1 . Gone are the days when a mother’s place was in the home: in Britain women with children are now as likely to be in paid work as their unburdened sisters. Many put their little darlings in day care long before they start school. Mindful that a poor start can spoil a person’s chances of success later in life, the state has intervened ever more closely in how babies and toddlers are looked after. Inspectors call not only at nurseries but also at homes where youngsters are minded; three-year-olds follow the national curriculum. Child care has increasingly become a profession.
For years after the government first began in 2001 to twist the arms of anyone who looked after an unrelated child to register with the schools, the numbers so doing fell. Kind but clueless neighbours stopped looking after little ones, who were instead herded into formal nurseries or handed over to one of the ever-fewer registered child-minders. The decline in the number of people taking in children now appears to have halted. According to data released by the Office for Standards in Education on October 27th, the number of registered child-minders reached its lowest point in September 2010 and has since recovered slightly.
The new lot are certainly better qualified. In 2010 fully 82% of nursery workers held diplomas notionally equivalent to A-levels, the university-entrance exams taken mostly by 18-year-olds, up from 56% seven years earlier, says Anand Shukla of the Daycare Trust, a charity. Nurseries staffed by university graduates tend to be rated highest by inspectors, increasing their appeal to the pickiest parents. As a result, more graduates are being recruited.
But professionalization has also pushed up the price of child care, defying even the economic depression. A survey by the Daycare Trust finds that a full-time nursery place in England for a child aged under two, who must be intensively supervised, costs £194 ($310) per week, on average. Prices in London and the south-east are far higher. Parents in Britain spend more on child care than anywhere else in the world, according to the OECD, a think-tank. Some 68% of a typical second earner's net income is spent on freeing her to work, compared with an OECD average of 52%.
The price of child care is not only eye-watering, but has also become a barrier to work. Soon after it took power the coalition government pledged to ensure that people are better off in work than on benefits, but a recent survey by Save the Children, a charity, found that the high cost of day care prevented a quarter of low-paid workers from returning to their jobs once they had started a family. The government pays for free part-time nursery places for three-and four-year-olds, and contributes towards day-care costs for younger children from poor areas. Alas, extending such an aid during stressful economic times would appear to be anything but child’s play.
1. Which of the following is true according to the first paragraph?| A．Nursery education plays a leading role in one’s personal growth. |
| B．Pregnant women have to work to lighten families’ economic burden. |
| C．Children in nursery have to take uniform nation courses. |
| D．The supervision of the state makes child care professional. |
| A．the registered child-minders are required to take the university-entrance exams |
| B．the number of registered child-minders has been declining since 2001 |
| C．anyone who looks after children at home must register with the schools |
| D．the growing recognition encourages more graduates to work as child-minders |
| A．prevents mothers from getting employed |
| B．may further depress the national economy |
| C．makes many families live on benefits |
| D．is far more than parents can afford |
| A．Objective. | B．Skeptical. | C．Supportive. | D．Biased. |
| A．The professionalization of child care has pushed up its price. |
| B．The high cost of child nursing makes many mothers give up their jobs. |
| C．The employment of more graduates makes nurseries more popular. |
| D．Parents in Britain pay most for child nursing throughout the world. |
2 . Brian Hamilton used to occupy himself with a six-figure job, but his life changed in a prison when he was accompanying his friend, Reverend Robert J. Harris, who often went to local prisons to do his work. During the visit, Hamilton started talking to one of the prisoners and asked what he was going to do when he got out. “He said he was going to get a job,” Hamilton says. “I thought to myself, wow, that’s going to be difficult.”
The conversation made Hamilton consider how prisoners could benefit from operating their own business, something he thought about for years. Finally in 2008, 16 years after that initial conversation, Hamilton created Inmates to Entrepreneurs, a nonprofit organization that helps people with criminal backgrounds start their own small businesses. “Harris and I taught our first course at a prison called ‘How to Start Your Own Business When You Get Out’,” he says.
At the time, Hamilton was building his own company, Sageworks. He was the chairman and co-founder of Sageworks. As Sageworks grew, so did Hamilton’s time spent teaching at prisons throughout North Carolina.
Eventually, Hamilton decided it was time to change his focus to his true passion. In May 2018, he sold his stake (股份) in Sageworks, focusing his commitment on Inmates to Entrepreneurs.
“Now, anyone is able to access the course, either to become a teacher to go into prisons to teach it or to access it for themselves as a prisoner or part of the general population,” Hamilton explains. In addition, he visits middle schools and presents the course to at-risk students to lead the so-called bad students to the right path.
The free course is funded by the Brian Hamilton Foundation, which offers help to soldiers as they adjust to civilian life and provides loans to small businesses. “We’re giving prisoners something they can do independent of a system that isn’t working for them. If you can make people know that other people care about them, it will make a difference.”
1. What does Paragraph 1 mainly talk about?| A．Hamilton lost his six-figure job. |
| B．Harris often visited local prisons to interview. |
| C．Hamilton’s life changed after visiting a prison. |
| D．Harris was optimistic about prisoners’ job prospects. |
| A．It is often short of prison teachers. | B．It provides loans to at-risk students. |
| C．It’s independent of the social system. | D．Its course has been largely broadened. |
| A．He often went to prisons before 2008. |
| B．He tried to prevent possible crimes in advance. |
| C．He wrote a book titled “How to Start Your Own Business”. |
| D．He gave away his company to those who were released from prison. |
| A．Offering care to others. | B．Giving trust to strangers. |
| C．Showing respect for teachers. | D．Providing education for children. |
| A．A man made a fruitless visit to the prison. |
| B．A man sold his business to teach prisoners. |
| C．A man realized his dream of being a teacher. |
| D．A man successfully created two organisations. |
3 . When people get old and have difficulty working full time, they retire and begin a new, more relaxing lifestyle. But what about old industrial buildings? Can they start anew?
China seems to find a good solution for them. In recent years, many abandoned factories, railway yards, warehouses and mills( 磨 坊 )have been transformed into cultural and tourist sites. According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, there are now 194 items on the country’s national industrial heritage list.
The 798 Art Zone in Beijing is an iconic example. Built in the 1950s as No. 718 Joint Factory, it was gradually abandoned in the 1990s as production slowed down. In 2006, Beijing’s municipal government invested over 120 million yuan and improved its infrastructure( 基础设施)condition, turning the factory complex into a cultural and creative industrial base. Now the art zone holds about 200 galleries, art centers as well as fashionable boutiques( 精品店), cafes, and restaurants, which also earns it a place on the bucket list of many tourists, noted The Paper.
Jack Liu is a frequenter of the art zone who visits it every weekend. “In the art zone, you can refresh memories of the development of Chinese manufacturing through its old buildings,” said the 28-year-old to Teens. “However, in art galleries here you will feel pulled into a fashionable, modern world. It’s amazing.”
Industrial heritage sites, which used to be filled with the rumbling of machines, are now precious pages of the book on the industrial culture of China, noted People’s Daily.
Since these heritage sites are rich and diverse in content, cities in China also spare no effort to explore new ways and models to protect and utilize them.
For example, a beer museum has been set up inside a century-old plant of the Tsingtao Brewery in Qingdao, Shandong province, bringing people closer to the long history of the brewery. Some abandoned plants in Beijing have also been remade for city explorers to take adventures in.
Just as the elderly need our care and love, these industrial heritages are also expected to be injected with vitality through protection and development. “It is not only an inevitable trend of the innovation-driven development of cities, but a necessity for promoting new drivers of development,” noted People’s Daily.
1. What is China’s solution for old industrial buildings?| A．Expanding their space and uses. |
| B．Upgrading them to become attractions. |
| C．Integrating them with new buildings. |
| D．Returning them to their original condition. |
| A．It was established in the 1990s. |
| B．It mainly provides venues for fashion shows. |
| C．It’s China’s first cultural and creative industrial base. |
| D．It’s a successful example of transforming old industrial sites. |
| A．To show the popularity of industrial heritage sites. |
| B．To explain the importance of remaking old plants. |
| C．To introduce the features of industrial heritage sites. |
| D．To illustrate how industrial heritage sites can be used effectively. |
| A．They deserve to be brought back to life. |
| B．They can be drivers for city development. |
| C．They should give way to modern buildings. |
| D．They are reminders of a city’s development. |
| A．Used to be filled with the rumbling of machines, industrial heritage sites are valuable pages of the book on the industrial culture of China. |
| B．The transformed old industrial buildings are an inevitable trend of the innovation-driven development of cities. |
| C．The transformed old industrial buildings really bring back memories of the development of Chinese manufacturing through its old buildings. |
| D．The transformed old industrial buildings are highly required for promoting new development. |
4 . One of the most stressful days of Susan McFrederick’s life was watching her son get wheeled away for surgery hours after he was born in 2011.
But after the operation, Susan burst into tears for a different reason: across the cut on their newborn sons back was a sweet winter scene, hand-drawn on his bandages（绷带）.
“There were rolling hills of snow, a pine tree and a snowman with a hat and broom, she recalled. It was extremely touching and comforting to know that somebody had taken the time to do that for my family. It was a moment I'll never forget.”
Susan soon learned the artist was her sons surgeon, Robert Parry, who discovered another way to use his hands in the mid-1980 s during his internship（实习期）at children's medical center. where he saw one of his colleagues cut out heart and shark shapes to decorate children’s bandages.
“My first reaction was, 'What is he doing? Hey, that’s kind of neat,’ ” Parry recalled. “I especially liked the reactions of the parents and the patients when they saw his artwork. The smiles took everyone's attention from the surgery. Then I decided to follow suit.”
Parry quickly graduated from his early hearts and sharks, and started to surprise families with drawings that captured young patients' personalities. From Snoopy to Spider-Man and bears to butterflies, there isn’t much he hasn’t drawn. Most kids want superheroes sports team logos or princesses, while babies often receive scenes with flowers trees and sea creatures During the last 30 years, Parry estimates he has left examples of his handiwork over the stitches（伤口缝线） of more than 10, 000 children.
“During a time of stress for families, it's nice to be able to help them smile and laugh," Parry said. This is something positive that I can do for them, which is what I like most about it.”
For Parry, the reward is knowing he hopefully made a difference in a child’s life, and except for his drawings on bandages, they can go on and live their lives and never know I was in it.” he said.
He's not ready to retire, but he's found a new hobby to keep his hands skillful in the years to come.
“I've taken up knitting（编织）,” Parry said. “Hats, sweaters, gloves---I enjoy it all. But mostly, I enjoy giving everything away.”
1. Susan burst into tears after her baby's operation because she was__________.| A．moved | B．amused |
| C．stressed | D．heartbroken |
| A．He was motivated by his patients. |
| B．He was inspired by his colleague. |
| C．He was required to learn the skill during his internship. |
| D．He was encouraged by Susan to show his genius for art. |
| A．devoted himself more to art than to medicine. |
| B．knew more about his patients than their parents. |
| C．took into consideration the tastes of individual patients. |
| D．created a large number of works beyond his expectations. |
| A．To get a reward from the artistic circle. |
| B．To win the admiration of his colleagues. |
| C．To make a difference in his dull medical career. |
| D．To lift the spirits of his patients and their parents. |
| A．He is eager to show others his new skills. |
| B．He enjoys trying new ways to help others. |
| C．He is looking forward to life after retirement. |
| D．He is more interested in knitting than drawing. |
5 . No business would welcome being compared to gambling. Yet that is what is happening to makers of video games. For years parents have complained that their children are “addicted” to their video games and smartphones. Today, however, even more doctors are using the term. On January 1 this year, “gaming disorder” — in which games are played uncontrollably, despite causing harm — gained recognition from the World Health Organization (WHO).
Are games really addictive? Psychologists have different opinions. Those who don’t think so say that this is just another moral panic. Similar warnings have been given about television, rock’n’roll, jazz, comic books, novels and even crossword puzzles, but it turns out that they are not as harmful as expected.
However, supporters argue that game developers have the motivation and the means to design their products to make them extremely attractive. For one thing, the business- model has changed: In the old days, games were bought once and for all. But these days, games are free and money is earned from purchases of in-game goods, which ties playtime directly to revenue (收益). For another, game-makers combine psychological theory and data, which helps them maximize the playtime. Smartphones and modern video game machines use their permanent Internet connections to send gameplay data back to developers. In this way products are constantly adjusted to encourage players’ spending. The biggest spenders are known as “whales”, a term that originated in casinos (赌场).
The gaming industry should realize that, in the real world, it has a problem, and that problem is growing. Now that gaming addiction comes with an official WHO recognition, diagnoses will become more common. Anyway, being put together with gambling in the public mind, fairly or not, will not do the industry any good.
1. What do we know from Paragraph 1?| A．It is not suitable to compare video games to gambling. |
| B．Parents complain about their children’s addiction to gambling. |
| C．Gaming addiction was officially recognized as a disease. |
| D．More doctors are against the use of the term “addicted”. |
| A．Unexpected addiction caused by science and technology. |
| B．Wrong judgment on how harmful something is. |
| C．Trouble caused by someone’s immoral behavior. |
| D．An astonishing claim of the unexpected panic. |
| A．They don’t charge players for in-game goods. |
| B．They keep players’ video game machines updated. |
| C．They reward big spenders with a unique title. |
| D．They adjust products based on received data. |
| A．offer a suggestion |
| B．make a prediction |
| C．give a warning |
| D．put forward a solution |
| A．Addiction: A Warning to the Gaming Industry |
| B．Addiction: Not a Blame on Games |
| C．Games: A New Kind of Gambling |
| D．Games: The Cause of Mental Disorder |
6 . Jonathan Cranwell sat on hard bench behind the long narrow desk and watched the flies fly lazily in the sun. The drone of the younger boys reading letters and older boys reciting Latin verbs made him sleepy. Jonathan had to force his eyes to stay open. He wanted to learn something new!
He looked up at the schoolmaster’s high desk in the front of the room. The new teacher was from Harvard College. Jonathan’s father had been impressed with him. The boys had already had several other teachers, but none of them seemed to inspire Jonathan. So far, there was nothing to show that this one was special, though he’d only been there two days.
“It’s too hot to sit and memorize lessons,” the schoolmaster said. “We’ll move outdoors for the next part of our lesson.” He led the group of boys into the schoolyard. “You younger boys, dig for grubs and beetles (幼虫和甲虫). Count their feet. See if you can describe their shells (壳).”
Jonathan watched the teacher surrounded by laughing young students. No one had ever used the schoolyard itself for a classroom. “What next?” he thought. Soon he didn’t have time to think about the younger boys, for he was running after butterflies and dragonflies himself.
Jonathan and his friends liked this new way of learning.
“It will be a clear night tonight. Go outside and look at the sky,” said the schoolmaster. “Look at the stars and notice their brightness and the patterns they make. These patterns have names from Greek mythology (神话), names like Orion, Aries, and others. Tomorrow we will learn about the ancient stories on them.”
“How is the new schoolmaster?” asked Jonathan’s father that evening, when Jonathan announced he was going out to look at the sky.
“He’s different from any schoolmaster we’ve had,” Jonathan admitted. “He seems interested in everything around him, and he wants us to be curious too. He even used the schoolyard as a classroom!”
“So Mr. John Adam and his new ways make school useful to you after all,” joked Jonathan’s father.
“I believe he has,” said Jonathan. “I know I won’t forget the lessons he has taught us!”
1. What does the underlined word “drone” in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．Boring sounds. | B．Clear talks. | C．Enthusiastic responses. | D．Loud noises. |
| A．“Go outside and look at the sky,…” | B．“See if you can describe their shells.” |
| C．“It’s too hot to sit and memorize lessons,…” | D．“Tomorrow we will learn about the ancient stories…” |
| A．silly | B．confused | C．delighted | D．easygoing |
| A．Mr. Cranwell had met the new schoolmaster | B．Jonathan had previously complained about school |
| C．Mr. Cranwell was not satisfied with the new ways | D．Jonathan had shown his father his homework |
| A．Science is all around us. | B．School provides us with the best education. |
| C．Homework is an important part of education. | D．There is more than one way to learn. |
7 . American author Gary Hopkins tells us, “A suitable apology can be a wonderful thing, so long as it is from the heart.” However, an apology is
A few years ago, I was a guest
Of course, apologies shouldn’t be
Generally, over apologizing
| A．essential | B．impossible | C．reasonable | D．difficult |
| A．editor | B．speaker | C．worker | D．member |
| A．dressed | B．prepared | C．known | D．equipped |
| A．formed | B．recalled | C．delivered | D．appreciated |
| A．blamed | B．praised | C．discovered | D．approached |
| A．interrupted | B．apologized | C．stopped | D．coughed |
| A．caught on | B．brought out | C．stepped on | D．broke down |
| A．speechless | B．hopeless | C．confused | D．frightened |
| A．ready for | B．nervous about | C．careful about | D．aware of |
| A．in reply | B．in vain | C．in return | D．in place |
| A．ignored | B．mentioned | C．used | D．accepted |
| A．regretting | B．failing | C．pretending | D．promising |
| A．ridiculous | B．impressive | C．accessible | D．crucial |
| A．sale | B．income | C．deposit | D．loss |
| A．private | B．false | C．inadequate | D．illegal |
| A．Besides | B．Therefore | C．Nevertheless | D．Instead |
| A．expects | B．continues | C．deserves | D．tends |
| A．motivation | B．confidence | C．energy | D．experience |
| A．embarrass | B．challenge | C．misunderstand | D．tolerate |
| A．suitably | B．normally | C．directly | D．frequently |
8 . In October, I told the eight-year-olds about my plan. “I’d like all of you to do extra jobs to
Early in the week, the boys and girls arrived in class seizing their hard-earned money and couldn’t wait to go shopping. I watched
“Flowers!” Kristine cried. The group rushed toward the holiday
Then we set off for the house of a needy grandmother and finally
We returned to the car. Fastening seat belts, we could see the kitchen window. The woman inside waved goodbye, then turned and walked across the room, past the turkey, past the trimmings,
| A．spend | B．earn | C．withdraw | D．save |
| A．either | B．though | C．otherwise | D．anyway |
| A．experience | B．expect | C．advocate | D．clarify |
| A．enjoy | B．receive | C．accumulate | D．share |
| A．better than | B．rather than | C．other than | D．more than |
| A．alive | B．wrong | C．fresh | D．fair |
| A．until | B．before | C．as | D．since |
| A．Gradually | B．Eventually | C．Frequently | D．Occasionally |
| A．observed | B．confirmed | C．recognized | D．spotted |
| A．plants | B．lights | C．cards | D．foods |
| A．Panicked | B．Moved | C．Defeated | D．Determined |
| A．pulled up | B．settled down | C．turned out | D．got through |
| A．accompany | B．welcome | C．inspect | D．instruct |
| A．puzzle | B．astonishment | C．pleasure | D．disappointment |
| A．surprised | B．depressed | C．embarrassed | D．amused |
| A．straight | B．abruptly | C．gradually | D．close |
| A．terror | B．shock | C．pain | D．smile |
| A．chance | B．decision | C．moment | D．condition |
| A．energy | B．power | C．talent | D．interest |
| A．sensed | B．noticed | C．marked | D．checked |
9 . Some people say that the planet is getting smaller, that there are few places left to explore, and that the age of exploration will be over soon.
I would argue instead that there has never been a greater need to explore. That’s because the stage for all exploration is the natural world, and nature is experiencing a rapid decline. It is by exploring that we understand and when we understand we develop an appreciation for what is found. Ultimately, only the things we appreciate are worth protecting.
As the golden age of exploration weakens, so does the richness of life on Earth. It isn’t just that there are fewer blank areas on the map; it is that wild places and spaces have been progressively carved up (瓜分). Visiting the Okavango Delta or Kalahari Desert, for example, no longer implies a self-supported expedition ( 考 察 ). Field stations pop up in important national parks and remote sensing by satellite becomes commonplace.
In the next century, I believe we will need larger and wilder areas. We will need the wilderness, not just for the protection of it, but because it is an important part of the ecosystems from which we gain our necessities like clean water, food and materials. If we succeed, then expeditions — brief travels into the wild that seek to answer questions, monitor populations, and inspire action — will have a renewed sense of purpose. More importantly, they greatly help the public experience, understand and appreciate nature.
Based on my own research expedition which aims to understand “edge effects”— how the changes in temperature at forest edges impact animals, I find it important that today’s scientists continue to spend time in the field. It is here that they begin to understand how seemingly unrelated environmental interactions influence their study system. Sometimes, it’s difficult to know which is important to measure until you stand out there on the forest edge.
It is the young generation that is the main force to lead the next wave of expeditions. The measure of their success will be whether there are still well-preserved wild places for expeditions in the future. Their leadership is needed now, more than ever.
1. What’s the purpose of this text?| A．To suggest understanding nature by keeping exploring. |
| B．To advise people not to travel to unknown places. |
| C．To inform us about the reduced biodiversity. |
| D．To call on the public to support the study. |
| A．It is difficult for explorers to make progress. |
| B．It is more accessible with the help of technology. |
| C．It promotes the development of satellite technology. |
| D．It requires explorers to take sufficient heavy equipment. |
| A．Appear unexpectedly. |
| B．Close temporarily. |
| C．Develop quickly. |
| D．Differ greatly. |
| A．The significance of scientists’ field trip. |
| B．The difficulty of carrying out fieldwork. |
| C．The need to expand the edges of forests. |
| D．The influence of his study on the environment. |
| A．our knowledge of nature |
| B．the time spent in the field |
| C．the preservation of wild places |
| D．the study system of young generations |
10 . Like many people, in terms of socializing, I prioritize making time for my closest friends and family. When it comes to reaching out to people I don’t know as well I often find myself reluctant to engage. This could be a big mistake, though, according to a new study. Having different types of social interactions seems to be central to our happiness — something many of us may think little of.
In a series of surveys, researchers looked at how having a socially diverse network related to people’s well-being. In one survey, 578 Americans reported on what activities they had been engaged in, with whom and for how long over the past 24 hours, while also saying how happy with life they were. The researchers found that people with more diverse social networks were happier and more satisfied with life than those with less diverse networks — regardless of how much time they had spent socializing overall.
“The more you can broaden your social circle and reach out to people you talk to less frequently — like an acquaintance, a friend, a coworker, or even a stranger — the more it could have positive benefits for your well-being,” said the lead researcher Hanne Collins of Harvard Business School.
To further test this idea, she and her colleagues looked at large data sets from the American Time Use Survey and the World Health Organization’s Study on Global Aging and Adult Health. In both cases, they found that when people had a broader range of social interactions, they experienced greater happiness and well-being.
Then Collins and her colleagues did another analysis, using data from a mobile app that 21,644 French-speaking people used to report on their daily social activities and happiness. There, they found that when someone experienced greater-than-average social diversity one week, they were happier that week and the week after.
Why is that? It could be that being with different people contributes to different kinds of emotions, which may be a driving force in our happiness, says Collins. Alternatively, it could be that having a more diverse network allows you to get various social supports when you need it. Whatever the case, Collins hopes her research will inspire people to expand their social networks when they can.
1. What does the author use as an introduction to the passage?| A．A personal communication skill. |
| B．A social trend against one’s will. |
| C．A common social phenomenon. |
| D．A culture many people neglect. |
| A．Its results were different from culture to culture. |
| B．Different results were obtained from the researchers’ three surveys. |
| C．The researchers collected large amounts of data from different platforms. |
| D．It focused on the impact of a more diverse social network on life satisfaction. |
| A．Any stranger or co-worker can bring you happiness. |
| B．Broad social circle contributes to more happiness. |
| C．Happiness depends only on social interactions. |
| D．Close relationship influences happiness badly. |
| A．By providing motivation for life. |
| B．By leading to one’s balanced life. |
| C．By arousing one’s positive emotions. |
| D．By making him / her sensitive to happiness. |
| A．Collins’s social life. |
| B．Collins’s conclusions. |
| C．Collins’s new research. |
| D．Collins’s specific suggestions. |
