【推荐1】In the 1994 film Forrest Gump, there's a famous saying, "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get. The surprise is part of the fun. Now blind box toys（盲盒)are bringing the magic of surprise to online shopping.

A blind box toy is hidden inside similar boxes but invisible from the outside. You don't know what will be inside, although the toys typically come from pop culture, ranging from movies to comics and cartoons.

Blind boxes have become popular since they were first introduced from Japan to China in 2014. According to a 2019 Tmall report, the mini-series of Labubu blind box designed by Hong Kong-born Kasing Lung, was named Champion of Unit Sales with 55, 000 sold in just 9 seconds during the Singles Day shopping event. Most customers for blind boxes are young people aged 18 to 35.

According to The Paper, blind box toys are popular in part because of their cute appearances. The typically cute cartoon figures(人物)come in small sizes, making them suitable for display almost anywhere.

Even if blind boxes are not their top choice for decorations, the mystery and uncertainty of the process also attracts people. It's the main reason why people buy blind boxes one after another.

"Expecting the unknown is always a part of the box-opening process," said Miss Cao, 24, who lives and works in Shenyang. Speaking to Sina News, she said: "Until you open all the boxes, you cannot know what it is inside."

Opening a blind box is a delightful little surprise for our mundane daily lives, something small but fun to wait for each day, week or month. When people open this simple little box, they may be disappointed, but the uncertainty is part of the fun. People will open more blind boxes and hope for a better outcome.

When someone re-makes Forrest Gump, don't be surprised if he says, "Life is like a blind box."

1. What do we know about blind boxes?

A．They may bring surprise to our life.	B．They are visible from the outside.
C．They are popular among all ages.	D．They were first designed in 2014.

2. Why do people buy blind boxes according to Miss Cao?

A．Because blind boxes are fashionable gifts.

B．Because blind boxes are educational gifts.

C．Because people enjoy box-opening process.

D．Because people prefer the colorful boxes.

3. What does the underlined word "mundane" probably mean?

A．Wonderful

B．Interesting

C．Amazing.

D．Boring.

4. Where is the text most likely from?

A．A diary.

B．A magazine.

C．A novel.

D．A guidebook.

【推荐2】Most people say that they do not usually feel confident. But exciting things can happen when we actually believe in ourselves. Here is a man who believed in his own ability even as a boy, and that confidence helped shape his adult life.

At the turn of the last century, a young boy quit school to help with the family expenses. When he was fifteen, he became interested in automobiles(汽车) and worked in a garage. He subscribed to a correspondence course on automobiles and, after a long day in the garage, studied at the kitchen table in the lamplight.

When he felt ready, he walked into the Frayer-Miller Automobile Company of Columbus, Ohio. When Mr. Frayer noticed him, he asked, “Well, what do you want?”

“I just thought I’d tell you I’m coming to work here tomorrow morning,” the boy replied. 

“Oh! Who hired you?”

“Nobody yet, but I’ll be on the job in the morning. If I’m not worth anything, you can fire me.”

Early the next morning the boy returned to the plant. Noticing the floor was thick with metal shavings and accumulated dirt, the boy got a broom and set out to clean the place.

Because of his self-confidence and work ethic, the boy’s future was predictable. He went on to stand out in many fields, including automobile racing, piloting World War I planes and founding one of America’s largest airline companies ---- Eastern Airlines.

People who become more confident habitually encourage themselves. Without confidence, we are not likely to move far in the direction of our dreams. It is important that we always believe in ourselves. In order to reach victory, we must believe in ourselves even when we make mistakes

1. How did the boy learn knowledge concerning automobiles?

A．He attended school in the daytime.

B．He studied hard at home.

C．He read books in the garage where he worked.

D．He turned to some instructors for help.

2. We can learn from the boy’s words that _____.

A．he wanted to show off his competence

B．he looked down upon others

C．he was very generous

D．he believed in himself

3. Due to his efforts and confidence, the boy _____.

A．made World War I planes

B．learned much knowledge in a garage

C．achieved everything in his life

D．set up Eastern Airlines

4. What is the purpose of the passage?

A．To inspire us with self-confidence.

B．To tell us an interesting story.

C．To inspire us to work hard.

D．To stress the importance of realizing our dreams.

【推荐3】The United States does not require business to pay workers who are sick or caring for a new baby. President Obama and some other U.S. lawmakers want to change time-off policies. Supporters say paid leave is the right thing to do. Opponents say it will kill economic growth.
In 2014, the United Nations reported that Papua New Guinea(巴布亚新几内亚) and the U.S. are the only two -- out of 185 -- countries in the world that do not offer workers paid time off to care for newborns. However, several state governments and some private businesses in the U.S. have provided the benefits for their workers.
Not every American agrees that requiring businesses to pay workers for leave is a good idea.
Tricia Baldwin is a business woman. She is secretary and treasurer for her family's company. Her company employs 400 workers. She says giving all of them paid leave would ruin her company. Instead, Reliable Contracting gives paid leave to employees who have stayed with the company for at least five years. She says paid leave is simply another government order that adds more costs to doing business.
President Obama supports paid leave for workers. Recently, he proposed a measure called the Healthy Family Act. It would allow workers to earn up to seven paid days of sick leave a year to care for themselves or family members.
Mr. Obama also wants Congress to approve a measure giving all workers six weeks of paid leave to have and care for a new baby.
U.S. lawmakers who support the proposed measure say paid leave is good for the families and for businesses. Representative Don Beyer says paid leave is an encouragement to parents to return to the job. Mr. Beyer says training a new employee can cost a company a year's worth of income. But U.S. lawmakers who oppose the bill say they do not want to restrict businesses by requiring them to provide paid leave. They are offering a different measure. The Working Families Flexibility Act would allow employees to work extra hours and earn either time off or more pay.
1. If a woman in the U.S left to care for her newborn baby, she _________.

A．wouldn’t get extra time off

B．would get lower pay

C．would pay for her leave or she will be fired

D．wouldn’t get paid leave

2. Tricia Baldwin opposes paid leave because it will ________.

A．kill the national economic growth

B．not be enough to relieve the workers’ burden

C．add more costs to doing business

D．ruin companies rules

3. Some of the lawmakers are opposed to the proposed measure to require paid leave because they think ______.

A．it encourages parents to return to the jobs

B．it will add companies’ cost of training new employees

C．it gives workers more economic guarantees

D．it reduces employees’ working time

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．How to reform the Rules of Paid Leave in the U.S.

B．Will the U.S Pay Workers for Family Leave?

C．Is it Good for the U.S to Pay Workers for Family Leave?

D．Why Doesn’t the U.S Pay Workers for Family Leave?

【推荐3】Happy Birthday, Thorstein Veblen, who invented the expression “conspicuous( 炫耀性) consumption ”.

Why do we buy? What drives us to get things we know we don’t need and that we know are bad for the planet? Thorstein Veblen, born on July 30th, 1857, discussed this in his 1899 book The Theory of the Leisure Class, where he first wrote about conspicuous consumption.

According to a website named Conspicuous Consumption, the term refers to consumers who buy expensive items to show off their wealth and income rather than cover their real needs. Such a consumer shows such behavior to enjoy or achieve higher social status. The result, according to Veblen, is a society characterized by wasted time and money.

There is also a type of goods called “Veblen goods”, which really exist only to show the status of the person buying them. Rolls-Royce or fancy supercars are a good example; a Lamborghini won’t get you anywhere faster in a world with speed limits. A Patek-Philippe watch doesn’t keep time as accurately as a Timex.

Conspicuous consumption can lead to conspicuous waste —the ability to just throw things away and buy replacements even when they work perfectly well. Through “conspicuous consumption” often came “conspicuous waste”, which Veblen hated. Much of modern advertising is built upon a Veblenian idea of consumption and competition.

Veblen also explains why poor people won’t fight against conspicuous consumption. The poor, and all those persons who concentrate on the struggle to make a living, are conservative because they cannot afford the effort of taking thought for the day after tomorrow.

Some of Veblen’s theories wouldn’t find a place in today’s USA, but you must be impressed by his most famous saying: Invention is the mother of necessity.

Happy 163rd Birthday, Thorstein Veblen!

1. What is conspicuous consumption usually connected with?

A．Social position.

B．People’s needs.

C．Economic growth.

D．Market demand.

2. What might the poor think of conspicuous consumption?

A．It is a traditional practice.	B．It is none of their business.
C．It promotes consumption.	D．It is a goal they try to achieve.

3. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To challenge Veblen’s theories.	B．In defense of some economics terms.
C．In honor of a famous economist.	D．To prevent conspicuous consumption.

【推荐1】We’re all familiar with migration: wildebeests dash across Africa, monarch butterflies fly across the Americas... but did you know that forests migrate, too?

In his new book The Journeys of Trees, science writer Zach St. George explores an extremely slow migration, as forests move bit by bit to more pleasant places.

“The migration of a forest is just many trees sprouting (发芽) in the same direction,” St. George writes. “Through the fossils (化石) that ancient forests left behind, scientists can track their movement over thousands of years. They move back and forth across continents, sometimes following the same route more than once, like migrating birds or whales.” This has happened over thousands of years, and climate change tends to be the driving force.

Of course, today, climate change is speeding up, and trees can’t keep pace. Take California: it’s getting hotter and dryer and scientists estimate that before too long, Sequoia National Park may not be able to keep giant sequoias (巨杉).

“The scientists there had never seen anything like it,” St. George says. “They are worried, and I think at some point we will lose these ancient trees and we will have to think about what we do with the places, and do we plant new trees where they are easy to grow?”

This is known as “assisted migration”— humans planting trees in other places where they’re more likely to grow. But this process carries risks — people can accidentally introduce insects and diseases to new places, where they may wipe out entire native populations. So, St. George writes, there’s a heated debate today: Should humans help the trees escape?

“There may be cases where people are probably going to step in and help species move to places where they’ll be more suitable in the future,” St. George says. “So far, there are no huge movements of citizen groups moving trees north. But that is kind of one vision of the future that the people I interview hope to see.”

1. What can be learned about the migration of a forest?

A．It is mainly the result of climate change.	B．It takes thousands of years to complete.
C．It often follows certain migrating species.	D．It is very difficult to track the migration.

2. Why does the author mention Sequoia National Park?

A．To prove the assisted migration carries risks.

B．To stress the Park are facing a serious situation.

C．To show trees fail to adapt to the climate change.

D．To state scientists’ confidence about the environment.

3. What’s St. George’s attitude towards helping the trees escape?

A．Doubtful.

B．Supportive.

C．Objective.

D．Opposed.

4. What might be the best title of this passage?

A．Animal Migration	B．Trees on the Move
C．Human Effect on Trees	D．Modern Risks of Trees

【推荐3】Darek Fidyka, a 38-year-old Bulgarian, had been paralysed（瘫痪的）from the chest down for four years after a knife attack. Scientists from Britain and Poland took cells from his nose, transplanted them into his back and regrew his spinal cord （脊髓）. Now he can walk and even drive a car. The doctors were delighted but said it was the first step in a long journey.

The breakthrough came after 40 years of research by Professor Geoff Raisman, who found that cells had the possibility to repair damage to nasal （鼻子的） nerves, the only part of the nervous system that constantly regrows. “The idea was to take something from an area where the nervous system can repair itself, and put it into an area that doesn't repair itself,” Professor Raisman said.

Polish doctors injected the nasal cells into Mr Fidyka's spinal cord above and below the injury and used some nerves from his ankle to form a bridge across the damaged tissue. The nasal cells appear to have caused the spinal nerves to repair themselves.

Professor Raisman achieved this with rats in the late 1990s, but this is his greatest success. “I think the moment of discovery for me was Christmas in 1997 when I first saw a rat that couldn't control its hand put its hand out to me. That was an exciting moment, because I realized then that my belief that the nervous system could be repaired was true. ”

Doctors chose the easiest case for their first attempt — it might not work for others. But there is a real sense of hope that an idea once thought impossible has been realized.

David Nicholls, who helped provide money for the breakthrough, said information about the breakthrough would be made available to researchers across the globe.

“What you’ve got to understand is that for three million paralysed people in the world today, the world looks like a totally brighter place than it did yesterday,” he said.

1. Why did Professor Geoff Raisman choose cells from the nose?

A．The nervous system in the nose can repair itself.

B．Cells in the nose can be easily transplanted.

C．Cells in the nose reproduce rapidly.

D．He just wanted to give it a try.

2. Why did the operation work for Darek Fidyka?

A．The nasal cells reproduced and spread quickly.

B．The nerves from his ankle cured the injury.

C．The nervous system in the spinal cord can repair itself.

D．The nasal cells helped the spinal nerves to repair themselves.

3. What made Professor Geoff Raisman believe the nervous system can be repaired?

A．His study on animals.

B．His operation on a paralysed patient.

C．His sudden thoughts about Christmas.

D．His unusual experience with a sick rat.

4. David Nicholls' words suggest that ________.

A．the world is becoming better and brighter

B．paralysed people have the hope of recovery

C．the report of the breakthrough will be published soon

D．researchers across the globe will carry out the operation immediately