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(A) Cyber Fortune-Telling: Given or Earned?
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This past weekend, I chatted with someone I had just become friends with. We talked about how life sometimes seems to be driven by fate. Throughout the course of history, people have been curious about fate or what the future might hold. The ancient Greeks asked the Greeks at Delphi to tell them the future. The ancient Chinese would look to the Book of Changes (《易经》) to understand their fortunes or the causes of events. Today, many people study the Western and Chinese zodiacs (星座；生肖) to try to unlock their destinies. The most recent trend of this to have caught on with people is the use of AI to predict one’s fate.
As a somewhat old man of 44 years, I wasn’t too keen on finding out what the future had in store for me. Instead, I decided to find out what the future might look like for my adorably (讨人喜欢地) ugly cat, Gremlin. At only four years of age, she should have plenty of time left to scratch (挠) her ears and attack balls of string. But what would the AI say about her fate?
I entered a short description of Gremlin, including her birth date and eating habits, into DeepSeek. I then asked it to predict her fate based on the Traditional Chinese Medicine’s Five Elements Theory (中医五行理论). When the chatbot finished, I felt relieved. My ugly furball was going to live a “long, harmonious (和谐的) life of 16-21 years”—an elderly woman by cat standards. Then I got sad, thinking about all the bags of cat food and litter (猫砂) I would have to pay for throughout those “long, harmonious” years.
I have never personally been all that interested in discovering my fate. For me, fate is not something that just happens to you. Rather, it’s something that happens because of you. My new friend argued that fate had brought us together. But for me, it is the choices and decisions we make in life that make our paths cross. Without action, fate is just a word. Life, like a lottery ticket (彩票), needs to be bought in order to be won.
(B) Live Albums Live Again
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Dua Lipa. Ed Sheeran. Katie Melua. Niall Horan. At first sight, these musical artists have little in common. But they’ve all released a live album recently. Isn’t that strange? After all, it’s the studio album, carefully recorded in controlled conditions, that has been the big deal. The live album is often made as an additional product after a concert or tour. It’s not the main focus of the music industry.
That wasn’t always the case. In the 1970s and 1980s, when rock music was at its peak, the live album was popular. It gave artists the chance to bottle the lightning that struck when they performed in front of a crowd. Many musicians at that time released successful live albums that proved how wild and crazy they could be. But as pop and hip-hop gained more popularity, the live album lost its shine. These types of music are often heavily produced, and the best results usually come in the studio.
Why are live albums making a comeback? Some artists say it’s for artistic reasons. A live album is more exciting than studio work, says Melua, a British singer-songwriter. “You only get one chance to do your best.” For pop stars, a live performance is the perfect opportunity to prove their talent.
Moreover, Melua believes the pandemic helped to make live albums popular again as musicians had to cancel live shows. Now, they are back on schedule, and both artists and their fans have a deeper love for live music.
Concerts often leave fans with many sweet memories. Just think about the many zoomed-in (针对局部变焦放大的) videos you keep on your phone long after the concert is over. Similarly, live albums are becoming collectibles. With a live album, fans can relive the (probably expensive) experience anytime, anywhere.
4. 推理判断题：Why do fans love live albums according to the passage?