Unit 1 Science and Scientists（精选名校阅读好题26篇）
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科学基础篇
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Passage 1
（2023春·广东东莞·高二统考期末）Just a year ago, Sarah fulfilled the dream of owning her own bakery, which was very popular in the local and provided a well-off life for Sarah and her family. But last February, all fell apart, after a car accident left Sarah disabled “I could barely talk or move,” she sobbed.
Darkness and depression drowned Sarah, help seemed out of reach; she couldn’t afford a psychologist. Even worse, she had no health insurance.
So her doctor suggested a mental-health app which offers free chatbot service. It is described as a “friendly” and “mental” tool, asking the patient some questions, like “How are you feeling ” or “What’s bothering you ” After the patient responds to the questions, the computer analyzes the words and phrases in the answers, and then delivers supportive messages which have been prewritten by trained human psychologists.
That is how Sarah found herself on a new frontier of technology and mental health. Advances in artificial intelligence are increasingly being looked to as a way to help people who suffer from mild depression or anxiety.
There are, of course, still plenty of doubts about whether machines can read or respond to the human emotions accurately. “Artificial intelligence is still not at a point where they can copy the complexities of human emotions, let alone imitate mental care,” a psychology professor in a mental health center said.
However, supporters of chatbot treatment say the approach may also be the only realistic and affordable way. It meets a huge worldwide need for more mental healthcare at a time when there are simply not enough professionals to help all the people who could benefit.
1．What can we know about Sarah from the first two paragraphs
A．Her family fell apart in an accident. B．She was nearly drowned in an accident.
C．She suffered a series of misfortunes then. D．Her dream came true despite an accident.
2．How does the chatbot work according to the passage
A．It answers personal questions. B．It offers free face-to-face service.
C．It treats patients with medical care. D．It stores related messages in advance.
3．Why do people doubt about the chatbot
A．It is unable to respond to human emotions. B．It may not react to human emotions correctly.
C．It copies the complexities of human emotions. D．It imitates mental care from human psychologists.
4．Which of the following maybe the purpose of this passage
A．To introduce a free mental-care chatbot. B．To encourage readers to learn from Sarah.
C．To suggest a new way to do mental research. D．To call for more attention on mental healthcare.
【答案】1．C 2．D 3．B 4．A
【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章通过莎拉的例子介绍了一款提供免费聊天机器人服务，介绍了聊天机器人的工作方式以及人们对此的看法。
1．细节理解题。根据第一段的句子“But last February, all fell apart, after a car accident left Sarah disabled “I could barely talk or move,” she sobbed.（但去年2月，一场车祸使莎拉残疾，一切都崩溃了。“我几乎不能说话或移动，”她抽泣着说）”和第二段“Darkness and depression drowned Sarah, help seemed out of reach; she couldn’t afford a psychologist. Even worse, she had no health insurance.(黑暗和沮丧淹没了莎拉，救援似乎遥不可及；她请不起心理医生。更糟糕的是，她没有医疗保险)”可知，莎拉遭受了一连串的不幸。故选C。
2．细节理解题。根据第三段“So her doctor suggested a mental-health app which offers free chatbot service. It is described as a “friendly” and “mental” tool, asking the patient some questions, like “How are you feeling ” or “What’s bothering you ” After the patient responds to the questions, the computer analyzes the words and phrases in the answers, and then delivers supportive messages which have been prewritten by trained human psychologists.(因此，她的医生建议她使用一款提供免费聊天机器人服务的心理健康应用。它被描述为一种“友好”和“精神”的工具，会问病人一些问题，比如“你感觉怎么样 ”或者“你在烦恼什么 ”在患者回答问题后，计算机分析答案中的单词和短语，然后传递由训练有素的人类心理学家预先编写的支持信息。)”可知，聊天机器人通过预先存储相关信息工作。故选D。
3．推理判断题。根据倒数第二段““Artificial intelligence is still not at a point where they can copy the complexities of human emotions, let alone imitate mental care,” a psychology professor in a mental health center said.(一位心理健康中心的心理学教授说：“人工智能还没有达到能够复制人类复杂情感的程度，更不用说模仿心理护理了。”)”可知，人们会怀疑聊天机器人是因为它可能无法对人类的情绪做出正确的反应。故选B。
4．推理判断题。根据第三段“So her doctor suggested a mental-health app which offers free chatbot service.(因此，她的医生建议她使用一款提供免费聊天机器人服务的心理健康应用)”结合文章通过莎拉的例子介绍了一款提供免费聊天机器人服务，介绍了聊天机器人的工作方式以及人们对此的看法。可推知，这篇文章的目的是介绍一个免费的心理护理聊天机器人。故选A。
Passage 2
（2023春·安徽亳州·高二亳州二中校考期末）Cities are the planet’s largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions (排放), so they offer the greatest opportunity to tackle climate change. Hitting net zero emissions by 2050, a target set at the COP26 summit, could be achieved more quickly using city digital twins-working virtual replicas (复制品) that help track, manage and reduce environmental damage rapidly.
The United Nations says cities, the most suitable subjects, which occupy less than two percent of the Earth’s surface, are major contributors to climate change, consuming almost 80 percent of the world’s energy and producing more than 60 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Urban areas are forecast to grow by another 2.5 billion people by 2050.
Digital twins look and behave identically in their real-world physical environments. Similar technologies have been in use since NASA’s Apollo moon mission in 1969, where computers and machine replicas were used to test and monitor spacecraft. Virtual 3D city models link to networks of sensors that collect data from buildings, transport, air quality and energy use, to see where emissions can be cut and efficiency improved.
The UK is planning a kind of national digital twins that will connect digital replicas managing buildings, factories, and the other infrastructure nationwide. And that could lead to entire virtual world online, part of a virtual reality space proposed by tech companies.
Research shows that digital twins can save cities more than $280 billion globally by 2030 through more efficient urban planning. A provider of digital twins, City zenith, believes that net zero deadlines could be achieved 15 years early if the world’s 100 biggest cities use the technology to remove carbon. “They are the perfect tool for managing and accelerating the energy transition,” said CEO Michael Jansen. “We could get to net zero emissions globally by 2035.”
In the US, the Digital Twin Consortium is working to standardize how digital twins are built and share data. Big tech companies around the world have developed software for replicating cities, including a district of Berlin, the island nation of Singapore, and the entire city of Shanghai in China.
5．What are city digital twins used to do
A．Decorate cities.
B．Change cities’ climate.
C．Reduce urban greenhouse gas emissions.
D．Popularize urban technology.
6．Why are cities chosen for the use of digital twins
A．They occupy most of the Earth’s surface.
B．They contribute most to the greenhouse effect.
C．They produce little of solid waste pollution.
D．They consume little of the world’s energy.
7．Why is the Apollo moon mission mentioned in the text
A．To prove the accuracy of network data.
B．To explain the application of digital twins.
C．To tell us the importance of space tasks.
D．To show the difficulty of urban construction.
8．What can we learn about city digital twins from the last two paragraphs
A．They are practical and promising.
B．They have reached a standard level.
C．They lack research funding.
D．They are complex and unrecognizable.
【答案】5．C 6．B 7．B 8．A
【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述了一项减少城市温室气体排放的科学技术：城市数字孪生技术。
5．细节理解题。根据第一段中“Hitting net zero emissions by 2050, a target set at the COP26 summit, could be achieved more quickly using city digital twins-working virtual replicas (复制品) that help track, manage and reduce environmental damage rapidly.(利用城市数字孪生工作的虚拟复制品，可以更快地实现到2050年实现净零排放，这是COP26峰会设定的目标，有助于快速跟踪、管理和减少环境破坏)”可知，城市数字孪生技术是用来减少城市温室气体的排放。故选C。
6．细节理解题。根据第二段中“The United Nations says cities, the most suitable subjects, which occupy less than two percent of the Earth’s surface, are major contributors to climate change, consuming almost 80 percent of the world’s energy and producing more than 60 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. (联合国表示，城市是最合适的受试对象，占地球表面不到2%，是气候变化的主要原因，消耗了世界近80%的能源，产生了60%以上的温室气体排放)”可知，城市是气候变化的主要原因，消耗了大部分的能源，产生了大多数的温室气体，所以这正是城市选择数字孪生技术的原因。故选B。
7．推理判断题。根据第三段中“Similar technologies have been in use since NASA’s Apollo moon mission in 1969, where computers and machine replicas were used to test and monitor spacecraft. (自1969年美国国家航空航天局的阿波罗登月任务以来，类似的技术一直在使用，当时计算机和机器复制品被用于测试和监测航天器)”可知，自1969年阿波罗登月任务以来，类似的技术一直在使用。由此可推知，提到阿波罗登月任务是为了解释数字孪生的应用。故选B。
8．推理判断题。根据倒数第二段Michael Jansen说的话““They are the perfect tool for managing and accelerating the energy transition, ”said CEO Michael Jansen. “We could get to net zero emissions globally by 2035.”(首席执行官Michael Jansen表示：“它们是管理和加速能源转型的完美工具。”“到2035年，我们可以实现全球净零排放。”)”可推知，从最后两段可以看出，数字孪生技术是非常实用并且有前景的。故选A。
Passage 3
（2023秋·福建·高二福建师大附中校考期末）What if your smartphone or laptop starts charging as soon as you walk in the door Scientists have developed a specially-built room that can conduct energy to a variety of electronic devices within it without plugs or batteries.
It’s a custom test room of about 18 m3, built from conductive aluminum panels (铝板) with a metal pole running down the middle. When the scientists ran an electric current through the walls and pole following a set pattern, it produced two separate magnetic (磁的) fields: one that fills the center of the room and the other that covers the corners, thus allowing any devices within the space to charge.
By carrying out tests, scientists found their method could deliver 50 watts of power throughout the room, firing up all devices they tested. Without safeguards, running currents through the room’s metal walls would typically fill it with two types of waves: electric and magnetic. This presents a problem, because electric fields can produce heat in biological tissues and pose a danger to humans. So the team built capacitors, devices that store electric energy, in the walls. “It limits the safe magnetic fields to the room volume (室容积) while limiting risky parts to all the components built in the walls.” lead author Takuya Sasatani explains.
The scientists also tested the room’s safety, and the result showed the absorption of energy would remain well below acceptable limits. “We’re not saying this technology is safe under all circumstances — we’re still exploring,” says study co-author Alanson Sample. “But it shows us that there’s still much area to explore.”
But applying the technology is still far in the future. “It’s just too troublesome to put aluminum sheets all over the wall — that benefit doesn’t make sense yet,” Sample says. “We’ve just developed a brand-new technique. Now we have to figure out how to make it practical.” He plans to continue researching whether coating existing rooms with conductive material could enable the construction of wireless-charging rooms in line with building standards. Meanwhile, scientists hope to improve the efficiency of power conduction in the room and remove spots that the charge does not reach.
9．What does paragraph 2 mainly talk about
A．What the room looks like. B．How electric currents are generated.
C．How the special room works. D．What the technology was developed for.
10．What are the capacitors used to do
A．Produce electric power. B．Measure magnetic field.
C．Prevent devices from heating. D．Shelter people from harm.
11．What is Alanson Sample’s attitude to the technology
A．Unconcerned. B．Cautious. C．Doubtful. D．Content.
12．What’s the major barrier to the technology’s application
A．The cost. B．The safety. C．The efficiency. D．The material.
【答案】9．C 10．D 11．B 12．D
【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章介绍了一项技术，可以在定制的房间里没有插头或电池的情况下为各种设备充电，但科学家仍在探索这项技术的应用。
9．主旨大意题。根据第二段“It’s a custom test room of about 18 m3, built from conductive aluminum panels (铝板) with a metal pole running down the middle. When the scientists ran an electric current through the walls and pole following a set pattern, it produced two separate magnetic (磁的) fields: one that fills the center of the room and the other that covers the corners, thus allowing any devices within the space to charge.(这是一个约18立方米的定制测试室，由导电铝板建造而成，中间有一根金属杆。当科学家们按照固定的模式，让电流穿过墙壁和电线杆时，它会产生两个独立的磁场：一个充满房间的中心，另一个覆盖房间的角落，从而使空间内的任何设备都能充电。)”可知，第二段介绍了这个能帮所有设备充电的特殊房间的工作原理。故选C项。
10．细节理解题。根据第三段中“So the team built capacitors, devices that store electric energy, in the walls. ‘It limits the safe magnetic fields to the room volume (室容积) while limiting risky parts to all the components built in the walls.’ lead author Takuya Sasatani explains.(因此，研究小组在墙壁上建造了电容器，一种储存电能的装置。‘它将安全磁场限制在房间内，同时将危险部分限制在墙壁内的所有组件内。’主要作者Takuya Sasatani解释道。)”可知，电容器的功能是限制危险部件在墙内，而不出现在房间内，所以能起到保护人们免受伤害的作用。故选D项。
11．推理判断题。根据第四段中“‘We’re not saying this technology is safe under all circumstances — we’re still exploring,’ says study co-author Alanson Sample. ‘But it shows us that there’s still much area to explore.’(‘我们并不是说这项技术在所有情况下都是安全的——我们仍在探索中，’该研究的合著者Alanson Sample说。‘但它向我们表明，仍有许多领域有待探索。’)”可知，Alanson Sample对这项技术持谨慎的态度。故选B项。
12．推理判断题。根据第二段中“It’s a custom test room of about 18 m3, built from conductive aluminum panels (铝板) with a metal pole running down the middle. (这是一个约18立方米的定制测试室，由导电铝板建造而成，中间有一根金属杆。)”以及最后一段中“‘It’s just too troublesome to put aluminum sheets all over the walls-that benefit doesn’t make sense yet,’ Sample says. ‘We’ve just developed a brand-new technique. Now we have to figure out how to make it practical.’ He plans to continue researching whether coating existing rooms with conductive material could enable the construction of wireless-charging rooms in line with building standards. Meanwhile, scientists hope to improve the efficiency of power conduction in the room and remove spots that the charge does not reach.(Sample说：‘把铝板贴满墙壁太麻烦了——这种好处目前还没有意义。我们刚刚开发了一种全新的技术。现在我们必须弄清楚如何让它变得可行。’他计划继续研究在现有房间涂上导电材料是否可以使无线充电房间的建设符合建筑标准。与此同时，科学家们希望提高房间内的电力传导效率，并去除电荷无法到达的地方。)”可知，在测试房间里，墙壁上的导电铝板和房间中间的金属杆之间能在特定条件下产生磁场，但是把铝板贴满墙壁实在是太麻烦了，科学家们希望提高电力传导效率，可推出应用这项技术的最大障碍是材料。故选D项。
Passage 4
（2023春·云南曲靖·高二曲靖市民族中学校考期末）A retired couple in the Netherlands have moved into Europe’s first fully 3D-printed house. The two-bedroom bungalow (平房) in Eindhoven is the first of five homes planned on the site in the coming months, using a huge 3D-printer. It’s part of some special teamwork between Eindhoven University of Technology and the Vesteda housing company called Project Milestone.
This house was designed by an architect and printed using a huge robotic arm in a special warehouse (仓库). The printer uses a nozzle (喷嘴) that squirts out special substance to print out the building, layer by layer.
Once the house had been printed it was transported by vehicle to the building site where it was placed on a foundation, and a roof and windows were added.
In the longer term, many in the building industry believe that 3D-printed homes could become a sustainable solution for tackling housing shortages. The technology is friendlier to the environment and reduces costs because it uses less concrete and homes are quicker to build. The new home took just 120 hours to print, much quicker than building a house in the traditional way, which can take around 1-2 years to build.
The new owners Elize Lutz and Harrie Dekkers, will pay $800 a month to live in the house for six months, after they responded to a request for volunteers.
“I saw a drawing of this house and it looked exactly like a garden,” said Elize. “It’s beautiful.” “It feels safe,” added Harrie.
Construction companies in the US and France have already been using 3D printing to build parts of homes, but this one is the first to be fully built and have people live in it.
13．What’s the aim of mentioning a retired couple
A．To stress their wealthy background.
B．To advertise to sell a 3D-printed house.
C．To introduce the topic of the 3D printing.
D．To explain their reason for moving the 3D-printed house.
14．What can be learned about the 3D-printed house
A．It cost less and was finished more quickly.
B．It was completed within around 1-2 years.
C．It was designed in a two-bedroom bungalow.
D．It was added a roof and windows in a special warehouse.
15．What do the retired couple think of the 3D-printed house
A．Environmentally-friendly but unsafe. B．Expensive but well-designed.
C．Cheap and common. D．Pretty and secure.
16．Where can the text be found
A．In a history book. B．In a novel.
C．In an art magazine. D．In a newspaper.
【答案】13．C 14．A 15．D 16．D
【导语】本文是一篇新闻报道。文章报道了荷兰一对退休夫妇搬进了欧洲第一个完全3D打印的房子。
13．推理判断题。根据第一段中“A retired couple in the Netherlands have moved into Europe’s first fully 3D-printed house. The two-bedroom bungalow (平房) in Eindhoven is the first of five homes planned on the site in the coming months, using a huge 3D-printer. It’s part of some special teamwork between Eindhoven University of Technology and the Vesteda housing company called Project Milestone. (荷兰一对退休夫妇搬进了欧洲第一个完全3D打印的房子。埃因霍温的两居室平房是未来几个月计划在该网站上使用巨大的3D打印机建造的五座房屋中的第一座。这是埃因霍温理工大学和Vesteda房屋公司之间的特殊团队合作的一部分，称为“里程碑项目”)”可推知，文章提到这对退休夫妇的目的就是为了引出3D打印的房子这一主题。故选C项。
14．细节理解题。根据第四段中“The technology is friendlier to the environment and reduces costs because it uses less concrete and homes are quicker to build. (这项技术对环境更友好，而且成本更低，因为它使用的混凝土更少，而且建造房屋的速度更快。)”可知，3D打印房子花费更少，完成得更快。故选A项。
15．细节理解题。根据倒数第二段中““It’s beautiful.” “It feels safe,” added Harrie. (“这是美丽的。感觉很安全。”哈利补充说。)”可知，这对退休夫妇认为3D打印的房子既漂亮又安全。故选D项。
16．推理判断题。通读全文，结合第一段导语“A retired couple in the Netherlands have moved into Europe’s first fully 3D-printed house. The two-bedroom bungalow (平房) in Eindhoven is the first of five homes planned on the site in the coming months, using a huge 3D-printer. It’s part of some special teamwork between Eindhoven University of Technology and the Vesteda housing company called Project Milestone. (荷兰一对退休夫妇搬进了欧洲第一个完全3D打印的房子。埃因霍温的两居室平房是未来几个月计划在该网站上使用巨大的3D打印机建造的五座房屋中的第一座。这是埃因霍温理工大学和Vesteda房屋公司之间的特殊团队合作的一部分，称为“里程碑项目”)”可知，文章报道了荷兰一对退休夫妇搬进了欧洲第一个完全3D打印的房子，本文是一篇出自报纸的新闻报道。故选D项。
Passage 5
（2023春·山东淄博·高二统考期末）AI is a machine’s ability to perform the cognitive (认知的) functions we associate with human minds, such as reasoning, learning, interacting with an environment, problem solving, and even exercising creativity. You’ve probably interacted with AI even if you didn’t realize it — voice assistants like Siri and Alexa are founded on AI technology, as are some customer service chatbots that pop up to aid you to explore websites.
By using artificial intelligence, companies have the potential to make business more efficient and profitable. But ultimately, the value of artificial intelligence isn’t in the systems themselves but in how companies use those systems to assist humans — and their ability to explain what those systems do — in a way that builds and earns trust.
Since they are so new, we have yet to see the long-tail effect of AI models. This means there are some risks involved in using them — some known and some unknown.
The outputs AI models produce may often sound extremely convincing. This is by design. But sometimes the information they generate is just plain wrong. Worse, sometimes it’s biased, because it’s built on the gender, racial, and various other limitations of the internet and society more generally. And it can even be operated to enable immoral or criminal activity.
These risks can be reduced, however, in a few ways. For one, it’s crucial to carefully select the initial data used to tarin these models to avoid including toxic (中毒的) or incorrect content. Next, rather than operating an off-the-shelf generative-AI model, organizations could consider using smaller, specialized models. Organizations with more resources could also customize a general model based on their own data to fit their needs and minimize shortcoming. Organizations should also keep a human in the process — make sure a real human checks the output of a generative-AI model before it is published or used, and avoid using generative-AI models for critical decisions, such as those involving significant resources or human welfare.
17．What can we learn about AI from the first two paragraphs
A．Its value lies in its practical application by firms.
B．It performs the same abilities humans own.
C．It’s always being used when we surf the websites.
D．It has been widely used by profitable companies.
18．What does underlined word “biased” in paragraph 4 mean
A．Unclear. B．Unimportant. C．Unreliable. D．Unusual.
19．Who are mostly responsible for reducing the risks when using AI
A．Produces and personal users.
B．Developers and operating firms.
C．Personal users and data collectors.
D．Operating companies and personal users.
20．What’s the author’s purpose in writing the text
A．To analyze the advantages and disadvantages of AI.
B．To lead companies to improve efficiency with AI.
C．To introduce AI and ways to overcome their limitations.
D．To tell customers how to operate AI correctly and precisely.
【答案】17．A 18．C 19．B 20．C
【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了人工智能的相关内容以及其可能带来的风险，并就如何降低风险给出一定建议。
17．细节理解题。根据文章第二段“By using artificial intelligence, companies have the potential to make business more efficient and profitable. But ultimately, the value of artificial intelligence isn’t in the systems themselves but in how companies use those systems to assist humans — and their ability to explain what those systems do — in a way that builds and earns trust.(通过使用人工智能，公司有可能提高业务效率和盈利能力。但最终，人工智能的价值不在于系统本身，而在于公司如何使用这些系统来帮助人类——以及他们解释这些系统做什么的能力——以一种建立和赢得信任的方式)”可知，人工智能的价值在于公司如何使用这些系统来帮助人类。故选A。
18．词义猜测题。根据划线单词下一句“because it’s built on the gender, racial, and various other limitations of the internet and society more generally.(因为它是建立在性别、种族和更为普遍地建立在其他各种限制的互联网和社会中)”可知，人工智能有时是带有偏见的。因此划线单词的意思和“有偏见、不可靠的”相近。选项A“Unclear (不清楚的)”；选项B“Unimportant (不重要的)”；选项C“Unreliable (不可靠的)”；选项D“Unusual (不同寻常的)”。故选C。
19．细节理解题。根据文章最后一段“These risks can be reduced, however, in a few ways. For one, it’s crucial to carefully select the initial data used to tarin these models to avoid including toxic (中毒的) or incorrect content. Next, rather than operating an off-the-shelf generative-AI model, organizations could consider using smaller, specialized models. Organizations with more resources could also customize a general model based on their own data to fit their needs and minimize shortcoming.(然而，这些风险可以通过几种方式降低。首先，仔细选择用于这些模型的初始数据以避免包含有毒或不正确的内容是至关重要的。接下来，与其使用现成的生成人工智能模型，组织可以考虑使用更小、更专业的模型。拥有更多资源的组织也可以根据他们自己的数据定制通用模型，以满足他们的需求并最小化缺点)”可知，文章认为人工智能的风险可以通过两种方式降低，第一是仔细选择用于这些模型的初始数据，这是由开放商来筛选；第二是可以考虑使用更小、更专业的模型，这是由运营公司来操作的。故选B。
20．推理判断题。根据文章第一段“AI is a machine’s ability to perform the cognitive (认知的) functions we associate with human minds, such as reasoning, learning, interacting with an environment, problem solving, and even exercising creativity.(人工智能是一种机器执行认知功能的能力，我们将其与人类的思维联系在一起，比如推理、学习、与环境互动、解决问题，甚至锻炼创造力)”以及最后一段“These risks can be reduced, however, in a few ways.(然而，这些风险可以通过几种方式降低。)”可知，文章主要介绍了人工智能以及如何降低其风险。故选C。
Passage 6
（2023春·福建泉州·高二校联考期末）Breaking ground on what will be the first 3D-printed community in the world, a large 3D printer built two houses in a poor area of Mexico. The houses aren’t just models. Developers hoped to build 50 new 3D-printed houses, replacing the structures that residents built by themselves out of wood, metal, and whatever materials they could afford.
These residents live in a seismic zone (地震带) that tends to be affected by flooding. Building something that can stand an earthquake and keep people dry during heavy rain was a key consideration when it came to the design of the houses.
New Story, the non-profit organization building the houses, has built more than 2,300 homes in South America and Mexico since it was founded in 2014. This is the first homebuilding project it has done with 3D printing. The organization paired up with ICON, a construction technology company that developed the 3D-printing robotics being used on the project. The homes were co-designed with the families who will live in them.
According to New Story, 3D printing is much faster than regular construction. The printer prints out a concrete mix that hardens when it dries, building the walls one layer at a time. It takes about 24 hours to build two houses at the same time. Since 3D printing is also cheaper than traditional construction, there is great potential for how it will change the world.
The technology holds promise for affordable housing. New Story is excited about what the technology could mean for people who don’t have safe shelter. Brett Hagler, the CEO and co-founder of the organization, said safe shelter is “one of the largest crises affecting humanity today”. The technology is there, and the application to build homes for those in need brings a lot of hope for the future.
21．What did the design of the 3D-printed houses mainly consider
A．The structures of the old houses. B．The materials available in the area.
C．The financial ability of the organization. D．The environmental conditions of the area.
22．What is the third paragraph mainly about
A．The design process. B．The introduction of ICON.
C．The teams behind the project. D．The differences between New Story and ICON.
23．What makes the new technology meaningful
A．It can end human crises. B．It can provide shelter free of charge.
C．It can replace traditional construction. D．It can offer safe housing to the homeless.
24．What is the best title of the text
A．3D Printing Becomes a Reality. B．Technologies Change the Future.
C．3D Printing Helps with Housing Problems. D．Technologies Bring Hope to Mexican Cities.
【答案】21．D 22．C 23．D 24．C
【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了3D 打印技术在解决住房问题方面的实际应用。
21．细节理解题。根据文章第二段“Building something that can stand an earthquake and keep people dry during heavy rain was a key consideration when it came to the design of the houses.(在设计房屋时，关键考虑因素是建造一些经得起地震和在大雨中保持干燥的东西。)”可知，该地区的环境条件是设计3D打印房屋时主要考虑的问题。故选D。
22．主旨大意题。根据文章第三段“New Story, the non-profit organization building the houses, has built more than 2,300 homes in South America and Mexico since it was founded in 2014. This is the first homebuilding project it has done with 3D printing. The organization paired up with ICON, a construction technology company that developed the 3D-printing robotics being used on the project. The homes were co-designed with the families who will live in them.(New Story是一家建造房屋的非营利组织，自2014年成立以来，它已经在南美和墨西哥建造了2300多套房屋。这是第一个用3D打印完成的住宅建筑项目。该组织与ICON合作，ICON是一家建筑技术公司，该公司开发了项目中使用的3D打印机器人。这些房屋是与将居住在其中的家庭共同设计的。)”可知，第三段提到项目的主要负责方 New Story、项目的技术支持者ICON以及参与设计的当地居民。由此可知，第三段主要介绍了这个工程背后的团队。故选C。
23．细节理解题。根据文章最后一段“The technology holds promise for affordable housing. New Story is excited about what the technology could mean for people who don’t have safe shelter.(这项技术为经济适用房带来了希望。New Story对这项技术对那些没有安全住所的人来说意味着什么感到兴奋。)”可知，它可以为无家可归者提供安全的住房，这使得这项新技术变得有意义。故选D。
24．主旨大意题。根据文章第一段“Breaking ground on what will be the first 3D-printed community in the world, a large 3D printer built two houses in a poor area of Mexico.
(世界上第一个3D打印社区破土动工，一台大型3D打印机在墨西哥的一个贫困地区建造了两座房子。)”和文章最后一段“The technology holds promise for affordable housing. New Story is excited about what the technology could mean for people who don’t have safe shelter.(这项技术为经济适用房带来了希望。New Story对这项技术对那些没有安全住所的人来说意味着什么感到兴奋。)”可知，本文主要讲述了3D 打印技术在解决住房问题方面的实际应用。C项：3D Printing Helps with Housing Problems.(3D打印有助于解决住房问题)是合适的标题。故选C。
Passage 7
（2023春·江苏徐州·高二统考期末）Sam Altman, CEO of the San Francisco startup OpenAI that developed ChatGPT, his company’s chatbot tool, on Tuesday urged US lawmakers to regulate artificial intelligence “We think that regulatory intervention (干预) by governments will be critical to mitigate the risks of increasingly powerful models. My worst fears are that we, the field, the technology industry cause significant harm to the world. ” Altman said.
“I think if this technology goes wrong, it can go quite wrong, and we want to be vocal about that, ”Altman added. “We want to work with the government to prevent that from happening
The 38-year-old Stanford University dropout said the potential for AI to be used to influence voters is among “my areas of greatest concern”, especially because “we’re going to face an election next year and these models are getting better”. He said his company’s technology may destroy some jobs but also create new ones and that it will be important for government to figure out how we want to reduce that”. Altman said the government could regulate the industry by creating an agency that issues licenses for the creation of large-scale AI models, safety regulations and tests that AI models must pass before being released to the public.
The rapid development of ChatGPT with an estimated 100 million users within two months has sparked an industry race, with Microsoft, an investor in OpenAI, enabling ChatGPT in the Windows operating system and Google adding its own so-called generative AI systems including one called Bard, to its app. The latest forms of AI also have drawn criticism from some of tech’s biggest names for their potential to disrupt(扰乱)millions of jobs and spread misinformation.
Altman said OpenAI pretests and constantly updates its tools to ensure safety and that making them widely available to the public actually helps the company identify and mitigate risks.
25．According to Altman, why should the government regulate AI
A．To accelerate industry race . B．To provide job opportunities.
C．To avoid influencing voters. D．To prevent its potential harm.
26．What does the underlined word “mitigate” mean in paragraph 3
A．Remove B．Pose C．Reduce D．Adapt
27．What has the rapid development of ChatGPT resulted in
A．The birth of Bard B．100 million users
C．The spread of misinformation D．An industry race
28．What is the best title for the text
A．Government involved in AI risk B．Strict regulations urged on AI
C．OpenAI updated for safety D．Jobs destroyed by ChatGPI
【答案】25．D 26．C 27．D 28．B
【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了萨姆·奥特曼敦促美国立法者对人工智能进行监管的原因。
25．细节理解题。由文章第一段中“We think that regulatory intervention (干预) by governments will be critical to mitigate the risks of increasingly powerful models. My worst fears are that we, the field, the technology industry cause significant harm to the world. (我们认为，政府的监管干预对于减轻日益强大的设计的风险至关重要。我最担心的是，我们这个领域和科技行业会对世界造成重大伤害。)”可知，Altman认为AI存在巨大的潜在危害，希望政府能采取措施加以预防。故选D。
26．词句猜测题。由文章第一段中“regulatory intervention (干预) by governments (政府的监管干预)”和“the risks of increasingly powerful models (日益强大的设计的风险)”可知，Altman希望政府的监管干预能减少AI带来的风险。A. Remove移除；B. Pose摆好姿势；C. Reduce减少；D. Adapt适应。故选C。
27．细节理解题。由文章第四段中“The rapid development of ChatGPT with an estimated 100 million users within two months has sparked an industry race (ChatGPT在两个月内迅速发展，估计拥有1亿用户，引发了一场行业竞赛)”可知，ChatGPT的迅速发展引发了一场行业竞赛。故选D。
(
科学拔高篇
)28．主旨大意题。由文章第一段中“Sam Altman, CEO of the San Francisco startup OpenAI that developed ChatGPT, his company’s chatbot tool, on Tuesday urged US lawmakers to regulate artificial intelligence (旧金山创业公司OpenAI的首席执行官萨姆·奥特曼周二敦促美国立法者规范人工智能)”引出文章的主题——呼吁严格监管人工智能，接着下面的段落详细说明严格监管人工智能的原因。故选B。
Passage 8
（2023春·山东潍坊·高二统考期末）One of the best things about new technology is how it makes the world more accessible to people with disabilities. Take Siri or Alexa, for example. They are a convenience or even a toy for most people. But if you’re blind, they’re potential life savers, capable of sending messages or receiving instructions, entirely through the power of your voice.
What’s truly exciting is how advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are enabling the creation of even smarter accessibility features. On the most recent Google Pixel phones, it’s possible to turn on a feature called “Live Captions”. This means that deaf people can easily watch videos — or even make video calls. And perhaps more magically, iPhone will even let you create a simulation of your own voice and have it speak for you, giving us all technology similar to what Stephen Hawking used, but in the palms of our hands.
What I think is most striking though is what all of these clever accessibility features mean for the rest of us, who may not need to use the features for their intended uses. The idea behind smart headsets — if they’re ever going to be truly useful — is that they will work almost as an extension of brains and bodies. We’ll want them to give us directions when we need them, and help us understand our surroundings. And we’ll need a way to interact with headsets without buttons or a touchscreen, using our voice or by gesturing with our hands.
This is for sure a tricky technical challenge, but it’s actually possible to imagine how such headsets might work, because these fundamental technologies already exist thanks to accessibility features on smartphones already on the market.
Ultimately, this is a great way to think about accessibility features and why they’re so important on our modern devices. Because they don’t just help the people who need them — they help make our technology even better for everyone else too.
29．How does the author prove the point in the second paragraph
A．By giving examples.
B．By making a summary.
C．By giving definition.
D．By making a comparison.
30．Which is the original intention of accessibility features
A．To evaluate the uses of the phone.
B．To give instructions to the disabled.
C．To help users in solving various phones problems.
D．To make the world more accessible to the disabled.
31．What does the underlined word ”this“ in paragraph 4 refer to
A．Standard size. B．Complex function.
C．Delicate design. D．Convenient operation.
32．What is the text mainly about
A．A new function of mobile phones.
B．A vital role of accessibility features.
C．A rapid change in life for the disabled.
D．A technical challenge of modern devices.
【答案】29．A 30．D 31．D 32．B
【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了现代设备上和可访问性功能不仅可以让残疾人更容易融入这个世界，也能让技术更好地为其它人服务。
29．推理判断题。根据第二段“What’s truly exciting is how advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are enabling the creation of even smarter accessibility features. On the most recent Google Pixel phones, it’s possible to turn on a feature called “Live Captions”. This means that deaf people can easily watch videos — or even make video calls. And perhaps more magically, iPhone will even let you create a simulation of your own voice and have it speak for you, giving us all technology similar to what Stephen Hawking used, but in the palms of our hands.(真正令人兴奋的是人工智能(AI)的进步如何使更智能的可访问性功能的创建成为可能。在最新的谷歌Pixel手机上，可以开启一个名为“实时字幕”的功能。这意味着聋人可以很容易地观看视频，甚至打视频电话。也许更神奇的是，iPhone甚至可以让你模拟自己的声音，让它为你说话，给我们所有人提供类似于斯蒂芬·霍金使用的技术，但在我们的手掌上。)”可知，第二段中通过列举了谷歌Pixel手机的“实时字幕”功能和iPhone可以让你模拟自己的声音两个例子来说明人工智能(AI)的进步使更智能的可访问性功能的创建成为可能，所以作者在第二段中通过举例的方式来证明其观点。故选A项。
30．推理判断题。根据第一段“One of the best things about new technology is how it makes the world more accessible to people with disabilities. Take Siri or Alexa, for example. They are a convenience or even a toy for most people. But if you’re blind, they’re potential life savers, capable of sending messages or receiving instructions, entirely through the power of your voice.(新技术最好的一点就是它让残疾人更容易进入这个世界。以Siri或Alexa为例。对大多数人来说，它们是一种便利，甚至是一种玩具。但如果你是盲人，它们是潜在的拯救者，能够完全通过你的声音发送信息或接收指令。)”和第三段中“What I think is most striking though is what all of these clever accessibility features mean for the rest of us, who may not need to use the features for their intended uses.(我认为最引人注目的是所有这些巧妙的可访问性功能对我们其它人来说意味着什么，我们可能不需要将这些功能用于其预期用途。)”可推知，这些可访问性功能的预期用途与我们正常人无关，它们最初目的是为了让残疾人更容易融入这个世界。故选D项。
31．词句猜测题。根据第三段最后一句“And we’ll need a way to interact with headsets without buttons or a touchscreen, using our voice or by gesturing with our hands.(我们还需要一种不用按键或触摸屏就能通过声音或手势与耳机互动的方法。)”和划线词所在句“This is for sure a tricky technical challenge(这无疑是一个棘手的技术挑战)”可推知，指示代词“This”指代的就是上文所描述的“不用按键或触摸屏就能通过声音或手势与耳机互动”的这种“便捷的操控”。故选D项。
32．主旨大意题。通读全文，结合第一段“One of the best things about new technology is how it makes the world more accessible to people with disabilities. Take Siri or Alexa, for example. They are a convenience or even a toy for most people. But if you’re blind, they’re potential life savers, capable of sending messages or receiving instructions, entirely through the power of your voice.(新技术最好的一点就是它让残疾人更容易融入这个世界。以Siri或Alexa为例。对大多数人来说，它们是一种便利，甚至是一种玩具。但如果你是盲人，它们是潜在的拯救者，能够完全通过你的声音发送信息或接收指令。)”和最后一段“Ultimately, this is a great way to think about accessibility features and why they’re so important on our modern devices. Because they don’t just help the people who need them — they help make our technology even better for everyone else too.(最终，这是一个思考可访问性功能的好方法，以及为什么它们在我们的现代设备上如此重要。因为他们不只是帮助那些需要他们的人，他们也帮助我们的技术变得更好。)”可推知，文章介绍了现代设备上可访问性功能不仅可以让残疾人更容易融入这个世界，也能让技术更好地为其它人服务，所以文章主要内容是“可访问性功能的重要作用”。故选B项。
Passage 9
（2023春·上海·高二上海市行知中学校考期中）Our lives are made up of human-machine interactions—with smartphones, televisions, computers—that have the power to delight and, often, frustrate. Into this area has stepped a new class of professional: the user-experience, or UX, designer, whose job is to see a product not from an engineer’s, marketer’s, or legal department’s perspective but from the viewpoint of the user alone. And to insist that the customer should not have to learn to speak the company’s internal language. The company should learn to speak the customer’s.
According to a recent survey, the role of UX designers has become a fixture on those year-end “hottest job” lists. If you want to study UX, you now have the option at some three dozen institutions in the United States, including Carnegie Mellon and the University of Washington. But Ford is one of the few major industrial companies in the U.S. to put a UX expert, Jim Hackett, in charge.
At present, the question facing the car industry is basically whether high-tech giants such as Tesla and Google can learn car-making technology trains faster than Ford, GM, and other carmakers can learn software and algorithms. But Hackett reflects Ford’s bet that the winner won’t be the best chassis (底盘) maker or software maker, but the company that nails the interaction between man and machine. “One of the things that drew me to Jim was his commitment to design thinking, which puts the human being at the center of the equation,” explained Bill Ford, the company’s executive chairman.
Hackett retired from Steelcase, a furniture maker, in 2014 and in 2016, Bill Ford hired him to run the automaker’s Smart Mobility subsidiary, which was tasked with rethinking from the ground up how cars would be driven, powered, and owned. “This is what we call the design gap,” said Hackett in an interview, pointing to the space between two lines on a graph he’d drawn on a whiteboard. One line climbs up—this is a company’s skill at making things, which goes up over time. Below it is a downward line, representing a company’s understanding of the customer’s experience. This, he said, can decline over time, as a company loses sight of the problems it’s in the business of solving. The design gap may be noticeable when the job is, say, building a marginally better tailgate for the Ford F-150. But it becomes positively yawning when your industry is so thoroughly turned on its head that you’re forced to ask some basic questions: Do people want to own their cars or share them Drive them or have them driven The flood of new technologies makes everything possible.
33．Which of the following statements best describes a UX designer’s responsibility
A．He is devoted to designing innovative products.
B．He is devoted to making a product satisfy users’ needs.
C．He is devoted to improving a company’s internal language.
D．He is devoted to understanding human-machine interactions.
34．What can be inferred from the passage
A．UX designers are regarded as one of those best-paid jobs.
B．High-tech giants have taken the lead in car manufacturing.
C．Companies are laying greater emphasis on customers’ feelings.
D．The UX courses provided by the US institutions are far from enough,
35．Ford hires Jim Hackett because the company believes that _______.
A．it is currently facing the biggest challenge that needs a new perspective
B．Hackett’s design thinking is quite different from other UX professionals
C．customers’ experience plays a decisive role in the car-making competition
D．Steelcase gave Hackett enough time and experience to grow up into an expert
36．What is Jim Hackett most likely to agree with
A．Ford should pay less attention to new technologies.
B．Ford has long been ignoring customers’ experience.
C．Ford is no longer a leading company in auto making skills.
D．Ford has made a wrong decision to build a tailgate for the F-150.
【答案】33．B 34．C 35．C 36．B
【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章主要通过介绍UX设计师的职责，说明了企业竞争中，顾客的体验起着决定性的作用。
33．细节理解题。根据文章第一段“Into this area has stepped a new class of professional: the user-experience, or UX, designer, whose job is to see a product not from an engineer’s, marketer’s, or legal department’s perspective but from the viewpoint of the user alone.(进入这个领域的是一类新的专业人士：用户体验设计师，他们的工作不是从工程师、营销人员或法律部门的角度来看待产品，而是从用户的角度来看待产品)”可知，UX设计师的职责是致力于使产品满足用户的需求。故选B项。
34．推理判断题。根据文章第一段“And to insist that the customer should not have to learn to speak the company’s internal language. The company should learn to speak the customer’s.(并坚持认为，客户不应该学习说公司的内部语言。公司应该学会说客户的语言)”和第二段“According to a recent survey, the role of UX designers has become a fixture on those year-end “hottest job” lists.(根据最近的一项调查，用户体验设计师的角色已经成为年终“最热门工作”名单上的固定角色)”可推知，公司更加重视顾客的感受。故选C项。
35．推理判断题。根据文章第三段““One of the things that drew me to Jim was his commitment to design thinking, which puts the human being at the center of the equation,” explained Bill Ford, the company’s executive chairman.(公司执行主席比尔·福特解释说：“吉姆吸引我的原因之一是他对设计思维的执着，他把人放在等式的中心。”)”可推知，福特雇佣吉姆·哈克特是因为公司相信在汽车制造竞争中，顾客的体验起着决定性的作用。故选C项。
36．推理判断题。根据文章第三段“But Hackett reflects Ford’s bet that the winner won’t be the best chassis (底盘) maker or software maker, but the company that nails the interaction between man and machine.(但哈克特反映出，福特的赌注是，赢家不会是最好的底盘制造商或软件制造商，而是能够把握人机交互的公司)”和最后一段的““This is what we call the design gap,” said Hackett in an interview, pointing to the space between two lines on a graph he’d drawn on a whiteboard. One line climbs up—this is a company’s skill at making things, which goes up over time. Below it is a downward line, representing a company’s understanding of the customer’s experience. (哈克特在一次采访中指着他在白板上画的图上两条线之间的空间说。有一条线在上升——这是一家公司制造东西的技能，随着时间的推移而上升。下面是一条向下的线，代表一家公司对客户体验的理解)”推知，长期以来，福特一直忽视客户的体验。故选B项。
Passage 10
（2023春·河南信阳·高二统考期中）ChatGPT is a new AI system that sounds so human in conversations that it could host its own radio programs. Reading between its instantly generated, perfectly grammatical lines, people see different visions of the future. Without doubt, ChatGPT is impressive.
Some compare the emergence of ChatGPT to the impact of the iPhone, but that doesn’t do it justice. ChatGPT, as well as the generative AI that will follow and outsmart it, is disruptive. And yet, that doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the world is upon us. On the contrary, ChatGPT, I would argue, might serve to make us more aware of our irreplaceable human qualities.
Take the creative act, writing in particular, as an example. If you want it to, the AI-powered chatbot (聊天机器人) always produces something because it has the whole world of online data to draw from. But unlike us, it lacks the consciousness. Thinking is hard, critical thinking even harder, and ChatGPT isn’t good at either. It just restates what has already been said; it is one big recycling machine.
There is another obvious limitation of ChatGPT. Philosopher Harry Frankfurt once claimed: the difference between a bullshitter (胡说八道的人) and a liar is that the liar knows what the truth is but decides to take the opposite direction; a bullshitter, however, has no regard for the truth at all. The AI scholar Gary Marus applies this distinction to ChatGPT. He believes that we have reached a critical point where “the price of bullshit reaches zero and people who want to spread misinformation, either politically or just to make a profit, start doing that plentifully”. Unfortunately, ChatGPT will reproduce misinformation from any of its input sources — it is not an intelligent system that tries to balance or weigh different perspectives. In this sense, everything that ChatGPT writes is bullshit.
This is why the so-called AIQ is critical. It is actually an extension and a measurement of our human IQ: our overall knowledge of AI tools, our mastery of clues, and our ethical awareness. ChatGPT is going to change everything — and nothing. Creativity, imagination and ethics — these will all remain unique human range. It is the AI’s very limitations that will make us appreciate our own.
37．What can we learn about ChatGPT from the passage
A．It generates immediate language responses.
B．It provides instructions on writing skills.
C．It helps generate an artificial voice.
D．It offers a service for language learning.
38．What does the underlined word “disruptive” in Paragraph 2 probably mean
A．Evil. B．Revolutionary. C．Profitable. D．Reliable.
39．Why does the author consider ChatGPT as a bullshit generator
A．It makes up lies constantly.
B．It always takes a neutral standpoint.
C．It often makes unfair judgement.
D．It can’t tell right from wrong.
40．What’s the passage mainly about
A．ChatGPT should be treated like a toy, not a tool.
B．ChatGPT is causing panic now.
C．ChatGPT makes us realize the unique human features.
D．ChatGPT is bound to generate bullshit.
【答案】37．A 38．B 39．D 40．C
【导语】本文是一篇议论文，论述了与人类相比，新型人工智能ChatGPT的优点和缺点，从而赞美了只有人类所具有的创造力、想象力和道德这些独特品质。
37．细节理解题。根据第一段中的“Reading between its instantly generated, perfectly grammatical lines, people see different visions of the future.(在即时生成的、语法完美的字里行间阅读，人们看到了对未来的不同愿景。)”可知，ChatGPT可以即时生成文字。再结合第三段中的“If you want it to, the AI-powered chatbot(聊天机器人) always produces something because it has the whole world of online data to draw from.(如果你愿意，这个人工智能聊天机器人总是会产生一些东西，因为它有整个世界的在线数据可供借鉴。)”可知，ChatGPT是一个人工智能聊天机器人，它可以借鉴全球在线数据来和人类聊天。由此可以看出，ChatGPT可以即时生成语言回复。故选A。
38．词句猜测题。根据第二段中disruptive所在句的后一句“And yet, that doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the world is upon us.(然而，这并不一定意味着世界末日即将来临。)”可推断出，ChatGPT及未来的人工智能对世界可能带来极大的改变，disruptive意为“破坏性的”，在此处可引申为“颠覆性的”。evil邪恶的；revolutionary革命性的，突破性的；profitable盈利的；reliable可依靠的。B项意思与其最为接近。故选B。
39．推理判断题。根据第三段中的“But unlike us, it lacks the consciousness. Thinking is hard, critical thinking even harder, and ChatGPT isn’t good at either.(但与我们不同的是，它缺乏意识。思考很难，批判性思维更难，而ChatGPT也不擅长。)”和倒数第二段中的“Unfortunately, ChatGPT will reproduce misinformation from any of its input sources — it is not an intelligent system that tries to balance or weigh different perspectives.(不幸的是，ChatGPT将从其任何输入来源复制错误信息——它不是一个试图平衡或权衡不同观点的智能系统。)”可知，ChatGPT缺乏人类所具有的意识，无法评判不同的观点。由此可推断，它“胡说八道”的原因是它没有区分对错的能力。故选D。
40．主旨大意题。通读全文可知，文章首先描述了ChatGPT的非凡能力，接着第二段最后一句“On the contrary, ChatGPT, I would argue, might serve to make us more aware of our irreplaceable human qualities.(相反，我认为，ChatGPT可能有助于让我们更加意识到我们不可替代的人类品质。)”点明主题：ChatGPT会让我们关注自身所拥有的独特品质。接下来作者讲述了ChatGPT在创造性上的不足和不分对错的局限。作者并在最后一段提到“Creativity, imagination and ethics — these will all remain unique human range. It is the AI’s very limitations that will make us appreciate our own.(创造力、想象力和道德——这些都将仍是人类独有的领域。正是人工智能的局限性让我们欣赏自己的局限性。)”，点明了人类品质的重要性。故选C。
Passage 11
（2023春·四川眉山·高二校考期中）From Zzz to Aha!
When you are stuck on a problem, sometimes it is best to stop thinking about it — consciously, anyway. Research has shown that taking a break or a nap can help the brain create paths to a solution. Now a new study expands on the effect of this so-called incubation by using sound cues to focus the sleeping mind on a targeted problem.
When humans sleep, parts of the brain replay certain memories, strengthening and transforming them. About a decade ago researchers developed a technique, called targeted memory reactivation (再激活) (TMR), aimed at further strengthening selected memories: when a sound becomes associated with a memory and is later played during sleep, that memory gets reactivated.
In a study published last November in Psychological Science, scientists tested whether revisiting the memory of a puzzle during sleep might also improve problem-solving. About 60 participants visited the laboratory before and after a night of sleep. In an evening session, they attempted different puzzles, with a distinct music clip repeating in the background for each, until they had worked on 6 puzzles they could not solve. Overnight they wore electrodes (电极条) to detect slow-wave sleep, a state of deep dreamless sleep, which may be important for memory enhancement — and a device played the sounds related to 3 of the 6 unsolved puzzles. The next day, back at the lab, the participants attempted the 6 puzzles again. All told, the subjects solved 32% of the sound-cued puzzles compared with 21% of the untargeted puzzles— an increase of more than 50 percent.
“These are super cool results. Now we need to go further and try to understand them by firstly replicating (复制) them and secondly trying to work out the component processes that are actually being influenced,” says Penny Lewis, a psychologist at Cardiff University.
Beyond providing new evidence that humans restructure memories while sleeping, the research may have practical implications. In a futuristic world, maybe TMR could help us use sleep to work on our problems. Sleep-monitoring technology is increasingly accessible — and even without gadgets, prospective solvers can focus on important problems before bed.
41．What can we learn about TMR
A．It can be used to help people improve their sleep quality.
B．It is aimed at removing selected memories.
C．It replays a sound to get related memories reactivated in sleep.
D．It is a technique published in Psychological Science last November.
42．According to the experiment, what may be the reason for the increase of puzzle solving
A．The specific music. B．The electrodes.
C．Slow-wave sleep. D．The targeted puzzles.
43．What does the underlined word “them” in Paragraph 4 refer to
A．The participants of the study. B．The researchers of the study.
C．The results of the study. D．The 6 unsolved puzzles.
44．What is the text mainly about
A．Sleeping can help humans restructure memories.
B．Listening to music can strengthen and transform memories.
C．Taking a break or a nap can help the brain create solutions.
D．Reactivating remembered problems during sleep can bring solutions.
【答案】41．C 42．A 43．C 44．D
【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了一个新的研究发现我们可以使用声音线索让睡眠中的大脑专注于一个目标问题，帮助找到解决问题的方法。
41．细节理解题。根据第二段中“About a decade ago researchers developed a technique, called targeted memory reactivation (再激活) (TMR), aimed at further strengthening selected memories: when a sound becomes associated with a memory and is later played during sleep, that memory gets reactivated.(大约十年前，研究人员开发了一种名为“目标记忆再激活”(TMR)的技术，旨在进一步加强选定的记忆：当一种声音与一段记忆联系起来，并在睡眠中播放时，那段记忆就会被重新激活。)”可知，在TMR技术中，当一种声音与一段记忆联系起来，并在睡眠中播放时，那段记忆就会被重新激活。故选C。
42．推理判断题。根据第三段中“In an evening session, they attempted different puzzles, with a distinct music clip repeating in the background for each, until they had worked on 6 puzzles they could not solve. (在晚上的测试中，他们尝试不同的谜题，每个谜题的背景都重复播放不同的音乐片段，直到他们解决了6个他们无法解决的谜题。)”以及“The next day, back at the lab, the participants attempted the 6 puzzles again. All told, the subjects solved 32% of the sound-cued puzzles compared with 21% of the untargeted puzzles— an increase of more than 50 percent.(第二天，回到实验室，参与者再次尝试这6个谜题。总的来说，受试者解决了32%的声音提示谜题，而非定向谜题的解决率为21%，增加了50%以上。)”可推知，播放解决谜题过程中的音乐有助于提升谜题的解决率。故选A。
43．词义猜测题。根据指代关系和划线词所在句“These are super cool results. Now we need to go further and try to understand them by firstly replicating (复制) them and secondly trying to work out the component processes that are actually being influenced, (这些都是非常酷的结果。现在我们需要更进一步，首先通过复制它们来尝试理解它们，其次尝试找出实际上受到影响的组成过程)”可知，代词them指代的是上文的实验的结果。故选C。
44．主旨大意题。根据第一段中“Now a new study expands on the effect of this so-called incubation by using sound cues to focus the sleeping mind on a targeted problem.(现在，一项新的研究扩展了这种所谓的“孵化”的效果，即使用声音线索让睡眠中的大脑专注于一个目标问题。)”可知，文章介绍了一个新的研究发现我们可以使用声音线索让睡眠中的大脑专注于一个目标问题，帮助找到解决问题的方法。D选项“Reactivating remembered problems during sleep can bring solutions.(在睡眠中重新激活记忆中的问题可以带来解决方案。)”概括文章主题。故选D。
Passage 12
（2023春·天津·高二天津一中校考期中）Given the buzz it’s created, there’s a good chance you’ve heard about ChatGPT. It’s an interactive chatbot powered by machine learning. The technology has basically devoured the entire Internet, reading the collective works of humanity and learning patterns in language that it can recreate. All you have to do is give it a prompt (提示), and ChatGPT can do an endless array of things: write a story in a particular style, answer a question, explain a concept, compose an email—write a college essay-and it will spit out coherent, seemingly human—written text in seconds. The technology is both awesome and terrifying.
22-year-old Edward Tian is working feverishly on a new app to combat misuse of ChatGPT.
Over the last couple years, Tian has been studying an AI system called GPT-3, a predecessor to ChatGPT that was less user-friendly and largely inaccessible to the general public because it was behind a paywall. As part of his studies this fall semester, Tian researched how to detect text written by the AI system while working at Princeton’s Natural Language Processing Lab.
Then, as the semester was coming to a close, OpenAI, the company behind GPT-3 and other AI tools, released ChatGPT to the public for free. For the millions of people around the world who have used it since, interacting with the technology has been like getting a peek into the future; a future that not too long ago would have seemed like science fiction.
For many users of the new technology, wonderment quickly turned to alarm. How-many jobs will this kill Will this empower nefarious (恶意的) actors and further corrupt our public discourse (公共话语) How will this disrupt our education system What is the point of learning to write essays at school when AI-which is expected to get exponentially better in the near future-can do that for us
Tian had an idea. What if he applied what he had learned at school over the last couple years to help the public identify whether something has been written by a machine
Tian already had the know-how and even the software on his laptop to create such a program. Ironically, this software, called GitHub Co-Pilot, is powered by GPT-3. With its assistance, Tian was able to create a new app within three days. It’s a testament to the power of this technology to make us more productive.
On January 2nd, Tian released his app GPTZero. It basically uses ChatGPT against itself, checking whether “there’s zero involvement or a lot of involvement” of the AI system in creating a given text.
When Tian went to bed that night, he didn’t expect much for his app. When he woke up, his phone had blown up. He saw countless texts and DMs from journalists, principals, teachers, you name it, from places as far away as France and Switzerland. His app, which is hosted by a free platform, became so popular it crashed. Excited by the popularity and purpose of his app, the hosting platform has since granted Tian the resources needed to scale the app’s services to a mass audience.
45．Which of the following statements is TRUE about GPT-3
A．It’s designed and researched by Edward Tian in Princeton University
B．Not many ordinary people have used it because it is not free.
C．It is in the same AI system series as ChatGPT and GPTZero.
D．It used to be less user-friendly than ChatGPT but has outdone it now.
46．Wonderment at ChatGPT quickly turned to alarm because many users have the following concerns over ChatGPT EXCEPT _______.
A．AI may replace human beings in the future when it comes to writing essays.
B．Actors may turn bad or even evil if the new technology is adopted in acting.
C．The education system may be badly impacted by the misuse of the new technology.
D．Many people may be out of employment because of the new technology.
47．Principals and teachers may get interested in Edward Tian’s new app probably because _______.
A．the app is hosted by a free platform which is very popular.
B．they know many journalists are also very interested in it.
C．they are eager to share the resources Edward Tian is granted.
D．they are worried about the possibility of students cheating in writing.
48．Which of the following expressions can best describe the principle behind GPTZero
A．Harm set, harm get. B．Birds of a feather flock together.
C．Fight a man with his own weapon. D．Great minds think alike.
【答案】45．B 46．B 47．D 48．C
【导语】这是一篇说明文。作者主要介绍了一位22岁的年轻人试图阻止ChatGPT颠覆写作。
45．细节理解题。由文第三段第一句“Over the last couple years, Tian has been studying an AI system called GPT-3, a predecessor to ChatGPT that was less user-friendly and largely inaccessible to the general public because it was behind a paywall.”（在过去的几年里，田一直在研究一个名为GPT-3的人工智能系统，这是ChatGPT的前身，它对用户是不太友好的，而且公众基本上无法访问，因为它位于收费墙后面。）可知，GPT-3是需要收费的，一般人不使用它，故选B项。
46．细节理解题。由文第五段“For many users of the new technology, wonderment quickly turned to alarm. How-many jobs will this kill Will this empower nefarious (恶意的) actors and further corrupt our public discourse(公共话语) How will this disrupt our education system What is the point of learning to write essays at school when AI-which is expected to get exponentially better in the near future-can do that for us ”（对于许多该项新技术的用户来说，惊奇很快变成了恐慌。这会消灭多少工作？这会使邪恶势力强大吗？并进一步败坏我们的公共话语 这将如何破坏我们的教育系统？当人工智能有望在不久的将来取得指数级的进步时，在学校学习写论文有什么意义？）可知，作者并没有谈到对演员和表演行业的影响，故选B项。
47．推理判断题。由倒数第二段末句“It basically uses ChatGPT against itself, checking whether “there’s zero involvement or a lot of involvement” of the AI system in creating a given text.”（基本上，它使用ChatGPT来对抗自身，检查人工智能系统在创建给定文本时是“零参与还是大量参与”。）可知，校长和老师可以用这个来测试学生是否在写作Unit 1 Science and Scientists（精选名校阅读好题26篇）
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科学基础篇
)
Passage 1
Just a year ago, Sarah fulfilled the dream of owning her own bakery, which was very popular in the local and provided a well-off life for Sarah and her family. But last February, all fell apart, after a car accident left Sarah disabled “I could barely talk or move,” she sobbed.
Darkness and depression drowned Sarah, help seemed out of reach; she couldn’t afford a psychologist. Even worse, she had no health insurance.
So her doctor suggested a mental-health app which offers free chatbot service. It is described as a “friendly” and “mental” tool, asking the patient some questions, like “How are you feeling ” or “What’s bothering you ” After the patient responds to the questions, the computer analyzes the words and phrases in the answers, and then delivers supportive messages which have been prewritten by trained human psychologists.
That is how Sarah found herself on a new frontier of technology and mental health. Advances in artificial intelligence are increasingly being looked to as a way to help people who suffer from mild depression or anxiety.
There are, of course, still plenty of doubts about whether machines can read or respond to the human emotions accurately. “Artificial intelligence is still not at a point where they can copy the complexities of human emotions, let alone imitate mental care,” a psychology professor in a mental health center said.
However, supporters of chatbot treatment say the approach may also be the only realistic and affordable way. It meets a huge worldwide need for more mental healthcare at a time when there are simply not enough professionals to help all the people who could benefit.
1．What can we know about Sarah from the first two paragraphs
A．Her family fell apart in an accident. B．She was nearly drowned in an accident.
C．She suffered a series of misfortunes then. D．Her dream came true despite an accident.
2．How does the chatbot work according to the passage
A．It answers personal questions. B．It offers free face-to-face service.
C．It treats patients with medical care. D．It stores related messages in advance.
3．Why do people doubt about the chatbot
A．It is unable to respond to human emotions. B．It may not react to human emotions correctly.
C．It copies the complexities of human emotions. D．It imitates mental care from human psychologists.
4．Which of the following maybe the purpose of this passage
A．To introduce a free mental-care chatbot. B．To encourage readers to learn from Sarah.
C．To suggest a new way to do mental research. D．To call for more attention on mental healthcare.
Passage 2
Cities are the planet’s largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions (排放), so they offer the greatest opportunity to tackle climate change. Hitting net zero emissions by 2050, a target set at the COP26 summit, could be achieved more quickly using city digital twins-working virtual replicas (复制品) that help track, manage and reduce environmental damage rapidly.
The United Nations says cities, the most suitable subjects, which occupy less than two percent of the Earth’s surface, are major contributors to climate change, consuming almost 80 percent of the world’s energy and producing more than 60 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Urban areas are forecast to grow by another 2.5 billion people by 2050.
Digital twins look and behave identically in their real-world physical environments. Similar technologies have been in use since NASA’s Apollo moon mission in 1969, where computers and machine replicas were used to test and monitor spacecraft. Virtual 3D city models link to networks of sensors that collect data from buildings, transport, air quality and energy use, to see where emissions can be cut and efficiency improved.
The UK is planning a kind of national digital twins that will connect digital replicas managing buildings, factories, and the other infrastructure nationwide. And that could lead to entire virtual world online, part of a virtual reality space proposed by tech companies.
Research shows that digital twins can save cities more than $280 billion globally by 2030 through more efficient urban planning. A provider of digital twins, City zenith, believes that net zero deadlines could be achieved 15 years early if the world’s 100 biggest cities use the technology to remove carbon. “They are the perfect tool for managing and accelerating the energy transition,” said CEO Michael Jansen. “We could get to net zero emissions globally by 2035.”
In the US, the Digital Twin Consortium is working to standardize how digital twins are built and share data. Big tech companies around the world have developed software for replicating cities, including a district of Berlin, the island nation of Singapore, and the entire city of Shanghai in China.
5．What are city digital twins used to do
A．Decorate cities.
B．Change cities’ climate.
C．Reduce urban greenhouse gas emissions.
D．Popularize urban technology.
6．Why are cities chosen for the use of digital twins
A．They occupy most of the Earth’s surface.
B．They contribute most to the greenhouse effect.
C．They produce little of solid waste pollution.
D．They consume little of the world’s energy.
7．Why is the Apollo moon mission mentioned in the text
A．To prove the accuracy of network data.
B．To explain the application of digital twins.
C．To tell us the importance of space tasks.
D．To show the difficulty of urban construction.
8．What can we learn about city digital twins from the last two paragraphs
A．They are practical and promising.
B．They have reached a standard level.
C．They lack research funding.
D．They are complex and unrecognizable.
Passage 3
What if your smartphone or laptop starts charging as soon as you walk in the door Scientists have developed a specially-built room that can conduct energy to a variety of electronic devices within it without plugs or batteries.
It’s a custom test room of about 18 m3, built from conductive aluminum panels (铝板) with a metal pole running down the middle. When the scientists ran an electric current through the walls and pole following a set pattern, it produced two separate magnetic (磁的) fields: one that fills the center of the room and the other that covers the corners, thus allowing any devices within the space to charge.
By carrying out tests, scientists found their method could deliver 50 watts of power throughout the room, firing up all devices they tested. Without safeguards, running currents through the room’s metal walls would typically fill it with two types of waves: electric and magnetic. This presents a problem, because electric fields can produce heat in biological tissues and pose a danger to humans. So the team built capacitors, devices that store electric energy, in the walls. “It limits the safe magnetic fields to the room volume (室容积) while limiting risky parts to all the components built in the walls.” lead author Takuya Sasatani explains.
The scientists also tested the room’s safety, and the result showed the absorption of energy would remain well below acceptable limits. “We’re not saying this technology is safe under all circumstances — we’re still exploring,” says study co-author Alanson Sample. “But it shows us that there’s still much area to explore.”
But applying the technology is still far in the future. “It’s just too troublesome to put aluminum sheets all over the wall — that benefit doesn’t make sense yet,” Sample says. “We’ve just developed a brand-new technique. Now we have to figure out how to make it practical.” He plans to continue researching whether coating existing rooms with conductive material could enable the construction of wireless-charging rooms in line with building standards. Meanwhile, scientists hope to improve the efficiency of power conduction in the room and remove spots that the charge does not reach.
9．What does paragraph 2 mainly talk about
A．What the room looks like. B．How electric currents are generated.
C．How the special room works. D．What the technology was developed for.
10．What are the capacitors used to do
A．Produce electric power. B．Measure magnetic field.
C．Prevent devices from heating. D．Shelter people from harm.
11．What is Alanson Sample’s attitude to the technology
A．Unconcerned. B．Cautious. C．Doubtful. D．Content.
12．What’s the major barrier to the technology’s application
A．The cost. B．The safety. C．The efficiency. D．The material.
Passage 4
A retired couple in the Netherlands have moved into Europe’s first fully 3D-printed house. The two-bedroom bungalow (平房) in Eindhoven is the first of five homes planned on the site in the coming months, using a huge 3D-printer. It’s part of some special teamwork between Eindhoven University of Technology and the Vesteda housing company called Project Milestone.
This house was designed by an architect and printed using a huge robotic arm in a special warehouse (仓库). The printer uses a nozzle (喷嘴) that squirts out special substance to print out the building, layer by layer.
Once the house had been printed it was transported by vehicle to the building site where it was placed on a foundation, and a roof and windows were added.
In the longer term, many in the building industry believe that 3D-printed homes could become a sustainable solution for tackling housing shortages. The technology is friendlier to the environment and reduces costs because it uses less concrete and homes are quicker to build. The new home took just 120 hours to print, much quicker than building a house in the traditional way, which can take around 1-2 years to build.
The new owners Elize Lutz and Harrie Dekkers, will pay $800 a month to live in the house for six months, after they responded to a request for volunteers.
“I saw a drawing of this house and it looked exactly like a garden,” said Elize. “It’s beautiful.” “It feels safe,” added Harrie.
Construction companies in the US and France have already been using 3D printing to build parts of homes, but this one is the first to be fully built and have people live in it.
13．What’s the aim of mentioning a retired couple
A．To stress their wealthy background.
B．To advertise to sell a 3D-printed house.
C．To introduce the topic of the 3D printing.
D．To explain their reason for moving the 3D-printed house.
14．What can be learned about the 3D-printed house
A．It cost less and was finished more quickly.
B．It was completed within around 1-2 years.
C．It was designed in a two-bedroom bungalow.
D．It was added a roof and windows in a special warehouse.
15．What do the retired couple think of the 3D-printed house
A．Environmentally-friendly but unsafe. B．Expensive but well-designed.
C．Cheap and common. D．Pretty and secure.
16．Where can the text be found
A．In a history book. B．In a novel.
C．In an art magazine. D．In a newspaper.
Passage 5
AI is a machine’s ability to perform the cognitive (认知的) functions we associate with human minds, such as reasoning, learning, interacting with an environment, problem solving, and even exercising creativity. You’ve probably interacted with AI even if you didn’t realize it — voice assistants like Siri and Alexa are founded on AI technology, as are some customer service chatbots that pop up to aid you to explore websites.
By using artificial intelligence, companies have the potential to make business more efficient and profitable. But ultimately, the value of artificial intelligence isn’t in the systems themselves but in how companies use those systems to assist humans — and their ability to explain what those systems do — in a way that builds and earns trust.
Since they are so new, we have yet to see the long-tail effect of AI models. This means there are some risks involved in using them — some known and some unknown.
The outputs AI models produce may often sound extremely convincing. This is by design. But sometimes the information they generate is just plain wrong. Worse, sometimes it’s biased, because it’s built on the gender, racial, and various other limitations of the internet and society more generally. And it can even be operated to enable immoral or criminal activity.
These risks can be reduced, however, in a few ways. For one, it’s crucial to carefully select the initial data used to tarin these models to avoid including toxic (中毒的) or incorrect content. Next, rather than operating an off-the-shelf generative-AI model, organizations could consider using smaller, specialized models. Organizations with more resources could also customize a general model based on their own data to fit their needs and minimize shortcoming. Organizations should also keep a human in the process — make sure a real human checks the output of a generative-AI model before it is published or used, and avoid using generative-AI models for critical decisions, such as those involving significant resources or human welfare.
17．What can we learn about AI from the first two paragraphs
A．Its value lies in its practical application by firms.
B．It performs the same abilities humans own.
C．It’s always being used when we surf the websites.
D．It has been widely used by profitable companies.
18．What does underlined word “biased” in paragraph 4 mean
A．Unclear. B．Unimportant. C．Unreliable. D．Unusual.
19．Who are mostly responsible for reducing the risks when using AI
A．Produces and personal users.
B．Developers and operating firms.
C．Personal users and data collectors.
D．Operating companies and personal users.
20．What’s the author’s purpose in writing the text
A．To analyze the advantages and disadvantages of AI.
B．To lead companies to improve efficiency with AI.
C．To introduce AI and ways to overcome their limitations.
D．To tell customers how to operate AI correctly and precisely.
Passage 6
Breaking ground on what will be the first 3D-printed community in the world, a large 3D printer built two houses in a poor area of Mexico. The houses aren’t just models. Developers hoped to build 50 new 3D-printed houses, replacing the structures that residents built by themselves out of wood, metal, and whatever materials they could afford.
These residents live in a seismic zone (地震带) that tends to be affected by flooding. Building something that can stand an earthquake and keep people dry during heavy rain was a key consideration when it came to the design of the houses.
New Story, the non-profit organization building the houses, has built more than 2,300 homes in South America and Mexico since it was founded in 2014. This is the first homebuilding project it has done with 3D printing. The organization paired up with ICON, a construction technology company that developed the 3D-printing robotics being used on the project. The homes were co-designed with the families who will live in them.
According to New Story, 3D printing is much faster than regular construction. The printer prints out a concrete mix that hardens when it dries, building the walls one layer at a time. It takes about 24 hours to build two houses at the same time. Since 3D printing is also cheaper than traditional construction, there is great potential for how it will change the world.
The technology holds promise for affordable housing. New Story is excited about what the technology could mean for people who don’t have safe shelter. Brett Hagler, the CEO and co-founder of the organization, said safe shelter is “one of the largest crises affecting humanity today”. The technology is there, and the application to build homes for those in need brings a lot of hope for the future.
21．What did the design of the 3D-printed houses mainly consider
A．The structures of the old houses. B．The materials available in the area.
C．The financial ability of the organization. D．The environmental conditions of the area.
22．What is the third paragraph mainly about
A．The design process. B．The introduction of ICON.
C．The teams behind the project. D．The differences between New Story and ICON.
23．What makes the new technology meaningful
A．It can end human crises. B．It can provide shelter free of charge.
C．It can replace traditional construction. D．It can offer safe housing to the homeless.
24．What is the best title of the text
A．3D Printing Becomes a Reality. B．Technologies Change the Future.
C．3D Printing Helps with Housing Problems. D．Technologies Bring Hope to Mexican Cities.
Passage 7
Sam Altman, CEO of the San Francisco startup OpenAI that developed ChatGPT, his company’s chatbot tool, on Tuesday urged US lawmakers to regulate artificial intelligence “We think that regulatory intervention (干预) by governments will be critical to mitigate the risks of increasingly powerful models. My worst fears are that we, the field, the technology industry cause significant harm to the world. ” Altman said.
“I think if this technology goes wrong, it can go quite wrong, and we want to be vocal about that, ”Altman added. “We want to work with the government to prevent that from happening
The 38-year-old Stanford University dropout said the potential for AI to be used to influence voters is among “my areas of greatest concern”, especially because “we’re going to face an election next year and these models are getting better”. He said his company’s technology may destroy some jobs but also create new ones and that it will be important for government to figure out how we want to reduce that”. Altman said the government could regulate the industry by creating an agency that issues licenses for the creation of large-scale AI models, safety regulations and tests that AI models must pass before being released to the public.
The rapid development of ChatGPT with an estimated 100 million users within two months has sparked an industry race, with Microsoft, an investor in OpenAI, enabling ChatGPT in the Windows operating system and Google adding its own so-called generative AI systems including one called Bard, to its app. The latest forms of AI also have drawn criticism from some of tech’s biggest names for their potential to disrupt(扰乱)millions of jobs and spread misinformation.
Altman said OpenAI pretests and constantly updates its tools to ensure safety and that making them widely available to the public actually helps the company identify and mitigate risks.
25．According to Altman, why should the government regulate AI
A．To accelerate industry race . B．To provide job opportunities.
C．To avoid influencing voters. D．To prevent its potential harm.
26．What does the underlined word “mitigate” mean in paragraph 3
A．Remove B．Pose C．Reduce D．Adapt
27．What has the rapid development of ChatGPT resulted in
A．The birth of Bard B．100 million users
C．The spread of misinformation D．An industry race
28．What is the best title for the text
A．Government involved in AI risk B．Strict regulations urged on AI
C．OpenAI updated for safety D．Jobs destroyed by ChatGPI
(
科学拔高篇
)
Passage 8
One of the best things about new technology is how it makes the world more accessible to people with disabilities. Take Siri or Alexa, for example. They are a convenience or even a toy for most people. But if you’re blind, they’re potential life savers, capable of sending messages or receiving instructions, entirely through the power of your voice.
What’s truly exciting is how advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are enabling the creation of even smarter accessibility features. On the most recent Google Pixel phones, it’s possible to turn on a feature called “Live Captions”. This means that deaf people can easily watch videos — or even make video calls. And perhaps more magically, iPhone will even let you create a simulation of your own voice and have it speak for you, giving us all technology similar to what Stephen Hawking used, but in the palms of our hands.
What I think is most striking though is what all of these clever accessibility features mean for the rest of us, who may not need to use the features for their intended uses. The idea behind smart headsets — if they’re ever going to be truly useful — is that they will work almost as an extension of brains and bodies. We’ll want them to give us directions when we need them, and help us understand our surroundings. And we’ll need a way to interact with headsets without buttons or a touchscreen, using our voice or by gesturing with our hands.
This is for sure a tricky technical challenge, but it’s actually possible to imagine how such headsets might work, because these fundamental technologies already exist thanks to accessibility features on smartphones already on the market.
Ultimately, this is a great way to think about accessibility features and why they’re so important on our modern devices. Because they don’t just help the people who need them — they help make our technology even better for everyone else too.
29．How does the author prove the point in the second paragraph
A．By giving examples.
B．By making a summary.
C．By giving definition.
D．By making a comparison.
30．Which is the original intention of accessibility features
A．To evaluate the uses of the phone.
B．To give instructions to the disabled.
C．To help users in solving various phones problems.
D．To make the world more accessible to the disabled.
31．What does the underlined word ”this“ in paragraph 4 refer to
A．Standard size. B．Complex function.
C．Delicate design. D．Convenient operation.
32．What is the text mainly about
A．A new function of mobile phones.
B．A vital role of accessibility features.
C．A rapid change in life for the disabled.
D．A technical challenge of modern devices.
Passage 9
（2023春·上海·高二上海市行知中学校考期中）Our lives are made up of human-machine interactions—with smartphones, televisions, computers—that have the power to delight and, often, frustrate. Into this area has stepped a new class of professional: the user-experience, or UX, designer, whose job is to see a product not from an engineer’s, marketer’s, or legal department’s perspective but from the viewpoint of the user alone. And to insist that the customer should not have to learn to speak the company’s internal language. The company should learn to speak the customer’s.
According to a recent survey, the role of UX designers has become a fixture on those year-end “hottest job” lists. If you want to study UX, you now have the option at some three dozen institutions in the United States, including Carnegie Mellon and the University of Washington. But Ford is one of the few major industrial companies in the U.S. to put a UX expert, Jim Hackett, in charge.
At present, the question facing the car industry is basically whether high-tech giants such as Tesla and Google can learn car-making technology trains faster than Ford, GM, and other carmakers can learn software and algorithms. But Hackett reflects Ford’s bet that the winner won’t be the best chassis (底盘) maker or software maker, but the company that nails the interaction between man and machine. “One of the things that drew me to Jim was his commitment to design thinking, which puts the human being at the center of the equation,” explained Bill Ford, the company’s executive chairman.
Hackett retired from Steelcase, a furniture maker, in 2014 and in 2016, Bill Ford hired him to run the automaker’s Smart Mobility subsidiary, which was tasked with rethinking from the ground up how cars would be driven, powered, and owned. “This is what we call the design gap,” said Hackett in an interview, pointing to the space between two lines on a graph he’d drawn on a whiteboard. One line climbs up—this is a company’s skill at making things, which goes up over time. Below it is a downward line, representing a company’s understanding of the customer’s experience. This, he said, can decline over time, as a company loses sight of the problems it’s in the business of solving. The design gap may be noticeable when the job is, say, building a marginally better tailgate for the Ford F-150. But it becomes positively yawning when your industry is so thoroughly turned on its head that you’re forced to ask some basic questions: Do people want to own their cars or share them Drive them or have them driven The flood of new technologies makes everything possible.
33．Which of the following statements best describes a UX designer’s responsibility
A．He is devoted to designing innovative products.
B．He is devoted to making a product satisfy users’ needs.
C．He is devoted to improving a company’s internal language.
D．He is devoted to understanding human-machine interactions.
34．What can be inferred from the passage
A．UX designers are regarded as one of those best-paid jobs.
B．High-tech giants have taken the lead in car manufacturing.
C．Companies are laying greater emphasis on customers’ feelings.
D．The UX courses provided by the US institutions are far from enough,
35．Ford hires Jim Hackett because the company believes that _______.
A．it is currently facing the biggest challenge that needs a new perspective
B．Hackett’s design thinking is quite different from other UX professionals
C．customers’ experience plays a decisive role in the car-making competition
D．Steelcase gave Hackett enough time and experience to grow up into an expert
36．What is Jim Hackett most likely to agree with
A．Ford should pay less attention to new technologies.
B．Ford has long been ignoring customers’ experience.
C．Ford is no longer a leading company in auto making skills.
D．Ford has made a wrong decision to build a tailgate for the F-150.
Passage 10
ChatGPT is a new AI system that sounds so human in conversations that it could host its own radio programs. Reading between its instantly generated, perfectly grammatical lines, people see different visions of the future. Without doubt, ChatGPT is impressive.
Some compare the emergence of ChatGPT to the impact of the iPhone, but that doesn’t do it justice. ChatGPT, as well as the generative AI that will follow and outsmart it, is disruptive. And yet, that doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the world is upon us. On the contrary, ChatGPT, I would argue, might serve to make us more aware of our irreplaceable human qualities.
Take the creative act, writing in particular, as an example. If you want it to, the AI-powered chatbot (聊天机器人) always produces something because it has the whole world of online data to draw from. But unlike us, it lacks the consciousness. Thinking is hard, critical thinking even harder, and ChatGPT isn’t good at either. It just restates what has already been said; it is one big recycling machine.
There is another obvious limitation of ChatGPT. Philosopher Harry Frankfurt once claimed: the difference between a bullshitter (胡说八道的人) and a liar is that the liar knows what the truth is but decides to take the opposite direction; a bullshitter, however, has no regard for the truth at all. The AI scholar Gary Marus applies this distinction to ChatGPT. He believes that we have reached a critical point where “the price of bullshit reaches zero and people who want to spread misinformation, either politically or just to make a profit, start doing that plentifully”. Unfortunately, ChatGPT will reproduce misinformation from any of its input sources — it is not an intelligent system that tries to balance or weigh different perspectives. In this sense, everything that ChatGPT writes is bullshit.
This is why the so-called AIQ is critical. It is actually an extension and a measurement of our human IQ: our overall knowledge of AI tools, our mastery of clues, and our ethical awareness. ChatGPT is going to change everything — and nothing. Creativity, imagination and ethics — these will all remain unique human range. It is the AI’s very limitations that will make us appreciate our own.
37．What can we learn about ChatGPT from the passage
A．It generates immediate language responses.
B．It provides instructions on writing skills.
C．It helps generate an artificial voice.
D．It offers a service for language learning.
38．What does the underlined word “disruptive” in Paragraph 2 probably mean
A．Evil. B．Revolutionary. C．Profitable. D．Reliable.
39．Why does the author consider ChatGPT as a bullshit generator
A．It makes up lies constantly.
B．It always takes a neutral standpoint.
C．It often makes unfair judgement.
D．It can’t tell right from wrong.
40．What’s the passage mainly about
A．ChatGPT should be treated like a toy, not a tool.
B．ChatGPT is causing panic now.
C．ChatGPT makes us realize the unique human features.
D．ChatGPT is bound to generate bullshit.
Passage 11
From Zzz to Aha!
When you are stuck on a problem, sometimes it is best to stop thinking about it — consciously, anyway. Research has shown that taking a break or a nap can help the brain create paths to a solution. Now a new study expands on the effect of this so-called incubation by using sound cues to focus the sleeping mind on a targeted problem.
When humans sleep, parts of the brain replay certain memories, strengthening and transforming them. About a decade ago researchers developed a technique, called targeted memory reactivation (再激活) (TMR), aimed at further strengthening selected memories: when a sound becomes associated with a memory and is later played during sleep, that memory gets reactivated.
In a study published last November in Psychological Science, scientists tested whether revisiting the memory of a puzzle during sleep might also improve problem-solving. About 60 participants visited the laboratory before and after a night of sleep. In an evening session, they attempted different puzzles, with a distinct music clip repeating in the background for each, until they had worked on 6 puzzles they could not solve. Overnight they wore electrodes (电极条) to detect slow-wave sleep, a state of deep dreamless sleep, which may be important for memory enhancement — and a device played the sounds related to 3 of the 6 unsolved puzzles. The next day, back at the lab, the participants attempted the 6 puzzles again. All told, the subjects solved 32% of the sound-cued puzzles compared with 21% of the untargeted puzzles— an increase of more than 50 percent.
“These are super cool results. Now we need to go further and try to understand them by firstly replicating (复制) them and secondly trying to work out the component processes that are actually being influenced,” says Penny Lewis, a psychologist at Cardiff University.
Beyond providing new evidence that humans restructure memories while sleeping, the research may have practical implications. In a futuristic world, maybe TMR could help us use sleep to work on our problems. Sleep-monitoring technology is increasingly accessible — and even without gadgets, prospective solvers can focus on important problems before bed.
41．What can we learn about TMR
A．It can be used to help people improve their sleep quality.
B．It is aimed at removing selected memories.
C．It replays a sound to get related memories reactivated in sleep.
D．It is a technique published in Psychological Science last November.
42．According to the experiment, what may be the reason for the increase of puzzle solving
A．The specific music. B．The electrodes.
C．Slow-wave sleep. D．The targeted puzzles.
43．What does the underlined word “them” in Paragraph 4 refer to
A．The participants of the study. B．The researchers of the study.
C．The results of the study. D．The 6 unsolved puzzles.
44．What is the text mainly about
A．Sleeping can help humans restructure memories.
B．Listening to music can strengthen and transform memories.
C．Taking a break or a nap can help the brain create solutions.
D．Reactivating remembered problems during sleep can bring solutions.
Passage 12
Given the buzz it’s created, there’s a good chance you’ve heard about ChatGPT. It’s an interactive chatbot powered by machine learning. The technology has basically devoured the entire Internet, reading the collective works of humanity and learning patterns in language that it can recreate. All you have to do is give it a prompt (提示), and ChatGPT can do an endless array of things: write a story in a particular style, answer a question, explain a concept, compose an email—write a college essay-and it will spit out coherent, seemingly human—written text in seconds. The technology is both awesome and terrifying.
22-year-old Edward Tian is working feverishly on a new app to combat misuse of ChatGPT.
Over the last couple years, Tian has been studying an AI system called GPT-3, a predecessor to ChatGPT that was less user-friendly and largely inaccessible to the general public because it was behind a paywall. As part of his studies this fall semester, Tian researched how to detect text written by the AI system while working at Princeton’s Natural Language Processing Lab.
Then, as the semester was coming to a close, OpenAI, the company behind GPT-3 and other AI tools, released ChatGPT to the public for free. For the millions of people around the world who have used it since, interacting with the technology has been like getting a peek into the future; a future that not too long ago would have seemed like science fiction.
For many users of the new technology, wonderment quickly turned to alarm. How-many jobs will this kill Will this empower nefarious (恶意的) actors and further corrupt our public discourse (公共话语) How will this disrupt our education system What is the point of learning to write essays at school when AI-which is expected to get exponentially better in the near future-can do that for us
Tian had an idea. What if he applied what he had learned at school over the last couple years to help the public identify whether something has been written by a machine
Tian already had the know-how and even the software on his laptop to create such a program. Ironically, this software, called GitHub Co-Pilot, is powered by GPT-3. With its assistance, Tian was able to create a new app within three days. It’s a testament to the power of this technology to make us more productive.
On January 2nd, Tian released his app GPTZero. It basically uses ChatGPT against itself, checking whether “there’s zero involvement or a lot of involvement” of the AI system in creating a given text.
When Tian went to bed that night, he didn’t expect much for his app. When he woke up, his phone had blown up. He saw countless texts and DMs from journalists, principals, teachers, you name it, from places as far away as France and Switzerland. His app, which is hosted by a free platform, became so popular it crashed. Excited by the popularity and purpose of his app, the hosting platform has since granted Tian the resources needed to scale the app’s services to a mass audience.
45．Which of the following statements is TRUE about GPT-3
A．It’s designed and researched by Edward Tian in Princeton University
B．Not many ordinary people have used it because it is not free.
C．It is in the same AI system series as ChatGPT and GPTZero.
D．It used to be less user-friendly than ChatGPT but has outdone it now.
46．Wonderment at ChatGPT quickly turned to alarm because many users have the following concerns over ChatGPT EXCEPT _______.
A．AI may replace human beings in the future when it comes to writing essays.
B．Actors may turn bad or even evil if the new technology is adopted in acting.
C．The education system may be badly impacted by the misuse of the new technology.
D．Many people may be out of employment because of the new technology.
47．Principals and teachers may get interested in Edward Tian’s new app probably because _______.
A．the app is hosted by a free platform which is very popular.
B．they know many journalists are also very interested in it.
C．they are eager to share the resources Edward Tian is granted.
D．they are worried about the possibility of students cheating in writing.
48．Which of the following expressions can best describe the principle behind GPTZero
A．Harm set, harm get. B．Birds of a feather flock together.
C．Fight a man with his own weapon. D．Great minds think alike.
Passage 13
In the United States, goods transportation accounts for more than one-third of transportation-related greenhouse-gas emissions. Major companies, such as Amazon, have been experimenting with using drones (无人机) and robots to deliver packages with an eye to reducing their environmental impact.
Interest in the idea grew even more during the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey conducted in mid-2020 found that more than 60% of people would be willing to pay extra for their packages to be delivered by robots.“This was partly the result of a desire to avoid infection,”says Thiago Rodrigues, a transportation researcher at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and a co-author of the new study. However, he adds that another reason was the fact that automated delivery is often faster than delivery trucks.
With technology improving, drone delivery is likely to become more common in the near future, says Juan Zhang, a transportation researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.“Therefore, we need more studies on the energy consumption of drones,” she says.
Rodrigues and his colleagues have done such a study. They attached packages weighing 0.5 kilograms or less to“quad copter”drones, which have four rotors (旋翼), and flew them at speeds of 4-12 meters per second. From these flights, the researchers were able to determine how much energy was needed to fly a drone, as well as the quantities of greenhouse gases given off in generating the electricity to charge the drone’s battery.
The results show that a drone’s environmental footprint depends in part on where it’s charged. In the US Midwest, for example, electricity generation is more carbon intensive than in New York. But regardless of region, drones have a much smaller environmental impact than diesel (柴油) and electric trucks when it comes to moving small packages: drones’ greenhouse-gas emissions per kilometer are roughly 2% of those of a medium-duty truck powered by either diesel fuel or electricity.
49．What have major companies such as Amazon been attempting to do
A．Make package delivery environmentally friendly.
B．Relieve the pressure of public transportation.
C．Improve the speed of package delivery.
D．Reduce the white pollution.
50．What do Thiago Rodrigues’ words imply about automated delivery
A．It has changed people’s life.
B．It will replace delivery trucks in no time.
C．It has a price advantage over delivery trucks.
D．It is well received by many people during the pandemic.
51．Why did Rodrigues and his colleagues do the study
A．To help drones function more efficiently.
B．To improve the service life of drones’ batteries.
C．To know about the energy consumption of drones.
D．To make drones’ charging process more convenient.
52．What would be the best title for the text
A．Are Drones Safe Tools for Delivering Parcels — Yes
B．Using Drones to Deliver Parcels — Good for Earth
C．Are We Ready to Use Drones for Delivery — Yes
D．Using Trucks to Deliver Parcels — Time to Change
(
科学家基础篇
)
Passage 14
John von Neumann was the oldest of 3 children of a banker, and his speed of learning new ideas and solving problems stood out early. At 17, his father tried to persuade him not to become a mathematician because he might lead a poor life being a mathematician, so von Neumann agreed to study chemistry as well. In 1926, at 23, he received a degree in chemical engineering and a Ph. D in mathematics. From then on, mathematics provided well enough for him, and he never had to turn to chemistry.
In 1930, von Neumann visited Princeton University for a year and then became a professor there. His first book was published in 1932. In 1933, the Institute for Advanced Study was formed, and he became one of the 6 full-time people in the School of Mathematics (Einstein was one of the others).
World War Ⅱ hugely changed von Neumann’s areas of interest. Until 1940 he had been a great pure mathematician. During and after the war, he became one of the best mathematicians who put mathematical theories into practice. During the last part of the war he became interested in computing machines and made several fundamental contributions. After the war, von Neumann continued his work with computers, and was generally very active in government service. He received many awards, was president of the American Mathematical Society and was a member of the Atomic Energy Commission. He died of cancer in 1957.
Von Neumann made several great contributions and any one of them would have been enough to earn him a firm place in history. He will be remembered as one of the greatest minds of the 20th century.
Von Neumann really was a legend in his own time, and there are a number of stories about him. His driving ability is a part of his legend. He reported one accident this way: “I was driving down the road. The trees on the right were passing me in an orderly fashion at 60 miles per hour. Suddenly one of them stepped in my path.”
53．John von Neumann also learned chemistry because ______.
A．his father didn’t trust his talent in learning mathematics
B．he believed he could live a wealthy life learning chemistry
C．his father worried about his income as a mathematician
D．he had the gift for solving problems at a high speed
54．How old was John von Neumann when he published his first book
A．25. B．26. C．29. D．32.
55．How did World War Ⅱ affect John von Neumann
A．He realized the importance of engineering.
B．He began to research how to put mathematics into practice.
C．He left college and served at the government department.
D．He was no longer interested in chemistry.
56．Which of the following can best describe John von Neumann
A．Intelligent and humorous. B．Smart but indecisive.
C．Brave and calm. D．Kind and easy-going.
Passage 15
Although he is one of China’s most famous scientists, Yuan Longping considers himself a farmer, for he works the land to do his research. Indeed, his sunburnt face and arms and his slim, strong body are just like those of millions of Chinese farmers, for whom he has struggled for the past five decades. Yuan Longping grows super hybrid rice. In 1973, he became the first agricultural pioneer in the world to grow the super hybrid rice that has a high output. This special strain of rice makes it possible to produce 20% more of the crop in the same fields. Now more than 60% of the rice is from this hybrid strain.
Born in 1930, Yuan Longping graduated from Southwest Agricultural College in 1953. Since then, finding ways to produce more rice has been his life goal. As a young man, he saw the great need for increasing the rice output. At that time, hunger was a problem in many parts of China. Yuan Longping looked for a way to increase rice output without expanding the area of the fields. In 1950, Chinese farmers could produce about 56 million tons of rice, but now nearly 200 million tons per year. Nearly 22% of the world’s people are fed from just 7% of the farmland in the world, which is due to the super hybrid rice grown by Yuan Longping.
57．What is Yuan Longping
A．He is an artist. B．He is a scientist. C．He is a doctor. D．He is a teacher.
58．What does the underlined words “five decades” mean in paragraph one
A．fifty million years. B．fifty thousand years. C．fifty hundred years. D．fifty years.
59．In 1973, what happened to Yuan Longping
A．He was born. B．He grew the super hybrid rice as the first agricultural pioneer.
C．He graduated from the college. D．He produced 56 million tons of rice.
60．How many tons of rice can Chinese farmers produce per year now
A．nearly 50 million tons. B．nearly 100 million tons.
C．nearly 200 million tons. D．nearly 250 million tons.
Passage 16
Charles Richard Drew’s great invention directly contributed to saving thousands of lives during World WarⅡ, and continues to contribute to the life-saving work of the entire world of medicine later.
Born in 1904, Drew was the eldest of five children. He was intelligent and showed a talent for studies and sports from a young age. In 1922, his athletic ability earned him an athletic scholarship to attend Amherst College in Massachusetts. Drew graduated from Amherst College in 1926. In 1928 he applied to medical schools and was admitted to MeGill University in Montreal, Canada. He completed his medical degree and master’s degree in surgery in 1933.
Upon graduation, as an internship (实习生), he began to look at issues related to blood transfusions.
When he began his doctoral studies at Columbia University, with a physician named John Scudder, Drew continued his research in the field of blood transfusion. The two have jointly conducted research into blood preservation and fluid replacement, leading to the development of an experimental blood bank, which ran smoothly for seven months.
Drew’s breakthroughs in blood preservation were timely, as the World War II was raging in Europe at the time. Under Drew’s direction, his team has developed new ways to extract, preserve and transport plasma (血浆) on a large scale.
Following the success of the “Blood for Britain” program, Drew was appointed the assistant director for the US blood banking system. During this time, he built a number of mobile blood donation stations, later known as blood delivery stations.
On April 1, 1950, tragedy struck. Drew was injured in a serious car accident while on his way to a conference and died from his injuries. Many medical colleges and schools have been named after him to honor his contribution.
61．What is the second paragraph mainly about
A．Drew’s family. B．Drew’s intelligence.
C．Drew’s early experience. D．Drew’s contribution.
62．What kind of person is Charles Richard
A．Strong-willed and ambitious. B．Sympathetic and tough.
C．Caring and brave. D．Talented and committed.
63．Why are many colleges and schools named after Charles Richard Drew
A．Because he has made great contribution to medical science.
B．Because he alone finished the research in the field of blood transfusion.
C．Because his contribution has changed the process of the World War Ⅱ.
D．Because he died in a tragedy car accident on his way to conference.
64．Which category can this article be
A．A documentary. B．A novel.
C．A science fiction. D．A short biography.
Passage 17
“I want to work full-time in China, honey.” An overseas call awakened the wife from sound sleep. “Why ” asked the wife with surprise, in a drowsy (昏昏欲睡的) voice, from the other side of the ocean.
In the United States, he had a great future ahead. At the age of 36, he became the youngest professor in the history of the Department of Molecular Biology at Princeton University, for his academic achievements. At 40, he became a tenured (终身的) chair professor at Princeton.
When everything seemed perfect and admirable to others, he firmly decided to say goodbye to Princeton University, to an affluent life in the United States, and return to China.
The news spread explosively. Many expressed confusion, many persuaded him, many made fun of him, and still many waited to have a good laugh at him.
He said patriotism is the plainest feeling of a person. Who doesn’t love his motherland, after all In his heart, the American dream is already something past; the Chinese dream is rising.
After returning to China, he devoted all his energy, worked like crazy, and determined to do something big. He formed a life science research team. Every day, he works 12 to 16 hours at his laboratory. He is Shi Yigong, nicknamed “Da Niu” (someone with extraordinary achievements) by Tsinghua students. His given name, Yigong, comes from an idiom that means “devoted to public interest whole-heartedly”. “So far as I’m concerned, awards are of no special meaning.” Shi says calmly.
In his 18 years of study in the United States, he never forgot his Chinese dream. In the next 18 years, the Chinese dream will be more beautiful and greater by the efforts of Shi Yigong and the likes of him.
65．Why was Shi determined to return to China
A．To serve his motherland. B．To reunite with his wife.
C．To live a quieter life. D．To make more money.
66．What does the underlined word “affluent” in Paragraph 3 probably mean
A．Normal. B．Miserable. C．Wealthy. D．Adventurous.
67．Why is Shi Yigong called “Da Niu” by his Tsinghua students
A．To support his life science research.
B．To praise his honesty.
C．To introduce his endless energy in work.
D．To show his unusual achievements.
Passage 18
In 2018, China became the largest producer and consumer of the fruit in the world. Ninety-two-year-old Wu Mingzhu, a native of Wuhan, is the unknown hero who has helped make this possible.
“About 80 percent of the watermelons and sweet-melons served at people’s dining tables every day are the result of painful efforts made by Wu and her team over more than 60 years,” said Zhang Wenjun, a colleague of Wu’s.
Helping others had long been a dream of hers. And she thought the most beautiful thing in life is that everything you create can serve the people, so she made efforts to grow quality melons, which began paying off in 1973. She is one of the 8, 000 agricultural scientists who have come to Hainan annually from across the country over the past 60 years and have cultivated more than 20, 000 of China’s new seed varieties through off-season breeding.
Using innovative measures such as radiation mutation breeding, double haploid breeding and distant hybridization breeding, Wu and her team developed new germ-plasm (种质) resources, from which they cultivated more than 30 watermelon and muskmelon (香瓜) varieties with better adaptability and stronger disease resistance, said Yi Hongping, former director of the Xinjiang Muskmelon Research Center.
The new melon varieties have been promoted to more than 1.86 million hectares of fields from north to south. Some of these varieties have been promoted overseas, as far as California. Wu’s work has left her a number of honors. The “queen of melons” became an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering in 1999 and an honorary citizen of Sanya in 2004.
68．Why did Wu Mingzhu mainly want to grow high-end melons
A．Because she wanted to make China the largest producer of melons.
B．Because China is the largest consumer of melons in the world.
C．Because she wanted to create something that could serve people.
D．Because Chinese government asked her to grow high quality melons.
69．What can we learn about from Paragraph 4
A．Wu and her team cultivated melon varieties that could resist every disease.
B．Wu and her team cultivated high quality melons from the new germ-plasm resources.
C．Wu and her team cultivated 30 watermelon varieties from radiation mutation breeding.
D．Wu and her team cultivated melon varieties that could adapt to any circumstance.
70．Which of the following about Wu Mingzhu is NOT true from the text
A．She has cultivated more than 20, 000 of China’s new seed varieties.
B．She is committed to her work and makes remarkable achievements.
C．She helps make China the largest producer of fruit in the world in 2018.
D．She is awarded a number of honorary titles due to her contributions.
71．What is the text
A．A diary entry. B．A book review.
C．A school notice. D．A news report.
Passage 19
What is the nature of the scientific attitude, the attitude of the man or woman who studies and applies physics, biology, chemistry, geology, engineering, medicine or any other science We all know that science plays an important role in the societies in which we live. Many people believe, however, that our progress depends on two different aspects of science. The first of these is the application of the machines, products and systems of applied knowledge that scientists and technologists develop. Through technology, science improves the structure of society and helps man to gain increasing control over his environment.
The second aspect is the application by all members of society of the special methods of thought and action that scientists use in their work.
What are these special methods of thinking and acting First of all, it seems that a successful scientist is full of curiosity — he wants to find out how and why the universe works. He usually directs his attention towards problems which he notices have no satisfactory explanation, and his curiosity makes him look for underlying relationships even if the data available seem to be unconnected. Moreover, he thinks he can improve the existing conditions and enjoys trying to solve the problems which this involves.
He is a good observer, accurate, patient and objective and applies logical thought to the observations he makes. He utilizes the facts he observes to the fullest extent. For example, trained observers obtain a very large amount of information about a star mainly from the accurate analysis of the simple lines that appear in a spectrum.
He is suspicious — he does not accept statements which are not based on the most complete evidence available — and therefore rejects authority as the only basis for truth. Scientists always check statements and make experiments carefully and objectively to verify them.
Furthermore, he is not only critical of the work of others, but also of his own, since he knows that man is the least reliable of scientific instruments and that a number of factors tend to disturb objective investigation.
Lastly, he is highly imaginative since he often has to look for relationships in data which are not only complex but also frequently incomplete. Furthermore, he needs imagination if he wants to make hypotheses of how processes work and how events take place.
These seem to be some of the ways in which a successful scientist or technologist thinks and acts.
72．Many people believe that science helps society to progress through________.
A．applied knowledge B．more than one aspect
C．technology only D．the use of machines
73．Which of the following statements is INCORRECT about curiosity
A．It gives the scientist confidence and pleasure in work.
B．It gives rise to interest in problems that are unexplained.
C．It leads to efforts to investigate potential connections.
D．It encourages the scientist to look for new ways of acting.
74．According to the passage, a successful scientist would not________.
A．easily believe in unchecked statements
B．easily criticize others’ research work
C．always use his imagination in work
D．always use evidence from observation
75．What does the passage mainly discuss
A．Application of technology.
B．Progress in modem society.
C．Scientists’ ways of thinking and acting.
D．How to become a successful scientist.
Passage 20
There are many famous scientists in the world, some of whom are very young. Here are four hot young scientists working right now to change the world.
Rizia Bardhan
Rizia Bardhan is 29 and a post doctor at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. Her research mainly deals with amazing possibilities of micro robots that can be used to cure diseases which are now untreatable. In an interview, she said that when she thought of science, she would think of major problems that she could help to solve.
Heather Knight
Heather Knight, the 28-year-old Chief Executive of the Marilyn Monrobot company, is performing new applications for robotics by casting her shows with robots. She considers humor to be one of the most important human features. Therefore, if she can teach humor to robots, they will be able to better connect with humans.
Imre Bartos
Imre Bartos is a 29-year-old Columbia University graduate student. As one of the young minds, he is remarkable enough to drive others crazy with envy. He studies everything from the formation of black holes to the physics of how mosquito eyes see the world. In the paper Hunting Black Holes with a Gas Cloud, he explains that a gas cloud meeting a black hole in its path will be partially eaten by the black hole. His task is to check the X-rays that are given off during the process.
Jeremy England
Jeremy England is a 36-year-old professor at MIT, a school that is known for its young genius. He is working right now on new ideas about the physics behind basic biology. He says that he wants to make sense of life at the molecular(分子) level.
76．What might be used to cure the untreatable disease
A．Atoms. B．X-rays. C．Basic biology. D．Micro robots.
77．What’s Heather Knight’s aim
A．To make new inventions. B．To teach humor to robots.
C．To make it easier to communicate. D．To make robots learn to show.
78．Whose study shows new ideas about physics
A．Jeremy England. B．Rizia Bardhan. C．Imre Bartos. D．Heather Knight.
(
科学家拔高篇
)
Passage 21
The stars were always within reach of Katherine Johnson. Using her mathematics skills, she helped NASA(美国国家航空航天局)send astronauts to the moon and return them safely home. She also overcame racial(种族的)and gender barriers to help make giant leaps for humankind.
Johnson was born in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, on August 26, 1918. Math came easily to her, but she worked hard to master geometry(几何)and algebra(代数). To realize her math potential, her father drove his family 120 miles to Institute, West Virginia, where blacks could continue high school education. Katherine’s excellent performance proved her father’s decision was the right one: Teachers allowed Katherine to skip several grades to graduate from high school at 14 and from college at 18, majoring in mathematics, as the top student of the historically black West Virginia State College in Institute.
In 1953, after years as a teacher and later as a stay-at-home mom, she began working for NASA, which began hiring women to measure and calculate(计算)the results of wind tunnel tests in 1935. In a time before the electronic computers, these women were called ”computer“. Even after NASA began using electronic computers, the astronaut John Glenn requested that she should personally recheck the calculations made by the new electronic computers before his flight.
She continued to work at NASA until her retirement in 1986. Her calculations proved important to the success of the Apollo lunar landing program and the United States journey into space. It wasn’t until the 2016 release of the movie Hidden Figures that these women received widespread recognition.
Johnson passed away on February 24, 2020, at the age of 101. In her honor, NASA had dedicated the Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility at the Langley Research Center to commemorate the hard work she did to help take them to the stars.
79．What can we learn about Katherine Johnson from paragraph 2
A．She made all decisions herself.
B．She failed to develop her potential.
C．She was gifted in mathematics.
D．She didn’t receive regular education.
80．What does John Glenn’s”request“ mentioned in paragraph 3 indicate
A．The poor function of the electronic computers.
B．Katherine’s extraordinary calculation power.
C．The demanding job Katherine was hired to do.
D．The risks astronauts had to take in their flights.
81．What does the underlined word in the last paragraph mean
A．Honor. B．Confirm. C．Advocate. D．Transform.
82．What is the purpose of the text
A．To demonstrate the role women play.
B．To reveal the key to great success.
C．To emphasize the importance of maths.
D．To tell us a woman of achievement.
Passage 22
Born on May 27,1907 in Springdale,Pennsylvania, Rachel Carson became an avid explorer as well as reader, and took an interest in writing stories.By age 10, she had published her first story in St. Nicholas. She would often read this magazine, as well as many others that concerned the natural world. In 1925, she finished at the top of her class in high school in a class of 45 students.
Carson would go on to attend the Pennsylvania College for Women,which is known as Chatham University now. This is where she would end up pursuing the sciences,in this case biology. She would eventually attend Johns Hopkins University in 1929, continuing her studies in zoology and genetics.
Carson completed her Master' s in zoology in June of 1932, and went to work at a local radio station. Here she would write educational broadcasts for a weekly radio show called Romance Under the Waters. This led her to her job at the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries, and she became just the second woman to be employed by the bureau.
In 1951, Carson had her book The Sea Around Us published,which explains the complexity of the ocean to non-scientists. Carson wrote the book with poetry and science, and she intended to spark in her readers a sense of the fragility of the world' s ecosystem. The Sea Around Us made Carson the voice of public science in America, an internationally recognized authority on the oceans,and established her reputation as a nature writer of the first rank.
In 1962,Carson became well-known when her most famous book Silent Spring was published. This book described the negative effects of pesticides on the environment. Her concern with pesticides dated back to the 1940s,but no one would take her seriously until this book was finally published. On April 14th,1964,Carson passed away due to a heart attack but her work towards preserving the environment has continued to this day. Silent Spring was even republished in 1994 with an introduction from then vice-president Al Gore.
83．What do we know about Carson's early life
A．She was a great fan of St. Nicholas.
B．She worked part-time at a radio station.
C．She pursued the sciences in high school.
D．She moved to Springdale at the age of 10.
84．According to the text, The Sea Around Us ______.
A．is a science book for professionals
B．was published after Carson passed away
C．aimed to raise public environmental awareness
D．has made Carson a fiction writer of international significance
85．What might be Al Gore' s attitude toward Silent Spring
A．Critical.
B．Ambiguous.
C．Skeptical.
D．Approving.
86．Which words can best describe Carson
A．Talented and responsible.
B．Independent but serious.
C．Reliable and courageous.
D．Determined but proud.
Passage 23
Alan Mathison Turing was born in England in 1912. Like many talents who go on to great things, Turing showed his incredible intelligence from a very young age. In fact, by the time he was halfway through primary school, Turing’s teachers had already realized he was a mathematical genius. He could do complex calculating in his head even though he had never been taught about it.
Fortunately, Turing was the opposite of Hawking, and he absolutely loved school. Proof of this is the extreme lengths he would go just to get to class. For example, on one occasion when there was a train strike, Turing even cycled 60 miles to attend. Now that’s devotion!
However, in spite of Turing’s scholarly attitude and his obvious genius, his teachers had their concerns about his future. This is because well-known schools in Britain like the ones Turing attended regarded the Classics, such as Latin and Greek as the most important, not subjects like maths and science. Turing’s proud teachers even wrote letters to his parents asking them to convince the young man to focus more on the Classics. Imagine how different the world might be if the young Turing had listened to his teachers! Thankfully, his love for all scientific and mathematical things meant there was no chance of that.
After finishing secondary school, Turing completed a degree in mathematics at King’s College Cambridge, and then obtained his PhD from Princeton University in the USA．It was during these university years that he invented the Turing Machine, which is considered by many people to be the earliest version of a computer processing unit. It sounds unbelievable that anybody could have invented something which was similar to a computer in 1936. But that just shows how far ahead of his time Alan Turing was, even when he was still a young man.
87．What can be inferred about Turing according to paragraphs 1-2
A．He was inspired by his teachers.
B．He showed a strong desire for schooling.
C．He ignored parents’ advice on course selection.
D．His intelligence was first recognized by his parents.
88．What does the writer think of the Turing Machine
A．He argues it’s still limited in many functions.
B．He doubts if it is truly invented by a young man.
C．He considers the construction of such machines impossible.
D．He thinks it has a great influence on the invention of computer.
89．What is the author’s main purpose in writing this passage
A．To indicate the link between genius and success.
B．To illustrate the invention of the Turing Machine.
C．To stress the impact of teachers’ guidance on Turing’s life.
D．To introduce Turing’s genius, scholarly attitude and achievement.
90．What does Turing’s story tell us
A．Contented with little, yet wishing for more.
B．Chances favor the minds that are prepared.
C．Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.
D．Ordinary people hope, while talented people create.
Passage 24
China is one of the largest producers and consumers of watermelon in the word. And Wu Mingzhu, a
