1 . Rap music has long been the poster child for negativity in society for a number of decades. It has been criticized (批评) in the media and seen by a good number of people as a bad influence on citizens in general. The lyrics might have something to blame in this regard as they often seemingly celebrate violence as well as drugs and alcohol. The reality is that rap music is greatly misunderstood. In spite of the negativity that often surrounds it, however, rap music can have a positive influence on listeners.

One of these positive effects is that it has been used as a great unifier of diverse populations around the world. It started as a subculture among African American communities in America but it is now a phenomenon of global culture. As a matter of fact, it isn't only limited to African American communities, as non black communities make up seventy five percent of the global rap audience. Its infectious rhythms, catchy beats, and relatable lyrics hold universal attraction that goes beyond cultural and language barriers.

Rap has also been vital in promoting social and political awareness among the youth of today. Rap music educates people from different points of views and raises many social issues. Rap is channel (渠道) for people to speak freely about their view on political or social issues and by doing so, it encourages teenagers to become concerned and aware of these issues. A few of them that rap has created awareness in are racial discrimination (歧视), the importance of education and believing in your dreams.

Rap music is entertainment (娱乐) and should not be treated any differently than any other form of entertainment out there. If critics of rap music still believe that rap only sends negative messages, they should listen closer. The bottom line is that all rap music is not degenerate (堕落的) and consideration should be taken when analysing the message that the music is presenting

1. Why is rap music often connected with negativity?

A．It has long been the poster child for negativity.

B．It has shown a bad influence on citizens in general.

C．It seems to celebrate violence as well as drugs and alcohol.

D．It started as a subculture among African American communities.

2. What helps rap music gain great popularity around the globe?

A．Its positive influence on listeners around the world.

B．Its engaging music elements like rhythms, lyrics and beats.

C．Its continuous promotion of social and political awareness.

D．Its African American culture that fascinates non black communities.

3. How does rap encourage teenagers to become more aware of social issues?

A．By making social issues more entertaining.

B．By providing a platform to voice their opinions

C．By stressing the importance of education and dreams.

D．By drawing teenagers’ attention to racial discrimination.

4. What can be inferred about rap music in the last paragraph?

A．Rap music is now unfairly treated.

B．Rap music is suitable for everyone.

C．Rap music is difficult to understand.

D．Rap music is simply for entertainment.

2 . Does your teenager seem addicted to the Internet? Probably yes.     1     At first, parents welcome the Internet into their homes, believing they are opening up an exciting new world of educational chances for their children.     2     Instead of using the Internet for homework or research, they are spending hours messaging with friends, playing online games or talking to strangers in chat rooms.

Keeping a healthy balance between entertainment media and other activities in their children’s lives has always been a challenge for parents. The Internet has made this challenge even more difficult.     3    

However, parents are usually not aware that there is a problem until it becomes serious. This is because it is easy to hide what you are doing online and Internet addiction is not widely recognized by the medical community.

Children and young people can easily become hooked on online activities such as multi-player games, instant messaging and chat rooms. The most vulnerable children are those who are unpopular or shy with peers.     4     Boys, in particular, are frequent users of online role-playing games, where they assume new identities and interact with other players. For the children who are not so outgoing, playing these games with thousands of other users may apparently be a social activity.     5    . So parents need to help children limit the online time to an appropriate amount.

A．That is especially obvious when it comes to online social games.

B．In fact, playing too much can further keep them away from friends and peers.

C．The amount of time teenagers spend online is a source of concern for many parents.

D．But numerous parents don’t discover this worrying situation and ignore it naturally.

E．However, many parents soon realize that their kids were gradually becoming Internet addicts.

F．The engaging nature of the Internet makes many children lose track of time when they’re online.

G．They can be easily attracted to the opportunities for creating new identities in online communities.

3 . Fat-shaming comments and weight-loss advice from classmates and relatives have been a constant in my life for years. One vivid memory is from ninth grade when a friend embarrassed my sister in the cinema by calling her “fat”. In university, this pattern continued with my uncle’s frequent questioning about my diet and progress in losing weight.

As a former therapist, I guided clients on body image and coping with hurtful comments, advising them to set boundaries with well-meaning but critical relatives. As for myself, I've always had to avoid questions about my body, while recognizing the natural curiosity that arises when we notice our friends’ bodies experiencing noticeable changes. It's human nature to compare ourselves to our peers.

With more weight-related ads all over bus shelters, TV and your social media feed, it's hard not to feel the impact. But is commenting on others' weight loss ever appropriate?

However well-intentioned, remarks about weight loss can be quite hurtful, says clinical psychologist Elizabeth Fedrick. Even if curiosity gets the better of you, it’s not necessary or acceptable to mention a friend’s weight gain or loss.

“We often think we’re being supportive, but in reality, saying ‘You lost weight — you look great’ actually implies that they didn’t before, or that they need to be a certain weight to look great,” says Fedrick. Such remarks can be uncomfortable and fatphobic.

Fatphobia extends beyond harmful comments; it’s also present in subtle clothing suggestions and judgments over dessert. This prejudice links our sense of self-worth closely to thinness, falsely associating it with health. To address this issue, we must value all bodies, reject food-shaming, and promote body positivity by accepting ourselves at any weight or size.

“Praise for appearance changes isn’t always welcome,” says Fedrick, “Instead, showing understanding and asking open questions”. She cautions against assuming weight loss equals good health, as it can sometimes indicate health issues or disordered eating. Fedrick says focusing on a person’s character or appearance isn’t effective support; rather, caring about their well-being as a whole person is key.

1. Why does the writer mention his uncle in Paragraph 1?

A．To introduce his uncle to readers.

B．To share his vivid memory about his uncle.

C．To show his relatives’ concern for his weight.

D．To make a comparison between classmates and relatives.

2. Which of the following is an example of Fatphobia?

A．You are pretty just to be yourself.

B．You look great in whatever clothes.

C．I think you’d better not order that cake.

D．I’m glad you’re making health a priority.

3. What does Fedrick think people should focus on according to the last paragraph?

A．A person’s diet.	B．A person’s well-being.
C．A person’s characters.	D．A person’s weight loss.

4. What is mainly discussed in the passage?

A．The challenges of weight loss.	B．The importance of body positivity.
C．The impact of media on body image.	D．The harm of weight-related comments.

4 . Over recent years, AI has become accessible to everyone, significantly making our lives easier compared to before. However, there are risks as well as benefits.     1    

Be critical (批判性). AI can do amazing things, like create images or write stories, but it does not reflect on what it is writing. It will put text together in a way that makes sense but often cannot read “between the lines”.     2    You can use this as an opportunity to develop critical thinking skills.

Watch out for chatbots. Chatbots are designed to simulate (模拟) conversations as if they were another human being. But there may not be any human checks on improper content. Don’t forget that the “person”you’re speaking to is actually a machine, not a human.     3    It only shows language based on pre-written models and rules.

    4    With all the focus on AI text, you might not notice that pictures and videos are also part of the AI. Your photos and facial image become available to AI when uploaded, which makes it harder to protect your identity. So be careful about your privacy and always remember that any data you upload to the internet can be stored, scanned and processed by AI.

However, the developments in this field are highly exciting. And with open policy conversations and some oversight, AI can be a powerful learning and engagement tool. -     5    

A．Understand AI’s limitations.

B．Pay attention to visual uploads.

C．It does not share your ideals, beliefs, culture or religion.

D．If left unaccompanied, chatbots could feed into your curiosity.

E．Here are three things you can keep in mind as you use AI in everyday life.

F．This means every word, sentence that AI creates should be treated carefully.

G．The potential benefits that could arise from using this technology are endless.

7 . If you’ve scrolled through your Facebook feed recently, you may have noticed something surprising: lots and lots of short videos.

What makes this “Reels” feature strange is that it is hugely addictive, which I know quite well from my own personal experience. Last Friday, I took a break and hit on one short clip of someone making dinner and, well, the next time I looked up it was 20 minutes later and the blank document on my computer monitor was confirming to me that my work was still not done.

However, as silly as it seems, Reels-is actually super important, and is at the centre of a major battle between the world’s largest tech firms. The format (格式) was first pioneered by TikTok-the Chinese-owned video app that has taken the world by storm since it launched in 2016. Today, TikTok has around 23 million UK users every month-including basically every person you know under the age of 25. And that fact has made Facebook and its parent company, Meta, very nervous indeed. As TikTok has continued to boom, Facebook has actually fallen in popularity among “Gen Z”. The reason Tik Tok has proven such a powerful challenger to Facebook’s social media dominance is almost entirely down to these sorts of short-form videos.

The format is almost perfectly optimised to be as addictive as possible: Tik Tok’s app shows you a short-form video, and if you don’t like it, you can simply swipe it away and another one will start playing instantly. And because it is portrait, not landscape, videos look “right” when viewed on your phone. What’s also smart is that TikTok’s algorithm (算法) picks videos for you based on what you actually watch, and not what you say you want.

Facebook isn’t the only app trying to do what TikTok does so well. Instagram, which is owned by Facebook’s parent company Meta, has integrated Reels even more aggressively into its app. And even Google is nervous, launching its own TikTok-style video section of YouTube(which it owns)a couple of years ago. As things stand, though TikTok currently maintains a healthy lead in the category, both YouTube and Facebook have deep pockets-so expect to see even more Reels and Shorts popping up in your feed as this intense battle continues to rage. You won’t be able to take your eyes off them.

1. Why did the author mention his own experience in paragraph 2?

A．To illustrate the feature of short videos.

B．To stress the importance of short videos.

C．To prove his preference to short videos.

D．To introduce the functions of short videos.

2. What do we know about TikTok according to the passage?

A．It has shown the trend of the fall in popularity among “Gen Z”.

B．It is perceived as a potential threat to Facebook’s social media dominance.

C．Its number of registered UK users has reached 23 million since it launched in 2016.

D．It underestimates the essential role of short videos in competition with large tech firms.

3. What makes the short videos on TikTok App so popular?

A．The beautiful visual effects.

B．The high video quality.

C．The random recommendation.

D．The quick switch between videos.

4. What is the message conveyed in the last paragraph?

A．The short videos have a profound impact on our daily life.

B．TikTok seems to be losing its advantage over short videos in the short run.

C．YouTube and Facebook may encounter financial difficulties in developing Shorts.

D．A growing number of tech firms have engaged in fierce competition for the short video market.

8 . Students have submitted more than 22 million papers that may have used generative AI in the past year, new data provided by plagiarism (剽窃) detection company Turnitin shows.

A year ago, Turnitin introduced an AI writing detection tool that was trained on its database of papers written by students as well as other AI-generated texts. Turnitin found that 11 percent of the submissions may contain AI-written language in 20 percent of its content, with 3 percent of the total papers reviewed having 80 percent or more AI writing.

ChatGPT’s launch was met with fears that the English class essay would die. The chatbot can process information near-instantly — but that doesn’t mean it always gets it right. Generative   AI has been known to create its own facts and cite academic references that don’t actually exist.Generative AI chatbots have also been caught producing discriminatory (歧视性的) text on gender and race. Despite those disadvantages, students have used chatbots for research, and organizing ideas. Traces of chatbots have even been found in published academic writing.

Detecting the use of generative AI is tricky. It’s not as easy as marking plagiarism, because generated text is still original text. Plus, there’s a slight difference to how students use generative   AI; some may ask chatbots to write their papers for them in large parts or in full, while others may use the tools as an aid or a brainstorm partner.

Detection tools themselves have a risk of discrimination. English language learners may be more likely to set them off; a 2023 study found a 61.3 percent false positive rate when evaluating Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exams with seven different AI   detectors.

“This is hard. I understand why people want a tool,” says Emily Isaacs, executive director of the Office of Faculty Excellence at Montclair State. But Isaacs says the university is concerned about potentially discriminatory results from AI detectors, as well as the fact that the tools can’t provide confirmation the way they can with plagiarism.

1. What did Turnitin find?

A．All submitted papers were written by generative AI.

B．AI wrote 80% of the content of the papers they had collected.

C．AI could only be used to improve language instead of content of papers.

D．AI may have created one fifth of the content among 11% of the submitted papers.

2. What can we learn about generative AI?

A．It sometimes produces discriminatory content.

B．It will surely lead to the death of English class essays.

C．It’s getting popular for its accuracy and quick response.

D．It has been officially accepted in published academic writing.

3. What do Paragraphs 4-5 mainly focus on?

A．The ways to detect plagiarism in paper writing.

B．The challenges of using plagiarism detection tools.

C．The differences between plagiarism and original writing.

D．The advantages of applying AI detectors to fighting plagiarism.

4. How does Emily Isaacs respond to the use of detection tools?

A．She supports it.	B．She’s against it.
C．She doesn’t care.	D．She’s cautious.

10 . Over the years, April Fools’ Day has become larger than life. While it may be seen as just a bit of fun, there is more to jokes and humour than may be obvious, begging the question: are the jokes on the 1st of April a good or a bad idea?

Every year, individuals and newspapers present jokes on the 1st of April that may be funny, yet sometimes causing an unexpected upheaval. One radio announcement made in 1949, that a mile-wide swarm of wasps (一群黄蜂) was heading for Auckland, was taken a bit too seriously. The news even came with advice on how to prepare for the incoming insects, resulting in all residents walking outdoors tucking (塞) their trousers into their socks, wearing masks (面罩) as well as setting honey traps outside their doors.

What makes things funny? This is a million-dollar question and one that’s not easily answered. First, it’s influenced by the context, the culture, and personal opinions, meaning that it’s not consistent (一致的) across populations. Besides, if a joke is violating (违反) a norm or rule, it’s more likely to be regarded as funny. Such violations need to be harmless, as they can otherwise be considered unpleasant. In terms of personal experience, serious events may be considered funnier over time, while stubbing (踩) a toe, considered a small violation, would lose its comedic effect over time. Interestingly, people, children, in particular, have been found to be more likely to laugh when they are near others compared to when alone.

Jokes may not seem serious but can actually serve social functions like managing emotions and also be used to deal with matters in work. For example, studies have found that there is a meaningful function of humour in healthcare settings, as it strengthens the connection between medical staffs and patients as well as relieves stressful situations linked to end-of-life care among nursing professionals.

However, it’s suggested that jokes be used cautiously. For example, David Letterman gained reputation (名声) for an interview he had done with Lindsay Lohan in 2013, when the audience had laughed loudly at his repeated questions about her going to receive treatment. However, 8 years later, his comments were seen as offensive (冒犯的). So it’s important to ensure that any violations made are not significant enough to damage your future fame.

1. What does the underlined word “upheaval” probably mean in paragraph 2?

A．Upset.

B．Fun.

C．Annoyance.

D．Popularity.

2. What can we learn about jokes from the passage?

A．People’s opinion of jokes differs.	B．Jokes remain humorous all the time.
C．Jokes can strengthen our connection.	D．Children are more likely to laugh than adults.

3. How does the author mainly share her understanding of jokes with us?

A．By listing figures.	B．By making comparisons.
C．By giving examples.	D．By answering questions.

4. What’s the purpose of the text?

A．To tell us the function of jokes.	B．To provide information about jokes.
C．To help make up funny jokes.	D．To propose telling jokes carefully.