1 . Boomerang kids refer to adult children who return to their parents’ homes after moving out. In July 2020, 52% of young adults in the US lived with one or both of their parents — the highest percentage the US has seen since 1940. In the UK, the number of single, 20-to-34-year-olds living with their parents went up by 55% from 2008 to 2017.
There are many reasons for young people to move back home, says Hipplewith, a family expert. The primary reason is the high cost of living. Everything is so expensive. Staying home means financial support from family as they prepare for starting a career. Usually being a boomeranger is just a transitional period. But it still may last many months or even years to enable boomerangers to establish themselves in a career without worrying about things like rents.
For many, a return to home after living away can feel like a regression (倒退) and loss of recently won independence. “For example, you learn to become an adult in university,” says Hipplewith. “You have friends. You can do what you want to do. But now you’re coming back under someone else’s rule.” This can come with anxiety. Still, there are benefits to the boomerangers, say experts. Many of these adults are finding the increased ability to do work they find meaningful, rather than take a job that simply pays the bills. Socially, boomerang kids also have a good opportunity to strengthen relationships with their parents.
In many cultures, moving away from home has traditionally been considered a crucial step in becoming an adult. Now it’s time to change the idea. Adulthood is really just being old enough to take responsibilities; that doesn’t go away if you move in with parents again. Hipplewith hopes that as being a boomeranger becomes more common, young adults will feel less pressure to follow traditional expectations of moving out. He encourages young people to view a return to home as “sane decision-making”.
1. How does the author lead in the topic of the text?A.By analyzing reasons. | B.By raising a viewpoint. |
C.By telling the difference. | D.By presenting a phenomenon. |
A.To buy something expensive. | B.To look after family members. |
C.To hunt for the right career easily. | D.To reduce economic pressure. |
A.Because of the limit of keeping in with friends. | B.Because of the loss of independence. |
C.Because of many years of staying at home. | D.Because of the anxiety about the future life. |
A.Stupid. | B.Rapid. | C.Reasonable. | D.Independent. |
2 . Caring 17-year-old Lauren Schroeder was inspired to help bring healthy food to needy families in her community. Volunteering at a food shelter when she was 14 , and tasked with helping fill boxes for households in need with canned and packaged food, this Iowa teen felt that something was missing from the donated groceries: fresh vegetables. So she shared with her parents her desire to start a garden on their own farm to supply local families in need with fresh produce.
Coming from a farming family, Lauren had some familiarity with agriculture, and had helped raise rabbits and lambs, but had never tried vegetable cultivation at scale, though the Schroeders plant soybeans and corn each year on their 150-acre farm.
The work involved in realizing Lauren’s plan was no walk in the park. Initially, while proud of her daughter’s vision, her mother, Katie Schroeder, admitted to some foreboding about the work involved: “I was wondering, ‘Oh my gosh, how much work is this going to be?’ I wasn’t sure whether this would work.” This was one young change-maker, however! Lauren researched plants online, checking which species needed more shade, how much water was required, and when to harvest each crop. During Iowa’s hot summers, she had to water her crops by hand for around 2 — 3 hours daily. She also checked daily for weeds, and bent down to pick her green bean crop. Thanks to her diligence, Lauren planted half an acre of land, with 15 varieties of vegetables in 2022, harvesting her first crops.
In an interview with a local media channel, Lauren says, “I wanted to have something that’d impact people. I want to impact community members. Many people help you out, but it makes more difference when you help others out. That’s what makes me most happy.”
1. What inspired Lauren to start a garden on her family’s farm?A.Her parents’ encouragement. |
B.Her interest in farming and agriculture. |
C.Her desire to become a professional gardener. |
D.Her experience volunteering at a food shelter. |
A.Satisfaction. | B.Concern. | C.Anger. | D.Pride. |
A.She consulted professional gardeners. |
B.She studied books and manuals on gardening. |
C.She conducted online research on plant species. |
D.She attended agricultural courses and workshops. |
A.The Schroeders’ family farming traditions. |
B.The importance of volunteering at a food shelter. |
C.The challenges of starting a vegetable garden on a large scale. |
D.Lauren Schroeder’s project to provide fresh vegetables to needy families. |
3 . The snowstorm wasn’t supposed to hit until night. I decided to go home from work, snowstorm or not. I wasn’t
Breathe, I told myself. Panicking won’t
I pinned my location on the Google Map app, took a screenshot, and
About 45 minutes later, I saw a tall figure in a yellow raincoat walking hurriedly toward me in the dark, carrying a flashlight. It was André Bouvier, who’d walked about 550 yards through the snowstorm, fighting the
He
The experience has been a game changer for me. I now approach
A.annoyed | B.worried | C.amazed | D.disappointed |
A.meant | B.doubted | C.promised | D.figured |
A.Interestingly | B.Unexpectedly | C.Absolutely | D.Suddenly |
A.fogging | B.clearing | C.showing | D.picking |
A.way | B.situation | C.rescue | D.mind |
A.help | B.remain | C.matter | D.disappear |
A.searched | B.collected | C.attached | D.posted |
A.begging | B.accounting | C.caring | D.applying |
A.in case | B.even if | C.as though | D.now that |
A.go over | B.hold back | C.come through | D.count on |
A.noise | B.temperature | C.wind | D.frost |
A.shaky | B.quiet | C.deafening | D.steady |
A.broke down | B.turned around | C.set off | D.checked out |
A.relief | B.pride | C.duty | D.surprise |
A.freedom | B.appointment | C.excitement | D.challenges |
Weiqi, an ancient strategic game,
Though Go looks quite simple, it is actually one of the most complicated games. In fact, there are so many possible moves in Go
5 . Many actors have famously remarked that they have, time and again, lost themselves in their performances. Now, researchers at University College London (UCL) have found some truth to this statement. A new study suggests actors may suppress (抑制) their sense of self when they take on a new character, hinting at the massive impact theater training may have on fundamental mechanisms of the human brain.
“Our findings indicate that cooperating with the theater industry could be helpful in producing theories about social interaction that could also be investigated in the real world,” said Dwaynica Gteaves, lead author of the study. In particular, the researchers are hoping that future work in this space can focus on how participation in theatrical activities might help people with autism (自闭症).
The actors in the study were fitted with brain imaging technology while they rehearsed scenes from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night s Dream. When they heard their names while performing, their response was suppressed in the brain region associated with self-awareness. While they were not performing, the actors responded normally when called by name. The study also looked at interpersonal coordination between pairs of actors. The researchers noticed that two actors rehearsing together had similar brain activity in the regions of the brain associated with social interaction and action planning, revealing “specific brain systems that are coordinated during complex social interactions”.
In fact, drama therapy has been considered a beneficial practical strategy for improving social communication in children with developmental or learning disabilities. A preliminary (初步的) study found students with autism who underwent theater experiences showed significant positive changes in the development of social and language skills.
In the future, researchers at UCL aim to include both trained and untrained actors as subjects. The recent study, admittedly, lacked a control group of people without theater training and had a small sample size of only 6 actors. But the researchers remain hopeful of the possible future applications of their findings in aiding social communication, including in individuals with autism.
1. What effect may taking on a new character have on actors, as suggested by the study?A.They may forget their identities. | B.Their self-awareness may weaken. |
C.They may lose themselves completely. | D.Their brain mechanisms may be damaged. |
A.By interacting with the actors. | B.By observing the actors’ behavior. |
C.By surveying the actors’ responses. | D.By monitoring the actors’ brain activity. |
A.Improved physical health. | B.Enhanced cognitive abilities. |
C.Strengthened interpersonal skills. | D.Increased academic performance. |
A.The researchers lacked expertise. | B.It can be used to train child actors. |
C.It is a major breakthrough in medicine. | D.It is promising despite its limitations. |
China ramps up space ambitions with record launch schedule
China has ambitious plans for its space industry in 2024, with
CASC will be responsible for nearly 70% of the planned missions,
Experts highlight that
In 2023, China was the second-ranking country in terms of launch numbers, having carried
The company laid
7 . Madison Baloy was a normal twenty-something a year ago, with a positive attitude on life. However, a
A year later, her health condition became worse, and she
Even though it was hard, Baloy
Before Baloy dies, she has many
A.doubtful | B.critical | C.curable | D.mild |
A.lost | B.carried | C.weighed | D.spent |
A.amazing | B.remaining | C.frightening | D.exciting |
A.keep up | B.take up | C.bring in | D.turn to |
A.secret | B.appropriate | C.final | D.sincere |
A.combine | B.absorb | C.sense | D.satisfy |
A.expression | B.inspiration | C.commitment | D.contribution |
A.space | B.way | C.occasion | D.state |
A.happily | B.barely | C.bravely | D.deliberately |
A.maintain | B.demonstrate | C.recognize | D.comfort |
A.Naturally | B.Particularly | C.Regularly | D.Surprisingly |
A.assumed | B.recalled | C.approved | D.convinced |
A.driven | B.drawn | C.attached | D.opposed |
A.use | B.give | C.make | D.change |
A.proud | B.generous | C.curious | D.lively |
A.items | B.alternatives | C.restrictions | D.definitions |
A.Keeping | B.Passing | C.Adopting | D.Viewing |
A.belongs | B.matters | C.applies | D.relates |
A.without | B.except | C.through | D.despite |
A.energetic | B.ambitious | C.typical | D.humble |
8 . My 10-year-old son and two friends attended a 2-hour fantastic basketball camp on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. A few minutes before the session ended, there was a shooting contest. Only a few kids were chosen to compete, and my son was not one of them. The contest winners received prizes and recognition, as did a few kids chosen as “all-stars” for effort, skill and participation. Again, my son was not selected.
My son was struggling to deal with his disappointment.
At the camp, he played a basketball game with kids he had never met, guarded them fiercely and took shots easily against them. As his mom, I was thrilled that he spent the day without his iPad. All in all, the day felt wonderful. The last thing I wanted was for these awards to ruin the experience.
I decided to simplify it for him. I did the math and figured out the shooting contest and awards were about 6% of the total camp. The rest of the camp, the parts that he enjoyed, were 94% of the day. Even though the kid loves math, it was hard for him to see the contests and awards as a small part of his day.
My son once told me about a negative situation that played out at recess (课间休息). The way he explained it felt like the disagreement lasted hours, but it turns out it was only the last few minutes of recess.
Now is the time for me as the parent to help my kids think more positively. If my son leaves a half-day camp and most of the day was great — that’s a win. If our family is able to go to Florida over winter break and enjoy time together, away from the everyday headaches, that’s also a win. We can acknowledge the aspects that disappoint us, as long as we are willing to then focus on the bigger picture.
It starts with me and my husband. Our kids will model the behavior we show. They need to see us thinking positively and not hyper-focusing on the negative 6%.
1. Why did the author’s son become so disappointed?A.He spent the day without his iPad. | B.He missed out on a basketball contest. |
C.His mother didn’t turn up in a contest. | D.He didn’t gain awards in a shooting contest. |
A.To help her son to think positively. | B.To arouse her son’s interest in math. |
C.To emphasize the disappointing aspects. | D.To simplify the process of the shooting contest. |
A.Do the math. | B.Set an example. |
C.Start a project. | D.Learn from other parents. |
A.Practice makes perfect. | B.Every coin has two sides. |
C.The bigger picture matters. | D.Adversity makes a wise man. |
Chengde Mountain Resort
Chengde Mountain Resort lies in the north of Chengde City, Hebei Province in the north of China and covers an area of 5,640,000 square meters. First
Located in the south part of the resort, Palace Zone comprises rows of buildings in a perfect layout,
Garden Scenery Zone is divided into the lake area, the plain area and the mountain area.
Unlike other royal gardens, Chengde Mountain Resort is a perfect
“Dear Jenny, I am really sorry to tell you that you didn’t get the position this time. The interviewers had a discussion about you. You have a very good experience, but you are not qualified for this position. The journalist we want is to communicate with people from walks of life, so you should be more sociable and more energetic. So, sorry.” Actually, such was not quite new to Jenny and this was the third time that she had been rejected for a job position after her graduation from university as a top student.
Overwhelmed (淹没) with sadness, she lifted her hands to cover her face. Her heart was broken with self-doubt whether she was never good enough to fit in with the highly competitive adult world. It seemed that the excellence she displayed at school was nothing but illusion. “Maybe I should quit applying for that demanding job,” Jenny whispered to herself.
Sensing something wrong, Jenny’s father, James, said to his daughter, “Congratulations on your graduation, and time to enjoy your youth. In celebration of your new life, I’d like to give you something special. Here is a car that I acquired many years ago. But before I give it to you, take it to the used car lot downtown and tell them you want to sell it and see how much they offer you.”
Unwilling as Jenny was, she went to the used car lot and they offered her only one thousand dollars because the car looked very worn out. With that offer, she returned back to her father and out of her expectation, this time her father told her to take this car to a pawnshop (当铺). Confused, Jenny went to the pawnshop where they should have offered her ten thousand dollars as her father’s car looked a little bit old to them. “Maybe it is a perfect deal!” thought Jenny. But then, the father advised his daughter to keep trying and go to a car club and show them the car. The daughter took the car to the club, and then, breathtakingly, something magic happened.
注意:1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
People there willingly offered one hundred thousand dollars for the same car.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Wearing a satisfied smile, James said, “They identified it as an expensive car.”
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