1 . Gyms that profit most from the January rush
Every year, like clockwork, many people go through the same routine. On December 26th and January 1st, as the fog of cheese, chocolate oranges and champagne lifts, regret creeps(悄悄出现)in. Online searches for “get fit” and “lose weight” increase.
Many gym recruits(新成员)will have their new sportswear on for high-intensity interval training. In the basement of Another Space, a club near London’s Leicester Square, music pumps and light flash as a trainer shouts instructions to a group of mostly young women. They are pushed through bursts of burpees, handclap push-ups and various kick and punches at boxing bags. The training is murderous.
They are at one end of a fitness market.
Pure Gym expects soon to reach 1 million members. Part of its appeal is that, unlike traditional gyms, members are not bound by a long contract. “We have taken a £500 decision and turned it into a £20 decision,” says Mr Cobbold.
A.There will be other ripple effects(连锁反应), too. |
B.That will be good news for some gym goers because many will soon suffer a second round of regret. |
C.However, the club’s luxurious changing rooms and bars relieve some of the pain. |
D.Health clubs of all shapes and sizes stand ready to respond. |
E.Spending on fashion items also increases around the time of joining a gym. |
F.At the other are budget gyms, which have accounted for the big part of gym growth in recent years. |
Offshore production
The world’s consumption of fashion is huge. The European Union imported textiles (clothing and carpets) to the value of €83.7 billion in 2010. Prices have fallen, too, with hand-finished shirts costing less than five euros. To make clothes at these low prices, companies have to keep costs down. They use offshore production to do this. Large companies make their products in developing countries where workers are paid much less than in developed countries.
A point that should be considered in that case is that developing countries encourage developed countries to invest in them to provide jobs. Supporters of overseas production point out that increased investment has positive effects in the long term. Nobel prize-winning economist Paul Krugman points out that the growth in manufacturing has an impact on the rest of the economy, because it reduces the number of people needing to work in agriculture and increases competition for labour. This leads to higher wages, which lead to other improvements, such as the ability to send children to school. On the other hand, the disadvantage of this foreign investment is the fact that it can have a negative impact on the economy of developed countries, because people lose their jobs when production is outsourced to other countries.
It seems that if multinationals are going to benefit from low production costs by using overseas suppliers, they should do more to improve the social situation-for example, by building schools for the children in those communities. It is also clear that multinationals should invest in communities in the developed countries where they sell their products. Furthermore, given multinationals do benefit from lower costs of production in developing countries and their workers, they need to feel obliged to protect the workers in overseas manufacturing plants.
New look on the Museum
Museums have changed. They are no longer places for the privileged few or for bored vacationers to visit on rainy days.
At a science museum in Ontario, Canada you can feel your hair stand on end as harmless electricity passes through your body. At the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, you can look at 17 century instruments while listening to their music. At the Modern Museum in Sweden, you can put on costumes provided by the Stockholm Opera. As these examples show, museums are reaching out to new audiences, particularly the young, the poor and the less educated members of the population. As a result, attendance is interesting.
Many museums have changed in appearance. Some old, gray museums have been rebuilt, and the newer ones are open and modern in their architecture. Inside, there is modern lighting, color, and sound. Instead of displaying everything they own, museum directors show fewer objects and leave open spaces where visitor can gather and sit down. They also bring together in one display a group of objects drawn drawn from various parts of the museum to represent the whole lifestyle of region or a historical period. In one room, for instance, you may find materials, clothing, tools, cooking pots, furniture, and art works of a particular place and time.
More and more museum directors are realizing that people learn best when they can somehow become part of what they are seeing. In many science museums, for example, there are no guided tours. The visitor is encouraged to touch, listen, operate, and experiment so as to discover scientific principles for himself. The purpose is not only to provide fun but also to help people feel at home in the world of science. The theory is that people who do not understand science will probably fear it, and those who fear science will not use it to the best advantage.
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4 . Credit cards
However you view credit card, it’s hard to live in the modern world without one. And if you have one, you owe it to yourself to use it properly.
Although credit cards are becoming a more acceptable part of the financial scene, they are still regarded with suspicion by many as being a major part of the “live now pay later” syndrome(综合症).
Advertising campaigns have, however, promoted a growing realization of the advantages of these small pieces f plastics. They avoid the need to carry large amounts of cash and are always useful in emergencies. All the credit card organizations charge interest on a monthly basis.
Using a credit card wisely takes discipline and a little self-control. Once you realize your debt is someone else’s profit margin, your approach to your plastic will change. With a bit of discipline and some practical knowledge, you can make your cards work for you, rather than the other way round.
A.The cardholder must pay a defined minimum position of the amount owed by a due date, or may choose to pay a higher amount. |
B.It is worthwhile shopping around before deciding on a particular credit card. |
C.They provide encouragement to spend more money. |
D.In other words, they combine payment services with extensions of credit. |
E.As a matter of fact, a credit card can cost noting or at least help you through a period of financial difficulty. |
F.Yet wise purchasing using a card can mean you obtain up to seven weeks’ interest-free credit. |
We had several monkeys on board, but Jack was the prince of them all. As he grew tame, he got more liberty, till he got the whole range of the ship, except the captain’s and the passengers’ cabins. I
He sometimes burned his fingers by these tricks, and this kept him quiet for a few days. But no sooner had the pain been gone, to no one’s surprise,
Besides Jack, we had on board three little monkeys with red skins and blue faces. Once, Jack attracted
Jack was afraid to come down, and only after three days passed
A.opportunity B. set C. devoted D. widely E. fortune F. gained G. lack H. benefit I. rapidly J. put K. impressed |
One of the greatest stories of rags to riches success is that of Andrew Carnegie, who started life in poverty but became the richest man in the world.
Carnegie was born in Scotland in 1837, the son of a weaver. In 1848, the family moved to the United States and at 13 Carnegie began work in a cotton mill, earning $1.5 per week. About three years later, he found a better job as a telegraph messenger boy. At work, his superiors (上级) were
Carnegie now began to save a little money and, with the help of his employer, began to make some successful investments. He invested in the iron industry and eventually
Carnegie had always believed that the pursuit of wealth was never an end in itself. In his view, successful, wealthy people should re-distribute their wealth for the
Carnegie’s
7 . There are often many assumptions made about young people aged 15 to 21, but only a few can be proved with hard evidence. Now, new research has been published to help people get a better idea of these
According to an international survey in 2016, young people in emerging (新兴的) economies like China and India have a
The survey was
It was found that 53 percent of those questioned in China thought the world was becoming a better place – the highest percentage among the countries surveyed. Some 93 percent of them also felt
Indian youth were the second most
“At a time of nationalist and populist (民粹主义的) movements (such as Brexit (脱欧) or US President Donald Trump’s plans to build a wall along the US border) that focus on the
“They are a generation that is deeply
As for young people in China, what they
Pota said it was
“This is surely a hopeful development. The young population of China is more aware than anyone of the seriousness of the climate crisis – and will be
The overall survey showed a sense of optimism in the
“They are more likely to travel, to migrate across borders and to forge (建立) friendships in other countries than any
A.undereducated | B.misunderstood | C.overestimated | D.well-disciplined |
A.greater | B.fainter | C.simpler | D.safer |
A.enforced | B.operated | C.demonstrated | D.conducted |
A.hopeful | B.fearful | C.concerned | D.eager |
A.fantastic | B.realistic | C.optimistic | D.enthusiastic |
A.As a result | B.Without doubt | C.Beyond that | D.In contrast |
A.exchanges | B.agreements | C.differences | D.similarities |
A.routinely | B.traditionally | C.surprisingly | D.slightly |
A.pessimistic | B.optimistic | C.excited | D.passionate |
A.fear | B.suffer | C.consider | D.expect |
A.question | B.survey | C.attitude | D.movement |
A.amazing | B.encouraging | C.depressing | D.puzzling |
A.preparing | B.looking | C.pressing | D.waiting |
A.attitudes | B.emotions | C.dreams | D.interests |
A.original | B.present | C.next | D.previous |
![](https://img.xkw.com/dksih/QBM/2022/4/14/2957739839258624/2959256284725248/STEM/0afaac21d9af48db8428c10b7deda212.png?resizew=273)
简要描述图片内容,结合生活实例,谈谈你的感想。
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9 . Public distrust of scientists stems in part from the blurring of boundaries between science and technology, between discovery and manufacture. Most governments, perhaps all governments, justify public expenditure on scientific research in terms of the economic benefits the scientific enterprise has brought in the past and will bring in the future. Politicians remind their voters of the splendid machines “our scientists” have invented, the new drugs to relieve old disorders, and the new surgical equipment and techniques by which previously unmanageable conditions may now be treated and lives saved. At the same time, the politicians demand of scientists that they tailor their research to “economics needs”, and that they award a higher priority to research proposals that are “near the market” and can be translated into the greatest return on investment in the shortest time. Dependent, as they are, on politicians for much of their funding, scientists have little choice but to comply. Like the rest of us, they are members of a society that rates the creation of wealth as the greatest possible good. Many have reservations, but keep them to themselves in what they perceive as a climate hostile to the pursuit of understanding for its own sake and the idea of an inquiring, creative spirit.
In such circumstances no one should be too hard on people who are suspicious of conflicts of interest. When we learn that the distinguished professor assuring us of the safety of a particular product holds a consultancy with the company making it, we cannot be blamed for wondering whether his fee might conceivably cloud his professional judgment. Even if the professor holds no consultancy with any firm, some people may still distrust him because of his association with those who do, or at least wonder about the source of some of his research funding.
This attitude can have damaging effects. It questions the integrity of individuals working in a profession that prizes intellectual honesty as the supreme virtue, and plays into the hands of those who would like to discredit scientists by representing them as corruptible. This makes it easier to dismiss all scientific pronouncements, but especially those made by the scientists who present themselves as “experts”. The scientist most likely to understand the safety of a nuclear reactor, for example, is a nuclear engineer, and a nuclear engineer is most likely to be employed by the nuclear industry. If a nuclear engineer declares that a reactor is unsafe, we believe him, because clearly it is not to his advantage to lie about it. If he tells us it is safe, on the other hand, we distrust him, because he may well be protecting the employer who pays his salary.
1. What is the chief concern of most governments when it comes to scientific research?A.The decline of public expenditure. | B.Quick economic returns. |
C.The budget for a research project. | D.Support from the voters. |
A.They realize they work in an environment hostile to the free pursuit of knowledge. |
B.They know it takes incredible patience to win support from the public. |
C.They think compliance with government policy is in the interests of the public. |
D.They are accustomed to keeping their opinions secrets to themselves. |
A.some of them do not give priority to intellectual honesty |
B.sometimes they hide the source of their research funding |
C.they could be influenced by their association with the project concerned |
D.their pronouncements often turn out to be short-sighted and absurd |
A.Scientists themselves may doubt the value of their research findings. |
B.It may wear out the enthusiasm of scientists for independent research. |
C.It makes things more trivial for scientists to seek research funds. |
D.People will not believe scientists even when they tell the truth. |
10 . For years, studies have found that first-generation college students — those who do not have a parent with a college degree — lag behind other students on a range of education achievement factors. Their grades are lower and their dropout rates are higher. But since such students are most likely to advance economically if they succeed in higher education, colleges and universities have pushed for decades to recruit more of them. This has created a ‘paradox’ in that recruiting first-generation students, but then watching many of them fail, means that higher education has ‘continued to reproduce and widen, rather than close’ the achievement gap based on social class, according to the depressing beginning of a paper set to be published in the journal Psychological Science.
But the article is actually quite optimistic, as it outlines a potential solution to this problem, suggesting that an approach (which involves a one-hour, next-to-no-cost program) can close 63 percent of the achievement gap (measured by such factors as grades) between first-generation and other students.
The authors of the paper are from different universities, and their findings are based on a study involving 147 students (who completed the project) at an unnamed private university. First generation was defined as not having a parent with a four-year college degree. Most of the first-generation students (59.1 percent) were recipients of Pell Grants, a federal grant for undergraduates with financial needs, while this was true only for 8.6 percent of the students with at least one parent with a four-year degree.
Their thesis — that a relatively modest intervention could have a big impact — was based on the view that first-generation students may be most lacking not in potential but in practical knowledge about how to deal with the issues that face most college students. They cite past research by several authors to show that this is the gap that must be narrowed to close the achievement gap.
Many first-generation students “struggle to navigate the middle-class culture of higher education, learn the rules of the game, and take advantage of college resources,” they write. And this becomes more of a problem when colleges don’t talk about the class advantage and disadvantages of different groups of students. Because U.S. colleges and universities seldom acknowledge how social class can affect students’ educational experience, many first-generation students lack sight about why they are struggling and do not understand how students like them can improve.
1. The authors of the research article are optimistic because _____________.A.the problem is solvable |
B.their approach is costless |
C.the recruiting rate has increased |
D.their findings appeal to students |
A.study at private universities |
B.are from single-parent families |
C.are in need of financial support |
D.have failed their college education |
A.are actually indifferent to the achievement gap |
B.are inexperienced in handling their issues at college |
C.may lack opportunities to apply for research projects |
D.can have a potential influence on other students |
A.universities often reject the culture of the middle-class |
B.students are usually to blame for their lack of resources |
C.social class greatly helps enrich one’s educational experience |
D.colleges are partly responsible for the problem in question |