1 . Hiring processes can be thought of as a battle between integrity and dishonesty. You might imagine this is a simple fight between truth-seeking firms and self-promoting candidates, and to a certain extent it is. But companies themselves tend to bend reality out of shape in ways that are self-defeating.
Start with the obvious wrongdoers: job applicants. When it comes to writing the resume (简历) , they tend to massage reality into the most appealing shape possible. Everyone beyond a certain level of experience is a transformational leader personally responsible for generating millions income; the world economy would be about 15 times bigger than it actually is if all such claims were true. The average British spends four and a half hours a day watching TV and online videos. But each average job candidate is an enthusiast for public welfare, using their spare time only for worthy purposes, like volunteering in soup kitchens.
But the tendency to stretch the truth infects companies as well as applicants. The typical firm will write a job description that invariably describes the work environment as fast-paced and innovative, and then lays out a set of improbable requirements for the “ideal candidate”, someone who almost by definition does not exist. Sometimes, the requirements include an ability to go back and change the course of history.
Too few firms offer an accurate account of what a position actually involves in their job previews, which are supposed to give prospective employees a genuine sense of the negatives and positives of the job, as well as a clear idea of the company’s corporate culture. One effective strategy is to lay out in text or video, what a typical day in the role would look like.
Such honesty can be its own reward. Research has long suggested that realistic job previews lead to lower turnover and higher employee satisfaction. A paper in 2011 by David Eamest of Towson University and his co-authors concluded that favourable perceptions of the organization’s honesty are the best explanation for why. So a process designed to uncover the truth about job applicants would run a lot more smoothly if firms were also honest about themselves.
1. Why are “leader” and “enthusiast” mentioned in paragraph 2?| A．To present a rule. | B．To clarify a fact. |
| C．To make a comparison. | D．To explain a phenomenon. |
| A．Overstate. | B．Overturn. | C．Overlook. | D．Overestimate. |
| A．They show a position as it is. | B．They are made either in text or video. |
| C．They are favorable for bigger firms. | D．They mainly contain negatives of a job. |
| A．Pains and gains of employees and employers |
| B．How to get the lying out of hiring. |
| C．How to be more appealing in hiring. |
| D．A wrestle between applicants and companies. |
2 . The apparent complexities of the TikTok algorithm(算法)may actually be as simple as a bag of chips. In a video with more than 700,000 views, creator Celeste Aria laid out her “Dorito theory”, which she uses to explain the addictive nature of endlessly-scrolling social media feeds.
Everyone has a topic they just can’t stop thinking about, and Aria’s Roman Empire is Doritos. In her popular video, she expresses that TikTok scrolling is so addictive because it is never fully satisfying. Like a Dorito, a scrolling session on the For You Page is most stimulating during the first few bites. The end of the chip or video brings a desire to start consuming another one, thus returning to that first-bite feeling.
Essentially, the Dorito theory suggests that activities like eating Doritos, which provide a quick burst of pleasure but lack lasting satisfaction, can be highly addictive. Aria compared it to consuming foods that offer deeper satisfaction, like a hearty steak, where the feeling of fullness and contentment lasts longer.
The theory can apply to a lot of different experiences, but it’s particularly well-suited as a metaphor for the dopamine (多巴胺) boosts that occur while scrolling through social media feeds. Dr. Jamie Sorenson, a board-certified psychiatrist, said that the Dorito theory is consistent with existing ideas regarding addiction. “The more immediate the reward is, the more likely we are to repeat that behavior, whether it’s eating Doritos or scrolling on social media.”
Aria may not be a licensed medical professional, but she treats junk food the way any nutritionist would. “I’d recommend just trying to remove anything that you think falls into the Dorito category,” she says in her video.
The Dorito theory trend has led to reflections on the nature of addiction and the pursuit of instant satisfaction in today’s society, resonating (共鸣) with many TikTok users who recognize similar patterns in their own lives. So, it feels like it’s only a matter of time before Doritos responds to Aria’s theory.
1. What do the underlined words “Roman Empire” in paragraph 2 probably refer to?| A．A video. | B．A subject. | C．A country. | D．A snack. |
| A．Social media. | B．Different flavors. | C．Lasting satisfaction. | D．First-bite feeling. |
| A．By introducing a concept. | B．By conducting an experiment. |
| C．By making a comparison. | D．By quoting an expert’s words. |
| A．The Role of Dopamine in Social Media Addiction |
| B．The Theory behind Snacking: A Deep Dive into Dorito |
| C．Maximizing Your Social Media Reach: Tips from Top Creators |
| D．Snack-Sized Satisfaction: How Social Media Hooks Us Like a Bag of Chips |
3 . A man rides at full speed on a single-wheeled bike, leaning back on a seat fixed above a recycled tyre as he performs wheelie (杂技). This machine is just one of many crazy inventions from Make It Extreme, a You Tube channel run by Michael Mavros and George Shiailis, two best friends who use old materials to create unique and innovative mechanical projects.
The partners of this DIY design make the inventions to promote the joys of mechanical engineering and inspire creativity in others.
On Make It Extreme, they transform everyday objects and vehicles into extreme versions of themselves, pushing creative boundaries in the process. They build and design their projects, film and edit the entire process, then finally showcase the results.
“By passionately crafting furniture, engines, tools, toys and vehicles while using our imagination, we try to offer innovative solutions to various mechanical challenges,” explains Mavros, “We’ve shared this passion since our early years, and now, through our channel, we share it with millions of other people in an easily understandable way.”
For its 100th video, Make It Extreme introduced the Monotrack bike, constructed entirely from recycled and old materials. They utilized a 100cc two-stroke engine from an old scooter(摩托车), cutting the sidewalls of a used car tyre and fitting it around a recycled motor. The bike reflects their commitment to sustainability and creativity, purely for the joy and curiosity it brings.
“The idea for the Monotrack bike came from an old wartime photo where we saw a similar vehicle,” says Mavros, “Our creations are often inspired by things we’ve encountered before. For example, the Monowheel, where a person sits inside a huge wheel, was inspired by similar vehicles from decades ago, and our tank chair stemmed from the idea of creating an accessible adventure vehicle for people with limited mobility.”
Make It Extreme now has almost two million subscribers who are eager to tune in every month to see the partners’ latest invention. And Mavros promises that 2024 will see them create their most daring project yet.
1. Why do Mavros and Shiailis run Make It Extreme ?| A．To make profits. | B．To earn popularity. |
| C．To develop hobby. | D．To awaken innovation. |
| A．Practical. | B．Eco-friendly. | C．Costly. | D．Convenient. |
| A．Why the old things were used. | B．Where the Monowheel was found. |
| C．What their inspirations originated from. | D．How the Monotrack bike was invented. |
| A．Nothing is impossible. | B．Fortune favors the bold. |
| C．A rolling stone gathers no moss. | D．One good turn deserves another. |
4 . Since springing up in 2008, Chinese SNS websites have been growing rapidly. While building perfect and complete platforms, SNS websites have been attracting a greatly increasing number of users as well as enormous advertisers’ attention.
The birth of SNS websites brought us a new concept of socializing online using one’s real identity. Furthermore, the popularity of SNS websites has made real-identity online interaction (相互作用) a daily routine for almost all the Internet users. Blogs, photos, virtual gifts, games and other SNS applications have increased real emotional interaction among Internet users.
Obviously, real-identity online communication has become a major competitive advantage of SNS websites. Many experts conclude that SNS websites have created a network of real socializing and have solved people’s daily problems in communication. Therefore, solving real life issues and keeping friendly interpersonal relationship are the critical factors that ensure the survival and growth of SNS websites. Data report shows that Renren. com has helped 63 users find a friend every second during the whole year of 2009 and created a billion friendships.
In addition, celebrities, institutions and organizations have gradually become members of SNS websites. Information sharing becomes more diverse, and the emergence (出现) of social games satisfies users’ need for interactive entertainment.
By gaining users in 2009, the SNS profit model has gradually grown clearer. According to the CNNIC annual report, 80% of SNS profit comes from Internet advertisement, 15% from VAS and another 5% from other sources.
As the real marketing value of SNS was discovered by more businesses, many successful partnerships emerged. Advertising professions believe that the foundational qualities of SNS include participation, interaction, self-expression, and emotional communication. These qualities are the basis of SNS marketing activities, and they will promote the birth of more marketing models.
1. How’s the performance of the SNS website since it appeared in China?| A．It’s competing hard with its overseas competitors. | B．Users have found nothing special about it. |
| C．It’s been well-received and growing rapidly. | D．It hasn’t been making profit yet. |
| A．it’s the quickest way for users to communicate |
| B．users need to use their real identity to communicate |
| C．it’s regarded as the best way to make friends with strangers |
| D．it offers more diverse services such as virtual gifts and mini games |
| A．The real identity communication and maintenance of interpersonal relationship. |
| B．SNS websites have convenient user interface (用户界面) . |
| C．It’s both entertaining and helps people to make more friends. |
| D．It’s accessible through both computer and hand-held devices. |
| A．mainly by selling advertising positions | B．through a number of new ways |
| C．through cooperating with online stores | D．by charging users when they register on the website |
5 . On many travelers’ lists of things to do before they die, you’ll find “See the northern lights” written down. Rightfully so these lights are one of nature’s most jaw-dropping views.
In Sweden, the northern lights usually appear from late March or early April. Your best chance of catching a glimpse of them is on cold winter nights when the sky is clear, dark with little to no moonlight, and cloudless. You need to be away from city lights and go to the countryside. For those willing to brave the cold on winter nights, here are some of the best locations.
Abisko National Park
Abisko Natinal Park is a main location. The scientifically confirmed “blue hole”, a piece of sky over the Tornetrask lake that usually remains clear despite cloudy weather nearby, gives Abisko its own microclimate (局部地区气候), which is suitable for catching the lights.
Jukkasjarvi
The village of Jukkasjarvi only has about 550 people. But don’t let the small population size fool you: Jukkasjarvi owns the world’s first ice hotel and is one of the best places to view the northern lights. The ice hotel organizes guided tours for guests to the Esrange Space Center. There you can eat at a camp outside and see the Arctic winter sky for aurora borealis (北极光). Or why not try to get closer to the northern lights and watch them through an aeroplane window? The ice hotel arranges flights for the amazing northern lights experience.
Gallivare
You can drive a snowmobile to the mountain top in Gallivare for a private light show, or head a few kilometers to nearby villages to watch those lights shining across the dark winter sky. But remember if you do get the chance to see the northern lights in person, never whistle to them. According to ancient Sumi fairy, it brings you bad luck.
1. When are you likely to best enjoy the northern lights in Swede?| A．On cold winter nights with clear sky and a little moonlight. |
| B．On freezing winter nights in the rural area without moonlight or cloud. |
| C．On chilly winter nights in the city center with few lights and little cloud. |
| D．On winter nights when the sky is dark with little moonlight and no cloud. |
| A．It has up to 550 people. |
| B．It owns the world’s first hotel. |
| C．It is among the best places to view the northern lights. |
| D．You can eat at a camp inside and see the aurora borealis. |
| A．A science report. | B．An art magazine. | C．A travel guide. | D．A botanical book. |
6 . Aesthetic (审美) education aims to enhance aesthetic perception, experience aesthetic qualities, stimulate aesthetic creativity, and promote aesthetic judgement.
In order for kids to be able to appreciate natural wonders, shapes and pictures, they must be able to first notice them. This is why the development of the ability to notice the beautiful is the primary task of aesthetic education.
It is essential to allow children to participate in activities that will develop their creative abilities.
Judging or evaluating aesthetic qualities demands formed evaluation criteria. In order for beauty to reveal its true value, we must be familiar with its particularities. Throughout the process of aesthetic education, various types of knowledge, abilities and evaluation criteria must be applied.
| A．Aesthetic qualities have to be felt. |
| B．Beauty can be found all around us. |
| C．The beautiful will be likely to be created. |
| D．And it is these that the aesthetic experience is built upon. |
| E．In some way, this is the ability to perceive aesthetic qualities. |
| F．This way, the child will develop the foundations for assessing the beautiful. |
| G．This is not so much about creating aesthetic abilities in the sense of training artists. |
7 . The world awaits. Where will you go next? The following are among the most exciting destinations to visit. Grab your bags and go!
Puebla, MexicoFounded in 1931, the Mexico’s fourth-largest city is a stronghold of Baroque architecture. In Puebla’s citycenter, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, there are a large number of gorgeous 17th- and 18th-century Baroque buildings. Many are decorated with colored titles, the use of which illustrates the combination of Puebla’s local and European colonial styles. In 2017, an earthquake shook the area, leading to restorations of facilities throughout the city afterward. Despite that, Puebla remains rooted in tradition.
Telč, Czech RepublicThe storybook town was probably founded in the mid-14th century. Stone walls and a system of man-madeponds help protect Telč historic town center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The triangular market square is bordered by a rainbow of light-colored houses, which were originally built of wood and rebuilt in stone after a fire in the late 14th century.
Göbekli Tepe, TurkeyEstimated to date back to the 10th-9th millennia B.C.E, the monumental limestone pillars at Göbekli Tepe had been hiding in plain sight for several thousand years. The detailed exploration of these giant stones only began in the 1990s. What have been revealed — primarily massive stones decorated with bas-reliefs (浅浮雕) of animal — comprise the world’s oldest known temple complex. The extraordinary discoveries made here have rewritten the story of how the first civilizations began.
GuatemalaArchaeologists have found long-hidden ruins of an extensive pre-Columbian civilization here, confirming that Guatemala is the place to dive into Mayan culture, then and now. Ancient roots run particularly deep in the northernmost Peten region. In modern, multicultural Guatemala, people with Mayan origin make up about half the population, making the country the only one in Central America with a native cultural majority.
1. Where can tourists enjoy architecture exhibiting a combination of native and foreign styles?| A．Guatemala. | B．Göbekli Tepe, Turkey. |
| C．Puebla, Mexico. | D．Telč, Czech Republic. |
| A．The long-hidden ruins. |
| B．The deeply rooted Mayan culture. |
| C．The modern and multicultural society. |
| D．The only Central American country with Mayan population. |
| A．They have historic sites. | B．They are in Central America. |
| C．They were once destroyed by fire. | D．They were discovered in recent decades. |
8 . When you think of your closest friends, who will come to your mind? Perhaps your college roommates or the neighbor you played with as a child. Regardless of how you met these people, they most likely have one key thing in common:
Spending our time with such a narrow group of people can fuel age segregation and increase our loneliness. These limitations also keep us from other generations’ mindsets and potentially surprising points of connection.
A program that runs schools out of senior centers has said a lot about it.
| A．You befriend those who live around. |
| B．They’re all roughly the same age as you. |
| C．Others might find joy in exposure to new ideas. |
| D．Brought closer, both see more than one benefit. |
| E．Younger friends can be a reminder of past selves. |
| F．Forming these kinds of friendship is particularly hard today. |
| G．Indeed, intergenerational relationship is never a one-way street. |
9 . The Music Educator Award, this year, went to Annie Ray, an orchestra(管弦乐队)director at Annandale High School.She was recognized for her efforts to make music accessible to all students, particularly those with disabilities.Ray got to attend the awards ceremony in Los Angeles and bring home a $10,000 prize.
Ray created the Crescendo Orchestra for students with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as a parent orchestra that teaches nearly 200 caregivers a year to play the same instrument as their child.Ray also works with a local charity to give damaged instruments a second life in her classroom.
The orchestra is about much more than just making music.The most important is to give students a chance to develop their cooperation skills, make mistakes and learn the art of refining something.Ray pushes her students to be brave, go outside their comfort zone and realize they have to learn how to make bad sounds before learning how to make good sounds.And they teach her a lot in return.” They changed my educational philosophy.I understand what it truly means to meet a student where they’re at and apply that elsewhere,” she said.
The warm reception on the ceremony was meaningful.Actually, not many people understand what exactly music educators do or how much their work matters.While her administration is supportive, that lack of understanding is a problem facing the profession in general.Another is resources.She says her school “desperately” needs new instruments.She will use some of her prize money to buy more.
Ray also plans to put some of the money towards an ongoing scholarship for students who want to pursue music when they graduate.She knows of several, those particularly interested in music, and aims to offer financial support needed to realize their musical dreams” It is hard but truly satisfying,” Ray said.“And there’s nothing else like it for them.”
1. What can we learn about Ray from the first two paragraphs?| A．She hosted the award ceremony. | B．She brought music to more people. |
| C．She gave away instruments to the poor. | D．She founded a local charity for children. |
| A．They acquire in-depth musical knowledge. | B．They make friends with the like-minded. |
| C．They gain personal growth from playing music. | D．They improve their connections with educators. |
| A．The reception on the ceremony. | B．Importance of music education. |
| C．Challenges for music educators. | D．Plans to obtain resources. |
| A．Winning a scholarship. | B．Developing interest in music. |
| C．Making musical achievements. | D．Transforming dreams into reality. |
10 . A new study involving nearly 50,000 people from four continents offers new insights into identifying the quantity of daily walking steps that will best improve adults’ health and longevity(长寿), and whether the ideal number of steps differs across people of different ages. The study represents an effort to develop an evidence-based public health message about the benefits of physical activity. The often-repeated 10,000-step-a-day saying grew out of a decades-old marketing activity for a Japanese pedometer(计步器), with no science to back it up.
Led by physical activity professor Amanda Paluch, an international group of scientists conducted an experiment among adults aged 18 and older. They grouped the nearly 50,000 participants into four comparative groups according to average steps per day. The lowest step group averaged 3,500 steps; the second, 5,800; the third, 7,800; and the fourth, 10,900 steps per day. Among the three higher active groups, there was a 40—53% lower risk of death, compared to the lowest step group.
More specifically, for adults 60 and older, the risk of early death leveled off at about 6,000—8,000 steps per day, meaning that more steps than that provided no additional benefit for longevity, while for adults younger than 60, about 8, 000—10,000 steps per day.
“So, what we saw was this continuing reduction in risk as the number of steps increases, until it levels off. Interestingly, the study found no definitive association with walking speed.” Paluch says.
The new study supports and expands findings from another study led by Paluch before, which found that walking at least 7,000 steps a day reduced middle-aged people’s risk of early death. “There’s a lot of evidence suggesting that moving even a little more is beneficial, particularly for those who are doing very little activity.” Paluch says. “More steps per day are better for your health.”
1. Why did the scientists carry out the new study?| A．To know about people’s health condition. |
| B．To explain the pedometer’s working principles. |
| C．To determine the best physical activity for people. |
| D．To provide a scientific guideline on daily walking. |
| A．Turned higher. | B．Became stable. | C．Fell sharply. | D．Changed rapidly. |
| A．The old should walk as much as possible. |
| B．Young people usually walk more than the old. |
| C．The most beneficial steps differ by age groups. |
| D．Walking pace is the key to avoiding early death. |
| A．To walk more steps. | B．To control walking speed. |
| C．To limit walking distance. | D．To track the number of steps. |
