2 . In recent years, much of my life as a consumer has shifted to what I like to call background. As I’ve subscribed to more apps and streaming platforms, significant sums of my money tend to slip away each month without my ever thinking about it.

Think of it as an automated trade. Spending without the trouble of spending. Acquaint ion without action. Or thought.

But while this flood of subscriptions was sold to me on the condition that it would make my life more trouble-free, there was a certain shock I felt upon discovering how much I was spending without realizing each month ($179.45).

You see, the thing about background spending is that it tends to happen, well, in the background without your full attention. And there lies the point.

“Hand over your credit card details and let us take care of the rest,” these companies promote. But by again sing their name, we’ve become lazy, positive consumers. And this laziness breeds (导致) more laziness because most of us can’t be bothered with conducting regular reviews of our subscription spending. We’re too lazy to even notice or cancel it!

I know it’s not just me who is suddenly living life as a smart-braised subscriber. The average consumer spends $273 per month on subscriptions, according to a 2021 study of 2,500 by digital services firm West Morose. Not a single person surveyed knew what his actually monthly spending was.

It’s understandable why this model is so attractive to businesses. As companies questioned traditional advertising models, subscription offered the promise of “selling once and earning forever.” And while subscription services have been around for decades (think Wine of the Month Club), more customers have been willing to sign up thanks to the widespread availability of smartphones and the increasing ease of home delivery.

While these subscription promise ease and happiness, not all of us are satisfied. Last year, the Kameny Institute found 40 percent of consumer believe they have too many subscriptions. Almost half of us also think we pay too much for streaming video-on-demand subscriptions.

1. What can we know about background spending in paragraph 2?

A．Its purpose.

B．Its feature.

C．Its procedure.

D．Its requirement.

2. What makes it possible for background spending to happen?

A．Its attractive price.	B．Some people’s poor habit.
C．Its secure service.	D．Some people’s addiction to it.

3. Why is the subscription model appealing to businesses?

A．It offers good home delivery services.

B．It is like traditional advertising models.

C．It is popular among smartphone producers.

D．It brings repeated profits through a single sale.

4. What’s the author’s attitude towards background spending?

A．Supportive.

B．Doubtful.

C．Critical.

D．Unclear.

3 . What will you do when you feel like a failure? Feeling like a failure is part of the human experiences. Treat yourself with kindness and understand that failure does not define you, but it is a stepping stone on your journey. When you’re ready, take action and challenge yourself.

As some friends were deeply lost in the world of yoga and mindfulness, I’ve personally struggled with the feeling of failure, not on the yoga mat, but on the road to my entrepreneurship(创业). It all began several years ago when I threw myself into the business, driven by my passion and a dream.

In the early days, optimism flowed freely, but financial struggles and sleepless nights soon followed. I questioned my decision and felt like the biggest failure. However, every difficulty became a stepping stone towards growth. I learned more from my failures than from my successes, adapting and growing stronger with each obstacle. I reached out to instructors, friends and family, sought advice and slowly saw a ray of hope. One defining moment came when I gained my first long-term coaching partnership. It was a breakthrough, and my hard work paid off. Over the years, I faced many more failures, but I refused to let them define me.

Today, looking back at my journey, I realize that moments of feeling like a failure were essential to my success. They taught me humility, perseverance and the value of hard work. They shaped me into a successful entrepreneur I am today—someone who doesn’t fear failure but embraces it as a necessary part of the path to success. As we approach the end of the year of graduation, remember that success is not about avoiding failure, but about how we rise after we fall. Let’s support each other on this journey called life. Stay positive, stay inspired and stay true to ourselves.

1. What is the function of paragraph 1?

A．To give the definition of failure.

B．To list some examples of failure.

C．To introduce the topic of the story.

D．To stress the importance of experience.

2. What made the author start a business?

A．Internal motivation.	B．Advice from a coach.
C．Family financial crisis.	D．Encouragement from friends.

3. What can be concluded from the author’s entrepreneurial experience?

A．To teach is to learn.

B．A word spoken is past recalling.

C．Constant dropping wears away a stone.

D．Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched.

4. What does the author want to do in the last paragraph?

A．Inspire us with his lessons.

B．Persuade us to major in business.

C．Recall the key moments of his entrepreneurship.

D．Advocate avoiding obstacles on the way to success.

4 . You hate me. You don’t even know me and you hate me. Before we’ve even spoken, you hate me. At least that’s how it feels on my end of the call as a female collections officer at a call center.

I dread the moment when I have to log on to our phone system first thing in the morning because I never know who is going to be on the other end of that call.

Sometimes it’s an easy task. The caller is pleasant and has accepted personal responsibility for their debts, and we get through the phone call with ease. Then there are the ones who call in looking for a fight, or looking for someone to blame. Through the luck of the phone system, that person is me.

I’ve had people who shout at me, call me horrible names, accuse me personally of taking their money and threaten me. Why? I think it’s because I am invisible. I think I would be treated with the same level of disrespect if we were face to face. Fortunately for me, I have had years of experience in customer service, so I’m fairly rich in not letting the negative encounters bother me.

The biggest and most effective skill when it comes to the job is empathy (同理心). I can appreciate the situation which the caller is in because I’ve been there. That’s why I’m good at my job — I understand what you’re going through, and I’m here to help.

Some days though, no matter how much I try to leave the stress behind when I hang up the phone, it stays with me. I may do some deep breathing, go for a quick walk or simply stick my head outside for a burst of fresh air. I do this so I don’t carry that negativity on to my next call. That next call may be a person having the worst day of their life, but I don’t want to ever be the one who makes it worse. We are all humans just trying to get by in life, which makes you and me equal. So please, the next time we talk, remember that.

1. What does the underlined word “dread” in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Enjoy.

B．Fear.

C．Expect.

D．Avoid.

2. Why does the author think some callers treat her badly?

A．They get angry too easily.	B．They blame her for their debts.
C．They do not see her as a real person.	D．They accuse her of taking their money.

3. Why does the author think she is good at her job?

A．She can offer callers best advice.	B．She is always respected by callers.
C．She can put herself in others’ shoes.	D．She isn’t easily influenced by negativity.

4. What is the author’s main purpose in writing this text?

A．To call for understanding of her job.	B．To explain why she is good at her job.
C．To introduce what she is responsible for.	D．To complain about her being treated badly.

5 . When I was in third grade, my family and I took on an unforgettable trip across the country. It turned out to be more than just a/an _______ journey; it was a journey of discovery into our _______. Every day, Dad _______ us with his trusty road map. Mom, the heart of our family, shared folk tales and painted pictures about the upcoming _______. We went through diverse _______from the thick forests to the vast deserts of the West.

One day, while hiking through the Grand Canyon, I _______   a particularly rough path. Frightened, I _______, not knowing how to proceed. That’s when my parents _______ .

As Dad showed me footholds, Mom coached me with calming _______and reminded me of the breathtaking views that lay ahead. Then, I________the confidence as my feet ________ solid ground again. When I finally overcame my fear, I felt we became ________ as a family.

From then on, every evening, we’d gather around a campfire for what we________called “Family Reflection Time”. During these sessions, we’d share laughs, ________, and insights from the day’s experiences.

The trip taught me that the true meaning of travel isn’t merely about reaching the destination but about the personal growth that happens on the route, and the family bonds formed when facing ________ together.

1.

A．crowded

B．physical

C．creative

D．necessary

2.

A．relationships

B．potentials

C．dreams

D．inspirations

3.

A．guided

B．encouraged

C．comforted

D．attracted

4.

A．events

B．stations

C．locations

D．shows

5.

A．cultures

B．landscapes

C．groups

D．countries

6.

A．imagined

B．constructed

C．smoothed

D．encountered

7.

A．froze

B．flew

C．fell

D．forgot

8.

A．reached down

B．stood aside

C．stepped in

D．turned back

9.

A．words

B．worries

C．noises

D．thoughts

10.

A．lost

B．maintained

C．demonstrate

D．restored

11.

A．left

B．broke

C．found

D．dug

12.

A．nicer

B．tougher

C．braver

D．closer

13.

A．originally

B．affectionately

C．frequently

D．simply

14.

A．sympathy

B．conflict

C．tears

D．profits

15.

A．challenges

B．defeats

C．opposition

D．uncertainty

7 . Voluntary work in fact, brings many personal benefits. My personal experiences have affirmed my belief in this.

To begin, voluntary work has provided me with the opportunity to gain more insight into the lives of the less fortunate. I once volunteered to clean up one-room flats where the less fortunate lived in. When I first entered the flat, I was astonished at the state of the living conditions — it was overcrowded with people, messy household items, and newspapers. I was critical about the owners of the flat. However, as the cleaning proceeded, I learned more about their misfortunes and difficulties. I was regretful of my initial judgement of them. This incident has allowed me to learn more about people. Moreover, it has made me realise that many underprivileged communities are unjustifiably judged and discriminated against. I learnt that life is a lot more complex than I had imagined, and that I should always try to display empathy.

In addition, my experience with volunteer work has reminded me to be more thankful for the little things. When I volunteered at a school to teach basic life skills to students with cerebral palsy (脑瘫), I found that the students were very appreciative of the teachers, teacher assistants and even the school attendants. The students often said “thank you” and smiled politely. I felt that as much as I had taught them, the students too had taught me: they taught me a lesson on gratitude.

Finally, doing voluntary work has given my life more meaning. After doing voluntary work, I feel more connected to the rest of mankind, and now have a stronger sense of purpose in my life. Instead of just being absorbed in my own wants and needs, now make use of the abilities I have to extend a helping hand to those in need.

1. What can be inferred about the author’s first judgement on the people in the flat?

A．Inspiring.

B．Interesting.

C．Pitiful.

D．Rude.

2. Who taught the author to be more appreciative of life?

A．The teachers.	B．The volunteers.
C．The teacher assistants.	D．The disabled students.

3. Which statement best describes the author’s attitude towards voluntary work?

A．Do as you would be done by.

B．Kill two birds with one stone.

C．All things are difficult before they are easy.

D．A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

4. How does the author mainly prove his idea?

A．By quoting others’ words.

B．By using parallel sentences.

C．By giving opinions and facts.

D．By listing examples and numbers.

9 . Women in a traditional family, whether work or not, aren’t very fortunate because they must do the housework. Why is that _________? Because you can never cook something that everyone in the family will be _________ with. Everyone has their likes and dislikes when it comes to _________. You have to _________ what to cook, but you will never be able to satisfy everyone.

This task of cooking caused my _________ to drop so much that most of the time I thought I would never be able to do anything well enough. I was always sure I couldn’t do my favourite thing, _________, with this fear.

That was until I read the words of a famous writer, “Forget your _________ audience.” What he taught me is that instead of _________ all the audience, it’s enough to satisfy just one person. Maybe his advice has more or different content than I _________, but it’s completely __________ for me.

If I were to cook only for one person, I could cook something she or he __________, and I would get __________ on my cooking at least once. The same is __________ for writing. I wrote a short story for my sister, a __________ audience that doesn’t scare me and gives me enough motivation to write. Most __________, it made me do what I love, which is writing.

1.

A．unbelievable

B．unlucky

C．unknown

D．uncommon

2.

A．bored

B．familiar

C．content

D．popular

3.

A．cuisines

B．lifestyles

C．customs

D．roles

4.

A．think about

B．leave out

C．pay for

D．adapt to

5.

A．pressure

B．attention

C．expectation

D．confidence

6.

A．cooking

B．drawing

C．writing

D．exercising

7.

A．new

B．general

C．ambitious

D．nervous

8.

A．pleasing

B．persuading

C．guiding

D．following

9.

A．submitted

B．received

C．offered

D．confirmed

10.

A．usual

B．challenging

C．suitable

D．predictable

11.

A．imagines

B．deserves

C．remembers

D．appreciates

12.

A．opinions

B．instructions

C．promises

D．praises

13.

A．strange

B．true

C．worthwhile

D．unusual

14.

A．special

B．noble

C．creative

D．funny

15.

A．surprisingly

B．hopefully

C．importantly

D．puzzlingly