1 . Binge-watching (刷剧) is when a person watches more than one episode of a show in a row. With developments in the speed and connectivity of the Internet, increases in technology and the rise of on-demand entertainment companies, people can now have their favorite shows stream (流播) directly to their television at their convenience.
This behavior is nothing new. In fact, binge-watching has been officially listed in dictionaries since 2015. The entertainment companies recognize this behavior and many take steps to encourage it. Often, instead of releasing each episode on a week-by-week basis, an entire series will become available concurrently. Once the episode finishes, many platforms will display pop-ups with “you might like” suggestions, or will automatically play the next episode.
However, recent research suggests that out of the more than half of British adults who watch more than one episode of a show back-to-back (一集接一集地), almost a third have admitted missing sleep or becoming tired as a result; and 25% have neglected their household chores (家务活). Next we’ll be missing work!
Bingeing has other connections — binge eating, binge drinking and binge smoking. All of them are often associated with a lack of control and a possible route to addiction. Lindsey Fussell, consumer group director, said, “The days of waiting a week for the next episode are largely gone, with people finding it hard to resist (抗拒) watching multiple episodes around the house or on the move.” If people find binge-watching hard to resist, are we witnessing the birth of a new type of addiction?
The countless number of information and entertainment that television and online media can bring us is, many would say, a good thing. However, when the activity begins to bleed into other areas, causing us to stop functioning, then it becomes a problem. So, what’s the answer? Moderation! Neither a tiny amount, nor too much. After all, as the old proverb says, “A little of what you fancy does you good.”
1. How did the writer develop the first paragraph?A.By giving a definition. | B.By telling a story. |
C.By listing some examples. | D.By analyzing the cause and effect. |
A.For convenience. | B.At the same time. |
C.In detail. | D.Free of charge. |
A.people can’t control their feelings | B.people can’t resist the temptation of Bingeing |
C.people have no patience to do work | D.people are addicted to waiting for a new episode |
A.To keep online media from stopping functioning. |
B.To enjoy entertainment as much as possible. |
C.To learn life lessons from the episodes. |
D.To watch episodes in a moderate way. |
2 . Losing your ability to think and remember is pretty frightening. We know the risk of dementia (痴呆症) increases with age. But if you have memory slips, you probably needn’t worry. There are pretty clear differences between signs of dementia and age-related memory loss.
After age 50, it’s quite common to have trouble remembering the names of people, places and things quickly, says Dr. Kirk Daffner of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
The brain ages just like the rest of the body. Certain parts become smaller, especially areas in the brain that are important to learning, memory and planning. Changes in brain cells can affect communication between different regions of the brain. And blood flow can be reduced as blood vessels narrow.
Forgetting the name of an actor in a favorite movie, for example, is nothing to worry about. But if you forget the plot of the movie or don’t remember even seeing it, that’s far more concerning, Daffner says.
When you forget entire experiences, he says, that’s “a red flag that something more serious may be involved”. Forgetting how to operate a familiar object like a microwave oven, or forgetting how to drive to the house of a friend you’ve visited many times before can also be signs of something going wrong.
But even then, Daffner says, people shouldn’t panic. There are many things that can cause confusion and memory loss, including health problems like temporary stoppage of breathing during sleep, high blood pressure, or depression, as well as medications (药物) like antidepressants.
You don’t have to figure this out on your own. Daffner suggests going to your doctor to check on medications, health problems and other issues that could be affecting memory. And the best defense against memory loss is to try to prevent it by building up your brain’s cognitive (认知的) reserve, Daffner says.
“Read books, go to movies, take on new hobbies or activities that force one to think in novel ways.” he says. In other words, keep your brain busy and working. And also get physically active, because exercise is a widely known to boost the brain.
1. Which memory-related symptom should people take seriously?A.Totally forgetting how to do one’s daily routines. |
B.Inability to recall details of one’s life experiences. |
C.Failure to remember the names of movies or actors. |
D.Occasionally confusing the addresses of one’s friends. |
A.Check the brain’s cognitive reserve. |
B.Stop medications affecting memory. |
C.Turn to a professional for assistance. |
D.Exercise to improve their wellbeing. |
A.Having regular physical and mental checkups. |
B.Taking medicine that helps boost one’s brain. |
C.Engaging in known memory repair activities. |
D.Staying active both physically and mentally. |
A.Reduce. | B.Benefit. | C.Increase. | D.Depress. |
3 . There are people for whom the motivation lies in their family’s or companions’ duties. For some people, the purpose lies in a soul’s spiritual awakening. Brent Clayton, a firefighter by profession, is such an individual who found his purpose early in life and kept working to fulfill it.
Born on March 3, 1984, Clayton hugely felt the need to serve others. He followed his mission in life and acquired his diploma in Public Safety. He gradually realized the importance of securing people’s lives, which strengthened his faith in his mission. Clayton further pursued his bachelor’s degree from the University of Melbourne and master’s degree from Federation University. Then, Clayton worked in the military for a period before moving into a role with the prison service as a prison guard, the youngest person to ever be employed by the service at the time.
After spending a decade in the fire service including training and recruitment, he gained enough experience to become Australian most prominent fire service recruitment expert. Clayton devoted many years of his life to the firefighter recruitment process and fire service industry. He wanted people to realize the true value of this profession by establishing its significance. To communicate his perspective, Clayton established Fire Recruitment Australia in 2009. He aimed to train the next generation and prepare them for the future. Clayton used his experience and years-long training to prepare candidates who were as enthusiastic about the well-being of the world as him.
Keeping the point in mind, Clayton wrote the book Fire Service Recruitment-The Process to Success. His idea was to join his learning into an accessible medium so others didn’t have to waste years wondering what to do when applying to become a firefighter. After the success of the book, Clayton introduced candidates to a comprehensive test preparation and learning suite to facilitate success throughout each stage of the selection process. This platform helped him as well as his candidates to work together for the betterment of themselves and society at large.
1. What made Clayton’s belief stronger?A.The need of serving other people. |
B.The significance of securing people’s safety. |
C.The diploma he received from Public Safety. |
D.The knowledge he learned from college. |
A.Stubborn. | B.Fearless. | C.Distinguished. | D.Elegant. |
A.Because he was enthusiastic about the well-being of the world. |
B.Because he wanted to carry out academic research. |
C.Because he wanted to realize his dream of being a leader. |
D.Because he hoped to get young people ready for future career. |
A.A book for career success | B.A man with great purpose |
C.An organization for well-being | D.A standard for firefighters |
4 . Two weeks ago, a 5-year-old girl named Sunshine Oelfke emptied out her piggy bank (存钱罐) onto the living room floor and immediately started counting. Her grandmother, Jackie Oelfke, thought she was playing as she carefully lined up the coins, but then she saw the girl put the coins into a plastic bag and place it in her backpack.
“What are you doing with that money?” Jackie asked her granddaughter.
“I’m taking it to school,” Sunshine replied. “I’m going to take it for milk money. My friend Layla doesn’t get milk— her mom doesn’t have milk money and I do.”
Jackie’s heart melted at Sunshine’s words. Choked with strong feelings, Jackie held her sweet granddaughter tightly in her arms.
Last week, Jackie and Sunshine met with her teacher, Rita Hausher, and handed her the $30 the kindergartner had saved. There are 20 kids in Sunshine’s class and about half don’t get milk. It costs $ 0.45 a carton (纸盒). The total adds up to about $180 a month for every child in the class to have milk every day.
After dropping Sunshine off at school, Jackie posted a tearful video on Facebook to explain her granddaughter’s plan. To her surprise, many people offered to donate toward the cause. Within a week, Jackie raised more than $1,000. Now every student in Sunshine’s class can get free milk for the rest of the year.
Jackie said Sunshine doesn’t see her kind act as a big deal. She was just trying to look out for her friends. “She doesn’t understand the effect she’s brought about,” Jackie said. “But now she knows she can do whatever she puts her mind to.”
1. Why did Sunshine empty her piggy bank?A.She hoped to show off her savings in class. | B.She needed to train her counting skills. |
C.She wanted to play with the coins. | D.She intended to pay for her friend’s milk. |
A.Relieved. | B.Touched. | C.Curious. | D.Proud. |
A.Two heads are better than one. | B.A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
C.Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. | D.There’s no such thing as a free lunch. |
A.Small Coins, Big Changes. | B.Jackie’s Piggy Bank. |
C.Piggy Bank and Carton Milk. | D.A Moved Grandmother. |
5 . When you set a foot outside of your door to drop trash, go to a social event or go for a walk, thoughts like “I hope I don’t see anyone I know” or “please don’t talk to me” may run through your mind. I’ve also said such things to myself. Sometimes the last thing you want to do is to talk with someone, especially someone new.
Why do we go out of our ways to avoid people? Do we think meeting new people is a waste of time? Or are we just lazy, thinking that meeting someone new really is a trouble?
Communication is the key to life. We have been told that many times. Take the past generations, like our parents, for example. They seem to take full advantage of that whole “communication” idea because they grew up talking face to face while Generation-Y grew up staring at screens. We spend hours of our days sitting on Facebook. We send messages to our friends and think about all of the things we want to say to certain people that we don’t have the courage to do in reality.
Nowadays, we are so caught up in our little circle of friends—our comfort zone. We love it that they laugh at our jokes, understand our feelings and can read our minds. Most importantly, they know when we want to be alone. They just get us.
Holding a conversation with someone new means agreeing with things that you don’t really believe and being someone you think they want you to be—it is, as I said before, a trouble. It takes up so much energy, and at some point or another, it is too tiring.
But meeting new people is important. Life is too short, so meet all the people you can meet, make the effort to go out and laugh. Remember, every “hello” leads to a smile—and a smile is worth a lot.
1. What do we learn about the author?A.He likes to meet someone new. | B.He feels stressed out lately. |
C.He’s active in attending social events. | D.He used to be afraid of talking to others. |
A.They rely on the Internet to socialize. | B.They are less confident in themselves. |
C.They have difficulty in communicating. | D.They are unwilling to make new friends. |
A.They think it troublesome. | B.They are busy with their study. |
C.They fear to disappoint their friends. | D.They want to do meaningful work. |
A.To stress the importance of friends. |
B.To give tips on how to meet new people. |
C.To encourage people to meet new people. |
D.To display the disadvantages of Generation-Y. |
6 . Kings Camps
About Our CampsKings Camps is part of the Kings Active Foundation and is devoted to helping young people reach their potential. We provide sports camps and summer camps at over 40 places across the UK for children aged 4-17. We bring together the very best parts of sports and holiday clubs to provide friendship, fun and exciting adventures for young people from the UK and around the world.
Why Choose Kings Camps※Creative, inspiring camps: We have a strong belief that sport has an important role to play in a happy childhood and our not-for-money state enables us to provide some places and invest in new and creative ways to inspire.
※Learn important life skills: Kings Camps prepare children with important life skills and an understanding that being active is important to health and well-being.
※International students are welcome: We welcome children from outside of the UK who will make friends here by communicating with kids from different backgrounds, but we do require that they at least understand English to make sure of their safety and that of others, and of course their enjoyment.
CommentsRyan has enjoyed every part. When we’ve asked about his day, he’s said it was “amazing and fantastic”. All the staff are extremely friendly, enthusiastic and have a true belief in what they are doing.
— Tracy Lee
Fantastic & friendly staff! It’s an action-packed week of multiple sports. My sweetheart made new friends, overcame swimming fears & came away more confident too! I cannot recommend it enough!
— Kay Court
1. What does Kings Camps aim to do?A.Mix sports and holiday clubs. |
B.Get kids to play outdoors. |
C.Provide adventurous and challenging camps. |
D.Encourage kids to develop their potential. |
A.Awareness of safety. |
B.Love for media. |
C.Basic English ability. |
D.Good communicating skills. |
A.Parents. | B.Teachers. | C.Campers. | D.Staff. |
7 . To help you understand what 5G is, and what it means to you, we’ve put together a handy guide here.
What is 5G?
5G will use new higher radio frequencies to send out data, which are less cluttered(挤了)and carry information much faster. While these higher bands(频段) are faster, they don’t carry information as far. That’s to say, smaller multiple input and output antennas (天线)will be used—promoting both signals and capacity(容量).
Why is it better than 4G?
5G is expected to be faster than 4G, with some firms claiming it could be as much as 100 times quicker. The fastest 4G networks can deliver 传输)peak(峰值)download speeds of around 300 Mbit/s.
Finally, 5G will have a larger capacity, meaning networks will be able to deal with several apps at once. Generally, this should mean that devices have a faster, more stable connection.
A.How does 5G work? |
B.How will 5G affect you? |
C.5G is also expected to have a lower lag(延迟). |
D.5G is short for “5th generation mobile network.” |
E.In comparison, 5G could offer download speeds of over 1 Gb/s. |
F.Therefore, the similarity between 5G and 4G technology is huge. |
G.This means 5G will support up to 1,000 more devices per meter than 4G. |
8 . San Francisco Fire Engine Tours
San Francisco Winery TourRunning: February 1st through April 30th
This delicious tour goes through the city on its way to Treasure Island where we will stop at the famous Winery SF. Here you can enjoy 4 pours of some of the best wine San Francisco has to offer.(Included in tickets price)
Departing from the Cannery: Tour times upon request.Duration(时长): 2 hours
Price: $90
Back to the Fifties Tour
Running: August 16th through August 31st
This tour transports you back in time to one of San Francisco’s most fantastic periods, the 1950s! Enjoy fun history as we take you through San Francisco for a free taste of ice cream.
Departing from the Cannery: 5:00 pm and 7:30 pmDuration: 2 hours
Price: $90
Spooky Halloween Tour
Running: October 10th through October 31st
Join us for a ride through the historical Presidio district. Authentic fire gear(服装) is provided for your warmth as our entertainers take you to some of the most thrilling parts of San Francisco.
Departing from the Cannery: 6:30 pm and 8:30 pmDuration: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Price: Available upon request
Holiday Lights Tour
Running: December 6th through December 23rd
This attractive tour takes you to some of San Francisco’s most cheerful holiday scenes. Authentic fire gear is provided for your warmth as you get into the holiday spirit.
Departing from the Cannery: 7:00 pm and 9:00 pmDuration: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Advance reservations required.
1. Which of the tours is available in March?
A.San Francisco Winery Tour. | B.Back to the Fifties Tour. |
C.Spooky Hallowen Tour. | D.Holiday Lights Tour. |
A.Go to Treasure Island. | B.Enjoy the holiday scenes. |
C.Have free ice cream. | D.Visit the Presidio district. |
A.Take some drinks. | B.Set off early in the morning. |
C.Wear warm clothes. | D.Make reservations in advance. |
9 . It’s important for you teenagers to know how to save money. You know that the money you save can be for rainy days and be used to pay through your college education. If you think it’s a difficult task and don’t know how to do it, please do as the followings.
My dad always tells me that if one doesn’t respect money, it will never respect you. Hence, it’s important that you keep a record of your daily expenses. Make it a habit to write down all that you have spent. And when you find out the total expenses at the end of the month, you will realize what you have spent more money in doing.
Open a savings account
Opening a savings account is a better way to save money. You can set a goal; say (for example), the money is for a new notebook or for college, and then save, until you have enough money to buy a notebook or until you go to college.
Do not carry much cash
Do you have the habit of not leaving a store without buying anything? The only way to stop that is carrying less money around with you. Go to the store with the minimum amount of money, which will not even help you buy a drink.
Save the changes
Save the changes that you get back. If you have gone to a shop to buy something and get back some changes, then do not spend them.
Follow these tips above, and thus you can save a lot of money. And surely, they’ll help you to be more responsible in your life.
A.Keep a record of your daily expenses |
B.In a few days, you’ll get rid of this habit |
C.Instead, you can save them in your piggy bank |
D.By that time, you will realize the importance of saving money |
E.Saving money builds your financial power and personal freedom |
F.Next month, you will automatically try and save more in that part |
G.Nowadays in the developed and developing countries, people are all working for the sake of earning money |
10 . China Small Group Tours
◆Tour Route 1: 11 Days Private Beijing - Lhasa - Xi’an - Shanghai
Tour Highlights:
Must-see sights in China — the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors
Follow us on a Buddhist pilgrimage to Tibet & appreciate the profound culture
Have a leisurely walk or an exciting bicycle ride on the time-honored City Wall of Xi’an
View the soaring city skylines and feel the pulse of modern Shanghai
From $ 2, 459 per person
◆Tour Route 2: 11 Days Private Bejing - Xi’an - Chonqing - Yangtze River Cruise - Yichang - Shanghai
Tour Highlights:
Must-see sights in China — the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Wariors
Try biking on the Ming Dynasty City Wall of Xi’ an, or tour by electric car
Enjoy the Three Gorges (三峡) scenery on Yangtze River & feel totally relaxed
From $ 1, 879 per person
◆Tour Route 3: 12 Days Private Bejing - Shanghai - Xi’an - Guilin - Yangshuo - Guilin - Hong
Kong
Tour Highlights:
Must-see sights in China — the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors
Experience the Bund, classical garden, modern and old in contrast in Shanghai
Feel the lively atmosphere & explore busy markets freely in Hong Kong
Walk into a local family, learn to cook Chinese food & dine with the hosts in their home
From $ 2, 499 per person
◆Tour Route 4: 12 Days Private Bejing - Xi’an - Chengdu - Guilin - Shanghai
Tour Highlights:
Must-see sights in China — the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors, Giant Pandas
Come to Chengdu, the hometown of giant pandas to visit and observe the cute creature
Cruise on the meandering Li River & admire Guilin landscape
Walk into a local Chinese family, interact & dine with the hosts in their home
From $2, 079 per person
1. What do Tour Route 1 and Tour Route 2 have in common?A.They have cycling activities. |
B.They include a visit to Tibet. |
C.Visitors enjoy the Three Gorges scenery. |
D.Visitors pay the same amount of money. |
A.Tourists can travel by bike. |
B.Tourists can visit a huge dam. |
C.Tourists can dine with a family. |
D.It is the most expensive of the four. |
A.Tour Route 1. |
B.Tour Route 2. |
C.Tour Route 3. |
D.Tour Route 4. |