naughty child might, for example, type impolite words on his mother’s smartphone in order to see a younger sibling burst into tears on hearing them spoken by a toy using mum’s voice.
More troubling, when tested against voice-biometrics software like that used by many banks to block unauthorized access to accounts, more than 80% of the fake voices tricked the computer. Alan Black, one of Festvox’s developers, thinks systems that rely on voice-ID software are now “deeply, fundamentally insecure”.
Dr. Saxena and his colleagues asked volunteers if a voice sample belonged to a person whose real speech they had just listened to for about 90 seconds. The volunteers recognized cloned speech as such only half the time (ie, no better than chance). The outcome, according to George Papcun, an expert witness paid to detect fake recordings produced as evidence in court, is the appearance of a technology with “enormous potential value for disinformation”.
As might be expected, countermeasures to recognize such deception(欺骗) are being developed. Nuance Communications, a maker of voice-activated software, is working on algorithms(算法) that detect tiny skips in frequency at the points where slices of speech are stuck together. Adobe, best known as the marker of Photoshop, an image-editing software suite, says that it may add digital watermarks to speech synthesized by a voice-cloning software called VoCo it is developing. Such technology may help computers recognize suspicious speech. Even so, it is easy to imagine the chaos that might be created in a world which makes it easy to put authentic-sounding words into the mouths of opponents—be they colleagues or heads of state. 28. Paragraphs 1 and 2 are mainly about _______. A. significant elements influencing voice cloning B. possible applications of voice cloning in reality C. complexities of creating a synthetic copy of a voice
D. differences between traditional and existing voice banking 29. What’s Hasbro’s attitude towards Vivo Test’s new app? A. Optimistic. B. Conservative. C. Unconcerned. D. Subjective.
30. The experiment carried out by Dr. Saxena and his colleagues shows that volunteers _______.
A. identified cloned speech in about 45 seconds B. preferred a real speech to a voice sample
C. proved only a little harder to fool than software
D. found it hard to use the software to record their voices 31. What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A. Investments should be increased to advance voice cloning.
B. Long-term measures should be taken to popularize the idea of voice cloning.
C. Disagreements among firms about the way to treat voice cloning are getting serious. D. Problems of voice cloning are unavoidable despite the efforts that have been made.
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D
Come on—Everybody’s doing it. That whispered message, half invitation and half forcing, is what most of us think of when we hear the words peer pressure. It usually leads to no good—drinking, drugs and casual sex. But in her new book Join the Club, Tina Rosenberg argues that peer pressure can also be a positive force through what she calls the social cure, in which organizations and officials use the power of group dynamics to help individuals improve their lives and possibly the world.
Rosenberg, the recipient of a Pulitzer Prize, offers a host of examples of the social cure in action: In South Carolina, a state-sponsored antismoking program called Rage Against the Haze sets out to make cigarettes uncool. In South Africa, an HIV-prevention initiative known as LoveLife recruits(招募) young people to promote safe sex among their peers.
The idea seems promising, and Rosenberg is an acute observer. Her critique of the lameness of many public-health campaigns is spot-on: they fail to mobilize peer pressure for healthy habits, and they demonstrate a seriously flawed understanding of psychology. “Dare to be different, please don’t smoke!” pleads(呼吁) one billboard campaign aimed at reducing smoking among teenagers, who desire nothing more than fitting in. Rosenberg argues convincingly that public-health advocates ought to take a page from advertisers, so skilled at applying peer pressure.
But on the general effectiveness of the social cure, Rosenberg is less persuasive. Join the Club is filled with too much irrelevant detail and not enough exploration of the social and biological factors that make peer pressure so powerful. The most glaring flaw(缺点) of the social cure as it’s presented here is that it doesn’t work very well for very long. Rage Against the Haze failed once state funding was cut. Evidence that the LoveLife program produces lasting changes is limited and mixed.
There’s no doubt that our peer groups exercise enormous influence on our behavior. An emerging body of research shows that positive health habits—as well as negative ones—spread through networks of friends via social communication. This is a subtle form of peer pressure: we unconsciously imitate the behavior we see every day.
Far less certain, however, is how successfully experts and officials can select our peer groups and guide their activities in virtuous(道德的) directions. It’s like the teacher who breaks up the troublemakers in the back row by pairing them with better-behaved classmates. The strategy never really works. And that’s the problem with a social cure engineered from the outside: in the real world, as in school, we insist on choosing our own friends. 32. According to the first paragraph, peer pressure often emerges as _______. A. a supplement to the social cure B. a stimulus to group dynamics C. an obstacle to school progress D. a cause of undesirable behavior 33. Rosenberg holds that public advocates should _______.
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A. recruit professional advertisers B. learn from advertisers’ experience
C. stay away from commercial advertisements D. recognize the limitations of advertisements
34. In the author’s view, Rosenberg’s book fails to _______. A. adequately look into social and biological factors B. effectively avoid the flaws of the social cure C. illustrate the functions of state funding D. produce a long-lasting social effect
35. The author suggests in the last paragraph that the effect of peer pressure is _______. A. harmful B. desirable C. far-reaching D. questionable
第二节 (共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分)
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。 We eat in our cars, at our desks, on the go, and in front of die TV. We eat take-out, packaged and prepared meals. Why? Because it fits our not-enough-time-in-the-day lifestyles. 36 Well, I’m certainly not the first one to think it—or say it—but we all need to slow down. Consumer trends around the globe show that over the past three decades people are purchasing more prepared foods at grocery and eating out more than ever before. It’s predicted that we’ll spend more at restaurants in the coming years. 37 However, we’re getting less healthy. While debates can be seen in different media over die food industry’s contribution to our growing waistlines and our health problems, the bottom line is this: 38 We can choose to eat a fast-food lunch on the go. We can throw a frozen meal in the microwave and call it dinner. We can eat without thinking, in front of the tube, at our computers, and while driving a car. 39 Studies have shown meaningful links between family meals and kids’ mental and physical well-being. Eating sensibly doesn’t take much time or money, but it does require you to make a conscious decision to do so. Wrapped in endless work, appointments and social activities, we often fail to enjoy a relaxing meal with our families. While it can be a challenge to always put healthy eating first, just do your best. Remember that the food you eat has a more significant impact on your health, weight and well-being than almost any other activity you do. 40 Every meal made at home—even just once or twice a week—is a step closer to a healthier body and a slower food lifestyle. A. Lunch is the biggest calorie intake when it comes to eating out. B. Treat it with the importance that it deserves, but start small. C. Our food matches our lives.
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D. Purchase food locally and skip as many packaged items as you can. E. What we eat, where we eat and how we eat are all under our control. F. We’re consuming an increasing number of calories. G. We can devote an hour of the day to enjoying a meal with our families.
第三部分 语言知识运用 (共四节，满分60分) 第一节 (共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分)
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
The malls were filled with people seeking Christmas gifts. Behind the 41 aspect of shopping for gifts lies the idea of caring, being attentive to the 42 of special people in our lives. 43 , to use a well-worn play on words: it is our presence, not our 44 , that truly counts.
Giving attention to each other is, to a large extent, what human civilization is 45 . This perhaps 46 the runaway success of social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook. 47 we use such sites for “micro blogging”, “idea voicing” and “status updates”, the reality is that we are often doing no more or less than 48 our basic human drive for attention exchange.
I friend you, you friend me. The 49 ease with which we can now get and give attention is why many people appear overly 50 to their smart phones. It is also a vicious(邪恶的) 51 . As ever more people are busy exchanging attention online, there is 52 less attention to be paid in the real world, which forces more people to seek their attention exchange online, 53 risk attention-starvation.
The very nature of attention exchange is being rapidly 54 , and there is a danger that some of us will develop unhealthy practices. Just as eating red meat every day is a bad idea, 55 it is with too much attention exchange. The 56 consequences of our technological advancement in food production are highly visible: heart disease, diabetes and obesity. The consequences of our changed attention exchanges will be psychological and social, and so may take longer to 57 , but they will be 58 damaging.
Face-to-face attention is becoming 59 , and therefore more valuable. And it is a gift that can be given 60 . 41. A. physical B. imaginative C. thoughtful D. romantic 42. A. desires B. concerns C. claims D. purposes 43. A. Instead B. Moreover C. Otherwise D. However 44. A. feelings B. opinions C. presents D. choices 45. A. stood for B. related to C. based upon D. addicted to 46. A. involves B. explains C. suggests D. indicates 47. A. If B. While C. When D. Once
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48. A. losing B. imagining C. meaning D. fulfilling 49. A. charming B. disappointing C. strange D. slight 50. A. adapted B. attached C. absorbed D. appealed 51. A. gesture B. attempt C. habit D. circle 52. A. directly B. increasingly C. necessarily D. hopelessly 53. A. other than B. rather than C. or else D. apart from 54. A. changed B. affected C. revealed D. disturbed 55. A. as B. nor C. such D. so 56. A. eventual B. psychological C. general D. biological 57. A. identify B. confirm C. exploit D. employ 58. A. equally B. closely C. consequently D. contrarily 59. A. commoner B. costlier C. rarer D. tougher 60. A. during the holidays B. all-year-round C. in person D. on purpose
第二节 (共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分)
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
Now that summer is finally here, families are preparing for 61 they expect to be a great vacation away from the daily routines. While this once 62 (mean) getting outside and enjoying life, more people are remaining indoors thanks to smart phones and many other modern conveniences. Anyway, 63 is time to get outside to experience summer together with fun family activities. For example, hit the bike paths. Statistics consistently show that half of 64 (child) prefer riding bicycles to playing on computers or smart phones. 65 (consider) the fact that kids are being constantly introduced to digital technology at younger ages, this statistic may seem a little surprising. 66 (fortunate), this doesn't change the fact that bicycle riding is a fun, healthy, and outdoor activity 67 can be enjoyed within the whole family. Another great family activity getting everyone outside and to enjoy nature is gardening. In addition 68 burning hundreds of calories without traditional exercise, it gives both kids and adults a sense of 69 (achieve) when their hard work pays off. After enjoying some of these summer activities, you might just find your family eager 70 (stay) in the great outdoors.
第三节 (共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分)
根据句意和首字母提示，在空白处在空白处填入1个适当的单词。
71. You’ve put me in a very a_______ position and now I don’t know how to deal with the matter.
72. The detective, p_______ to be reading a newspaper, glanced at the man seated next to a woman.
73. ---Peter, this is Wei Hua, a student from Yangzhou High School.
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江苏省扬州中学2024-2024学年上学期高二第一次月考 英语试卷
