 2.1% last year. CGV,     6     South Korean chain with branches across Asia, has rebranded its multiplexes (多厅影院) as “cultureplexes”, offering music, gaming and     7     (dine) alongside films.

Theatre operators must hope audiences are     8     (hunger) for these add-ons, especially when this year’s movie menu is limited. Ever since strikes last year in Hollywood, they     9     (delay) titles, including Mission: Impossible and Avatar sequels, to 2025.

Successful cinemas will treat a trip     10     the movies as the rare luxury.

4 . 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.

5 . No one can fail to stand in awed admiration of the great discoveries of history — Newton’s laws of motion; Kepler’s principles of planetary movement, Einstein’s general theory of relativity. Equally awe-inspiring are artistic creations in painting, theatre, music and literature, which have also been brought about by discovery through personal efforts. What do these extraordinary achievements of well-known scientists and artists have to do with problem solving?

A great scientific discovery or a great work of art is surely the result of problem-solving activity. The solution to a problem, we are told, often comes to thinkers in a “flash of insight (顿悟)”, although they may have been turning the problem over in their minds for some time. As a particular form of problem solving, these creative acts are based on the broad knowledge gained in the past, whether this be of the “public” sort known to science, or of the “private” sort known to the artist.

Many creative thinkers state that they have completely devoted themselves to the subject matter of the problem, often over fairly long periods of time. Indeed, it would be strange if they had not done this. Nothing in such statements supports the idea that there is anything very different about the problem solving that leads to discoveries of the great contributions to the society. The act of discovery, even in the relatively predictable sense that it occurs in everyday learning, involves a “sudden insight” which changes the problem situation into a solution situation. As we have seen, everyday discovery also requires that the learner have the knowledge of the rules gained in the past, which is involved in the solution.

1. Newton, Kepler and Einstein are mentioned in the first paragraph to ______.

A．bring about the subject of the discussion

B．explain that scientists are more creative

C．show the difference between science and arts

D．prove that arts require more personal efforts

2. While knowledge from the past plays an important role in their achievements, thinkers sometimes also depend on their ______.

A．artistic tastes	B．sudden insight
C．admiration of discoveries	D．scientific experiments

3. What does the underlined word “this” refer to?

A．Great contributions to the society

B．Long-time study of the subject matter.

C．Various statements about problem solving.

D．Complete devotion to artistic creation.

4. We may conclude from the passage that ______.

A．it is more likely to make scientific and artistic discoveries in everyday learning

B．a sudden insight and knowledge from the past are required in making discoveries

C．scientific discoveries or artistic creations are usually unpredictable in nature

D．knowledge of the rules in the past is often developed in the changes of situation

6 . If you live on this planet, there’s a decent chance you’ve seen the classic Star TrekEpisode, in which captain Kirk and several members find themselves in what appears to be another universe.

These days, it seems the idea of the multiverse—many worlds—is having its Hollywood moment. Its appeal as a storytelling device is obvious—characters explore a multi-world with varying degrees of similarity to our own, as well as different versions of themselves. Hence, it has been fully established in mainstream pop culture.

While Hollywood can’t seem to get enough of the multiverse, it remains deeply controversial (有争议的) among scientists. Advocates on the two sides show no mercy toward each other in their books, on their blogs. But physicists didn’t pull the idea out of thin air—rather, several distinct lines of reasoning seem to point to the multiverse’s existence. However, critics warn that making the multiverse legal could make it harder for the public to distinguish speculative (推测性的) theories from established fact, making it more difficult to keep pseudo-science (伪科学) at bay. Giving credit to such speculation risks “turning fundamental physics into pseudo-science”.

The multiverse controversy is rooted in the idea of test ability. If we can’t interact with these other universes, or detect them in any way, some experts insist that reduces them to mere philosophical speculation. But Carroll, an advocate for “many worlds”, argues that mathematics is the language describing our physical theories. Since Schrdinger’s equation (方程), on which Quanturr (量子) mechanic rests, predicts the existence of many worlds, so be it.

Could a more expansive view of the universe itself be the next breakthrough? As Siegfried puts it: “Every time in the past that we’ve thought, ‘We’ve got it; this is what the whole universe is’—the people who’ve said, ‘Maybe there’s more than one of those’ have always turned out to be right.”

1. Why is Hollywood so occupied with the multiverse?

A．It makes for engaging plots.

B．It is a much-talked-about topic.

C．It is helpful to popularize science.

D．It dominates the mainstream pop culture.

2. What do the underlined words in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Out of date.

B．Out of place.

C．Out of nowhere.

D．Out of question.

3. According to the opponents, the basic standard of fundamental physics is that ______.

A．it can be detected somehow

B．it can be reasoned logically

C．it can be interpreted philosophically

D．it can be predicted by mathematics equation

4. What might be the author’s attitude toward the multiverse?

A．Doubtful.

B．Dismissive.

C．Unclear.

D．Approving.

7 . Falling birth rates are a major concern for some of Asia’s biggest economies. Government s in the region are spending hundreds of billions of dollars trying to reverse the trend. Will it work?

Japan began introducing policies to encourage couples to have more children in the 1990s. South Korea started doing the same in the 2000s, while Singapore’s first fertility (生育) policy dates back to 1987. China, which has seen its population fall for the first time in 60 years, recently joined the growing club.

While it is difficult to quantify exactly how much these policies have cost, South Korean President YoonSuk-yeol recently said his country had spent more than $200bn (£160bn) over the past 16 years on trying to boost the population. Yet last year South Korea broke its own record for the world’s lowest fertility rate, with the average number of babies expected per woman falling to 0.78. In neighbouring Japan, which had record low births of fewer than 800,000 last year, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has promised to double the budget for child-related policies from 10tn yen ($74.7bn; £59.2bn).

Having a bigger population who can work and produce more goods and services leads to higher economic growth. And while a larger population can mean higher costs for governments, it can also result in bigger tax revenues (税收). Also, many Asian countries are ageing rapidly. Japan leads the pack with nearly 30% of its population now over the age of 65 and some other nations in the region are not far behind. Compare that with India, which has just overtaken China as the world’s most populous nation. More than a quarter of its people are between the age of 10 and 20, which gives its economy huge potential for growth. And when the share of the working age population gets smaller, the cost and burden of looking after the non-working population grow. “Negative population growth has an impact on the economy, and together with an ageing population, they won’t be able to afford to support the elderly,” said Xiujian Peng of Victoria University.

1. Which Asian country first took measures to increase population in this passage?

A．Japan.

B．South Korea.

C．Singapore.

D．China.

2. What can we learn about the population of Asian countries from the passage?

A．Japan hit the lowest record of new-born babies last year.

B．India has the largest and youngest population in the world.

C．China’s population has been decreasing in the recent 60 years.

D．South Korea had the lowest population record last year in the world.

3. What can we infer from paragraph 4?

A．The economy of India will overtake that of Japan.

B．Negative population growth leads to an ageing population.

C．The larger the population is, the better the economy will be.

D．A bigger share of working age population helps support the elderly.

4. What’s the main idea of this passage?

A．Low birth rate is a negative factor for economy.

B．China is joining the countries of low birth rate.

C．Many Asian countries came to negative population growth.

D．Many Asian countries are trying all out to battle low birth rate.

8 . Genetic testing companies have a long history of creative attempts to reach the mainstream. An early example was the sequencing of rock star Ozzy Osbourne’s genes in 2010, with accompanying guess about how they might have influenced his drug habits.

Lately, such projects have taken on a new, highly commercialized tendency. In 2017, we got the “Marmite (马麦酱) gene project,” run by London-based genetic testing start-up DNAfit. It claims to show that love or hate for Marmite was in our genes. The project turned into a full-blown marketing campaign, and even sold Marmite-branded DNA testing tools.

DNAfit is now working with Mercedes-Benz to find out whether specific genetic traits are associated with business wisdom. AncestryDNA, the world’s largest consumer genetic testing company, last year teamed up with Spotify to promote “music tailored to your DNA.” Just a few weeks ago, 23andMe, the second largest, announced a partnership with Airbnb to provide genetically tailored travel experiences, also inspired by ancestral DNA.

I have skin in this game. I run a genetic-testing start-up that connects people who want their genome sequenced with researchers who want data to improve their understanding of genetic disease. I believe that broadening access to DNA testing can be a powerful force for good, providing safer, more effective medicines and giving people more power over their healthcare. But these campaigns risk discrediting the industry, by giving a misleading impression of what genetics can and can't say and its role in determining behaviours and personal preferences.

Take the Marmite study. It covered 261 people — tiny, by the standards of the field. It was published not in a journal, but online on bioRxiv, a server where scientists typically put results before peer-review. Shortly after, researchers looked at the genetic data of more than 500 times as many people in the UK Biobank and found no such correlation. A large peer-reviewed study in 2013 found no significant link between genes and business common sense.

We need to inform the public about what this is all about: that is, the gathering of large amounts of genetic data. We need better regulation to ensure that consumers are clear that this may happen with this sensitive personal information. A checkbox on a 20-page web document full of legal terms should not be enough.

Scientists too, need to start asking hard questions about whether the information they are using has been sourced ethically. DNA testing has a great future, but we can't build this future with data acquired by any means.

1. The author mentions DNAfit, AncestryDNA and 23andMe in order to __________.

A．highlight the problems facing genetic testing

B．illustrate the commercial applications of DNA

C．compare what progress the companies have made

D．reveal the link between DNA and a person's character

2. We can learn from “I have skin in this game” in Para. 4 that the author __________.

A．is challenging the available treatment for skin disease

B．has a personal investment in the genetic-testing business

C．hopes to remove people's misunderstanding of the game rules

D．believes that every individual should have access to DNA testing

3. What do the last two paragraphs mainly talk about?

A．The disadvantages of genetic testing.	B．The scientific value of genetic testing.
C．The legal system genetic testing needs.	D．The essentials for proper genetic testing.

4. Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

A．DNA Is Anything but a Marketing Tool	B．Genetic Testing Campaigns Aren't Legal
C．Creative Marketing Is Key to Genetic Testing	D．DNA Testing Has Become a Booming Industry

9 . The summer holidays have just begun, but it is a busy morning at Cadoxton Primary School, in Barry, an industrial town in Wales. It runs a summer programme for hard-up (拮据的) children, providing meals and activities over the holidays with the aim of helping kids to spend the time more meaningfully. As young people run laughing and screaming into the school cafeteria for breakfast, their parents hung out, some visibly relieved. Just three days into the six-week school holidays one mother says her nine-year-old daughter has already asked five times to go bowling. “Without the school’s help,” she says, “it would be a long and expensive six weeks.”

In the popular imagination, school summer holidays conjure up (使……呈现于脑际) a picture of carefree youthful exploration. But many parents rely on the term-time services that schools give their kids, such as tutors and meals. If the holidays approach, they can suddenly find their schedules and budgets stretched. Researchers also say that the long break often sets back children’s learning, and that children from poorer backgrounds are desperately affected due to their shortage of money.

Many poor children fall behind their wealthier peers over the holidays. “Summer is the most unequal time of the year,” says Matthew Boulay of the National Summer Learning Association. “Well-off parents can fill the gap left by school and consolidate (使巩固) their children’s unfamiliar knowledge well, keeping their children stimulated with summer camps, trips abroad or private tutors. Poorer families, apparently, find this harder, since their income is relatively low and demand for sponsored activities offered by governments,” he adds.

Holidays can be a financial stress, which is absolutely true. In countries where some children receive free school meals, summer means bigger grocery bills for hard-up families. Households where both parents work have to pay for extra childcare, too. The Family and Childcare Trust, a charity, says that in Britain, where childcare costs are the highest in the OECD, a club of mostly rich countries. Parents will spend an average of 33 per child per week on childcare this summer, mainly because of the sharp shortage of governmental funding sponsor.

1. What is the purpose of the summer programme?

A．To lengthen students’ school life.	B．To keep students busy all the time.
C．To provide students with free meals.	D．To enrich students’ summer holidays.

2. What does the underlined word “stretched” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Rich.

B．Tight.

C．Reasonable.

D．Affordable.

3. Which statement does Matthew Boulay probably agree with?

A．Badly-off parents are likely to give up sponsoring their kids.

B．Well-off parents are unwilling to offer their kids extra tutors.

C．Students from poor family can well deal with the peer pressure.

D．Students from rich family can strengthen their learned knowledge.

4. Why must British parents pay for the childcare in summer holiday?

A．Because of insufficiency of free tutors.	B．Because of shortage of social sponsor.
C．Because of shortage of free school meals.	D．Because of lack of governmental support.

10 . Authors are upset after tech companies started using their books to train artificial intelligence without letting them know or seeking their permission. They worry about copyright and loss of income, among other issues.

According to CNN, the system is called Books3, and according to an investigation by The Atlantic, the system is based on a collection of pirated (盗版的) e-books including all genres, from fiction to poetry. Books help generative AI systems with learning how to communicate information.

The Atlantic article notes that some of the text that’s training AI on how to use language is taken from Wikipedia and other websites. But high-quality generative AI requires higher-quality input than what is usually found on the internet — that is, it requires the kind found in books.

Many authors apparently don’t view the use of their books to train artificial intelligence as an honor. Rather, it’s a shortcut that robs them of their due, they say. CNN reported that Nora Roberts, who writes romantic novels, has 206 books in the database — “second only to William Shakespeare.” “The database is all kinds of wrong. We are human beings, we are writers and we are being exploited by people who want to use our work, without permission or compensation (赔偿金), to ‘write’ books, scripts, essays because it’s cheap and easy, ” she said in a statement to CNN.

Not everyone is upset, however, by use of their work to train AI. Ian Bogost, author of some popular books, wrote a column for The Atlantic. Bogost claims that successful art is beyond its creator’s plans, noting that an author cannot accurately predict a book’s audience. “To complain this unexpected use for my writing is to decline all of the other unpredictable uses for it. Speaking as a writer, that makes me feel bad.”

1. What contributes to some authors’ dissatisfaction with Books3?

A．It is unable to train AI.

B．It uses their works illegally.

C．It fails to improve their income.

D．It sells books without permission.

2. What is mainly presented in paragraph 3 concerning Books3?

A．The reason it was created.

B．The high quality it possesses.

C．The benefit it has brought.

D．The bond it has with Wikipedia.

3. What does the underlined word “exploited” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Made fun of.	B．Caught up with.
C．Taken advantage of.	D．Looked down upon.

4. Which statement would Ian Bogost probably agree with?

A．It’s necessary to predict a book’s audience.

B．Being involved in Books3 is hardly an honor.

C．Good art should be limited to creators’ plans.

D．It’s acceptable for books to be used to train AI.