1 . Binge-watching (刷剧) is when a person watches more than one episode of a show in a row. With developments in the speed and connectivity of the Internet, increases in technology and the rise of on-demand entertainment companies, people can now have their favorite shows stream (流播) directly to their television at their convenience.
This behavior is nothing new. In fact, binge-watching has been officially listed in dictionaries since 2015. The entertainment companies recognize this behavior and many take steps to encourage it. Often, instead of releasing each episode on a week-by-week basis, an entire series will become available concurrently. Once the episode finishes, many platforms will display pop-ups with “you might like” suggestions, or will automatically play the next episode.
However, recent research suggests that out of the more than half of British adults who watch more than one episode of a show back-to-back (一集接一集地), almost a third have admitted missing sleep or becoming tired as a result; and 25% have neglected their household chores (家务活). Next we’ll be missing work!
Bingeing has other connections — binge eating, binge drinking and binge smoking. All of them are often associated with a lack of control and a possible route to addiction. Lindsey Fussell, consumer group director, said, “The days of waiting a week for the next episode are largely gone, with people finding it hard to resist (抗拒) watching multiple episodes around the house or on the move.” If people find binge-watching hard to resist, are we witnessing the birth of a new type of addiction?
The countless number of information and entertainment that television and online media can bring us is, many would say, a good thing. However, when the activity begins to bleed into other areas, causing us to stop functioning, then it becomes a problem. So, what’s the answer? Moderation! Neither a tiny amount, nor too much. After all, as the old proverb says, “A little of what you fancy does you good.”
1. How did the writer develop the first paragraph?| A．By giving a definition. | B．By telling a story. |
| C．By listing some examples. | D．By analyzing the cause and effect. |
| A．For convenience. | B．At the same time. |
| C．In detail. | D．Free of charge. |
| A．people can’t control their feelings | B．people can’t resist the temptation of Bingeing |
| C．people have no patience to do work | D．people are addicted to waiting for a new episode |
| A．To keep online media from stopping functioning. |
| B．To enjoy entertainment as much as possible. |
| C．To learn life lessons from the episodes. |
| D．To watch episodes in a moderate way. |
2 . Choosing the Right Resolution (决定)
Millions of Americans began 2014 with the same resolution they started 2013 with, a goal of losing weight. However, setting weight loss as a goal is a mistake.
To reach our goal of losing weight — the output, we need to control what we eat — the input (输入). That is, we tend to care about the output but not to control the input. This is a bad way to construct goals. The alternative is to focus your resolution on the input. Instead of resolving to lose weight, try an actionable resolution: “I’ll stop having desert for lunch,” or “I’ll walk every day for 20 minutes.” Creating a goal that focuses on a well-specified input will likely be more effective than concentrating on the outcome.
Recently a new science behind incentives (激励), including in education, has been discussed. For example, researcher Roland Fryer wanted to see what works best in motivating children to do better in school. In some cases, he gave students incentives based on input, like reading certain books, while in others, the incentives were based on output, like results on exams. His main finding was that incentives increased achievement when based on input but had no effect on output. Fryer’s conclusion was that the intensives for inputs might be more effective because do not know how to do better on exam, aside from general rules like “study harder.” Reading certain books, on the other hand, is a well-set task over which they have much more control.
As long as you have direct control over your goal, you have a much higher chance of success. And it’s easier to start again if you fail, because you know exactly what you need to do.
If you want to cut down on your spending, a good goal would be making morning coffee at home instead of going to a cafe, for example. This is a well-specified action-based goal for which you can measure your success easily. Spending less money isn’t a goal because it’s too general. Similarly, if you want to spend more time with your family, don’t stop with this general wish. Think about an actionable habit that you could adopt and stick to, like a family movie night every Wednesday.
In the long run, these new goals could become a habit.
1. The writer thinks that setting weight loss as a goal is a mistake because .| A．it is hard to achieve for most Americans |
| B．it is focused too much on the result |
| C．it is dependent on too many things |
| D．it is based on actionable decisions |
| A．they obeyed all the general rules |
| B．they paid more attention to exams |
| C．they were motivated by their classmates |
| D．they were rewarded for reading some books |
| A．“I’ll give up dessert.” |
| B．“I’ll study harder.” |
| C．“I’ll cut down my expense” |
| D．“I’ll spend more time with my family” |
| A．develop good habits and focus on the outcome |
| B．be optimistic about final goals and stick to them |
| C．pick specific actions that can be turned into good habits |
| D．set ambitious goals that can balance the input and output |
3 . A lot of people think Scotland is a part of England, but, as any Scotsman will tell you, it certainly is not. In fact, until the eighteenth century, Scotland was an independent country, with a parliament of its own. The English had tried many times over many centuries to bring Scotland under their rule. They succeeded at last in 1707, and some Scots have never forgiven them.
Scotland is now governed from London, but in some ways it is still a separate nation. It has its own capital city (Edinburgh), its own law, and its own stamps, it even has a language of its own, spoken now by only a few people in the islands.
In some ways Southern Scotland is like England, with his good farmland and low green hills. Central and Northern (the Highlands) have high mountains and deep valleys, fast rivers and cold lakes. These days, of course, there are good roads and railways all through Scotland. Aberdeen, the northeast city where the oil from the North Sea comes to land, is especially easy to reach. But it can still be quite different to travel in the winter when the hills are covered with snow. It always takes a long time to visit the beautiful but far-off islands on the west coast. One reason why Scotland has stayed so different from England is the wildness of the land. It has always been difficult to get around there.
1. From the history of the Great Britain we can know Scotland_____________.| A．had been an independent country by the 19th century |
| B．had been a dependent country by the 18th century |
| C．was a separate country before the 18th century |
| D．was a dependent country before 18th century |
| A．the Scots used to fight against the rules from England many times |
| B．the Scots defeated the English at all the battles |
| C．the Scots never defeated the English at all the battles |
| D．it was quite easy for the English to occupy Scotland |
| A．which is spoken by all the Scots | B．which not many people speak now |
| C．which is almost the same as English language | D．which the English prevent from being spoken |
| A．there are no good roads in Scotland because of high mountains |
| B．there are no railways in Scotland because of deep valleys |
| C．England has not any rivers and lakes in the center and the north |
| D．England has good farmland and low green hills |
4 . In China, if you are not married by the time you are 30, you are in for trouble: social blame and pressure from family and friends can get you down. And if you are a woman, it’s even worse.
Many young people get married simply to get other people off their backs (免受别人的指责) . This is a serious compromise (妥协). One ends up not marrying the ideal partner.
There are, however, a few young people who refuse to compromise: if they can’t find a good marriage partner, they say, they would rather not marry at all.
34-year-old Kate is a university lecturer in English. She said she would not describe herself as celibatarian (独身主义者) but simply a woman who hasn’t come across the right man yet. She has sharp comments for the way in which the old generation looks at marriage.
“Many people think marriage is a duty--to your parents, family and society. Nobody cares if your marriage is happy or not, she said, I think this is very wrong and I intend to live and act according to my own will.”
Happily for her, her parents are open-minded and not put pressure on her. But the same does not apply to her friends. They are constantly trying to get her together with some young man or another. She always refuses politely.
1. The main idea of this passage is that _______ .| A．marriage is a duty to society |
| B．people should get married before 30 years old |
| C．women should get married earlier than men |
| D．late marriage should be respected |
| A．she doesn’t think he is the right man she wants |
| B．he is either too old or too young |
| C．he is either important or little learned |
| D．he doesn’t have good manners |
| A．In China, one may face social blame and family pressure if one hasn’t got married by the age of 30. |
| B．Miss Kate won’t compromise if she can’t have her ideal marriage. |
| C．Miss Kate’s parents are always worried about her marriage. |
| D．Miss Kate wants to many a worthy young man. |
| A．nobody will pay attention to whether you are happy or not in your family life |
| B．everybody will be happy and satisfied |
| C．you can easily find an ideal partner |
| D．young people will have nothing to worry about in marriage |
5 . Have you ever heard of the phrase “we just can’t communicate”? Most people communicate with the ability to read or write well. This might not be the case as you will soon find out.
How many times have you been to the doctor’s office and listened to an educated professional explain something to you that is just unintelligible? These people keep asking you, “Do you understand?” and sometimes out of embarrassment because you don’t want to look like stupid, you tell them. “Yes, I do understand.” This isn’t a good way to communicate, either.
How do we communicate in a positive way to get our points across? Ask the people you are communicating with if they understand what you just said. In another case, if someone is talking to you, use the statement, “Just to make sure that I understand what you just said” and then repeat back your understanding of their conversation. Sometimes just asking a few simple questions and clarifying your understanding can bring great benefits to any communication.
In some countries like Japan, you might find them reading your body language more than the words you are communicating with. Sometimes just by the way someone stands or reacts to something you said, you can get a valuable insight to what the other person means in this conversation. Don’t forget, however, this could also lead to a misunderstanding. Again if you think someone is communicating with their body language, try not to assume that you know exactly what message they are trying to get across. Always ask them if they understand what you are talking about.
A person is responsible for what he says and to make sure that the other person completely understands the point he is trying to get across. Why not start using some of the simple skills in this article to help with your communication skill? You will start to see the benefits within a short period of time.
1. Which of the following words best describe the underlined word “unintelligible”?| A．Rarely heard. | B．Easy to understand. |
| C．Difficult to imagine. | D．Not clearly understood. |
| A．That’s OK. | B．It doesn’t matter. |
| C．Don’t look like stupid. | D．You’d better ask more to understand it. |
| A．Keeping asking a few simple questions. |
| B．Making sure you understand and are understood. |
| C．Listening carefully and silently what the speaker is saying. |
| D．Keeping silent if you have understood what other people are saying. |
| A．Reading their body language is useful. |
| B．Body language is more important than words themselves. |
| C．Try to guess what they mean according to their body language. |
| D．Use body language to make them understand what you are saying. |
6 . How fit are your teeth? Are you lazy about brushing them? Never fear: An inventor is on the case. An electric toothbrush senses how long and how well you brush and it lets you track your performance on your phone.
The Kolibree toothbrush was exhibited at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week. It senses how it is moved and can send the information to an Android phone or iPhone via a Bluetooth wireless connection.
The toothbrush will be able to teach you to brush right (don’t forget the insides of the teeth!) and make sure you’re brushing long enough. “It’s kind of like having a dentist actually watch your brushing on a day-to-day basis,” says Thomas Serval, the French inventor.
The toothbrush will also be able to talk to other applications on your phone, so developers could, for example, create a game controlled by your toothbrush. You could score points for beating monsters among your teeth. “We try to make it smart and fun,” Serval says.
Serval says he was inspired by his experience as a father. He would come home from work and ask his kids if they had brushed their teeth. They said “yes,” but Serval would find their toothbrush heads dry. He decided he needed a brush that really told him how well his children brushed.
The company says the Kolibree will go on sale this summer, from $99 to $199, and the U. S. is the first target market.
1. What’s new about the new toothbrushes?| A．It can move by itself. | B．It can track your performance. |
| C．It senses how long and how well you brush. | D．It can make you brush your teeth every day. |
| A．The introduction of the new special toothbrushes. | B．How the toothbrush teaches you to brush right. |
| C．What the toothbrush can do on your phone. | D．How a dentist watches your brushing. |
| A．Because he thinks it smart and fun. |
| B．Because he needed to keep his teeth healthy. |
| C．Because he found his children’s teeth brushes quite dry. |
| D．Because he wanted to know how well his children brushed. |
| A．A New Electric Toothbrush is on Sale |
| B．A Father Invented a New Electric Toothbrush |
| C．A New Electric Toothbrush is Going onto the Market |
| D．A New Electric Toothbrush Makes Your Teeth Healthy |
7 . The Battista family of New York City was on vacation in Ocean City, Maryland when their 2-year-old Fisher went lost on July 4, 2020.
The Battistas immediately blanketed the area with missing posters, barraged (炮击) social media, and even got Fisher face-time on a local floating billboard (广告牌).
With no leads, the family decided to remain in the area for an extended stay. They hired a tracker and even consulted with an “animal communicator” in hopes of tapping into Fisher’s whereabouts (行踪) — all to no avail.
The family also set up a find-fisher Facebook page, which quickly gathered 8,000 followers, and launched an online fundraiser to raise awareness and help them in their efforts to bring their beloved fur baby home.
“Signs have been posted, and we’ve extended our stay in Ocean City and arranged to bring in a professional dog tracker, in addition to making continuous searching trips in a car, on foot, and on a bike,” Matthew Battista wrote.
On April 20, 2021, 290 days after Fisher made his unauthorized Independence Day exit, Baltimore City resident Wayne Horn was repairing his motorcycle when he noticed a stray (走失的) dog in the road. When a friend of Horn’s posted picture of the found dog to Facebook, the responses of “That’s Fisher!” came back faster than a boomerang (回旋镖).
Informed of the news, Elissa Battista recognized Fisher immediately. “From the moment I saw the photos I knew it was him from the markings and his little tongue sticking out,” she posted to Facebook.
The reunion was quickly arranged. The Battistas had some local friends pick him up from the Horns, and then Elissa made the five-hour trip to retrieve Fisher and bring him home. Apart from minor signs of possible frostbite (冻伤), Fisher was in excellent shape.
1. What was described in detail in the text?| A．Battistas’ regret for losing their loved dog. |
| B．Online responses to the Battistas’ request. |
| C．Different comments on the touching story. |
| D．Efforts made to search for the lost dog. |
| A．Online viewers recognized its photos posted online. |
| B．One of family members discovered it in the road. |
| C．Wayne Horn sent it back shortly after he found it. |
| D．A professional dog tracker brought it back soon. |
| A．Break down. | B．Take apart. | C．Pay back. | D．Get back. |
| A．Chance favors the prepared mind. | B．Loyalty always comes first. |
| C．Never giving up pays off. | D．Misfortune may be an actual blessing. |
8 . Scientists don’t have all the answers to the question “How to Strengthen Your Immune System?”, but exercise, proper diet, and stress management can make you more recoverable at any age.
One aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic that has kept us guessing since the early days is why some people who get the virus don’t suffer much and others become desperately ill. All the more, while the elderly have been particularly hard hit, some— even centenarians(百岁老人)— survive, whereas countless younger people, whose immune systems are supposed to be stronger, have succumbed to it. So what factors give some people a stronger immune system than others, regardless of age? What does it mean if, for example, your partner or child gets sick and you don’t, or vice versa?
We know that our immune systems slowly decline as we age. Doctors call it immunosenescence. It’s slow and insidious (在不知不觉之间加剧的). Think of a photo of yourself from ten years ago versus one taken this afternoon. “You see changes in your face, skin, and hair color,” says Insoo Kang, MD, director of allergy and immunology at the Yale School of Medicine. “It takes time. Same process with your immune system.”
The difference in rate of decline between individuals is one of science’s big mysteries. The immune system is complex, but most of us understand the basics: Our bodies detect an intrude— a virus, bacterium, parasite, or foreign object— and produce white blood cells to fight against the problem. How many of these cells you produce when you’re, say, 73 versus when you were 45 is the million-dollar question. And it’s at the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fortunately, we won’t always be in a pandemic. But we can use this one to gain an understanding of how the immune system changes with age and how we might slow the decline and stay stronger in the future.
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To state a fact in life. | B．To solve a problem. |
| C．To introduce a topic. | D．To voice an opinion. |
| A．Fought against. | B．dealt with. | C．Succeeded in. | D．Died of. |
| A．By listing lots of numbers about it. | B．By comparing photos of different ages. |
| C．By doing some physical research. | D．By making a comparison questionnaire. |
| A．Immune System Declines with Age | B．Immune system and COVID-19 |
| C．Slow the decline of Immune System | D．Stay stronger in the future |
9 . When I was 12 years old, I already knew that my teen years were going to be the worst years of my life. I was a total outsider, bullied (欺凌) at school. I felt completely alone in my small town.
But by starting to do volunteer work when I was 14, I turned my problem into a passion for helping others. The opportunity to practice kindness made me feel like my life had a greater purpose. The more positive energy I shared, the more kindness and appreciation I received. I realized that my purpose in life would be to reach out to people, specifically teenagers, and help them feel less alone.
Books were my true friends back then. I was so thankful that the authors wrote those books. The kindness they offered me with their books saved my life. One of my biggest dreams was to become an author so I could write books that would help other teenagers the way those books helped me.
After surviving terrible experiences at school and at home, I made a choice to take the optimistic, positive road in the next steps of my journey. My dream career, one I thought was only possible for the authors I loved, is what I am doing now. I have been a full-time author of teen novels since 2007 and am grateful for this amazing opportunity to reach out to readers every single day.
Kindness saved me when I needed help the most. Even small acts of kindness can change someone’s life. You never know what someone else is going through. But by practicing daily kindness, you become an architect of positive change.
1. What was the author’s life like when he was 12?| A．Boring. | B．Peaceful. | C．Painful. | D．Meaningful. |
| A．It made him popular in his town. | B．It helped him find the meaning of life. |
| C．It helped him understand others’ lives better. | D．It helped to shape his dream career. |
| A．He was inspired by his teacher. | B．He could pass positive energy to readers. |
| C．He wanted to share his school experiences. | D．He found he had a talent for writing. |
| A．Say “no” to bullies bravely. | B．Make positive changes in their lives. |
| C．Treat others with kindness in daily life. | D．Learn to care more about others’ feelings. |
10 . A blue hole is a special kind of underwater cave found inland or in the sea, which forms when the earth above a cave falls in and water fills the space.
An inland blue hole’s water is very still and has different layers. A layer of fresh rainwater floats on top of salt water; the fresh water keeps oxygen from the atmosphere from reaching the salt water; brightly colored bacteria live where the two layers meet.
Diving into blue holes is very dangerous. Near the top of the blue hole, there is a layer of toxic gas, which causes itching, headache, and—in large amounts—death. Divers must also be fast. They have to get in and out of a cave before their oxygen runs out. Additionally, divers have to follow a guideline as they swim through a blue hole because it is very dark inside. Without the guideline, they may get lost.
If blue holes are so dangerous, why do explorers and scientists risk their lives to explore them? The reason is that these underwater caves can provide valuable scientific information. They provide clues about geology, archaeology, and biology. For example, some blue hole creatures probably haven’t changed for millions of years.
The blue holes could even provide clues about astrobiology. For example, divers have found bacteria there that can live without oxygen. Astrobiologist Kevin Hand says the bacteria may be similar to forms of life that might exist on Jupiter’s fourth largest moon, Europa. “Our study of life’s extremes on Earth,” he says, can help increase “our understanding of habitable environments off Earth.”
In addition, the oxygen-free environment of the blue holes preserves bones of humans and animals that fell into the caves long ago. By studying blue holes, we can understand what life was like in prehistoric times. As cave diver Kenny Broad says, “I can think of no other environment on Earth that is so challenging to explore and gives us back so much scientifically.”
1. What’s the main idea of Paragraph 1?| A．The definition of a blue hole. | B．The location of a blue hole. |
| C．The formation of a blue hole. | D．The structure of a blue hole. |
| A．In the saltwater layer. |
| B．In the freshwater layer. |
| C．In between the freshwater and saltwater layers. |
| D．In both of the freshwater and saltwater layers. |
| A．The study of life on Earth. |
| B．The study of life in the universe. |
| C．The study of life in prehistoric times. |
| D．The study of life in oxygen-free environment. |
| A．They’re oxygen-free and lifeless. | B．They’re free of air and light. |
| C．They’re death zones and mysterious. | D．They’re poisonous and dark. |
