1 . The rise of robots has raised the possibility of future where there is simply less work for humans to do. To tired workers, a world where all had a bit more leisure time sounds rather nice. Yet what really matters is how work will be distributed across the workforce.
The recent past show there is no reason to believe it will be evenly spread. The length of the average working week in the UK has declined steadily from about 59 hours in the mid-19th century to 32 hours in 2009. But averages hide a lot.
While trends among women have been stable, there have been big shifts among men. Males in well-paid full-time employment are now working slightly longer hours on average than two decades ago. Meanwhile, men in full-time employment at the bottom of the wage ladder are working much less.
On top of that, the number of low-paid men who work part-time has increased sharply. Twenty years ago, one in twenty men with low hourly wages worked part-time; today it is one in five. Analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies shows this phenomenon is only happening among the low-paid. In better paying jobs, part-time men are still fairly rare. Gender roles within families might tend to be similar too. Low-paid men maybe choosing to shoulder more childcare responsibilities so their parents can return to work.
Yet it is clear that the distribution of work will matter to people. Britain has both over employment and underemployment problems: Official data show 3.4m people in Britain want to work more hours while 3.2m want to work few hours for less pay. The underemployed are likely to be waiters or cleaners. The over employed are most likely to be doctors or chief executives. This indicates an economy where demand and supply of skills are out of sync.
Nobody knows for sure how the next wave of automation will shake up demand for different skills. Perhaps doctors will gain the free time they desire. Others might find themselves in greater demand. But short of developing a much better system for training people quickly for the jobs the economy needs, it seems likely that in the future—as now—there will be too much work for some, and too little for others.
1. What can be inferred from the first two paragraphs?| A．The development of robots will get rid of human’s work. |
| B．Future leisure time will be allocated evenly across the workforce. |
| C．UK has taken some measures to stop the decline of working hours. |
| D．The average may not accurately indicate the steady decline of working hours. |
| A．Fair. | B．Imbalanced. | C．Stable. | D．Uncertain. |
| A．Part-time men have increased only among the low-paid. |
| B．More well-paid men are choosing to work part-time. |
| C．Part-time men rarely shoulder childcare responsibilities. |
| D．Low-paid men are to blame for the low employment. |
| A．The total amount of human labor will be decreased. |
| B．Better training system will be built across the world. |
| C．Robots contribute to uneven distribution across the workforce. |
| D．The number of low-paid men who work part-time has increased. |
2 . Life is not always smooth and easy. Sometimes we may encounter adversity, such as illness, loss, failure, or conflict, which test our resilience and courage. In these situations, we may feel lonely and helpless, and lose confidence and hope. However, we are not alone. We have our family members, who can play a significant role in helping us overcome adversity.
Family is the most intimate and trustworthy group of people in our lives. They share our blood and genes, and have a deep bond with us. They know our strengths and weaknesses, our joys and sorrows, our dreams and fears. They care about our well-being and happiness, and are willing to sacrifice for us. They can offer us unconditional love and acceptance, which can heal our wounds and soothe our pain.
Family is also the most supportive group of people in our lives. They have a long history and rich culture, and have a profound impact on our values and beliefs. They can teach us important lessons and skills, such as honesty, responsibility, cooperation, and perseverance. They can also provide us with various resources and assistance, such as money, information, advice, or connections. They can help us cope with challenges and difficulties, and find solutions and opportunities.
Family is also the most inspiring and motivating group of people in our lives. They have their own stories and achievements, and have a great potential for growth and development. They can set examples for us to follow and admire. They can also challenge us to improve ourselves and pursue excellence. They can encourage us to explore our interests and talents, and follow our passions and goals. They can support us in our endeavors, and celebrate our successes and contributions.
In summary, family is an indispensable part of our lives, especially when we face adversity. They can play a positive role in many aspects, such as giving us love and acceptance, teaching us lessons and skills, providing us with resources and assistance, setting examples for us, challenging us to improve ourselves, encouraging us to follow our passions, supporting us in our endeavors, celebrating our successes. Therefore, we should appreciate our family members and express our gratitude and affection to them.
1. What is the main idea of the first paragraph?| A．We face difficulties and challenges in life. |
| B．Adversity challenges our strength and bravery. |
| C．We feel hopeless when we face the problems. |
| D．Families provide support in time of adversity. |
| A．We have the same blood type as our family members. |
| B．Family members are willing to give up their lives for us. |
| C．We are genetically and emotionally close to our family members. |
| D．We have little in common with family members. |
| A．Honesty. | B．Responsibility. | C．Cooperation. | D．Competition. |
| A．By restating his opinion. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By asking questions. | D．By offering his suggestions. |
3 . Any image taken from space confirms that we live on an ocean planet. How strange that we call our planet “Earth,” derived from a Germanic word meaning “the ground,” when more than 70 percent of its surface is covered by ocean.
We need more people to see the sea. Right now, less than 3 percent of the ocean is considered highly protected. Experts urge that at least 30 percent be protected to safeguard marine(海洋的) ecosystems, which in turn will help protect our health and well-being. The ocean supplies more than half our oxygen, absorbs carbon dioxide, regulates our climate, and supports much of the world’s economy. We need it a lot more than it needs us.
Take Florida, for example, one of the United States’ recreational hot spots. It’s bordered by the Florida Reef Tract, North America’s only living coral barrier reef and the third largest in the world. Home to more than 500 species of fish, the reef is also essential to the Sunshine State’s economy, generating an estimated $1.1 billion annually in tourism. The reef buffers(保护) the coastline, too, since health y coral reefs absorb 97 percent of a wave’s energy. Three-quarters of Florida’s 22 million people live along the coast, and the Florida Reef Tract provides more than $650 million in combined economic activity and flood protection.
A November 2022 study from the University of Miami has found that 70 percent of Florida’s coral reefs are experiencing a net loss of reef habitat. Directly facing these concerns is what I mean by seeing the sea—the good, the bad, the important. Knowledge is power, and we can use it to inform our choices, from traveling more mindfully, to examining how we run our businesses, to voting. “No one can do everything, but everyone can do something,” Sylvia Earle, oceanographer and National Geographic Explorer at Large, is fond of saying.
The ocean is a remarkable teacher, and it’s never too late to start learning.
1. What does the sea do for our human?| A．The sea changes our climate. |
| B．The sea controls carbon dioxide for us. |
| C．The sea produces all the oxygen we need. |
| D．The sea provides economical benefits for us. |
| A．Travelling more, learning more. |
| B．Running our business creatively. |
| C．Raising awareness of conservation. |
| D．Doing some voting before actions. |
| A．A scientific fiction. | B．A news report. |
| C．A travel journal. | D．A natural magazine. |
| A．To Hug the Ocean Tightly. |
| B．To Learn the Ocean Devotedly. |
| C．To Clean the Ocean Carefully. |
| D．To Love the Ocean Permanently. |
4 . From composer, musician, and philanthropist(慈善家)Peter Buffett comes, a warm, wise, and inspirational, book that asks, “Which win you choose: the path of least resistance or the path of potentially greatest sailsfaction?”
You may think that with a last name like his, Buffett has enjoyed a life of endless privilege. But the son of billionaire investor Warren Buffett says that the only real inheritance handed down from his parents is a philosophy: Build your own path in life.It is a principle that has allowed him to follow his own passions, establish his own identity, and reap his own successes.
In Life Is What You Make It.Buffett expounds on(阐释)the strong set of values given to him by his trusting and broadminded mother, his hardworking and talented father, and the many life teachers he has met along the way.
Today’s society, Buffett assumes, has begun to replace a work ethic, enjoying what you do, with a wealth ethic, honoring the payoff instead of the process.We confuse privilege with material wealth, character with external validation(认可). Yet, by focusing more on substance and less on reward, we can open doors of opportunity and strive toward a greater sense of fulfillment.In clear and brief terms, Buffett reveals a great truth: Life is random, neither fair nor unfair.
From there it becomes easy to recognize the equal dignity and value of every human life our circumstances may vary but our essence does not. We see that our journey in life rarely follows a straight line but is often met with false starts, crises, and mistakes.How we push through and persevere in these challenging moments is where we begin to create the life Of our dreams—from discovering our vocations to giving back to others.
Personal and instructive, Life Is What You Make It is about challenging your circumstances, taking control of your destiny, and living your life to the fullest.
1. What is the purpose of the passage?| A．To describe a famous person. |
| B．To introduce a book. |
| C．To talk about what life is about. |
| D．To discuss how to live a meaningful life. |
| A．His father is very rich. |
| B．One of his hobbies is music. |
| C．He achieved success by himself. |
| D．He wrote the book Life Is What You Make It. |
| A．People are following their interests. |
| B．People are seeking spiritual enjoyment. |
| C．People pay more attention to the process. |
| D．People focus more on the results. |
| A．Living without an, aim is like sailing without a compass. |
| B．Life is full of ups and downs. |
| C．Where there is a will, there is away. |
| D．Life isn’t about getting and having, it’s about giving and being. |
5 . It is a common question to ask yourself: What do you want to be when you grow up?
In the past it has generally been accepted that a person will follow one career path, but an emerging group of people have changed this idea. By pursuing jobs across several walks, this group has come to be known as “slashers (斜杠青年)”.
There are many reasons why this has become popular, particularly among those under the age of 30. In modern competitive society, having multiple income streams (多种收入来源) is one of the best ways to create financial security.
Zhao Sichen is one follower of the slasher movement. The 34-year-old is an English teacher at Tsinghua University High School. Outside the classroom, Zhao also works as project manager in charge of education programs at the Internet tech company NetEase.
In addition to providing a sense of job security, becoming a slasher reduces boredom and prevents becoming burned out on (不再热衷) focusing on a single path.
According to the Guardian, “Entrepreneurs (创业者) are a typical example of a group that expects to spread their careers across multiple areas.” Erin Albert is a typical slasher in the UK. Apart from having written books, Albert is an assistant professor, an entrepreneur and a law student. Albert often asks his students to think about, “why they can’t both take an immediate job offer they are not sure about as well as work toward their ‘dream’ job”.
Technology has also promoted this choice. Online tools and platforms have allowed people to pursue different interests and career paths as they have promoted the ability to work remotely. Never has it been easier for those who have interests in a variety of careers to pursue them at the same time. It seems that right now the sky is the limit for those who are considering what they want to do in the future.
1. What do we know about slashers?| A．They are mostly 30 years old. | B．They follow one career path. |
| C．They change jobs frequently. | D．They tend to work several jobs. |
| A．It gives people more free time to relax. |
| B．It helps people gain financial security. |
| C．It gets people to pursue their dream. |
| D．It makes people feel less bored in a single job. |
| A．Technology allows people to work remotely. |
| B．Doing more than one job might be encouraged. |
| C．Most people will work several jobs at the same time. |
| D．It has become more common for people to pursue multiple jobs. |
| A．Pursuing Your Dreams. | B．Slashers in China. |
| C．Slashing through Jobs. | D．Choosing Multiple Jobs. |
6 . Despite the fact that there has never been so much wealth or so many wealthy people in the world, many of the world’s poor people still live in material and energy poverty. Could you and I cut back on our consumption (消耗) so as to make some space for others to increase theirs?
I am sure we could. But, unfortunately, everything about our economic systems is set up to make us believe and behave otherwise. The default (默认) mindset is that there is nothing wrong with wanting ever newer and more expensive things as long as we can afford them.
Look around you for a moment. No society anywhere before lived like this. Further, since our spending must necessarily be someone else’s income, we tell ourselves that we actually make the world a better place every time we buy another pair of shoes or trade in a car for the latest model. And that’s the tug (拉) of war that plays itself out cruelly in our lives, as one side of our age cries out “less”, and from the other side comes the answering cry “more”.
Of course, wanting to live a better life is deeply ingrained in human nature. Otherwise, we would never have generated the progress that has brought us to our present station.
But now we should think deeply about how and why we consume.
After all, even the earliest thinkers in the history of economic—including Adam Smith—thought, having more does not always translate into being happier. Evidence shows that many people in the developing world, despite being hard-up, report being just as happy as those in the materially rich societies of the West.
So what now? The answer, perhaps, is to try to be rich in the enjoyment of things, not in the accumulation (堆积) of them. A pair of good shoes, lightly creased (起皱) but also carefully polished (擦亮) once a month a meal cooked at home instead of a trip to McDonald’s—such as these lie our act of saving from the virus of compulsive (强迫性的) consumption.
1. What can we infer from the first two paragraphs?| A．People tend to buy things unreasonably. |
| B．People refuse to cut down on consumption. |
| C．People all face material and energy poverty. |
| D．People believe in political and economic systems. |
| A．Held. | B．Rooted. | C．Changed. | D．Possessed. |
| A．Trying to be rich. | B．The more, the better. |
| C．Enjoying what we have. | D．Focusing on the compulsive consumption. |
| A．Entertainment. | B．Health. | C．Education. | D．Economy. |
7 . In France, it is the end of an era. The country used to consider training captive animals to delight humans acceptable. Last month, however, it banned the capture and captive breeding of marine mammals, which include dolphins and orcas. Thus, marine circuses in France will be phased out. The French Environment Minister, Ségolène Royal, cited animal welfare in the decision. She reported that some animals were mistreated in aquariums.
This decision is taking place in a global context of changing attitudes. For decades, marine circuses amazed people with the sight and sound of orcas. These are beautiful and intelligent animals. Marine circuses can be entertaining, and they can educate and inspire awe. Children especially can be taught the value of animals first-hand by seeing their power and majesty (壮丽). However, marine circuses make animals perform in a tank, and even a large tank is not a natural environment for orcas.
This contradiction is best shown in the tragic case of the American trainer Dawn Brancheau. She always felt a strong connection to animals. No doubt she respected them. She was inspired to become an orca trainer by a vacation to SeaWorld Orlando. However, she was ultimately killed by an orca named Tilikum during her show at the same circus in 2010. This was not an isolated case. Captive orcas have often harmed people, and poor Tilikum had been involved in two deaths before. In recent years, a global movement has blamed such incidents on captivity itself. In 2013, a powerful documentary, Blackfish, argued that captivity is distressing for orcas. Public opinion is shifting. By 2016, SeaWorld began to phase out orca breeding and performances.
Royal is famous in France for her concern for children’s development. I trust she has thought carefully about what aquariums could achieve. We must teach children about nature, but that should include respect for animals. In your lives, you can make a difference every time you go to a zoo or an aquarium. Study the animals and their natural environment. Based on what you’ve learned, do you think the animals are healthy and happy? This is how you develop moral maturity. As a mature species, we recognize animal rights. We can learn about our fellow creatures without capturing them.
1. The author was prompted to write this article by ____.| A．the tragic case of the American trainer Dawn Brancheau |
| B．Blackfish, a 2013 documentary |
| C．France’s decision to ban the capture and captive breeding of marine mammals |
| D．SeaWorld’s decision to phase out orca breeding and performances |
| A．disappeared | B．forbidden | C．enhanced | D．dismissed |
| A．people can hardly be delighted by the majesty of marine mammals any longer |
| B．aquariums can hardly help children study animals and their natural environment |
| C．many tragic cases took place in aquariums in recent years |
| D．some marine mammals are mistreated in aquariums |
| A．We must ensure that we don’t deny animals their rights while we learn about them. |
| B．More children should be brought to aquariums to learn about marine animals first-hand. |
| C．Most animals living in zoos and aquariums can enjoy healthy and happy lives. |
| D．Ségolène Royal failed to take children’s development into consideration as she banned the capture and captive breeding of marine animals in French aquariums. |
8 . I was watching a kid doing tricks on his skateboard. He was doing pretty well until he tried to skate down a set of steps and lost his balance. The skateboard went one way and he went the other. But, lying on the concrete, he still managed to keep his sense of humor. He looked at me, smiled and said, “Epic fail!”
The term “epic fail” isn’t proper grammatical English (we should use the noun form “failure”), but it is commonly used and perfectly acceptable. People use it to describe small embarrassments as well as serious mistakes. The kid on the skateboard suffered a small embarrassment. An example of a serious epic fail would be Hillary Clinton’s loss to Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential election. The only difference between the two was how they responded to their epic fails. The kid laughed at his embarrassment and got back on his skateboard. Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, could not accept her epic fail but, instead, wrote a bitter book about it in which she blamed everyone but herself for the loss.
All of us can expect to have epic fails in our life. We might fail an exam or not win a prize in some competition. Later in life, we may not get the job we want or be as successful as we hoped we would be. But if we manage to keep our sense of humor and a positive attitude, we can overcome our epic fails. One embarrassing mistake or even a serious disappointment does not mean the end of the world.
Here’s a historical example of what I mean. Alfred the Great (849-899) was an English king in ancient Britain. At the time, his kingdom was being invaded by Vikings and Alfred suffered an epic fail when his army was defeated in a big battle. He managed to escape from the battlefield and found safety many miles away in the hut of a poor peasant woman. The woman didn’t know who he was and when she had to leave the hut to do some chores, she told Alfred to watch some wheat cakes that were cooking on the fire. Alfred, still thinking about his big epic fail, forgot about the cakes and they were burned. When the woman returned, she scolded Alfred, but he didn’t get angry. Her criticism, instead, seemed to help him put his situation into perspective.
Soon after, Alfred left the hut, gathered his scattered army and defeated the Vikings. Epic fails, big and small, can always be overcome with the right attitude.
1. According to the article, which of the following is NOT an epic fail?| A．Be defeated in a basketball match. |
| B．Slip when dancing in front of your friends. |
| C．Fail to win a prize in a competition. |
| D．Get blamed for your friend’s mistake. |
| A．She wrote a book analyzing her failure. |
| B．She laughed at her failure with a sense of humor. |
| C．She failed to recognize her responsibility in the failure. |
| D．She thought about how she could perform better in the next election. |
| A．All of us can encounter epic fail in our life. |
| B．We use the term “epic fail” to describe big mistakes only. |
| C．If we change our attitude, we may not suffer from epic fail |
| D．A serious embarrassment can be compared with the end of the world |
| A．even kings may encounter epic fails |
| B．it is easier for forgetful people to overcome epic fails |
| C．all epic fails can be overcome with the right attitude |
| D．criticism plays an important role in overcoming epic fails |
9 . “EDUCATION is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school,” Albert Einstein once said. Confused? You’re still in school, so you are forgiven. Here, Einstein is referring directly to the idea of learning as a whole, rather than the simple acquisition of knowledge. Once someone has left school, they are not just meant to carry around a certificate stating their achievements; they should also have a way of thought that allows them to continue navigating their way through their entire life.
Yet in China, and many other Asian nations, much emphasis is placed on academic achievements, like grades or awards. Some of this can be attributed to Confucius and the imperial examination system in ancient China. There is nothing to be said against those students who pursue higher scores and more awards — striving for excellence is an important part of professionalism in any industry. But it’s really a pity to know that some people go out of their way just to gain these labels.
I’m sure many of us have heard of the Zhai Tianlin incident from a while ago. The already famous and accomplished actor, wishing to “rise above” his peers through academic achievements, has attempted to take shortcuts to success. Due to one of his papers’ having been found to be 40% plagiarized, Zhai has been expelled by Peking University from its postdoctoral stations. Beijing Film Academy has also revoked Zhai’s doctoral acting degree after he was found to have committed academic misconduct.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Zhai’s acting career is brought to a halt (停止) as well. So disastrous is the label of “academic misconduct” that a single case could ruin your entire credibility. When a student intentionally cheats through university, the value of the degree and the morals of the individual are diminished. This lack of credibility then follows you into the workforce and can impact your professional goals. For example, nobody wants a doctor who cheated to get his medical degree to perform a life or death surgery on them, or a bad engineer to build bridges.
At the very least, I want you all to remember that the entire point of an education is to foster a love for learning, not to gain some labels. As one of the first quotations by Confucius that I learned goes, “Isn’t it a pleasure to study and practice what you have learned?”
1. According to Albert Einstein, the purpose of education is to ______.| A．help students acquire knowledge |
| B．help students gain more certificates |
| C．help students achieve their professional goals |
| D．help students develop a lifetime passion for learning |
| A．thinks that students should not achieve higher scores |
| B．believes that China’s education system has stopped people from pursuing the pleasure of study |
| C．quite approves of Confucius’ educational beliefs |
| D．feels concerned about Zhai Tianlin’s future after he was confirmed to have committed academic misconduct |
| A．the author’s attitude toward Zhai Tianlin incident |
| B．the importance of honesty and moral behavior in academic settings |
| C．the consequences of academic misconduct |
| D．the qualities that a person needs in the workplace |
10 . Do extroverts (外向者) make better leaders?
There is a general impression that you're better off in the workplace and in life — if you're an extrovert. Understandably, this idea is most likely to be spread by extroverts themselves, who are "
In what could be
| A．loud | B．slow | C．quiet | D．serious |
| A．wonderful | B．terrible | C．foreign | D．fake |
| A．fortune | B．right | C．courage | D．edge |
| A．discover | B．create | C．enjoy | D．provide |
| A．pretends | B．questions | C．argues | D．promises |
| A．fail | B．hesitate | C．plan | D．tend |
| A．However | B．Besides | C．Therefore | D．Instead |
| A．absence | B．respect | C．company | D．loyalty |
| A．While | B．Once | C．If | D．As |
| A．distracted | B．delighted | C．discouraged | D．determined |
| A．hardly | B．purely | C．nearly | D．partly |
| A．stick to | B．object to | C．refer to | D．contribute to |
| A．understand | B．govern | C．change | D．deny |
| A．listening | B．debating | C．acting | D．teaching |
| A．analyze | B．accept | C．support | D．doubt |
