1 . China has set new rules limiting the amount of time children can play online games. The rules limit children to just three hours of online game playing a week. That is one hour between 8 p. m. and 9 p. m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday most weeks.

Li Zhanguo has two children aged 4 and 8. Even though they do not have smartphones, they enjoy playing online games. Like many other parents. Li is happy with new government rules. But experts say it is unclear if such policies can help prevent addiction to online games. Children might just get addicted to social media instead. In the end, experts say, parents should be the ones to set limits and support good practice.

There has been a growing concern in China about gaming addiction among children. Government reports in 2018 found that about one in ten Chinese children were addicted to the Internet. The new rules are part of an effort to prevent young people from spending too much time on unhealthy entertainment. That includes what officials call the “irrational fan culture”

Under the new rules, the responsibility for making sure children play only three hours a day as largely on Chinese gaming companies like Net Ease and Ten cent. Companies have set up real-name registration systems to prevent young users from going past game time limits. They have used facial recognition technology to check their identities. And they have also set up a program that permits people to report what is against the law. It is unclear what punishments gaming companies may face if they do not carry out the policies. And even if such policies are performed, it is also unclear whether they can prevent online addiction.

A specialist treating Internet addiction expects about 20 percent of children will find ways to break the rules by borrowing accounts of their older relatives and find a way around facial recognition. In his opinion, short-video alps such as Douyin and Kuaishou are also very popular in China. They are not under the same restrictions as games.

1. When can children play games according to the new rules?

A．Between 8 p. m. and 9 p. m. On Friday.	B．Between 8 p. m. and 9 p. m. On Tuesday.
C．Between 10 p. m. and 11 p. m. On Saturday.	D．Between 10 p. m. and all p. m. On Thursday.

2. According to experts, _________

A．the new rules can stop children’s addiction to social media

B．companies are more responsible for kids ‘ obeying the rules

C．the new rules will help prevent children playing online games

D．parents play a greater part in limiting the time of online games

3. What will children probably do to battle with the new rules?

A．Design an advanced program.	B．Use facial recognition systems.
C．Set up real-name registration systems.	D．Borrow accounts of their older relatives.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．Rules Limiting Short-video alps	B．Rules Limiting Video Game Time
C．Rules Banning Irrational Fan Culture	D．Rules Breaking Addition to Social Media

2 . After I made it to the city center, I started to feel it might be easy for a foreigner to deal with the great size of Beijing. With growing confidence, I decided to take the subway to the hotel, not realizing that the network didn’t go that far. Impressed with the cleanliness of the station, I bought a ticket and boarded the first subway that came along.

After a few minutes I asked in English a young man seated next to me where I should get off closest to the Friendship Hotel. Wearing a smart business suit and tie, he would surely speak English, wouldn’t he? Unfortunately, he couldn’t understand me but seemed very friendly. I showed him the room card with all the information of the Friendship Hotel in Chinese characters. He looked at it, and then his eyes moved quickly to the carriage (车厢) subway map. Next, he raised three fingers of his right hand.

In Australia, raising fingers at someone is not usually nice, but this man wasn’t smiling. At the next station he showed me two fingers. Now in Australia, that’s really rude, but I got the message. When we stopped at the third station, he didn’t just point to the door, but got up, took me out of the train, and led me to the top of the stairs, and out onto the street. Then he stopped a taxi and told the driver where to take me.

All this came from a man who couldn’t speak my language, and I couldn’t speak his. I was now speechless, especially when he refused my offer of money. I felt a little embarrassed having even thought he would accept a tip.

This experience made it clear I had to learn some Chinese quickly or my adventures might start turning into misadventures.

1. Why does the author decided to take the subway?

A．Because he believed in his ability to deal with the trip

B．Because the network covered most of the stops

C．Because he lived near the city center

D．Because he had a good impression of its cleanliness

2. Having been shown the room card, the young man        .

A．still remained puzzled	B．understood the author well
C．answered the author directly	D．pointed at the subway map

3. Which of the following can’t be used to describe the young man?

A．helpful.

B．impolite.

C．warm-hearted.

D．responsible.

4. What’s the author’s purpose of writing this passage ?

A．To prove the importance of being careful

B．To introduce a young man who didn’t know English

C．To complain some cultural misunderstanding

D．To describe one of his adventurous experiences

3 . Winning the silver medal at the 2023 FIVB Volleyball Nations League in the United States, on Sunday, the Chinese women’s volleyball team enjoyed their best result in the tournament (联赛), with the key to the breakthrough being their unity and never-say-die spirit.

“I just feel that our team is more united than ever,” said Yuan Xinyue, Team China captain. “We support and help each other on the court. This is the most important reason behind our success. All of us should shoulder the responsibility of winning.”

She continued to say, “ We have firm determination, and we will keep moving forward. We cherish the road that we have walked. We will summarize events, and we will keep tackling the problems. We will also try hard and hold onto our dreams and the belief that the Chinese women’s volleyball team can be the best.”

Team China was one step away from gold, but the Turkish women’s team showed greater momentum (势头) in the final beating China 3-1. As the Chinese team only finished sixth at last year’s VNL, the second-place finish was a surprise to Chinese fans.

Sunday’s final attracted huge media attention and generated a series of trending topics on social media. While many joined in heated discussion about the final, many more expressed congratulations on the fast rise of the young women’s team.

“Although the Chinese women’s team wasn’t able to stand on the highest podium (领奖台) at the Volleyball Nations League, they still produced the best possible result by fighting together. Hand in hand, Team China players march forward together,” reported by China Sports Daily. “Team China was not among the favorites to reach the final of the VNL, but the team still managed to pocket a silver medal, which is huge progress compared to last year’s result. They proved all the doubters wrong, and they showed the world what a united team they are.”

1. How can we best describe Team China’s performance in the tournament?

A．Overconfident.

B．United.

C．Disappointing.

D．Careless.

2. Which can replace the underlined word “tackling” in paragraph 3?

A．Checking out.

B．Bringing about.

C．Giving up.

D．Dealing with.

3. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that ______.

A．People were concerned about Team China because it lost the game.

B．Team China played very hard in the tournament and won the first prize.

C．Team China has made significant advances though not pocketing the gold medal.

D．Team China didn’t try their best.

4. What can be the best title for the news report?

A．Team China shines in silver medal success

B．Team China not among favorites to reach final

C．Chinese women’s volleyball team plays against Turkish team

D．Team China wins the game

4 . Community Celebrations

The Story of Artist John Biggers

As the 100th birthday of the late (已故) John Biggers is coming near in 2024, the MFAH celebrates his legacy (遗产) . These videos present a conversation with art it she encouraged, and a look at the wall painting he was invited to paint, describing Black longshoremen of Houston.

A Mosaic of Art and Community

Meet the Jubilee Quilt Circle, created in the 1990s to protect the legacy of African American quilting (被子) while encouraging personal growth opportunities and experiences in Houston. In this two-part video series, hear from Jubilee members and learn about the central community spirit that goes into the art of quilt-making.

I, Too, Am America.

Virtual(虚拟的) experiences―dance, music, spoken-word performances, interviews and more-pay honour to the African American artists whose work is on view in the Museum’s Nancy and Rich Kinder Building. The heading “I Too, We Two!” recognizes the team spirit between the Ensemble Theatre and the MFA Hand also includes the Ensemble Theatre’s virtual.

My Journey with Flamenco

See the different styles of flamenco, a form of Spanish song and dance based on the music traditions of southern Spain from the 9th to 14th centuries. These videos’ leading role is An a María Barceló and the founders of Houston flamenco performance company Solero Flamenco: Jeremías García and Irma La Paloma. The show Glory of Spain: Treasures from the Hispanic Society Museum & amp; Library provides the inspiration (启发).

1. What is the purpose of The Story of Artist John Biggers?

A．To celebrate a festival.	B．To honor a late artist.
C．To introduce a tradition.	D．To show the life of the Black.

2. What can be learned at A Mosaic of Art and Community?

A．World-famous paintings.	B．Online art performances.
C．Spanish songs and dance.	D．Art of making bedclothes.

3. Which of the following mentions teamwork?

A．I Too, We Two!	B．My Journey with Flamenco.
C．A Mosaic of Art and Community.	D．The Story of Artist John Biggers.

7 . Join Us in Creating the Sweetest Candy Experience

Search Engine Copywriter

Pay: $80, 000 every year

Job Description:

We are looking for a creative, hardworking person to join our team as a content developer. The responsibilities of the content developer include creating new and interesting content for our website and popularizing that includes product descriptions, social media and technical work.

Shopify Developer

Pay: $120, 000 every year

Job Description:

Candy Funhouse is looking for a Shopify Developer to manage, and improve the e-commerce (电商) store hosted on Shopify. Reporting to the Chief Technology Officer, you’ll be responsible for developing new product pages, and running A/B tests to continuously improve site performance.

Chief Candy Officer

Pay: $100, 000 every year

Job Description:

We are looking for the world’s first and only Chief Candy Officer! This chance is work-from-home. The job includes deciding whether or not to give each treat with the official “CCO (Chief Candy Officer) Stamp of Approval”.

Social Media Personality

Pay: $110, 000 every year

Job Description:

We’ve got a pretty sweet brand, and we want someone to help make that brand as wonderful online as it is in real life. We’re looking for someone with good knowledge of both candy and pop culture, a natural ability to relate to fans, and someone who is willing to do the work necessary to help the brand be great on social media.

1. Which post offers the best pay?

A．Shopify Developer.	B．Chief Candy Officer.
C．Social Media Personality.	D．Search Engine Copywriter.

2. What is the responsibility of Social Media Personality?

A．Popularizing a brand on social media.	B．Developing new product pages.
C．Creating fun product description.	D．Managing the e-commerce store

3. Which part of a website might the text most likely be taken from?

A．Privacy Center.	B．Job Search.
C．Modern Technology.	D．Company Review.

8 . What is the place of art in a culture of inattention? Recent visitors to the Louvre report that tourists can now spend only a minute in front of the Mona Lisa before being asked to move on. Much of that time, for some of them, is spent taking photographs not even of the painting but of themselves with the painting in the background.

One view is that we have made tourism and gallery-going so easy that we have made it effectively impossible to appreciate what we’ve travelled to see. In this society, experience becomes goods like any other. There are queues to climb Everest as well as to see famous paintings. Thus, leisure is considered as hard labour rather than relaxation.

In the rapidly developing society, what gets lost is the quality of looking. Consider an extreme example, the late philosopher Richard Wollheim. When he visited the Louvre he could spend as much as four hours sitting before a painting. The first hour, he claimed, was necessary for incorrect impression to be removed. It was only then that the picture would begin to disclose itself. This seems unthinkable today, but it is still possible to organise. Even in the busiest museums there are many rooms and many pictures worth hours of contemplation (沉思) which the crowds largely ignore.

Marcel Proust, another lover of the Louvre, wrote: “It is only through art that we can escape from ourselves and know how another person sees a universe which is not the same as our own and whose landscapes would otherwise have remained as unknown as any there may be on the moon.” If any art remains worth seeing, it must lead us to such escapes. But a minute in front of a painting in a hurried, harried (烦扰) crowd won’t do that.

1. Why does the author mention the example in Louvre in Paragraph 1?

A．To express his concern about Louvre.	B．To report the popularity of Mona Lisa.
C．To introduce a good place to take photos.	D．To show a disappointing current situation.

2. Which of the following will Richard Wollheim agree?

A．People need to clear up their misunderstanding of paintings.

B．People have to stay at least 4 hours when appreciating paintings.

C．It is impossible for modern people to admire paintings attentively.

D．The longer one admires the paintings, the more unlikely he loves them.

3. What role does art play in our life according to Marcel Proust?

A．Art is of help for us to accept ourselves better.

B．Art makes our life more colourful and meaningful.

C．Art allows us to know the world in the view of others.

D．Art pushes us away from ourselves and explores the moon.

4. Which is the best title of the passage?

A．Into art attentively.	B．Escape from ourselves.
C．Beyond art completely.	D．Go to the museums often.

9 . The evidence for harmony(和睦) may not be obvious in some families. But it seems that four out of five young people now get on with their parents.

An important new study into teenage attitudes shows that their family life is more harmonious than it has ever been in the past. “We were surprised by just how positive today’s young people seem to be about their families,” says one member of the research team. “They’re expected to be rebellious(叛逆的) but actually they have other things in their minds; they want a car and other material goods, and they worry whether school is serving them well. There are more negotiations(协商) between parents and children, and children expect to take part in the family decision making process.”

So, it seems that this generation of parents is much more likely than parents of 30 years ago to treat their children as friends. “My parents are happy to discuss things with me and willing to listen to me,” says 17-year-old Daniel Lazall. “I always tell them when I’m going out. As long as they know what I’m doing, they’re fine with it.” Susan Crome, who is now 21, agrees. “Looking back on the last 10 years, there was a lot of what you could call negotiations. For example, as long as I’d done all my homework, I could go out on a Saturday night. But I think my grandparents were a lot stricter with my parents than that.”

One of the researchers comments, “Our astonishment that teenagers say they get along well with their parents comes because of a brief period in our social history when teenagers were regarded as different beings. But that idea of rebelling and breaking away from their parents really only happened during that one time in the 1960s when everyone rebelled. Now, the situation has changed. Now families enjoy more harmony”

1. What does the new study show?

A．Teenagers are more rebellious.

B．Teenagers worry more about studies.

C．Teenagers avoid making family decisions.

D．Teenagers tend to get along well with their parents.

2. What can we know about today’s parents?

A．They are stricter than before.	B．They are more impatient.
C．They are more open-minded.	D．They care less about their children’s life.

3. What’s the author’s attitude towards the relationship between parents and their teenagers?

A．Objective.

B．Negative.

C．Concerned.

D．Doubtful.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．Discussion in family.	B．Harmony in family.
C．Teenage trouble in family.	D．Teenage education in family.

10 . When talking about being overcome with emotions, both good and bad, we have a somewhat strange expression to describe that situation: to be beside yourself. So, if I say I am beside myself with joy, I am filled with joy! However, I can also be beside myself with sadness, anger, or any other emotions. The expression is useful and simple, but queer. It sounds as if someone has become two people. How can you be next to yourself? Being “beside yourself” is technically impossible.

In American English, you can simply say “I’m beside myself ” to mean you are very upset. For example, if you have a bad quarrel with a close friend, you might be beside yourself. You might shout, write an angry letter to your friend, or just go somewhere by yourself and cry. Here’s another situation. A high school student applies to several colleges. If all her applications are refused, she could be beside herself. She might stay up all night worrying about what to do next.

If a person becomes seriously ill, he could start talking in a way that does not make any sense. The patient may also start behaving strangely, walking around the room—back and forth. A doctor might say, “He is beside himself.”

We have another expression that is very similar to “being beside yourself”. We can also be “out of our minds”. We use this expression in the same way we use “beside oneself”. So we can be out of our minds with fear, with love, with happiness, or with any other emotions. And just like “beside oneself”. We also use this expression on its own without a specific emotion. So, if someone says or does something crazy—like learning how to ride a motorcycle on a dark, rainy night, you can simply say, “She is out of her mind!” You could also say the person is crazy or has lost her mind.

If you want to know more about English expressions, please log in www.learning English.com.

1. Where is this passage probably taken from ______?

A．A science report	B．A news story.
C．A language website.	D．A travel journal.

2. How will you feel when saying “I’m beside myself” in US English?

A．Excited.

B．Unhappy.

C．Relaxed.

D．Frightened.

3. How does the author explain the usage of “beside oneself”？

A．By asking questions.	B．By telling stories.
C．By giving examples.	D．By listing data.

4. What does the fourth paragraph mainly talk about?

A．The usage of the phrase “out of one’s mind”.	B．The difference between the two expressions.
C．An example about “being beside yourself ”.	D．More expressions about different feelings.