1 . The hustle and bustle(喧嚣)of life, walking back and forth from the ideal to reality, and the inner confusion hidden behind a social mask-these daily experiences are recorded by Chinese youths in lines of poetry online. Recently, 124 Bilibili internet users shared their works in a poem collection.

One blogger on Xiaohongshu who goes by the nickname Gehuaren is one such poetry lover. The twenty-something girl not only writes poems as a form of entertainment in her spare time, but also improvises(即兴创作)poems for others at night markets in Yunnan. As a street-stall poet, Gehuaren often writes pieces of poetry quickly based on themes from customers. Once the poem has been completed, she refuses to change her work because she feels her poems reflect her first reaction. For her, everything in the world, no matter trivial or significant, can serve as her poetic inspiration. “A glass, a tree in the dawn or a person who once talked with me…these all could become themes for my poems,” said Gehuaren.

With free writing with a regular rhythm and broad themes, her poems strike a chord with many young people online, helping her gain over 190, 000 followers. Many have made comments “I feel healed by your poems because I can find beauty from unnoticeable things and in turn, slow down to reflect on my life.”

Apart from poetry, various means such as vlogging and photosharing can be used to record moments of daily life. But young people consider poetry to be the best way to express them. “Taking photos or vlogging can just show the object or emotions in real life. Yet poetry, which can be used to excite the imagination, shows the beauty of daily life, ”an 18-year-old said. So when he is inspired by the beauty of daily life, the boy writes it down into lines of poetry and then shares them with his friends on his WeChat Moments.

No matter why young people write their unique brand of poems, they are attempting to take every moment in lives seriously, face their lives bravely and actively express themselves.

1. How does Gehuaren find inspiration for her poems?

A．By referring to traditional Chinese poems.

B．By attending various online poetry lectures.

C．By exploring great moments in life.

D．By observing everyday life.

2. Why are Gehuaren’s poems so popular with her followers?

A．They are original and full of imagination.

B．They have a strong sense of rhythm.

C．They record the beauty of small and ordinary things.

D．They reflect the differences between the ideal and reality.

3. What’s the 18-year-old’s attitude towards poetry?

A．Positive.

B．Neutral.

C．Cautious.

D．Objective.

4. What can we infer about the young poets in the last paragraph?

A．They hope to avoid challenges.

B．They intend to impress their peers.

C．They try to escape from the busy life.

D．They make their thoughts known bravely.

2 . Weifang, Shandong province, will exempt(免除)senior middle school tuition fees for the third child in every family born after May 31, 2021, local officials announced on Tuesday at a news conference on optimizing policies encouraging families to have more children.

The tuition fee exemption is one of a series of measures released by the city to encourage the birthrate. Others include subsidies(补贴)for universal childcare services, house purchases and medical expenses for childbirth. The government is also optimizing pregnancy leave and encouraging employers to explore flexible working schedules for female workers.

The newly released measures have received a mixed response from the public with some welcoming the policy, while others say the tuition benefit is too little and too far off to make an impact. “Is the child able to study in a senior middle school if he or she didn’t pass the examination?” said one user mockingly on the Twitter-like platform Sina Weibo.

Cities in the province have been ramping up subsidies, and education and nursery care services to encourage families to have more children.

Shandong province, with a population of over 100 million people, in 2022 recorded its lowest birthrate since 1983. “To encourage the birthrate, the government need to pay attention to the needs of families with only one child instead of only providing subsidies for couples with two or three children. Whether young couples have a high willingness to have one more child depends mostly on their experience of raising the first child,” said Gao Ming, 35, a resident of Qingdao. She added that she didn’t want to have a second children, even if Qingdao took similar measures.

1. What benefits can a woman with a third child enjoy in Weifang?

A．The whole pregnancy leave and one-year maternal leave.

B．The promise of her third child’s admission to senior middle school.

C．Free tuition fees of her third child for senior middle school.

D．The house purchases with expenses fully covered by the government.

2. The underlined word “mockingly” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to          ?

A．jokingly

B．alarmingly

C．lovingly

D．willingly

3. Why does the passage end with a quote from Gao Ming?

A．To present a fact.	B．To illustrate a viewpoint.
C．To solve a problem.	D．To make a comparison.

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

A．Shandong witnessed its lowest birthrate in 2022.

B．More measures are introduced to boost childbirth.

C．Newly released measures caused different public responses.

D．Is it a blessing or a curse to have more children?

3 . The Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) is dedicated to the enjoyment and appreciation of Jane Austen and her writing. JASNA is a nonprofit organization, staffed by volunteers, whose mission is to foster among the widest number of readers the study, appreciation, and understanding of Jane Austen’s works, her life, and her genius. We have over 5,000 members of all ages and from diverse walks of life. Although most live in the United States or Canada, we also have members in more than a dozen other countries.

JASNA conducts an annual student Essay Contest to promote the study and appreciation of Jane Austen’s writing in new generations of readers. Students worldwide are invited to compete for scholarship awards.

2023 Contest Topic: Marriages and Proposals(求婚)

The 2023 Essay Contest topic is inspired by the theme of our upcoming Annual General Meeting: Pride and Prejudice.

Submissions

The deadline for submissions is Thursday, June 1, 2023. We will begin accepting submissions in February 2023.

Essay Contest Awards

First Place: $1, 000 scholarship, plus free registration and two nights’ lodging (住宿) for JASNA’s 2023 Annual General Meeting in Denver.

Second Place: $500 scholarship.

Third Place: $250 scholarship.

Winners will also receive one year of membership in JASNA, publication of their essays on this website, and a set of Norton Critical Editions of Jane Austen’s novels.

Essay Format

Entries that do not follow the following requirements or arrive after the deadline will be disqualified.

·The essay must be written in English.

·The title of the essay should appear at the top of page one; further pages should be numbered on the top right; the student’s name must not appear on the essay.

·The essay must be 6-8 pages in length.

1. Which of the following is NOT correct about JASNA?

A．It is intended to encourage readers’ appreciation and understanding of Jane Austen’s works.

B．Its members of staff work on a voluntary basis with a shared mission.

C．It appeals to readers of different ages and from all walks of life.

D．Readers with JASNA membership all hold American or Canadian nationality.

2. What will each of the winners be awarded?

A．$500 scholarship plus free meals.

B．A set of Jane Austen’s novels.

C．Free accommodation for two nights in Denver.

D．Opportunities to take part in a meeting.

3. Which of the following will result in disqualification?

A．Essays without the student’s name.

B．Essays written in two languages.

C．Essays submitted on May 31st, 2023.

D．Essays covering 7 pages.

4 . One in four children who are feeling sad or anxious hide mental health difficulties from their parents, research shows.

BBC Children in Ned surveyed 2,502 young people aged 11 to 18, whose replies suggested that one in three regularly felt anxious or worried about their future. One in four said that they regularly felt the need to hide negative feelings, while one in three said they did not feel comfortable asking for help about feelings and emotions. One in four said they had not talked to someone they trusted about their mental health in the past six months.

Researchers also surveyed 2,500 parents, with half saying that there was insufficient support available for children struggling with’ mental health. One in six said they were not confident in recognizing signs of poor mental health in their child. Simon Antrobus, president of BBC Children in Need, said, “Some feelings of anxiety can be hidden, so empathizing (共情) with them and letting them know that you understand why they feel the way they do can make a real difference to a child’s health and can help prevent mental health problems from becoming serious.”

Meanwhile a survey of 3,014 adults by the mental health charity, Mind, suggested that the rising expenses of living is making people stressed. Half of participants said that their mental health was being negatively affected by the financial impact of the expenses of living- Sarah Hughes, Mind chief executive, said, “The uncertainty of watching as our costs rise can be difficult to bear and having so much to deal with can affect our mental health. Despite this, looking after our mental health is often last on our list.”

1. What can be learned from the survey on young people in paragraph 2?

A．Most of them have anxiety about their future.

B．One in four found it difficult to trust their parents.

C．One third felt the need to ask for help with their problems.

D．A quarter of them regularly felt it necessary to hide negative feelings.

2. What does Antrobus suggest parents do?

A．Place children’s needs first.	B．Recognize their own struggles.
C．Show understanding to children.	D．Study the reasons for children’s problems.

3. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．We are supposed to cut down our living expenses.

B．Mental health has been attached much attention to.

C．Almost every adult has experienced financial difficulties.

D．There is a link between high living costs and mental health.

4. What’s the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

A．To introduce a mental health charity.

B．To discuss the causes of negative feelings.

C．To encourage studies on children’s mental health.

D．To present research findings of mental health issues.

5 . To nap or not to nap? Whether napping will work for you depends on a range of factors, such as lifestyle, sleep cycle length, culture, and, most importantly, the length of your snooze. If you like to nap, you are not alone. Napping is part of the culture in many countries: around 51 percent of people worldwide habitually enjoy 40 winks in the daytime.

When it comes to napping. one size definitely doesn’t fit all. If you are sleep deprived, a nap can be helpful or even essential for making it through the day. However, for those with other sleep issues, a nap may make it harder to fall asleep at night. For most of us, the timing and length of our nap will largely determine how beneficial it is to our sleep routine.

Between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., most people experience an increase in sleepiness, triggered by a slight drop in core body temperature. A nap of 30 minutes or less around this time allows you to benefit from a burst of Stage I and 2 sleep, which is good for mental and physical alertness.

Napping for 30 minutes or less can reduce stress and lower the risk of cardiovascular problems like heart attacks and strokes. One study showed that napping three times a week for 30 minutes led to a 37 percent decreased risk of dying from heart disease.

A brief nap can be beneficial for those with excessive daytime sleepiness, including people suffering from sleep   apnea(呼吸暂停) or narcolepsy, shift workers, and people with jet lag. Studies show that short naps can help improve   or reset a disrupted circadian rhythm (昼夜节律).

Naps can interfere with insomnia(失眠) treatment, which involves restricting daytime sleep to increase the likelihood of sleeping solidly at night.

Be cautious about naps of more than 30 minutes. Waking from the deep-sleep stages results in sleep inertia, a super-dizzy state where brainwaves are slow and it takes longer to adjust to the awake state.

A recent study has found that napping for more than 60 minutes a day increased the risk of type 2 diabetes by 50 percent.

1. Whether a nap is needed is determined mainly by       .

A．your living habit	B．your sleep-wake circle
C．the society you’re in	D．period of time in sleeping

2. What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 2 mean?

A．A nap benefits all the people.

B．Not all the people fit napping.

C．A nap works on one with sleep problems.

D．A nap works for you if you’re lacking sleep.

3. Which of the following statements is true?

A．Improper length of napping leads to sleep disorder.

B．A 30-minute napping results in longer time to keep awake.

C．Napping 60 minutes a day tends to trigger certain disease.

D．Napping less than 30 minutes ensures you refreshed after wake.

4. What is a suitable title for the text?

A．Napping: Harmful or Helpful?	B．A Boost for Sleeping
C．The Timing of a Nap	D．A New Trend of Napping

6 . How important has Internet become in our lives? The Pew Research Center conducted a survey to celebrate the Web’s 25th birthday. The researchers were greatly heartened by what they found.

“In 2006, only 14 percent of American adults used Internet. Today, it’s 87 percent,” said Lee Rainie, the director of the Pew Research Center’s Internet Project. “It is what has impressed us the most.”

The survey also showed that 70 percent of the Internet users have been treated kindly or generously online, while 25 percent of respondents said they have been treated unkindly. More than half—56 percent—of users said they’ve seen an online community come together to help someone solve a problem. 25 percent said they’ve left an online group because members were too unpleasant.

When Pew asked questions about whether being online has enriched people’s relationships—or not—the results were very positive: 67 percent of Internet users said their online communication with family and friends has generally strengthened those relationships. Only 18 percent said it has generally weakened those relationships.

According to the survey, 53 percent of Internet users said Internet has become the hardest tech tool to give up. It is 15 percent higher than the result of a similar survey conducted in 2006. In fact, more people said they would have a harder time stopping using Internet than giving up TV. (These days, so much great television streams across the Internet that it makes sense.)

“In our survey, we have found that the Web makes a few people very unhappy. There’s strong evidence pointing to the fact that Internet users tend to compare their daily lives with the ‘highlight moments’ of their friends’ lives,” said Lee Rainie. “It’s really silly.”

1. Which is the most impressive result of the latest survey?

A．Users’ dependence on Internet.	B．The fast growth of Internet users.
C．The kindness of online communities.	D．The strengthened family relationships.

2. How many participants found it the hardest to give up Internet in 2006?

A．15%.

B．38%.

C．53%.

D．68%.

3. What message does Lee Rainie seem to convey in the last paragraph?

A．Online depression cannot be avoided.	B．Don’t show off in online communities.
C．Don’t make unnecessary comparison.	D．Copy your friends’ wonderful lifestyles.

4. How do the researchers feel about the results of the survey?

A．Optimistic.

B．Worried.

C．Unconcerned.

D．Doubtful.

7 . Staying alone can be both a challenging and rewarding experience. It offers a unique opportunity for self-reflection, personal growth, and independence. When we are alone, we can connect with our inner selves and discover our strengths and weaknesses.

In the quietness of being alone, we can escape the noise and distractions of the outside world. It allows us to slow down, be present, and appreciate the simple moments in life.     1     For example, we can read a book, listen to music, or pursue a hobby. Without the pressures of social interactions, we can focus on our own thoughts and feelings, gaining a deeper understanding of ourselves.

Being alone also encourages independence and problem-solving skills.     2     It teaches us adaptability as we go through challenges and uncertainties. We become more self-dependent and capable of handling various situations on our own.

    3     Taking time away from the constant demands of others allows us to focus on our own needs and refuel our energy reserves. It’s important to recognize that taking time for ourselves is not selfish, but rather a necessary part of self-care. By recharging our batteries, we ultimately become more productive and fulfilled in our personal and professional lives.

    4     While staying alone can be beneficial, humans are social beings by nature. We desire companionship, support, and shared experiences. It is important to reach out to loved ones, build meaningful relationships, and engage in social activities that bring us happiness and fulfillment.

In conclusion, staying alone can be a trans formative experience.     5     Embracing the state of being alone can lead to personal growth, inner peace, and a deeper understanding of ourselves. So, let us not fear being alone but embrace it as an opportunity for self-reflection and self-empowerment.

A．Being alone can increase your sense of connection to other people.

B．In fact, there are many disadvantages to being alone.

C．We can take the time to engage in activities that bring us joy.

D．When there is no one else around to rely on, we learn to make decisions independently.

E．It enables self-entertainment, independence, and refreshment in our own company.

F．However, it is essential to strike a balance between staying alone and social connection.

G．Moreover, staying alone allows us to recharge and refresh.

8 . While some gossip can be annoying and unprofessional, other types of gossiping can be fun, normal, even healthy and productive. Experts say that talking about others behind their backs doesn’t have to be a guilty office pastime — it can be a useful tool to direct the workplace and learn important information. “I think, generally, gossip is a good thing,” says Elena Martinescu, a research associate who’s studied the psychology of gossiping. “According to evolutionary theory, humans have developed gossip in order to form cooperation on a group.”

By talking about other people, we can learn whom to cooperate with and whom to stay away from, something that helps a group work better together. “This fixed behavior translates to the modern workplace.” she says, “It is equally important to be aware of which colleagues one can trust and who one should be careful with.”

“Gossip confirms the value of our emotions and can help us figure out where other people stand on things,” she says, “and gossip can help us make sure if we’re perceiving the world in the same way as other colleagues and coworkers receive it.” It is really about information gathering. So, if someone at work says something like Ralph has been taking a lot of sick leave recently,” it could open the door for others to share their judgments and evaluations that maybe Ralph’s frequent sick leave could account for his poor job performance, for example. It can help you calculate how much sick leave is regarded as “appropriate” among your colleagues as well as who is empathetic or mean towards Ralph.

Sometimes, though, gossiping is just random talks about people or structures you dislike. Maybe it’s tyrannous boss, or the team that work slowly. Yet this gossip can still provide a network of observations and warnings that provide an informal instruction of support outside traditional workplace channels like HR.

1. What is Elena Martinescu’s attitude towards gossip?

A．Indifferent.

B．Negative.

C．Doubtful.

D．Supportive.

2. What can be learned from the example of Ralph’s frequent sick leave?

A．Whom Ralph works well with.	B．How Ralph’s health condition is.
C．Who is kind or unfriendly to Ralph.	D．Whether sick leave is regarded as appropriate.

3. What does the underlined word “tyrannous” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Unkind.

B．Wealthy.

C．Helpful.

D．Generous.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．The Impact of Judging Workers Behind Their Backs.

B．The Surprising Benefits of Gossiping in the Workplace.

C．How Gossiping Helps You Win Trust in the Workplace.

D．Why Gossip is Always a Productive Tool in the Workplace.