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 . When you think of a map, is north on the top or the bottom? Usually, maps are designed with north on top, though when we think about it, there is no logical reason for this bias (偏见). After all, there is no up or down in space. So what is wrong with south, east or west being on the top of the map? The answer is: nothing at all. In fact, north-up maps only became the norm in the last few hundred years.
Ancient Egyptian maps had south at the top because the Nile River flows downhill from mountains in the south to the Mediterranean Sea in the north. Mecca was to the south of most early Muslim civilizations, and south-up maps were designed so that viewers would look up to see Mecca. Medieval Christian maps had east at the top, as they believed the Garden of Eden was in the east. The only early maps that had north at the top were those of early China because the emperor lived in the north.
North seems to have settled at the top of maps during the 16th century, largely thanks to a Flemish mapmaker, Mercator. Mercator was a great admirer of an early Greek mapmaker, who, for reasons now unknown, put north at the top of maps, so Mercator did, too. When Mercator’s world map became the standard map to navigate the oceans, north up became standard as well.
What is the implication of this north-view of the world? Psychologically, people tend to think of up as good and down as bad. Just think of words and phrases like “upmarket”, “upbeat” and “moving up in the world”, and how they contrast with their opposites. Because north is so consistently put at the top of maps, people now think of north as good, too.
Several attempts have been made in recent years by introducing south-up maps to the market. These maps not only give us a chance to see the world differently, but also give everyone the chance to see themselves on top.
1. What can we learn from the first two paragraphs?A.North-up maps were rare in ancient times. |
B.Deciding up or down in space is ridiculous. |
C.Mecca maps were based on a legend. |
D.The south-up map first appeared in ancient Egypt. |
A.An illogical reason. | B.The spread of Mercator’s maps. |
C.People’s preference for up. | D.An age-old tradition in Greece. |
A.Cautious. | B.Supportive. | C.Uncaring. | D.Disapproving. |
A.To criticize a phenomenon. | B.To compare various facts. |
C.To correct a cultural bias. | D.To argue for a viewpoint. |
3 . Argentina lies in the South America. There are many festivals in Argentina during the year. Therefore, you can enjoy the different interesting festivals when traveling there.
First of all, we should talk about the Tango (探戈) Festival inArgentina, which is held in the capital of this country — Buenos Aires, from February to March. You ought to know that Argentina is the home of tango, so Argentinians admire this dance very much. Even if you cannot dance perfectly, you should join the people and try to perform this dance.
The next festival in Argentina is Open Polo (马球) Tournament. You should go to Palermo to see this festival in Argentina. This festival is held every year and is the most important polo tournament in Argentina.This kind of sport is considered the most important in Argentina.
Attending this festival in Argentina, you will be able to communicate with different people and admire the fascinating competition between the teams of different countries, such as Argentina, England, Australia, as well as the US. This festival in Argentina is usually held between November and December every year. So don’t miss the opportunity if you travel to Argentina at this time.
The other festival in Argentina is the Semana Musical Liao Liao. This is a festival of classical music. The festival was created in 1993 and is held at the Liao Liao Hotel, near Bariloche. The festival is held yearly in October. So if you admire this kind of music, you should travel toArgentina in October.
There are also many carnivals in Argentina in summer. Of course, it’s impossible to put everything about festivals in Argentina into just one article. We hope that you have found this article interesting and eye-catching.
1. What would be the best title for the passage?A.Entertainments in Argentina | B.Festivals in Argentina |
C.Travel to Argentina | D.A brief introduction to Argentina |
A.is organized by the government |
B.welcomes everyone to take part in it |
C.is held in summer |
D.holds parties for different dances |
A.Open Polo Tournament. | B.Every carnival in Argentina. |
C.The Tango Festival. | D.The Semana Musical Liao Liao. |
A.Buenos Aires in spring | B.Palermo in April |
C.Palermo in winter | D.Bariloche in October |
4 . J. K. Rowling frequently shows there is magic every day. Her Harry Potter series has helped people through times of stress and depression and she is always there to deliver wise words of encouragement.
She is one celebrity who is very active on Twitter. So when a single dad named Matt Burke sent her a message thanking her for the series, she noticed. Her series had helped strengthen his relationship with his 9yearold daughter Bailey.
He included a link to his article titled Being a Broke Parent. He explained how he hadn’t found a level of financial stability that allowed him to pay bills on time and take his daughter on more activities and events. The family also doesn’t have the Internet or TV, which means there’s no “digital babysitter” and he has to rely on his own creative ways to bond with his daughter. Since he received the series, the main thing that has occupied them these days is reading books together.
Burke admits that he thought he was “too cool” for the books when they first came out and he was in his twenties, but he’s loving reading them now. “We switch off chapter by chapter reading them out loud,“Burke explains.” This not only allows her to get more used to reading aloud in front of someone, but it gets me directly involved in something she loves, and it gives me the chance to be very dramatic when I read my chapters and bring myself into the characters in the book, which has proven to be a ton of fun.”
After hearing Burke’s story, Rowling said how honored she was when Harry Potter was a part of his family’s life and offered Burke more books. Besides, people are also offering to send Burke more books as gifts. For Burke, this experience, far more than gifts, will be what he treasures.
1. Why did Burke thank J. K. Rowling according to the text?A.She guided him how to write a good story. |
B.She encouraged him when he was in trouble. |
C.Her books helped him through times of confusion. |
D.Her books helped him improve his bond with his daughter. |
A.He has found it interesting to read the series. | B.He was too old to understand the series better. |
C.He has chosen a better way of reading the series. | D.He hopes to play a role in the drama in the future. |
A.Useless. | B.Normal. | C.Valuable. | D.Boring. |
A.J. K. Rowling chooses to help improve kids’ health. |
B.J. K. Rowling gives a magical gift to a single father. |
C.J. K. Rowling has a deep influence on others’ growth. |
D.Burke comes to know J. K. Rowling through her series. |
5 . With almost all big employers in the United States now using artificial intelligence (AI) and automation in their hiring processes, the public is considering some urgent questions: How can you prevent discrimination in hiring when a machine is keeping the discrimination? What kind of methods might help?
Some 83% of employers, including 99% of Fortune 500 companies, now use some form of automated tools as part of their hiring process, said the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s ( EEOC) chair Charlotte Burrows, at a hearing on Tuesday. She said everyone needs to speak up on the debate over these technologies. “The risks are simply too high to leave this topic just to the experts.”
Last year, the EEOC issued some guidance around the use of cutting-edge hiring tools, noting many of their shortcomings. The agency found that resume( 简历) scanners which prioritize keywords and programs which evaluate a candidate’s facial expressions and speech patterns in video interviews can create discrimination. Take, for example, a video interview that analyses an applicant’s speech patterns to determine their ability to solve problems. A person with a speech problem might score low and automatically be screened out. The problem will be for the EEOC to root out discrimination or stop it from taking place.
The EEOC is considering the most appropriate ways to handle the problem. It’s agreed that inspections are necessary to ensure that the software used by companies avoids intentional or unintentional discrimination. But who would conduct those inspections is a more challenging question. Each option presents risks, Burrows pointed out. A third party may turn a blind eye to its clients, while a government-led inspection could potentially stop innovation.
In previous remarks, Burrows has noted the great potential that AI decision making tools have to improve the lives of Americans, but only when used properly. “We must work to ensure that these new technologies do not become a high-tech pathway to discrimination,” she said.
1. What does Burrows suggest people do?A.Make their own voice heard. | B.Follow the experts’ suggestions. |
C.Stop using AI in hiring processes. | D.Watch debates about technologies. |
A.By scanning keywords. | B.By evaluating resumes. |
C.By analyzing personalities. | D.By assessing speech patterns. |
A.High expense. | B.Unfair results. |
C.Age discrimination. | D.Innovation interruption. |
A.Favourable. | B.Disapproving. | C.Cautious. | D.Doubtful. |
6 . If you are crazy about paintings, you shouldn’t miss the following four famous masterpieces which have stood the test of time.
The Arnolfini Portrait
Jan van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait, an oil painting on wood produced in 1434, in which a man and a woman hold hands with a window behind him and a bed behind her, is undoubtedly one of the masterpieces in the National Gallery, London. This painting is as visually interesting as it is famed. It is also an informative document in fifteenth-century society, through Van Eyck’s heavy use of symbolism—while husbands went out to engage in business, wives concerned themselves with domestic duties.
The Starry Night
Vincent van Gogh painted The Starry Night, oil on canvas, a moderately abstract landscape painting of an expressive night sky over a small hillside village, during his 12-month stay at the mental hospital near Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France between 1889 and 1890. When the Museum of Modern Art in New York City purchased the painting from a private collector in 1941, it was not well known, but it has since become one of Van Gogh’s most famous works.
The Harvesters
The Harvesters is an oil painting on wood completed by Pieter Bruegel the Elder in 1565. It depicts the harvest time which most commonly occurs within the months of August and September. Nicolaes Jonghelinck, a merchant banker and art collector from Antwerp, commissioned this painting. The painting has been at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City since 1919.
Guernica
Guernica, a large black-and-white oil painting, was painted by the Cubist Spanish painter, Pablo Picasso in 1937. The title “Guernica” refers to the city that was bombed by Nazi planes during the Spanish Civil War. The painting depicts the horrors of war and as a result, has come to be an anti-war symbol and a reminder of the tragedies of war. Today, the painting is housed at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofaí in Madrid.
1. Which of the following paintings was produced earliest?A.The Arnolfini Portrait. | B.The Starry Night. |
C.The Harvesters. | D.Guernica. |
A.It was painted on wood in oil. |
B.It wasn’t widely recognized before 1940s. |
C.It described the painter’s life in hospital. |
D.It was given away to the museum by a private collector. |
A.Pieter Bruegel the Elder. | B.Vincent van Gogh. |
C.Jan van Eyck. | D.Pablo Picasso. |
7 . Scientists have searched for many years for a method to tell whether a volcano(火山)explosion will be small or large. Now, four scientists say they have discovered something in lava(熔岩)that will help do this. They did the research on Mount Unzen on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu.
Mount Unzen exploded in November, 1990. Since then, more explosions have killed 43 people and destroyed the homes of more than 2,000 others. The volcano is still active today.
The scientists say the lava of the volcano contains high level of an element(成份),which is a sign of the presence of the lava from deep in the earth, not from the surface. They say it shows that the lava coming directly from inside the earth is connected with huge explosions instead of smaller ones.
The scientists examined the lava from 18 explosions of Mount Unzen that took place during many thousands of years. They also studied the lava from other volcanoes in the area that are older than Mount Unzen. The lava studied came from both large and small explosions. The scientists found that large explosions contained more of the element than small ones. The scientists say if they had known this two years earlier, they could have warned the people living in the area near Mount Unzen and saved many lives.
1. Scientists have searched for a long time in order to ______.A.tell whether a volcano explosion will be small or large |
B.tell whether a volcano explosion will be worthy or not |
C.tell the number of active volcanoes in the world |
D.find if there is any volcano in Japan |
A.an active volcano | B.a Japanese island |
C.a huge volcano explosion | D.a kind of lava |
A.It comes from the deepest part of the ocean. |
B.It comes from the earth surface. |
C.Not mentioned in the passage. |
D.It is from deep part in the earth. |
A.the place of a possible explosion |
B.the degree of a volcano explosion |
C.the number of volcano explosions |
D.the time of a possible explosion |
8 . Twenty years ago, I was a school bus driver. Charlie, who was eight years old, became a rider. All the students had stories to tell me but Charlie ignored me.
From that day on, Charlie was a trial. If a fight broke out I didn’t have to turn my head to know who had started it. If a girl was crying, the chances were Charlie had pulled her hair. No matter how I spoke to him, he wouldn’t say a word. He’d just stare at me with his eyes.
Toward the end of that year, the kids on my bus gave me a small medal with the words “To the Best Bus Driver Ever ”. I put it up on the dashboard (仪表盘).
One day, when I got on the bus I realized that the medal was gone. One boy said, “Charlie was the first one on the bus. I bet he took it.” Other children also said, “Yeah! Charlie did it!” I asked Charlie, “Have you seen the medal?” “I don’t know what you are talking about,” he said. All the children shouted, “Check his pockets.” I asked Charlie to come forward. I stuck my hand into one of his pockets. I felt it. Charlie stared at me for a long time. I was about to pull the medal out of Charlie’s pocket when I stopped myself. “It must have fallen off before I got here,” I said to the kids. Without a word, Charlie returned to his seat. That summer Charlie moved away.
Some years later, when I was in a department store, someone called my name. It was Charlie. To my surprise, he hugged me. He pulled an old key chain which was actually the medal from his pocket and gave it to me. “You were the only one who didn’t give up on me. Thank you! You are so beautiful!” he said.
1. It can be known from the passage that Charlie was ______.A.a trouble maker | B.an easy-going boy |
C.proud of what he had done | D.an honest boy with few words |
A.the small medal | B.the dashboard |
C.an old key chain | D.Charlie’s pocket |
A.He hated her and stared at her without a word. |
B.He thought highly of her and was grateful to her. |
C.He appreciated her but he was too shy to say it out. |
D.He respected her because she was the best driver. |
A.Brave and generous | B.Helpful and impatient |
C.Caring and kind – hearted | D.Polite but dishonest |
9 . For the first 19 months of her life, Helen Keller was like other pretty happy babies in every way. Then in 1882, a sudden illness destroyed her sight and hearing. Because she could not hear what other people were saying, the child could not learn to speak. For the following 5 years, she lived in a world of darkness, without sounds or words and her parents could do nothing but let her be.
The person who changed Helen’s world was her teacher, Anne Sullivan, who entered her life. Miss Sullivan had accepted a job, which seemed impossible. She had agreed to teach a blind child who had never learned to act like a human being, because no one had ever been able to guide her in any way. No one could control Helen. She acted like a young animal, rushing wildly around, throwing things, and hitting anyone whom she could reach. Who could believe that such a child could be taught?
But Anne Sullivan was a very special kind of teacher. She had been blind during part of her own childhood and had learned to read Braille, a system of writing that uses raised dots which can be felt by the finger of a blind person. She had learned to see again after several operations, but she had never forgotten the experience of being blind.
Miss Sullivan understood Helen. She loved her and believed she could teach her.
Anne Sullivan could not teach Helen Keller to speak until some other important things had been learned. The little girl had to learn to control her actions and feelings. She had to learn that she could not always do what she wished to do. She had always been able to get what she wished by using force. The teacher had to change such habits without breaking the child’s spirit.
Miss Sullivan’s battle began. Sometimes, there was real fighting between the wild child and the strong young teacher. At last, however, the battle was won by Miss Sullivan, who had succeeded in showing Helen that she loved her and wanted to help her. The child and her teacher became friends. They continued to be friends until the teacher’s death, 50 years later.
The day on which Helen finally accepted Miss Sullivan as her friend and teacher was a great day in Helen’s life. After that the teacher could begin to teach the child language.
1. Helen became blind and deaf after ________.A.an unexpected accident | B.a football match |
C.a sudden disease | D.fighting with her teacher |
A.1917 | B.1932 | C.1937 | D.1939 |
A.to pronounce a few words | B.to control herself properly |
C.to copy some letters | D.to make different sounds |
A.Sullivan learned the Braille when she was blind as a child. |
B.Blind as Sullivan was, he accepted the challenge to teach Helen. |
C.At first Sullivan and Helen often fought each other. |
D.Sullivan died when she was fifty years old. |
10 . Smartwatches and fitness trackers (健身追踪器) have gained popularity recently. These tools can record your daily steps, heart rates, etc.
It’s a struggle to overcome the addiction to fitness trackers.
Of course, failing to meet your daily goal can be discouraging. You might focus on your shortcoming rather than your progress. Another problem is that you might find yourself paying too much attention to the step number rather than how your body feels.
Therefore, if you’re spending too much time looking at your smartwatch, limit your daily step count to a comfortable level.
A.How can you tell whether you’re addicted to your fitness tracker? |
B.Actually this addiction to step count can be risky, mentally and physically. |
C.Don’t overuse your smartwatch. |
D.However, do you find yourself checking your steps and heart rates too often? |
E.After all, reaching a daily step count can be so appealing. |
F.Besides, you can find other things to do that don’t involve checking your fitness tracker. |
G.It doesn’t covey what you’re really feeling. |