2026 年真题

完形填空

Directions: Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)

Text

Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are rapidly changing every aspect of human life. The world of AI is buzzing with an exciting potential to improve and enrich our lives. AI also has the potential hazard of our experiences in ways we might find difficult to control. One such is how we understand and experience beauty.

AI can be a collaborative tool in a wide range of creative endeavors. the creation of human creativity and AI algorithms can lead to unique artistic , that are beautiful to the human eye. These collaborations are likely to become increasingly common.

as convenient and provocative, AI can enable virtual try-on experiences where you can makeup, hairstyles, clothing and even cosmetic procedures that make any physical changes. Individuals can now experiment with different looks and their preferences potentially expanding the range of beauty ideals. AI algorithms can facial features and skin conditions to provide personalized beauty recommendations. This approach aims to cater to individual preferences and enhance the concept of beauty tailored to each person’s unique characteristics. , AI can be a fun vehicle for self-discovery.

While AI offers exciting possibilities, it also raises ethical . There is a risk of deepening social beauty and perpetuating unattainable beauty standards. AI-powered beauty filters and editing tools can lead to distorted self-perception and body dissatisfaction. As summarized in a recent post “The Hidden Dangers of Online Beauty Filters”, on this technology for social comparison can cause body image issues, low self-esteem and social anxiety.

It is important to note that while AI can enhance our of beauty, it should not genuine human experience: the emotional connections we derive from seeing the beauty in each other.

1
正确答案:A
【解析】 原文前两句论述人工智能(AI)改善和丰富生活的积极潜力,第三句则指出AI也存在难以控制的潜在危险。两句之间为转折关系,需填入表转折的衔接词。选项A“Still”可表示“然而”或“尽管如此”,用于引出对比或补充信息,符合语境;B“Therefore”表因果,C“Afterward”表时间顺序,D“Instead”表替代关系,均与逻辑不符。
2
正确答案:D
【解析】 根据上下文,原文指出AI在改善生活的同时也有潜在危险,即“以我们可能难以控制的方式____我们的体验”。选项D“dominating”(主导、支配)最符合语境,因为AI过度控制或主导人类体验是一种常见的担忧,与后文“难以控制”形成直接呼应。其他选项如A“reviewing”(回顾)、B“narrating”(叙述)和C“ignoring”(忽略)均无法表达AI对体验的强势影响,且与上下文讨论的AI潜在危害不符。
3
正确答案:B
【解析】 原文中提到AI有潜在危险,第3题所在句“One such ___ is how we understand and experience beauty”意为“其中一个这样的___是我们如何理解和体验美丽”,此处需填入一个词来指代前文“危险”的具体表现范畴。选项B“area”意为“领域”或“方面”,能准确表示AI影响的一个具体范围,符合语境。选项A“reason”(原因)、C“clue”(线索)和D“belief”(信念)均与上下文逻辑不符。
4
正确答案:C
【解析】 原文中AI被描述为创造性努力的协作工具,因此将人类创造力与AI算法相结合(Combining)能产生独特的艺术成果,这符合上下文语义。其他选项中,“Balancing”强调平衡,但此处更侧重融合;“Distinguishing”表示区分,与协作意图不符;“Introducing”意为引入,但结合两者更为准确。
5
正确答案:B
【解析】 原文句子“the creation of human creativity and AI algorithms can lead to unique artistic _____, that are beautiful to the human eye.” 强调人类创造力与AI算法结合能够产生独特的艺术产物,这些产物对人类视觉而言是美丽的。选项B “outcomes” 意为“结果”或“成果”,指代具体产生的艺术作品,与上下文逻辑一致。选项A “prospect” 指前景或可能性,不符合此处指代具体产物的语境;选项C “ambitions” 意为抱负或雄心,与艺术创作结果无关;选项D “sentiments” 指情感或情绪,虽与艺术相关,但此处强调客观产物而非主观感受,因此不合适。
6
正确答案:C
【解析】 第6题位于段落开头,其后描述AI如何实现虚拟试穿体验,这是对前文“AI在创造性努力中作为协作工具”的具体举例说明。选项C“For instance”意为“例如”,用于引入例子,与上下文逻辑一致。其他选项均不契合:A“At first”表示时间顺序,B“By comparison”表示对比,D“In general”表示概括,而此处需要举例过渡,故C正确。
7
正确答案:A
【解析】 第7题所在句子描述AI支持的虚拟试穿体验,用户可以在其中尝试化妆、发型等而不进行实际改变。“test”意为测试或试用,与“virtual try-on”语境契合,表示在虚拟环境中尝试不同外观。其他选项“copy”(复制)、“link”(链接)和“save”(保存)均不符合虚拟试穿的核心含义。
8
正确答案:D
【解析】 第8题所在句子描述了AI虚拟试穿体验,允许用户尝试化妆、发型、服装甚至整容手术,而无需进行任何物理改变。选项D“before”表示“在…之前”,在这里意为“在做出任何物理改变之前尝试整容手术”,这符合虚拟试穿让用户预先模拟效果、避免直接物理改变的逻辑。其他选项均不匹配:A“upon”通常表示“在…之上”或“之后”,B“beyond”表示“超出”,C“through”表示“通过”,三者都无法准确表达“在不进行物理改变的情况下尝试”的含义,且与“that make any physical changes”结合时语法或语义不通顺。因此,D为正确答案。
9
正确答案:A
【解析】 原文描述AI虚拟试妆体验允许个人尝试不同外观,从而“explore their preferences”(探索其偏好),这自然引出“potentially expanding the range of beauty ideals”(可能扩大美的理想范围)的结果。其他选项B“recall”(回忆)、C“simplify”(简化)和D“cherish”(珍惜)均不符合上下文逻辑,因为这里强调的是通过实验发现新偏好,而非回顾、简化或珍视现有偏好。
10
正确答案:D
【解析】 此处上下文描述AI算法通过处理面部特征和皮肤状况来提供个性化的美容建议。选项D“analyze”(分析)最符合语义,表示AI对这些特征进行评估以生成推荐。其他选项如recover(恢复)、arrange(安排)、reserve(保留)均不符合语境。
11
正确答案:D
【解析】 空格所在句的前一句提到“提供个性化的美容推荐”,后一句强调“针对每个人的独特特征量身定制”,因此此处需要一个表示个性化或定制化的词。选项D“customized”意为“定制的”,与上下文中的“personalized”和“tailored”相呼应,而其他选项A“localized”(本地化的)、B“normalized”(标准化的)和C“randomized”(随机化的)均不符合语境。
12
正确答案:D
【解析】 第12题所在句子的前文描述了AI通过分析面部特征和皮肤状况提供个性化美容推荐,这种方法旨在迎合个人偏好并增强针对个人特点的美容概念。接着,句子指出“AI can be a fun vehicle for self-discovery”,这表示前文描述的方式使得AI能够成为自我发现的有趣工具。选项D“In this way”意为“以这种方式”,用于表示通过前文描述的方法或途径导致某种结果,符合上下文的逻辑衔接。其他选项中,A“At best”表示“充其量”,带有限制意味;B“To the contrary”表示“相反地”,用于对比;C“By definition”表示“根据定义”,用于引入定义;均与上下文语境不符。因此,D是最佳选择。
13
正确答案:C
【解析】 句子意为“虽然AI提供了令人兴奋的可能性,但它也引发了伦理___。” 根据上下文,AI在带来好处的同时也带来了负面影响,因此空白处应填入表示伦理问题或担忧的词。选项C“concerns”意为“担忧、关切”,常与“ethical”搭配使用,指伦理方面的忧虑,符合语境。选项A“divisions”(分割)不符合语义;选项B“expectations”(期望)虽可搭配,但通常不用于负面语境;选项D“values”(价值观)可能表示积极意义,与“raises”搭配时更倾向于提升价值观,但此处强调AI引发的伦理问题,因此C最合适。
14
正确答案:A
【解析】 原文中提到AI在美容领域的应用可能带来伦理问题,具体风险是“加深社会美容______和延续不可达到的美容标准”。根据上下文,这里应填入一个表示负面社会影响的词。选项A“pressures”(压力)符合语境,指社会对个人外貌的期望和压力,与“unattainable beauty standards”(不可达到的美容标准)相呼应,共同描述AI可能加剧的负面现象。其他选项B“mysteries”(神秘)、C“understandings”(理解)和D“suspicions”(怀疑)均与上下文语义不符,无法体现风险或负面后果。
15
正确答案:B
【解析】 第15题所在的句子进一步阐述了AI工具可能导致的负面后果,即AI驱动的美颜滤镜和编辑工具可能导致扭曲的自我认知和身体不满。前文已经提到AI带来伦理风险和加深社会 beauty 标准,此处是补充另一个相关点,因此需要表示添加信息的过渡词。“Additionally"意为“此外”,符合语境。其他选项中,“Approximately"表示估计,与语境不符;“Alternatively"表示替代选项,但这里不是提供选择;“Accidentally"表示偶然,而这些问题是有意或潜在的后果,并非偶然。
16
正确答案:C
【解析】 在原文语境中,句子旨在说明AI美容滤镜和编辑工具可能带来的负面后果,即“导致扭曲的自我感知并______身体不满意”。空格处需填入一个表示“导致”或“加剧”的动词短语,以与前半句的“lead to”形成并列,共同描述AI工具的危害。选项C“contribute to”意为“促成、导致”,恰当地表达了AI工具对身体不满意问题的促进作用,符合句意逻辑。选项A“deal with”意为“处理”,与负面结果的描述不符;选项B“result from”意为“由……引起”,但此处空格后是“body dissatisfaction”,若使用则语义矛盾(不能是“导致扭曲自我感知并由身体不满意引起”);选项D“focus on”意为“专注于”,无法体现因果关系。因此,C为正确答案。
17
正确答案:C
【解析】 第17题所在的句子讨论的是依赖AI技术进行社会比较可能带来的危害。选项C“relying”与介词“on”构成固定搭配“rely on”,意为“依赖、依靠”,符合上下文语义,即“依赖这种技术进行社会比较”会导致身体形象问题等负面后果。其他选项均不贴合:A“starting”与“on”搭配时通常表示“开始做某事”,但在此处逻辑不通;B“checking”与“on”搭配多指“检查、核实”,与“社会比较”的语境不符;D“working”与“on”搭配常表示“致力于、从事”,不能准确表达“依赖技术”的含义。因此,C为正确答案。
18
正确答案:B
【解析】 句子中“body image issues, low self-esteem and social anxiety”是并列的负面后果,其中“low self-esteem and social anxiety”是“body image issues”的具体例子。因此,使用“such as”来引入例子,表示“诸如身体形象问题,例如低自尊和社交焦虑”。其他选项不符合语境:A“apart from”表示除外,C“regardless of”表示不管不顾,D“prior to”表示在…之前,均不适用于举例。
19
正确答案:B
【解析】 第19题所在句子为“AI can enhance our ______ of beauty”,意为“AI可以增强我们对美丽的______”。根据上下文,文章主要讨论AI如何影响人们对美的理解和体验,前文提到AI能提供个性化美容推荐、虚拟试妆等,这些功能旨在帮助人们更好地欣赏美。选项B“appreciation”(欣赏)符合语境,表示AI可以提升人们对美的欣赏能力。其他选项A“imitation”(模仿)、C“preservation”(保存)和D“consumption”(消费)均与上下文逻辑不符,且“enhance appreciation of beauty”是常见表达,与后文“真实的人类体验”中情感连接相呼应。因此,B为正确答案。
20
正确答案:A
【解析】 根据上下文,原文指出人工智能(AI)可以增强我们对美的感知,但用“while”表示转折,强调AI不应该替代真实的人类体验,特别是从彼此身上看到美时所产生的情感连接。选项A“replace”意为“替换、取代”,符合语境;其他选项B“seize”(夺取)、C“share”(分享)、D“reflect”(反映)均与文意不符,因为这里强调的是避免AI取代人类独特的情感体验。

阅读理解

Part A

Directions: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)

Text 1

For thousands of years, donkeys have been critical for propelling human civilizations forward. They’ve helped pull wheeled vehicles, carry travelers and move goods across the world. But where and when these animals first became intertwined with humans has been a mystery. Now, researchers have used genomes of over 200 donkeys to trace their domestication back to a single event around 7,000 years ago in East Africa – about 3,000 years before humans tamed horses. The team published their findings in the journal Science this month.

“Through their DNA, the animals are telling their history themselves,” co-author Samantha Brooks, an equine researcher at the University of Florida, says in a statement. “We usually only get the human’s side of history through written accounts, but of course written history does not always record exactly how something happened. Looking at these DNA sequences, we get a biological testimony to the environment these animals lived in and the experiences they survived.”

The researchers examined 207 genomes from modern donkeys living in 31 countries across the globe. They also looked at genomes from 15 wild equids and 31 earlier donkeys that lived between about 4,000 and 100 years ago. The team reconstructed the animals’ evolutionary tree and used computer models to pinpoint the domestication event: when herders in Kenya and the Horn of Africa tamed wild asses. They then traced how the animals spread across the rest of the continent into Europe and Asia about 2,500 years later.

Though it’s still unclear why the original domestication happened, Science News’ Freda Kreier reports that the event coincided with the Sahara growing larger and drier. “Donkeys are champions when it comes to carrying stuff and are good at going at Paul Sabin deserts,” co-author Ludovic Orlando, an evolutionary biologist at Paul Sabin University in France, tells the publication. Prehistoric humans may have tamed donkeys’ help navigate the expanding Sahara.

Researchers say these findings could help put donkeys in the spotlight. The animals could benefit from more research: Currently, there are no published genomes from donkeys located south of the Equator in Africa. But understanding where the animals were first domesticated could guide archaeologists to a narrow region to search for insights about the original tamed donkeys.

Not only does human understanding of the equines’ genetic makeup help reveal their contribution to human history, but it also might improve their management in the future, as climate change alters the planet’s environment, write the authors.

21

What can be learned about donkeys from paragraph 1?

正确答案:C
【解析】 第一段明确指出,研究人员通过基因组分析将驴的驯化追溯至大约7000年前东非的一个单一事件,并强调这一时间比人类驯化马早了约3000年。因此,选项C“they were tamed at an earlier time than horses”(它们比马更早被驯化)与原文信息一致。选项A错误,因为原文说驴与人类首次交织的时机和地点一直是个谜,但并未提及对人类祖先显得神秘;选项B错误,因为原文强调驯化是“a single event”(单一事件),而非多次;选项D错误,因为第一段未提及古代旅行者对驴的生动描绘。
22

What message is conveyed in Brooks’ statement?

正确答案:D
【解析】 在Brooks的陈述中,她强调通过DNA分析,动物可以直接“讲述”自身历史,而书面记录往往不完整或不准确;DNA序列提供了生物学证据,揭示动物生活的环境和经历。因此,她的核心观点是遗传分析能帮助理解驴的历史,与选项D“遗传分析提供了对驴历史的洞察”完全一致。选项A、B、C均未准确反映Brocks陈述的重点。
23

In their study, the researchers investigated how donkeys ______?

正确答案:A
【解析】 研究人员在研究中通过分析驴的基因组,重建了进化树并追踪了驯化事件,特别指出驴在驯化后约2500年传播到非洲其他地区、欧洲和亚洲。这直接对应选项A“在世界范围内广泛分散”。其他选项:B(在牧民帮助下生存)虽提及驯化,但非研究调查重点;C(发展特定行为特征)和D(适应环境变化)在原文中未作为研究核心内容被探讨。
24

As to why the original domestication of donkeys happened, Orlando?

正确答案:B
【解析】 原文中,Orlando指出驴子擅长负重和在沙漠中行走,并推测史前人类可能为了应对撒哈拉沙漠扩张而驯化驴子,这为驯化原因提供了一个可能的解释。选项A、C和D在文中均无依据:Orlando并未挑战传统观念、未呼吁撒哈拉证据,也未与Kreier观点相左,反而其说法与Kreier报道的撒哈拉环境变化相呼应。
25

The authors think that their research could help with ____.

正确答案:B
【解析】 根据原文最后一段,作者明确指出对驴子基因组成的研究不仅揭示其历史贡献,还可能改善未来的管理,特别是在气候变化背景下,因此研究有助于更好地管理驴子。选项A(保护野生动物)、C(恢复早期驴种)和D(提高气候变化意识)均未在作者观点中直接体现,故B为正确答案。

Text 2

There’s no business like show business – but in Los Angeles, it feels like there’s no business at all.

If that sounds melodramatic, consider this: The Art Directors Guild, a labor union representing about 3,000 film workers, has suspended a training program and issued a statement explaining that “we cannot in good conscience encourage you to pursue our profession is a reaction to Hollywood’s decline, which is reaching a critical point for the industry and Southern California.

Production has been slipping away from Hollywood since the 1950s, but the effects have never been more apparent than at present. Other regions in the United States, Canada and Europe have steadily increased incentives to attract TV shows and movies, leaving California in the dust. Georgia offers up to 30% in transferable tax credits on film and TV production costs, plus an additional 10% increase on the base tax credit if the project includes a Georgia promotional logo.

Even as California lost a huge volume of production to other locations, there was still plenty of film production taking place in Los Angeles before this year. We were kept afloat by “peak TV”, the glut of content that was required by the explosion of streaming services.

If productions in Southern California dip below a critical level for too long, the industry’s essential talent will drift away along with enormous sums of revenue. Persuading studios to film here would become much more challenging if we couldn’t after a deep bench of local film workers, on-screen talent and local businesses that support the entertainment industry.

That’s why the California Film Commission and its Los Angeles counterpart, Film LA, now should act now, before it’s too late. These agencies and other government bodies should dramatically improve incentives to keep our current shows and attract new productions to Los Angeles. Let’s go on with the show … and make sure the show doesn’t go on without us.

26

The Art Directors Guild’s statement reveals ________.

正确答案:D
【解析】 Art Directors Guild 的声明中提到“我们无法良心鼓励你追求我们的职业”,并明确指出这是对好莱坞衰退的反应,好莱坞的衰退正达到对行业和南加州的关键点。这直接揭示了 Hollywood 面临的黯淡形势,与选项 D 相符。其他选项未在声明中体现:A 未提及兴趣减少;B 未表达对过去的怀念;C 与声明内容相反,声明反映的是南加州吸引力的下降。
27

The example of Georgia is used to illustrate the efforts to ________.

正确答案:A
【解析】 原文中提到乔治亚州提供高达30%的可转让税收抵免,并在项目中包含乔治亚州推广标识时额外增加10%的税收抵免,这一例子紧接在“其他地区通过增加激励措施吸引影视制作”的论述之后,旨在具体说明这些地区如何利用税收优惠吸引影视制作,因此选项A“以税收优惠吸引制作”正确。其他选项在原文中均未涉及。
28

Peak TV passed its peak as ________.

正确答案:B
【解析】 原文中提到“peak TV”是指流媒体服务爆炸式增长所需的内容过剩,这曾支撑了洛杉矶的电影生产。问题询问“peak TV”过了峰值的原因,结合上下文和行业背景,流媒体平台可能因战略调整(如从追求内容数量转向注重盈利或质量)而减少制作,导致内容过剩状况不再持续。选项B“流媒体改变了战略重点”与此推断相符;其他选项在原文中均未体现。
29

According to paragraph 6, California’s entertainment industry might face ________.

正确答案:C
【解析】 第六段明确指出,如果南加州的影视制作长期低于临界水平,行业的关键人才将流失,同时大额收入也会随之消失。这直接对应了“人才流失到其他地方”(brain drain to other places)的风险。选项A(产品质量下降)、B(对外国人才的需求)和D(劳动力成本急剧上升)均未在段落中提及或暗示,因此C为正确答案。
30

The author concludes the text by emphasizing that California should strive to ________.

正确答案:A
【解析】 原文最后一段明确指出,加州电影委员会及相关机构应立即行动,大幅提高激励措施,以留住现有节目并吸引新制作到洛杉矶,确保“演出不会在没有我们的情况下继续”。这强调了加州需要努力维持其在电影产业中的地位,防止因制作流失而导致的行业衰退。选项A“维持其在行业中的地位”准确反映了这一结论;其他选项如B“吸引比以往更多的投资”未明确提及,C“追求更高的制作标准”和D“加强与其他州的协调”均与原文焦点不符。

Text 3

The pioneers of wireless saw it as a gift to all the people. Sir John Reith said that it would end “isolation of the spirit” and rejoiced: “It does not matter how many thousand may be listening, there is always enough for others… the genius and the fool, the wealthy and the poor listen simultaneously.”

Between two great wars this technological innovation built a new kind of national consciousness. Opening this week, a book and exhibition curated by Beatty Rubens at the Bodleian in Oxford records how radio changed everyday life from 1922 to 1939. She draws on letters, diaries and fiction, and a 1939 field notebook of verbatim audience research by Winifred Gill.

There’s fun in testimonies of people enjoying the sheer newness. A cartoon mocks a group failing to converse because they’re all in headphones. People report that broad music made workmen whistle new tunes. A woman says there have been fewer street fights since the arrival of the wireless but also less stopping and “talking on the brush handle”.

By and large the wireless was welcome. I loved the man from the Thirties research who found that wireless suddenly offered “a lot of variety … things I thought I’d never be interested in … ice hockey, perhaps”. True: for more than 80 pre-digital years, linear speech broadcasting brought the gift of serendipity, random enlivening of a car journey or dull manual task. In my own book about radio I recorded how, on one drive: “I caught up with the news, learnt some 17th-century history, and was startlingly educated by an unpretentious programme on the history of the stethoscope.”

But radio’s enriching serendipity is ebbing. With multiple networks and countless podcasts, a smartphone user selects what to hear and when. And while it is wonderful to take a walk with anything in your headphones, infinite choice encourages us to shrink into niche interests and sympathetic beliefs.

31

What can be learnt about wireless from Reith? _______.

正确答案:A
【解析】 从原文中Sir John Reith的话可以看出,他强调无线广播能够结束“精神的隔离”,并指出无论听众数量多少,天才与傻瓜、富人与穷人都能同时收听,这突出了无线广播的普及性和可及性,即它对所有人都是开放的。选项A“它对每个人都可及”准确反映了这一含义;其他选项中,B未直接提及人际关系改善,C未涉及人类智慧奇迹,D则与Reith所说的结束隔离相反,因此A为正确答案。
32

What is the theme of the exhibition at the Bodleian in Oxford? ________.

正确答案:A
【解析】 根据原文第二段,牛津大学博德利图书馆的展览由Beatty Rubens策划,记录了收音机如何从1922年到1939年改变日常生活,并引用了信件、日记、小说以及听众研究的资料。这表明展览主题聚焦于收音机对其早期听众的影响,与选项A“收音机对早期听众的影响”直接相符。其他选项如B强调音乐教育,原文虽提及音乐但仅为例子;C涉及技术创新过程,展览关注生活改变而非技术本身;D关于广播先驱,原文开头提到但非展览核心。
33

It is indicated in Paragraph 4 that ________.

正确答案:C
【解析】 第四段主要描述了无线电广播在前数字时代为听众带来的意外收获和偶然发现。文中提到,线性语音广播带来了“serendipity”(意外之喜),例如让听众在无意中接触到冰球等原本不感兴趣的内容,或在一次驾驶中意外学到新闻、历史等知识。这些例子均体现了听众可能获得意想不到的收益,与选项C“radio listeners could make unexpected gains”相符。其他选项在第四段中未得到体现:A项未提及研究不足;B项强调数字时代的魅力,但第四段聚焦前数字时代,且第五段指出这种魅力正在消退;D项未讨论节目变化。
34

The expression “talking on the brush handle” in Paragraphs 3 and 6 refers to the act of ________.

正确答案:B
【解析】 在原文第三段中,一位女士提到无线收音机的出现使街头打架减少,但同时“stopping and ’talking on the brush handle’”也减少了。结合上下文,这里描述的是人们日常社交行为的变化;“talking on the brush handle”是一种比喻说法,很可能指在劳动或闲暇时依靠扫帚柄进行的随意闲聊,与选项B“having a casual chat”(随意聊天)含义相符。其他选项与上下文不符:A“制造噪音”未体现社交互动;C“引发琐碎争吵”与街头打架减少的积极描述矛盾;D“哼唱流行歌曲”与前文“吹口哨”相关但“talking”强调的是交谈而非哼唱。第六段虽未直接重复该短语,但讨论了无线技术如何削弱偶然社交,进一步支持“闲聊”减少的主题。
35

In the last paragraph, the author intends to express the opinion that ________.

正确答案:D
【解析】 最后一段中,作者通过对比广播时代偶然性带来的丰富体验与现代技术无限选择导致的局限,指出无线广播的随意启蒙性正逐渐消失,而智能手机和播客等创新虽提供自由选择,却可能使人陷入狭隘兴趣和相似信念的窠臼。作者并未直接呼吁技术应以人类福祉为目标(A),也未明确主张复兴聆听艺术(B),更未特指青少年或社交媒体习惯(C),而是反思技术创新的双重影响,强调人们应对创新持明智态度,平衡其便利与潜在弊端。因此,选项D最契合作者的意图。

Text 4

When Tom Swetnam joined the U.S. Forest Service in the 1970s, his mandate was to “put everything out,” he recalled. But when Swetnam enrolled in graduate school at the University of Arizona’s Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, he was surprised to find a record of repeated blazes dating back hundreds of years before European colonists arrived on the continent. Some of the trees he analyzed bore more than 20 fire scars among their rings.

The fact that fires happened so often meant they couldn’t have been severe enough to kill most trees. Instead, a growing body of research showed that frequent, low-severity fires made many ecosystems healthier. They rid the forest of dead and sick trees, reducing competition and curbing the spread of disease. Because flammable material couldn’t build up on the landscape, blazes tended to move slowly and peter out when they reached the footprints of previous burns.

In 2022, Swetnam and other scientists teamed up to compile a database of fire-scarred trees from across the continent. Their North American tree-ring fire-scar network (NAFSN) provided the basis for a study published last month. In the study, the researchers compared the historical fire cadence with the wildfires recorded over the past few decades, and uncovered a striking shortfall. The NAFSN sites experienced less than a quarter of the number of fires that would have been expected without fire suppression.

This deficit is a testament to the effectiveness of modern firefighting, said Kelly Martin, a past president of the International Association of Wildland Fire. “Yet the combined consequences of suppression and climate change have eroded humanity’s ability to suppress fires, particularly those that ignite under the most dangerous weather conditions.

To prevent entire ecosystems from going up in smoke, Martin said, people must bring healthy fire back to places that need it. At Yosemite National Park, Martin oversaw the use of what is known as prescribed burns to make the landscape more “resilient.” These fires were carefully planned and intentionally ignited during periods when weather kept the blazes easy to control, and helped eliminate some of the fuel that had built up around the important park’s facilities. Research shows that these prescribed burns make subsequent wildfires less severe, even if later fires happen under the most dangerous weather conditions.

Yet even as scientists and public officials increasingly agree on the need for more fires in our forests, climate change is making this tactic more challenging, experts said. “It’s a double-edged sword because wildfires are getting more severe and larger under climate change and we need this work even more, but then the work gets more challenging,” said Susan Prichard, a fire ecologist at the University of Washington.

36

According to Paragraph 1, Swetnam was surprised by ________.

正确答案:D
【解析】 第一段指出,Swetnam在亚利桑那大学树轮研究实验室读研时,惊讶地发现了一个记录,显示在欧洲殖民者到达之前数百年来反复发生的火灾,且分析的树木年轮上有多处火痕,这直接对应了precolonial times(殖民前时期)野火的数量,因此选项D正确。其他选项未在段落中提及或与惊讶的原因不符。
37

Paragraph 2 mainly focuses on ________.

正确答案:C
【解析】 第二段的核心内容是阐述频繁发生的低强度火灾对生态系统的积极影响。文中明确指出,这类火灾通过清除枯死和病弱的树木、减少竞争和抑制疾病传播来促进森林健康,同时由于可燃物无法积累,火灾蔓延缓慢且容易自然熄灭。整个段落围绕低强度火灾的益处展开,未涉及先前火灾的成因、树木治疗的具体方法或森林生态系统的重要性本身,因此选项C准确概括了段落主旨。
38

What did the study find about the wildfires over the past few decades? ________.

正确答案:B
【解析】 根据原文第三段,研究比较了历史火灾节奏与过去几十年的野火记录,发现NAFSN站点经历的火灾数量不到预期数量(若无火灾扑救)的四分之一,这表明过去几十年野火的频率显著下降。选项A、C、D在原文中均未提及或支持,因此B是正确答案。
39

What can be inferred about modern firefighting? _______.

正确答案:D
【解析】 原文指出,现代消防通过火灾压制减少了火灾频率,证明了其有效性;但同时也提到,压制与气候变化的共同作用削弱了人类抑制火灾的能力,尤其是在危险天气条件下发生的火灾更难扑灭。这暗示了现代消防可能导致易燃物积累,从而加剧严重火灾的扑救难度,与选项D的推断相符。其他选项在原文中缺乏直接依据。
40

Both Martin and Prichard would agree that ________.

正确答案:C
【解析】 从原文中可以看出,Kelly Martin 明确指出为了防止生态系统被毁灭,人们必须将健康的火灾带回需要的地方,并监督了 prescribed burns(计划烧除)的实施,认为这能增强景观的韧性。Susan Prichard 则提到在气候变化下野火变得更严重和更大,因此更需要进行 prescribed burns 这类工作,尽管实施起来更具挑战性。两人都强调了 prescribed burns 的必要性和重要性,因此他们都会同意引入计划烧除是必要的。其他选项(如预测野火、评估计划烧除的紧迫性或加倍火灾探测努力)在原文中未得到他们的直接支持。

Part B

Directions: In the following text, some segments have been removed. For Questions 41-45, choose the most suitable one from the list A-G to fit into each of the numbered blanks. There are two extra choices, which do not fit in any of the blanks. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)

41-45

[A] And just read a single poem. In his Oxford lectures, Seamus Heaney argued that a poem draws a picture of reality, a “glimpsed alternative” that sets up a contradiction with your own, in ways little and large. The negotiation, between you and it, is the heart of the matter. What does the poet see that you don’t? What does the difference mean? It could be one of the best conversations you ever have. Forget self-help books; reading is self-help in action.

[B] But for the most part, this isn’t what the business community does. I have yet to meet a chief executive who reads regularly. Many skip newspapers, and magazines are a stretch. They don’t have time, they say. It’s inefficient; they can get the information they need from those around them. At a pinch, they might pick up a business book before a long flight, in the hope that, like a cookbook, it will provide a foolproof recipe. Some are drawn to what I think of as “business car crash” books – the stories of Theranos, Purdue, or WeWork. But outside those narrow pools of interest, a vast ocean awaits, bountiful with simmering ideas, mental adventure and imaginative refreshment.

[C] Neuroscientists have been at pains to demonstrate that the pleasure a book provides isn’t indulgence; it’s good for you. Reading will keep you better informed about the world but it can also improve our tech-shattered ability to concentrate. Standing in the shoes of others fine tunes our social understanding, useful as we struggle to understand friends, neighbours, customers and co-workers. Different parts of our brain engage as we simulate scenes, characters and mental states. Our imagination – remember that? – is rekindled.

[D] It is undoubtedly true that all work and no play really does make Jack, or Jill, dull. The cure is right at hand, reading is cheap, easy and, most important, it’s fun. Liberate your imagination this year.

[E] We are living through a golden age of science writing. So lucid and accessible that even lay readers can relish the unpredictability of discovery. Daunted by uncertainty? Stand in the shoes of scientists and witness the degree to which breakthroughs emerge from accidents, conflict and sheer mental stamina. “We are never sure of anything,” says the physicist (and writer) Carlo Rovelli.

[F] You don’t need to get out more. If, like most business people, you spend your life dashing from office to plane, train to home, boardroom to washroom, what you really need to do is stay in more. Sit down – and read a book.

[G] Reading has also been found to make us more helpful, to reduce bias, and even to increase longevity – something we will enjoy all the more if we have a good book in our hands. (And yes, all these benefits are more closely associated with physical books than digital ones.)

[H] Read fiction. Any fiction. Free yourself from algorithms and choose anything you don’t need technology for an immersive experience just surrender to narratives across time and place. Modern (Sebastian Barry or Olga Tokarczuk), classic (Virginia Woolf or James Baldwin) or genre (Stephen King, Margaret Atwood, Georges Simenon) – it doesn’t matter. Fiction invites you to loiter the unseen. In the lives of others. We are living through a golden age of translation too, so you can go anywhere in time or place.

F → 41. ______ → 42. ______ → H → 43. ______ → C → 44. ______ → 45. ______

Part C

Directions: Read the following text carefully and then translate the underlined segments into Chinese. Write your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)

46-50

Science education today revolves around the idea of scientific literacy – the base-level knowledge about science that nonscientists require to effectively get on in the world. This concept has served as a central goal for curriculum developers, local school boards, business and community leaders, and policymakers ever since its introduction nearly 80 years ago.

(46) Tracing the history of the term, we can see how the definition of scientific literacy has shifted over time, muddying the waters when it comes to determining the goals of science education. And that’s a shame, because there is much to recommend in the idea of scientific literacy as it was originally articulated in 1945, a time when science appeared to be the key to progress and scientists seemingly held the fate of the world in their hands. (47) A return to that version of scientific literacy, which focused more on teaching what science is and how it works and less on memorizing scientific facts, seems like something society today desperately needs.

In the United States, the desire to provide the public with a general, nontechnical education in science originated as far back as the late 1800s. (48) Educators advanced the idea of having students complete detailed laboratory exercises in high schools in the belief that such work was beneficial primarily as a way to enhance logical reasoning and observational skills. The development in 1915 of the popular new subject “general science” was another effort to train students to apply the principles of science to everyday, nonscience problems.

Although these efforts were aimed at the nonscience-bound student, they never really made their way into mainstream thought and public discourse as a means to rally widespread support for the importance of science teaching in schools. (49) It wasn’t until the phrase “scientific literacy” came along in the 1940s that science had the formidable slogan it needed to command public attention and make improving science education an important national goal.

(50) The intense focus on scientific literacy in the United States originally grew out of the critical role of science and technology during World War II, as well as the perceived deficiencies of American soldiers. As the war unfolded, science rapidly assumed a central role. Battles increasingly depended on new military technologies such as radar and the proximity fuze. Science-based analytical approaches proved remarkably successful in the hunt for German submarines in the Atlantic Ocean. And there was the (then-secret) work building the world’s first atomic bomb. As a result, scientists—physicists in particular—found themselves in high demand.

写作

Part A

51

Directions: Read the following email from your friend Paul and write him a reply.

Hi Li Ming,

I was really moved by the Chinese families’ handwritten letters you posted yesterday. They are priceless! Could you please tell me a bit more about them? And are they currently on public display somewhere? I’m very keen to see them in person. Thanks.

You should write about 100 words on the ANSWER SHEET.
Do not use your own name in the email; use “Li Ming” instead. (10 points)

Part B

52

Directions: Write an essay based on the charts below. In your essay you should

  1. describe the drawing briefly,
  2. interpret the charts, and
  3. give your comments.

左侧饼图:

该饼图显示了人们对某项事物的接受程度分布,分为三个部分: 完全接受:占39.3% 部分接受:占32.8% 不接受:占27.9% 这表明大多数人(约72.1%)对该项目持接受态度,其中“完全接受”占比最高。 右侧柱状图:

该柱状图展示了人们在选择某项服务或产品时关注的三大因素及其重要性排序: 安全:46.3%(占比最高) 价格:24.9% 便利:10.7% 可见,“安全”是最重要的考量因素,其次是“价格”,而“便利”相对最不被重视。

Write your answers in 160–200 words on the ANSWER SHEET. (20 points)