1 . Recently my friend invited me to her residential hall, which is an African-American themed hall. They have lots of meetings and outings there. So I thought it would be fun. On this particular day they were having a pancake breakfast, just a time to mix. I was excited to be there, too.
I walked in at a time when the mini-party was at its peak. I found my friend; excitedly, we hugged and she led me to a seat in the back. We sat there for some time. I sensed some sort of discrimination. I wondered, were we just isolating ourselves or were we facing discrimination?
My friend’s breakfast came in first, and it was a plate full of colors. My mouth watered. I have always liked rainbow dishes: they make me hungry. She let me pick pancakes and fruit; we ate and only then began to talk.
The black American contemporary music was extremely loud. Some boys and girls were beating the tables and some guys on the stage were dancing in what looked like a kind of competition.
We talked about various subjects: hair, boys, shoes and books. And then we got to it. “What do African Americans think of Africans?”
We argued. I told her I thought African Americans were haughty. Why did they sideline us? When we met in a narrow passage and our eyes met, they quickly looked aside before we greeted. Why? Weren’t we all black? I mean, wasn’t this exactly the reason why there was an African-American themed house to begin with?
Did they look down upon us because they grew up in America and we in Sub-Saharan Africa? Oh yes, I felt this was it! They believed that we were HIV-positive and that the giraffes were right behind our huts.
My friend uttered, “No!” And then she continued：
“I also thought so at one point but after living with these guys, I got to a different conclusion altogether. These guys are not from Africa. They were not born there and may have never been there. We can’t expect them to naturally like us or bond. We are different. Skin color is the skin color.”
1. It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that the author ________.| A．is an African American | B．is an American African |
| C．was late for the party | D．was crazy about parties |
| A．Delicious. | B．Just so-so. | C．A bit salty. | D．A little sweet. |
| A．They had a good time at the party. | B．They turned down the music for me. |
| C．Some of them broke the tables. | D．They had a competition at the party. |
| A．kind-hearted | B．modest | C．fashionable | D．proud |
| A．The author was brought up in Sub-Saharan Africa. |
| B．The friend had the same idea as the author before. |
| C．The African Americans are born in America. |
| D．The African Americans have nothing in common with Africans. |
2 . Online, English has become a common language for users from around the world. In the process, the language itself is changing. There are now thought to be some 4.5 billion web pages worldwide. Some language experts predict that within 10 years English will occupy the Internet — but in forms will be very different to what we accept and recognize as English today.
That’s because people who speak English as a second language already outnumber native speakers. And increasingly, they use it to communicate with other non-native speakers, particularly on the Internet where less attention is paid to grammar and spelling and users don’t have to worry about their accent (口音).
Users of Facebook already socialize in a number of different “Englishes” including Indian English, Spanish English and Korean English. While these different styles have long existed within their cultures, they’re now expanding and coming online. Technology companies are introducing newly-developed English words with products aimed at enabling users to add words that are not in the English dictionary. And most large companies have English websites, while smaller businesses are learning that they need a common language — English — to reach global customers.
The increasing popularity of the Internet allows more languages to develop quickly.
“Most people actually speak several languages — it’s less common to only speak one,” says Mr. Munro. “English has taken its place as the world's common language, but it’s not pushing out other languages.” Instead, other languages are pushing their way into English, and in the process creating something new.
1. What does the text mainly talk about?| A．English is a common language around the world. |
| B．There are now many different language styles. |
| C．English is developing with the Internet. |
| D．Smaller businesses are learning a common language. |
| A．People need to spell exactly. |
| B．Grammar is not so important. |
| C．People need to pay attention to their accent. |
| D．Most English speakers are native speakers. |
| A．We can only communicate online in English. |
| B．It's impossible to find all the English words in the dictionary. |
| C．Some technology companies start to publish English dictionaries. |
| D．Smaller businesses are not allowed to have English websites. |
| A．The other languages are enriching English. |
| B．One can’t live well without speaking several languages. |
| C．English will become the only language in the world. |
| D．Chinese used to be the world's common language. |
3 . I’ve spent much of my life dealing with written and spoken words. Now I’m a technologist making use of natural language processing for human good. Given that I work in artificial intelligence (AI), I’m realizing something dangerous happening. Machines are ruining the way we communicate.
AI voices are normalized and yet cold, no matter which accent (口音) you set your Siri or Amazon Alexa into. It’s difficult to normalize language to be inoffensive because sometimes we do make people feel uncomfortable or even make them annoyed. Yet this is exactly what we’re asking artificial intelligence to do for us on a billion - person scale. Once these rules are carried out by machines, they’re unavoidable and create much bigger issues.
We notice that there is an active desire to only include standardized language in AI - powered tools in an attempt to avoid including potentially harmful or offensive language. And these AI-powered tools are exactly what we use to complete our thoughts almost at any given time. They are everywhere — in our emails, word processors, and web pages. The machines are pushing us into a common tongue, and we accept it as a matter of convenience. But what’s the cost? We’re trading uniqueness and accuracy for convenience. We’re also handing the power of acceptable speech to machines not people.
In the real world, people don’t communicate like a Wikipedia (维基百科) article. We use tone (语气), humor and facial expressions. We can tell where people were born based on their accents and wording. Humans are truly unique, and our communication is constantly changing. So we should demand AI systems that promote individuality and uniqueness. We should demand to know how AI is developed and the data used to build it. Because we all deserve this.
1. What is the function of paragraph 1?| A．To illustrate the function of communication. |
| B．To introduce the impact of AI on language. |
| C．To share the author’s working experience. |
| D．To stress the importance of AI on language processing. |
| A．Hateful | B．Valuable | C．Harmless | D．Beneficial |
| A．AI voice should be legalized. | B．AI voice should be modernized. |
| C．AI voice should be standardized. | D．AI voice should be personalized. |
| A．Praising. | B．Humorous. | C．Concerned. | D．Objective. |
4 . In January, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook’s parent company Meta, appeared at a hearing to answer questions about how social media potentially harms children. Zuckerberg opened by saying: “The existing body of scientific work has not shown a causal link (关联) between using social media and young people having worse mental health.”
But many social scientists would disagree with that statement. In recent years, studies have started to show a causal link between teen social media use and reduced well-being. One of the most cited studies into this link focused on Facebook.
Researchers tried to discover whether the platform’s introduction across college campuses in the mid-2000s increased symptoms (症状) related to mental health problems. The answer was a clear yes, says Alexey Makarin, a coauthor of the study. “There is still a lot to be explored,” Makarin says, “but to say there is no causal evidence that social media causes mental health issues, and I definitely object to that.”
The concern and the studies come from data showing that social media use in teens aged 13 to 17 is now very common. Two-thirds of teens report using TikTok, and some 60 percent of teens report using Instagram or Snapchat, a 2022 survey found. Another survey showed that girls, on average, spend around 3. 4 hours per day on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, compared with about 2.1 hours among boys. At the same time, more teens are showing signs of depression than ever, especially girls.
As more studies show a strong link between these phenomena, researchers are starting to move their attention to possible solutions. Why does social media use seem to bring about mental health problems? Why do those effects unevenly exist among different groups, such as girls or young adults? And can the good points of social media be teased out (梳理) from the bad points to provide more targeted guidance to teens, their caregivers and policymakers?
1. Why does the author mention Zuckerberg’s words?| A．To introduce the topic. | B．To offer a piece of advice. |
| C．To present the image of a company. | D．To add background information. |
| A．It is important to network with others. | B．Social media harms teens’ mental health. |
| C．The Internet plays a key role in our daily life. | D．Messaging tools cause parents mental suffering. |
| A．34%. | B．60%. | C．67%. | D．76%. |
| A．Focus on all the Internet users. | B．Turn to teenagers’ caregivers. |
| C．Limit adults’ social media use. | D．Work out targeted solutions. |
5 . We’re getting more used to chatting to our computers and smart phones through all kinds of voice assistants.
Some think voice could soon become the main way to interact online. They believe online interaction would soon depend mainly on the spoken web.
Building the spoken web-web-to-voice and voice-to-web — is by no means an easy task. For software, to answer simple questions about the weather and play music for us is easy.
Using voice interaction makes people feel much kinder than surfing the net in the old way.
| A．Yet who can use the spoken web? |
| B．It is also possible to help teachers give lessons. |
| C．But what are the challenges of moving to the spoken web? |
| D．The voice of the assistant makes us feel like talking to a real person. |
| E．Out of these voice assistants, Siri is the most well-known spoken web. |
| F．The benefits of using voice obviously depend on the situation you are in. |
| G．However, to have a conversation with users on different kinds of topics is a long way off. |
In many urban Chinese offices, a trend (趋势) is gaining popularity among young professionals. The trend
This trend is not just about
The appeal of these fruit-bearing plants is evident on social media platforms, where thousands of these plants
7 . In many parts of the world, there are four seasons: spring, summer, fall and winter. In the U. S., there are only three: football, basketball and baseball. If you want to know what season it is, just have a look at what people are playing.
For many people in the U. S., sports are not just for fun. They’re almost a religion. Thousands of sports fans buy expensive tickets to watch their favourite teams and athletes play in person. Other fans watch the games at home. The most devoted sports buffs never miss a game. Many a wife becomes a “sports widow (寡妇)” during her husband’s favorite season.
America’s devotion to athletics has created a new class of wealthy people: professional athletes. Sports stars often receive million-dollar salaries. Some even make big money appearing in advertisements for soft drinks, shoes and even toiletries (化妆品).
Sports are an important part of Americans’ culture. Throughout their school life, Americans learn to play many sports. All students take physical education classes in school. Some try out for the school teams, while others join school sports leagues. Athletic events at universities attract scores of fans and benefit the whole community.
1. The most popular sports in America are the following EXCEPT ______.| A．ping-pong | B．American football | C．basketball | D．baseball |
| A．Athletes. | B．Fans. | C．Clubs. | D．Teams. |
| A．You can know what season it is by what people are playing in America. |
| B．All students in America join school sports leagues |
| C．For many people in the USA, sports are just for fun. |
| D．Many professional athletes have low incomes. |
| A．Sports seasons in America | B．American sports fans |
| C．Americans’ sports culture | D．Sports in America |
8 . Whenever we see a button, we are eager to press it because we know something will happen. This is true in most cases, for example on a doorbell and on the “on / off” on the TV. But some buttons are actually fake, like the “close” button on a lift.
Many people are in the habit of pressing the “close” button because they don’t have the patience to wait for the lift doors to shut. But lifts’ “close” buttons are a complete scam, at least in the US — the doors will not close any faster no matter how hard you press.
It started in the 1990s when the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in the US, making sure that all lifts stayed open long enough so that people with disabilities could enter. Only US firefighters and repairmen can use the buttons to speed up the door-closing process if they have a code or special keys.
But to normal lift riders, the buttons aren’t completely useless. According to psychologists, fake buttons can actually make you feel better by offering you a sense of control.
“Perceived (能够感知的) control is very important. It reduces stress and increase well-being,” Ellen J. Langer, a psychology professor, said, “Having a lack of control is associated with depression.”
Experts have revealed that a lot of buttons that don’t do anything exist in our lives for this same purpose. For example, many offices in the US have fake thermostats (温度调节器) because people tend to feel better when they think they can control the temperature in their workspace.
But psychologists found it interesting that even when people are aware of these little “white lies”, they still continue to push fake buttons because as long as the doors eventually close, it is considered to be worth the effort.
“That habit is here to stay,” John Kounios, a psychology professor, said, “Even though I have real doubts about the traffic light buttons, I always press them. After all, I’ve got nothing else to do while waiting. So why not press the button in the hope that this one will work.”
1. What was the author’s main purpose in writing the article?| A．To analyze the functions of fake buttons. |
| B．To describe some different kinds of fake buttons. |
| C．To explain the advantages and disadvantages of fake buttons. |
| D．To explore people’s different habits when it comes to pushing buttons. |
| A．Tool. | B．Trick. | C．Button. | D．Scan. |
| A．are fake for the convenience of disabled people |
| B．work only when people press them hard for a while |
| C．were specially designed to give people a sense of control |
| D．cannot speed up the process of closing the door in any case |
| A．should give up this habit | B．probably do so to kill time |
| C．don’t know that what they press is fake | D．consider what they do to be meaningless |
1. What’s the topic of the conversation?
| A．About health. |
| B．About smoking. |
| C．About equal rights. |
| A．Supportive. |
| B．Disapproval. |
| C．Unknown. |
| A．Smoking is bad for health. |
| B．No one has the right to smoke. |
| C．He has the right to smoke whenever he wants to. |
10 . Camera flashes cut across the softly lighted downtown Los Angeles restaurant, as the crowd at Ludo Bites jostles (推挤) for the photo-of the Columbian River king salmon duck. “This is the game we all now play, ” chef and owner Ludo Lefebvre said. “We cook, we smile-and the people, they don’t eat. They get their cameras.”
Not so long ago, diners, hungry for special meals, would pull out a point-and-shoot at a restaurant for a quick picture of sliced birthday cake.
No more. Taking a cue from Twitter and Facebook cultures, serious foodies (美食家) and casual consumers alike are using digital technology to document each bite, then sharing the pictures online.
Flickr, the photo-sharing website, has seen the number of pictures tagged as “food” jump from about half a million in 2008 to more than 6 million today, according to company officials. In the group “I Ate This” on Flickr’s site, nearly 20,000 people have uploaded more than 307,000 images of their latest meals.
Camera manufacturers are joining the trend, selling cameras that offer “food” settings, which adjust to enhance colors and textures (质地) on close-ups.
“I am sharing my experiences with my friends,” said Hong Pham, 33, a Los Angeles radiologist who runs the food blog Ravenous Couple. “Why shouldn’t I share what inspires me?”
But what is documentary fun for people such as Pham is souring the gastronomic (烹饪的) set.
Managers regularly face diners demanding to be moved away from camera flashes and sounds. Waiters find themselves tongue-tied as customers take out voice recorders to capture a recitation of each course. Some chefs have had enough.
Chef Grant Achatz allows only no-flash photography in his restaurant. He, like many other chefs, finds himself torn between being flattered by the public’s enthusiasm and annoyed with the effect the picture-taking is having on the restaurant’s operation.
Some consumers now believe food should be consumed visually as well as physically. “What happened to the enjoyment of just eating the food?” said Andrew Knowlton, the restaurant editor for Bon Appetite magazine. “People are losing sight of why you go out.”
1. Who is the most supportive of taking pictures of food in restaurants?| A．Grant Achatz. | B．Andrew Knowlton. |
| C．Hong Pham. | D．Ludo Lefebvre. |
| A．delicately-made dishes are visually inviting |
| B．they will share with others their dining experience |
| C．cameras can be specially set for food photography |
| D．they can profit by selling pictures to famous websites |
| A．More pictures will be uploaded at websites like Twitter and Facebook. |
| B．Consumers used to take pictures in restaurants only for their birthdays. |
| C．Rules should be set out that there is no food photography in restaurants. |
| D．Chefs are likely to accept picture-taking in their restaurants to a limited extent. |
| A．news story | B．feature article |
| C．commercial advertisement | D．survey report |
