While it may be unlikely for a computer to write a best seller, a technology expert has created a computer program that writes its own fiction stories with minimal user input. The program, called MEXICA, is the first to generate original stories based on computerized representations of emotions and tensions between characters.
An Internet survey was carried out to see the popularity of the computer-generated stories, other computerized stories and stories written solely by a human. The result was that readers ranked MEXICA stories highest for flow and coherence, structure, content, suspense and overall quality. Rafael Pérezy Pérez, the creator of MEXICA, explained that a story might begin with something as basic as, “The enemy wounded the knight. The princess cured the knight. The knight killed the enemy. The knight rewarded the princess. The end.”
The program reads characters as variables (变量) and assigns a numerical value, between a continuum (连续体) from -3 to +3, to emotional connections that are defined as either amorous or non-amorous. The numerical value is equivalent to the degree of emotion, with -3 being intense hate and +3 being intense love. The program also understands story tension, such as linking the word “wounded” with tension. This too is assigned a numerical value.
Once these clusters of emotional links and tensions are established, the program begins what is called an “engagement reflection cycle”. Basically this involves searching a database of story actions and other happenings, which are called “atoms”, and determines the best match for the characters and contexts for that moment.
The process repeats itself again and again until the system can no longer make any matches. At this point, the computer analyzes the story for coherence and “interestingness”. The program views a story as interesting when tension levels increase and fall throughout the piece. If the program finds that the story is boring or incoherent in places, it will replace or insert atoms until a version is thought to be satisfactory.What can we know about MEXICA from the passage?
| A．It is a computer program that can write fiction stories on its own. |
| B．It is a computer program created by Rafael Pérezy Pérez. |
| C．It is blamed for low quality among many other descriptors. |
| D．The stories it has written is not very popular among readers. |
What is basically needed for MEXICA to start to write a story?
| A．The beginning and the end of the story should be provided. |
| B．The background of the story needs to be keyed in. |
| C．The human operator should come up with a simple storyline. |
| D．Emotions and tensions between characters should be determined. |
How does the computer system describe the characters in its story?
| A．Characters in the story are given different numerical values. |
| B．Characters are developed according to the tension preset. |
| C．Characters are designed by using the language MEXICA can understand. |
| D．Each character is valued for its value in the construction of the story. |
What are “atoms” understood by the computer system?
| A．The tensions preset for the story. |
| B．The characters designed for the story. |
| C．Episodes of action of the story. |
| D．Events becoming of the characters. |
One day when the famous American scientist Edison was on his way home, a young man stopped him and required to have a word with him. Edison accepted his request.
The young man asked, “How can you invent so many things and achieve your fame(名声, 名望)? ”
The scientist said, “It seems that you have been thinking of becoming famous every day. ”The young man nodded, “Yes. I have been dreaming of being a person as notable(著名的)as you. Every minute I am thinking of how to become reputable. I don’ t know when I can achieve my fame. ”
Edison told him, “Don’ t worry, young man. If you want to be a famous man this way, you will have to wait until you die! ”
“Why should I? ”the young man was puzzled.
Edison said, “What you dream is actually a high building. You never think of how to build it with bricks(砖块). Thus the building will never come into reality(现实). However, your story can serve as a mirror. People will remember you because of your illness and laziness. They will often speak of your name while they give warnings to their children. Aren’ t you a notorious(声名狼藉)person by then? ”
The man asked Edison to tell him .
| A．how to invent new things | B．how to become famous |
| C．how he became a nobleman | D．how to become a scientist |
After hearing Edison’ s talk, the young man was puzzled because Edison told him .
| A．he would die before he was famous |
| B．he would be famous before he died |
| C．he would die after he was famous |
| D．he would never be famous |
The man didn’ t achieve his fame because________.
| A．his wish was too high |
| B．he was too stupid |
| C．he didn’ t learn from others |
| D．he was short of hard-working spirit |
The story mainly tells us .
| A．a person needs high spirit |
| B．one shouldn’ t dream of becoming famous |
| C．only by hard work can one’ s wish come into reality |
| D．one person shouldn’ t be idle and lazy |
Ladybirds (瓢虫) didn't have black spots on their backs at first. Then a storm broke out, and their famous guide, Caius Insectus, disappeared into the flood (洪水), and the few ladybirds who survived had to choose a new leader to guide them out of trouble. They decided that their new leader would be the first ladybird to successfully travel south to the Great Lake and return to describe it.
Many young ladybirds moved off immediately into this adventure. One by one they returned and told of how beautiful the southern lake was at that time of year, with its clear waters and flowers. However, the last of the ladybirds was late in getting back. He hadn't managed to reach the lake. Everyone criticized (批评) him, and they prepared to continue their journey the next day.
Following their new guide, they spent a morning walking northwards until they reached some tall thick grassland, where they stopped. There were no clear waters or flowers in front of them. The heavy rain had turned the place into a huge green puddle (水坑). Everyone understood what had happened. When the ladybirds had gone out looking for the lake, they had gone in the wrong direction. Now they could see that, except that one late ladybird, they had lied in order to get what they wanted.
And so, the late little ladybird was made the Great Guide. They also decided that every time one of them was discovered lying they would paint a black spot on that ladybird's back. From then on, when a ladybird looks at another's back, it can tell whether that ladybird can be trusted.Why did the ladybirds decide to choose a new guide?
| A．They lost their way in the storm. |
| B．They weren't satisfied with Caius Insectus. |
| C．They needed someone to lead them out of danger. |
| D．They needed someone to help prepare for the storm. |
Many young ladybirds lied because they ________.
| A．didn't want to be in danger |
| B．wanted to be the new guide |
| C．wanted to make others happy |
| D．didn't want to get spots on their backs |
How did the ladybirds probably feel when they stopped at the tall thick grassland?
| A．Nervous. | B．Afraid. |
| C．Excited. | D．Angry. |
What's the main idea of the text?
| A．Why ladybirds have black spots on their backs. |
| B．How ladybirds choose their leaders and guides. |
| C．What the black spots on ladybirds' backs mean. |
| D．Why ladybirds lie to each other. |
It’s the dieting fashion that is sweeping the world, and encourages fasting (禁食) for two days of the week. But does it work?
People are starving themselves to lose weight, with a dieting trend known as the “fast diet” growing in popularity.
The method is also known as the 5:2 diet, and consists of eating normally for five days of a week and cutting calories to about 25 percent of normal intake during other two days. Men consume just 600 calories on the two fast days, while women are limited to 500 calories.
Notably, the two fasting days should not be back-to-back. The dieter should have at least one normal eating day in between.
In the best-selling book The Fast Diet: Lose Weight, Stay Healthy, and Live Longer with the Simple Secret of Intermittent (断断续续的) Fasting by Dr. Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer, the two authors claim that the 5:2 diet not only promotes weight loss, but also benefits health, offering protection from disease, improved cognitive (认知的) function and increased lifespan.
The diet originated in the United Kingdom and became popular in the United States. Now, it is gaining popularity among the Chinese middle-class.
Zhong Minghui, who is 178 cm tall and used to weigh 100 kilograms, finds fasting effective in weight control. He works in the sales department of a trade company and used to drink and eat a lot after work. After sticking to the fasting diet for five months, he managed to lose about 20 kilograms.
“Actually I did not exactly rely on the 5:2 diet to lose weight. My fasting was more extreme. I almost completely cut off my supper every day and only ate some fruit. I also used an app to calculate the calories in the food I ate and was cautious of not eating any high-calorie food. I did about an hour’s aerobic exercise (有氧运动) every day. Fasting is definitely effective, but I think sports also help,” he says.
“I do not really believe that fasting is the magical cure-all (灵丹妙药), but my high blood sugar has improved,” he adds.
The US Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says that although there is evidence that intermittent fasting diets may help prevent chronic disease, more research is needed.
Han Ting, a clinic nutritionist of Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, says that people who suffer diabetes (糖尿病) or eating disorders, pregnant women, kids, teens and frail seniors should not try fasting. She recommends a regular low-calorie diet, which is safer and less risky for health. When on a fasting diet, on the weekly fasting days, Han recommends low-fat, low-sugar, and low-protein food, such as vegetables, yogurt, non-fat milk, shellfish and fruits with high dietary fiber (食用纤维).What does the underlined word “back-to-back” in paragraph 4 mean?
| A．Continuous. | B．Different. |
| C．Vegetarian. | D．Fatty. |
What can we infer from what Zhong Minghui said in paragraph 8?
| A．He strictly relied on the 5:2 diet to lose weight. |
| B．He used an app to calculate how much sport he played. |
| C．Fasting and sports helped him a lot when he lost weight. |
| D．In order to lose weight he used to do gymnastic exercise. |
What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
| A．Han thinks people who suffer diabetes should try a fasting diet. |
| B．A clinic nutritionist says that it’s safer to have a low-calorie diet. |
| C．Han Ting recommends that everyone should have a fasting diet. |
| D．Hang Ting says only a fasting diet can help people keep healthy. |
Which is the best title of the passage?
| A．Fast diet | B．How to stay thin |
| C．Eating to stay healthy | D．The magical cure-all |
More than 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed across the globe each day, and it’s likely that many taste bitter.
Now, a new study suggests that coffee fans can make their drink taste sweeter by simply changing the colour of their cups.
Scientists claim that blue and glass mugs, which are popular in some coffee shops, can reduce coffee’s bitterness, without any need for sugar, and that coffee drunk from white cups tastes the bitterest.
To prove their claims, the researchers invited 36 volunteers and used three different colored cups -- blue, white and transparent glass -- to do an experiment.
In the experiment, coffee consumed from the white cup was found to taste less sweet when compared to the other two colored cups, while the blue cup made the coffee taste the sweetest.
The scientists believe that the colour brown may be associated with coffee’s bitterness because coffee in a white cup appears the brownest and tastes the bitterest.
“Our study clearly shows that the colour of a coffee cup does influence the perceived (感受到的) taste and flavor of coffee,” said Dr George Doorn of Federation University Australia, “but the potential effects may be different between a one-time purchase and a return customer.”
“Anyhow, the effect of the colour of the cup on the flavor of the coffee suggests that café owners, baristas (咖啡师), as well as coffee cup manufacturers should carefully consider the colour of their cups, ” he added.
However, the idea that colour can alter the taste of food and drink is not new.
A study published last year revealed that red, strawberry-flavored mousse (慕斯蛋糕) served on a white plate was rated as 10 percent sweeter and 15 percent more flavorous than the same food presented on a black plate.
What color of the cup can best reduce coffee’s bitterness without adding sugar?
| A．Blue. | B．Brown. |
| C．White. | D．Transparent. |
The scientists used ________ to do the experiment to prove their claims.
① different brands of coffee
② different colored coffee cups
③ several volunteers
④ several manufactures
| A．① ② | B．② ③ | C．② ④ | D．③ ④ |
Why does coffee in white cups taste the least sweet?
| A．Because white cups are not as beautiful as other cups. |
| B．Because white cups are better used to serve cakes. |
| C．Because white cups reduce the sugar in them. |
| D．Because white cups make coffee appear the brownest. |
According to the article, which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．Black plates increase the sweetness of food and drink. |
| B．Strawberry-flavored mousse is 10 percent sweeter than coffee. |
| C．People consume more than 2.5 billion cups of coffee across the globe every year. |
| D．People can make coffee taste sweeter by changing the color of their coffee cups. |
On the eve of our daughters’ weddings, I gave both of them what I considered to be excellent marital advice: never leave your husband unsupervised (无人监督的) with pruning shears (修枝剪).
If only I had taken my own advice. I recently let my guard down. Thirty-some years of marriage can do that to a woman. Give a man pruning shears and electric trimmers (电动修剪器) and he will give new meaning to “armed and dangerous.”
One day earlier this year, my husband said that the crab apple tree was dead.
“Why do you think it is dead?” I asked.
“Look at it. There’s not a leaf on it.”
“There’s not a leaf on anything. It’s March,” I said.
“It looked sick last fall and with this bitter winter we had, I’m convinced it’s dead.”
The truth is he’s never liked the crab apple. Sure, it has beautiful blooms in the spring, but then it gets a disease, the leaves curl, and it drops those little apples that sit on the driveway.
Each passing week he pronounced the tree dead. Eventually I began to believe him. Though he agreed it would be a regrettable loss, there was a twinkle in his eye. He armed himself a couple of weeks ago and began trimming. A branch here, a branch there, a small limb, then a large limb. I watched and then decided to check the wood on some of the branches closer to the trunk. I broke one off and saw green.
The crab apple was not dead. It just hadn’t had time to leaf out. The tree was now falling to one side, but it was not dead. I would have told him so, but he had moved on to a maple. Once the man starts, he can’t stop. One trim leads to another.
“Please, stop!” I called.
He smiled and nodded, but he couldn’t hear because he had started the hedge (树篱) trimmers and was getting ready to fix a line of hedges.
Zip (飕飕声), zip, zip.
“What do you think?” he shouted.
“It’s supposed to be a privacy hedge; now all that will be private are our ankles.”
He started the trimmers again. “Stop!” I called, “Come back!”
“Why?” he shouted.
“You’re in the neighbor’s yard.”By saying “if only I had taken my own advice.” the author means that _____.
| A．she should have kept a closer watch on her husband |
| B．she feels regretful about her marriage after many years |
| C．she didn’t follow her own advice about pruning shears |
| D．she shouldn’t have given that marital advice to her daughters |
We can learn from the article that the author’s husband ______.
| A．has a great talent for gardening |
| B．had never used pruning shears before |
| C．mistook their crab apple tree for a maple tree |
| D．nearly ruined their neighbor’s garden |
What does the article mainly talk about?
| A．Why husbands shouldn’t be left to trim trees alone. |
| B．Why the author’s husband insisted on trimming their crab apple tree. |
| C．How the author has survived her “thirty-some” years of marriage. |
| D．How the author’s husband killed their crab apple tree. |
What is the tone of the article?
| A．Anxious. | B．Humorous. |
| C．Serious. | D．Critical. |