1 . In recent years, much of my life, as a consumer has shifted to what I like to call background spending. 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 automated trade. Spending without the trouble of spending. Acquisition 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 promise us. But by agreeing to this trade, we’ve become lazy passive consumers. And this laziness breeds 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!

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

It’s understandable why this model is so attractive to businesses. As companies questioned traditional advertising models, subscriptions 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 subscriptions promise ease and happiness, not all of us are satisfied. Last year, the Kearney Consumer Institute found 40 percent of consumers 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．Optimistic.

C．Critical.

D．Unclear.

7 . I absolutely could have gone my entire life without ever reading Moby-Dick, but unfortunately, I have read it. Twice. I’ve had to read it twice.

I can trace it as far back as middle school — the teachers’ strong desire to push classic literature on students as much as possible. And it makes sense, in some ways. There are benefits to being well read —a larger vocabulary, mental stimulation, concentration and understanding of literary references in the world. But at the same time, being well read doesn’t necessarily mean only reading classics for the sake of reading classics.

This isn’t to say that these classic novels serve no purpose in curriculum (课程) or in the literary world — classics are, in many ways, vital to a well-rounded education in literature. But so are pieces of contemporary (当代的) literature and books from centuries ago that haven’t been recognized classics. So yes, there’s room for classic novels. But right now, there’s too much room for classic novels.

There are also many modern sayings that come from classics — like “Big brother is watching,” from George Orwell’s 1984, “Tomorrow is another day,” from Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind and “Hey Boo,” which originally comes from To Kill a Mockingbird. It’s worth something to be well versed in texts that have made an impact on the construct of modern day language. But at the same time, when classic novels are put on syllabi (教学大纲) or inserted into high school curriculum, novels should be selected with care —not just selected because it’s “what everyone in the field reads” —which yes, has been said to me before.

And as far as contemporary literature goes, there seems to be an opinion that it doesn’t offer as much wisdom and has less value and, therefore, we can’t learn as much from it. I’ve found this to be most untrue. After all, we tend to learn best from things that we can connect to, and contemporary literature is often the most relatable. And though it hasn’t had the time to become a classic, the structure and syntax (句法) holds its own. It’s different from classic work, but it’s not less valuable.

So let’s take a step back from the classics. We think that they’re pushing us forward, when, really, they might be standing in our way.

1. Why did the author read Moby-Dick twice?

A．To stimulate her mind.	B．To enlarge her vocabulary.
C．To meet her teacher’s requirement.	D．To better understand literary references.

2. Why does the author mention 1984 and Gone with the Wind?

A．To prove classics are worth reading.

B．To show some classics are out of date.

C．To compare classics with contemporary literature.

D．To advise schools to include more classics in curriculum.

3. What is the author’s attitude towards contemporary literary works?

A．They should not be taken lightly.	B．They are not as valuable as classics.
C．They are more important than classics.	D．They will surely become classics soon.

4. How should we treat classics in the author’s eyes?

A．Avoid them entirely.	B．Treat them seriously.
C．Promote them at high school.	D．Reconsider their significance.

8 . When I was 19 years old, I decided to pursue my passion for writing as a career. At the time, I knew that it was a _______ choice. It is one thing to turn your passion into a career, but to study writing as a 4-year degree? Was I being crazy or just _______?

The truth is, from the moment I chose writing as my major, I was _______ doubting my decision. I enjoyed my classes, but I couldn’t _______ the anxiety. As my senior year closed in, most of my friends had thought about what kind of careers they were looking for. I, _______, hadn’t even decided what kind of writing I wanted to do.

Then I asked myself why I write. For a while, I did not have a good enough _______. “Because I love it” often came to mind, but it didn’t seem to be a _______ reason to justify (证明……正确) devoting my life. Finally, after many doubts and anxious questions, I found the answer that gave me _______. I have returned to this moment many times to remind myself why I keep _______.

Why do I write? Because it is what I have to ________. I have the ability to share in a way that connects with others. I have the clarity (清晰的思维能力) to see that I can ________ others through the language I use. It is how I can give of myself to the world that has ________ me. And so, I find dignity (尊严) in the work I do.

Every person ________ a passion for something. Whatever they are, it’s worth it to seek out why they matter, and keep seeking until we find an answer that ________. And once you have found the answer, stick to it. ________ to it again and again to remind yourself that what you have to share with this world is uniquely yours to give.

1.

A．secure

B．risky

C．correct

D．wise

2.

A．foolish

B．tense

C．joyous

D．confident

3.

A．hardly

B．constantly

C．rarely

D．greedily

4.

A．shake off

B．cut off

C．take off

D．kick off

5.

A．therefore

B．thus

C．however

D．while

6.

A．solution

B．plan

C．answer

D．belief

7.

A．significant

B．sufficient

C．sharp

D．sensitive

8.

A．disappointment

B．fear

C．honor

D．peace

9.

A．pushing back

B．pushing through

C．putting aside

D．putting forward

10.

A．give

B．pursue

C．earn

D．perform

11.

A．entertain

B．please

C．convince

D．reach

12.

A．defended

B．cured

C．shaped

D．surrounded

13.

A．possesses

B．negates

C．lacks

D．expresses

14.

A．differs

B．satisfies

C．comes

D．matters

15.

A．Return

B．Tend

C．Appeal

D．Apply

9 . A little girl was enjoying the beautiful garden in her home. Her father had a good collection of rare and prized plants, which he _________ with great care.

The girl was _________ by a plant full of delicate flowers. She approached it and admired its striking beauty. Suddenly she _________ that the plant was in a pile of filth (污秽). She could not tolerate the _________ of dirt with such fantastic flowers.

She worked out a plan to clean the plant. She _________ the plant with all her might from the dirt and washed its _________ in running tap water till all traces of dirt were washed away. She then placed the plant on a clean stone and went away, proud that she had done a great _________.

Later her father came to the garden and spotted the uprooted plant, which had lain _________ in the baking sun. His little daughter ran over to _________ her achievement. “I have cleaned it, Daddy,” she reported __________

The father showed her how her treatment had nearly killed the plant and told her that the filthy soil was the best __________ to grow that plant. Hearing that, the girl felt guilty that the plant had suffered by her cleaning.

A great gardener mixes the __________ soil for each plant. __________, God provides each of us with the best __________ required for optimum (最佳) spiritual growth. But it may appear to be __________ and we may even complain to God about our difficulty.

1.

A．weeded out

B．brought up

C．attended to

D．fed on

2.

A．frightened

B．attracted

C．attacked

D．shocked

3.

A．recalled

B．noted

C．recognized

D．concluded

4.

A．formation

B．presentation

C．presence

D．composition

5.

A．held

B．picked

C．pulled

D．pushed

6.

A．flowers

B．branches

C．leaves

D．roots

7.

A．deed

B．deal

C．operation

D．project

8.

A．burning

B．bathing

C．breathing

D．dying

9.

A．confirm

B．exhibit

C．evaluate

D．celebrate

10.

A．innocently

B．distantly

C．decisively

D．thoughtlessly

11.

A．shelter

B．medicine

C．medium

D．venue

12.

A．right

B．same

C．dirty

D．loose

13.

A．Moreover

B．Likewise

C．Rather

D．Nevertheless

14.

A．environment

B．mode

C．neighbourhood

D．opportunity

15.

A．invisible

B．disorganized

C．proper

D．unpleasant

10 . Growing Roots

When I was growing up, I had an old neighbor named Dr. Gibbs. He didn’t look like any doctor I’d ever known. When Dr. Gibbs wasn’t _______ lives, he was planting trees.

The good doctor had some interesting theories on planting trees. He believed in “No pains, no gains”. He never _______ his new trees, which was _______ many people. Once I asked why. He answered that watering plants spoiled them, and that if you water them, each following tree generation will grow weaker and weaker. So you have to make things _______ for them. He talked about how watering trees made for shallow roots, and how trees that weren’t watered had to grow deep roots in search of water. I came to understand that he meant deep roots were to be _______. I planted a couple of trees a few years back and I took good care of them. Two years of _______ has resulted in trees that expect to be waited on hand and foot. Whenever a cold wind blows, they shake and tremble their branches. Funny things about those trees of Dr. Gibbs’. The lack of water seemed to _______ them in ways comfort and ease never could.

I used to pray for my sons that their lives will be easy. But lately I’ve been thinking that it’s time to _______ my prayer. I know my children are going to meet _______, and I’m praying they will be strong. The prayer for comfort is seldom met. What we need to do is to pray for deep roots, so when the winds blow, they won’t be __________ away.

1.

A．valuing

B．sacrificing

C．enjoying

D．saving

2.

A．watered

B．raised

C．loved

D．sheltered

3.

A．against

B．beyond

C．within

D．from

4.

A．harmful

B．favorable

C．tough

D．convenient

5.

A．treasured

B．challenged

C．respected

D．favored

6.

A．fondness

B．negligence

C．preference

D．devotion

7.

A．harm

B．raise

C．benefit

D．hurt

8.

A．attend

B．announce

C．change

D．maintain

9.

A．hardships

B．worries

C．opportunities

D．careers

10.

A．given

B．sent

C．broken

D．swept