2 . Dear boss — You have always tried to attract young and youngish consumers, and our consultants have always come up with new ways to label them. I don’t need to remind you that “millennials” and, increasingly, “Gen Z” are our most important markets. The trouble is that coming up with rules to define a swathe of humanity is more art than science. It is liable to apply stereotypes. Luckily you have me, and I’m here to tell you that much of what is written about marketing to today’s most prized consumers is a myth.

Social media has just changed the ways people discover brands from viewing television, newspapers and magazines to surfing Instagram and TikTok; it has weakened the power of marketing as a whole. Such is the ease with which digital natives can fact-check our tricky marketing claims that it is getting harder to build brand loyalty. Online, communication is cheap and prices are readily Googled.

There is a similar temptation to think that physical shops no longer matter. Young consumers love their Amazon deliveries. But what works best is the seamless combination of the digital and physical worlds. Remember those online-only influencer-backed beauty brands like Glossier, which took the world by storm during the pandemic? It turns out that they struggle to get repeat business and have had to pair up with physical retailers. If we want to succeed, we need to offer the best of both physical and virtual worlds.

Gen Z will consider a brand’s sustainability and social impact, but considering something isn’t surrendering to it. They are never brand-slaved. It is chiefly youngsters who buy cheap “fast-fashion” outfits to wear once and then send to landfill. Also, youngsters care less for consumer boycotts than its virtue-signaling parents, thus open to various brands. No wonder, most brands originate from youngsters with duel identities of producers and consumers.

What determines the shopping mode of a generation is their mindset. In Gen Z, lies are easily exposed online, where everyone loves a takedown and hates hypocrisy. We are people just as our young customers are and people will always buy sincerity.

1. What is the article primarily warning readers against in marketing?

A．The excessive use of digital advertising and ignoring traditional media.

B．The use of influencers and social media platforms for product promotion.

C．Focusing solely on Gen Z without considering other demographic groups.

D．Relying on outdated perceptions of young consumer behaviors.

2. Why is it challenging to build brand loyalty among younger consumers in the digital age?

A．Young consumers are less interested in brand loyalty.

B．Digital natives can check out marketing claims.

C．Young consumers prefer shopping in physical stores.

D．Social media platforms are misguiding in brand establishment.

3. What is suggested about the importance of physical stores in modern retailing?

A．Physical stores are becoming obsolete due to the rise of e-commerce.

B．Young consumers only prefer online shopping and home deliveries.

C．A combination of digital and physical retail experiences is most effective.

D．Physical stores should be completely replaced by digital marketing strategies.

4. What’s the attitude of young consumers towards brands?

A．They commit to social justice and boycott unethical brands.

B．They consider a brand’s sustainability but are not controlled by it.

C．They are indifferent to a brand’s quality and social influence.

D．They only support brands that are created by their peers.

3 . More Than a Feeling

Charles Darwin formulated the most successful theory in the history of biology: the theory of evolution. He was also responsible for another grand theory: the theory of emotion, which dominated his field for more than a century. Its core principle was that the mind consists of two competing forces: the rational and the emotional.     1    

We now know that, on the contrary, emotions enhance our process of reasoning and aid our decision-making. In fact, we can’t make decisions, or even think, without being influenced by our emotions.

    2     Perhaps the most important discovery regarding the role of emotion is that even when you believe you are exercising cold, logical reason, you are not. People are not usually aware of this, but the very framework (框架) of their thought process is highly influenced by what they are feeling at the time - sometimes subtly (细微地).

Consider anger, for example. Backed by the threat of attack, anger creates incentives (动机) for others to comfort the angry individual. Your mental calculations increase the importance you place on your own welfare and goals at the expense of others’. Coaches tap into anger as a motivational tool because the focus on the self encourages athletes to push themselves to achieve their goals. Anger also causes you to perceive less risk.     3    

The new view of emotion may not correspond to the way Darwin saw it, but it does support one of the basic conclusions of his theory of evolution. Humans are not as different from non-human animals as people believed. What can we learn from this? The first and most crucial step is self- awareness.     4     By studying our own emotions, we can read others’ better and communicate more effectively. Once we are in touch with our true feelings, we can take steps to manage them whenever it benefits.

A．Emotions play a critical role in shaping our thoughts and decisions, subtly influencing the framework of our reasoning even when we believe we are thinking rationally.

B．He believed that emotions played a constructive role in the lives of non-human animals, while the usefulness of emotions was largely replaced by the evolution of reason in humans.

C．That can produce better judgments in situations where risk aversion (厌恶) is inappropriate, as when you are analyzing stocks (股票) or playing poker.

D．Anger, while often perceived negatively, can sometimes fuel our motivation and reduce our perception of risk, enabling more decisive actions in certain situations.

E．Studies show that those with high levels of emotional intelligence fare better in their personal and professional lives.

F．If emotions aid rational reasoning, how does that work.

4 .

________/10                                                                                Hardship                                                       Judy          May, 2020 Early on I thought this family was a bunch of complainers. But the focus of this reality show is how sweet family life was in the tough wartime era, which really touched me. But as I watched I noted that the 1940s mid-class family life was not that unbearable. Even though they didn’t have labor-saving facilities, they still had coal fire. Maybe, it’s only due to modern people’s sense of privilege that they promptly forget what immense, bodily labor was involved in the previous chore it replaced. So, the experiment was not that “real”?! Therefore, I recommend, but not highly, this show to you.

_________/10                                                                   Must See TV-Really!                                   Lily          June, 2021 For anyone interested in “Reality TV” with an emphasis on “Real”, checkout 1940’s House as soon as you can. The Hymer family from northern England spends 9 weeks living the life of a suburban 1940’s house during the infamous London blitz. Everything they use, wear, purchase, read comes from that time period - including ration books, blackout curtains, Victory gardens, and a self-built bomb shelter. What makes this   “House”   installment the best in   a long line   (see   “Frontier House”, “Colonial House”, “1900 House”) is the family’s willingness to immerse themselves in the project wholeheartedly. You as the viewer really begin to sympathize with the Hymer family’s struggles to live a 1940’s life with a 21st century mindset. I think most people will come away liking the attitude and spirit of the mother the best - she truly embodies the British spirit that was so essential and prevalent during England’s darkest hour. This is 3 hours of “history” that no one will want to end. Children would also enjoy this as there are 2 young boys (ages 10 and 7) who participate in the program wholeheartedly.

________/10                                                                                  A bit   sinister                                               David            February, 2023 Although it’s as well made as the other PBS reality shows, this one was disturbing. Many of the hardships imposed on the Hymers are by design, not circumstance. A committee of seven or eight experts privately judges them in a star chamber and decides how strict rationing will be and how much they will be fined for infractions. Watching the children go hungry while the experts debated how much to cut the food budget bothered me. The Hymers live more like lab rats than adventurers. It’s also hard to get worked up about how much wartime Brits suffered from rationing since it was nothing compared to the hardships undergone by eastern Europeans, Asians and even their own soldiers. The show was simply too narrow in scope and sinister.

1. The ratings of these three users have been hidden. Which of the following three ratings do you think are most likely to be real?

A．Judy: 6/10; Lily:3/10; David:1/10	B．Judy: 8/10; Lily:10/10; David:8/10
C．Judy: 6/10; Lily:10/10; David:1/10	D．Judy: 8/10; Lily:1/10; David:8/10

2. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．From Judy’s perspective, the Hymers family has always been a bunch of complainers.

B．The “House” series consist of “Frontier House”,” Colonial House” and “1900 House”.

C．The mother personifies the essential British spirit so most people will like her.

D．The PBS reality shows are quite disturbing, especially “The 1940s House”.

3. The passage can probably be found ________.

A．on a website providing reviews about reality shows

B．on the advertisement of “The 1940s House”

C．on a textbook about how to make excellent movies

D．in a fantasy novel about travelling back to the 1940s

5 . In the heart of the war-torn city, where buildings stood like wounded soldiers, Emma waited inline for her weekly ration. The line moved slowly, a somber procession of gaunt (瘦削憔悴的) faces and threadbare coats. When her turn came, the ration officer handed her the allotted food with a detached efficiency. “Two loaves, half a pound of sugar, and a tin of powdered milk,” he recited. The portions seemed to shrink each week, mirroring the dwindling hope in people’s hearts.

Clutching her meager supplies, Emma hurried through the bombed-out streets, dodging craters and debris. The city, once vibrant and bustling, now lay in a hushed surrender to scarcity and fear. At home, her family’s small garden offered a sharp contrast to the desolation around. Here, amidst the rows of struggling vegetables, her father toiled.

“Dad, let me help,” Emma offered, taking the shovel from his weary hands. Together, they dug into the earth, creating a hidden cache for extra food. It was a secret they guarded fiercely, knowing that in times of shortage, even neighbors could turn against each other out of desperation.

As they worked, Emma’s mind wandered to the days before the war, when food was abundant and their garden was a source of joy, not just survival. She remembered her mother’s cooking, the aromas that filled their kitchen, the laughter that accompanied their meals. Now, each bite of their bland rations was a reminder of what had been lost.

In the evenings, the family gathered around a small table, sharing their rationed food. Conversation flowed, weaving tales of better times, igniting sparks of hope. Emma’s younger brother, Tom, would often ask, “When will we have chocolate again?” It was a question loaded with longing, not just for the sweetness of chocolate but for the return of normalcy.

Despite the hardship, they found reasons to smile. Emma’s father would recount stories from his youth, tales of adventure that seemed like fairy tales in their grim surroundings. Her mother would hum old tunes, filling their home with a semblance of warmth and normalcy.

As winter deepened, the rations grew scarcer, and the hidden cache in the garden became their lifeline. Each day, Emma and her father would check the hole, ensuring their precious supplies were safe. The hole, a mere cavity in the ground, symbolized their resilience, a refusal to succumb to despair.

1. How did the amount of weekly rations appear to change each week?

A．Significantly increased	B．Dramatically decreased
C．Remained the same	D．Decreased each week

2. What does the term “hidden cache” in the third paragraph refer to in the article?

A．A treasure map	B．A buried capsule
C．A secret food storage spot	D．A mysterious box

3. How does the family’s gathering around the table for meals illustrate the impact of war on their lives?

A．Abundant food showshow the war has unexpectedly brought prosperity to their family.

B．The family’s conversations about a war-free future reflect their enduring hope.

C．Meals at the table are silent and rushed, highlighting their fear and anxiety.

D．The table becomes a place of conflict where family members argue over limited food.

4. Tom’s longing for chocolate is symbolic in the story. What does this longing represent?

A．It’s a simple craving for a treat, unrelated to the broader themes of the story.

B．The desire for chocolate symbolizes a yearning for the comforts of life before the war.

C．His wish for chocolate indicates his dislike for the food rationing and nothing more.

D．It is a secret code used by the family to communicate about their hidden food.

6 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. addressed        B. boast        C. approach        D. sense        E. wealthy F. glimpse        G. revealed        H. pushy        I. statistics        J. peers        K. motivation

College Rankings Are Something, but Not Everything

I am always confused when reading statements like “Princeton University is the number one college in the United States.” Are those who attend Princeton inherently brighter than their     1    ? Is Princeton able to produce more geniuses upon graduation?

High-ranking colleges in global education leagues attract greater talent in staff and students, and     2     better facilities, therefore generating more profits. In the United States, however, this virtuous cycle can turn vicious when financially-challenged parents end up spending their life savings on their children’s education, while     3     individuals can simply buy their way in. Besides, these rankings face criticism for potentially influencing colleges to make minor adjustments in     4     to improve their position on the table.

I didn’t care about college rankings for years until I recently saw something different. This past October, Shanghai Ranking Consultancy     5     the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2023, which assesses universities worldwide across 55 subjects in five disciplines. It is said to employ a more in-depth     6     to evaluate the performance of universities. And this makes it easier for prospective students to choose the best college for their specific subject. But how much weight should you give to these rankings?

In my opinion, college rankings can serve as a reference, offering a     7     into the reputation and strengths of institutions. However, they should not be the only determining factor for you. There are many aspects to a university education that can only be     8     when you are clear about your goals.

I once taught a three-month program to prepare university students for overseas exchange programs in England. But some of them displayed low     9    . It wasn’t merely due to a language barrier. These individuals seemed to lack communication skills, critical thinking and, more importantly, a     10     of purpose, which might help determine their future academic quality. After all, what lies in the heart of education is “U” .

7 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. touched        B. extraordinary               C. set               D. challenged               E. involvement F. individuality               G. angle               H. quote               I. reflection               J. amazed               K. dismissal

Dead Poets Society (死亡诗社) is a 1989 American drama film written by Tom Schulman, directed by Peter Weir and starring Robin Williams. The film evoked an extensive     1     on education.     2    at the conservative Welton Academy in the northeast United States in 1959, and it tells the story of an English teacher who inspires his students through his teaching of poetry.

In the autumn of 1959, Neil begins his senior year of high school at Welton Academy, an all- male, elite school. On the first day of classes, they are     3     by the unorthodox (非正统的) teaching methods of the new English teacher John Keating,a Welton alumnus who encourages his students to “make your lives     4    ”, a sentiment he summarized with the Latin expression carpe diem. Subsequent lessons include having them take turns standing on his desk to teach the boys how they must look at life in a different     5     , telling them to tear off the introduction of their poetry books which explains a mathematical formula used for rating poetry, and inviting them to make up their own style of walking in a courtyard to encourage them to maintain     6    . As the school year progresses, Keating’s lessons and their     7     in a secret poetry club encourage them to live their lives on their own terms.

However, Keating’s methods attract the attention of strict headmaster Gale Nolan. He is fired and Nolan takes over teaching the class. Keating interrupts the class to collect personal articles before he leaves, the students shout that all of them were forced to sign the letter that resulted in his     8    . They stand on their desks one by one and salute Keating with the words “O Captain! My Captain!”. Keating is deeply     9    .

The Dead Poets Society received critical applause and box office success. The film’s line “Carpe diem. Seize the day.” was also voted as the greatest movie     10     of the year 2014 by the American Film Institute.

8 . As we all know, swimming is great fun. But it often comes with _________. Drowning (溺水)is a real possibility even for the most _________ swimmers. However, this dangerous situation can be changed with watchful eyes. This summer in Florida, two young men helped to _________ one drowning death.

Griffin Emerson, a 6-year-old child, swam in an apartment block’s pool. He enjoyed the pool’s _________ area. But he began to _________ toward the deeper part slowly, struggling to keep his head above water.

All that came about as no one else, including his mother, seemed to _________ him. Griffin’s frightening _________ in the water happened over the course of a full minute, ending up with the child going down to the _________ of the pool.

However, one young man, Noah, did find Griffin in the pool. He told his friend Weston to call 911 at once. And Noah _________ to jump into the pool to ____________ the 6-year-old.

Noah made it to Griffin, caught him and ____________ him to the surface and then to the side of the pool. Before the emergency services’ arrival, Noah and Weston tried their best to ____________ life-saving steps. ____________, a few minutes later, Griffin recovered his breath.

Griffin’s mother was ____________ to Noah and Weston for their heroic actions. But the two young men thought it was no big deal and hoped that this act of kindness would be ____________.

1.

A．difference

B．attention

C．danger

D．limitation

2.

A．curious

B．ordinary

C．relaxed

D．experienced

3.

A．prevent

B．identify

C．watch

D．suffer

4.

A．quiet

B．common

C．shallow

D．separate

5.

A．run

B．move

C．jump

D．climb

6.

A．recognize

B．notice

C．consider

D．persuade

7.

A．struggle

B．complaint

C．speed

D．escape

8.

A．side

B．center

C．bottom

D．corner

9.

A．hurried

B．regretted

C．continued

D．waited

10.

A．catch up with

B．keep track of

C．drive away

D．check on

11.

A．tied

B．directed

C．dropped

D．pulled

12.

A．recall

B．describe

C．perform

D．explain

13.

A．Sadly

B．Luckily

C．Obviously

D．Surprisingly

14.

A．familiar

B．patient

C．generous

D．grateful

15.

A．paid forward

B．brought in

C．taken over

D．looked into