2 . TikTok has pushed a new safety update in November to its app that allows parents to take more control of their teenager's accounts, as social media companies come under increasing pressure to make their platforms safer for children.

The company said Tuesday that its “Family Pairing” feature now enables parents to turn off comments on their children's videos entirely or to limit them to friends only. Parents whose accounts are linked to their kids will also be able to set their accounts to private, turn off the search function for content, users or sounds, and limit who can see which videos their children have liked.

Launched (发布) in March, the Family Pairing tool lets parents see how long their children are spending on TikTok each day and limit the content they can see.

TikTok allows children to register and create an account if they're over the age of 13. All they need to do is provide their date of birth. However, because TikTok doesn't require registers to prove their identities, some children under 13 have registered by lying about their age，according to U. K. regulator Ofcom (英国通讯管理局).

Alexandra Evans, head of child safety public policy for TikTok in Europe, told CNBC that Family Pairing has “put itself in parents’ shoes” since it was launched.

“If we're thinking about it as a toolbox, we wanted to offer more tools,” she said on a video call ahead of the announcement.

1. What pushed TikTok to launch the new update?

A．The pressure from social media.	B．The concern about kids' online safety.
C．The force from government.	D．The increasing need of users.

2. What is the second paragraph mainly about?

A．The safety tips from TikTok.	B．New apps explored by TikTok.
C．New functions of Family Pairing.	D．The limits on Family Pairing.

3. What is Ofcom mainly concerned about?

A．The difficulty in opening an account.	B．The low age limit for users.
C．TikTok's failure to check identities.	D．The demand for users' birth dates.

4. What's Evans attitude toward the new Family Pairing?

A．Uninterested.	B．Objective.
C．Disappointed.	D．Supportive.

3 . Have you ever considered all the English expressions that include words about clothes? Let’s have a look.

People wear pants to cover the lower part of their bodies. We sometimes say that people who are nervous have ants in their pants. Sometimes, people may get caught with their pants down. They are found doing something they should not be doing. And, in every family, one person takes control. Sometimes a wife tells her husband what to do. Then we say she wears the pants in the family.

Pants usually have pockets to hold things. Money that is likely to be spent quickly can burn a hole in your pocket. Sometimes you need a belt to hold up your pants. If you have less money than usual, you may have to tighten your belt.

I always praise people who can save their money and not spend too much. I really take my hat off to them. Yet, when it comes to my own money, I spend it at the drop of a hat, which means I instantly spend it.

Boots are a heavy or strong kind of shoes. People who are too big for their boots think they are more important than they really are. I dislike such people.

My father is an important person. He runs a big company. He wears a suit and tie, and a shirt with sleeves that cover his arms. Some people who do not know him well think he is too serious and never shows his feelings openly. But I know that my father wears his heart on his sleeve.

1. What is this passage mainly about?

A．What pants mean in English.	B．Some special English expressions.
C．Some funny English expressions.	D．Some expressions related to clothes.

2. Which of the following expressions can show someone is nervous?

A．Get caught with one’s pants down.	B．Have ants in one’s pants.
C．Wear the pants in the family.	D．Burn a hole in one’s pocket.

3. Someone who spends his money at the drop of a hat most probably________．

A．doesn’t save money	B．earns much money
C．never wastes his money	D．spends more than he earns

4 . Friends play an important part in our lives, and although we may take friendship for granted, we often don’t clearly understand how to make friends. While we get on well with a number of people, we are usually friends with only a very few — for example, the average among students is about 6 per person. In all the cases of friendly relationships, two people like one another and enjoy being together, but beyond that, the degree of intimacy between them and the reasons for their shared interests vary greatly. As we get to know people, we take into account things like age, race, economic condition, social position, and intelligence. Although these factors are not of great importance, it is more difficult to get on with people when there is a marked difference in age and background.

Some friendly relationships can be kept on argument and discussion, but it is usual for close friends to have similar ideas and beliefs, the same opinions and interests — they often talk about “being on the same wavelength”. It generally takes time to reach this point. And the more intimately involved people become, the more they depend on one another. People who want to be friends have to learn to put up with annoying habits and to stand differences.

In contrast with marriage, there are no friendship ceremonies to strengthen the association between two people. But the supporting and understanding of each other that results from shared experiences and emotions does seem to create a powerful bond, which can overcome differences in background, and break down barriers of age, class or race.

1. According to the passage, .

A．friends are those who must share their interests

B．friends are closer than people who just get on with each other

C．all the people know how to make friends

D．every student has six friends

2. We can learn from the passage that .

A．there are no special ceremonies to strengthen friendship

B．friendship can overcome all differences between two people

C．standing differences in opinion can lead to friendship

D．friendship can be strengthened by smiles and soft voices

3. Which of the following is NOT implied in the passage?

A．Even friends may have different opinions.

B．Someone’s habits may annoy his friends.

C．It generally takes time for people to become close friends.

D．Friends never argue with each other.

4. When people talk about “being on the same wavelength”, they mean that they .

A．have the same background	B．watch the same TV programs
C．are the same in all ways	D．share the same way of thinking and the same interests

5 . Did you know that a drop of your blood can predict disease you may develop in the future? This is possible through genetic testing. The most common type of genetic testing is called “newborn screening”, which is done to find treatable genetic disorders in newborn babies. In many countries, babies are screened in the hospital shortly after they are born. Although it is unusual to find that a baby has a genetic disorder, those that do have a disorder start receiving treatment right away.

Another type of genetic testing is called “predictive gene testing”. This is used to predict an adult’s risk of developing certain diseases later in life. There are many obvious advantages. A negative test can help people feel really relaxed. Jen Thomson, who recently underwent predictive gene testing for lung cancer, explains, “So many people in my family died of lung cancer, which has made me really worried. When the test came back negative, I felt as if someone had lifted a large weight off my shoulders.”

There are also some controversial downsides to genetic testing. Alzheimer's disease runs in An Lee's family. Ann has decided to get genetic testing to see if she is likely to develop it. However, her husband Bao is not happy about her decision. Bao explains, “If the result is positive ,how will it help to know that she will probably develop the disease? If I had the Alzheimer's gene, I wouldn't want to know.” Another problem is that even if someone tests positively for a disease, it doesn't mean that they will surely develop the disease. So a person could spend years worrying about something that will never happen.

1. According to the passage, newborn screening is done ________.

A．to see if a baby is healthy	B．to predict the baby’s growth
C．to treat any disorder in the baby	D．to find out the baby's gene order

2. What was the problem with Jen Thomson?

A．She had developed lung cancer.	B．Something was wrong with her shoulders.
C．She was afraid of developing lung cancer.	D．All her family members died of lung cancer.

3. Which word can best describe Bao's feeling ?

A．Satisfied.

B．Doubtful.

C．Uncaring.

D．Happy.

4. What is the purpose of this text?

A．To give a description of Alzheimer's disease.	B．To encourage people to take genetic testing.
C．To tell people something about genetic testing.	D．To point out the problems of genetic testing.

6 . According to the majority of Americans, women are every bit as capable of being good political leaders as men. The same can be said of their ability to dominate the corporate boardroom. And according to a new Pew Research Center survey on women and leadership, most Americans find women indistinguishable from men on key leadership traits such as intelligence and capacity for innovation, with many saying they're stronger than men in terms of being passionate and organized leaders.

So why, then, are women in short supply at the top of government and business in the United States? According to the public, at least, it's not that they lack toughness, management talent or proper skill sets. It’s also not all about work-life balance. Although economic research and previous survey findings have shown that career interruptions related to motherhood may make it harder for women to advance in their careers and compete for top executive jobs, relatively few adults in the recent survey point to this as a key barrier for women seeking leadership roles. Only about one-in-five say women's family responsibilities are a major reason why there aren't more females in top leadership positions in business and politics.

Instead, topping the list of reasons, about four-in-ten Americans point to a double standard for women seeking to climb to the highest levels of either politics or business, where they have to do more than their male counterparts to prove themselves. Similar shares say the electorate and corporate America are just not ready to put more women in top leadership positions.

As a result, the public is divided about whether the imbalance in corporate America will change in the foreseeable future, even though women have made major advances in the workplace. While 53% believe men will continue to hold more top executive positions in business in the future, 44% say it's only a matter of time before as many women are in top executive positions as men. Americans are less doubtful when it comes to politics: 73% expect to see a female president in their lifetime.

1. What do most Americans think of women leaders according to a new Pew Research Center   survey?

A．They have to do more to distinguish themselves.

B．They have to strive harder to win their positions.

C．They are stronger than men in terms of willpower.

D．They are just as intelligent and innovative as men.

2. What do we learn from previous survey findings about women seeking leadership roles?

A．They have unconquerable difficulties on their way to success.

B．They are lacking in confidence when competing with men.

C．Their failures may have something to do with family duties.

D．Relatively few are affected in their career advancement.

3. What is the primary factor keeping women from taking top leadership positions according to the recent survey?

A．Personality traits.	B．Gender bias.
C．Family responsibilities.	D．Lack of vacancies.

4. What does the passage say about corporate America in the near future?

A．More and more women will sit in the boardroom.

B．Gender imbalance in leadership is likely to change.

C．The public is undecided about whether women will make good leaders.

D．People have opposing opinions as to whether it will have more women leaders.

7 . Tom was a clever boy, but his parents were poor, so he had to work in his spare time and during his holidays to pay for his education. In spite of this, he managed to get to the university, but it was so expensive to study there that during the holiday he found it necessary to get two jobs at the same time so as to make enough money to pay for his studies.

One summer he managed to get a job in a butcher’s shop(肉店)during the day-time, and another in a hospital at night. In the shop, he learnt to cut meat quite nicely, so the butcher often left him to do all the serving while he went to the back room to do the accounts(账目). In the hospital, on the other hand, he was, of course, allowed to do the simplest jobs, like helping to lift people and to carry them from one part of the hospital to another. Both at the butcher’s shop and at the hospital, Tom had to wear white clothes.

One evening at the hospital, Tom had to carry a woman from her bed to the place where she was to have an operation. The woman was already feeling frightened at the thought of the operation before he came to get her, but when she saw Tom, that finished her. “No! No!” she cried．“Not my butcher! I won’t be operated on by my butcher!” and fainted away(昏厥).

1. Tom made enough money by ________.

A．doing two jobs

B．working in a butcher’s shop

C．cutting meat well

D．studying in the university

2. Tom was a student, but at the same time he was__________.

A．a butcher and a doctor

B．a manager and a doctor

C．an assistant

D．a manager

3. The woman patient recognized Tom because ____________.

A．he was wearing white clothes

B．he was going to operate on her

C．he was now working in the hospital

D．he had sold meat to her

4. The underlined sentence “when she saw Tom, that finished her” means that the sight of Tom _________.

A．plunged her into deep sorrow

B．took all her strength and courage away

C．broke her heart

D．made her decide to have an operation

8 . Arriving at London Gatwick

Distance(距离) from central London: 28 miles/45 km
For travel information call: +44 (0)870 000 24 68.

How to get to the city centre

By train

The Gatwick Express goes from Gatwick Airport to London Victoria train and underground station in central London.

Trains go every 15 minutes and the journey to central London takes half an hour.

First Class tickets cost £ 25 (single), £ 48 (return).

Express Class costs £ 17 (single), £ 29 (return).

Southern Trains services run four times an hour to Victoria with a journey time of around 35 minutes.

By taxi

There are taxis outside the airport day and night. The journey to central London takes 55-70 minutes. A London taxi takes up to 5 people.

The average(平均的)cost from the airport to central London is £ 75- £ 100.

By car

Gatwick Airport is 28 miles (45 km) south of London. There are 4 car parks next to the airport and there are car rental (租赁) offices open from 8:00 to 18:00. The journey to London takes 60-75 minutes.

All cars pay a special £ 8 charge(收费) to go into central London.

By bus

National Express and EasyBus have services to central London. EasyBus services go every 20 minutes. The journey takes one hour and costs £ 2.

There is one National Express bus an hour. The journey takes 90 minutes and costs £ 7.60.

1. Someone in a hurry to Victoria station had better travel _____.

A．by train	B．by car
C．by taxi	D．by bus

2. What does traveling by taxi and car have in common?

A．They cost the same.	B．They're available at any time.
C．They require a special E 8 charge.	D．They take a similar period of time.

3. Which of the following goes three times an hour?

A．Gatwick Express.	B．National Express.
C．Easy Bus.	D．Southern Trains.

4. Where is the text probably taken from?

A．A short notice.	B．A travel guide.
C．A city introduction.	D．A TV advertisement.

9 . Race walking shares many fitness benefits with running, research shows, while most likely contributing to fewer injuries. It does, however, have its own problem.

Race walkers are conditioned athletes. The longest track and field event at the Summer Olympics is the 50-kilometer race walk, which is about five miles longer than the marathon. But the sport’s rules require that a race walker’s knees stay straight through most of the leg swing and one foot remain in contact (接触) with the ground at all times. It’s this strange form that makes race walking such an attractive activity, however, says Jaclyn Norberg, an assistant professor of exercise science at Salem State University in Salem, Mass.

Like running, race walking is physically demanding, she says, According to most calculations, race walkers moving at a pace of six miles per hour would burn about 800 calories(卡路里) per hour, which is approximately twice as many as they would burn walking, although fewer than running, which would probably burn about 1,000 or more calories per hour.

However, race walking does not pound the body as much as running does, Dr. Norberg says. According to her research, runners hit the ground with as much as four times their body weight per step, while race walkers, who do not leave the ground, create only about 1.4 times their body weight with each step.

As a result, she says, some of the injuries associated with running, such as runner’s knee, are uncommon among race walkers. But the sport’s strange form does place considerable stress on the ankles and hips, so people with a history of such injuries might want to be cautious in adopting the sport. In fact, anyone wishing to try race walking should probably first consult a coach or experienced racer to learn proper technique, she says. It takes some practice.

1. Why are race walkers conditioned athletes?

A．They must run long distances.

B．They are qualified for the marathon.

C．They have to follow special rules.

D．They are good at swinging their legs.

2. What advantage does race walking have over running?

A．It’s more popular at the Olympics.

B．It’s less challenging physically.

C．It’s more effective in body building.

D．It’s less likely to cause knee injuries.

3. What is Dr. Norberg’s suggestion for someone trying race walking?

A．Getting experts’ opinions.

B．Having a medical checkup.

C．Hiring an experienced coach.

D．Doing regular exercises.

4. Which word best describes the author’s attitude to race walking?

A．Skeptical.	B．Objective.
C．Tolerant.	D．Conservative.

10 . I have a special place in my heart for libraries. I have for as long as I can remember. I was always an enthusiastic reader, sometimes reading up to three books a day as a child. Stories were like air to me and while other kids played ball or went to parties, I lived out adventures through the books I checked out from the library.

My first job was working at the Ukiah Library when I was 16 years old .It was a dream job and I did everything from shelving books to reading to the children for story time.

As I grew older and became a mother, the library took on a new place and an added meaning in my life. I had several children and books were our main source(来源) of entertainment. It was a big deal for us to load up and go to the local library, where my kids could pick out books to read or books they wanted me to read to them.

I always read ,using different voices ,as though I were acting out the stories with my voice and they loved it !It was a special time to bond with my children and it filled them with the wonderment of books .

Now, I see my children taking their children to the library and I love that the excitement of going to the library lives on form generation to generation.

As a novelist, I’ve found a new relationship with libraries. I encourage readers to go to their local library when they can’t afford to purchase a book. I see libraries as a safe haven(避风港) for readers and writers, a bridge that helps put together a reader with a book. Libraries, in their own way, help fight book piracy(盗版行为) and 1 think all writers should support libraries in a significant way when they can. Encourage readers to use the library. Share library announcements on your social media. Frequent them and talk about them when you can.

1. Which word best describes the author’s relationship with books as a child?

A．Cooperative.

B．Uneasy.

C．Inseparable.

D．Casual.

2. What does the underlined phrase “an added meaning” in paragraph 3 refer to?

A．Pleasure from working in the library.

B．Joy of reading passed on in the family.

C．Wonderment from acting out the stories.

D．A closer bond developed with the readers.

3. What does the author call on other writers to do?

A．Sponsor book fairs.	B．Write for social media.
C．Support libraries.	D．Purchase her novels.

4. Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Reading: A Source of Knowledge

B．My Idea about writing

C．Library: A Haven for the Young

D．My Love of the Library