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Nancy took me by the hand. This was the third1 she was placing me in. Standing before me were the middle-aged couple, Allie and her2 Alex. Over the following weeks, we fell into quite a (n)3 routine. Allie would make pancakes for breakfast, or Alex would fry some sausage and4 . They sang a lot, even5 as they cooked. 

I kept6 something to happen. When would they start7 a loss of pancakes if I didn't mow the lawn (修剪草坪)? When would the sausage and eggs be8 with unidentifiable soup? But, it never9 . They kept cooking, singing, and dancing.

Then on a Saturday afternoon, Allie10 to paint the fireplace white. As we were busy working, we found a tiny treasure11 . We looked at each other in12 and excitement. She said, " I wonder if the leprechauns (精灵) left it!" I couldn't help but13 and lean (倚靠) into her a little.

Allie14 me to open the box. Inside was a beautifully sculptured wooden15 . Folded underneath was a piece of paper that read: " My sweetie, today is the 100th day after Nancy passed your16 into mine and we took you home. We simply cannot17 the rest of our lives without you. We love you and will be with you18 . This lovely dog was19 by Alex and me. Do you like it?"

My eyes flooded with tears. It20 , love comes in all shapes and sizes, even a tiny treasure box. 

Facing our failures can be difficult, but it is valuable. Failures are not the endings, but the beginnings of learning experiences that can help inspire you onto the next success. . 

·Admit Your Mistakes

The biggest difficulty we face in getting over our failures and turning them into successes is admitting we have made a mistake. If we don't, we might be caught in a cycle of shame and self-doubt. .

·Make Good Use of Fear 

Making a mistake, no matter how big or small it is, can be frightening. . But when we come to recognize that we can't avoid fear, we can accept our mistakes, correct them, and move forward confidently.

·

Sometimes, the best thing we can do when we fail is to ask someone to help us. We could be shy to reach out to others for help when we feel like we haven't done our best. Telling people why you think you failed, and what you need help with is considered to be strength. Many people who have failed in their own ways will be there to lend a hand to help you achieve your goals.

·Plan for the Next Failure

. You are certain to fail again, but you don't need to be afraid of failing. When you plan for failure, you are able to reduce the potential damage to the lowest possible level, and make it easier to move on to the next success.

A. Failure gives you a chance 

B. Go to find someone for help 

C. Fearful thoughts can disappoint you 

D. I don't see anything that I do as a failure or a success

E. We eat, we breathe, and we fail, so failure is a natural part of life 

F. Read on if you are still confused how to find some form of success in your failures 

G. However, after we admit we made a mistake, we can then make an effort to find a way out

Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso and Leonardo da Vinci . . . the art world has never lacked talent. And now, a new painter is ready to join the list, although this one isn't even human.

Next month, the auction house (拍卖行) Christie's Prints and Multiples will make history by offering the first piece of artwork created by artificial intelligence (AI) for sale. The painting is a portrait of a man called Edmond, and is expected to be sold for up to $ 10,000.

The work, which features a man with a mysterious look on his face, was created by software developed by a French art group. Nicolas Laugero Lasserre, an art collector, called the work "strange but amazing". This isn't the first example of AI produced artwork, as AI has already been used to write poems and compose songs. However, many people doubt whether it should be called art at all.

According to Russian writer Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910), art is about creating emotion. It's "a means of joining people together in the same feelings," he once said.

So, if the emotion behind art is what makes it, the ability to create and use tools is what makes human beings different from other species. And as a tool itself, the AI technology used to create the portrait is the result of a lot of efforts made by several designers. Together, they "fed" the AI many paintings from the 14th to the 18th centuries, until it was able to work out how to make similar paintings of its own.

The introduction of AI art could be the beginning of a new artistic movement. However, not everyone is ready to welcome these high-tech artists. 

"The human mind is what's behind the AI technology. And the human mind is not a cold, hard fact," said Oscar Schwartz, a professor of AI. "Rather, it is something that's created with our opinions and something that changes over time. "

"It's raining. It's pouring. The old man is snoring(打鼾). He bumped his head when he went to bed, and he couldn't get up in the morning. " Why couldn't the old man in the children's song get up? (Let's kindly suppose that he just didn't want to get up) This was possibly because in the absence of sunlight, the body was still producing the hotmon(激素) melatonin(褪黑素), which makes people sleepy. 

There are many ways that rainfall affects human behavior. But how much does rain really affect people's moods and behavior?

In 2008, researchers from the University of Minnesota and Lanzhou University published a paper. They proposed that decreased rainfall was influential in social upheaval(社会动荡) and the downfall of the Tang, Yuan and Ming dynasties in ancient China. This is thought to be related to reduced rice cultivation. 

But how might rain affect social behavior in the modern world? A 2009 New York Times investigation found that murder rates in New York drop significantly on rainy days. Meanwhile, in Britain, Dr Peter Langmead Jones of Greater Manchester police published a study in 2015 detailing an analysis of 6.6 million police records over one decade in Manchester. "The research showed that the heavier the rainfall, the lower the recorded crime," he said. 

Langmead Jones also found that there is a strong association between heavy rain and relatively few violent crimes recorded including domestic abuse(家庭暴力). This might be because heavy rain stops people from going out to buy alcohol and the reduced alcohol consumption results in fewer crimes. 

It's not all good news though. One study in 1997 concluded that the behavior of children can predict oncoming storms—they were observed to exhibit their worst behavior when barometric(气压的) pressure fell. Another study in 2012 found that women are much more likely to be affected psychologically by rain and that they report much lower levels of life satisfaction than men on rainy days. 

For all the complaints about rain, it does have some characteristics that hold broad appeal. The sound of raindrops can be very comforting and often features in sleep- inducing relaxation apps. The theory behind this is that the pitter patter of raindrops is a form of "pink noise". It can decrease brain activity and consequently improves the quality of sleep. So if it's raining where you are, the best thing to do may be to have a nap. 

A new study published in the National Academy of Sciences provides a measure of how far "deepfake" technology has progressed. The results suggest that real humans can easily fall for machine-generated faces. "We found that AI-generated faces are highly realistic," says study co-author Hany Farid, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley. The result raises concerns that "these faces could be highly effective when used for criminal purposes. "

The synthetic (合成的) faces for this study were developed in back-and-forth interactions between two neural networks. One of the networks, called a generator, produced an evolving series of synthetic faces like a student working progressively through rough drafts. The other network, known as a discriminator, trained on real images and then graded the generated output by comparing it with data on actual faces. The generator began the exercise with random pixels (像素). With feedback from the discriminator, it gradually produced realistic humanlike faces. Ultimately, the discriminator was unable to tell a real face from a fake one. 

After collecting 400 real faces matched to 400 synthetic versions, the researchers asked 315 people to separate real from fake among a selection of 128 of the images. Another group of 219 participants got some training and feedback about how to spot fakes as they tried to separate the faces. 

The first group did not do better than a coin toss at telling real faces from fake ones, with an average accuracy of 48. 2 percent. The second group failed to show dramatic improvement, receiving only about 59 percent, even with feedback about those participants' choices. 

The researchers were not expecting these results. The finding adds to concerns about the accessibility of technology that makes it possible for just about anyone to create misleading still images. Another concern is that such findings will create the impression that deepfakes will become completely undetectable and as a result, scientists might give up on trying to develop countermeasures (对策) to deepfakes. 

The researchers end with a straightforward conclusion after emphasizing that misleading uses of deepfakes will continue to pose a threat: "We, therefore, encourage those developing these technologies to consider whether the associated risks are greater than their benefits. If so, then we discourage the development of technology simply because it is possible. "

Four Environmentalists You Should Know

Throughout history, environmentalists have had a great influence not only on natural spaces, but also on our individual lives. Here are four influential ones. 

   John Muir (1838~1914)

His lifelong love for hiking began when he hiked to the Gulf of Mexico in 

1867. Muir spent much of his adult life wandering in—and fighting to preserve—the wilderness of the West, especially California. His tireless efforts led to the creation of Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Park, and millions of other conservation areas. 

   Rachel Carson(1907~1964)

Born in rural Pennsylvania, Rachel Carson went on to study biology at Johns Hopkins University. After working for the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Carson published The Sea 小

Around Us and other books. Her most famous work, however, was 1962's Silent Spring, in which she described the harmful environmental effects of pesticides（杀虫剂）. After Carson's observations were proven correct, pesticides like DDT were banned. 

   Wangari Maathai (1940～2011)

Wangari Maathai was from Kenya. After studying biology in the US, she returned to her home country to begin a career in environmental activism. Mathai founded the Green Belt Movement, which, by the early 2lst century, had already planted some 30 million trees, provided jobs, and secured firewood for rural communities. In 2004, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize while continuing to fight for the planet. 

   David Brower(1912~2000)

David Brower was associated with wilderness preservation. He became the Sierra Club's first executive director in 1952, then, over the next 17 years, the club membership grew from 2. 000 to77, 000. It won many environmental victories under his leadership. After leaving the club, he went on to found other environmental groups like Friends of the Earth, and the Earth Island Institute. 

The emergency doctor stood at the foot of my husband's hospital bed, holding the test results and a diagnosis — Acute Myeloid Leukemia（骨髓白血病）. He said to my husband, "Well move you to the leukemia floor. You'll be here at least a month. "

A month! My mind started spinning. My mom had fought breast cancer. My aunt had lung cancer. Both had died. But neither had been in hospital for a month! Exactly how bad was my husband's diagnosis? And how were we going to struggle for a month? It was March. The end of a school year was approaching. My days with my high school students were limited. How could I prepare four weeks of lesson plans and hand them over to a substitute teacher? A month! Could we afford being in the hospital that long? Our insurance was good, but we'd still have to pay our part of the medical expenses. My meals wouldn't be covered, and parking was so expensive! My head couldn't do the math. I drove home, filled with countless worries. Even though the parking pass would be a significant discount, I couldn't help but feel bothered by the cost throughout the drive. 

The next morning, I packed the car with everything needed for our hospital stay and headed to school to see my students. Because we live in a small community, they would have heard about my husband's diagnosis. I would assure them that my husband would be fine, and that I would be fine, too. I'd encourage them to be their best selves for the substitute and for me while I was on family leave. 

When I entered my classroom, the chatter stopped. I put on a smile and continued to my podium（讲台）. Sitting on top was a green envelope with "Mrs. Sargent" written on it. I looked over the frames of my glasses at twenty-eight faces, some smiling, some trying to resist. "What is this?" I asked. I picked up the envelope, and continued, "You guys…"

注意：（1）续写词数应为150 左右；（2）开头已给出。

Paragraph 1:

When I opened the envelope, coins and dollar bills fell out — fives, tens, twenties. 

Paragraph 2:

As an adult in the room, I felt guilty and unwilling to accept these teenagers' hard-earned money, but I decided to accept it.

注意：（1）写作词数应为80左右；（2）可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

Hangzhou is recognized as the "City of Well-Being" in China. Hangzhou made its name （know） to the world in 2016 by hosting the G20 Summit. Blessed with pleasant climate and few wars, Hangzhou has gradually formed （it） own urban character. busy Shanghai, you will slow down and relax once you are here. It seems that Hangzhou people don't have many things to rush to in their （day） life. No wonder Hangzhou is expanding（annual） by 500, 000 to 600, 000 people. 

The lifestyle, however, was laid down by two historical men of letters. One was Bai Juyi, rebuilt the West Lake and made a new bank（benefit） the locals. People love him. When it comes to him, it doesn't sound like one is talking about a person who（live） a thousand years ago. The other was Su Shi. His open-minded personalitydiligence for his people left many much-told tales. Seemingly,（mention） his name gives people joy even after a thousand years. 

Surely, it will be even more brilliant in 2023 when it hosts the 19th Asian Games. Let's look forward to it. 

By the time I was a junior at Yale, I'd already met everyone I cared to know. I also knew those I didn't want to know, including Maxey. He and I were like planets in different1 .

Everything changed dramatically when we had a field trip for a weekend. Although I was2 , I could get along well with others except Maxey who still made me3 . I couldn't think of anything to say to him. When he walked up to me and stuck out his hand, I just 4 it quickly. We stood awkwardly for a few minutes. When someone tried to get my attention, Maxey politely 5 . That last morning, when we discussed how to return home, he insisted I ride home on the back of his motorcycle. I said I thought it was a terrible6 and I wanted to refuse, but Maxey7 a helmet at me. " I wanted to give you a8 . You didn't seem to like me. I want you to like me." he said. Maxey started up the9 and we roared out of the driveway. The bike10 down the highway. I11 my arms around him and held on for dear12 . Maybe our friendship started from that day.

We were now both 60, but my 13  with him remained strong. I was sure if I was in14 , Maxey would be there for me. I was15 sure that if he wanted my help, I would give it without hesitation. 

Self-Improvement

Life can be a whirlwind of responsibilities and stress, but the right focus goes a long way towards ensuring you become a better person.Keep reading to learn how you can go about your self-improvement journey. 

Everyone needs something to live for, so think about what you want in life. Not only can struggling for something make you a happier and better person, but it can also help you find your purpose. Use a pen and paper and write down the short and long-term goals you would like to achieve. 

Forgiving yourself and others can help you improve relationships. To be a better person, it's important to have a go at forgiving any hatreds you're holding. Allow yourself time to forgive your past mistakes and recognize what they've taught you.You may not be able to forget what they've done, that's okay, but forgiveness can give you peace of mind. 

Everyone has flaws, but you can concentrate on improving yours. Notice how your behavior and attitude affect others. Are people generally happy or sad around you?

Answering these questions and analyzing your interactions with them can help you discover and perfect your weaknesses. 

Imagine what someone's been through can give you a new perspective. Empathy is one of the first steps to being a better person because it builds your compassion. Not only does cultivating empathy help you be more sensitive toward other people, but it also helps you form lasting relationships and feel less isolated.

A. Positive aspirations can give you something to thrive for. 

B. Are people around you talented in improving themselves?

C. Then, forgive those who have hurt you in the past.

D. Learning from one's mistakes is a step to forgiving oneself. 

E. Do friends come to you for help or advice?

F. Being empathic helps you gain a friend while challenging your perspective. 

G. There's something you can do every day to better yourself in different ways.