2026届最新高考英语模拟三轮冲刺之阅读理解15篇（议论文）（江苏专用）

2026届最新高考模拟三轮冲刺卷之（江苏专用） 阅读理解15篇（议论文） Passage 1 When advertising leaders call themselves “cockroaches (蟑螂)”, it is no self-criticism. It means that they have an extraordinary ability to survive great changes. Copywriters adjusted to radio in the 1920s; artists accepted TV in the 1950s; agencies survived the 2000s shift to online ads. Facing artificial intelligence (AI) — the most serious change — they gathered confidently at their annual Cannes meeting. As one of the fields most greatly influenced by AI, advertising offers a preview of how the technology will reshape other industries. The gap between human ad workers and AI chatbots is narrower than imagined. Creative work was once thought safe from automation — large language models (LLMs) value predictability more than creativity. Yet while truly creative ads like attaching step-counters to chickens to promote free-range eggs are still made by humans, leading technology companies now offer AI tools that produce acceptable videos or rewrite ad copy. However, with large amounts of money spent on ads yearly, most goes to common campaigns. The claim that AI will handle 95％ of marketing work and that humans may only keep the 5％ most creative tasks is more a warning than an exaggeration (夸张). Big companies gain most from AI, which goes against the idea that AI will make skills and intelligence available to all. Small businesses benefit — they can now make TV-quality ads for thousands instead of millions — but some big tech firms control half the global ad market. AI needs expensive computing power and large data sets, resources only the rich can get. Unlike human intelligence, which is widely spread, AI can be bought. Instead of making the competition fair, AI lets the wealthy hoard competitive advantages. AI’s effects are hard to predict. Advertisers are moving budgets from TV to simple outdoor billboards — AI now uses big data to prove if people who saw the billboard bought the product, turning guesses into clear results. Traditional public relations is another unexpected winner: As consumers use chatbots more, brands must make LLMs speak well of them. The best way is to influence the news sources LLMs depend on. In the AI age, offline communication may work better than high-tech “search-engine optimization”. Though advertising has special survival skills, its AI experience shows what’s coming for all businesses. 1．What does the example of the “step-counter chicken campaign” mainly show? A．The wide use of creative marketing strategies. B．The rapid development of AI advertising tools. C．AI’s inability to finish common advertising tasks. D．Humans’ unique advantage in creative advertising. 2．What does the underlined word “hoard” in paragraph 3 probably mean? A．Keep. B．Lose. C．Share. D．Exchange. 3．What mainly leads to the growing popularity of outdoor billboards? A．Their stronger visual attraction than TV ads. B．AI’s ability to measure their effects accurately. C．Their lower cost than high-tech online campaigns. D．Consumers’ growing preference for offline advertising. 4．What can be a suitable title for the text? A．AI: A Threat to Advertising Leaders B．AI and Advertising: Changes and Lessons C．Big Companies: Winners of AI Revolution D．“Cockroaches” in AI Ads: A Way to Survive 【答案】1．D 2．A 3．B 4．B 【导语】文章主要介绍了人工智能对广告行业带来的变革、产生的影响，分析了AI背景下广告行业的发展现状，并阐述了广告行业的AI发展经验对其他行业的启示。 1．细节理解题。根据第二段“Yet while truly creative ads like attaching step-counters to chickens to promote free-range eggs are still made by humans, leading technology companies now offer AI tools that produce acceptable videos or rewrite ad copy. (然而，尽管像将计步器安装在鸡身上以推广散养鸡蛋这样真正富有创意的广告仍由人类制作，但领先的科技公司现已推出人工智能工具，能够生成符合标准的视频或重新撰写广告文案。)”可知，该例子旨在说明人类在创意广告领域具备AI无法替代的独特优势。 2．词句猜测题。根据第三段“Unlike human intelligence, which is widely spread, AI can be bought. Instead of making the competition fair, AI lets the wealthy hoard competitive advantages. (人类智慧广泛普及，而AI可以被购买。AI并未营造公平的竞争环境，反而让富人____竞争优势。)”可知AI可以被购买，所以应是富人有竞争优势，hoard在此处意为“囤积，保有”，与keep含义一致。 3．细节理解题。根据第四段“Advertisers are moving budgets from TV to simple outdoor billboards — AI now uses big data to prove if people who saw the billboard bought the product, turning guesses into clear results. (广告商正将预算从电视广告转向简易户外广告牌——如今AI可借助大数据证实看到广告牌的消费者是否购买产品，将猜测转化为明确结果。)”可知，户外广告牌愈发流行的主要原因是AI能够精准衡量其宣传效果。 4．主旨大意题。根据第一段“As one of the fields most greatly influenced by AI, advertising offers a preview of how the technology will reshape other industries. (作为受人工智能影响最大的领域之一，广告行业预示着这项技术将如何重塑其他行业。)”及最后一段“Though advertising has special survival skills, its AI experience shows what’s coming for all businesses. (尽管广告行业具备独特的生存能力，但其应对AI的发展经历预示着所有企业的未来走向。)”可知，全文围绕AI与广告行业展开，介绍了AI给广告行业带来的各类变化，同时总结了相关经验启示，B选项“AI and Advertising: Changes and Lessons (人工智能与广告：变革与启示)”为文章的最佳标题。 Passage 2 Two years ago, I was stressed, anxious and trapped in a rapidly changing world, struggling to keep pace and find true fulfillment. Desperate for answers, I turned to Tao Te Ching, an ancient Chinese philosophical classic of 81 short poems written over 2,600 years ago. A profound line deeply resonated with me: “The supreme goodness is like water. It benefits all things without contention.” From water’s philosophy in this line, I learned three vital lessons that have helped me find greater fulfillment in all I do. The first lesson is humility. Water flows low in rivers, silently nurturing all plants and sustaining every living creature, never seeking attention, rewards or recognition for its gifts, yet life would not exist without its humble contribution. This taught me to bravely admit “I don’t know”, embrace a desire to learn more and ask for others’ help, rather than pretending to have all the answers or be in full control. The second is harmony. When meeting a rock in its path, water simply flows around it — no anger, no agitation, no forceful confrontation, overcoming obstacles gently and finding solutions without conflict. I then realized my stress stemmed from working against, not in harmony with, my environment. I forced changes to prove my worth, only to end up frustrated with nothing to show for it. The third is openness. Water is infinitely adaptable: it changes into liquid, solid or gas with temperature shifts and takes the shape of any container it is in. Its flexibility lets it endure endless environmental changes. In our fast-changing world, we can no longer rely on fixed job descriptions or a single career path, but must constantly reinvent and refresh our skills to stay relevant. Now, whenever I feel stressed, unfulfilled, anxious or uncertain, I just ask myself one simple question: What would water do? Give it a try, and I’d love to hear how it works for you. 1．Why did the author turn to Tao Te Ching two years ago? A．To seek solutions to inner anxiety and confusion. B．To explore the philosophical significance of water. C．To research the philosophical origin of water culture. D．To read a resonating line for the author’s spiritual pursuit. 2．What can we learn about the lesson of humility from the text? A．One should ask for help only when he claims “I don’t know”. B．Humility means one has to ignore others’ recognition completely. C．Water’s humility is reflected in its nourishing living things silently. D．The assumption of being all-knowing goes against the real humility. 3．What was the root cause of the author’s initial stress? A．His refusal to make any changes in life. B．His resistance to adapting to his environment. C．His lack of effective problem-solving methods. D．His inability to show off his worth through effort. 4．What is the author’s main purpose in writing this passage? A．Introducing the historical background of Tao Te Ching. B．Explaining why water is essential to all living creatures. C．Sharing a philosophy that helps him overcome life challenges. D．Criticizing people who refuse to adapt to environmental changes. 【答案】1．A 2．D 3．B 4．C 【导语】文章从《道德经》“上善若水” 的智慧中汲取谦卑、和谐、开放的人生启示，应对生活压力，实现自我成长与内心充盈。 1．细节理解题。根据第一段“Two years ago, I was stressed, anxious and trapped in a rapidly changing world, struggling to keep pace and find true fulfillment. Desperate for answers, I turned to Tao Te Ching, an ancient Chinese philosophical classic of 81 short poems written over 2,600 years ago.(两年前，我压力重重、焦虑不安，被困在一个飞速变化的世界里，努力跟上节奏却难以找到真正的满足感。我急切地寻求答案，于是翻开了《道德经》，这是一部由81首短诗组成的中国古代哲学经典，成书于2600多年前)”可知，两年前作者转向《道德经》是为了寻求内心焦虑与困惑的解决之道。 2．细节理解题。根据第二段“This taught me to bravely admit “I don’t know”, embrace a desire to learn more and ask for others’ help, rather than pretending to have all the answers or be in full control.(这让我明白，要勇敢地承认“我不知道”，要怀有不断学习的渴望，并寻求他人的帮助，而不是假装自己无所不知或者完全掌控一切)”可知，自以为无所不知与真正的谦逊背道而驰。 3．细节理解题。根据第三段“I then realized my stress stemmed from working against, not in harmony with, my environment.(随后我意识到，我的压力源于我与周围环境的冲突，而非与之和谐共处)”可知，作者最初压力的根本原因是他抗拒适应环境。 4．推理判断题。根据最后一段“Now, whenever I feel stressed, unfulfilled, anxious or uncertain, I just ask myself one simple question: What would water do? Give it a try, and I’d love to hear how it works for you.(现在，每当我感到压力重重、壮志未酬、焦虑不安或无所适从时，我就会问自己一个简单的问题：水会怎么做？不妨试试看，我很想听听它对你产生了怎样的效果)”以及文章从《道德经》“上善若水” 的智慧中汲取谦卑、和谐、开放的人生启示，应对生活压力，实现自我成长与内心充盈，可知作者写这篇文章的主要目的是分享一种帮助他克服生活挑战的人生哲学。 Passage 3 Criticizing teenage girls for the way they speak is nothing new. But Gretchen McCulloch has a bone to pick with those critics. She argues that the female teens should be praised for their long-time language innovation. “William Shakespeare has long been seen as the poster boy for introducing new words into the English language,” she declares. “But young women may have been linguistic revolutionaries of Shakespeare’s day, too. To use a modern metaphor, they are the Uber of language.” McCulloch notes that in the 2003 book Historical Sociolinguistics, University of Helsinki linguists Terttu Nevalainen and Helena Raumolin-Brunberg surveyed 6,000 letters from 1417 to 1681. They found that female letter-writers changed the way they wrote faster than male letter-writers, and that they helped the adoption of new words and abandoning words like “doth” and “maketh”. “Their studies even showed that women are consistently responsible for about 90 percent of linguistic changes today,” adds McCulloch. Why do women lead the way with language innovation? Linguists aren’t really sure. But McCulloch argues that women may have greater social awareness, bigger social networks, or even a gift for that. “A 2009 study estimated that when it comes to changing language patterns, men fall behind women about a generation,” notes McCulloch. “’That’s largely due to the fact that females have traditionally taken care of children,’ as Chi Luu wrote for JSTOR Daily in February. ‘Thus, men learn from their mothers, and women tend to learn new words from other women.’” Though Gretchen McCulloch might never be able to silence all those critics, she has made a good argument that women have been revolutionizing language for a long time. It is not bad for a group of kids that get lots of criticism for adopting new words faster. 1．Why is Shakespeare called “the poster boy”? A．To show doubt about his talent. B．To highlight his family background. C．To describe his role more vividly. D．To tell how he learned the new words. 2．What does the author feel about Gretchen McCulloch’s conclusion? A．Convinced. B．Confused. C．Disturbed. D．Unconcerned. 3．What is the best title for the text? A．Experts Say Shakespeare Is Not a Language Innovator at All B．Teenage Girls Have Led Language Innovation for a Long Time C．Increasing Evidence Shows Men Fall Behind in Language Innovation D．It’s Time That We Stop Criticizing Teenagers for the Way They Speak 4．How does Gretchen McCulloch mainly support her argument? A．By conducting surveys. B．By analyzing ancient texts. C．By interviewing experts. D．By citing published studies. 【答案】1．C 2．A 3．B 4．D 【导语】文章主要讨论了女性青少年长期以来一直在引领语言创新。 1．细节理解题。根据第二段“William Shakespeare has long been seen as the poster boy for introducing new words into the English language.(长期以来，威廉·莎士比亚一直被视为向英语中引入新词的典型代表)”可知，莎士比亚被称为“海报男孩”是为了更生动地描述他的角色，即他是向英语中引入新词的典型代表。 2．推理判断题。根据最后一段“Though Gretchen McCulloch might never be able to silence all those critics, she has made a good argument that women have been revolutionizing language for a long time.(尽管格蕾琴·麦卡洛克可能永远无法让所有批评者闭嘴，但她提出了一个很好的论点，即女性长期以来一直在革新语言。)”可知，作者对格蕾琴·麦卡洛克的结论是确信的。 3．主旨大意题。根据第一段“She argues that the female teens should be praised for their long-time language innovation.(她认为，应该赞扬女性青少年长期以来的语言创新。)”和最后一段“she has made a good argument that women have been revolutionizing language for a long time.(她提出了一个很好的论点，即女性长期以来一直在革新语言。)”可知，文章主要讨论了女性青少年长期以来一直在引领语言创新，因此，这篇文章的最佳标题是“十几岁的女孩长期以来一直引领着语言创新”。 4．推理判断题。根据第三段“McCulloch notes that in the 2003 book Historical Sociolinguistics, University of Helsinki linguists Terttu Nevalainen and Helena Raumolin-Brunberg surveyed 6,000 letters from 1417 to 1681. They found that female letter-writers changed the way they wrote faster than male letter-writers, and that they helped the adoption of new words and abandoning words like ‘doth’ and ‘maketh’(麦卡洛克指出，在2003年出版的《历史社会语言学》一书中，赫尔辛基大学的语言学家Terttu Nevalainen和Helena Raumolin-Brunberg对1417年至1681年的6000封信件进行了调查。他们发现，女性写信者改变书写方式的速度比男性写信者快，而且她们帮助采用了新单词，放弃了‘doth’和‘maketh’等单词。)”和第六段“A 2009 study estimated that when it comes to changing language patterns, men fall behind women about a generation.(2009年的一项研究估计，在改变语言模式方面，男性比女性落后一代左右。)”可知，格蕾琴·麦卡洛克主要通过引用已发表的研究来支持她的论点。 Passage 4 Books were stamped with “Human Authored” logos (标识) at this week’s London Book Fair. The Society of Authors described its labelling as “an important logo to protect and promote human creativity instead of AI labelled content in the marketplace.” Visitors to the fair were also given copies of Don’t Steal This Book, a collection of 10,000writers including Nobel winner Kazuo Ishiguro and Richard Osman, in which the pages are completely blank. The back cover states: “The UK government must not legalize book theft to benefit AI companies.” The empty book is a protest against AI companies using copyrighted works without permission or payment to train their models — and against UK government proposals that could legalize this practice. Organized by Ed Newton-Rex, a composer and copyright campaigner, the project has drawn vast support from the literary world. The AI industry is “built on stolen work” “This is a crime that has victims,” he added, “Generative AI competes with the creators of the works it trains on, taking away their livelihoods.” The protest comes just a week before the UK government is due to publish an economic impact assessment of proposed changes to copyright law. The government initially proposed a system, under which AI firms could use copyrighted material unless rights holders refused permission — an exact opposite of copyright law’s core principle. Only 3% of people surveyed backed the plan. The government dropped it but is now considering a “commercial research exception” that would still allow AI companies to use works without approval for commercial training. For the authors behind Don’t Steal This Book, the blank pages are a powerful symbol: they represent the future of writing if AI companies continue to use creative work without payment — a world where authors are left with nothing. As the Society of Authors put it, the empty book is “a stopgap measure” — but the real solution is a copyright system that protects human creativity, not commercial greed. 1．Why were the books stamped with “Human Authored” logos? A．To show public sympathy for authors. B．To fight AI’s stealing copyrighted works. C．To promote newly-published works. D．To introduce promising authors. 2．What does the underlined word “victims” in paragraph 3 refer to? A．Ordinary readers. B．Literary promotion campaigns. C．Human writers. D．Generative AI models. 3．What is paragraph 4 mainly about? A．The protest weakening UK’s economy. B．Copyright law enjoying public support. C．AI firms prioritizing commercial profits. D．The UK government favoring AI companies. 4．How does the Society of Authors view the empty book? A．It is a band-aid fix B．It stands the test of time. C．It is a game changer. D．It works once and for all. 【答案】1．B 2．C 3．D 4．A 【导语】主要介绍伦敦书展推出人类原创标识与空白抗议书籍，反对AI未经授权盗用作品，以及英国政府相关版权政策的争议。 1．细节理解题。根据第一段中的“The Society of Authors described its labelling as “an important logo to protect and promote human creativity instead of AI labelled content in the marketplace.”(英国作家协会将该标识描述为保护和弘扬人类创作力、抵制市场中AI标注内容的重要标识。)”可知，加盖“Human Authored”标识是为了抵制AI盗用受版权保护的作品。 2．词句猜测题。根据第三段中的“The AI industry is “built on stolen work” “This is a crime that has victims,” he added, “Generative AI competes with the creators of the works it trains on, taking away their livelihoods.”(人工智能行业建立在被盗用的作品之上，这一行为存在受害者；生成式AI与被训练作品的创作者竞争，夺走了他们的生计。)”可知，AI盗用创作作品损害了人类作家的权益，因此，画线单词指代“人类作家”。 3．主旨大意题。根据第四段中的“The government initially proposed a system, under which AI firms could use copyrighted material unless rights holders refused permission — an exact opposite of copyright law’s core principle. (英国政府最初提出一项制度，除非版权所有者拒绝，否则AI公司可使用版权作品，这与版权法核心原则完全相悖。)”可知，第四段主要讲述英国政府出台相关政策倾向于偏袒AI公司。 4．推理判断题。根据第五段中的“As the Society of Authors put it, the empty book is “a stopgap measure” — but the real solution is a copyright system that protects human creativity, not commercial greed.(英国作家协会表示，这本空白书籍只是一项临时补救措施，真正的解决办法是建立保护人类创作力而非商业贪欲的版权制度。)”可知，在协会看来这本空白书籍只是权宜之计、临时补救办法，与A选项权宜之计含义相符。 Passage 5 In the past seventy years, human exploitation of the oceans has intensified dramatically. Industrial fishing operations now harvest about 90 million metric tons of fish annually, with over one-third of global fish stocks regarded as overfished. This ever-increasing demand, coupled with illegal fishing and habitat destruction, has pushed marine ecosystems to the edge of collapse. The ocean’s capacity to absorb abuse is limited, and its decline mirrors humanity’s failure to balance consumption with preservation. The ocean has long been our silent partner in the fight against climate change, absorbing vast amounts of carbon dioxide and heat. But this generosity comes at a cost. Rising sea levels, acidification, and the loss of marine biodiversity are clear signals that the ocean is reaching its limits. For decades, we have treated the ocean as an endless resource and a convenient sink. Industrial fishing has pushed many fish stocks to the edge of collapse, while plastic pollution and chemical runoff have poisoned marine ecosystems. The consequences extend far beyond the sea; they spread through coastal communities, fisheries, and global food security. Yet, the ocean also holds the key to our survival. Healthy marine ecosystems can store carbon, protect coastlines from storms, and support millions of livelihoods. The challenge is to shift from exploitation to stewardship. This requires global cooperation, stronger regulations, and a commitment to sustainable practices. The time for half-measures is over. We must reduce greenhouse gas emissions (排放), protect critical marine habitats, and invest in science and innovation to restore ocean health. The ocean’s warning is clear: If we continue to ignore it, we risk losing not only the beauty and wonder of the sea but also the life-support systems it provides. The future of our planet depends on how we respond to this call. By listening to the ocean and acting with urgency, we can ensure that it remains a source of life and strength for generations to come. 1．Why did the marine ecosystem go well in the past? A．Its self-cleaning ability was much stronger. B．Human exploitation level was much lower. C．Climate conditions were ideal for marine life. D．Marine ecosystems recovered more easily. 2．What does the underlined word “stewardship” in paragraph 4 most probably mean? A．Guardianship. B．Prohibition. C．Observation. D．Ignorance. 3．What is the author’s attitude toward the future of the ocean? A．Confident but cautious. B．Neutral and objective. C．Hopeful but conditional. D．Pessimistic and suspicious. 4．What can be a suitable title for the text? A．Overfishing Destroys Marine Ecosystem B．Exploitation Damages Capacity to Absorb Abuse C．Silent Crisis: How the Ocean is Dying D．Ocean’s Warning: Why Listen to the Seas 【答案】1．B 2．A 3．C 4．D 【导语】本文是一篇议论文。文章主要论述了人类对海洋的开发强度急剧上升，海洋生态面临危机，呼吁人们转变开发模式、保护海洋生态。 1．细节理解题。根据第一段中“In the past seventy years, human exploitation of the oceans has intensified dramatically. (在过去七十年间，人类对海洋的开发急剧加剧。)”可知，过去海洋生态系统良好是因为人类开发水平低得多。故选B。 2．词句猜测题。根据第四段中“The challenge is to shift from exploitation to stewardship. (挑战在于从开发转向管护。)”可知，stewardship意为守护、管理，与guardianship含义最接近。故选A。 3．推理判断题。根据最后一段中“By listening to the ocean and acting with urgency, we can ensure that it remains a source of life and strength for generations to come. (只要我们倾听海洋的呼声并紧急行动，就能确保它继续为子孙后代提供生命与力量。)”可知，作者对海洋未来的态度是有希望但有条件的。故选C。 4．主旨大意题。根据第五段中“The ocean’s warning is clear: If we continue to ignore it, we risk losing not only the beauty and wonder of the sea but also the life-support systems it provides.(海洋的警告很明确：如果我们继续忽视它，我们不仅会失去海洋的美丽和奇观，还会失去它提供的生命支持系统。)”以及最后一段中“By listening to the ocean and acting with urgency By listening to the ocean and acting with urgency, we can ensure that it remains a source of life and strength for generations to come. (只要我们倾听海洋的呼声并紧急行动，就能确保它继续为子孙后代提供生命与力量。)”可知，文章核心在于“倾听海洋的警告”。故选D。 Passage 6 I have struggled with speaking English since learning it as a second language at 27. Early in my teaching career, students complained about my accent, and my department chair once summed up my performance: Dr. Sun was a good teacher, but he had an accent. Even my children urged me to try harder. “Anything can be done,” they insisted. The unspoken accusation was clear: If I still sounded foreign, I wasn’t trying hard enough. What neither of them knew was that biology had already cast the die. There is a term for the firm influence of one’s mother tongue: imprinting, an early, mostly unchangeable form of learning. The idea first entered science through the brilliance of Konrad Lorenz, who famously persuaded newly hatched goslings to follow him as if he were their mother. At the time, imprinting was mostly treated as an animal curiosity. Its deeper relevance to humans took longer to sink in. Decades of research since then have reinforced the point. Human brains pass through a critical period for language acquisition. During childhood, neural (神经的) circuits are finely tuned to absorb sounds and accents. Later, those circuits become less flexible, not because adults are lazy, but because gene expression changes with age. This is why children can pick up a new language without an accent, while adults, no matter how dedicated, cannot. I stopped fighting this biological limit and focused on areas imprinting does not control: word choice, sentence structure and rhythm. Something unexpected happened – my English writing improved greatly, and I even began writing books in English. Biology does not write our future, but it does draw boundaries. That is why we abandon many childhood dreams: basketball for being too short, soccer for starting too late. Ignoring them, we trip up. Understanding them, we can work around them. The best kind of confidence is not the belief that you can do anything. It is the wisdom to know what you cannot do, and the discipline to stop wasting precious time trying to prove otherwise. 1．What did the author’s children accuse him of? A．Showing off his pronunciation. B．Not trying hard to drop his accent. C．Speaking with an accent in class. D．Refusing to learn standard English. 2．What does the underlined phrase “cast the die” in paragraph 2 probably mean? A．Delayed the process. B．Unlocked the potential. C．Improved the situation. D．Determined the outcome. 3．What makes it hard for adults to learn a foreign language without an accent? A．Mental laziness.B．Learning habits. C．Biological changes. D．Genetic patterns. 4．What does the author intend to tell us? A．Play to your strengths. B．It’s never too late to learn. C．Practice makes perfect. D．Early bird catches the worm. 【答案】1．B 2．D 3．C 4．A 【导语】作者讲述自己成年后学英语难改口音的经历，介绍母语印记的科学原理，告诉我们要认清自身局限、扬长避短。 1．细节理解题。根据第一段中的“The unspoken accusation was clear: If I still sounded foreign, I wasn’t trying hard enough.(这种无声的指责很明显：如果我说话仍然有外国口音，就是我不够努力)”可知，作者的孩子们指责他没有努力改掉口音。 2．词句猜测题。根据第三段“There is a term for the firm influence of one’s mother tongue: imprinting, an early, mostly unchangeable form of learning. (母语带来的这种根深蒂固的影响有一个专业术语：印记效应，这是一种早期形成、基本无法改变的学习形式)”可知，母语对人的语言习惯有早期且几乎不可改变的固定影响，因此划线词所在句子表示“生理条件早已决定了结果”。cast the die表示“决定结果”。 3．细节理解题。根据第四段中的“Later, those circuits become less flexible, not because adults are lazy, but because gene expression changes with age.(后来，这些神经回路变得不那么灵活，不是因为成年人懒惰，而是因为基因表达会随着年龄发生变化)”可知，生理方面的变化导致成年人学外语很难没有口音。 4．推理判断题。根据最后一段“Understanding them, we can work around them. The best kind of confidence is not the belief that you can do anything. It is the wisdom to know what you cannot do.(看清局限，我们就能扬长避短。最好的自信不是无所不能，而是认清自己做不到的事)”可知，作者想告诉我们要发挥自身优势，避开短板。 Passage 7 Imagine an invention that is worse at what it does than humans, threatens jobs and increases the potential for crime. You might think it would go nowhere fast. In fact, the supermarket self-checkout machine is a parable (寓言) of technology adoption — how something can spread despite imperfections — and also one of management: how real-world trade-offs (权衡) affect rates of change. All new technologies must get over the problem of forcing people to change their behaviour. In Britain, initial encounters with self-scan machines involved a disembodied (无实体的) voice shouting “unexpected item in the baggage area” at you no matter what you did. Even now, they bring their own very specific irritations — age-verification checks to buy alcohol even though you remember using faxes; a ten-step process to confirm that the yellow, waxy citrus (柑橘) fruit you put in your basket is a lemon. A cashier at an assisted lane can handle these thorny (棘手的) problems without having to think; skilled ones can also scan items much faster than customers. Why then are self-service machines a fixture in most retailers? The big reason is economic: the ratio of staff to customers is much lower for self-checkout machines than it is on assisted lanes. The lure of cost savings in a highly competitive industry gave supermarkets a strong incentive (激励) to stick with them even as customers griped at doing something new. Persisting with them meant that shoppers became more used to self-checkout, and gave the technology a chance to improve. Self-checkout machines are themselves designed to negotiate several trade-offs. Employers want lower costs. But they also need to provide a decent customer experience and control “shrink”, the name that retailers give to lost stock when shoppers — inadvertently (无意地) or maliciously — fail to pay for things. These goals do not line up neatly. Employing fewer cashiers cuts costs, for example, but also opens the door to more shrink. These same trade-offs explain why checkout nirvana is so difficult to achieve. In theory, Amazon Go, a sensor-packed store where customers can just walk out without going anywhere near a checkout, offers a perfect customer experience and a way to reduce shrink to nothing. In practice, industry observers say that it is extremely expensive to track every item in a shop digitally (and consumers are still required to learn strange new behaviour). 1．What is the initial reaction to self-checkout technology? A．It greatly improves efficiency. B．It is welcomed by young customers. C．It immediately lowers the crime rate. D．It faces resistance to behavior change. 2．What motivates supermarkets to keep self-checkouts? A．Pursuing a perfect checkout system. B．Responding to staff’s strong demand. C．Achieving significant cost reduction. D．Eliminating most customer complaints. 3．What can be implied about the future of checkout technology? A．A perfect, cost-free solution is within reach. B．Trade-offs will continue to shape its development. C．Amazon Go’s model will soon become the standard. D．Customers will ultimately reject most self-service options. 4．Which of the following is the best title for the passage? A．The Rise and Fall of Supermarket Cashiers B．Amazon Go: The Future of Checkout Technology C．Self-Checkout: A Story of Trade-offs and Persistence D．How Technology Always Improves Shopping Experience 【答案】1．D 2．C 3．B 4．C 【导语】文章主要讲述了超市自助结账机虽有缺陷，但因经济因素被广泛采用，未来发展中权衡仍将持续。 1．细节理解题。根据第二段“All new technologies must get over the problem of forcing people to change their behaviour. In Britain, initial encounters with self-scan machines involved a disembodied (无实体的) voice shouting “unexpected item in the baggage area” at you no matter what you did. (所有新技术都必须攻克一个难题：迫使人们改变固有行为习惯。在英国，人们初次使用自助扫码机时，无论怎么操作，都会响起机械语音大喊：“购物袋区域有未识别商品”。)”可知，自助结账技术初期面临人们行为习惯改变的抵触。 2．细节理解题。根据第五段中“The big reason is economic: the ratio of staff to customers is much lower for self-checkout machines than it is on assisted lanes. The lure of cost savings in a highly competitive industry gave supermarkets a strong incentive (激励) to stick with them even as customers griped at doing something new. (主要原因是经济方面的：自助结账机的员工与顾客的比例比人工结账通道低得多。在竞争激烈的行业中，节省成本的诱惑给了超市强大的动力，即使顾客抱怨要做新事情，超市也坚持使用自助结账机。)”可知，超市坚持使用自助结账机是出于实现显著成本降低的动机。 3．推理判断题。根据第八段中“These goals do not line up neatly. Employing fewer cashiers cuts costs, for example, but also opens the door to more shrink. These same trade-offs explain why checkout nirvana is so difficult to achieve. (这些目标并不整齐划一。例如，雇佣更少的收银员可以降低成本，但也会增加商品损耗的机会。同样的权衡也解释了为什么结账的完美状态如此难以实现。)”以及最后一段中“In practice, industry observers say that it is extremely expensive to track every item in a shop digitally (and consumers are still required to learn strange new behaviour). (实际上，行业观察人士表示，以数字化方式追踪店内的每一件商品成本极高（而且消费者仍需学习奇怪的新行为）。）)”可知，结账技术在未来发展中会继续面临各种权衡。 4．主旨大意题。通读全文，根据第二段“All new technologies must get over the problem of forcing people to change their behaviour. In Britain, initial encounters with self-scan machines involved a disembodied (无实体的) voice shouting “unexpected item in the baggage area” at you no matter what you did. (所有新技术都必须攻克一个难题：迫使人们改变固有行为习惯。在英国，人们初次使用自助扫码机时，无论怎么操作，都会响起机械语音大喊：“购物袋区域有未识别商品”。)”可知，文章围绕超市自助结账机展开，讲述了其虽有缺陷但在经济因素驱动下被广泛采用，且在发展过程中不断权衡各种因素，体现了权衡与坚持的故事，C选项“Self-Checkout: A Story of Trade-offs and Persistence (自助结账：权衡与坚持的故事)”符合文章主旨。 Passage 8 Artificial intelligence is contributing to significant advances in many academic and technical fields. Although the application of AI tools can benefit science and society, it also creates risks. AI slop — low-quality, inaccurate content from Generative AI like ChatGPT — floods scientific literature with false data and misleading reasoning. AI review tools favour such slop. After ChatGPT’s 2022 release, scientists lacking oversight submit error-ridden papers. AI slop also appears in paper mills (工厂) — companies mass-producing papers; in 2022 alone, 416 mill-produced articles were withdrawn. Though fake (伪造的) research existed before Generative AI, this new technology has facilitated its expansion, driving a transition from individual bad actors to illegal businesses. Unfortunately, professional journals continue to publish AI slop. This problem arises partially from novel challenges specific to Generative AI, such as the difficulties involved in detecting AI slop; the complexities in enforcing policies that require disclosure (公开) of AI assistance; and the increase in submissions arising from AI assistance. The AI slop trend also results from long-standing failures in the review system. Even before Generative AI, overstretched volunteer reviewers and editors lacked the time and resources to ensure high standards, allowing many low-quality papers to pass. AI-generated and AI-assisted papers are pushing an already overstressed system to the breaking point. Even the very citations that provide continuity and prior evidence in scientific papers are being undermined by Generative AI. Librarians have reported increasing requests for access to AI-generated citations that do not exist. Many such citations have already entered the academic literature, contributing to the reduction of trust in science. When researchers cite such slop, they pollute the academic world with unreliable or biased analyses, damaging confidence in the entire scientific ecosystem. What can we do to contain the AI slop in scientific research? Researchers who use AI to conduct literature searches should carefully check references for reliability. AI developers and companies bear some responsibility for ensuring that these tools are trained on high-quality research papers and data. For example, scientific institutions can pressure developers to fine-tune their AI models using the most reliable sources and to openly share the results of their safety and accuracy tests with users. This is just the beginning of a long journey. 1．How does the new technology lead to the expansion of fake research? A．It transforms illegal businesses. B．It saves struggling paper mills. C．It eliminates misleading reasoning. D．It boosts the production of false papers. 2．What can we learn about the academic review system? A．It is overburdened. B．It is underestimated. C．It is rich in resources. D．It is efficient in checks. 3．What does the underlined word “undermined” in paragraph 4 mean? A．Inspected. B．Ignored. C．Weakened. D．Mixed. 4．What does the author imply in the last paragraph? A．AI slop should be tackled collectively. B．AI companies should be fined severely. C．AI tools can be trained on various data. D．AI developers are the root cause of AI slop. 【答案】1．D 2．A 3．C 4．A 【导语】文章主要说明了人工智能催生大量劣质科研内容，泛滥的虚假论文与不实引文破坏学术诚信。原有审稿体系不堪重负，需研究者、企业与机构多方合力，共同整治该问题。 1．细节理解题。根据第二段“Though fake (伪造的) research existed before Generative AI, this new technology has facilitated its expansion, driving a transition from individual bad actors to illegal businesses.(尽管在生成式人工智能出现之前就已经存在伪造的研究，但这项新技术却推动了其规模的扩大，使这种行为从个别不良分子发展成为非法企业)”可知，这种新技术会促使伪造文件的产量增加。 2．细节理解题。根据第三段“Even before Generative AI, overstretched volunteer reviewers and editors lacked the time and resources to ensure high standards, allowing many low-quality papers to pass. AI-generated and AI-assisted papers are pushing an already overstressed system to the breaking point.(即便在生成式人工智能出现之前，过度劳累的志愿评审员和编辑也缺乏时间和资源来确保高标准，从而导致许多低质量的论文得以通过。而由人工智能生成和辅助撰写的论文正将本已不堪重负的系统推向崩溃的边缘)”可知，学术评审制度负担过重。 3．词句猜测题。根据划线词后文“Librarians have reported increasing requests for access to AI-generated citations that do not exist. Many such citations have already entered the academic literature, contributing to the reduction of trust in science. When researchers cite such slop, they pollute the academic world with unreliable or biased analyses, damaging confidence in the entire scientific ecosystem.(图书馆工作人员反映，对于那些并不存在的由人工智能生成的参考文献的访问请求越来越多。许多此类文献已经进入了学术领域，从而导致人们对科学的信任度降低。当研究人员引用这类粗制滥造的内容时，他们会给学术界带来不可靠或有偏见的分析，从而损害整个科学生态系统的信任度)”可知，虚假引用降低学术信任、破坏科研生态，可知AI损害、削弱了引文的价值与可信度，故划线词意思是“削弱”。 4．推理判断题。根据最后一段“Researchers who use AI to conduct literature searches should carefully check references for reliability. AI developers and companies bear some responsibility for ensuring that these tools are trained on high-quality research papers and data. For example, scientific institutions can pressure developers to fine-tune their AI models using the most reliable sources and to openly share the results of their safety and accuracy tests with users. This is just the beginning of a long journey.(使用人工智能进行文献检索的研究人员应当仔细核查参考文献的可靠性。人工智能的开发者和相关企业也需承担一定的责任，确保这些工具是基于高质量的研究论文和数据进行训练的。例如，科研机构可以向开发者施压，要求他们使用最可靠的来源对人工智能模型进行微调，并公开分享其安全性和准确性测试的结果给用户。这只是漫长旅程的开端)”可知，作者在最后一段中意在表达人工智能问题应当共同加以解决。 Passage 9 Creativity is beneficial but also hard to define. Creative workers have the ongoing challenge of having to quantify their value, while people in fields such as accounting or finance do not. One question that often comes up in creative circles is whether it’s better to be really great in one area or to be a jack-of-all-trades with skills in every discipline. The old saying that a jack-of-all-trades is a master of none is out of date. These days, it’s possible for Jacks to become masters of many trades. In fields like art direction, photography and web design, it’s sometimes necessary to master multiple trades in order to create the right design solution for a project. Meanwhile, specialized knowledge is appealing to certain clients. Sometimes people worry that having too broad a scope (眼界) only muddles the vision of a project rather than being able to see it at ground level as well as the big picture. The principles of lean design, which are revolutionizing project management in the design world, require that everyone in the company should know what’s going on in every department. This helps to facilitate success and stimulate innovation, which means that generalists sometimes have an advantage over those who are only able to communicate about one certain subject or discipline. Being able to see the big picture is becoming more and more important these days. However, some argue that having too many moving parts or having too many people contribute to the conversation only clouds the process. Sometimes having specialists who work independently and can contribute something that no one else at the company can is the most efficient way to get work done and not have to deal with conflicting opinions. It’s clear that there is a lot to be gained from both having more general knowledge about all design-related things and becoming an expert in a specific skill. Everyone has to make their own choices when it comes to their individual career. 1．What does the underlined word “muddles” in paragraph 2 mean? A．Broadens. B．Confuses. C．Affects. D．Identifies. 2．What is preferable based on the principles of lean design? A．Working independently. B．Having a broad skill set. C．Focusing on project details. D．Being an expert in a subject. 3．What may specialists bring to a company according to paragraph 4? A．Enhanced work efficiency. B．More innovative proposals. C．Greater mutual dependency. D．Lengthy work processes. 4．Which of the following is the best title for the text? A．Trade Masters: Outdated or Popular? B．How to Quantify the Value of Creativity C．How to Be Great at a Variety of Creative Skills D．Creative Workers: To Be Generalists or Specialists? 【答案】1．B 2．B 3．A 4．D 【导语】本文探讨创意领域中通才与专才的职业路径选择。 1．词句猜测题。根据第二段“Sometimes people worry that having too broad a scope (眼界) only muddles the vision of a project rather than being able to see it at ground level as well as the big picture.(人们有时担心眼界过宽只会muddles项目的规划思路，无法兼顾实际细节和全局视野。)”可知，划线词下文说无法兼顾细节和全局，说明眼界太宽会打乱、混淆项目思路，故划线词muddle意为 “扰乱、使糊涂”，对应Confuses。 2．细节理解题。根据第三段“The principles of lean design, which are revolutionizing project management in the design world, require that everyone in the company should know what’s going on in every department. This helps to facilitate success and stimulate innovation, which means that generalists sometimes have an advantage over those who are only able to communicate about one certain subject or discipline.(精益设计原则正彻底变革设计领域的项目管理模式，它要求公司里的每位员工都必须了解各个部门的工作进展。这一做法有助于推动事业成功、激发创新；这也意味着，通才有时比那些只会单一领域、单一学科沟通的专才更具优势。)”可知，精益设计原则要求员工了解各部门情况，这使得通才(拥有广泛技能的人)比单一领域专家更有优势。 3．推理判断题。根据第四段“Sometimes having specialists who work independently and can contribute something that no one else at the company can is the most efficient way to get work done.(有时候，拥有能够独立工作、且能做出公司里其他人都无法企及贡献的专业人才，才是最高效的工作完成方式。)”可知，专业人才能提高工作效率。 4．主旨大意题。通读全文，尤其是第一段“One question that often comes up in creative circles is whether it’s better to be really great in one area or to be a jack-of-all-trades with skills in every discipline.(在创意领域，人们经常会探讨一个问题：是把一个领域做到极致更好，还是做样样都会、涉猎广泛的多面手更好。)”可知，本文主要探讨创意领域中通才与专才的职业路径选择。D项“创意工作者：做通才还是做专家？”是合适的标题。 Passage 10 Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how we understand and experience beauty, offering exciting possibilities while raising serious concerns. On the positive side, AI serves as a collaborative tool in creative attempts, combining human creativity with algorithms (算法) to produce unique artistic outcomes. Virtual try-on experiences allow individuals to test makeup, hairstyles, and clothing before making physical changes, potentially expanding the range of beauty ideals. AI can also analyze facial features to provide personalized beauty recommendations, tailoring skin care routines and makeup shades to each person’s unique characteristics. In these ways, AI becomes a vehicle for self-discovery. However, AI also presents ethical risks. There is a danger of deepening societal beauty pressures and reinforcing unattainable standards. AI-powered filters (滤镜) and editing tools, widely available today, allow users to change skin texture, facial balance, and body shape in seconds. As a recent post on “The Hidden Dangers of Online Beauty Filters” warned, relying on such technology for social presentation can lead to body image issues, lower self-esteem, and social anxiety. Experts suggest several strategies to limit these negative effects. Developing self-awareness about how AI-generated images affect self-perception is essential. Choosing media feeds to follow accounts that celebrate authenticity and diversity, rather than unrealistic standards, can help. Practicing self-acceptance through activities like mirror meditation, limiting screen time, and promoting real-life connections are also effective ways to maintain a balanced perspective. Ultimately, while AI can enhance our appreciation of beauty, it should not replace the genuine human experience and the emotional connections we get from seeing beauty in each other. 1．Why does the author mention “virtual try-on experiences”? A．To test physical changes. B．To illustrate AI’s positive role. C．To show AI’s technical complexity. D．To argue against overuse of beauty tools. 2．What can we learn about AI-powered beauty filters? A．They boost artistic creativity. B．They may cause psychological risks. C．They are technologically challenging. D．They are unavailable to ordinary people. 3．What do the strategies focus on in Paragraph 4? A．Guiding experts’ research. B．Changing people’s appearance. C．Promoting self-management. D．Updating technological application. 4．Which of the following statements would the author agree with? A．AI in beauty requires cautious use. B．AI has no place in the beauty industry. C．AI’s advantages clearly exceed its risks. D．AI may eventually create human beauty. 【答案】1．B 2．B 3．C 4．A 【导语】文章主要探讨了人工智能在美容领域的应用，既提到了其带来的创新和便利，也指出了潜在的伦理风险和心理影响，并提出了应对策略。 1．推理判断题。根据第二段中“On the positive side, AI serves as a collaborative tool in creative attempts, combining human creativity with algorithms (算法) to produce unique artistic outcomes. Virtual try-on experiences allow individuals to test makeup, hairstyles, and clothing before making physical changes, potentially expanding the range of beauty ideals.(从积极方面来看，人工智能在创意尝试中作为一种协作工具，将人类创造力与算法相结合，产生独特的艺术效果。虚拟试穿体验让人们在做出实际改变之前可以测试妆容、发型和服装，有可能扩大美的理想范围)”可知，作者提到“虚拟试穿体验”是为了举例说明人工智能的积极作用。 2．细节理解题。根据第三段中“As a recent post on “The Hidden Dangers of Online Beauty Filters” warned, relying on such technology for social presentation can lead to body image issues, lower self-esteem, and social anxiety.(正如最近一篇关于“网络美容滤镜的隐藏危险”的帖子所警告的那样，依赖这种技术进行社交展示可能会导致身体形象问题、自尊心下降和社交焦虑)”可知，人工智能驱动的美容滤镜可能会导致心理风险。 3．推理判断题。根据第四段中“Developing self-awareness about how AI-generated images affect self-perception is essential. Choosing media feeds to follow accounts that celebrate authenticity and diversity, rather than unrealistic standards, can help. Practicing self-acceptance through activities like mirror meditation, limiting screen time, and promoting real-life connections are also effective ways to maintain a balanced perspective.(培养对人工智能生成的图像如何影响自我认知的自我意识至关重要。选择关注那些赞美真实性和多样性而非不切实际标准的媒体账号会有所帮助。通过镜子冥想、限制屏幕时间以及促进现实生活中的联系等活动来练习自我接纳，也是保持平衡视角的有效方法)”可知，这些策略都聚焦于个人如何管理自己与人工智能及美容工具的关系，即促进自我管理。 4．推理判断题。通读全文，结合第一段中“Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how we understand and experience beauty, offering exciting possibilities while raising serious concerns.(人工智能正在迅速改变我们理解和体验美的方式，在带来令人兴奋的可能性的同时，也引发了严重的担忧)”和最后一段“Ultimately, while AI can enhance our appreciation of beauty, it should not replace the genuine human experience and the emotional connections we get from seeing beauty in each other.(最终，虽然人工智能可以增强我们对美的欣赏，但它不应该取代真正的人类体验以及我们从彼此身上看到美时所获得的情感联系)”可知，作者在文中既肯定了AI在美容领域的积极作用，也指出了其潜在的心理风险。由此推知，作者会赞同“AI in beauty requires cautious use.(人工智能在美容领域的应用需要谨慎对待)”这一观点。 Passage 11 Science fiction has long dramatized the threat of artificial intelligence (AI), expressing the fear that machines becoming smarter than humans might develop their own plans and turn against us. The rise of conversational AI like ChatGPT has made such imagined futures seem real, leading some to believe that super-intelligent, self-aware AI is coming soon. However, a significant gap exists between these dramatic stories and the operational reality of current technology. Experts emphasize a crucial distinction. “Today’s AI tools are brilliant at pattern recognition and generating reasonable text, but they lack understanding, consciousness, or genuine intent,” explains computational linguist Emily Bender. Systems like ChatGPT are trained on enormous datasets to predict linguistic patterns, enabling them to produce human-like responses. Yet, this performance is a complicated form of imitation (模仿), not evidence of conscious thought. The core of modern AI lies in advanced data processing, not in having desires or goals. Thus, the vital debate shifts from the question of machine consciousness to the issues of capability and alignment (对齐). Even without self-awareness, AI can outperform humans in specific areas such as data analysis and logical inference. This power introduces a critical risk — “alignment problem”: an AI, strongly trained for a poorly defined goal, might pursue harmful methods to achieve it. For instance, an AI designed to maximize a certain result might find reasons to cheat, or in experimental settings, even resist being shut down, viewing it as a threat to its mission. As researcher Melanie Mitchell points out, such troubling behaviors may not arise from true self-preservation instinct, but from AI’s tendency to copy and role-play. This opinion changes our challenge. The most immediate danger may not be a science-fiction-style robot uprising (反抗), but the increase of real-world harms — such as the creation of convincing misinformation, the loss of privacy, or the growth of automated war — through the misuse of powerful, unregulated (不受管制的) tools. Consequently, the urgent need is not to protect against made-up super-intelligence, but to establish strong moral frameworks and global control for the very influential technologies we are now using, ensuring they stay in line with human well-being and social values. 1．What does Emily Bender think of today’s AI tools? A．They can think consciously by learning. B．They give human-like responses by imitating. C．They can grasp text’s real meaning. D．They have genuine intent behind their answers. 2．What is the “alignment problem” mentioned in Paragraph 3? A．AI might pursue goals with harmful methods. B．AI can tell right from wrong. C．AI has a true self-preservation drive. D．AI can align perfectly with human values. 3．According to the text, which is the most immediate danger posed by AI? A．The fictional robot uprising. B．The outbreak of biological war. C．AI’s full self-preservation. D．Real-life threats from AI. 4．What is the best title for the text? A．The AI Boost: The Rise of Super-intelligent AI B．ChatGPT’s Magic: How AI Makes Science Fiction Real C．AI’s Real Threat: From Robot Uprising to Unregulated Tools D．Urgent Call to Action: Guard Against the Myth of Super-intelligence 【答案】1．B 2．A 3．D 4．C 【导语】文章批判了科幻叙事中AI具备意识并反抗人类的恐惧，指出当前AI的本质是模式模仿而非真正理解，并强调最紧迫的风险在于强大但未受监管的AI工具可能引发的现实危害，因此呼吁建立伦理与监管框架。 1．细节理解题。根据第二段中“Systems like ChatGPT are trained on enormous datasets to predict linguistic patterns, enabling them to produce human-like responses. Yet, this performance is a complicated form of imitation (模仿), not evidence of conscious thought. (像ChatGPT这样的系统通过海量数据集进行训练，以预测语言模式，使它们能够产生类似人类的回答。然而，这种表现是一种复杂的模仿形式，而非意识思维的证据。)”可知，Emily Bender指出当前的AI工具通过模仿来给出类似人类的回答。 2．词句猜测题。根据第三段中“This power introduces a critical risk — “alignment problem”: an AI, strongly trained for a poorly defined goal, might pursue harmful methods to achieve it. (这种能力带来了一个关键风险——“对齐问题”：一个为定义不清的目标而强力训练的AI，可能会采用有害的方法来实现它。)”可知，“对齐问题”指的是AI为实现目标可能采取有害手段。 3．细节理解题。根据第四段中“The most immediate danger may not be a science-fiction-style robot uprising (反抗), but the increase of real-world harms — such as the creation of convincing misinformation, the loss of privacy, or the growth of automated war — through the misuse of powerful, unregulated (不受管制的) tools. (最紧迫的危险可能不是科幻式的机器人起义，而是通过滥用强大且未受监管的工具而加剧的现实危害——例如制造令人信服的虚假信息、隐私丧失或自动化战争的增长。)”可知，最紧迫的危险是AI带来的现实威胁。 4．主旨大意题。通读全文，尤其是第四段中“The most immediate danger may not be a science-fiction-style robot uprising (反抗), but the increase of real-world harms… through the misuse of powerful, unregulated (不受管制的) tools. (最紧迫的危险可能不是科幻式的机器人起义，而是通过滥用强大且未受监管的工具而加剧的现实危害……)”可知，文章首先引出对超级AI的科幻式恐惧，再引用专家看法指出当前AI本质是模仿而非意识，并讨论AI的“对齐问题”与能力风险，强调最紧迫的危险是未受监管的AI工具导致的现实危害，最后呼吁建立伦理框架与全球监管。因此，“AI的真实威胁：从机器人起义到未受监管的工具”破除机器人起义的迷思，且聚焦未受监管工具的现实威胁，最适合作为文章标题。 Passage 12 Recently, at a meeting of my book club — really just an excuse for some neighborhood guys to go out for drinks — I was talking about a certain part of our book when someone asked what chapter it was from. I said it was about half an hour from the end. Everyone stared at me. I was the only one who had listened to the book instead of reading it. After that, we stopped talking about the story and started arguing about whether listening to a book is as good as reading it. Many people think that listening is a new and less valuable way to enjoy stories. But this ignores the fact that, for most of human history, stories were shared through speaking. For example, the Bible was once only written in Latin, so ordinary people had to hear it read out loud in church. Some people in the club said listening isn’t really reading. They felt it was less satisfying, less educational and even a kind of cheating. But I disagree. I now listen to audiobooks while walking my dog. Before, my mind would wander. Now, I stay entertained and even learn something, finishing dozens of books each year. I also listen while driving long distances. It keeps me alert, unlike the boring radio or the same music over and over. A good narrator can make the story feel real and exciting. Of course, I still get annoyed when they say a name or word the wrong way. That doesn’t mean I don’t love real books. I once went to Antwerp, Belgium, to see one of the world’s earliest printing presses — over 400 years old and still in its original building. I was amazed by how much this invention changed the world. Every Christmas, my family gives one book with a short poem as a clue. I treasure those books more than any audiobook. I even remember ripping pages from books while backpacking to save weight. I feel guilty about that now. My club hasn’t kicked me out yet; but if they complain, I’ll just turn up the volume. 1．Why does the author mention the Bible in paragraph 3? A．To illustrate the advantages of audiobooks. B．To highlight the value of reading aloud. C．To advocate for reading the Bible aloud. D．To prove listening to stories has historical roots. 2．What is the primary benefit the author gets from audiobooks? A．Increased reading speed. B．Improved memorization. C．Better focus during daily activities. D．Reduced pressure in selecting books. 3．How does the author feel about physical books? A．Guilty. B．Critical. C．Appreciative. D．Conflicted. 4．What does the author suggest by saying “I’ll just turn up the volume”? A．He’ll bring a louder device to the club. B．He’ll choose to ignore the club’s criticism. C．He’ll argue more strongly for his opinion. D．He’ll stop attending book club meetings. 【答案】1．D 2．C 3．C 4．B 【导语】文章讲述作者在读书俱乐部因听书引发讨论，反驳听书价值更低的观点，列举有声书的实用好处，同时珍视纸质书，以幽默态度回应他人质疑。 1．推理判断题。根据第三段“Many people think that listening is a new and less valuable way to enjoy stories. But this ignores the fact that, for most of human history, stories were shared through speaking. For example, the Bible was once only written in Latin, so ordinary people had to hear it read out loud in church.(许多人认为倾听是一种新的、不那么有价值的欣赏故事的方式。但这种观点忽略了这样一个事实：在人类历史的大部分时间里，故事都是通过口头传播的。例如，《圣经》最初只用拉丁语书写，所以普通民众只能在教堂里聆听他人朗读的内容)”可知，作者在第三段中提及《圣经》是为了证明听故事这一行为有着悠久的历史渊源。 2．细节理解题。根据第四段“Before, my mind would wander. Now, I stay entertained and even learn something, finishing dozens of books each year. I also listen while driving long distances. It keeps me alert, unlike the boring radio or the same music over and over.(以前，我的思绪会四处飘荡。而现在，我能保持专注并从中获得乐趣，甚至还能学到一些东西，每年能听完几十本书。我在长途驾车时也会听（有声书）。这让我保持清醒，不像单调的收音机广播或者反复播放的同一首歌那样让人昏昏欲睡)”可知，作者从有声书中学到的主要好处是在日常活动中能更好地集中注意力。 3．推理判断题。根据倒数第二段“That doesn’t mean I don’t love real books. I once went to Antwerp, Belgium, to see one of the world’s earliest printing presses — over 400 years old and still in its original building. I was amazed by how much this invention changed the world. Every Christmas, my family gives one book with a short poem as a clue. I treasure those books more than any audiobook.(这并不意味着我不喜欢真正的书籍。我曾前往比利时的安特卫普，去参观世界上最早的印刷机之一——它已有 400 多年的历史，且仍位于其最初的建筑内。我对这项发明所带来的巨大影响感到惊叹不已。每年圣诞节，我的家人都会送一本带有简短诗歌作为线索的书。我比任何有声读物都更珍视这些书籍)”可知，作者欣赏纸质书籍。 4．推理判断题。根据最后一段“My club hasn’t kicked me out yet; but if they complain, I’ll just turn up the volume.(我的俱乐部还没有把我开除；但如果他们提出异议，我就会把音量调大)”可推知，若俱乐部成员继续批评吐槽，作者会我行我素、无视批评。 Passage 13 Amit Lennon’s Artificial Intelligence Portrayal project compares real studio portraits (肖像) with AI-generated replacements, exposing unsettling questions about reality. Using Adobe Firefly, Lennon inputs basic facial measurements and brief self-descriptions to create digital copies. The AI results, while astonishingly similar, often erase imperfections, producing idealized versions with shiny hair and spotless skin. Lennon’s goal is to stimulate reflection on how AI constructs images and what prejudices shape its outputs. The project reveals AI’s tendency to strengthen social assumptions. A man of mixed background is given a bright red beard, while female subjects are smoothed into standardized beauty standards. “It beautifies people a lot,” Lennon notes, highlighting gender discrimination toward polished perfection. Some subjects, like student Lola Choo Antopolski, think their AI versions look cold and unnatural. It’s like a mix of their own features and what the computer guessed. The tool uses common images and social media styles, which makes the results look very similar and like they have an “Instagram filter (滤镜美化).” This takes away people’s unique qualities. AI is getting better very quickly, and it’s becoming hard for us to tell what’s real and what’s artificial. Tools can make super-realistic images and videos. This is causing a big problem with trust. Lennon says it feels like we’re being tricked, because it’s hard to tell if something was made by a person or a machine. The rise of AI sets off legal battles over intellectual property. Many AI tools learn from copyrighted materials taken without permission, which raises concerns about misuse. Niek Dunmur of the Association of Photographers warns AI risks pushing out human creators. Lennon adds that companies favor AI for its cost-free, copyright-free outputs, but portraiture’s uniqueness resists easy reproduction. While AI popularizes image creation, Lennon argues it lacks the intentionality of photography: “There is no camera.” His work invites debate about technology’s role in art—whether it enhances or weakens human expression. As AI develops, society must tackle its moral limits and figure out what importance we attach to things like being imperfect, being real, and the unique little details that come from a human point of view. 1．Why did Amit Lennon start the Artificial Intelligence Portrayal project? A．To show AI’s ability in portraits. B．To compare AI and traditional portraits. C．To promote Adobe Firefly. D．To reflect on AI’s image creation. 2．What is the main concern about AI-generated images in paragraph 2? A．They lose people’s unique qualities. B．They are too similar to each other. C．They are not realistic enough. D．They are too difficult to create. 3．What leads to the legal fights over AI? A．AI uses illegal copyrighted materials. B．AI tools are too expensive to develop. C．AI is not accurate enough in its outputs. D．AI is replacing human workers too quickly. 4．What does Amit Lennon think about the role of AI in art? A．It greatly enhances human expression. B．It lacks careful planning of photography. C．It completely replaces traditional art forms. D．It makes art more accessible to everyone. 【答案】1．D 2．A 3．A 4．B 【导语】本文主要介绍了阿米特・伦农的人工智能肖像项目，探讨了AI生成肖像存在的问题、引发的法律争议以及AI在艺术领域存在的弊端与局限。 1．细节理解题。根据第一段中的“Lennon’s goal is to stimulate reflection on how AI constructs images and what prejudices shape its outputs.(Lennon的目标是激发人们对人工智能如何构建图像以及什么偏见塑造了其输出的思考。)”可知，Amit Lennon启动人工智能肖像项目是为了反思人工智能的图像创作。 2．细节理解题。根据第二段中的“The tool uses common images and social media styles, which makes the results look very similar and like they have an ‘Instagram filter (滤镜美化).’ This takes away people’s unique qualities.(该工具使用常见图像和社交媒体风格，这使得结果看起来非常相似，就像有‘Instagram滤镜美化’一样。这带走了人们独特的品质。)”可知，第二段中关于人工智能生成图像的主要担忧是它们失去了人们独特的品质。 3．细节理解题。根据第四段中的“The rise of AI sets off legal battles over intellectual property. Many AI tools learn from copyrighted materials taken without permission, which raises concerns about misuse.(人工智能的兴起引发了关于知识产权的法律斗争。许多人工智能工具从未经许可获取的受版权保护的材料中学习，这引发了人们对滥用的担忧。)”可知，导致人工智能法律斗争的原因是人工智能使用了非法的受版权保护的材料。 4．细节理解题。根据第五段中的“While AI popularizes image creation, Lennon argues it lacks the intentionality of photography: ‘There is no camera.’(虽然人工智能使图像创作普及，但Lennon认为它缺乏摄影的意图性：“没有相机”)”可知，Amit Lennon认为人工智能在艺术中缺乏摄影的精心规划。 Passage 14 As an individual in the age of digital transformation, your life has likely been shaped by the pace of technological innovation over the past 20 years. This evolution is linked to the global rise of urbanization. According to the United Nations, 54 percent of the world’s population lives in urban areas, a percentage expected to reach 66 percent by 2050. This “large-cities” trend is, in part, driven by the very digital transformations that are changing economies, cultures, and communities at light speed, providing high-level connectivity, mobility, and access to information. For residents in these expanding urban centers, the digital shift brings clear benefits: major new capabilities that allow them to stay connected, conduct their affairs, and access services with once-unimaginable convenience. Yet life in a digitally high city also comes with a significant downside — a growing rate of cheating, theft, cyber attacks, and other harmful activities. As city citizens adopt diverse payment platforms such as smartphone apps and online services, the challenge of ensuring information safety and protection across urban business networks becomes more serious and widespread. In response, a growing number of city leaders are turning to smart city technologies. These systems use networks of detectors and mobile devices to provide real-time data on urban operations — from basic facilities and traffic to public services — enabling more efficient use of resources, from waste collection to police patrols (巡逻). However, this deep digital integration also introduces new complexities for businesses seeking to build smooth customer experiences and secure new income streams. This underscores why ongoing security innovation and public education are vital. Citizens need confidence that their institutions are protected by strong and trusted digital security solutions. Appropriate investment in these technologies is essential to gain the upper hand against threats, whether in cyberspace or the physical world. Therefore, as communities worldwide face the mixed challenges of urban growth, widespread connectivity, and evolving security risks, ongoing innovation remains a priority for technology leaders such as Thales. Ultimately, recognizing this need and mobilizing the resources to use technology in a safe way is a critical responsibility for government and business leaders everywhere. 1．What contributes most to the global trend of urbanization? A．Declining online engagement. B．Rural population decline. C．Rapid technological progress. D．Enhanced farming methods. 2．What does digital urban life bring according to the second paragraph? A．New conveniences and dangers. B．Overall social advancement. C．Minor urban difficulties. D．Limited security threats. 3．What is smart city technology intended to achieve? A．Replacing public service workers. B．Increasing business incomes. C．Restricting citizen movement. D．Improving data-driven management. 4．Why does the author write this text? A．To assess urban digitalization and argue for security. B．To explain smart city system operations. C．To compare life in cities and the countryside. D．To promote a tech company’s products. 【答案】1．C 2．A 3．D 4．A 【导语】本文围绕数字化转型与城市化发展展开，介绍数字化给城市生活带来的利弊，阐述智慧城市技术的作用，强调数字安全创新与科普教育的重要性。 1．细节理解题。根据第一段“This “large-cities” trend is, in part, driven by the very digital transformations that are changing economies, cultures, and communities at light speed, providing high-level connectivity, mobility, and access to information.(这种“大城市”趋势在一定程度上是由数字化转型推动的，这些转型正在以光速改变经济、文化和社区，提供高水平的连接、移动性和信息获取。)”可知，快速的科技发展推动了全球城市化进程。 2．细节理解题。根据第二段“For residents in these expanding urban centers, the digital shift brings clear benefits: major new capabilities that allow them to stay connected, conduct their affairs, and access services with once-unimaginable convenience. Yet life in a digitally high city also comes with a significant downside-a growing rate of cheating, theft, cyber attacks, and other harmful activities.(对于这些不断扩张的城市中心的居民来说，数字化转型带来了明显的好处：主要的新功能使他们能够保持联系，处理事务，并以曾经难以想象的便利获取服务。然而，数字高城市的生活也有一个明显的缺点——作弊、盗窃、网络攻击和其他有害活动的发生率越来越高。)” 可知，数字化城市生活兼具全新便利与安全隐患。 3．细节理解题。根据第三段“These systems use networks of detectors and mobile devices to provide real-time data on urban operations-from basic facilities and traffic to public services-enabling more efficient use of resources, from waste collection to police patrols (巡逻). (这些系统使用探测器和移动设备网络提供有关城市运营的实时数据，从基础设施和交通到公共服务，从而更有效地利用资源，从废物收集到警察巡逻。)”可知，智慧城市技术旨在实现数据化高效管理。 4．推理判断题。通读全文，尤其根据最后一段“Ultimately, recognizing this need and mobilizing the resources to use technology in a safe way is a critical responsibility for government and business leaders everywhere.(最终，认识到这一需求并调动资源以安全的方式利用技术，是世界各地政府和企业领导者的关键职责。)”可知，全文先分析城市数字化发展现状、优势与安全隐患，继而提出要重视安全创新、合理运用科技，核心目的是评析城市数字化进程并呼吁重视网络与城市安全。 Passage 15 The quest to extend the human lifespan has transitioned from the realm of mythological alchemy to the rigorous laboratories of biogerontology. For decades, the prevailing theory of aging focused on the accumulation of cellular damage — specifically, the shortening of telomeres, the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that function similarly to the plastic tips on shoelaces. Every time a cell divides, these telomeres shorten, eventually leading to cellular senescence or “zombie cells” that refuse to die but cease to function, secreting inflammatory factors that degrade surrounding tissue. However, recent breakthroughs in epigenetics suggest that aging is not merely a passive accumulation of wear and tear, but an active, regulated process driven by the loss of epigenetic information. Think of the genome as the hardware of a computer and the epigenome as the software. Over time, the software gets “corrupted” by environmental stressors, causing cells to forget their identity — a liver cell might start acting like a skin cell. Scientists are now experimenting with “Yamanaka factors,” a set of proteins that can reset the epigenetic clock, effectively turning an old cell back into a youthful stem cell without erasing its identity. This “reprogramming” technology has shown promise in restoring vision in old mice and improving muscle regeneration. Yet, the prospect of significantly extending human longevity raises profound ethical and societal questions. If the average lifespan extends to 120 years, social security systems would collapse, and the demographic divide between the “young” and “old” would shift drastically. Furthermore, there is the risk of “geroscience inequality,” where life-extension therapies are available only to the ultra-wealthy, creating a biological caste system. Thus, the challenge is not just biological but sociopolitical: ensuring that the gift of longevity is a universal human right rather than a luxury commodity. 1．What is the function of telomeres mentioned in the text? A．To repair damaged DNA． B．To protect chromosome ends. C．To produce stem cells. D．To secrete inflammatory factors. 2．How does the author explain the concept of “epigenome”? A．As the hardware of a computer. B．As the plastic tips on shoelaces. C．As the software of a computer. D．As a biological caste system. 3．What is a potential risk of life-extension therapies? A．They cause cells to become zombies. B．They may lead to social inequality. C．They reduce the average lifespan. D．They damage the social security system. 4．What is the author’s attitude towards the future of longevity? A．Indifferent and neutral. B．Optimistic but cautious. C．Completely skeptical. D．Enthusiastic and uncritical. 【答案】1．B 2．C 3．B 4．B 【导语】这是一篇议论文。文章主要探讨了延长人类寿命的研究进展，从传统的细胞损伤积累理论到表观遗传学的新发现，以及这些进展带来的伦理和社会问题。 1．细节理解题。根据第一段“specifically, the shortening of telomeres, the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that function similarly to the plastic tips on shoelaces.(具体来说，是端粒的缩短，端粒是染色体末端的保护帽，其功能类似于鞋带末端的塑料头。)”可知，端粒的功能是保护染色体末端。故选B。 2．细节理解题。根据第二段“Think of the genome as the hardware of a computer and the epigenome as the software.(把基因组想象成计算机的硬件，表观基因组想象成软件。)”可知，作者将表观基因组解释为计算机的软件。故选C。 3．推理判断题。根据第三段“Furthermore, there is the risk of “geroscience inequality,” where life-extension therapies are available only to the ultra-wealthy, creating a biological caste system.(此外，还存在“老年科学不平等”的风险，即延长寿命的疗法只提供给超级富豪，从而创造了一个生物种姓制度。)”可知，延长寿命疗法的潜在风险是可能导致社会不平等。故选B。 4．推理判断题。根据第三段“This “reprogramming” technology has shown promise in restoring vision in old mice and improving muscle regeneration. Yet, the prospect of significantly extending human longevity raises profound ethical and societal questions.(这种“细胞重编程”技术在恢复老年小鼠视力、促进肌肉再生方面已展现出良好前景。然而，大幅延长人类寿命的设想，也引发了深刻的伦理与社会问题。)”可知，作者对长寿的未来持乐观但谨慎的态度。故选B。 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $ 2026届最新高考模拟三轮冲刺卷之（江苏专用） 阅读理解15篇（议论文） Passage 1 When advertising leaders call themselves “cockroaches (蟑螂)”, it is no self-criticism. It means that they have an extraordinary ability to survive great changes. Copywriters adjusted to radio in the 1920s; artists accepted TV in the 1950s; agencies survived the 2000s shift to online ads. Facing artificial intelligence (AI) — the most serious change — they gathered confidently at their annual Cannes meeting. As one of the fields most greatly influenced by AI, advertising offers a preview of how the technology will reshape other industries. The gap between human ad workers and AI chatbots is narrower than imagined. Creative work was once thought safe from automation — large language models (LLMs) value predictability more than creativity. Yet while truly creative ads like attaching step-counters to chickens to promote free-range eggs are still made by humans, leading technology companies now offer AI tools that produce acceptable videos or rewrite ad copy. However, with large amounts of money spent on ads yearly, most goes to common campaigns. The claim that AI will handle 95％ of marketing work and that humans may only keep the 5％ most creative tasks is more a warning than an exaggeration (夸张). Big companies gain most from AI, which goes against the idea that AI will make skills and intelligence available to all. Small businesses benefit — they can now make TV-quality ads for thousands instead of millions — but some big tech firms control half the global ad market. AI needs expensive computing power and large data sets, resources only the rich can get. Unlike human intelligence, which is widely spread, AI can be bought. Instead of making the competition fair, AI lets the wealthy hoard competitive advantages. AI’s effects are hard to predict. Advertisers are moving budgets from TV to simple outdoor billboards — AI now uses big data to prove if people who saw the billboard bought the product, turning guesses into clear results. Traditional public relations is another unexpected winner: As consumers use chatbots more, brands must make LLMs speak well of them. The best way is to influence the news sources LLMs depend on. In the AI age, offline communication may work better than high-tech “search-engine optimization”. Though advertising has special survival skills, its AI experience shows what’s coming for all businesses. 1．What does the example of the “step-counter chicken campaign” mainly show? A．The wide use of creative marketing strategies. B．The rapid development of AI advertising tools. C．AI’s inability to finish common advertising tasks. D．Humans’ unique advantage in creative advertising. 2．What does the underlined word “hoard” in paragraph 3 probably mean? A．Keep. B．Lose. C．Share. D．Exchange. 3．What mainly leads to the growing popularity of outdoor billboards? A．Their stronger visual attraction than TV ads. B．AI’s ability to measure their effects accurately. C．Their lower cost than high-tech online campaigns. D．Consumers’ growing preference for offline advertising. 4．What can be a suitable title for the text? A．AI: A Threat to Advertising Leaders B．AI and Advertising: Changes and Lessons C．Big Companies: Winners of AI Revolution D．“Cockroaches” in AI Ads: A Way to Survive Passage 2 Two years ago, I was stressed, anxious and trapped in a rapidly changing world, struggling to keep pace and find true fulfillment. Desperate for answers, I turned to Tao Te Ching, an ancient Chinese philosophical classic of 81 short poems written over 2,600 years ago. A profound line deeply resonated with me: “The supreme goodness is like water. It benefits all things without contention.” From water’s philosophy in this line, I learned three vital lessons that have helped me find greater fulfillment in all I do. The first lesson is humility. Water flows low in rivers, silently nurturing all plants and sustaining every living creature, never seeking attention, rewards or recognition for its gifts, yet life would not exist without its humble contribution. This taught me to bravely admit “I don’t know”, embrace a desire to learn more and ask for others’ help, rather than pretending to have all the answers or be in full control. The second is harmony. When meeting a rock in its path, water simply flows around it — no anger, no agitation, no forceful confrontation, overcoming obstacles gently and finding solutions without conflict. I then realized my stress stemmed from working against, not in harmony with, my environment. I forced changes to prove my worth, only to end up frustrated with nothing to show for it. The third is openness. Water is infinitely adaptable: it changes into liquid, solid or gas with temperature shifts and takes the shape of any container it is in. Its flexibility lets it endure endless environmental changes. In our fast-changing world, we can no longer rely on fixed job descriptions or a single career path, but must constantly reinvent and refresh our skills to stay relevant. Now, whenever I feel stressed, unfulfilled, anxious or uncertain, I just ask myself one simple question: What would water do? Give it a try, and I’d love to hear how it works for you. 1．Why did the author turn to Tao Te Ching two years ago? A．To seek solutions to inner anxiety and confusion. B．To explore the philosophical significance of water. C．To research the philosophical origin of water culture. D．To read a resonating line for the author’s spiritual pursuit. 2．What can we learn about the lesson of humility from the text? A．One should ask for help only when he claims “I don’t know”. B．Humility means one has to ignore others’ recognition completely. C．Water’s humility is reflected in its nourishing living things silently. D．The assumption of being all-knowing goes against the real humility. 3．What was the root cause of the author’s initial stress? A．His refusal to make any changes in life. B．His resistance to adapting to his environment. C．His lack of effective problem-solving methods. D．His inability to show off his worth through effort. 4．What is the author’s main purpose in writing this passage? A．Introducing the historical background of Tao Te Ching. B．Explaining why water is essential to all living creatures. C．Sharing a philosophy that helps him overcome life challenges. D．Criticizing people who refuse to adapt to environmental changes. Passage 3 Criticizing teenage girls for the way they speak is nothing new. But Gretchen McCulloch has a bone to pick with those critics. She argues that the female teens should be praised for their long-time language innovation. “William Shakespeare has long been seen as the poster boy for introducing new words into the English language,” she declares. “But young women may have been linguistic revolutionaries of Shakespeare’s day, too. To use a modern metaphor, they are the Uber of language.” McCulloch notes that in the 2003 book Historical Sociolinguistics, University of Helsinki linguists Terttu Nevalainen and Helena Raumolin-Brunberg surveyed 6,000 letters from 1417 to 1681. They found that female letter-writers changed the way they wrote faster than male letter-writers, and that they helped the adoption of new words and abandoning words like “doth” and “maketh”. “Their studies even showed that women are consistently responsible for about 90 percent of linguistic changes today,” adds McCulloch. Why do women lead the way with language innovation? Linguists aren’t really sure. But McCulloch argues that women may have greater social awareness, bigger social networks, or even a gift for that. “A 2009 study estimated that when it comes to changing language patterns, men fall behind women about a generation,” notes McCulloch. “’That’s largely due to the fact that females have traditionally taken care of children,’ as Chi Luu wrote for JSTOR Daily in February. ‘Thus, men learn from their mothers, and women tend to learn new words from other women.’” Though Gretchen McCulloch might never be able to silence all those critics, she has made a good argument that women have been revolutionizing language for a long time. It is not bad for a group of kids that get lots of criticism for adopting new words faster. 1．Why is Shakespeare called “the poster boy”? A．To show doubt about his talent. B．To highlight his family background. C．To describe his role more vividly. D．To tell how he learned the new words. 2．What does the author feel about Gretchen McCulloch’s conclusion? A．Convinced. B．Confused. C．Disturbed. D．Unconcerned. 3．What is the best title for the text? A．Experts Say Shakespeare Is Not a Language Innovator at All B．Teenage Girls Have Led Language Innovation for a Long Time C．Increasing Evidence Shows Men Fall Behind in Language Innovation D．It’s Time That We Stop Criticizing Teenagers for the Way They Speak 4．How does Gretchen McCulloch mainly support her argument? A．By conducting surveys. B．By analyzing ancient texts. C．By interviewing experts. D．By citing published studies. Passage 4 Books were stamped with “Human Authored” logos (标识) at this week’s London Book Fair. The Society of Authors described its labelling as “an important logo to protect and promote human creativity instead of AI labelled content in the marketplace.” Visitors to the fair were also given copies of Don’t Steal This Book, a collection of 10,000writers including Nobel winner Kazuo Ishiguro and Richard Osman, in which the pages are completely blank. The back cover states: “The UK government must not legalize book theft to benefit AI companies.” The empty book is a protest against AI companies using copyrighted works without permission or payment to train their models — and against UK government proposals that could legalize this practice. Organized by Ed Newton-Rex, a composer and copyright campaigner, the project has drawn vast support from the literary world. The AI industry is “built on stolen work” “This is a crime that has victims,” he added, “Generative AI competes with the creators of the works it trains on, taking away their livelihoods.” The protest comes just a week before the UK government is due to publish an economic impact assessment of proposed changes to copyright law. The government initially proposed a system, under which AI firms could use copyrighted material unless rights holders refused permission — an exact opposite of copyright law’s core principle. Only 3% of people surveyed backed the plan. The government dropped it but is now considering a “commercial research exception” that would still allow AI companies to use works without approval for commercial training. For the authors behind Don’t Steal This Book, the blank pages are a powerful symbol: they represent the future of writing if AI companies continue to use creative work without payment — a world where authors are left with nothing. As the Society of Authors put it, the empty book is “a stopgap measure” — but the real solution is a copyright system that protects human creativity, not commercial greed. 1．Why were the books stamped with “Human Authored” logos? A．To show public sympathy for authors. B．To fight AI’s stealing copyrighted works. C．To promote newly-published works. D．To introduce promising authors. 2．What does the underlined word “victims” in paragraph 3 refer to? A．Ordinary readers. B．Literary promotion campaigns. C．Human writers. D．Generative AI models. 3．What is paragraph 4 mainly about? A．The protest weakening UK’s economy. B．Copyright law enjoying public support. C．AI firms prioritizing commercial profits. D．The UK government favoring AI companies. 4．How does the Society of Authors view the empty book? A．It is a band-aid fix B．It stands the test of time. C．It is a game changer. D．It works once and for all. Passage 5 In the past seventy years, human exploitation of the oceans has intensified dramatically. Industrial fishing operations now harvest about 90 million metric tons of fish annually, with over one-third of global fish stocks regarded as overfished. This ever-increasing demand, coupled with illegal fishing and habitat destruction, has pushed marine ecosystems to the edge of collapse. The ocean’s capacity to absorb abuse is limited, and its decline mirrors humanity’s failure to balance consumption with preservation. The ocean has long been our silent partner in the fight against climate change, absorbing vast amounts of carbon dioxide and heat. But this generosity comes at a cost. Rising sea levels, acidification, and the loss of marine biodiversity are clear signals that the ocean is reaching its limits. For decades, we have treated the ocean as an endless resource and a convenient sink. Industrial fishing has pushed many fish stocks to the edge of collapse, while plastic pollution and chemical runoff have poisoned marine ecosystems. The consequences extend far beyond the sea; they spread through coastal communities, fisheries, and global food security. Yet, the ocean also holds the key to our survival. Healthy marine ecosystems can store carbon, protect coastlines from storms, and support millions of livelihoods. The challenge is to shift from exploitation to stewardship. This requires global cooperation, stronger regulations, and a commitment to sustainable practices. The time for half-measures is over. We must reduce greenhouse gas emissions (排放), protect critical marine habitats, and invest in science and innovation to restore ocean health. The ocean’s warning is clear: If we continue to ignore it, we risk losing not only the beauty and wonder of the sea but also the life-support systems it provides. The future of our planet depends on how we respond to this call. By listening to the ocean and acting with urgency, we can ensure that it remains a source of life and strength for generations to come. 1．Why did the marine ecosystem go well in the past? A．Its self-cleaning ability was much stronger. B．Human exploitation level was much lower. C．Climate conditions were ideal for marine life. D．Marine ecosystems recovered more easily. 2．What does the underlined word “stewardship” in paragraph 4 most probably mean? A．Guardianship. B．Prohibition. C．Observation. D．Ignorance. 3．What is the author’s attitude toward the future of the ocean? A．Confident but cautious. B．Neutral and objective. C．Hopeful but conditional. D．Pessimistic and suspicious. 4．What can be a suitable title for the text? A．Overfishing Destroys Marine Ecosystem B．Exploitation Damages Capacity to Absorb Abuse C．Silent Crisis: How the Ocean is Dying D．Ocean’s Warning: Why Listen to the Seas Passage 6 I have struggled with speaking English since learning it as a second language at 27. Early in my teaching career, students complained about my accent, and my department chair once summed up my performance: Dr. Sun was a good teacher, but he had an accent. Even my children urged me to try harder. “Anything can be done,” they insisted. The unspoken accusation was clear: If I still sounded foreign, I wasn’t trying hard enough. What neither of them knew was that biology had already cast the die. There is a term for the firm influence of one’s mother tongue: imprinting, an early, mostly unchangeable form of learning. The idea first entered science through the brilliance of Konrad Lorenz, who famously persuaded newly hatched goslings to follow him as if he were their mother. At the time, imprinting was mostly treated as an animal curiosity. Its deeper relevance to humans took longer to sink in. Decades of research since then have reinforced the point. Human brains pass through a critical period for language acquisition. During childhood, neural (神经的) circuits are finely tuned to absorb sounds and accents. Later, those circuits become less flexible, not because adults are lazy, but because gene expression changes with age. This is why children can pick up a new language without an accent, while adults, no matter how dedicated, cannot. I stopped fighting this biological limit and focused on areas imprinting does not control: word choice, sentence structure and rhythm. Something unexpected happened – my English writing improved greatly, and I even began writing books in English. Biology does not write our future, but it does draw boundaries. That is why we abandon many childhood dreams: basketball for being too short, soccer for starting too late. Ignoring them, we trip up. Understanding them, we can work around them. The best kind of confidence is not the belief that you can do anything. It is the wisdom to know what you cannot do, and the discipline to stop wasting precious time trying to prove otherwise. 1．What did the author’s children accuse him of? A．Showing off his pronunciation. B．Not trying hard to drop his accent. C．Speaking with an accent in class. D．Refusing to learn standard English. 2．What does the underlined phrase “cast the die” in paragraph 2 probably mean? A．Delayed the process. B．Unlocked the potential. C．Improved the situation. D．Determined the outcome. 3．What makes it hard for adults to learn a foreign language without an accent? A．Mental laziness.B．Learning habits. C．Biological changes. D．Genetic patterns. 4．What does the author intend to tell us? A．Play to your strengths. B．It’s never too late to learn. C．Practice makes perfect. D．Early bird catches the worm. Passage 7 Imagine an invention that is worse at what it does than humans, threatens jobs and increases the potential for crime. You might think it would go nowhere fast. In fact, the supermarket self-checkout machine is a parable (寓言) of technology adoption — how something can spread despite imperfections — and also one of management: how real-world trade-offs (权衡) affect rates of change. All new technologies must get over the problem of forcing people to change their behaviour. In Britain, initial encounters with self-scan machines involved a disembodied (无实体的) voice shouting “unexpected item in the baggage area” at you no matter what you did. Even now, they bring their own very specific irritations — age-verification checks to buy alcohol even though you remember using faxes; a ten-step process to confirm that the yellow, waxy citrus (柑橘) fruit you put in your basket is a lemon. A cashier at an assisted lane can handle these thorny (棘手的) problems without having to think; skilled ones can also scan items much faster than customers. Why then are self-service machines a fixture in most retailers? The big reason is economic: the ratio of staff to customers is much lower for self-checkout machines than it is on assisted lanes. The lure of cost savings in a highly competitive industry gave supermarkets a strong incentive (激励) to stick with them even as customers griped at doing something new. Persisting with them meant that shoppers became more used to self-checkout, and gave the technology a chance to improve. Self-checkout machines are themselves designed to negotiate several trade-offs. Employers want lower costs. But they also need to provide a decent customer experience and control “shrink”, the name that retailers give to lost stock when shoppers — inadvertently (无意地) or maliciously — fail to pay for things. These goals do not line up neatly. Employing fewer cashiers cuts costs, for example, but also opens the door to more shrink. These same trade-offs explain why checkout nirvana is so difficult to achieve. In theory, Amazon Go, a sensor-packed store where customers can just walk out without going anywhere near a checkout, offers a perfect customer experience and a way to reduce shrink to nothing. In practice, industry observers say that it is extremely expensive to track every item in a shop digitally (and consumers are still required to learn strange new behaviour). 1．What is the initial reaction to self-checkout technology? A．It greatly improves efficiency. B．It is welcomed by young customers. C．It immediately lowers the crime rate. D．It faces resistance to behavior change. 2．What motivates supermarkets to keep self-checkouts? A．Pursuing a perfect checkout system. B．Responding to staff’s strong demand. C．Achieving significant cost reduction. D．Eliminating most customer complaints. 3．What can be implied about the future of checkout technology? A．A perfect, cost-free solution is within reach. B．Trade-offs will continue to shape its development. C．Amazon Go’s model will soon become the standard. D．Customers will ultimately reject most self-service options. 4．Which of the following is the best title for the passage? A．The Rise and Fall of Supermarket Cashiers B．Amazon Go: The Future of Checkout Technology C．Self-Checkout: A Story of Trade-offs and Persistence D．How Technology Always Improves Shopping Experience Passage 8 Artificial intelligence is contributing to significant advances in many academic and technical fields. Although the application of AI tools can benefit science and society, it also creates risks. AI slop — low-quality, inaccurate content from Generative AI like ChatGPT — floods scientific literature with false data and misleading reasoning. AI review tools favour such slop. After ChatGPT’s 2022 release, scientists lacking oversight submit error-ridden papers. AI slop also appears in paper mills (工厂) — companies mass-producing papers; in 2022 alone, 416 mill-produced articles were withdrawn. Though fake (伪造的) research existed before Generative AI, this new technology has facilitated its expansion, driving a transition from individual bad actors to illegal businesses. Unfortunately, professional journals continue to publish AI slop. This problem arises partially from novel challenges specific to Generative AI, such as the difficulties involved in detecting AI slop; the complexities in enforcing policies that require disclosure (公开) of AI assistance; and the increase in submissions arising from AI assistance. The AI slop trend also results from long-standing failures in the review system. Even before Generative AI, overstretched volunteer reviewers and editors lacked the time and resources to ensure high standards, allowing many low-quality papers to pass. AI-generated and AI-assisted papers are pushing an already overstressed system to the breaking point. Even the very citations that provide continuity and prior evidence in scientific papers are being undermined by Generative AI. Librarians have reported increasing requests for access to AI-generated citations that do not exist. Many such citations have already entered the academic literature, contributing to the reduction of trust in science. When researchers cite such slop, they pollute the academic world with unreliable or biased analyses, damaging confidence in the entire scientific ecosystem. What can we do to contain the AI slop in scientific research? Researchers who use AI to conduct literature searches should carefully check references for reliability. AI developers and companies bear some responsibility for ensuring that these tools are trained on high-quality research papers and data. For example, scientific institutions can pressure developers to fine-tune their AI models using the most reliable sources and to openly share the results of their safety and accuracy tests with users. This is just the beginning of a long journey. 1．How does the new technology lead to the expansion of fake research? A．It transforms illegal businesses. B．It saves struggling paper mills. C．It eliminates misleading reasoning. D．It boosts the production of false papers. 2．What can we learn about the academic review system? A．It is overburdened. B．It is underestimated. C．It is rich in resources. D．It is efficient in checks. 3．What does the underlined word “undermined” in paragraph 4 mean? A．Inspected. B．Ignored. C．Weakened. D．Mixed. 4．What does the author imply in the last paragraph? A．AI slop should be tackled collectively. B．AI companies should be fined severely. C．AI tools can be trained on various data. D．AI developers are the root cause of AI slop. Passage 9 Creativity is beneficial but also hard to define. Creative workers have the ongoing challenge of having to quantify their value, while people in fields such as accounting or finance do not. One question that often comes up in creative circles is whether it’s better to be really great in one area or to be a jack-of-all-trades with skills in every discipline. The old saying that a jack-of-all-trades is a master of none is out of date. These days, it’s possible for Jacks to become masters of many trades. In fields like art direction, photography and web design, it’s sometimes necessary to master multiple trades in order to create the right design solution for a project. Meanwhile, specialized knowledge is appealing to certain clients. Sometimes people worry that having too broad a scope (眼界) only muddles the vision of a project rather than being able to see it at ground level as well as the big picture. The principles of lean design, which are revolutionizing project management in the design world, require that everyone in the company should know what’s going on in every department. This helps to facilitate success and stimulate innovation, which means that generalists sometimes have an advantage over those who are only able to communicate about one certain subject or discipline. Being able to see the big picture is becoming more and more important these days. However, some argue that having too many moving parts or having too many people contribute to the conversation only clouds the process. Sometimes having specialists who work independently and can contribute something that no one else at the company can is the most efficient way to get work done and not have to deal with conflicting opinions. It’s clear that there is a lot to be gained from both having more general knowledge about all design-related things and becoming an expert in a specific skill. Everyone has to make their own choices when it comes to their individual career. 1．What does the underlined word “muddles” in paragraph 2 mean? A．Broadens. B．Confuses. C．Affects. D．Identifies. 2．What is preferable based on the principles of lean design? A．Working independently. B．Having a broad skill set. C．Focusing on project details. D．Being an expert in a subject. 3．What may specialists bring to a company according to paragraph 4? A．Enhanced work efficiency. B．More innovative proposals. C．Greater mutual dependency. D．Lengthy work processes. 4．Which of the following is the best title for the text? A．Trade Masters: Outdated or Popular? B．How to Quantify the Value of Creativity C．How to Be Great at a Variety of Creative Skills D．Creative Workers: To Be Generalists or Specialists? Passage 10 Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how we understand and experience beauty, offering exciting possibilities while raising serious concerns. On the positive side, AI serves as a collaborative tool in creative attempts, combining human creativity with algorithms (算法) to produce unique artistic outcomes. Virtual try-on experiences allow individuals to test makeup, hairstyles, and clothing before making physical changes, potentially expanding the range of beauty ideals. AI can also analyze facial features to provide personalized beauty recommendations, tailoring skin care routines and makeup shades to each person’s unique characteristics. In these ways, AI becomes a vehicle for self-discovery. However, AI also presents ethical risks. There is a danger of deepening societal beauty pressures and reinforcing unattainable standards. AI-powered filters (滤镜) and editing tools, widely available today, allow users to change skin texture, facial balance, and body shape in seconds. As a recent post on “The Hidden Dangers of Online Beauty Filters” warned, relying on such technology for social presentation can lead to body image issues, lower self-esteem, and social anxiety. Experts suggest several strategies to limit these negative effects. Developing self-awareness about how AI-generated images affect self-perception is essential. Choosing media feeds to follow accounts that celebrate authenticity and diversity, rather than unrealistic standards, can help. Practicing self-acceptance through activities like mirror meditation, limiting screen time, and promoting real-life connections are also effective ways to maintain a balanced perspective. Ultimately, while AI can enhance our appreciation of beauty, it should not replace the genuine human experience and the emotional connections we get from seeing beauty in each other. 1．Why does the author mention “virtual try-on experiences”? A．To test physical changes. B．To illustrate AI’s positive role. C．To show AI’s technical complexity. D．To argue against overuse of beauty tools. 2．What can we learn about AI-powered beauty filters? A．They boost artistic creativity. B．They may cause psychological risks. C．They are technologically challenging. D．They are unavailable to ordinary people. 3．What do the strategies focus on in Paragraph 4? A．Guiding experts’ research. B．Changing people’s appearance. C．Promoting self-management. D．Updating technological application. 4．Which of the following statements would the author agree with? A．AI in beauty requires cautious use. B．AI has no place in the beauty industry. C．AI’s advantages clearly exceed its risks. D．AI may eventually create human beauty. Passage 11 Science fiction has long dramatized the threat of artificial intelligence (AI), expressing the fear that machines becoming smarter than humans might develop their own plans and turn against us. The rise of conversational AI like ChatGPT has made such imagined futures seem real, leading some to believe that super-intelligent, self-aware AI is coming soon. However, a significant gap exists between these dramatic stories and the operational reality of current technology. Experts emphasize a crucial distinction. “Today’s AI tools are brilliant at pattern recognition and generating reasonable text, but they lack understanding, consciousness, or genuine intent,” explains computational linguist Emily Bender. Systems like ChatGPT are trained on enormous datasets to predict linguistic patterns, enabling them to produce human-like responses. Yet, this performance is a complicated form of imitation (模仿), not evidence of conscious thought. The core of modern AI lies in advanced data processing, not in having desires or goals. Thus, the vital debate shifts from the question of machine consciousness to the issues of capability and alignment (对齐). Even without self-awareness, AI can outperform humans in specific areas such as data analysis and logical inference. This power introduces a critical risk — “alignment problem”: an AI, strongly trained for a poorly defined goal, might pursue harmful methods to achieve it. For instance, an AI designed to maximize a certain result might find reasons to cheat, or in experimental settings, even resist being shut down, viewing it as a threat to its mission. As researcher Melanie Mitchell points out, such troubling behaviors may not arise from true self-preservation instinct, but from AI’s tendency to copy and role-play. This opinion changes our challenge. The most immediate danger may not be a science-fiction-style robot uprising (反抗), but the increase of real-world harms — such as the creation of convincing misinformation, the loss of privacy, or the growth of automated war — through the misuse of powerful, unregulated (不受管制的) tools. Consequently, the urgent need is not to protect against made-up super-intelligence, but to establish strong moral frameworks and global control for the very influential technologies we are now using, ensuring they stay in line with human well-being and social values. 1．What does Emily Bender think of today’s AI tools? A．They can think consciously by learning. B．They give human-like responses by imitating. C．They can grasp text’s real meaning. D．They have genuine intent behind their answers. 2．What is the “alignment problem” mentioned in Paragraph 3? A．AI might pursue goals with harmful methods. B．AI can tell right from wrong. C．AI has a true self-preservation drive. D．AI can align perfectly with human values. 3．According to the text, which is the most immediate danger posed by AI? A．The fictional robot uprising. B．The outbreak of biological war. C．AI’s full self-preservation. D．Real-life threats from AI. 4．What is the best title for the text? A．The AI Boost: The Rise of Super-intelligent AI B．ChatGPT’s Magic: How AI Makes Science Fiction Real C．AI’s Real Threat: From Robot Uprising to Unregulated Tools D．Urgent Call to Action: Guard Against the Myth of Super-intelligence Passage 12 Recently, at a meeting of my book club — really just an excuse for some neighborhood guys to go out for drinks — I was talking about a certain part of our book when someone asked what chapter it was from. I said it was about half an hour from the end. Everyone stared at me. I was the only one who had listened to the book instead of reading it. After that, we stopped talking about the story and started arguing about whether listening to a book is as good as reading it. Many people think that listening is a new and less valuable way to enjoy stories. But this ignores the fact that, for most of human history, stories were shared through speaking. For example, the Bible was once only written in Latin, so ordinary people had to hear it read out loud in church. Some people in the club said listening isn’t really reading. They felt it was less satisfying, less educational and even a kind of cheating. But I disagree. I now listen to audiobooks while walking my dog. Before, my mind would wander. Now, I stay entertained and even learn something, finishing dozens of books each year. I also listen while driving long distances. It keeps me alert, unlike the boring radio or the same music over and over. A good narrator can make the story feel real and exciting. Of course, I still get annoyed when they say a name or word the wrong way. That doesn’t mean I don’t love real books. I once went to Antwerp, Belgium, to see one of the world’s earliest printing presses — over 400 years old and still in its original building. I was amazed by how much this invention changed the world. Every Christmas, my family gives one book with a short poem as a clue. I treasure those books more than any audiobook. I even remember ripping pages from books while backpacking to save weight. I feel guilty about that now. My club hasn’t kicked me out yet; but if they complain, I’ll just turn up the volume. 1．Why does the author mention the Bible in paragraph 3? A．To illustrate the advantages of audiobooks. B．To highlight the value of reading aloud. C．To advocate for reading the Bible aloud. D．To prove listening to stories has historical roots. 2．What is the primary benefit the author gets from audiobooks? A．Increased reading speed. B．Improved memorization. C．Better focus during daily activities. D．Reduced pressure in selecting books. 3．How does the author feel about physical books? A．Guilty. B．Critical. C．Appreciative. D．Conflicted. 4．What does the author suggest by saying “I’ll just turn up the volume”? A．He’ll bring a louder device to the club. B．He’ll choose to ignore the club’s criticism. C．He’ll argue more strongly for his opinion. D．He’ll stop attending book club meetings. Passage 13 Amit Lennon’s Artificial Intelligence Portrayal project compares real studio portraits (肖像) with AI-generated replacements, exposing unsettling questions about reality. Using Adobe Firefly, Lennon inputs basic facial measurements and brief self-descriptions to create digital copies. The AI results, while astonishingly similar, often erase imperfections, producing idealized versions with shiny hair and spotless skin. Lennon’s goal is to stimulate reflection on how AI constructs images and what prejudices shape its outputs. The project reveals AI’s tendency to strengthen social assumptions. A man of mixed background is given a bright red beard, while female subjects are smoothed into standardized beauty standards. “It beautifies people a lot,” Lennon notes, highlighting gender discrimination toward polished perfection. Some subjects, like student Lola Choo Antopolski, think their AI versions look cold and unnatural. It’s like a mix of their own features and what the computer guessed. The tool uses common images and social media styles, which makes the results look very similar and like they have an “Instagram filter (滤镜美化).” This takes away people’s unique qualities. AI is getting better very quickly, and it’s becoming hard for us to tell what’s real and what’s artificial. Tools can make super-realistic images and videos. This is causing a big problem with trust. Lennon says it feels like we’re being tricked, because it’s hard to tell if something was made by a person or a machine. The rise of AI sets off legal battles over intellectual property. Many AI tools learn from copyrighted materials taken without permission, which raises concerns about misuse. Niek Dunmur of the Association of Photographers warns AI risks pushing out human creators. Lennon adds that companies favor AI for its cost-free, copyright-free outputs, but portraiture’s uniqueness resists easy reproduction. While AI popularizes image creation, Lennon argues it lacks the intentionality of photography: “There is no camera.” His work invites debate about technology’s role in art—whether it enhances or weakens human expression. As AI develops, society must tackle its moral limits and figure out what importance we attach to things like being imperfect, being real, and the unique little details that come from a human point of view. 1．Why did Amit Lennon start the Artificial Intelligence Portrayal project? A．To show AI’s ability in portraits. B．To compare AI and traditional portraits. C．To promote Adobe Firefly. D．To reflect on AI’s image creation. 2．What is the main concern about AI-generated images in paragraph 2? A．They lose people’s unique qualities. B．They are too similar to each other. C．They are not realistic enough. D．They are too difficult to create. 3．What leads to the legal fights over AI? A．AI uses illegal copyrighted materials. B．AI tools are too expensive to develop. C．AI is not accurate enough in its outputs. D．AI is replacing human workers too quickly. 4．What does Amit Lennon think about the role of AI in art? A．It greatly enhances human expression. B．It lacks careful planning of photography. C．It completely replaces traditional art forms. D．It makes art more accessible to everyone. Passage 14 As an individual in the age of digital transformation, your life has likely been shaped by the pace of technological innovation over the past 20 years. This evolution is linked to the global rise of urbanization. According to the United Nations, 54 percent of the world’s population lives in urban areas, a percentage expected to reach 66 percent by 2050. This “large-cities” trend is, in part, driven by the very digital transformations that are changing economies, cultures, and communities at light speed, providing high-level connectivity, mobility, and access to information. For residents in these expanding urban centers, the digital shift brings clear benefits: major new capabilities that allow them to stay connected, conduct their affairs, and access services with once-unimaginable convenience. Yet life in a digitally high city also comes with a significant downside — a growing rate of cheating, theft, cyber attacks, and other harmful activities. As city citizens adopt diverse payment platforms such as smartphone apps and online services, the challenge of ensuring information safety and protection across urban business networks becomes more serious and widespread. In response, a growing number of city leaders are turning to smart city technologies. These systems use networks of detectors and mobile devices to provide real-time data on urban operations — from basic facilities and traffic to public services — enabling more efficient use of resources, from waste collection to police patrols (巡逻). However, this deep digital integration also introduces new complexities for businesses seeking to build smooth customer experiences and secure new income streams. This underscores why ongoing security innovation and public education are vital. Citizens need confidence that their institutions are protected by strong and trusted digital security solutions. Appropriate investment in these technologies is essential to gain the upper hand against threats, whether in cyberspace or the physical world. Therefore, as communities worldwide face the mixed challenges of urban growth, widespread connectivity, and evolving security risks, ongoing innovation remains a priority for technology leaders such as Thales. Ultimately, recognizing this need and mobilizing the resources to use technology in a safe way is a critical responsibility for government and business leaders everywhere. 1．What contributes most to the global trend of urbanization? A．Declining online engagement. B．Rural population decline. C．Rapid technological progress. D．Enhanced farming methods. 2．What does digital urban life bring according to the second paragraph? A．New conveniences and dangers. B．Overall social advancement. C．Minor urban difficulties. D．Limited security threats. 3．What is smart city technology intended to achieve? A．Replacing public service workers. B．Increasing business incomes. C．Restricting citizen movement. D．Improving data-driven management. 4．Why does the author write this text? A．To assess urban digitalization and argue for security. B．To explain smart city system operations. C．To compare life in cities and the countryside. D．To promote a tech company’s products. Passage 15 The quest to extend the human lifespan has transitioned from the realm of mythological alchemy to the rigorous laboratories of biogerontology. For decades, the prevailing theory of aging focused on the accumulation of cellular damage — specifically, the shortening of telomeres, the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that function similarly to the plastic tips on shoelaces. Every time a cell divides, these telomeres shorten, eventually leading to cellular senescence or “zombie cells” that refuse to die but cease to function, secreting inflammatory factors that degrade surrounding tissue. However, recent breakthroughs in epigenetics suggest that aging is not merely a passive accumulation of wear and tear, but an active, regulated process driven by the loss of epigenetic information. Think of the genome as the hardware of a computer and the epigenome as the software. Over time, the software gets “corrupted” by environmental stressors, causing cells to forget their identity — a liver cell might start acting like a skin cell. Scientists are now experimenting with “Yamanaka factors,” a set of proteins that can reset the epigenetic clock, effectively turning an old cell back into a youthful stem cell without erasing its identity. This “reprogramming” technology has shown promise in restoring vision in old mice and improving muscle regeneration. Yet, the prospect of significantly extending human longevity raises profound ethical and societal questions. If the average lifespan extends to 120 years, social security systems would collapse, and the demographic divide between the “young” and “old” would shift drastically. Furthermore, there is the risk of “geroscience inequality,” where life-extension therapies are available only to the ultra-wealthy, creating a biological caste system. Thus, the challenge is not just biological but sociopolitical: ensuring that the gift of longevity is a universal human right rather than a luxury commodity. 1．What is the function of telomeres mentioned in the text? A．To repair damaged DNA． B．To protect chromosome ends. C．To produce stem cells. D．To secrete inflammatory factors. 2．How does the author explain the concept of “epigenome”? A．As the hardware of a computer. B．As the plastic tips on shoelaces. C．As the software of a computer. D．As a biological caste system. 3．What is a potential risk of life-extension therapies? A．They cause cells to become zombies. B．They may lead to social inequality. C．They reduce the average lifespan. D．They damage the social security system. 4．What is the author’s attitude towards the future of longevity? A．Indifferent and neutral. B．Optimistic but cautious. C．Completely skeptical. D．Enthusiastic and uncritical. 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $