1 . China has set new rules limiting the amount of time children can play online games. The rules limit children to just three hours of online game playing a week. That is one hour between 8 p. m. and 9 p. m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday most weeks.

Li Zhanguo has two children aged 4 and 8. Even though they do not have smartphones, they enjoy playing online games. Like many other parents. Li is happy with new government rules. But experts say it is unclear if such policies can help prevent addiction to online games. Children might just get addicted to social media instead. In the end, experts say, parents should be the ones to set limits and support good practice.

There has been a growing concern in China about gaming addiction among children. Government reports in 2018 found that about one in ten Chinese children were addicted to the Internet. The new rules are part of an effort to prevent young people from spending too much time on unhealthy entertainment. That includes what officials call the “irrational fan culture”

Under the new rules, the responsibility for making sure children play only three hours a day as largely on Chinese gaming companies like Net Ease and Ten cent. Companies have set up real-name registration systems to prevent young users from going past game time limits. They have used facial recognition technology to check their identities. And they have also set up a program that permits people to report what is against the law. It is unclear what punishments gaming companies may face if they do not carry out the policies. And even if such policies are performed, it is also unclear whether they can prevent online addiction.

A specialist treating Internet addiction expects about 20 percent of children will find ways to break the rules by borrowing accounts of their older relatives and find a way around facial recognition. In his opinion, short-video alps such as Douyin and Kuaishou are also very popular in China. They are not under the same restrictions as games.

1. When can children play games according to the new rules?

A．Between 8 p. m. and 9 p. m. On Friday.	B．Between 8 p. m. and 9 p. m. On Tuesday.
C．Between 10 p. m. and 11 p. m. On Saturday.	D．Between 10 p. m. and all p. m. On Thursday.

2. According to experts, _________

A．the new rules can stop children’s addiction to social media

B．companies are more responsible for kids ‘ obeying the rules

C．the new rules will help prevent children playing online games

D．parents play a greater part in limiting the time of online games

3. What will children probably do to battle with the new rules?

A．Design an advanced program.	B．Use facial recognition systems.
C．Set up real-name registration systems.	D．Borrow accounts of their older relatives.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．Rules Limiting Short-video alps	B．Rules Limiting Video Game Time
C．Rules Banning Irrational Fan Culture	D．Rules Breaking Addition to Social Media

4 . Social media has completely taken over everyday life, affecting how society runs and changing individuals in ways that even they can feel. While social media can act as a platform for people to express themselves, it can also be overwhelming, especially for high school teens.

To teenager Bryson Lan, quitting social media helped eliminate (消除) a significant distraction in his routine and keep up with teachers. “I was scrolling through social networking sites so much,” Lan said. “I was also starting to struggle since I entered my high school year. When school started, I was super overwhelmed (不知所措的), and I was just not ready for it.”

Most teenagers fear that by eliminating these apps, they will miss out on connections with their peers and feel a significant loss to their social life. However, Lan found he didn’t miss anything during his time without social media.

Another problem with social media is the amount of “junk content” posted. People are regularly posting and updating on social media, and much of the content has no meaning to other viewers and is ultimately a time suck.

However, social media isn’t all negative. Social media can be a place to develop passions and boost creativity. For example, Lan found his interest in photography blossom after seeing works from other photographers on social media. “Social media is a good place where you can have a portfolio (作品集) or upload your works,” Lan said. “A lot of people have photography accounts or art accounts. In some ways, I think it actually furthers your hobby.” “Thanks to this revolutionary development of social media, we can enjoy a world where everyone is closer than before,” Lan said. “But we also need to have the skills to make good use of social media, and that depends on each person’s efforts.”

1. What did getting rid of social media bring Lan?

A．More distractions.	B．Confusion about life.
C．A smaller social circle.	D．More attention on his studies.

2. What does the underlined phrase “a time suck” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．A waste of time.

B．A timetable.

C．A lack of time.

D．A time switch.

3. What’s Lan’s attitude towards social media?

A．Doubtful.

B．Unclear.

C．Objective.

D．Supportive.

4. What’s the main idea of the text?

A．Most teenagers’ opinions on social media.	B．The effects social media has on teenagers.
C．Innovative development of social media.	D．The problems social media brings people.

5 . The Internet plays a big part in human life. We use it for work and entertainment. We can find new recipes on the Internet or advice on staying healthy. We can even use it to learn a new language and connect with family and friends.

As far as the Internet being a part of our lives —well, that train has left the station. This expression means there is no going back to an Internet-free life. But can using the Internet too much be bad for our health? It might be, say researchers.

A new study finds that heavy Internet use may be connected to high blood pressure in an unlikely group— teenagers. The study results show that teens who spend at least 14 hours a week online were more likely to have high blood pressure. High blood pressure can cause heart and kidney (肾) disease. It is also closely linked to some forms of dementia (痴呆), a brain disease. Dementia is marked by memory disorders, personality changes, and a reduced ability to reason.

The Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan did the study. 335 young people from 14 to 17 years old participated in it. One hundred and thirty-four of the teens were described as “heavy Internet users.” Researchers found that out of these 134 teens, 26 had high blood pressure.

The lead researcher of the study is Andrea Cassidy-Bushrow. In a statement she said, “Using the Internet is part of our daily life but it shouldn’t consume us.” For the purpose of the study, she explains, teens considered heavy Internet users were online on “average 25 hours a week.” Ms. Cassidy-Bushrow adds that it is important for teens to take “regular breaks from their computers or smartphones” and to do some “kind of physical activity.”

1. Which of the following statements is closest in the meaning to the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2?

A．The train has stopped at the wrong station.

B．There is something wrong with the train.

C．Life without the Internet is nowhere to be found.

D．The train has changed its course.

2. If a person suffers from Dementia, he _______.

A．will remember everything clearly	B．will change his character
C．will develop a brain cancer	D．can do analysis accurately

3. What is the percentage of young “heavy Internet users” with high blood pressure?

A．40%

B．19%

C．25%

D．7%

4. Which of the following is the best title of the passage?

A．The Internet Does Harm to the Study.

B．Too Much Internet May Be Bad for Teenagers.

C．We Should Stop Using the Internet.

D．High Blood Pressure Is around the Comer.

6 . Mathea Allansmith isn’t your typical grandmother. She’s the oldest woman in the world to have completed a marathon. She was 92 years 194 days old when she crossed the finish line at the 2022 Honolulu Marathon, setting the record for the oldest female to complete a marathon.

Mathea, now 94, of Koloa, Hawaii, USA, stays in shape all year round by running seven days a week, no matter what the weather is. Come rain or shine, she covers 36 miles every week, even when she’s on holiday. The retired doctor didn’t take up running until she was 46 years old —after a friend suggested running two miles per day.

“The Honolulu Marathon is my favorite marathon mainly because it doesn’t close the gate at a certain time, which allows even the slowest runner to finish the race,” she said. “It’s one of the best races. Fantastic registration (注册), set-up and management make it a joy to run the race.”

Mathea, who doesn’t allow her age to slow her down, thinks she is the happiest person when she’s on the road. She enjoys running for miles and waving and saying hello to the people she passes. To stay in shape, Mathea keeps a steady training routine (惯例) . “I train all year round but increase the mileage 18 weeks before a marathon,” she said.

Mathea said it was her career as a doctor that allowed her to understand how her body and mind respond to diet and exercise. “I see the direct relation between moving and health,” she said. “It is important to reduce stress rather than ignoring it without a plan on how to do so. Of course, exercise of any kind is a natural stress reducer.”

Mathea thought getting through the finish line and winning a Guinness World Record title was the excitement of her life. “My family completely surprised me after the 2022 Honolulu Marathon, in which I achieved the world record, by wearing matching T-shirts stating my achievements,” she said.

1. What do we know about Mathea from the first two paragraphs?

A．She used to be in poor health．

B．She is the oldest to win a marathon．

C．She runs daily regardless of the weather．

D．She was encouraged by her patient to run．

2. Why is Mathea keen on the Honolulu Marathon?

A．It gives winners the best awards．

B．It provides runners with quality service．．

C．It has no time limit for runners to finish．

D．It allows runners to set a world record easily．

3. What led to Mathea’s understanding of the connection between moving and health?

A．Her professional experience．	B．Her training courses．
C．Her views on stress in life．	D．Her hobby from young．

4. What message does Mathea’s story deliver?

A．Practice makes perfect．

B．Interest is the best teacher．

C．Age is no barrier to success．

D．Ups and downs make one strong．

7 . After I made it to the city center, I started to feel it might be easy for a foreigner to deal with the great size of Beijing. With growing confidence, I decided to take the subway to the hotel, not realizing that the network didn’t go that far. Impressed with the cleanliness of the station, I bought a ticket and boarded the first subway that came along.

After a few minutes I asked in English a young man seated next to me where I should get off closest to the Friendship Hotel. Wearing a smart business suit and tie, he would surely speak English, wouldn’t he? Unfortunately, he couldn’t understand me but seemed very friendly. I showed him the room card with all the information of the Friendship Hotel in Chinese characters. He looked at it, and then his eyes moved quickly to the carriage (车厢) subway map. Next, he raised three fingers of his right hand.

In Australia, raising fingers at someone is not usually nice, but this man wasn’t smiling. At the next station he showed me two fingers. Now in Australia, that’s really rude, but I got the message. When we stopped at the third station, he didn’t just point to the door, but got up, took me out of the train, and led me to the top of the stairs, and out onto the street. Then he stopped a taxi and told the driver where to take me.

All this came from a man who couldn’t speak my language, and I couldn’t speak his. I was now speechless, especially when he refused my offer of money. I felt a little embarrassed having even thought he would accept a tip.

This experience made it clear I had to learn some Chinese quickly or my adventures might start turning into misadventures.

1. Why does the author decided to take the subway?

A．Because he believed in his ability to deal with the trip

B．Because the network covered most of the stops

C．Because he lived near the city center

D．Because he had a good impression of its cleanliness

2. Having been shown the room card, the young man        .

A．still remained puzzled	B．understood the author well
C．answered the author directly	D．pointed at the subway map

3. Which of the following can’t be used to describe the young man?

A．helpful.

B．impolite.

C．warm-hearted.

D．responsible.

4. What’s the author’s purpose of writing this passage ?

A．To prove the importance of being careful

B．To introduce a young man who didn’t know English

C．To complain some cultural misunderstanding

D．To describe one of his adventurous experiences

8 . UNESCO World Heritage Sites were created to celebrate and safeguard the most unique places around the world. Below are my 4 favorite UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Cinque Terre, Italy

With cars banned here, you’ll really get to feel the unique history and character of the Cinque Terre’s five centuries-old coastal villages. The breathtaking views of harbors far below the wild coastline along with the rich colors will definitely make it a memorable holiday.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Angkor Wat is the world’s largest religious (宗教的) monument and it contains impressive remains from the Khmer Empire (9th to 15th century). The site has dozens of iconic temples like Ta Prohm (a magnificent temple ruin hidden in the jungle). Hosting more than two million visitors annually, this artistic masterpiece is a must-see site.

Petra, Jordan

Petra’s rock-cut architecture has contributed to its nickname, the Rose City, based on the color of the stone it was carved from. The delicate constructions of temples and tombs along with the remains of churches and temples are only a couple of reasons why this world-famous site is a must-visit destination.

Yellowstone National Park, USA

Yellowstone’s vast wilderness includes mountain ranges, lakes and waterfalls. One of the main reasons for tourists to visit Yellowstone is to observe the amazing wildlife like grizzly bear, bison, bighorn sheep wander the plains and valleys.

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1. Where can tourists enjoy beautiful harbor views?

A．In Cinque Terre.	B．In Angkor Wat.
C．In Petra.	D．In Yellowstone National Park.

2. What do Angkor Wat and Petra have in common?

A．Colorful stones.	B．Religious relics.
C．Coastal villages.	D．Amazing wildlife.

3. Where is the text probably from?

A．A news report.	B．A wildlife brochure.
C．A travel blog.	D．An economic magazine.

9 . Winning the silver medal at the 2023 FIVB Volleyball Nations League in the United States, on Sunday, the Chinese women’s volleyball team enjoyed their best result in the tournament (联赛), with the key to the breakthrough being their unity and never-say-die spirit.

“I just feel that our team is more united than ever,” said Yuan Xinyue, Team China captain. “We support and help each other on the court. This is the most important reason behind our success. All of us should shoulder the responsibility of winning.”

She continued to say, “ We have firm determination, and we will keep moving forward. We cherish the road that we have walked. We will summarize events, and we will keep tackling the problems. We will also try hard and hold onto our dreams and the belief that the Chinese women’s volleyball team can be the best.”

Team China was one step away from gold, but the Turkish women’s team showed greater momentum (势头) in the final beating China 3-1. As the Chinese team only finished sixth at last year’s VNL, the second-place finish was a surprise to Chinese fans.

Sunday’s final attracted huge media attention and generated a series of trending topics on social media. While many joined in heated discussion about the final, many more expressed congratulations on the fast rise of the young women’s team.

“Although the Chinese women’s team wasn’t able to stand on the highest podium (领奖台) at the Volleyball Nations League, they still produced the best possible result by fighting together. Hand in hand, Team China players march forward together,” reported by China Sports Daily. “Team China was not among the favorites to reach the final of the VNL, but the team still managed to pocket a silver medal, which is huge progress compared to last year’s result. They proved all the doubters wrong, and they showed the world what a united team they are.”

1. How can we best describe Team China’s performance in the tournament?

A．Overconfident.

B．United.

C．Disappointing.

D．Careless.

2. Which can replace the underlined word “tackling” in paragraph 3?

A．Checking out.

B．Bringing about.

C．Giving up.

D．Dealing with.

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

A．People were concerned about Team China because it lost the game.

B．Team China played very hard in the tournament and won the first prize.

C．Team China has made significant advances though not pocketing the gold medal.

D．Team China didn’t try their best.

4. What can be the best title for the news report?

A．Team China shines in silver medal success

B．Team China not among favorites to reach final

C．Chinese women’s volleyball team plays against Turkish team

D．Team China wins the game

10 . The evidence for harmony(和睦) may not be obvious in some families. But it seems that four out of five young people now get on with their parents.

An important new study into teenage attitudes shows that their family life is more harmonious than it has ever been in the past. “We were surprised by just how positive today’s young people seem to be about their families,” says one member of the research team. “They’re expected to be rebellious(叛逆的) but actually they have other things in their minds; they want a car and other material goods, and they worry whether school is serving them well. There are more negotiations(协商) between parents and children, and children expect to take part in the family decision making process.”

So, it seems that this generation of parents is much more likely than parents of 30 years ago to treat their children as friends. “My parents are happy to discuss things with me and willing to listen to me,” says 17-year-old Daniel Lazall. “I always tell them when I’m going out. As long as they know what I’m doing, they’re fine with it.” Susan Crome, who is now 21, agrees. “Looking back on the last 10 years, there was a lot of what you could call negotiations. For example, as long as I’d done all my homework, I could go out on a Saturday night. But I think my grandparents were a lot stricter with my parents than that.”

One of the researchers comments, “Our astonishment that teenagers say they get along well with their parents comes because of a brief period in our social history when teenagers were regarded as different beings. But that idea of rebelling and breaking away from their parents really only happened during that one time in the 1960s when everyone rebelled. Now, the situation has changed. Now families enjoy more harmony”

1. What does the new study show?

A．Teenagers are more rebellious.

B．Teenagers worry more about studies.

C．Teenagers avoid making family decisions.

D．Teenagers tend to get along well with their parents.

2. What can we know about today’s parents?

A．They are stricter than before.	B．They are more impatient.
C．They are more open-minded.	D．They care less about their children’s life.

3. What’s the author’s attitude towards the relationship between parents and their teenagers?

A．Objective.

B．Negative.

C．Concerned.

D．Doubtful.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．Discussion in family.	B．Harmony in family.
C．Teenage trouble in family.	D．Teenage education in family.