複選題I. Cloze Test (10%) Directions: Fill in the missing words from the word list (A-O) Desperate times call for desperate measures, and across Asia, communities are responding to an extreme and deadly heat wave, which has battered the region since last month and has left few options for residents and governments to cope, in creative and even __ (1) __ ways. One city in the Philippines has rolled out free mobile showers, while in Vietnam, municipal authorities reportedly looked into the possibility of __ (2) __ the help of a man who claimed he could pray for precipitation. In Thailand, a village in the central province of Nakhon Sawan resorted earlier this week to a rain-calling ritual that involved __ (3) __ a Japanese manga cat. According to Thai media, some 200 residents of the province’s Phayuha Khiri district conducted a traditional hae nang maew, or “female cat parade.” The ceremony has agricultural roots dating back hundreds of years ago in which farmers would hold a procession with a nang maew (female cat), carried in either a basket or cage, across the village as planting season approaches. Because of cats’ aversion to water, traditionally the __ (4) __ cat is splashed with water with the belief that its cries will __ (5) __ rainfall. While in the past, real cats have been used, amid increasing concerns about animal abuse, Hello Kitty dolls and other lifeless alternatives have been __ (6) __ in instead in recent years. The Thai villagers this week used plushies of Doraemon—a cartoon blue, male, robotic cat of Japanese origin popularized by its __ (7) __ manga and anime. It’s not the first time Doraemon has played the central part in the rain-calling ritual. Doraemon, which first appeared in 1969, has become a beloved icon in the Southeast Asian country and has often been spotted over the years in Buddhist __ (8) __ and temples. But Doraemon’s powers in this regard are likely limited, as Thailand’s dry weather conditions aren’t expected to let up until at least mid-May, as the rainy season’s start is delayed. Meanwhile, as climate change continues to push global temperatures upward, meteorological experts warn that the country’s __ (9) __ summer heat that once would ease around June may now and in the future last __ (10) __ October. Fill in the letters A~O. (AB) captive (AC) through (AD) enlisting (AE) shrines (BC) parading (BD) superstitious (BE) subbed (CD) sweltering (CE) eponymous (DE) augur (ABC) unprecedented (ABD) decrying (ABE) cathedrals (ACD) mitigating (ACE) amidst 1.

複選題II. Passage Completion (20%) Directions: For each blank in the passage, choose a sentence (A~H) that fits the context best. Passage 1 The recent controversy surrounding “Shy Girl,” a novel withdrawn by its publisher after readers detected signs of artificial intelligence involvement, has ignited a fierce debate about the future of literature. When large language models (LLMs) attempt creative writing, the resulting prose often oscillates between flat and lurid. It typically features excessive, clunky metaphors and verbless, staccato sentences. For literary purists, these stylistic glitches are symptomatic of a profound metaphysical void. __ (1) __ Without genuine experiences or emotions, they argue, a bot can never develop an authentic voice or bridge the gap between human minds. However, the assumption that human creation is inherently superior overlooks an uncomfortable truth. __ (2) __ If we compare an LLM’s output to a masterpiece by Vladimir Nabokov, the machine’s text inevitably appears wooden. Yet, when pitted against a generic airport thriller, AI-generated prose can seem remarkably competent. Furthermore, the publishing industry often thrives on derivative content, marketing new books as mere hybrids of previous bestsellers. The case of “Shy Girl” perfectly illustrates this blurred line. Despite the ensuing scandal, online reviews indicate that many readers genuinely enjoyed the book. __ (3) __ In fact, some genre novelists are already openly utilizing bots to bypass the grunt work of writing, inputting established tropes to generate content. As these models rapidly improve, we may soon see a market where readers request highly customized fiction tailored to their exact preferences. Meanwhile, the ethical and legal battles are just beginning. Writers are justifiably aggrieved that their original works were ingested without consent to train their soulless competitors. __ (4) __ To protect human authors, some publishers are banking on certification schemes to guarantee that a book was written by an organic human being. However, as AI tools become ubiquitous in research and editing, this binary categorization may eventually collapse. Ultimately, the question is not merely whether a brilliant human writer can outperform a machine. The truly salient issue is an economic one. __ (5) __ The moral of this literary controversy is not that AI writing should be outright banned; rather, human authors must find a way to commercially and artistically outcompete it. (AB) Even if human genius remains unmatched, it is uncertain whether enough readers will pay a premium to sustain the traditional publishing industry. (AC) Because AI lacks a soul, it is fundamentally incapable of the fraught exercise of freedom that defines true art. (AD) Consequently, class-action lawsuits are currently underway to demand compensation for this omnivorous form of plagiarism. (AE) Although the accused author ultimately confessed to utilizing algorithms, she maintained that the software merely assisted with minor grammatical corrections. (BC) The reality is that a significant portion of human-authored commercial fiction is itself highly formulaic and lacking in originality. (BD) Furthermore, historical evidence suggests that every major technological disruption initially faces fierce, yet ultimately futile, resistance from traditionalists. (BE) This phenomenon suggests that a substantial segment of the reading public remains completely unfazed by undeclared machine involvement. (CD) To combat this trend, literary agencies have collectively agreed to boycott any manuscripts suspected of lacking organic human authorship. 1.

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