1 . These days, it's not unusual to see middle-aged men collecting Star Wars action figures, office workers wearing Hello Kitty accessories, or celebrities like David Beckham playing with Lego bricks. It's becoming more and more common to see adults taking an interest in toys, comic books and the activities that are traditionally associated with children. This phenomenon has given rise to a new word: kidult.
What lies behind the phenomenon? One is about adults' nostalgia （怀旧之情）for the carefree days of childhood, and this is especially true with today's fast-paced, stressful lifestyles. Another is about a societal change in recent decades where people are starting families later. As a result, they have more time and money to spend on themselves. Some adults could only window-shop for their dream toys when they were kids, but now they can afford that radio controlled car or high-priced doll they have always wanted.
Businesses have been quick to exploit the kidult trend, and the number of toy stores that target adults has risen. Companies are repackaging products from past decades and also bringing out new ones for adults. Lego, for example, has brought out an architectural series featuring landmarks from around the world.
Society traditionally disapproves of adults who refuse to put aside childhood interests, viewing the refusal as a sign of social immaturity and irresponsibility. Those who agree with this view sometimes claim that kidults are suffering from the pop-psychology concept known as Peter Pan Syndrome, an anomaly （异常）that people remain emotionally at the level of teenagers. On a grander scale, these kidult opponents （对手）argue that such delayed adulthood causes couples to marry later and have fewer children. This in turn can lead to shrinking national economies, for there needs to be a generational replenishment （补充）
of the workforce.
From the standpoint of kidults, though, this phenomenon is seen as nothing but harmless fun. Kidults insist that having youthful interests keeps them young, happy and creative, and their refusal to conform to society's acceptable tastes shows independent thinking. Besides, they argue that being part of the social trend of delayed adulthood is not purely a personal choice. The real causes include expensive housing, increased educational requirements for employment and poor work opportunities.
Whether the kidult phenomenon will continue to grow or prove to be a passing trend is anyone's guess. As the debate about it continues, remember that there is nothing wrong with being young at heart.
1. What does the kidult phenomenon refer to?| A．Adults act like children. |
| B．Adults have child-like tastes. |
| C．Adults go in for collecting toys. |
| D．Adults like playing with children. |
| A．Different living conditions. |
| B．More choices about toys. |
| C．High pressure of modern life. |
| D．Good memories of childhood. |
| A．Get used to. |
| B．Look forward to. |
| C．Take advantage of. |
| D．Make way for. |
| A．By strongly opposing kidult opponents. |
| B．By convincing readers to accept kidults. |
| C．By refusing to take a stand on the issue. |
| D．By presenting both sides of the argument. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Positive. |
| C．Disapproving. | D．Uncaring. |
2 . Members of a native community in the arctic (北极的)areas of Sweden say their reindeer (驯鹿)are facing possible hunger from unusual weather related to climate change. The local Sami community takes care of about 8,000 reindeer throughout the year. The animals are moved between traditional feeding areas in high mountains close to Norway in the summer and forests farther east in the winter.
A community member, Inga, is worried about his reindeer. He said climate change has affected the area's weather activity and created food shortages. "If we don't find better areas for them where they can feed themselves and find food, the reindeer will die from hunger,” Inga said. He verified the problem by reaching down into the snow and pulling up a hard piece of ice close to the soil.
The area received unusual snowfall early in the fall, followed by rain that froze. Inga said this traps the plants that reindeer eat under a thick cover of ice. Some of the hungry reindeer have now moved away from their traditional feeding areas in search of food.
Community members say half the reindeer moved towards the east as planned. But the rest headed back to the mountains, where they face the risk of attacks by other animals or being caught in an avalanche (雪崩). Older members of the Sami community say that in the past, they only remember bad winters about once every ten years. But now, Inga says “extreme and strange weather are appearing more and more often,“ happening several times a year.
Snowfall is common for the area. But as temperatures increase, rain can also fall, creating a “rain-on-snow” effect. When this happens, food remains trapped under the ice where the reindeer cannot reach it. This causes the animals to grow weaker and struggle to make it through the winter. Weather changes have hit the Sami community hard.
“We don't want money because we can’t buy better weather with money. We need the EU to take action and they need to do it now,“ said Inga.
1. What problem do reindeer meet with at present?| A．Cold weather. | B．Risk of hunger. |
| C．Long march for food. | D．Polluted environment. |
| A．Proved. | B．Solved. | C．Ignored. | D．Answered. |
| A．Traps under the snow. | B．Hunt from human beings. |
| C．Rocks falling down the mountain. | D．Threat from other animals. |
| A．Flood. | B．Drought. |
| C．Rain-on-snow effect. | D．Snowfall. |
3 . Just over 12 months ago I gave myself a challenge: give up spending on all but the essentials for a whole year. It hasn't always been easy, but a year on I am wealthier and wiser. Embarrassingly, I have also realized just how much money I've squandered down the pub, in restaurants and through mindless shopping.
Free of any financial worries, I was spending without thinking. Stuck in a cycle of consumerism, I was struggling in vain to spend my way to happiness. Giving up spending for a year was an extreme approach but I wanted to taste extreme frugality (节俭), shake up my spending patterns and overpay my mortgage (按揭) instead of shopping. I could continue to pay my bills, including mortgages, broadband, phone bill, charity donations, life insurances, money to help my family and basic groceries.
It was not easy, especially in the first few months. There were lows, such as when I missed my favourite jazz concerts and hit films. There have also been some awkward moments when I've turned up to a friend's house for dinner empty-handed. I did a lot of washing up at my friends' houses in return this year.
I did find new ways to live, however. Using sites such as Eventbrite I have been to film screenings, wine tasting evenings and theatre productions for free. Living in London I have a wealth of free cultural activities on my doorstep and I've been to more art exhibitions this year than ever before. I even managed a free holiday, cycling the Suffolk and Norfolk coast and camping on beaches. It's something I'd never done before and probably wouldn't have, were it not for the challenge.
The last 12 months have taught me what things I really need. I can honestly say I'm happier now. I've gained confidence and skills, done things and met lovely people I wouldn't have otherwise done or met.
1. What does the underlined word “squandered” in paragraph 1 refer to?| A．Saved. | B．Wasted. | C．Donated. | D．Earned. |
| A．try to form a virtue of frugality | B．change her former spending habits |
| C．pay off her mortgage as soon as possible | D．reserve money for her everyday bills |
| A．She did a lot of washing and cooking in pubs. |
| B．She tried cycling and camping for the first time. |
| C．She explored more cultural activities in London. |
| D．She attended concerts and wine evenings for free. |
| A．Discouraging | B．Challenging | C．Beneficial | D．Embarrassing |
4 . We all know it is important for students to get a good night’s sleep every night. They aren’t able to do their best unless they sleep well. Most experts agree that the proper number of hours is eight, and this has been accepted as common sense for as long as I can remember. However, I was young once and I know that most of you get much less sleep than that-and sometimes this affects your schoolwork.
I read an article in a teachers’ magazine recently. They did a study of 848 students in a senior school. Worryingly, the results suggested that teenagers are facing a new problem. They may go to bed and get up at proper times but a growing number wake up in the middle of the night, not to use the bathroom or have a snack but because of FOMO-the fear of missing out!
According to the article, schoolchildren suffer because of an increasing trend to wake up during the night to check social media. Afraid of missing a message or chance to take part in a discussion, teens wake up at all times of the night to go online and join up with social groups. All this happens when they should be sound asleep.
The report gives some worrying numbers. 23% of 12-to 15-year-olds wake up nearly every night to use social media. Another 15% wake up at night once a week for the same reason. As a result, one in three students are constantly exhausted and unable to do well at school.
So, I’d like to ask you to be responsible when it comes to social media. Be brave and turn off your phones and computers at night. The world won’t end and your social media will be waiting to greet you in the morning. I give you my word that you won’t have missed anything important.
1. What is the new trend among teenagers?| A．They get up too early in the morning. |
| B．They wake up at midnight to go online. |
| C．They wake up at night to get something to eat. |
| D．They have difficulty in falling asleep again at night. |
| A．A fear of going online. |
| B．A need to go out all the time. |
| C．A fear of losing touch on social media. |
| D．A need to use the latest technology. |
| A．disappointed | B．surprised | C．confused | D．tired |
| A．Uninterested | B．Supportive | C．Concerned | D．Doubtful |
5 . My father and several volunteers from the church gathered every day in the park to feed the hungry. I really didn’t understand why my father bothered to do it.
One Saturday I couldn’t wait for him to leave. However, it didn’t take long for my plans to change and my happiness to dissolve.
“I’m going to need your help today. Some of the others that usually help me won’t be able to make it.”
“Dad, I can’t today,” I complained. “I have plans, television, friends, shopping, and I was maybe going to go to the pool.”
I murmured, “It’s not like I have a life.” My voice was so low that he didn’t hear what I said.
This was going to be the worst day ever. My dad always drove the church van, which also contained clothes and small bags filled with personal items such as combs, toothbrushes and toothpaste.
When we arrived at the park, people were already gathered under a tree waiting for us. I couldn’t believe how many people were there, and all of them were homeless. I was surprised to learn my dad knew most of them by name. He also seemed to know what each one needed and what they had suffered to land them on the street. One old man called Adonis told me if it hadn’t been for my father he didn’t think he would have found Jesus.
When everyone was gone, we loaded things back into the van. Now I understood why my father did so much to help the homeless. I could tell he loved seeing their smiles of happiness. I did too.
That day with my dad taught me that there will always be someone smarter, prettier, or richer than me, and there will also always be someone less fortunate. The difference is in the individual willing to take the opportunity to help others, even if it means sacrificing something of their own.
1. What did the author expect of his initial Saturday?| A．It was occupied with his homework. |
| B．It was a whole Saturday by himself. |
| C．It was a great day to do volunteer work. |
| D．It was a good chance to help his father. |
| A．Regretted. | B．Screamed. | C．Whispered. | D．Maddened. |
| A．Sympathetic. | B．Appreciative. |
| C．Ashamed. | D．Pitiful. |
| A．Finding My Light | B．Following My Heart |
| C．Showing Sympathy | D．Feeding the Soul |
6 . Unlike doctors, nurses are at the forefront of care. They are there when you are admitted, when you rest and when you recover. They are the faces patients see when they are in pain, the ones they get to know and trust to take care of them.
Nursing is also an excellent option for those who want to work in healthcare but cannot go on to become a doctor. You can start with just a few weeks of education and work your way up. There are still educational requirements but many top nursing degrees are specifically designed to be completed while you work full-time.
If you want a career where your job is to actually help people heal, rather than deal with emergencies as they come, then nursing is for you.
Today alone, there are an estimated 800, 000 unfilled nursing jobs in the country, and a further 1 million shortage expected by 2030 when existing nurses start to retire. Job hunting is typically a nightmare for those fresh out of college, but in nursing, you are almost guaranteed a position in nearly every setting.
There are also new rules in place that mean you can work as a nurse in a variety of states without retaking the exams. There are still steps you will need to take if you move from one qualifying state to another, but this freedom means you can find your true home and continue to work as a nurse with very little interruptions. Travel if you want as a nurse; live in your dream home outside of the city as a nurse.
The world needs more nurses, because nurses make a direct impact on recovery. It is reported that one more nurse can save 9 extra people out of every 1,000 patients, that is to say your work matters.
1. What can we infer according to the first paragraph?| A．Healthcares would be complete without nurses. |
| B．Patients and nurses have a good relationship. |
| C．Patients like nurses much more than doctors. |
| D．Healthcares need more nurses than expected. |
| A．Challenge. | B．Step. | C．Choice. | D．Way. |
| A．800,000 nurses will be badly needed. |
| B．1 million nurses will dislike their jobs. |
| C．The USA will see a high rate of unemployment. |
| D．There will be a great demand for nurses. |
| A．You needn’t take extra exams when working in other states. |
| B．You have much freedom as to what you’d like to do. |
| C．You can travel around the world without working. |
| D．You have a chance to travel without interruptions. |
7 . When you put down your pens at the end of college entrance exam, 12 hard years of study will have come to an end. Forget your studies for a while. It’s time to enjoy yourselves!
There are many ways to celebrate this special month of graduation. You can have photos taken with your classmates and teachers, or dine out together and exchange gifts.
High school students in western countries such as the United States and Canada usually have a party to mark their graduation. It is to mark the time when kids turn into young men and women. After the party, teenagers either go to college or find a job. It means they will no longer depend on their parents as before.
At the party, boys usually dress in dinner jackets and bow ties, though many different types of formal clothes are worn. Girls traditionally wear formal dresses, or dress to shock or be noticed, in shiny or brightly colored materials.
Common party activities include dining, dancing, crowning of a ball king and queen, and just talking to friends. In some cases, high school students collect funds for their class party through the four years of their high school.
High schools in or near large cities may rent big rooms at expensive hotels or, to be unusual, on a pleasure boat. But often costs are cut by simply using the school gym. Students make a lot of efforts to decorate the gym to make the event special. The music played at the party will be the most popular kinds, like rock and hip-hop.
Sometimes teachers and parents also go to the party. But others like to go with friends, to whom they are soon going to say good-bye.
If you like the idea of a party, why don’t you and your classmates organize one for your graduation?
1. The writer’s purpose in writing this passage is to ________.| A．tell an interesting experience of high school students |
| B．tell how the western students spend the last days of high school |
| C．tell how western high school students usually celebrate graduation |
| D．introduce several ways of the western students’ killing time |
| A．They have finished high school and will go to college. |
| B．These teenagers can find a job to support themselves. |
| C．They have grown up and need friends’ help. |
| D．They are adults and will not depend on parents. |
| A．Remember. | B．Celebrate. | C．Sign. | D．Show. |
| A．the party is very interesting |
| B．girls like to make themselves beautiful at all hours |
| C．boys wear as usual to attend the party |
| D．graduates pay much attention to the party |
8 . DATE: March 11
TO: Sabrina Weissman
FROM: Grace Montgarden
CC: Marcus Stroud
SUBJECT: Letter of Concern
This memo(备忘录) serves as an official notice of concern as a result of your use of leave, and your unpunctuality(不守时) to work. Our records indicate that you have used an unusually large number of sick days over the past three months, using up your sick leave for the service year. You are now being docked pay(扣薪) for any sick leave reported. A breakdown of your leave usage during the past three months was as follows
● Sick or unscheduled(非计划中的) leave days 10 ●Scheduled leave days 5
In addition, during the past five months there were 8 days when you were more than 10 minutes late for work.
As an accountant for the Reykjavik public Works Department, you are responsible for financial activities that are critical(关键的) to effective operation of the office. I must be able to rely on your regular attendance in order to make decisions regarding distribution of work assignments. You should pay attention to the following requirements
● Doctor’s note required for absences of 3 or more days
●Obtain reliable child care in preparation for upcoming student vacation days
●Required call to supervisor(主管) when expecting to be more than 10 minutes late to work
You will be expected to stick to the above requirements. The above stated conditions and requirements-will be in effect for all future absences. Failure to obey the requirements will make you subject to(遭受) disciplinary action(纪律处分).
Respectfully, Grace Montgarden Personnel Officer
Reykjavik Public Works Department
1. How many days has Ms Weissman been late for work?| A．3 days. | B．5 days. | C．8 days. | D．10 days. |
| A．Bring doctor’s note for taking a day off. |
| B．Sign in and out on her attendance records book. |
| C．Make a required call to Grace Montgarden. |
| D．Contact her manager if she is late for work over 10 minutes. |
| A．failure | B．analysis | C．application | D．damage |
9 . There is more that comes with older age than greying hair and wrinkled skin When humans reach their later years, they favour more established friends and their social circle is reduced.
Now, for what appears to be the first time, scientists have seen the same behaviour in another species. Twenty years of observations of chimpanzees (猩猩) reveal that older males choose to hang out with their long-term friends at the expense of other relationships.
The researchers studied 78, 000 hours of observations made between 1996 and 2016 that followed the social interactions of 21 male chimpanzees between the ages of 15 and 58 years old. They classified the chimps’ relationships depending on the amount of time they sat with others and groomed (梳毛) them. They then rated the various pairings as mutual (相互的) friendships, where both chimps seemed to enjoy the relationship; one-sided friendships, where one chimp was more keen to be friends than the other; and non-friendships, where neither chimp showed interest in the other.
When the scientists looked at the patterns of friendships, they found that the older chimps had more mutual friendships and fewer one-sided friendships than younger chimps. Another feature seen in older humans was also spotted in the chimps. As the males got older, their levels of aggression (挑衅) tailed off, meaning they started fewer fights and tended to intimidate others in their group less often.
The observations have left the researchers puzzled. According to an idea in psychology known as socioemotional selectivity theory, or SST, older humans prefer more positive relationships because they are aware time is running out. But many animal experts argue that chimpanzees lack the human sense of mortality (死亡), suggesting something else is driving the behaviour.
Robin Dunbar, a professor of evolutionary psychology at the University of Oxford, said in humans, the decline in social circles with age is due to declining social motivation to get out and meet people combined by lack of opportunity. In chimpanzees, as older males compete less for mates, they may focus on close, reciprocal (互惠的) relationships with trusted partners, she said.
1. What do older male chimpanzees favour?| A．Old friendships. | B．New bonds. |
| C．Greying hair. | D．Wrinkled skin. |
| A．By turning to other scientists. |
| B．By introducing a new concept. |
| C．By forming relationships with them. |
| D．By analyzing two decades’ observations. |
| A．Threaten. | B．Motivate. | C．Defend. | D．Accompany. |
| A．Awareness of time. | B．Less competition for mates. |
| C．Low motivation for socialization. | D．Lack of the human sense of mortality. |
10 . That morning, I dropped our eldest at kindergarten and returned home to let our two younger children play while I worked on my medical report. It was a wonderful chance to work from home, but it hit me that my career in hospital wasn't making a difference in anyone's life. I needed something that would stretch my limits and push me to grow. My career enabled me to work from home. I could work from home, and become a foster mother, providing safety for a child who needed it desperately.
On Monday morning. I picked up the phone and dialed the number I had Googled for the nearest Department of Children's Services. The man on the other end was receptive to my questions and explained the next step of training, involving eight weeks of classes designed to prepare and educate foster parents. We continued through all the classes, the home visits, background checks, and seemingly endless steps.
Five long months after we were approved, the phone rang. In the middle of the night, I woke my husband and rushed to East Tennessee Children's Hospital. Our placement was waiting for us in the emergency room, sick and lack of nutrition. It didn't take long for us to realize the full depth of her suffering. Six months later, her half-brother came to us by our request. We now had five children under our care.
On August 12, 2016, our family of seven walked into a small courtroom. The children's lawyer and social worker were there. With just a few words, our adoption was finalized. These two amazing children weren't going home, because they were already home. We are their forever family, and they are our forever children. We may not be able to change the entire world, but we have changed the world entirely for our new children.
1. How did the author feel about her hospital work?| A．Lacking of motivation. | B．Filled with challenge. |
| C．Highly motivating. | D．Unusually Demanding. |
| A．She felt sympathetic for abused children she knew. |
| B．She wanted to make a difference in other people. |
| C．She felt confident about her ability to raise children. |
| D．She experienced training to raise children properly. |
| A．The child to be adopted. | B．The need to get trained. |
| C．The approval of adoption. | D．The official at the hospital. |
| A．To put the adopted kids elsewhere. | B．To receive another adopted child. |
| C．To make the adoption officially legal. | D．To begin the kids' adoption in her home. |
