1 . The biggest criticism (批评) of social networking is that our young people are losing their offline friends to online friends. In fact there is a lot of research that shows these criticisms are generally unfounded. Research by Allen et al. found that people are not replacing offline friends with online companions but are using them to support their offline relationships. They also found that our online friendships actually allow us to have discussions with a much more diverse set of people than in the real world and improve our psychological happiness.

However, there is one part of social networking that is deeply worrying. We find ourselves in a hyper-connected world where people access social media day and night, excited to make announcements about the tiniest details of their lives. Research is starting to show that this culture is negatively affecting not our friendships but our character.

Professor Larry D. Rosen, in his book iDisorder, presents evidence that social networking is turning us into narcissists (自恋者). He says that young people who overuse social networking sites can become vain, aggressive, and show anti-social behavior in their offline lives. But perhaps an even more disturbing effect is that one of our most basic emotions seems to be disappearing—empathy. This is the emotion that bonds us together; it allows us to see the world from our friends’ points of view. Without it, we are far less able to connect and form meaningful adult relationships.

Sherry Turkle, a professor of social sciences at MIT, suggests that people are no longer comfortable being alone. This is something confirmed by a study where 200 university students were asked to go without social media for 24 hours. Many admitted an addiction to their online social network; most complained that they felt cut off from family and friends. But being alone is a time, Turkle argues, when we self-reflect and get in touch with who we really are. It is only when we do this that we can make meaningful friendships with others. She believes, as is the title of her book, that we are simply “Alone Together”.

These potential changes in our characters are rather disturbing. If nothing is done, our young people could well be in trouble. Therefore, suggestions about ways to encourage our young people to avoid the problems of social networking should be made, so they can develop the kinds of friendships that are required to grow into well-adjusted and happy adults.

1. In this passage, the author mainly argues that ________.

A．internet culture causes various problems

B．we are losing some most important emotions

C．online friendships do good to offline friendships

D．social networking affects young people’s personalities

2. According to Sherry Turkle, how can we make meaningful friendships with others?

A．by getting in touch with online friends

B．by avoiding the problems of social networking

C．by reflecting and getting in touch with ourselves

D．by being alone then having discussions with a much more diverse set of people

3. From the passage, we can learn that ________.

A．social media have more advantages

B．young people will develop offline friendships

C．young people can’t go without social media

D．we are becoming unable to understand others well

2 . The Day Lisa Lost

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not talking about the many professional athletes of today who have developed a me-first attitude. I am talking about high school sports, where lessons of life are still being learned. Here, athletes still compete for the love of the game and their teammates. Lisa Kincaid is one of them.

I first met Lisa on the volleyball court. If anyone had a right to be cocky (自大的) or proud of herself, it was Lisa. Besides being one of the best volleyball players in the USA, she became a track legend (传奇人物) . She went sixty-four national games without losing any event.

However, she felt uncomfortable talking about her achievements and would usually change the conversation to others’ performances. She often lent her shoes to someone who’d forgotten her own, or sincerely sent best wishes to competitors from different teams.

Soon after, Lisa’s impossible failure in one game impressed me a lot. Lisa’s coach told her he needed her to run the mile. She had never done so, but agreed to do what was best for the team. Lisa easily outdistanced the competition, but on the last lap she seemed to grow tired. Jane, Lisa’s teammate, passed her. Lisa managed to stay just behind Jane and followed her across the finish line. Lisa lost an event for the first time in her track career.

Athletes in Lisa’s track program needed to earn a set amount of points to gain a varsity letter (校队标志微章). Lisa knew that Jane needed to finish first to earn a letter for the first time. Without Lisa, Jane would make it. Lisa remembered all this as she lined up for the start of that race. It suddenly struck me why she wore a slight smile on her face after having “lost” for the first time ever. Jane finally received her first varsity letter. And Lisa? On that day, the day she lost, she earned my respect and admiration.

1. From the passage, we can learn that Lisa_________.

A．valued the importance of respect	B．intended to prove herself in the race
C．won every race she had ever entered	D．cared less about what she had achieved

2. Why did Lisa wear a smile on her face after the race?

A．Because she did a deal with Jane.	B．Because she lent her shoes to others.
C．Because she carried out her secret plan.	D．Because she already earned her varsity letter.

3. Which of the following word can best describe Lisa according to the passage?

A．Generous.

B．Brave.

C．Patient.

D．Independent.

3 . What’s the first thing you remember doing? It could be playing with your friends at school, or going to a birthday party and eating amazing cake.     1     Did those special moments really happen or did we make them up?

It’s a strange concept to grasp, but according to research, about four out of ten of us invent our first childhood memory. Rather than having experienced something, we could have fabricated a fake memory from videos or photos we’ve seen. We could have been influenced by a story recounted to us that spurs our minds on to adopt someone else’s memory as our own.     2    

    3     Well, our ability to retain memories from before the age of two isn’t great. While at that age we do have short-term memories, according to Catherine Loveday, an expert in autobiographical memory at the University of Westminster, the memories that infants make are not long-lasting.     4     Some scientists also believe that as we get older, our childhood memories fade and after the age of seven, we get some kind of “childhood amnesia (健忘症)”.

So why do we create fake memories? Some experts believe that there is a clear desire for a sense of self and having a cohesive (连贯的) story of our existence.     5     As we get older, we want to have a complete picture of our entire lives.

So, the next time someone says they have a clear memory from when they were one or even before just remember that while it could be true, there’s a chance they just invented it at some point in their lives.

A．But why don’t we have clear memories from that age?

B．It happens to everyone no matter how educated he or she is.

C．This is possibly due to the rapid creation of brain cells in our early years.

D．We often talk about these memories with our families as if it were what happened yesterday.

E．Creating memories can fill in the gaps giving us a more complete structure for our early lives.

F．Most of us have a treasured early memory of our childhood, but can we really believe those vivid memories?

G．What it means is that memories of our younger years, especially before the age of two, may be inaccurate, or entirely false.

5 . Is it possible to persuade mankind to live without war? War is an ancient institution, which has occurred ever since men were organized into units larger than the family. In the past human race managed to survive it. Why should it not continue to survive even if wars go on occurring from time to time? Moreover, people like war, and will feel frustrated without it. And without war there will be no adequate opportunity for heroism or self-sacrifice.

Modem technology has changed this. Either man will abolish war, or war will abolish man. For the present, it is nuclear weapons that cause the most serious danger, but bacteriological or chemical weapons may, before long, offer an even greater threat. If we succeed in abolishing nuclear weapons, our work will not be done. It will never be done until we have succeeded in abolishing war. To do this, we need to persuade mankind to look upon international questions in a new way, not as contests of force, in which the victory goes to the side which is most skillful in killing people, but by arbitration (通过仲裁) in accordance with agreed principles of law. It is not easy to change very old mental habits, but this is what must be attempted.

There are those who say that the adoption of this or that ideology (意识形态) would prevent war. I believe this to be a big error. All ideologies are based upon dogmatic (武断的) statements that are, at best, doubtful, and at worst, totally false. Their followers believe in them so fanatically that they are willing to go to war in support of them.

The movement of world opinion during the past few years has been very largely such as we can welcome. It has become a commonplace that nuclear war must be avoided. Of course very difficult problems remain in the world, but the spirit in which they are being approached is a better one than it was some years ago. It has begun to be thought, even by the powerful men who decide whether we shall live or die, that negotiations should reach agreements even if both sides do not find these agreements wholly satisfactory. It has begun to be understood that the important conflict nowadays is not between different countries, but between man and the atom bomb.

1. From the passage we can learn that war now is ______.

A．as bad as in the past	B．worse than in the past
C．as necessary as in the past	D．not so dangerous as in the past

2. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Men, as well as war, will have to make the ultimate choice between the two.

B．Modern technology has empowered man to choose whether to have war or not.

C．At least 6,000 years later, man has finally decided to abandon war once and for all.

D．People will eventually destroy themselves if they choose to go to war at modern times.

3. As for ideology, what does the author intend to tell us?

A．Certain ideology is superior regarding its truthfulness.

B．It is useless to adopt an ideology to prevent war.

C．Not every ideology is not worth fighting for.

D．It is wrong to follow any ideology.

4. Which would be the best title for the passage?

A．War or No War, That Is A Question

B．Nuclear Weapons Bring the End of Human Race

C．Towards a Future Without War: A Call for Global Arbitration

D．From Ideology to Negotiation: A New Approach to International Conflicts

6 . A video circulated on social media earlier this year, showing a tourist opening the door of a vehicle, reaching out an arm and attempting to stroke a passing lion. The lion shrugged the tourist off, but it could have easily gone horribly wrong.

Reckless behaviour around wildlife risks the safety of both people and animals. People risk being attacked, mauled (撕咬) and possibly killed, while animals can be harmed, removed or even put down, regardless of whether they were only defending themselves. Animal attacks can also cast a destination in a negative light, causing temporary closures or scaring off visitors. All just so someone could boast that they had stroked a lion or captured a moment on a camera phone.

“Tourists are getting more and more reckless around wildlife and the source of the problem is social media.” says wildlife photographer Anette Mosshachers. “People risking their lives or doing stupid things with wildlife are after ‘likes’ and followers, something to show off on social media,” says Mossbacher. “The greater the risk, the more ‘likes’ they get. With some clients, it seems like a sickness or addiction.”

Yet social media is not entirely to blame. People have always taken risks for an experience. Foolish behavior and a tendency to get cocky around dangerous animals must have been around since the dawn of humanity. A hunger for attention online might drive some of the current madness, but some individuals might be trying to recreate a piece of the action they have seen on television. Perhaps the adrenaline (肾上腺激素) rush when close to wild animals causes a disappearance of common sense.

“There’s a worrying lack of awareness that animals several times our size, weight, speed and strength can easily hurt us,” says wildlife photographer David Lloyd. “I don’t think parks are doing enough to raise awareness. Tourists need to know how their presence can affect wildlife. A good example is cheetahs (猎豹) on vehicle rooftops. It may be a thrill for the bystanders, but the consequences if a mother cheetah falls off would be severe. She would no longer be able to hunt, so her cubs could easily starve.”

“People aren’t getting the education about why they need to stay away from wildlife, including avoiding diseases, keeping people secure and letting wildlife be wild,” says Philip Muruthi, vice president of species conservation and science for the African Wildlife Foundation. “We need to educate tourists through signs, pamphlets and frontline drivers. We should stick to guidelines, and there needs to be enforcement through the law.”

1. What can we learn about reckless behaviour around wildlife?

A．It may get animals killed for defending themselves.

B．It may bring more profits to a tourist destination.

C．It enables tourists to get intimate with animals.

D．It harms tourists more than animals.

2. As for Mossbacher’s opinion on what drives people’s reckless behavior, the author is______.

A．sympathetic

B．disapproving

C．indifferent

D．doubtful

3. What does the underlined word “cocky” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．over-sensitive.

B．over-confident

C．over-frightened.

D．over-shocked.

4. What can we conclude from the passage?

A．Punishment rather than education can stop people taking silly risks around wildlife.

B．Parks are expected to take more responsibilities for educating tourists.

C．More regulation of the tourist industry is the key to raising tourists’ awareness.

D．Raising tourists’ awareness means stressing the danger of animals to them.

7 . New research confirms that human footprints found in New Mexico are probably the oldest direct evidence of human presence in the Americas, a finding that upends what many scientists knew about human habitation and migration (迁徙).

The footprints were discovered at the edge of an ancient lakebed in White Sands national park. According to the new paper published in the journal Science, they date back to between 21,000 and 23,000 years ago. Actually, the estimated age of the footprints was first reported in Science in 2021, but some researchers raised concerns about the dates. Questions focused on whether seeds of water plants used for the original dating may have absorbed ancient carbon from the lake — which could, in theory, throw off radiocarbon dating (碳14年代测定) by thousands of years. But the new study presents two additional lines of evidence for the older date range. It uses two entirely different materials found at the site, ancient pollen (花粉) and stone grains.

The reported age of the footprints challenges the once conventional wisdom that humans did not reach the Americas until a few thousand years before rising sea levels covered the Bering land bridge between Russia and Alaska, perhaps about 15,000 years ago. “This is a subject that’s always been controversial (有争议的) because it’s so significant. It’s about how we understand the last chapter of the peopling of the world,” said Thomas Urban, an archaeologist (考古学家) at Cornell University, who was involved in the 2021 study but not the new one.

Thomas Stafford, an independent archaeological geologist in New Mexico, who was not involved in the study, said he “was a bit suspicious (怀疑的) before” but now is convinced. The new study isolated about 75,000 grams of pure pollen from the same stone layer that contained the footprints. “Dating pollen is laborious but worthwhile,” said Kathleen Springer, a research geologist at the US Geological Survey and a co-author of the new paper.

Ancient footprints of any kind can provide archaeologists with a quick look of a moment in time. While some archeological sites in the Americas point to similar date ranges — including necklaces carved from giant animal remains in Brazil — scientists still question whether such objects really indicate human presence. “White Sands is unique because there’s no question these footprints were left by people,” said Jennifer Raff, a scientist at the University of Kansas, who was not involved in the study.

1. The underlined word “upends” (Paragraph 1) is closest in meaning to “________”.

A．supports

B．connects

C．challenges

D．compares

2. According to the passage, what is special about the new research?

A．It shows the footprints were made by the Russians.

B．It offers more convincing lines of evidence for dating.

C．It confirms that the ancient humans enjoyed living by the lake.

D．It reveals the footprints are much younger than previously thought.

3. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that ________.

A．necklaces are valuable objects for archaeologists to date animals

B．human footprints are often sure signs of human presence

C．ancient objects in Brazil are not included in the study

D．White Sands is one important archaeological site

4. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

A．Humans Reached Americas 15,000 Years Earlier Than Believed

B．American Archaeologists Unearthed Valuable Manmade Objects

C．New Research Confirms Early Human Presence in Americas

D．Scientists Discovers New Species of Humans in Americas

8 . Humankind has tried to improve its standard of living since the very beginning of civilization (文明). Back then, and today, providing food was the basic task for a person.     1     People feel the need for not only some primary things, such as bread and shelters, but also for various facilities and luxuries. Providing humanity (人类) with these things is connected to the use of natural resources, which requires energy. In turn, the common sources of energy we use today cause pollution, so economic growth is almost inevitably connected with environmental damage.

    2     The first of these is the fact that in order to produce more goods and products, at a faster rate, the construction of large industrial plants is required. These plants produce a lot of waste, which may cause negative long-term health effects to nearby populations of animals, or people.

The traditional energy sources, which are commonly used nowadays, are considered to be the greatest polluters to the environment. There also exist so-called eco-friendly sources of energy.     3     Of course, during this time people have to make some sacrifices to support these undertakings (企业) .

In order to produce practical energy, a transformation of the natural site is often inevitable (不可避免的).     4     Application of wind energy would block airflow’s natural speed. Consequently, the pressure balance that is brought about by this current will be affected, and it is important to remember that the environment and weather conditions are directly affected by atmospheric pressure.     5     This is the embarrassment mankind has to deal with. A good balance between economic development and sustainability is forever what humankind has to keep in mind

A．There are certain aspects of economic growth which affect the environment.

B．Clean energy has always been on the priority list for a better environment.

C．For these reasons, bringing about economic growth without any resulting environmental damage is impossible.

D．However, nowadays the range of required goods has expanded significantly.

E．So humankind began to make exploration to satisfy themselves economically and mentally.

F．They are sometimes preferred but replacing the traditional sources with them also requires time.

G．This is expensive and, has harmful effects on the environment.

10 . When you hear “I have a dream…”, one of the most famous speeches in human history, you’ll never have the idea how the audience on the scene were fueled by emotional intelligence. When Martin Luther King. Jr. presented his dream, he chose language that would stir the hearts of his audience. Delivering this electrifying message required emotional intelligence — the ability to recognize, understand, and manage emotions.

Emotional intelligence has been highly recommended by leaders, policymakers, and educators as the solution to a wide range of social problems. Emotional intelligence is important, but the uncontrolled enthusiasm has obscured (掩盖) a dark side. New evidence shows that when people sharpen their emotional skills, they become better at controlling others. When you’re good at controlling your own emotions, you can hide your true feelings. When you know what others are feeling, you can motivate them to act against their own best interests.

Social scientists have begun to document this dark side of emotional intelligence. In a research conducted by Professor Jochen Menges from University of Toronto, when a leader gave an inspiring speech filled with emotion, the audience was less likely to examine the message closely and remember the content. Ironically (讽刺的是), audience members were so moved by the speech that they claimed to recall more of it.

The authors call this the awestruck (敬畏的) effect, but it might just as easily be described as the dumbstruck effect. One observer reflected that Hitler’s persuasive impact came from his ability to strategically express emotions — he would “tear open his heart” — and these emotions affected his followers to the point that they would “stop thinking critically and just emote (激动地表达感情).”

Leaders who master emotions can rob us of our abilities to reason. If their values are out of step with our own, the results can be destructive. New evidence suggests that when people have selfish motives, emotional intelligence becomes a weapon for controlling others.

Throwing light on this dark side of emotional intelligence is one mission of a research team led by University College London professor Martin Kilduff. According to these experts, emotional intelligence helps people disguise (伪装) one set of emotions while expressing another for personal gain. Professor Kilduffs team writes, “The strategic disguise of one’s own emotions and the controlling of others’ emotions for strategic ends are behaviors evident not only on Shakespeare’s stage but also in the offices and corridors where power and influence are traded.”

Of course, people aren’t always using emotional intelligence for evil ends. More often than not, high EQ is helpful in most aspects of our life. Emotional intelligence — like any skill — can be used for good or evil. So whether it is a gift or a curse lies in your hand.

1. Why does the author mention Martin Luther King, Jr?

A．To advocate a society with fewer problems.	B．To recommend his speech to other leaders.
C．To honor the great leader for his courage.	D．To introduce the major topic to readers.

2. What is the dumbstruck effect of Hitler’s emotional intelligence?

A．His followers would tear open their hearts to him.

B．His followers would express emotions strategically.

C．His followers would develop the self-serving motives.

D．His followers would lose the ability to reason properly.

3. How do people use their emotional intelligence for personal gain?

A．They disguise their true emotions and show another one.

B．They present their strategic behaviors on the stage.

C．They help their colleagues to build up confidence.

D．They lower their own dignity to gain popularity.

4. What would be the best title for the passage?

A．The benefits of emotional intelligence.	B．The reasons for using emotional skills.
C．The dark side of emotional intelligence.	D．The advantages and disadvantages of emotions.