A Beijing “silent” coffee shop is a big hit lighting up the life of hearing impaired (障碍的) youth. The café
Customers
Citywalk is a new travel trend for youngsters to explore different cultural spots. Gather together a couple of good friends and take a walk through the streets — this is
In China, the Citywalk trend is spreading from the first-tier cities like Beijing and Shanghai
3 . If a scientist’s first language is not English, would it be truly difficult to publish an article in an international journal? Recent study looked at tons of scientific journals in the field of biology and found that they don’t do much to help scientists who are not native English speakers. The study found most of these journals judge articles based on how well they are written in English. This can be a problem for scientists who are not fluent in English because they have to work harder to make sure their papers can be published in international journals.
“The role of journals is huge because they can be a source of language barriers (障碍), but they also have the ability to solve many of the barriers,” says Tatsuya Amano, a biodiversity researcher. He added that though some journals have started to offer tools to help scientists whose first language is not English, such examples are still rare.”
Another study by Amano found that non-native English speakers are more likely to have their papers rejected because of writing issues compared to native English speakers. This shows that the language unfairness in journals can have serious consequences for scientists who are not native English speakers.
So apart from waiting for the journals, what can non-native scientists do? One solution is to work with other scientists from English-speaking countries. They can help to check the writing skillfully to double the possibility of being published by the international journal.
1. What do most international journals judge articles based on?| A．The nationality of the author. | B．The influence of the scientists. |
| C．The fluency of English writing. | D．The quality of the research result. |
| A．Published. | B．Praised. | C．Refused. | D．Recognized. |
| A．Work with native English scientists. | B．Ask publishers for help to check errors. |
| C．Improve English before writing a paper. | D．Practice reading and writing in daily life. |
| A．A Success in the Field of Biology Study |
| B．Scientists Unfairly Treated by Language Issues |
| C．The Advantages of Publishing Papers in English |
| D．Scientists’ Growing Interest in Learning a Language |
4 . Artificial intelligence (AI) tools designed to operate at human levels have greatly expanded in popularity over the past year. These include OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Bard and Microsoft’s AI-powered search engine Bing. Such tools, also known as chatbots or generative AI, are computer-powered systems. They are designed to interact smoothly with humans and perform high-level writing and creative work.
In recent months, these tools have demonstrated an ability to produce high-quality work. This has led some technology experts to warn that generative AI systems could end up replacing workers in many industries.
This year, researchers at Harvard Business School and other organizations carried out an experiment. It aimed to test how well AI tools could help workers perform their usual duties or tasks. It involved more than 700 business advisors, called consultants, from Massachusetts-based Boston Consulting Group.
Harvard Business School recently published the results from the experiment in a working paper. The main findings suggest that AI tools like ChatGPT can greatly improve worker performance. For example, researchers found that, on average, workers who used OpenAI’s latest ChatGPT 4 tool completed 12 percent more tasks than non-ChatGPT users. Tasks carried out with help from the AI technology were completed 25 percent faster. And the team found the quality of work performed by consultants using ChatGPT 4 increased by about 40 percent.
However, the paper also noted areas where the performance of consultants using ChatGPT 4 dropped. The researchers said this was especially true with tasks the AI tool was not good at completing. “Of tasks the AI was good at, the experiment showed it significantly improved human performance,” the paper said. “But for tasks ChatGPT 4 was not right for, humans relied too much on the AI and were more likely to make mistakes.”
The team suggests one of the biggest barriers to companies effectively using AI is not knowing which tasks can be completed best with the technology. Finding this out will require businesses to carry out thoughtful research and training efforts in order to find the right mix of AI and human-level work.
1. What is a purpose of designing AI tools according to the text?| A．To perform low-level writing. | B．To replace technology experts. |
| C．To finish high-quality work. | D．To improve interpersonal communication. |
| A．To explain the disadvantages of AI tools. |
| B．To show how well AI tools could help workers. |
| C．To forecast changes in the future working environment. |
| D．To compare the work performance between humans and AI tools. |
| A．Companies need to balance the work of AI and humans. |
| B．It is useless to train so many workers to learn to use AI. |
| C．It is easy to find the right mix of AI and human-level work. |
| D．Research on using AI effectively has been made by businesses. |
| A．ChatGPT Can See, Hear and Speak Now |
| B．Ways to Improve Your Performance at Work |
| C．The Fast Development of Artificial Intelligence |
| D．AI Tools Help but also Harm Worker Performance |
5 . Asia has long tradition of tea-drinking. And China is no
However, lately more and more Chinese people are turning to a different drink. Coffee has become a/an
Many young Chinese people drink coffee
Yang Lin says she was a tea drinker when she was back in China. But she likes coffee and tea
| A．business | B．exception | C．attitude | D．custom |
| A．fundamentally | B．severely | C．thoroughly | D．increasingly |
| A．huge | B．ancient | C．remote | D．initial |
| A．cities | B．companies | C．shops | D．foreigners |
| A．producing | B．earning | C．operating | D．strengthening |
| A．optimistically | B．passively | C．elegantly | D．socially |
| A．famous | B．appropriate | C．ambitious | D．beneficial |
| A．seldom | B．only | C．often | D．never |
| A．completely | B．gradually | C．equally | D．eventually |
| A．memories | B．values | C．concepts | D．traditions |
| A．work | B．gather | C．cook | D．participate |
| A．even | B．still | C．somewhat | D．hardly |
| A．rare | B．tough | C．brilliant | D．warm |
| A．Above all | B．In summary | C．On average | D．On the whole |
| A．decreasing | B．growing | C．casting | D．engaging |
6 . “The new normal” is one of those phrases that can accurately apply to a wide variety of life situations, including a medical diagnosis, death or change in life and work. The phrase implies both the newness of each of those circumstances, as well as the necessity that they will need to be normalized, integrated into the reality of our daily lives. Once we’ve settled into new routines and emotional patterns, our “normal” won’t be quite so new anymore, will it? The question is a subject of debate.
There is a large middle ground between the event that increases the need for “the new normal” and its final acceptance. Some people think it can’t handle tragedies. But the phrase keeps coming up in conversation, and it has made me realize that“normal”is the last word I would use to describe the fragile place I currently occupy. I find myself there as I mourn the loss of my grandfather, who died in September. For example, the new normal is to have Thanksgiving without Grandfather, then to remember him on what would have been his 75th birthday just a few days later. In other words, during this year of firsts, the new normal is a time of transition, not of arrival.
It strikes me that this is something to be celebrated, not worried over. Part of living positively is meeting ourselves wherever we are. And as I continue to navigate this in-between time, this period of slowly accepting my father’s absence from the Earth, I recognize that each step along the way is a worthwhile part of a healthy grieving process.
The same idea would apply to more positive changes, like a new home or job, as well as the challenges of the end of a relationship or a difficult medical reality. The new normal isn’t something any of us step into all at once. It’s something we become, move toward, and, eventually, accept. Let’s not be in a rush to reach that destination. The journey has much to teach us.
1. Which occasion should “the new normal” be applied to?| A．A person’s illness outbreak. | B．A person’s routine working. |
| C．A person’s constantly normal life. | D．A person’s annual birthday celebration. |
| A．The fear of it. | B．The attitude to it. |
| C．The reason for accepting it. | D．The difficulty in describing it. |
| A．Forget the dead. | B．Live optimistically. |
| C．Treasure the process over the result. | D．Mourn over a family member’s absence. |
| A．To tell us to value our past challenges. | B．To tell us some meaningful life stories. |
| C．To teach us how to handle our tragedies. | D．To teach us how to cope with life changes. |
7 . When Gayle Macdonald reached the summit (顶峰) in Spain’s Sierra Nevada mountain range earlier this year, she didn’t just stop and take in the moment. Instead, she did what a great many people would do—she looked for the best spot to take a selfie (自拍) for her social media accounts. Gayle even admitted that she moved dangerously close to the edge while doing so. It was after that moment that she decided to quit social media.
“I was like ‘this has got to stop,’ ” recalls Gayle. “Taking a photo used to be the first thing I thought about when I got out of the car. Thinking all the time about creating content and worrying about what to say, were taking up too much head space and getting me down.”
Social media can be addictive for many reasons, the main one being that it is a form of escapism, especially for the younger generation. It’s simply a way of connecting without connection, and it’s a 24/7 comfort blanket of company for many. For many of us, most of our time is spent on social media. One global study found that the average person spends 2 hours and 29 minutes per day on such apps and websites. While some people might think that this is a bad habit that they should cut down on, for others it’s an actual addiction that they need help to overcome.
Hilda Burke, a psychotherapist (心理治疗师), says there’s now more widespread awareness about how much time people are spending on social media. “This is now easily to figure up, as most phones show you the breakdown of how you’re spending your time online,” she says. “Seeing how it all adds up can serve as a powerful wake-up call.” She advises that people quitting social media should let all their friends know, so they don’t continue to try to contact you via the sites.
Burke welcomes the fact that more people are quitting social media. It’s likely that we’re eventually starting to realize the damage it can cause to our relationships, mental health and our experience of real-world moments.
1. How does the author introduce the topic of the text?| A．By providing research results. | B．By describing a process. |
| C．By making a comparison. | D．By giving an example. |
| A．Energy-consuming. | B．Fashionable. | C．Inspiring. | D．Eye-catching. |
| A．In paragraph 2. | B．In paragraph 3. | C．In paragraph 4. | D．In paragraph 5. |
| A．Teenagers Are Addicted To Social Media |
| B．People Quit Using Social Media To Post Selfies |
| C．There Is Really More To Life Than Posting Selfies |
| D．Social Media Affects Physical And Mental Health |
8 . It happens in every disaster (灾难): For those in need, people often donate (捐赠) things that turn out to be more of a trouble.
Juanita Rilling remembers it happened in 1988 when she was a disaster expert trying to help people suffering from a hurricane (飓风) in Honduras. “One morning I received a call from one of our logistic operators (物流运营商), and he explained to me that there was a plane carrying medical supplies that needed to land,” says Rilling. “But the ground was full, with lots of donations that no one had required. The plane—full of needed supplies—had to find someplace else to go. And it ended up stopping everyone’s plans by about 48 hours, which is important time in a disaster.”
Rilling now runs the Center for International Disaster Information, which is trying to make sure things like that don’t happen again. So when Superstorm Sandy hit, Rilling’s group started a project to encourage money donation. “Even a small donation can make a big difference and can quickly become exactly what people affected by a disaster need most,” Rilling says. But despite this, donators do that over and over. About 60% of the things donated after a disaster couldn’t be used. Often it’s old clothing or food.
Meghan Hara, who deals with kind donations for the American Red Cross, says she knows that some people are careful with giving money. And she doesn’t think that the need to give something concrete (实物) should be completely stopped.
“Part of what people are doing is that they’re helping, and they’re trying to help. What we need to work out is how to effectively deal with that,” Hara says.
1. What caused needed supplies to be put off after the hurricane in 1988?| A．Workers on the plane. | B．A weather report. |
| C．Useless donations on the ground. | D．The call from the operator. |
| A．Clothing. | B．Money. | C．Medicine. | D．Food. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Doubtful. | C．Uncaring. | D．Worried. |
| A．Studies on natural disasters. |
| B．The benefits of helping others. |
| C．Tips on choosing useful donations. |
| D．The ways of managing people’s donations. |
9 . If you are a psychology enthusiast, you have probably heard of the famous marshmallow test (棉花糖测试). In this task, kids are given a marshmallow, and are told that they can eat that marshmallow now, or they can wait a little while, and have two marshmallows instead. Some kids eat the marshmallow immediately, while others try their best to wait for the experimenter to come back with two marshmallows.
Wait time in the marshmallow test came to be seen as indicators of self-control. But is it really the case? A 2022 study by Yanaoka and his colleagues tested the idea that children may decide how long to wait for rewards based on what they are used to waiting for in their culture. In the United States, there is no widespread custom of waiting until everyone is served to eat your food. However, in Japan, there is a mealtime custom of waiting until everyone has been served before anyone starts to eat.
Because of this difference, the researchers hypothesized that Japanese children would wait longer in the marshmallow test than the American children. This is exactly what they found. This certainly suggests that cultural standards are important. The researchers did a clever follow-up experiment. They found one situation where children in the U. S. are used to waiting longer than Japanese children are: unwrapping presents. In the U. S., when children are given gifts on special occasions such Christmas, they usually have to wait before they can unwrap their presents. In Japan, however, children usually open presents immediately.
Given these cultural differences, Yanaoka and his colleagues expected that if they ran the marshmallow test with Japanese and American kids, but they replaced marshmallows with wrapped gifts, then American kids would wait longer to open them. Once again, their theory was correct. When the potential rewards were wrapped gifts instead of food, American children waited 15 minutes on average, and Japanese children waited about four minutes on average.
1. What do we know about marshmallow test?| A．Its design is perfect. | B．It only tests a kid’s self-control. |
| C．Its results might be misunderstood. | D．It is famous among kids and parents. |
| A．By listing varied gift-giving customs. | B．By contradicting existing concepts. |
| C．By summarizing previous theories. | D．By examining newly-made guesses. |
| A．Expected. | B．Designed. | C．Assumed. | D．Assured. |
| A．children’s age | B．cultural custom | C．self-confidence | D．self-belief |
10 . A new trend called “praise groups” or “in-need-of-praise” chat groups has become popular on Chinese social media. In Chinese culture, where modesty (谦逊) is valued, openly seeking and giving praise is uncommon. These chat groups provide a platform for people to receive compliments (赞扬) and encouragement, which are often lacking in their daily lives.
To join a praise group, users can pay a fee on e-commerce sites, starting at 50 yuan for five minutes of compliments. The group members will then show the person with praises and kind words. The compliments can be designed for a friend or loved one as well. Participants have found that being praised by strangers can help lift their spirits and improve their self-confidence.
For example, Meng Zha, a student at Shanghai’s Tongji University, tried the service and found it amusing and uplifting. She received compliments on her appearance and even quotes (引用) from popular songs. Ms Meng couldn’t help but laugh at the compliments and expressed her desire to post such high-quality praises in the future.
Praise groups have appeared as a way for people in China to seek and receive compliments and encouragement that may be lacking in their daily lives. It provides a positive and uplifting experience for participants, improving a sense of happiness and self-worth.
Those who support the groups, see them as an antidote to extremely bad moods (情绪) which are often associated with things happening on the Internet. “At first, the purpose of this group is to make us learn to praise others and accept others’ praises confidently. Here we can drop everything, and use our heart to praise and support others,” one member said. But the life journey is long and there are some unexpected situations that we can only count on ourselves to face when there is no one out there to offer help.
1. What is the purpose of praise groups?| A．To make praise popular. | B．To have everyone supported. |
| C．To share common interests. | D．To give people hope and happiness. |
| A．She was not strong enough. | B．She was under working stress. |
| C．She was satisfied with the service. | D．She was a gifted singer in her area. |
| A．A way of making new friends. | B．A kind of medicine. |
| C．A method of being confident. | D．The wisdom of solving problems. |
| A．Objective. | B．Critical. | C．Supportive. | D．Unclear. |
