Situated along a river that winds through the mountains, surrounded by cedar (雪松) and bamboo forests, Nanmoku is about 70 miles northwest of the capital city. Once known for its silk, wood, and konjac root (魔芋根), Nanmoku is now Japan’s most aged village, with two-thirds of its residents over 65. Many buildings are abandoned and the population has dropped from 11,000 in 1955to about 1,500 today, according to town hall figures. At that rate, the village could be empty just over a decade.
Nanmoku is on the front lines of Japan’s rural depopulation, a trend seen in other Asian and European countries. However, some residents are working to change the trend by attracting young people. One such person is 24-year-old Satomi Oigawa, who moved to Nanmoku after graduating from college in Tokyo. She works for the village government, matching abandoned homes with potential new residents. Oigawa is learning about the village’s history as she integrates into the community. “Everything about this house is part of the village’s history,” she says.
Despite efforts to attract new residents, the village faces challenges. There are few jobs for young people, and the nearest hospital is an hour’s drive away. Some residents argue that instead of spending money to attract newcomers, the money should be spent on those already living in the village.
Mayor Saijo Hasegawa aims to keep the village’s population level in 15to 20 years’ time, hoping to maintain it at around 800 people. However, experts like Peter Matan le of the University of Sheffield say that while some villages may boom, they will still experience pushback against the overpowering trend. “Japan is currently losing 600,000 to 700,000 people annually, and that’s going to increase to more than a million by the 2030s,” Matan le says. “Under that situation, how do settlements maintain their populations, let alone increase them?”
1. Which of the following can best describe current Nanmoku?| A．Old and timeless. | B．Undamaged and charming. |
| C．Remote and developing. | D．Historic and declining. |
| A．To get job opportunities. | B．To learn about the history. |
| C．To refresh the village. | D．To experience the rural life. |
| A．They are facing significant challenges. |
| B．They are likely to succeed at the moment. |
| C．They are widely supported by all residents. |
| D．They need more support from the government. |
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【推荐1】Rending leadership literature, you’d sometimes think that everyone has the potential to be an effective lender.
I don’t believe that to, be true. In fact, there are fewer truly effective leaders, instead, I see many more leaders sadly incompetent, and seriously misguided about their own abilities.
Part of the reason this happens is a lack of honest self-assessment by those w ho pursue leadership in the first place.
We’ve all met the type of individual who simply must take charge. Whether it’s a decision-making session, a basketball game, or a family outing, they can’t help grabbing the lead position. They believe they are natural born leaders.
Truth is, they’re nothing of the sort. True leaders don’t assume that it’s their divine (神圣的) right to take charge every time two or more people get together. Quite the opposite. A great leader will assess each situation and will only take charge when their position, the situation, or the needs of the moment demand it.
Many leaders confuse leadership with action. They believe that constant motion somehow generates leadership as a byproduct (副产品). Faced with any situation that can’t be solved by the force of activity, they generate a dust cloud of impatience. Their one leadership tool is volume: if they think you aren’t working as hard as they think you should, their demands become increasingly louder and rougher.
True leaders understand the value of action, of course, but it isn’t their only tool. In fact, it isn’t ever their primary tool. Great leaders see more than everyone else: answers, solutions, patterns, problems, opportunities. They know it’s vitally important to do, but they also know that thinking, understanding, are equally important.
If you’re too concerned with outcomes, you aren’t leading at all, you’re dictating (独裁). A true leader is someone who develops his or her team so that they can hit their targets and achieve their goals.
1. What does the author think of the leaders he knows?| A．Many of them are used to taking charge. | B．Few of them are equal to their positions. |
| C．Many of them fail to fully develop their potential. | D．Few of them are familiar with leadership literature. |
| A．They believe they have the natural gift to lead. | B．They believe in what leadership literature says. |
| C．They have proved competent in many situations. | D．They get great satisfaction from being leaders. |
| A．Being able to take immediate action when chances present themselves. |
| B．Having a whole - hearted devotion to their divine responsibilities. |
| C．Having a full understanding of their own strengths and weaknesses. |
| D．Being able to assess the situation carefully before taking charge. |
| A．They reassess the situation at hand. | B．They become impatient and rude. |
| C．They adopt any tool available. | D．They blame their team members. |
| A．Concentrate on one specific task at a time. | B．Use different tools to achieve different goals. |
| C．Build up a strong team to achieve their goals. | D．Show determination when faced with tough tasks. |
【推荐2】Wolf Warrior II (《战狼II》), a movie that made box office history in China in 2017, tells the story of how the Chinese government successfully rescues overseas Chinese citizens in Africa.
At the end of the film, there is one line that stands out: “When you meet with danger in a foreign land, do not give up! Please remember, at your back stands a strong motherland.”
The movie sends the message that overseas Chinese will always receive timely help from China. But in the future, some headstrong (任性的) citizens will not get this help for free, People’s Daily reported.
On March 26, the Ministry of Foreign Affaires (MFA) worked out a draft for regulations on consular (领事的) protection and assistance, the Xinhua News Agency reported. The draft says that those who insist on travelling to dangerous places without considering warnings given by the MFA will not be able to get free rescue services.
For example, the MFA recently release a travel advisory (安全提醒) saying that Chinese citizens should avoid travelling to Maldives. Chinese who travel there and run into trouble may still ask for aid from the Chinese Embassy. But they will have to cover the cost of their rescue later.
In fact, this is a common international practice, People’s Daily said. Countries like the US, the UK and Canada have similar regulations.
According to the MFA, over 130 million Chinese mainlanders travelled overseas in 2017. The MFA issued over1000 travel advisories to advise Chinese citizens of the risks they may face when travelling.
1. Why does the author quote the underlined sentences from Wolf Warrior II?| A．To stress that China will help every Chinese person |
| B．To describe the feelings after watching the movie. |
| C．To explain what the movie is about. |
| D．To prove how advanced China is. |
| A．People’s Daily | B．The MFA |
| C．Xinhua News Agency | D．Travel agencies. |
| A．Chinese people can’t travel to foreign places |
| B．Free rescue services have come to an end |
| C．People will not get free help if they ignore the MFA’s warnings |
| D．Chinese who travel to Maldives will run into trouble |
| A．China will be the first country in the world to do so |
| B．People may have second thoughts about travelling to dangerous places |
| C．Only rich people will be able to afford to travel overseas |
| D．The MFA issued over1000 travel advisories to suggest Chinese citizens of the risks they may face when travelling. |
【推荐3】Many people feel stressed out about buying and giving gifts around holidays．But have the holidays become too materialistic and more about the gifts than the feelings behind them?
Throughout the world，many cultures mark holidays with gifts and food．Holiday traditions bring people together and allow us to feel a part of family and community．The gifts and food that we share are all about expressing a sense of appreciation and joy．The gifts of a few generations ago were probably more common and homemade．Even the people who could afford expensive presents probably didn’t do as much buying and spending as we do today．
But with our culture growing more commercial，sometimes the original meaning behind the tradition gets lost．Not only is the pressure on spending money on the right present，but many people also find that when gifts become the focus of a holiday，it puts too much emphasis on receiving．It’s too easy to have high expectations of what’s in that beautifully wrapped box—and that can set anyone up for disappointment．No wonder we often hear about people having the“holiday blues”—feeling sad or empty．
Not all people think the holidays are too materialistic，of course．Most appreciate the traditional aspects of the holidays．And some love shopping and are just fine with a11 the giving and receiving．But if you’re feeling a little empty about the holidays，what can you do? One key to a relaxing and meaningful holiday is finding what works best for you，both in terms of gift giving and other holiday traditions．Putting some thought into what the holidays mean to you and then focusing your energies on those aspects that leave you feeling most satisfied can help you let go of the stuff that may be stressing you out．
1. What can we learn about the holiday gifts generations ago?
| A．They were valueless． |
| B．They were highly valued． |
| C．They were given little attention． |
| D．They were more about expressing feelings． |
| A．Receivers are often disappointed． |
| B．Gifts become the focus of holidays． |
| C．Our culture grows more commercial． |
| D．Much more money was spent on gifts． |
| A．Avoiding giving and receiving gifts． |
| B．Figuring out your real expectations． |
| C．Doing some shopping in the holidays． |
| D．Putting more thought into the gifts to give． |
| A．The Changes in Giving Gifts |
| B．What Stresses You out on Holidays? |
| C．Are the Holidays Too Materialistic? |
| D．The Development of Holiday Traditions |
A traditional meal includes a turkey dinner, with ham, and pork. A flaming Christmas plum pudding is added for dessert. In the Australian gold rushes, Christmas puddings often contained a gold nugget. Today a small favor is baked inside. Whoever finds this knows s/he will enjoy good luck. Another treat is Mince Pies.
Some Australians and particularly tourists often have their Christmas dinner at midday on a local beach, Bondi Beach in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs attracts thousands of people on Christmas Day. Other families enjoy their day by having a picnic. If they are at home, the day is punctuated(不时中断) by swimming in a pool, playing Cricket out the backyard, and other outdoor activities.
The warm weather allows Australians to enjoy a tradition which started in 1937. Carols by Candlelight is held every year on Christmas Eve, where tens of thousands of people gather in the city of Melbourne to sing their favorite Christmas songs. The evening is lit by as many candles singing under a clean cut night sky. The sky with its Southern Cross stars is like a mirror. Sydney and the other capital cities also enjoy Carols in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
Australians surround themselves with Christmas Bush, a native plant which has little red flowered leaves.
1. It is usual to have a hot Christmas in Australia because _________.
| A．the country is in the Northern Hemisphere |
| B．people go shopping in shorts and T-shirts |
| C．the festival is not in winter but in summer |
| D．Santa Claus is on a surfboard at many beaches |
| A．ham | B．pork | C．turkey | D．pumpkin |
| A．Tourists like to have Christmas dinner on a beach |
| B．People play outdoor activities at home after picnic. |
| C．Carols by Candlelight is held every year on Christmas Eve |
| D．Sydney enjoys Carols in the weeks leading up to Christmas. |
| A．the warm weather |
| B．the Christmas Bush |
| C．the activities at daytime |
| D．the Southern Cross stars |
| A．Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs |
| B．Christmas meals in Australia |
| C．Christmas in Australia |
| D．Christmas shopping in Australia |
【推荐2】The English language has a lot of words which can be used in many different ways and in many different experiences.
One such example is the word matter. In fact, matter can mean just about anything. It could be one of the most useful words in the English language.
Let’s get to the heart of the matter — a matter of principle(原则).
If someone says that you owe(欠) him $50, but you don’t, a friend might say, “Well, you could pay him the $50. It’s not that much money. Then you won’t have to hear him say it anymore.” But if you do not owe him the money, do not pay him the money. It’s a matter of principle.
There is another way to use the word matter. But be careful with your choices of words.
If you ask someone, “What’s the matter?”, it shows you are worried about the other person. But saying, “What’s the matter with you?” has a completely different meaning. And it usually sounds rude. In fact, when you say, “What’s the matter with you?”, you are suggesting that the person did something wrong or stupid.
Another expression that could sound rude is to say, “It doesn’t matter to me.” Here, it depends on the context, and how you say it.
Let’s say you tell someone that a friend just got a big raise(加薪) at work. That person answers with, “It doesn’t matter to me.” Here, it means he or she does not care. And it sounds rude.
But saying, “Oh, you pick where we eat dinner. It doesn’t matter to me.” does not sound rude. In the situation, “it doesn’t matter” shows you are easy-going.
No matter how you look at it and what you say, matter is a very useful word. And it’s only a matter of time before you will become an expert on the use of matter.
1. We can infer from the text that the word matter __________.| A．has a wide use | B．can mean money |
| C．is the most used English word | D．has the most different expressions |
| A．Every penny counts. | B．Stick to(坚持)what is right. |
| C．Follow your friend’s advice. | D．Be careful when making friends. |
| A．choice | B．person | C．situation | D．answer |
【推荐3】Is constant information-seeking on social media helpful during an emergency? One study conducted in March 2020 involving more than 6,000 people found that the more time participants spent consuming negative news in a day, the unhappier they felt. These findings are striking but leave a few questions unanswered.
Does this doomscrolling make people unhappy, or are unhappy people just more likely to doomscroll? And what would occur if we were “kindness scrolling”? To find out, researchers conducted a study where they showed hundreds of people real-world content on social media for 2 to 4 minutes. The social media featured either general news about crises, or news about kindness during crises. Findings were that those shown general crisis-related news experienced lower moods than those shown nothing at all. Meanwhile, people shown crisis news stories involving acts of kindness neither experienced the same decline in mood nor gained the boost in mood they’d predicted. These findings suggest that spending as little as 2 to 4 minutes consuming negative news about crisis can have a harmful impact on our mood. Although researchers didn’t see an improvement in mood among participants shown positive news stories involving acts of kindness, this may be because the stories were still related to crises.
So what can we do to make our time on social media more pleasurable? Can we delete our social media accounts altogether? But how realistic is it to distance ourselves from platforms that connect nearly half of the world’s population?
Given that avoidance might not be practical, seek out content that makes you happy to balance out your newsflashes. This may be images of cute pets, beautiful landscapes or delicious food videos. Sharing good things in your life can improve your mood, and your positive mood can spread to others.
1. How does the author perceive the result of the study conducted in March 2020?| A．Inaccurate. | B．Unreliable. | C．Doubtful. | D．Imperfect. |
| A．Surfing the Internet. | B．Reading negative news. |
| C．Tending to get excited. | D．Assessing information wisely. |
| A．Positive news stories help improve one’s mood. |
| B．Negative news consuming does harm to one’s mood. |
| C．Crisis-related acts of kindness can change one’s mood. |
| D．The longer one reads negative news，the less content one will be. |
| A．Share images or videos. | B．Keep off platforms. |
| C．View pleasurable newsflashes. | D．Log out social media accounts. |
