1 . Twelve-year-old Catherine has a lot of friends—632, actually, if you count up her online friends. And she spends a lot of time with them.
But is it possible that Catherine’s online friendships could be making her lonely? That’s what some experts believe. Connecting online is a great way to stay in touch, they say. However, some experts worry that many kids are so busy connecting online that they might be missing out on true friendships.
Could this be true? During your parents’ childhoods, connecting with friends usually meant spending time with them in the flesh. Kids played Scrabble around a table, not words with friends on their phones. When friends missed each other, they picked up the telephone. Friends might even write letters to each other.
Today, most communication takes place online. A typical teen sends 2,000 texts a month and spends more than 44 hours per week in front of a screen. Much of this time is spent on social media platform.
In fact, in many ways, online communication can make friendships stronger. “There’s definitely a positive influence. Kids can stay in constant contact, which means they can share more of their feelings with each other,” says Katie Davis, co-author of The App Generation.
Other experts, however, warn that too much online communication can get in the way of forming deep friendships. “If we are constantly checking in with our virtual world, we will have little time for our real-world friendships,” says Larry Rosen, a professor at California State University. Rosen also worries that today’s kids might mistake the “friends” on the social media for true friends in life. However, in tough times, you don’t need anyone to like your picture or share your blogs. You need someone who will keep your secrets and hold your hand. You would like to talk face to face.
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?A.To tell about true friends. | B.To start a discussion. |
C.To encourage online friendships. | D.To summarize(总结) the text. |
A.In any case. | B.In public. | C.In person. | D.In advance. |
A.Unconcerned. | B.Positive. | C.Worried. | D.Confused. |
A.Teenagers need to focus on real-world friendships. | B.It’s easier to develop friendships in real life. |
C.It’s wise to turn to friends online. | D.Social media help people stay closely connected. |
2 . Lion dance is a valued tradition deeply rooted in South China’s Guangdong province and among Chinese communities in Southeast Asian countries. Historically, this art form was only practiced by men. However, a unique team consisting entirely of teenage girls stands out among all the male groups — they are the Nanxing Hexingtang Women’s Lion Dance Team from the town of Ren he in Guangzhou.
Nearly every village in Guangzhou has its own lion dance team. Yet as of 2018, Hexingtang had only male participants. As there was a decline in the number of young people practicing lion dance, it accepted a few young girls. The journey was far from smooth for the girls. They were once hired to perform for a family on the first day of Chinese New Year. When the family realized that it was the girls who would be performing, they erupted in anger and chased them away. Then Hexingtang decided to formally establish a women’s team to make the female lion dance leagal. They customized flags and banners printed with “women’s team”, crafted pink and purple lion heads, which are rarely seen in male lion dance, and even fashioned a lion head looking like the image of the female general Mu Guiying, a famous figure in Yue Opera.
It was hoped that after the girls won awards and proved themselves, they might be accepted by more people. Their breakthrough came in 2021 when the girls beat all-male teams and won the first prize in a competition in Guangzhou’s Baiyun district. The following year, at the 16th Guangdong Provincial Games, the girls once again got the top prize in the junior group, representing Guangzhou. Since then, they have continued to win awards. In the recent Maofeng Mountain competition just before Spring Festival in Guangzhou, the team performed a routine titled “Tramping Over Mountains and Hills Step by Step”, which mirrors the growth journey of these girls themselves as they navigate through numerous challenges. Behind this near-perfect performance is girls’ dedication and hard work.
Lion dance is not easy, especially for girls, as it demands significant strength and mastery of martial arts movements. However, girls possess unique advantages and can cultivate a distinctive style. Girls typically have a keen understanding of music, performing perfectly in both lion and instrument roles. Furthermore, their superior physical flexibility allows them to complete difficult moves. Most importantly, their sensitivity enables them to capture the expressions and behaviors of lions.
1. What do we know about lion dance?A.It is a tradition rooted in all Asian countries. |
B.Only men could practice lion dance in the past. |
C.Every village in Guangzhou has its own lion dance team. |
D.It’s easy for people to practice. |
A.made. | B.bought. | C.painted. | D.had. |
A.They performed for a family on the first day of Chinese New Year. |
B.They performed a routine titled “Tramping Over Mountains and Hills Step by Step”. |
C.They won the first prize in a competition in Guangzhou’s Baiyun district. |
D.They won the top prize in the junior group at the 16th Guangdang Provincial Games. |
A.They can complete difficult moves with superior physical flexibility. |
B.They have great strength and master martial arts movements. |
C.They have a keen understanding of music, performing perfectly in different roles. |
D.They can capture the expressions and behaviors of lions with sensitivity. |
3 . In the heart of a harsh winter, Ma Yuxing and his family found themselves caught in an unexpected blizzard as they returned to Xinjiang after the Spring Festival. The storm forced them to leave the highway and seek shelter in Guazhou Coupty, Gansu, where the local community’s warmth would soon thaw their cold predicament.
Amidst the snowstorm, local authorities rapidly transformed schools and gymnasiums into temporary shelters for stranded (受困的) travelers like Ma and his family. Despite the freezing temperatures and growing demand for accommodation, the people of Guazhou sprang into action, providing food, warmth, and medical assistance to everyone in need.
The generosity of the Guazhou residents knew no bounds. Local citizens, like Wang Yang, opened their homes to strangers, embodying a spirit of communal support and hospitality. The local governmen, along with various organizations and businesses, coordinated effectively to distribute essential supplies and ensure the safety and comfort of all stranded individuals.
This story of snowstorm turned unity highlights the kind nature of the Guazhou community, a testament to human kindness in the face of natural disaster.
1. What caused Ma Yuxing and his family to seek shelter in Guazhou County?A.They were on holiday in Guazhou. | B.They were visiting relatives in the area. |
C.They were stranded due to a snowstorm. | D.They decided to move to Guazhou. |
A.They ignored the travelers’ plight. |
B.They provided temporary accommodation and essentials. |
C.They charged a small fee for their services. |
D.They offered jobs to the stranded individuals. |
A.They are kind to others’ suffering. |
B.They provided accommodation to the strangers. |
C.They are selfless and warm-hearted. |
D.They are well-prepared for natural disasters. |
A.in different | B.warm-hearted | C.unfriendly | D.selfish |
4 . Microsoft won’t renew the contracts (合同) for dozens of news production staff working at its MSN website and plans to use AI to replace them. The roughly 50 employees were informed that their services would no longer be needed beyond June 30.
The Microsoft spokesman said in a statement, “Like all companies, we analyze and make judgments on our activities and services on a regular basis. This can result in increased investment in some places and, from time to time, rearrangement in others. These decisions are not the result of the pandemic.”
MSN will use AI to replace the production work its journalists had been doing. That work includes using an automated system (自动化系统) to identify trending news stories from dozens of publishing partners and to help improve the content by rewriting headlines or adding better accompanying photographs or slide shows.
“I spend all my time reading about how automation and AI are going to take all our jobs — now it’s taken mine” one of the terminated contractors said. “But with fewer human beings to monitor the technology, AI may not be fully familiar with strict editorial guidelines and could end up letting through inappropriate stories.”
MSN has experienced a number of changes since its launch as Microsoft Network in 1995. Once it offered original content and links to news, weather and sports. In 2013, it rolled back original news content and began cutting employees. By 2014, it launched are designed version that partnered with other news sites, paying them to redistribute their content. Today, the news service relies entirely on those partnerships with no original news content of its own. Selecting and editing stories rather than actually generating them made it easier for MSN to increasingly rely on an automated editing system.
1. On what basis did Microsoft make the decision to cut employees?A.Pressure from competitors in the industry. | B.The proposal that AI engineers put forward. |
C.Difficulties the pandemic has brought about. | D.Analysis and assessment made by the company. |
A.Developing an automated working system. | B.Bettering the content by revising headlines. |
C.Shooting photos to go with the news story. | D.Finding out the inappropriate news stories. |
A.fired | B.trained | C.chosen | D.promoted |
A.A well developed distribution strategy. | B.Money saved from cutting on employees. |
C.Are designed version with no original news. | D.The technical cooperation with other websites. |
The film, Article 20, which is directed by Zhang Yimou, draws
According to the Criminal Law《刑法, when a person,
For some time, justifiable defense
Many online users have commented that the true
Luo Xiang,
Liu Zhe, a prosecutor (检察官) from the Beijing People’s Procuratorate, said some outdated judicial concepts may lead
6 . It was a beautiful, sunny, Spring day. I had just finished driving my daughter to the airport to
My sons and I then went to a fast food place for breakfast before heading back home. After eating we all got into the car and
The restaurant was at the very top of a hill. At the bottom of the hill was as top sign so we found ourselves at the end of a long line of traffic
As I looked down to the bottom of the hill my eyes saw an
My heart went out to him and I
Suddenly a loud HONK from the car behind me made me realize that I hadn’t been moving forward, because this
A choice is such a
A.catch | B.disturb | C.avoid | D.face |
A.pull over | B.pull out of | C.pass by | D.take off |
A.waiting | B.parking | C.ignoring | D.moving |
A.alive | B.lovely | C.elderly | D.disabled |
A.broken | B.torn | C.worn | D.given |
A.supposed | B.imagined | C.considered | D.matched |
A.reached | B.searched | C.headed | D.looked |
A.hand | B.wallet | C.car | D.pocket |
A.kiss | B.hug | C.introduce | D.joke |
A.different | B.simple | C.important | D.complex |
A.collected | B.kept | C.captured | D.reflected |
A.Therefore | B.So | C.Yet | D.Moreover |
A.lighter | B.heavier | C.happier | D.brighter |
A.faithful | B.useful | C.skillful | D.powerful |
A.chances | B.challenges | C.choices | D.decisions |
1. 今年的庆祝时间(6月10日)
2. 节日由来:纪念(be in memory of)屈原
3. 人们举行庆祝活动:吃粽子、赛龙舟……
4. 欢迎大家一起体验这个传统节日
注意:1. 词数不少于80词;
2. 可适当增加细节,以使行文连贯;
3. 文中不能出现与本人相关的信息;
4. 开头已写好,不计入总词数。
Dear fellows,
The Dragon Boat Festival, also called the Duanwu Festival, is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month according to the Chinese calendar.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Eradajere Oleita thinks she may have a solution
Chip eaters drop off their empty bags at two locations in Detroit: a print shop and a clothing store, where Oleita and other
It
Since its start in 2020, the Chip Bag Project
Sure,
9 . BOOKSHOPS IN ROME:A QUICK GUIDE
Rome has a handful of bookshops with only English language titles. Here is our list of the main bookshops offering books in English, from old to new titles.
Almost Corner Bookshop
The Almost Corner Bookshop in Trastevere has a wide collection of fiction (小说) works and also carries books on Roman history, art, culture, poetry and many other subjects.
Via del Moro 45, tel.065836942.
Anglo American
Centrally located near the Spanish Steps, the Anglo American Bookshop only carries books in English but on request can order books in other languages. The shop has recently moved, just down the street.
Via della Vite 27, tel. 066795222.
Open Door
The Open Door Bookshop is a small shop that specialises in buying and selling quality second-hand and old books in English, Italian, French, German and Spanish, as well as some new books.
Via della Lungaretta 23, tel. 065896478.
The Little Reader
This children’s English bookshop in the Esquilino area of Rome collects books from babies to teens in English and Italian. It also has a local cafe (咖啡馆) and garden and offers a regular (定期的) programme of reading events and activities for children and their parents.
Via Conte Verde 66b, tel. 0687784678.
1. In which bookshop can you learn more about Roman history?A.Almost Corner Bookshop. | B.Anglo American. |
C.Open Door. | D.The Little Reader. |
A.065836942. | B.066795222. | C.065896478. | D.0687784678. |
A.Eat Spanish food. | B.Read books in French. |
C.Enjoy reading activities. | D.Take Italian language courses. |
1.描述现象;
2.沉迷网游的危害;
3.发出呼吁。
注意:
1.写作词数应为80左右;
2.请按如下格式作答。
Dear fellow students,
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
That’s all. Thank you!