1 . The idea of low material desire, low consumption and refusing to work, marry and have children, concluded as a “lying down” lifestyle, recently struck a chord with many young Chinese who are eager to take pause to breathe in this fast-paced and highly-competitive society.
Many millennials (千禧一代) and generation Zs complained to the Global Times that burdens, including work stress, family disputes and financial strains, have pushed them “against the wall”. They said they hate the “involution(内卷),” joking that they would rather give up some of what they have than get trapped in an endless competition against peers.
“Instead of always following the ‘virtues’ of struggle, endure and sacrifice to bear the stresses, they prefer a temporary lying down as catharsis (宣泄) and adjustment,” said a scholar. “It is no wonder that some young people, under the growing pressures from child-raising to paying the mortgage (按揭) today, would try to live in a simple way and leave the worries behind.”
Interestingly, the majority of millennials and Gen Zs reached by the Global Times, who claim to be big fans of the lying down philosophy, acknowledged that they only accept a temporary lying down as a short rest. It is true that with the great improvement of living conditions, some Chinese youth have partially lost the spirit of hardship and are not willing to bear too much hard work. But in fact, lying down is not entirely comfortable. Young people who lie down always feel guilty about their constant loss of morale (士气) far beyond their reach.
“Young people on campus have both aspirations and confusion about their future, but most of us have rejected setting ourselves up in chains to waste opportunities and challenges,” a postgraduate student told the Global Times. “It’s no use running away. I have to ‘stand up’ and face the reality sooner or later.”
1. What does the underlined phrase in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Warned. | B．Punished. | C．Amused. | D．Touched. |
| A．Improvements in living conditions. |
| B．Growing pressure from family and social life. |
| C．Increasing material possessions from families. |
| D．Temporary adjustment to failure in competitions. |
| A．Understanding. | B．Intolerant. | C．Supportive. | D．Unclear. |
| A．They never really drop their responsibilities. |
| B．They really enjoy the “lying down” lifestyle. |
| C．They find their dreams far beyond their reach. |
| D．They would rather escape than take challenges. |
2 . Lydia Denton felt very sad when she learned about the incidents, in which many children died in the hot cars because they were accidentally left behind. But no one has
Two years later, the 12-year-old girl from North Carolina won a $20, 000 prize for her
Lydia used part of her $20, 000 to continue to
With her 14-year-old brother and 10-year-old sister, Lydia also
Lydia’s mom, a science teacher, said it was
| A．come along | B．come up with | C．come about | D．come out |
| A．process | B．response | C．solution | D．decision |
| A．arrangement | B．invention | C．application | D．suggestion |
| A．detail | B．condition | C．temperature | D．quality |
| A．remind | B．affect | C．rescue | D．demand |
| A．reaches | B．hosts | C．attracts | D．prefers |
| A．design | B．master | C．develop | D．describe |
| A．no matter | B．so that | C．as if | D．now that |
| A．regard | B．compete | C．pretend | D．afford |
| A．supplied | B．exchanged | C．shared | D．collected |
| A．improvement | B．variety | C．production | D．advantage |
| A．serve | B．deliver | C．contact | D．charge |
| A．graceful | B．inspiring | C．curious | D．effective |
| A．disappeared | B．recovered | C．adapted | D．existed |
| A．specific | B．traditional | C．worthwhile | D．impossible |
3 . Mark Baker’s appreciation for nature runs deep, but he hasn’t always championed the Amazon rainforest’s rugged beauty.
For eight years, Mr. Baker’s business sold rare tropical wood from the Amazon to customers across the United States. Exporting wood provided him with an excuse to spend a lot of time in the rainforest, taking him back to his boyhood days. Mr. Baker told himself that selective harvest was just part of managing the resource.
But gradually he began to notice on his birding outings that the forest had grown quieter. On the Manaus docks, he saw wood for export labeled with the name of a type of wood legal to export, but knew that it was another illegal type. “It took me eight years to come to the realization that the construct that you can selectively harvest and manage the forest was a bunch of nonsense,” he says. “I couldn’t do it anymore.”
Because of his own personal transformation, Mr. Baker founded an ecotourism company that takes tourists along Brazil’s Rio Negro. With the trips, he aims to foster appreciation and a sense of stewardship(管理)for the rainforest among global citizens.
The Amazon rainforest covers more than 2.3 million square miles and is the biggest carbon store in the world, according to Giordane Martins, a biologist. Forty percent of Brazil’s land lies in the Amazon, but roughly 20% of it is already deforested. Ecotourism, what Mark is doing, has a positive impact.
“Our role is to educate,” Mark says. “Many people arrive with that nature sensibility. Some acquire it on our tours. One of the goals of ecotourism is to share the economic benefits of travel. The other is to help promote conservation, to generate income and help protect the forest. We’ve seen that happen. I wish we could say we saved the rainforest. We haven’t. But we have had an impact.”
1. Why did Mark Baker quit exporting wood business?| A．Because he didn’t earn enough money. |
| B．Because he couldn’t stay in the rainforest and recall his boyhood days any more. |
| C．Because he realized it was nonsense to harvest selectively and manage the forest. |
| D．Because he was angry to see all wood for export in his company was another type. |
| A．The Amazon forest is a most important carbon resource for our globe. |
| B．All tourists come to visit the Amazon rainforest with nature sensibility. |
| C．The Amazon rainforest has lost a lot of trees due to human activities. |
| D．The ecotourism company founded by Mark Baker hasn’t made a grand success. |
| A．Environmentally conscious and selfish. |
| B．Profit-oriented and competent. |
| C．Socially responsible and determined. |
| D．Smart and pessimistic. |
| A．It has a positive impact. |
| B．It has saved the rainforest. |
| C．It is profitable but meaningless. |
| D．It provides academic education. |
4 . 4 of the World’s Most Amazing Train Journeys
The Beijing to Lhasa Express, China
Start: Beijing End: Lhasa
Distance: 2,330 miles Duration（时长）: 40 hours
Connecting Beijing with Lhasa, the Z21 train transports its passengers from a modern city to a mysterious land. What’s unusual is that the train climbs nearly 16,400 it on its journey to the roof of the world: the Tibetan plateau, where it passes yaks, flying prayer flags and snow—covered mountains.
The Reunification Express, Vietnam
Start: Hanoi End: Ho Chi Minh City
Distance: 1,072 miles Duration: two days
Some railways run through historic cities, others run beside beautiful coastline and a few are famous for the colorful characters on board. The Reunification Express meets all these conditions. It travels over a thousand miles from Hanoi in the north to Ho Chi Minh City in the south. There’s no better way of exploring all the glories in between.
The California Zephyr, USA
Start: Chicago End: San Francisco
Distance: 2,438 miles Duration: 52 hrs 40 mins
As for appreciating the breathtaking scenery of the North American continent, nothing compares with Amtrak’s California Zephyr train. This journey travels nearly 2,500 miles across prairies, deserts, the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada on its way.
London to Fort William on the Caledonian Sleeper, UK
Start: London End: Fort William
Distance: 509 miles Duration: 13 hrs 30 mins
Starting from crowded central London to the dry and cold air and beautiful views of the Scottish Highlands through one overnight train journey is a perfect example of experiencing the romance（浪漫）of rail travel. It’s just a pity that the whole experience—from delicious foods and drinks to being taken into la-la land—feels like it’s over very quickly.
1. What makes The Beijing to Lhasa Express special?| A．It lasts the longest time. | B．It covers the longest distance. |
| C．It passes through national borders. | D．It runs on the highest rail line in the world. |
| A．The Beijing to Lhasa Express. |
| B．The Reunification Express. |
| C．The California Zephyr. |
| D．London to Fort William on the Caledonian Sleeper. |
| A．It’s often crowded. | B．It’s a relatively short journey. |
| C．It travels at the slowest speed. | D．It offers free meals to passengers. |
5 . I went for a walk up to a local park and Chester was running about. Suddenly, two dogs appeared, attacking him. He got
My family had almost lost
And it’s easy to see why. Can you
Having saved hundreds of dogs, the method is clearly
Erica’s drone has helped create countless happy
| A．concerned | B．annoyed | C．scared | D．confused |
| A．speak for | B．focus on | C．turn to | D．adapt to |
| A．sick | B．gone | C．injured | D．stuck |
| A．attitude | B．contact | C．track | D．hope |
| A．impressions | B．signals | C．experiments | D．behaviors |
| A．Besides | B．However | C．Therefore | D．Otherwise |
| A．family | B．job | C．chance | D．dog |
| A．location | B．company | C．adventure | D．arrangement |
| A．particular | B．familiar | C．successful | D．suitable |
| A．spot | B．explore | C．concentrate | D．rescue |
| A．forbidding | B．allowing | C．ordering | D．warning |
| A．challenging | B．improving | C．working | D．surviving |
| A．apply | B．wish | C．answer | D．charge |
| A．reunited | B．recognized | C．requested | D．admired |
| A．destinations | B．solutions | C．goals | D．endings |
6 . “Did you hear what happened to Adam last Friday？” Lindsey whispers to Tori.
With her eyes shining，Tori brags，“You bet I did，Sean told me two days ago. ”
Who are Lindsey and Tori talking about？It just happened to be yours truly，Adam Freedman. I can tell you that what they are saying is（a）not nice and（b）not even true. Still，Lindsey and Tori aren't very different from most students here at Linton High School，including me. Many of our conversations are gossip（闲话）. I have noticed three effects of gossip：it can hurt people，it can give gossipers a strange kind of satisfaction，and it can cause social pressures in a group.
An important negative effect of gossip is that it can hurt the person being talked about. Usually，gossip spreads information about a topic—breakups，trouble at home，even dropping out–that a person would rather keep secret. The more embarrassing or shameful the secret is，the juicier the gossip it makes. Probably the worst type of gossip is the absolute lie. People often think of gossipers as harmless，but cruel lies can cause pain.
If we know that gossip can be harmful，then why do so many of us do it？The answer lies in another effect of gossip：the satisfaction it gives us. Sharing the latest rumor（传言）can make a person feel important because he or she knows something that others don't. Similarly，hearing the latest rumor can make a person feel like part of the “in group”. In other words，gossip is satisfying because it gives people a sense of belonging or even superiority（优越感 ）.
Gossip also can have a third effect：it strengthens unwritten，unspoken rules about how people should act. Professor David Wilson explains that gossip is important in policing behaviors in a group. Translated into high school terms，this means that if everybody you hang around with is laughing at what John wore or what Jane said，then you can bet that wearing or saying something similar will get you the same kind of negative attention. The dos and don'ts conveyed through gossip will never show up in any student handbook.
The effects of gossip vary depending on the situation. The next time you feel the urge to spread the latest news，think about why you want to gossip and what effects your “juicy story” might have.
1. Why is a conversation given at the beginning of the passage？| A．To introduce a topic. | B．To present an argument. |
| C．To tell a story. | D．To clarify the writing purpose. |
| A．Breaking up relationships. | B．Embarrassing the listener. |
| C．Spreading information around. | D．Causing unpleasant experiences. |
| A．It gives them a feeling of pleasure. | B．It helps them make more friends. |
| C．It makes them better at telling stories. | D．It enables them to meet important people |
| A．provide students with written rules |
| B．make people watch their own behaviors |
| C．force school to improve student handbooks |
| D．attract the police's attention to group behaviors |
7 . What will restaurants look like in the future? What would your dinner taste like if a robot cooked it? A robot restaurant in Tianjin may give you the answers.
Covering an area of over 400 square meters with a total of 112 seats, the X Future Restaurant is a robot restaurant opened in November 2018. The restaurant has amazed customers with its fully-automated technology, which covers every step of the dining experience, from ordering to cooking to serving the dishes and even taking payment.
Entering the restaurant, one can order dishes by simply scanning the QR codes on the table. There are over 40 choices of dishes. After taking the order, “robot cooks” prepare dishes using fixed time, temperature and ingredients designed by famous Chinese cooks.
“As the cooking is controlled by a computer system, the taste and quality of dishes can be good,”said Li Xiaokui, manager of the X Future Restaurant.
Robots also complete the delivery of dishes. Without following any designed route, the robot waiters serve meals thanks to automated driving technology, which helps each robot timely change its route when something is in the way.
These eye-catching technologies have received wide praise from customers. “The dishes taste surprisingly good. I couldn’t believe that they were made by robots, especially dishes that were difficult to cook”, one customer said. “The application of robots has increased our efficiency and cut down our costs,” Li said, “I think robot restaurants will develop fast and have a bright future.”
1. What do we know about the X Future Restaurant?| A．It covers over 112 square meters with 400 seats. |
| B．Customers could enjoy fully-automated services |
| C．Robot waiters deliver dishes following fixed routes. |
| D．Robot cooks design dishes by themselves. |
| A．They are prepared by human cooks. | B．They are not accepted by customers. |
| C．They are ordered by scanning QR codes. | D．They are not easy for robots to prepare. |
| A．Worried | B．Doubtful. | C．Puzzled. | D．Hopeful. |
| A．A Robot Restaurant Was Opened in Tianjin. | B．Robots Cook Delicious Dishes like Humans. |
| C．The X Future Restaurant Has Become Popular. | D．Robots Are Helpful in Many Restaurants. |
8 . Xu Yuanchong, China’s most renowned master translator, passed away in Beijing at the age of 100 on Thursday, according to Peking University. A winner of the highest honor in the field of translation, Xu was best known for his translations of ancient Chinese poems into English and French that have gained worldwide recognition.
Xu devoted himself to translation for more than 60 years. For him, translated literature is “a beautiful art for the whole world.” His academic career began during his college years when he studied at the National Southwest Associated University (Lianda) in Kunming. In 1939, he published an English translation of a poem written by Chinese female poet and architect Lin Huiyin titled “Don’t Cast Away”, which is now known as his earliest work. Xu spent a few years in France studying French literature in the late 1940s. He then returned to China after graduation and became the first Chinese to translate Chinese poetry into English and French in rhyme.
“The greatest joy of an individual is to be with the people you like and do what you like to do. The greatest joy on the earth is to introduce the beauty created by a people to the whole world.” Xu once said. Xu put forward the “Three Beauties Theory”, in terms of translation, stressing the importance of beauty that is conveyed semantically (合语义地), phonologically (合音韵地)and logically (和逻辑地).
He taught at Peking University from 1983 and was awarded the “Lifetime achievements in translation” award from the national association for translation studies in 2010. Xu was also the first Asian translator to win the Aurora Borealis Prize for Outstanding Translation of Fiction Literature (北极光杰出文学翻译奖), one of the highest honors among international translators.
1. Which statement of Xu is true?| A．He made his fame by his first original writing “Don’t Cast Away” |
| B．He was the first to translate Chinese poetry into French in rhyme. |
| C．He believed the biggest pleasure of a person is to introduce beauty to the world. |
| D．He was the first to translate Chinese poetry into English without rhymes. |
| A．It started as a lifetime dedication from school time. |
| B．It developed only in Xu’s native country. |
| C．It was mainly about works of female poets. |
| D．It was mainly about works of French literature. |
| A．Direct word to word translation despite profound meanings. |
| B．Functional translation of meanings regardless of literary forms. |
| C．Rough translation of reasoning structures rather than details. |
| D．Comprehensive translation integrating beauties of sounds, meanings and reasons. |
| A．Academic Journals | B．Translating Textbooks |
| C．Cultural Newspapers | D．Museum Guidebooks |
9 . You may have your favorite family spots on Long Island where you frequently take the kids. But there may be unexpected places you haven't explored yet.
Animal Exhibit
Not only will you see fish, reptiles and amphibians here, but you'll also see baby alligators and other rescued animals. Kids can also learn about science and participate in programs and workshops throughout the year. The Animal Exhibit is also a hotspot for science-themed birthday parties.
The Mattituck Strawberry Festival
The Mattituck Strawberry Festival kicks off the summer season with sweet treats and more. Long Island is known for numerous and extremely popular fairs and festivals that take place throughout the year. Other summer festivals include the Sayville SummerFest, St. Rocco's Feast, Brookhaven Fair and more. The fall season offers the largest abundance of fairs and festivals, such as the Pickle Festival, Oyster Festival, Long Island Fall Festival and many Hallo ween-themed festivals in Nassau and Suffolk.
Home Depot Kids Workshop
Does your kid enjoy making things by hand? You may want to take a trip to Home Depot Kids Workshop. Offered on the first Saturday morning of each month, workshops allow little ones to build and craft items, such as a skateboard pencil box that they can decorate and keep.
Chuck E. Cheesed
As soon as you. walk through the doors you're instantly greeted by the sounds of other kids laughing as they play arcade games to win prizes and enjoy an animatronic show. After hours of play, check out their restaurant with kid-friendly options.
1. Who is the text specially targeted at?| A．Children. | B．Tour guides. | C．Parents. | D．Students. |
| A．Spring. | B．Summer | C．Autumn. | D．Winter. |
| A．At Animal Exhibit. | B．At The Mattituck Strawberry Festival. |
| C．At Home Depot Kids Workshop. | D．At Chuck E. Cheese's. |
10 . According to a new US study, couples who expect their children to look after them in old age should hope they have daughters because daughters are twice as loving as sons generally.
The research by Angelina Grigoryeva, from Princeton University, found that, while women provide as much care for their elderly parents as they can manage, men do as little as they can get away with and often leave it to female family members.
Her analysis of the family networks of 26, 000 old Americans concluded that gender （性别）is one of the most important things that decide whether or not people will actively care for their elderly parents.
In a paper presented at the annual conference of the American Sociological Association in San Francisco, she concludes that simply having a sister makes men likely provide less care. Using data from the University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study, a study which has been recording those people over 50s for the last decade, she analyzed that women provide an average of 12. 3 hours a month of care for elderly parents while men offer only 5. 6 hours.
“Sons reduce their relative caregiving efforts when they have a sister, while daughters increase theirs when they have a brother.”
“This suggests that sons pass on parent caregiving responsibilities to their sisters.”
In the UK, the 2011 Census showed that there are now around 6.5 million people with caring responsibilities, a figure which has risen by a tenth in a decade.
But many are doing so at the risk of their health. The census showed that those who provide 50 hours or more of care a week while trying to hold down a fulltime job are three times more likely to be struggling with ill health than their working counterparts who are not carers.
1. According to the passage, what’s the key factor to decide if people will actively care for the old?| A．Education. | B．Gender. | C．Career. | D．Income. |
| A．having a sister makes men less likely to look after their parents |
| B．sons are twice as likely as daughters to care for parents in old age |
| C．sons are unwilling to leave caregiving responsibilities to their sisters |
| D．sons and daughters seem to give equal care to their parents |
| A．People should give up their jobs to care for the elderly. |
| B．Many care providers work longer hours than others. |
| C．Many care providers have potential health problems. |
| D．People shouldn’t pass on caring responsibilities to others. |
| A．explaining social networks of careers |
| B．describing people’s experiences |
| C．analyzing various researches and data |
| D．comparing different gender |
