1 . You’re in the shower. You grab the showerhead. What do you do? You sing.
Have you ever wondered about this phenomenon? Some of us wouldn’t sing in public if someone paid us. Yet we’ll sing in the shower without embarrassment. Believe it or not, there’s a scientific explanation behind it.
First, let’s look at why we’re relaxed enough in the shower to burst into song. Think about it: you don’t sing when you’re sad (unless you’re singing the blues, of course). For many people, shower time is the only time they’re alone all day. You’re in a warm, small, safe environment. You’re comfortable enough to be yourself! When you relax, your brain releases dopamine (多巴胺), which can give your creative juices an extra kickstart.
Warm water is rushing over you, and now you’re relaxed and feeling good. It turns out that singing makes you feel even better. Singing, because of the breathing you put into it, gets more oxygen into the blood. This gives you better circulation, which in turn improves your body and mood. And because you have to breathe a little deeper to belt out a song, you get some of the same relaxation and mind-clearing benefits as meditation (冥想). Another neat thing is that when you’re singing, you really can’t think about your problems—more stress relief.
But the best thing about singing in the shower? The acoustics (音响效果)! You can never ask for a better sound system than a bathroom. Because bathroom tiles (墙砖) don’t absorb sound, your voice bounces back and forth around the room before fading away, which makes your voice hang in the air longer. And because the shower is a small space, it boosts your voice, making your singing sound more powerful. So you will sound better than you actually are, which is a confidence boost.
We don’t sing in the shower simply because we have “Call Me Maybe” stuck in our heads. It turns out we do it for many reasons: stress relief, happiness, great acoustics, or maybe just because we like to hear our own voices. Whatever the reason, keep it up. It’s good for you. And if you’ve never tried it, pick a song, grab the showerhead and put on your own private concert.
1. Why do many people feel comfortable singing in the shower?| A．The acoustics are perfect in public places. | B．Shower time is relaxing and private. |
| C．Singing boosts stress levels. | D．Showering improves vocal abilities. |
| A．Released dopamine due to relaxation. | B．Increased exposure to blues music. |
| C．Enhanced oxygen absorption from water. | D．Strengthened lung capacity. |
| A．The bathroom’s small size encourages relaxation. |
| B．Breathing while singing improves circulation. |
| C．Singing removes the need for deep breaths. |
| D．Tile walls absorb sound and stress. |
| A．Science. | B．Technology. | C．Culture. | D．People. |
2 . In the days before the Internet, critical thinking was the most important skill of informed citizens. But in the digital age, according to Anastasia Kozyreva, a psychologist at the Max Planck Institute of Human Development, and her colleagues, an even more important skill is critical ignoring.
As the researchers point out, we live in an attention economy where content producers on the Internet compete for our attention. They attract us with a lot of emotional and eye-catching stories while providing little useful information, so they can expose us to profit-generating advertisements. Therefore,we are no longer customers but products, and each link we click is a sale of our time and attention. Toprotect ourselves from this, Kozyreva advocates for learning the skill of critical ignoring, in which readers intentionally control their information environment to reduce exposure to false and low-quality information.
According to Kozyreva, critical ignoring comprises three strategies. The first is to design ourenvironments, which involves the removal of low-quality yet hard-to-resist information from around. Successful dieters need to keep unhealthy food out of their homes. Likewise, we need to set up a digital environment where attention-grabbing items are kept out of sight. As with dieting, if one tries to bank onwillpower not to click eye-catching “news”, he’ll surely fail. So, it’s better to just keep them out of sightto begin with.
The next is to evaluate the reliability of information, whose purpose is to protect you from false and misleading information. It can be realized by checking the source in the mainstream news agencies which have their reputations for being trustworthy.
The last goes by the phrase “do not feed the trolls.” Trolls are actors who internationally spread false and hurtful information online to cause harm. It may be appealing to respond to them to set the facts straight, but trolls just care about annoying others rather than facts. So, it’s best not to reward their bad behaviour with our attention.
By sharpening our critical ignoring skills in these ways, we can make the most of the Internet while avoiding falling victim to those who try to control our attention, time, and minds.
1. What can we learn about the attention economy from paragraph 2?| A．It offers little information. | B．It features depressing stories. |
| C．It saves time for Internet users. | D．It seeks profits from each click. |
| A．To discuss the quality of information |
| B．To prove the benefits of healthy food. |
| C．To show the importance of environments. |
| D．To explain the effectiveness of willpower. |
| A．Reveal their intention. | B．Turn a deaf ear to them. |
| C．Correct their behaviour. | D．Send hard facts to them. |
| A．Reasons for critical thinking in the attention economy. |
| B．Practising the skill of critical ignoring in the digital age. |
| C．Maximizing the benefits of critical ignoring on the Internet. |
| D．Strategies of abandoning critical thinking for Internet users |
3 . According to a study published this week, habitual napping (打盹) appears to be associated with a large brain volume in adults although experts stressed that further research was needed. It reduces the cost caused from the lost time and the fatigue-related errors. The work followed previous studies that suggested a brief doze could improve people’s ability to learn.
Arianna Huffington, a co-founder of Huff Post and the founder and chief executive of Thrive Global, said, “Given the latest science on the effectiveness of napping and the clear link between employees feeling well rested and their productivity, it’s long past time that businesses embrace short naps at work.”
Some businesses, including Thrive Global, have already introduced facilities for employees to take naps. Google introduced sleep pods as far back as 2014 and companies like Nike and Ben & Jerry’s introduced nap rooms. The practice has even been adopted by the NHS, with a growing number of hospitals introducing sleep pods for staff in an effort to help them get more rest. Employees, it seems, are enthusiastic. Sean Greenwood, of Ben & Jerry’s, said, “If a quick nap gets employees more involved and creative, we’re happy to provide that for our team members.”
Unfortunately, the practice of napping still suffers from our collective concept that sleep equals weakness and laziness. However, the performance-enhancing benefits of naps have been no secret to many leaders throughout history. It also gives the higher-ups the chance to acknowledge the 24/7 culture and come up with top-down solutions that encourage workers to take care of themselves in and out of work.
While sleep experts stressed that a daytime doze could be beneficial, they said it was crucial to get enough shut-eye at the end of a day. It is the late stage of sleep, sometimes missed by early risers, that strengthens the nerve circuits that make for learning and memory, allowing the brain to make and consolidate new neutral connections. Additionally, prioritizing sufficient sleep during the regular nightly sleep period is essential for overall well-being.
1. What is paragraph 1 mainly about?| A．Work stress. | B．Learning abilities. |
| C．A research finding. | D．The brain volume. |
| A．Dismissive. | B．Approving. |
| C．Unclear. | D．Critical. |
| A．To advocate enough rest. | B．To praise creative employees. |
| C．To compare the differences. | D．To present the current situation. |
| A．The approaches to shut-eye. | B．The importance of napping. |
| C．The secrets to well-being. | D．The benefits of memory. |
We know that smartphone addiction can affect lives in negative ways. A 2017 University of Texas study claimed that merely
It is
Over 120, 000 people in Norway, of
(1)与朋友保持联系；
(2)互相尊重，诚实以待；
(3)及时帮助朋友。
注意：(1)词数100左右；
(2)可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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注意：1.词数 100 左右。
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯;
3.开头语已经为你写好，不计入总词数。
I often imagine what my life will be like in three years.
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Grandma called me in from the yard. “Would you please go to the store for me? I’m ready to bake rolls, and there isn’t enough yeast(酵母). Take a quarter from my little change purse.”
I found Grandma’s purse and put the quarter in my pocket. I was soon in the little general store that served our farming community.
“Mr.Jenkins,”I said,“Grandma needs some yeast.”
Mr.Jenkins set three cakes of yeast on the counter(柜台). His eyes twinkled(眨眼), and he smiled at me. “And what do you need?”
Í knew what he meant. I was always allowed to pick a cent’s candy when I came to the store with Grandma.But Grandma wasn’t here, and she hadn’t said anything about spending a penny.
“How much change do I have from a quarter?” I asked.
“Four cents,” Mr. Jenkins replied. “The yeast is seven cents a cake.”
I thought that over quickly. I would have four cents back. I was sure Grandma wouldn’t care if l spent one cent, and if she were here, she might even say I could have them all. The longer I looked at the candy, the more certain I became that I needed one cent’s worth as a reward for coming to the store alone.
As Mr.Jenkins handed me the candy and three cents, a voice inside me said this was not a really honest thing to do. That wasn’t my money, and I hadn’t asked if I might spend it.However, I put the cents in my pocket and started home, running past Uncle Roy, who was heading in the direction of my home.
“Thank you,” Grandma said when I laid the yeast on the table. “Did you put the change back in my purse?”
“Yes, Grandma,” I replied, hurrying out to the passage(走廊), I hadn’t really lied to Grandma.I argued with myself. I did put back all the change I had.
注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右：
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
I knew I had cheated Grandma, and I was nervous.
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I watched Uncle Roy make his way home, his words repeating in my mind.
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8 . The Spotlight Effect
Have you ever felt as if the entire world was watching while you made a mistake? Well, here’s some good news: it’s likely that no one even noticed.
The spotlight effect exists because we all get used to seeing things through our own eyes. Every person is the main character in his or her story, and the events of our lives seem to have great importance.
The spotlight effect is a very common part of the human experience. However, in some cases, it can lead to extreme social anxiety and nervousness around other people. Everyone suffers some degree of social anxiety. We all care about what others think, and we all want to be liked. It’s normal to wonder about what effect we have on other people.
Learning about the spotlight effect is important because it can help us reduce our anxiety. Next time you feel like everyone is staring at you, remind yourself that it’s just your mind playing tricks on you.
| A．However, this can be a problem when the anxiety is too much to handle. |
| B．That’s why fewer people notice the embarrassing circumstances they encounter. |
| C．Another good exercise is to make an effort to notice the people around you, rather than focusing on yourself. |
| D．The spotlight effect is a trick of the mind that makes us believe that people notice us more often than they really do. |
| E．What you can do at this moment is to ignore them. |
| F．We are so busy examining ourselves that we actually observe very little about everyone around us. |
| G．It can also appear when we score a big goal, ask someone on a date, or do a good deed. |
9 . The Canadian government announced a plan to ban single-use plastics as early as 2022. As someone who performs research on plastic pollution, I see this as a positive step forward. However, I wonder whether it will go far enough.
Some people may feel that this announcement is simply a “feel-good measure” and a distraction from bigger problems such as the climate disaster. The truth of the matter is that plastic pollution and the climate disaster are signs of the same disease. As much as 8% of global oil goes directly to plastic production—a figure that doesn’t include the transportation of single-use plastics to global markets, the energy used to transport plastics to landfills and the energy used to sort or recycle things.
In the past years, some bans have actually resulted in an increase in other forms of waste. For example, paper bags may be seen as a sustainable (可持续的) choice since, unlike plastics, paper breaks down in the environment. However, a paper bag has a carbon footprint three times that of a plastic bag and is still “single-use” just as much as a plastic bag is.
Adopting (采用) a science-based method, which the government has promised, will ensure the ways of using single-use plastics are more sustainable. I’m, however, concerned about the announcement because “as early as 2022” is very different from “by 2022”, which has a strict timeline. If we’re truly going to carry out an effective ban on single-use plastics, our government will need to spend a large amount of money on innovation (改革) and research into sustainable materials and our waste treatment system to prevent plastics from going into our oceans or landfills.
So the question remains: is this announcement simply smoke and mirrors, to hide a lack of determined action on both plastic waste and the climate disaster, or is this a real effort that will be carried out to stop the production of single-use plastics? We will have to wait and see.
1. How does the author feel about Canada’s new plan?| A．She is more excited than worried. | B．She never believes in Canada. |
| C．She considers it a great success. | D．She has mixed feelings about it. |
| A．stress paper bags are sustainable materials |
| B．explain paper bags are greener than plastics |
| C．prove some measures are unsatisfactory |
| D．show paper bags are no different from plastics |
| A．Its coming a little too late. | B．Its lacking scientific support. |
| C．Its having no strict timeline. | D．Its appearing far from practical. |
| A．Canada’s efforts to reduce the use of plastics. |
| B．The author’s views on Canada’s single-use plastic ban. |
| C．Reasons for the author’s criticism of Canada’s new plan. |
| D．Similarities between plastic pollution and the climate disaster. |
10 . A new concept vehicle, Pod was introduced by Toyota and Sony at the Tokyo motor show. The car is intended as a four-wheeled friend. It aims to provide affection, sympathy and encouragement. Like a dog welcoming its master, the car sits up, wags its tail and recognizes its owner’s presence using hydraulics (液压装置) and a multi-coloured LED display panel (引擎) across the front.
While on the road, the car constantly monitors the driver’s mood with pulse and sweat (汗) sensors on the joystick (操纵杆). Cameras fixed on the eyes keep watch for any sigh of drowsiness. If a driver appears to be losing his or her cool, Pod will display warnings, play soft music and blow cold air at the face. Drivers are shaken awake with loud music and a shaking chair.
To improve driving skills, Pod uses a comparison to score drivers, offer advice and rank all Pod owners. Toyota states that the car will eventually be able to learn its owner’s likes and dislikes by monitoring passenger conversations. If the car hears a favorite song being discussed, it will download the track from the Internet and play it without being asked. It will also recommend (推荐) restaurants that might suit the driver’s taste and take photographs of passengers when they sound particularly happy.
In keeping with the moodiness that is the car’s main selling point, Pod expresses a form of road anger. If a driver brakes or swerves (急转弯) suddenly, the LED panel shows an angry red and the tail rises at the back.
Anger is one of the car’s ten “emotional states”. Another is sadness—a blue front with tear-shaped lights seemingly dropping from headlights—which appears after a flat tyre or when gas is low.
“We wanted to show that the cars can be cheerful and entertaining,” said Yasunori Sakamoto, part of the Toyota design team. Mr Sakamoto said Toyota has no plans to put Pod on the market. Sad, really.
1. The underlined word “drowsiness” in Paragraph 2 means _________.| A．fear | B．boredom |
| C．excitement | D．sleepiness |
| A．rank the restaurant nearby | B．recommend a song to passenger |
| C．have a conversation with drivers | D．test the driver’s driving skills |
| A．the LED panel turns red |
| B．the tail rises at the back of the car |
| C．the front lights turn blue and look like tears |
| D．the car stops and shake with loud music |
| A．Supportive. | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Negative. | D．Curious. |
