高中英语阅读理解

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。

On March 7，1907，the English statistician Francis Galton published a paper which illustrated what has come to be known as the "wisdom of crowds" effect. The experiment of estimation he conducted showed that in some cases，the average of a large number of independent estimates could be quite accurate.

ㅤThis effect capitalizes on the fact that when people make errors，those errors aren't always the same. Some people will tend to overestimate，and some to underestimate. When enough of these errors are averaged together，they cancel each other out，resulting in a more accurate estimate. If people are similar and tend to make the same errors，then their errors won't cancel each other out. In more technical terms，the wisdom of crowds requires that people's estimates be independent. If for whatever reasons，people's errors become correlated or dependent，the accuracy of the estimate will go down.

ㅤBut a new study led by Joaquin Navajas offered an interesting twist （转折） on this classic phenomenon. The key finding of the study was that when crowds were further divided into smaller groups that were allowed to have a discussion，the averages from these groups were more accurate than those from an equal number of independent individuals. For instance，the average obtained from the estimates of four discussion groups of five was significantly more accurate than the average obtained from 20 independent individuals.

ㅤIn a follow﹣up study with 100 university students，the researchers tried to get a better sense of what the group members actually did in their discussion. Did they tend to go with those most confident about their estimates？Did they follow those least willing to change their minds？This happened some of the time，but it wasn't the dominant response. Most frequently，the groups reported that they "shared arguments and reasoned together." Somehow，these arguments and reasoning resulted in a global reduction in error. Although the studies led by Navajas have limitations and many questions remain，the potential implications for group discussion and decision﹣making are enormous.

（1）What is paragraph 2 of the text mainly about？ ＿＿＿＿

A．	The methods of estimation.
B．	The underlying logic of the effect.
C．	The causes of people's errors.
D．	The design of Galton's experiment.

（2）Navajas' study found that the average accuracy could increase even if ＿＿＿＿

A．	the crowds were relatively small
B．	there were occasional underestimates
C．	individuals did not communicate
D．	estimates were not fully independent

（3）What did the follow﹣up study focus on？ ＿＿＿＿

A．	The size of the groups.
B．	The dominant members
C．	The discussion process.
D．	The individual estimates.

（4）What is the author's attitude toward Navajas' studies？＿＿＿＿

A．	Unclear.
B．	Dismissive.
C．	Doubtful.
D．	Approving.

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。

The goal of this book is to make the case for digital minimalism，including a detailed exploration of what it asks and why it works，and then to teach you how to adopt this philosophy if you decide it's right for you.

ㅤTo do so，I divided the book into two parts. In part one，I describe the philosophical foundations of digital minimalism，starting with an examination of the forces that are making so many people's digital lives increasingly intolerable，before moving on to a detailed discussion of the digital minimalism philosophy.

ㅤPart one concludes by introducing my suggested method for adopting this philosophy：the digital declutter. This process requires you to step away from optional online activities for thirty days. At the end of the thirty days，you will then add back a small number of carefully chosen online activities that you believe will provide massive benefits to the things you value.

ㅤIn the final chapter of part one，I'll guide you through carrying out your own digital declutter. In doing so. I'll draw on an experiment I ran in 2018 in which over 1，600 people agreed to perform a digital declutter. You'll hear these participants' stories and learn what strategies worked well for them，and what traps they encountered that you should avoid.

ㅤThe second part of this book takes a closer look at some ideas that will help you cultivate a sustainable digital minimalism lifestyle. In these chapters，I examine issues such as the importance of solitude and the necessity of cultivating high﹣quality leisure to replace the time most now spend on mindless device use. Each chapter concludes with a collection of practices，which are designed to help you act on the big ideas of the chapter. You can view these practices as a toolbox meant to aid your efforts to build a minimalist lifestyle that words for your particular circumstances.

（1）What is the book aimed at？ ＿＿＿＿

A．	Teaching critical thinking skills.
B．	Advocating a simple digital lifestyle.
C．	Solving philosophical problems.
D．	Promoting the use of a digital device.

（2）What does the underlined word"declutter"in paragraph 3 mean？ ＿＿＿＿

A．	Clear﹣up.
B．	Add﹣on.
C．	Check﹣in.
D．	Take﹣over.

（3）What is presented in the final chapter of part one？ ＿＿＿＿

A．	Theoretical models.
B．	Statistical methods.
C．	Practical examples.
D．	Historical analyses.

（4）What does the author suggest readers do with the practices offered in part two？＿＿＿＿

A．	Use them as needed.
B．	Recommend them to friends.
C．	Evaluate their effects.
D．	Identify the ideas behind them.

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。

When John Todd was a child，he loved to explore the woods around his house，observing how nature solved problems. A dirty stream，for example，often became clear after flowing through plants and along rocks where tiny creatures lived. When he got older，John started to wonder if this process could be used to clean up the messes people were making.

ㅤAfter studying agriculture，medicine，and fisheries in college，John went back to observing nature and asking questions. Why can certain plants trap harmful bacteria（细菌）？Which kinds of fish can eat cancer﹣causing chemicals？With the right combination of animals and plants，he figured，maybe he could clean up waste the way nature did. He decided to build what he would later call an eco﹣machine.

ㅤThe task John set for himself was to remove harmful substances from some sludge（污泥）.First，he constructed a series of clear fiberglass tanks connected to each other. Then he went around to local ponds and streams and brought back some plants and animals. He placed them in the tanks and waited. Little by little，these different kinds of life got used to one another and formed their own ecosystem. After a few weeks，John added the sludge.

ㅤHe was amazed at the results. The plants and animals in the eco﹣machine took the sludge as food and began to eat it! Within weeks，it had all been digested，and all that was left was pure water.

ㅤOver the years，John has taken on many big jobs. He developed a greenhouse﹣like facility that treated sewage （污水）from 1，600 homes in South Burlington. He also designed an eco﹣machine to clean canal water in Fuzhou，a city in southeast China.

ㅤ"Ecological design"is the name John gives to what he does. "Life on Earth is kind of a box of spare parts for the inventor，"he says. "You put organisms in new relationships and observe what's happening. Then you let these new systems develop their own ways to self﹣repair."

（1）What can we learn about John from the first two paragraphs？ ＿＿＿＿

A．	He was fond of traveling.
B．	He enjoyed being alone.
C．	He had an inquiring mind.
D．	He longed to be a doctor.

（2）Why did John put the sludge into the tanks？ ＿＿＿＿

A．	To feed the animals.
B．	To build an ecosystem.
C．	To protect the plants.
D．	To test the eco﹣machine.

（3）What is the author's purpose in mentioning Fuzhou？ ＿＿＿＿

A．	To review John's research plans.
B．	To show an application of John's idea.
C．	To compare John's different jobs.
D．	To erase doubts about John's invention.

（4）What is the basis for John's work？ ＿＿＿＿

A．	Nature can repair itself.
B．	Organisms need water to survive.
C．	Life on Earth is diverse.
D．	Most tiny creatures live in groups.

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。

Bike Rental &Guided Tours

ㅤWelcome to Amsterdam，welcome to MacBike. You see much more from the seat of a bike! Cycling is the most economical，sustainable and fun way to explore the city，with its beautiful canals，parks，squares and countless lights. You can also bike along lovely landscapes outside of Amsterdam.

ㅤWhy MacBike

ㅤMacBike has been around for almost 30 years and is the biggest bicycle rental company in Amsterdam. With over 2，500 bikes stored in our five rental shops at strategic locations，we make sure there is always a bike available for you. We offer the newest bicycles in a wide variety，including basic bikes with foot brake（刹车），bikes with hand brake and gears （排挡），bikes with child seats，and children's bikes.

ㅤPrices

	Hand Brake，Three Gears	Foot Brake，No Gears
1 hour	€7.50	€5.00
3 hours	€11.00	€7.50
1 day（24 hours）	€14.75	€9.75
Each additional day	€8.00	€6.00

ㅤGuided City Tours

ㅤThe 2.5﹣hour tour covers the Gooyer Windmill，the Skinny Bridge，the Rijksmuseum，Heineken Brewery and much more. The tour departs from Dam Square every hour on the hour，starting at 1：00 pm every day. You can buy your ticket in a MacBike shop or book online.

（1）What is an advantage of MacBike？ ＿＿＿＿

A．	It gives children a discount.
B．	It offers many types of bikes.
C．	It organizes free cycle tours.
D．	It has over 2，500 rental shops.

（2）How much do you pay for renting a bike with hand brake and three gears for two days？＿＿＿＿

A．	€15.75.
B．	€19.50.
C．	€22.75.
D．	€29.50.

（3）Where does the guided city tour start？＿＿＿＿

A．	The Gooyer，Windmill.
B．	The Skinny Bridge.
C．	Heineken Brewery.
D．	Dam Square.

ㅤIf you want to tell the history of the whole world，a history that does not privilege one part or humanity，you cannot do it through texts alone，because only some of the world has ever had texts，while most of the world，for most of the time，has not.Writing is one of humanity's later achievements，and until fairly recently even many literate（有文字的）societies recorded their concerns not only in writing but in things.

ㅤIdeally a history would bring together texts and objects，and some chapters of this book are able to do just that，but in many cases we simply can't.The clearest example of this between literate and non﹣literate history is perhaps the first conflict ，at Botany Bay，between Captain Cook's voyage and the Australian Aboriginals.From the English side，we have scientific reports and the captain's record of that terrible day.From the Australian side，we have only a wooden shield（盾） dropped by a man in flight after his first experience of gunshot.If we want to reconstruct what was actually going on that day，the shield must be questioned and interpreted as deeply and strictly as the written reports.

ㅤIn addition to the problem of miscomprehension from both sides，there are victories accidentally or deliberately twisted，especially when only the victors know how to write.Those who are on the losing side often have only their things to tell their stories.The Caribbean Taino，the Australian Aboriginals，the African people of Benin and the Incas，all of whom appear in this book，can speak to us now of their past achievements most powerfully through the objects they made：a history told through things gives them back a voice.When we consider contact（联系）between literate and non﹣literate societies such as these，all our first﹣hand accounts are necessarily twisted，only one half of a dialogue.If we are to find the other half of that conversation，we have to read not just the texts，but the objects.

（1）What is the first paragraph mainly about？ ＿＿＿＿＿

A．	How past events should be presented.
B．	What humanity is concerned about.
C．	Whether facts speak louder than words.
D．	Why written language is reliable.

（2）What does the author indicate by mentioning Captain Cook in paragraph 2？ ＿＿＿＿＿

A．	His report was scientific.
B．	He presented the local people.
C．	He ruled over Botany Bay.
D．	His record was one﹣sided.

（3）What does the underlined word"conversation"in paragraph 3 refer to？ ＿＿＿＿＿

A．	Problem.
B．	History.
C．	Voice.
D．	Society.

（4）Which of the following books is the text most likely selected from？ ＿＿＿＿＿

A．	How Maps Tell Stories of the World
B．	A Short History of Australia
C．	A History of the World in 100 objects
D．	How Art Works Tell Stories

ㅤWhat comes into your mind when you think of British food？Probably fish and chips，or a Sunday dinner of meat and two vegetables.But is British food really so uninteresting？Even though Britain has a reputation for less﹣than﹣impressive cuisine，it is producing more top class chefs who appear frequently on our television screens and whose recipe books frequently top the best seller lists.

ㅤIt's thanks to these TV chefs rather than any advertising campaign that Britons are turning away from meat﹣and﹣two﹣veg and ready﹣made meats and becoming more adventurous in their cooking habits.It is recently reported that the number of those sticking to a traditional diet is slowly declining and around half of Britain's consumers would like to change or improve their cooking in some way.There has been a rise in the number of students applying for food courses at UK universities and colleges.It seems that TV programmes have helped change what people think about cooking.

ㅤAccording to a new study from market analysis，1 in 5 Britons say that watching cookery programmes on TV has encouraged them to try different food.Almost one third say they now use a wider variety of ingredients（配料）than they used to，and just under 1 in 4 say they now buy better quality ingredients than before.One in four adults say that TV chefs have made them much more confident about expanding their cookery knowledge and skills，and young people are also getting more interested in cooking.The UK's obsession（痴迷）with food is reflected through television scheduling.Cookery shows and documentaries about food are broadcast more often than before.With an increasing number of male chefs on TV，it's no longer "uncool"for boys to like cooking.

（1）What do people usually think of British food？ ＿＿＿＿＿

A．	It is simple and plain.
B．	It is rich in nutrition.
C．	It lacks authentic tastes.
D．	It deserves a high reputation.

（2）Which best describes cookery programmes on British TV？ ＿＿＿＿＿

A．	Authoritative.
B．	Creative.
C．	Profitable.
D．	Influential.

（3）Which is the percentage of the people using more diverse ingredients now？ ＿＿＿＿＿

A．	$20\%$.
B．	$24\%$.
C．	$25\%$.
D．	$33\%$.

（4）What might the author continue talking about？ ＿＿＿＿＿

A．	The art of cooking in other countries.
B．	Male chefs on TV programmes.
C．	Table manners in the $UK$.
D．	Studies of big eaters.

ㅤLiving in Iowa and trying to become a photographer specializing in landscape（风景） can be quite a challenge ，mainly because the corn state lacks geographical variation.

ㅤAlthough landscapes in the Midwest tend to be quite similar，either farm fields or highway，sometimes I find distinctive character in the hills or lakes.To make some of my landscape shots，I have traveled up to four hours away to shoot within a 10﹣minute time frame.I tend to travel with a few of my friends to state parks or to the countryside to go on adventures and take photos along the way.

ㅤBeing at the right place at the right time is decisive in any style of photography.I often leave early to seek the right destinations so I can set up early to avoid missing the moment I am attempting to photograph. I have missed plenty of beautiful sunsets/sunrises due to being on the spot only five minutes before the best moment.

ㅤOne time my friends and I drove three hours to Devil's Lake，Wisconsin，to climb the purple quartz（石英）rock around the lake.After we found a crazy﹣looking road that hung over a bunch of rocks，we decided to photograph the scene at sunset.The position enabled us to look over the lake with the sunset in the background.We managed to leave this spot to climb higher because of the spare time until sunset.However，we did not mark the route（路线）so we ended up almost missing the sunset entirely.Once we found the place，it was stressful getting lights and cameras set up in the limited time.Still，looking back on the photos，they are some of my best shots though they could have been so much better if I would have been prepared and managed my time wisely.

（1）How does the author deal with the challenge as a landscape photographer in the Midwest？＿＿＿＿＿

A．	By teaming up with other photographers.
B．	By shooting in the countryside or state parks.
C．	By studying the geographical conditions.
D．	By creating settings in the corn fields.

（2）What is the key to successful landscape photography according to the author？ ＿＿＿＿＿

A．	Proper time management.
B．	Good shooting techniques.
C．	Adventurous spirit.
D．	Distinctive styles.

（3）What can we infer from the author's trip with friends to Devil's Lake？ ＿＿＿＿＿

A．	They went crazy with the purple quartz rock.
B．	They felt stressed while waiting for the sunset.
C．	They reached the shooting spot later than expected.
D．	They had problems with their equipment.

（4）How does the author find his photos taken at Devil's Lake？ ＿＿＿＿＿

A．	Amusing.
B．	Satisfying.
C．	Encouraging.
D．	Comforting.

PRACTITIONERS

ㅤJacqueline Felice de Almania （c.1322）highlights the suspicion that women practicing medicine faced.Born to a Jewish family in Florence，she moved to Paris where she worked as a physician and performed surgery.In 1322 she was tried for practicing unlawfully.In spite of the court hearing testimonials（证明） of her ability as a doctor，she was banned from medicine.

ㅤTan Yunxian （1461–1554）was a Chinese physician who learned her skills from her grandparents.Chinese women at the time could not serve aprenticeships（学徒期） with doctors.However，Tan passed the official exam.Tan treated women from all walks of life.In 1511，Tan wrote a book，Sayings of a Female Doctor，describing her life as a physician.

ㅤJames Barry（c.1789–1865）was born Margaret Bulkley in Ireland but，dressed as a man，she was accepted by Edinburgh University to study medicine.She qualified as a surgeon in 1813，then joined the British Army，serving overseas.Barry retired in 1859，having practiced her entire medial profession living and working as a man.

ㅤRebecca Lee Crumpler（1831–1895）worked as a nurse for eight years before studying in medical college in Boston in 1860.Four years later，she was the first African American woman to receive a medical degree.She moved to Virginia in 1865，where she provided medical care to freed slaves.

（1）What did Jacqueline and James have in common？ ＿＿＿＿＿

A．	Doing teaching jobs.
B．	Being hired as physicians.
C．	Performing surgery.
D．	Being banned from medicine.

（2）How was Tan Yunxian different from the other practitioners？ ＿＿＿＿＿

A．	She wrote a book.
B．	She went through trials.
C．	She worked as a dentist.
D．	She had formal education.

（3）Who was the first African American with a medical degree？ ＿＿＿＿＿

A．	Jacqueline Felice de Almania.
B．	Tan Yunxian.
C．	James Barry.
D．	Rebecca Lee Crumpler.

ㅤGrizzly bears，which may grow to about 2.5 m long and weigh over 400 kg，occupy a conflicted corner of the American psyche﹣we revere（敬畏） them even as they give us frightening dreams.Ask the tourists from around the world that flood into Yellowstone National Park what they most hope to see，and their answer is often the same：a grizzly bear.

ㅤ"Grizzly bears are re﹣occupying large areas of their former range，" says bear biologist Chris Servheen.As grizzly bears expand their range into places where they haven't been seen in a century or more，they're interestingly being sighted by humans.

ㅤThe western half of the U.S.was full of grizzlies when Europeans came，with a rough number of 50，000 or more living alongside Native Americans.By the early 1970s，after centuries of cruel and continuous hunting by settlers，600 to 800 grizzlies remained on a mere 2 percent of their former range in the Northern Rockies.In 1975，grizzlies were listed under the Endangered Species Act.

ㅤToday，there are about 2 ，000 or more grizzly bears in the U.S.Their recovery has been so successful that the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service has twice attempted to delist grizzlies，which would loosen legal protections and allow them to be hunted.Both efforts were overturned due to lawsuits from conservation groups.For now，grizzlies remain listed.

ㅤObviously，if precautions（ 预防） aren't taken，grizzlies can become troublesome ，sometimes killing farm animals or walking through yards in search of food.If people remove food and attractants from their yards and campsites，grizzlies will typically pass by without trouble.Putting electric fencing around chicken houses and other farm animal quarters is also highly effective at getting grizzlies away."Our hope is to have a clean，attractant﹣free place where bears can pass through without learning bad habits，" says James Jonkel，longtime biologist who manages bears in and around Missoula.

（1）How do Americans look at grizzlies？ 　 　

A．	They cause mixed feelings in people.
B．	They should be kept in national parks.
C．	They are of high scientific value.
D．	They are a symbol of American culture.

（2）What has helped the increase of the grizzly population？ 　 　

A．	The European settlers' behavior.
B．	The expansion of bears' range.
C．	The protection by law since 1975.
D．	The support of Native Americans.

（3）What has stopped the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service from de﹣listing grizzlies？ 　 　

A．	The opposition of conservation groups.
B．	The successful comeback of grizzlies.
C．	The voice of the biologists.
D．	The local farmers' advocates.

（4）What can be inferred from the last paragraph？ 　 　

A．	Food should be provided for grizzlies.
B．	People can live in harmony with grizzlies.
C．	A special path should be built for grizzlies.
D．	Technology can be introduced to protect grizzlies.

ㅤI was about 13 when an uncle gave me a copy of Jostein Gaarder's Sophie's World.It was full of ideas that were new to me，so I spent the summer with my head in and out of that book.It spoke to me and brought me into a world of philosophy（哲学）.

ㅤThat love for philosophy lasted until I got to college.Nothing kills the love for philosophy faster than people who think they understand Foucault，Baudrillard，or Confucius better than you ﹣ and then try to explain them.

ㅤEric Weiner's The Socrates Express：In Search of Life Lessons from Dead Philosophers reawakened my love for philosophy.It is not an explanation，but an invitation to think and experience philosophy.

ㅤWeiner starts each chapter with a scene on a train ride between cities and then frames each philosopher's work in the context（ 背景） of one thing they can help us do better.The end result is a read in which we learn to wonder like Socrates，see like Thoreau，listen like Schopenhauer，and have no regrets like Nietzsche.This，more than a book about understanding philosophy ，is a book about learning to use philosophy to improve a life.

ㅤHe makes philosophical thought an appealing exercise that improves the quality of our experiences，and he does so with plenty of humor.Weiner enters into conversation with some of the most important philosophers in history，and he becomes part of that crowd in the process by decoding（ 解读） their messages and adding his own interpretation.

ㅤThe Socrates Express is a fun，sharp book that draws readers in with its apparent simplicity and gradually pulls them in deeper thoughts on desire，loneliness，and aging.The invitation is clear：Weiner wants you to pick up a coffee or tea and sit down with this book.I encourage you to take his offer.It's worth your time，even if time is something we don't have a lot of.

（1）Who opened the door to philosophy for the author？ 　 　

A．	Foucault.
B．	Erie Weiner.
C．	Jostein Gaarder
D．	A college teacher.

（2）Why does the author list great philosophers in paragraph 4？ 　 　

A．	To compare Weiner with them.
B．	To give examples of great works.
C．	To praise their writing skills.
D．	To help readers understand Weiners book.

（3）What does the author like about The Socrates Express？ 　 　

A．	Its views on history are well﹣presented.
B．	Its ideas can be applied to daily life.
C．	It includes comments from readers.
D．	It leaves an open ending.

（4）What does the author think of Weiner's book？ 　 　

A．	Objective and plain.
B．	Daring and ambitious.
C．	Serious and hard to follow.
D．	Humorous and straightforward.

Terri Bolton is a dab hand when it comes to DIY（do﹣it﹣yourself）.Skilled at putting up shelves and piecing together furniture ，she never pays someone else to do a job she can do herself.

She credits these skills to her late grandfather and builder Derek Lloyd.From the age of six ，Terri，now 26 ，accompanied Derek to work during her school holidays.A day's work was rewarded with£ 5 in pocket money.She says："I'm sure I wasn't much of a help to start with，painting the rooms and putting down the flooring throughout the house.It took weeks and it was backbreaking work ，but I know he was proud of my skills. "

Terri，who now rents a house with friends in Wandsworth，South West London，says DIY also saves her from losing any deposit when a tenancy（租期） comes to an end.She adds ：" I've moved house many times and I always like to personalize my room and put up pictures.So，it's been useful to know how to cover up holes and repaint a room to avoid any charges when I've moved out."

With millions of people likely to take on DIY projects over the coming weeks，new research shows that more than half of people are planning to make the most of the long，warm summer days to get jobs done.The average spend per project will be around £823.Two thirds of people aim to improve their comfort while at home.Two fifth wish to increase the value of their house.Though DIY has traditionally been seen as male hobby，the research shows it is women now leading the charge.

（1）Which is closest in meaning to" a dab hand" in paragraph 1？ 　 　

A．	An artist.
B．	A winner.
C．	A specialist.
D．	A pioneer.

（2）Why did Terri's grandfather give her£ 5 a day？ 　 　

A．	For a birthday gift.
B．	As a treat for her work.
C．	To support her DIY projects.
D．	To encourage her to take up a hobby.

（3）How did Terri avoid losing the deposit on the house she rented？ 　 　

A．	By making it look like before.
B．	By furnishing it herself.
C．	By splitting the rent with a roommate.
D．	By canceling the rental agreement.

（4）What trend in DIY does the research show？ 　 　

A．	It is becoming more costly.
B．	It is getting more time﹣consuming.
C．	It is turning into a seasonal industry.
D．	It is gaining popularity among females.

Where to Eat in Bangkok

ㅤBangkok is a highly desirable destination for food lovers.It has a seemingly bottomless well of dining options.Here are some suggestions on where to start your Bangkok eating adventure.

Nahm

ㅤOffering Thai fine dining.Nahm provides the best of Bangkok culinary （烹饪的） experiences.It's the only Thai restaurant that ranks among the top 10 of the word's 50 best restaurants list.Head Chef David Thompson，who received a Michelin star for his London﹣based Thai restaurant of the same name，opened this branch in the Metropolitan Hotel in 2010.

Issaya Siamese Club

ㅤIssaya Siamese Club is internationally known Thai chef lan Kittichai's first flagship Bangkok restaurant.The menu in this beautiful colonial house includes traditional Thai cuisine combined with modern cooking methods.

Bo.Lan

ㅤBo.Lan has been making waves in Bangkok's culinary sence since it opened in 2009.Serving hard﹣to﹣find Thai dishes in an elegant atmosphere，the restaurant is true to Thai cuisine's roots，yet still manages to add a special twist.This place is good for a candle﹣lit dinner or a work meeting with colleagues who appreciate fine food.For those extremely hungry，there's a large set menu.

Gaggan

ㅤEarning first place on the lates "Asia's 50 best restaurants" list，progressive Indian restaurant Gaggan is one of the most exciting venues（场所） to arrive in Bangkok in recent years.The best table in this two﹣story colonial Thai home offers a window right into the kitchen，where you can see chef Gaggan and his staff in action.Culinary theater at its best.

（1）What do Nahm and Issaya Siamese Club have in common？ 　 　

A．	They adopt modern cooking methods.
B．	They have branches in London.
C．	They have top ﹣ class chefs.
D．	They are based in hotels.

（2）Which restaurant offers a large set menu？ 　 　

A．	Gaggan.
B．	Bo.Lan.
C．	Issaya Siamese Club.
D．	Nahm.

（3）What is special about Gaggan？ 　 　

A．	It hires staff from India.
B．	It puts on a play every day.
C．	It serves hard﹣to﹣find local dishes.
D．	It shows the cooking process to guests.

What is life？Like most great questions，this one is easy to ask but difficult to answer. The reason is simple：we know of just one type of life and it's challenging to do science with a sample size of one. The field of artificial life﹣called ALife for short﹣is the systematic attempt to spell out life's fundamental principles. Many of these practitioners，so﹣called ALifers，think that somehow making life is the surest way to really understand what life is.

So far no one has convincingly made artificial life. This track record makes ALife a ripe target for criticism，such as declarations of the field's doubtful scientific value. Alan Smith，a complexity scientist，is tired of such complaints. Asking about "the point" of ALife might be，well，missing the point entirely，he says. "The existence of a living system is not about the use of anything." Alan says. "Some people ask me，'So what's the worth of artificial life？'Do you ever think，'What is the worth of your grandmother？'"

As much as many ALifers hate emphasising their research's applications，the attempts to create artificial life could have practical payoffs. Artificial intelligence may be considered ALife's cousin in that researchers in both fields are enamoured by a concept called open﹣ended evolution（演化）.This is the capacity for a system to create essentially endless complexity，to be a sort of "novelty generator". The only system known to exhibit this is Earth's biosphere. If the field of ALife manages to reproduce life's endless "creativity" in some virtunl model，those same principles could give rise to truly inventive machines.

Compared with the developments of Al，advances in ALife are harder to recognise. One reason is that ALife is a field in which the central concept﹣﹣life itself﹣is undefined. The lack of agreement among ALifers doesn't help either. The result is a diverse line of projects that each advance along their unique paths. For better or worse，ALife mirrors the very subject it studies. Its muddled（混乱的）progression is a striking parallel（平行线） to the evolutionary struggles that have shaped Earth biosphere.

Undefined and uncontrolled，ALife drives its followers to repurpose old ideas and generated novelty. It may be，of course，that these characteristics aren't in any way surprising or singular. They may apply universally to all acts of evolution. Ultimately ALife may be nothing special. But even this dismissal suggests something：perhaps，just like life itself throughout the universe，the rise of ALife will prove unavoidable.

（1）Regarding Alan Smith's defence of ALife，the author is 　 　

A．	supportive
B．	puzzled
C．	unconcerned
D．	doubtful

（2）What does the word "enamoured" underlined in Paragraph 3 most probably mean？ 　 　

A．	Shocked.
B．	Protected.
C．	Attracted.
D．	Challenged.

（3）What can we learn from this passage？ 　 　

A．	ALife holds the key to human future.
B．	ALife and AI share a common feature.
C．	AI mirrors the developments of ALife.
D．	AI speeds up the process of human evolution.

（4）Which would be the best title for the passage？ 　 　

A．	Life Is Undefined. Can AI Be a Way Out？
B．	Life Evolves. Can AI Help ALife Evolve，Too？
C．	Life Is Undefined. Can ALife Be Defined One Day？
D．	Life Evolves. Can Attempts to Create ALife Evolve，Too？

In recent years，researchers from diverse fields have agreed that short﹣termism is now a significant problem in industrialised societies. The inability to engage with longer﹣term causes and consequences leads to some of the world's most serious problems：climate change，biodiversity collapse，and more.The historian Francis Cole argues that the West has entered a period where "only the present exists，a present characterised at once by the cruelty of the instant and by the boredom of an unending now".

It has been proved that people have a bias（偏向） towards the present，focusing on loud attractions in the moment at the expense of the health，well﹣being and financial stability of their future selves or community. In business，this bias surfaces as short﹣sighted decisions. And on slow﹣burning problems like climate change，it translates into the unwillingness to make small sacrifices（牺牲） today that could make a major difference tomorrow. Instead，all that matters is next quarter's profit，or satisfying some other near﹣term desires.

These biased perspectives cannot be blamed on one single cause. It is fair to say，though，that our psychological biases play a major role. People's hesitancy to delay satisfaction is the most obvious example，but there are others. One of them is about how the most accessible information in the present affects decisions about the future. For instance，you might hear someone say："It's cold this winter，so I needn't worry about global warming." Another is that loud and urgent matters are given too much importance，making people ignore longer﹣term trends that arguably matter more. This is when a pop star draws far more attention than，say，gradual biodiversity decline.

As a psychologist once joked，if aliens（外星人）wanted to weaken humanity，they wouldn't send ships；they would invent climate change. Indeed，when it comes to environmental transformations，we can develop a form of collective "poor memory"，and each new generation can believe the state of affairs they encounter is nothing out of the ordinary. Older people today，for example，can remember a time with insect﹣covered car windscreens after long drives. Children，on the other hand，have no idea that insect population has dropped dramatically.

（1）The author quotes Francis Cole mainly to 　 　.

A．	draw a comparison
B．	introduce a topic
C．	evaluate a statement
D．	highlight a problem

（2）What can be inferred from the last paragraph？ 　 　

A．	Climate change has been forgotten.
B．	Lessons of history are highly valued.
C．	The human mind is bad at noting slow change.
D．	Humans are unwilling to admit their shortcomings.

（3）What does the author intend to tell us？ 　 　

A．	Far﹣sighted thinking matters to humans.
B．	Humans tend to make long﹣term sacrifices.
C．	Current policies facilitate future decision﹣making.
D．	Bias towards the present helps reduce near﹣term desires.

Sitting in the garden for my friend's birthday. felt a buzz（振动） in my pocket. My heart raced when I saw the email sender's name. The email started off："Dear Mr Green，thank you for your interest" and "the review process took longer than expected." It ended with "We are sorry to inform you…"and my vision blurred（模糊）.The position﹣measuring soil quality in the Sahara Desert as part of an undergraduate research programme﹣had felt like the answer I had spent years looking for. I had put so much time and emotional energy into applying，and I thought the rejection meant the end of the road for my science career.

So I was shocked when，not long after the email，Professor Mary Devon，who was running the programme，invited me to observe the work being done in her lab. I jumped at the chance，and a few weeks later I was equally shocked﹣and overjoyed﹣when she invited me to talk with her about potential projects I could pursue in her lab. What she proposed didn't seem as exciting as the original project I had applied to，but I was going to give it my all.

I found myself working with a robotics professor on techniques for collecting data from the desert remotely. That project，which I could complete from my sofa instead of in the burning heat of the desert，not only survived the lockdown but worked where traditional methods didn't. In the end. I had a new scientific interest to pursue.

When I applied to graduate school，I found three programmes promising to allow me to follow my desired research direction. And I applied with the same anxious excitement as before. When I was rejected from one that had seemed like a perfect fit，it was undoubtedly difficult. But this time I had the perspective（视角）to keep it from sending me into panic. It helped that in the end I was accepted into one of the other programmes I was also excited about.

Rather than setting plans in stone，I've learned that sometimes I need to take the opportunities that are offered，even if they don't sound perfect at the time，and make the most of them.

（1）How did the author feel upon seeing the email sender's name？ 　 　

A．	Anxious.
B．	Angry.
C．	Surprised.
D．	Settled.

（2）After talking with Professor Devon，the author decided to 　 　.

A．	criticise the review process
B．	stay longer in the Sahara Desert
C．	apply to the original project again
D．	put his heart and soul into the lab work

（3）According to the author，the project with the robotics professor was 　 　.

A．	demanding
B．	inspiring
C．	misleading
D．	amusing

（4）What can we learn from this passage？ 　 　

A．	An invitation is a reputation.
B．	An innovation is a resolution.
C．	A rejection can be a redirection.
D．	A reflection can be a restriction.