To many people，art is a human expression of creativity．But in recent years，you may have read news about artificial intelligence（AI） creating its own art，such as painting or writing poems．Some people worry that AI might someday replace（替代） artists．
But this worry seems to be unnecessary，at least for now．Many artists today are turning AI into a useful tool． Instead of replacing artists，AI is bringing artists more possibilities．
A piece of music created by Al recently attracted attention．AI was used to create the music based on the protein（蛋白质） structure of COVID﹣19．The music lasted nearly two hours．The project was led by Markus Buehler， an American musician and MIT professor（教授） of engineering．He assigned（指定） a unique note（独特的音符） to each amino acid（氨基酸）in the protein．The AI then translated these notes into music．
Listeners found the project "mind﹣blowing"．"It allows me to see the virus in a new way，"said one listener．This surprising combination（结合） between science and art could not be achived without AI．As The Verge wrote，"AI helps artists play around in unpredictable ways，creating things beyond（超过）what they have ever thought was possible before．"
Apart from creating imaginative works，AI can also take care of repetitive（重复乏味的）tasks for artists．For example，in the comic and cartoon industries，there are now AI tools that can automatically（自动）color in back﹣and﹣white line drawings．Although the results can be unpredictable and require a little cleanup，it can give artists room to experiment（实验），by cutting down the time it takes to color each picture．
As Peter Ward wrote for The Culture Trip，"Art of every kind has always been influenced by technological developments．"AI can become a useful tool to bring change to the art world if it's welecomed and not unfairly feared．
（1）According to the passage， AI can't now．
A．write poems
B．paint
C．replace artists
D．create music
（2）Which of the following is NOT true according to the third and fourth paragraphs？
A．AI created a piece of music about COVID﹣19．
B．Many of AI's art creations are beyond artists' imagination．
C．Science and art can be combined with the help of AI．
D．Markus Buehler was not a professor of engineering，but a musician．
（3）The underlined phrase "Apart from" in the fifth paragraph can be replaced by" "．
A．Besides
B．Instead of
C．Because of
D．According to
（4）What's the main idea of the passage？
A．Technological developments have greatly influenced people's daily life．
B．AI has been widely used in science research．
C．AI is bringing more help to the art world as a useful tool
D．AI's creativity has caused more and more worries．
Choose the words or expressions and complete the passage. (12分)
People of all ages, especially young children, follow comic strips in newspapers, magazines and the movies. Who is your favourite superhero --- Spideman? Wonder Woman? These heroes have been around for a long time. Comics came out even earlier. In ancient times, people made funny drawings of animals _____ paper.
Comic strips first came out during the 1800s and remain much the same style today. These comics are drawn in connected boxes. The boxes usually show a dramatic _________. Some comic strips are printed in newspapers, which often continue from day to day. Some people even read the comics before they read the front page.
The comic books first _____ during the 1930s. It seemed that everyone wanted to read comic books. They loved reading about the adventures of The Man of Steel and Batman. During the 1940s, the nation was at war and some comic book characters, such as Captain America, reflected （反映）the times. Others, such as Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, made people laugh during this _______ time in history.
After the war, people became __________ interested in old comic book characters, so new superheroes had to be made. The new superheroes, such as Fantastic Four, X-Men, and Spideman, talked and acted more like real people. As time went on, comic books had to _________ TV because TV has offered a lot of fun to people.
Comic strips are usually good for a laugh or at least a smile. But they have held a place in history. They take people away from their daily lives into another world. In this world, the hero always wins, and failure only comes to the bad guys.
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Reading comprehensionA. Choose the best answer. (12分)
Letter A
| To the Editor: Why do our children have 11 weeks of summer vacation? Many years ago, 85 percent of Americans worked on farms. Children needed summer vacation because they helped with the farm work. Today only 3 percent of Americans work on farms. But our children still have long summer vacations. American students lose one or two months of learning during their summer vacations. Away from school for so many weeks students forget what they learned. Experts say that students lose maths skills and reading skills. At the beginning of school in September, teachers have to review last year’s studies for the first four to six weeks of school. Summer vacations are not great opportunities for learning. Most parents work outside of the home. They can’t be with their kids during the long summer months. Some families can pay for summer camps, but many can’t. Most children stay home and watch TV. They are bored. Most children do not learn new skills during the summer. James, Teacher |
Letter B
| To the Editor: I am against a longer school year. I believe people learn everywhere, not just in school. I believe children gain experience in the world. Summer vacation is a great opportunity. Kids can discover the world outside of school. They can learn to do things they can’t learn in a classroom. They can learn to swim and ride bikes. They can travel or go to summer camps. They can take time to do things like cooking and art. Some can get summer jobs. They can get work experience or help people in the community. They can spend time with people of other ages. Basically, they can get more experience in the world. Long summer vacations give families time together. During the school year, everyone is busy. During summer vacations, we take time to do things together. Vacations are good for families. Linda, Parent |
According to the chart, which two countries have the same number of school days?
| A．England and Australia . | B．Singapore and Thailand. |
| C．Japan and the United States. | D．South Korea and China. |
James says that, many years ago, most children used their vacation time to _______________.
| A．study in school | B．go to summer camps |
| C．have new experiences | D．help on the farm |
James says most parents _______________ during the summer months.
| A．travel abroad | B．are with their children |
| C．are busy with their work | D．go to summer camps |
Linda says children can get _______________ during the summer months.
| A．no time to watch TV | B．more work experience |
| C．more classroom time | D．better reading skills |
According to Linda, children do a lot of activities except that _______________.
| A．they learn to swim and ride bikes | B．they go to summer camps |
| C．they do cooking | D．they improve maths skills |
What is best title of the Letter B?
| A．Yes to a Longer School Year | B．Vacations Are a Way of Experiencing |
| C．Adults Need More Vacation Time | D．Vacations Are Boring to Families |
It is said that more than four million people die each year from smoking. That number is frightening.
Yet people around the world continue to smoke. In the United States, about forty-seven million adults smoke. This year, more than 430,000 Americans died of diseases which have something to do with smoking. The American Cancer Society(美国癌症协会)says smoking harms the body greatly. It warns that smoking even a number of cigarettes is dangerous.
It’s not easy to give up smoking. However, doctors say you probably will live longer if you do stop smoking. You will feel better and look better. You also will protect the health of family members who breathe your smoke.
There is not one right way to stop smoking, doctors say. Any way can help. You can take long walks or spend time in places where smoking is not allowed. Also, you can eat a small piece of fruit or vegetable instead of having a cigarette. The sooner you stop smoking, the more you’ll reduce your chances of getting cancer and other diseases.
Stop smoking before smoking stops you!How many people die from smoking each year?
What does the American Cancer Society say about smoking?
Is it easy to give up smoking?
What will happen if you stop smoking sooner?
What is the best title of the article?
Today, not all people over 70 think they are old. People stay younger for longer. Here are three women who are over 70 and are still strong. What do they do, and how long have they done it?
 79-year-old Omara from Cuba(古巴) is one of the most popular jazz singers in the world. She has been singing and dancing in clubs for 60 years. Her latest CD, Gracias, came out in 2009 and is enjoyed by people of different ages. |
 Dodo was born on September 1, 1919. She has been an outstanding American tennis player for more than 70 years, from a young girl into her 90s. Now she plays in the matches for people over 75 and has won over 320 medals. |
 American lady Carmen, who was born in 1931, has been a model since she was 13. Her job started when a photographer saw her on a bus and asked to take her photo. Today she still shows up on world-class fashion shows, shining brightly together with young girls who are in their 20s. |
Omara, Dodo and Carmen are all_________.
| A．from America | B．young and famous |
| C．old but still working | D．working with young girls |
Omara has been singing and dancing in clubs for_________ years.
| A．60 | B．70 | C．75 | D．90 |
Dodo has won over 320 medals in_________.
| A．singing contests | B．photo contests |
| C．dancing contests | D．tennis matches |
Carmen became a_________ at the age of 13.
| A．singer | B．model | C．tennis player | D．photographer |
What does the reading above tell us?
| A．These days young people are not as hard-working as the old. |
| B．Women in Western countries are not supposed to retire early. |
| C．Many people stay younger for longer because they keep on working. |
| D．The three ladies are still working because they want to make more money. |
Good writing starts with good ideas. If you write about things that you care about, you will write better. If you write about things that you don’t care about, you’ll be bored and your paper will not have many good ideas.
Once you have a good idea, the next step is organization. Think through your paper before you start. Write an outline. You need to know what your main points are before you start your first paragraph (段落). Use 2-4 main points, one paragraph each.
In your central paragraphs, be concise (简短的) and specific （具体的）. Give examples with details（细节）, not just general ideas. If you can say the same thing with fewer words, do it! Don’t use big words.
When you finish writing, look at your outline again. Did you really follow it or did it change as you wrote? Many times you find different ideas as you write. Look at your central paragraphs. What are their main ideas now? Are these ideas in the introduction? I often write the introduction again to fit the paper after I finish writing. What is the 1st step for a good writing?
| A．Think through your paper before you start. |
| B．Write a good 1st paragraph. |
| C．Have a good idea. |
| D．Look for many examples. |
What is the 2nd step?
| A．Have a good idea. | B．Write an outline. |
| C．Write the 1st paragraph. | D．Give examples with details. |
What does the word “outline” mean in the 2nd paragraph?
| A．提纲 | B．外形 | C．中心 | D．总结 |
What should you do in the central paragraph?
A. Don’t use big words.
B. Give examples with details.
C. Say the same thing with fewer words.
D. A, B and C.What should you do after finishing writing?
A. Look at your outline again.
B. Check the mistakes.
C. Look at your central paragraph again.
D. Both A and C.