1 . Those of us who shop online may scan customer reviews to get a better sense of products we can't judge for ourselves at a physical store. We may check out online testimonials before booking a haircut or visiting a new restaurant. But what happens if some of those reviews can't be trusted?

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently announced that it was proposing new measures to crack down on fake reviews and other practices used to mislead consumers. The commission published a proposed rule that would prohibit companies from writing or selling fake reviews, buying positive reviews, suppressing negative reviews and more.

“Our proposed rule on fake reviews shows that we're using all available means to attack deceptive advertising in the digital age,” Samuel Levine, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement.

Research shows people overwhelmingly consult online reviews, but humans are also bad at telling which consumer reviews hold water and which are nonsense.

That's potentially worrisome given that nearly one in every three reviews is fake, according to one estimate.

             In arguing for the proposal, the FTC cited enforcement actions it had taken against companies that manipulated reviews of their products.

In 2022, for example, the commission forced the online retailer Fashion Nova to pay $4.2 million to settle allegations (指控) that it blocked negative reviews from being posted on its website — the first FTC action involving a company's effort to hide negative reviews. For its part, Fashion Nova said in a statement to The New York Times that the FTC's allegations were “inaccurate” and that it only settled the charges to avoid “the distraction and legal fees”.

Comments on the proposed rule have to be received within 60 days of its publication in the Federal Register, after which the FTC will decide whether to issue a revised final version.

1. What is the main purpose of the FTC's proposed rule?

A．To improve the quality of products and services.

B．To protect the interests of physical stores.

C．To ban negative reviews from online platforms.

D．To ensure true reviews are presented to customers.

2. What does the underlined phrase “hold water” in Paragraph 4 most probably mean?

A．Be credible.

B．Be prejudiced.

C．Be official.

D．Be misleading.

3. Why was Fashion Nova forced to pay $ 4.2 million in a settlement in 2022?

A．To delete negative reviews of its products.

B．To post customer reviews on its website.

C．To resolve allegations of deceptive advertising.

D．To prevent it from facing further criticism and legal fees.

4. What can be inferred about the proposed rule?

A．It is well-received.	B．It is still under review.
C．It has proven to be effective.	D．It has encountered opposition.

3 . Why is the woman growing sunflowers?

A．To eat the seeds.

B．To enjoy the flowers.

C．To sell the seeds.

4 . Where are the speakers probably?

A．At home.

B．At the school.

C．In the hospital.

5 . 假定你是李华，你参加了外教Adam的英语戏剧选修课后，发现剧本选择和时间安排存在问题。请你给外教写封邮件，内容包括：
1.说明问题;
2.提出建议。
注意：
1.写作词数应为80个左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Dear Adam,
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours Sincerely,

Li Hua

6 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Disha Florence never thought she would become a web novel writer. The lady from Bangladesh, was trying to find a way to free     1     (she) from the restrictions faced by a woman, a wish she has had since she was 8. It was then that she observed that being a girl meant she couldn’t play in the park like boys, and that she     2     (have) to learn to do housework.

As she grew up, she realised that     3     experience and knowledge, it’s impossible to be free. Therefore, while     4     (continue) her study, Florence worked as a volunteer, going to places and meeting people with or without her parents’     5     (permit). Her father told her, “You need to make your own money to do as you wish.” Florence found this advice logical,     6     didn’t know what to do.

At 22, she noticed on the Chinese reading app Webnovel that the website was hiring authors who     7     (say) to be able to make much money.

Without thinking further, Florence started writing and became     8     professional web novelist. Inspired by popular Chinese “CEO novels” on the app, Florence wrote her     9     (one) book. This story about self-respect and self-love,     10     characters are Chinese, is set in Europe.

Now Florence has about 164,200 readers on Webnovel and is working on another two books.

9 . 假如你是李华，你校将举办以“保护海洋安全·抵制核废水排海”为主题的英语演讲比赛。请你根据以下要点提示写一篇演讲稿，内容包括：
1.现状；
2.你的倡议。
要求：词数80左右（开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数）。
参考词汇：nuclear waste核废水
Dear students,

It’s my great honour to stand here to give a speech.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thanks for your listening!

10 . When colds and flu hit, many people automatically turn to over-the-counter (OTC) medicines to push through and treat their symptoms. Although these medicines are easily accessible and widely used, it might come as a surprise to many people to learn that they are not risk-free. A study estimated that every year, 26,735 people went to the emergency room for adverse (不利的) events related to OTC cold and cough medicines.

When two or more drugs are used together, their interactions can sometimes produce unexpected harmful effects. Physicians are typically knowledgeable about potential drug interactions, so it is very important for patients to ask their healthcare providers which OTC medicines are safe for them to use.

It is important to read the package ingredients of OTC medicines closely to avoid duplication of doses (剂量重复). Cold medicines are typically made up of multiple ingredients. A person who takes a single-ingredient medicine paired with one of these multi-ingredient medicines can receive an unsafe dose of that ingredient.

While everyone could potentially experience adverse effects from cold and flu medicines, some groups — including older adults, children and pregnant women — may be at greater risk. Older people who are using prescribed drugs to treat multiple health conditions may have a higher risk of drug interactions because of the higher number of medicines being used at the same time to treat different conditions. The aging body is not as expert at absorbing, distributing and clearing medicines as younger bodies are. This can put older adults at higher risk for an overdose and drug-to-drug interactions with some medicines.

The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention do not recommend giving cold medicines to children under age 4. Because of a variety of factors, young children have a higher risk of an accidental overdose and adverse events that could lead to death.

1. What does the author advise patients to do in Paragraph 2?

A．To ask for suggestions from doctors.	B．To buy medicines from hospitals.
C．To read the package ingredients of drugs.	D．To take drugs as early as possible.

2. What’s the purpose of mentioning cold medicines in Paragraph 3?

A．To provide a medical choice for people who catch a cold.

B．To show cold medicines are more likely to cause bad effects.

C．To explain OTC medicines often have more than one ingredient.

D．To stress the importance of learning about medicines’ ingredients.

3. What can we infer about older people in Paragraph 4?

A．They can’t cope with aging positively.	B．Their body can’t handle medicines easily.
C．They are more easily affected by diseases.	D．Their desire for health makes them unwise.

4. What’s the best title for the passage?

A．Say No to OTC Drugs	B．Tips on Taking OTC Drugs
C．OTC Medicines May Not Be Safe	D．How to Deal with an OTC Drug Overdose