1 . It is reported that more than 70% of water ________ in the past five years.

A．was polluted	B．were polluted
C．have been polluted	D．has been polluted

2 . We are in the midst of a battle for our attention. Our devices have affected our brains and destroyed our collective ability to concentrate. Journalist Johann Hair’s new book, Stolen Focus, has just joined the voices complaining about the great influence of the digital age. His and other recent books reflect a public perception that our focus is under attack.

Indeed, in our new research, we found some clear concerns. We surveyed a nationally representative sample of 2,093 UK adults in 2021. Half of those surveyed felt their attention spans were shorter than they used to be, compared with a quarter who didn't. And three quarters of participants agreed we're living through a time when there's non-stop competition for our attention between a variety of media channels and information outlets (渠道).

There has long been a worry about the threat to attention brought by new cultural forms, whether that’s social media or the cheap paperback sensation novels of the 19th century. Even as far back as ancient Greece, the philosopher Socrates complained that the written words created “forgetfulness in our souls”. There has always been a tendency to fear the effects that new media and technologies will have on our minds.

The reality is that we simply don’t have long-term studies that tell us whether our attention spans have actually shrunk. What we do know from our study is that people overestimate some of the problems. There’s no such thing as an average attention span. Our ability to focus varies hugely depending on the individual and the task at hand.

It’s also important not to ignore the many benefits that technology brings to our life. Much of the public surveyed recognized these, so while half thought big tech and social media were ruining young people’s attention spans, roughly another half felt that being easily distracted was more to do with people’s personalities than any negative influence that technology may or may not have. Also, half of the public believed multitasking at work and switching frequently between emails, phone calls, and other tasks can create a more efficient and satisfactory work experience.

1. What might be the theme of the books mentioned in Paragraph 1?

A．The main focus of social media.	B．The great influence of public opinion.
C．The attention crisis in the digital age.	D．The fierce competition in the digital age.

2. What can we know about some of the participants in the new research?

A．They were frequently disturbed by digital devices.

B．They felt it hard to acquire useful information online.

C．They had shorter attention spans than average people.

D．They felt challenged by fierce competition from others.

3. Why does the author mention Socrates in Paragraph 3?

A．To stress new cultural forms have limitations.

B．To show worry about attention is an age-old problem.

C．To prove the important role be played in literary history.

D．To explain cultural differences between the past and the present.

4. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．People tend to overestimate their abilities.

B．Digital distractions might have potential benefits.

C．Technology’s benefits have been largely ignored.

D．Switching between different tasks frequently is difficult.

5. What message does the author want to convey?

A．Digital devices can benefit our work.	B．We should say “No” to digital devices.
C．We should think highly of new cultural forms.	D．Digital distractions really affect us so much.

3 . For a long time Gabriel didn't want to be involved in music at all. In his first years of high school, Gabriel would look pityingly at music students, _______ across the campus with their heavy instrument cases. _______ at school for practice hours. _______ anyone else had to be there. He swore to himself to _______ music, as he hated getting to school extra early.

_______ , one day, in the music class that was _______ of his school’s standard curriculum, he was playing idly (随意地) on the piano and found it _______ to pick out tunes. With a sinking feeling, he realized that he actually _______ doing it. He tried to hide his _______ pleasure from the music teacher, who had, ________ over to listen. He might not have done this particularly well, ________ the teacher told Gabriel that he had a good ________ and suggested that Gabriel go into the music store-room to see if any of the instruments there ________ him. There he decided to give the cello (大提琴) a ________ . When he began practicing, he took it very ________. But he quickly found that he loved playing this instrument, and was ________ to practicing it so that within a couple of months he was playing reasonably well.

This ________ , of course, that he arrived at school early in the morning, ________ his heavy instrument case across the campus to the ________ looks of the non-musicians he had left ________.

1.

A．travelling

B．marching

C．pacing

D．struggling

2.

A．rising up

B．coming up

C．driving up

D．turning up

3.

A．before

B．after

C．until

D．since

4.

A．betray

B．accept

C．avoid

D．appreciate

5.

A．Therefore

B．However

C．Thus

D．Moreover

6.

A．part

B．nature

C．basis

D．spirit

7.

A．complicated

B．safe

C．confusing

D．easy

8.

A．missed

B．disliked

C．enjoyed

D．denied

9.

A．transparent

B．obvious

C．false

D．similar

10.

A．run

B．jogged

C．jumped

D．wandered

11.

A．because

B．but

C．though

D．so

12.

A．ear

B．tasto

C．heart

D．voice

13.

A．occurred to

B．took to

C．appealed to

D．held to

14.

A．change

B．chance

C．mission

D．function

15.

A．seriously

B．proudly

C．casually

D．naturally

16.

A．committed

B．used

C．limited

D．admitted

17.

A．proved

B．showed

C．stressed

D．meant

18.

A．pushing

B．dragging

C．lifting

D．rushing

19.

A．admiring

B．pitying

C．annoying

D．teasing

20.

A．aside

B．aside

C．behind

D．out

4 . —Did you have butterflies in your stomach at the interview?
—________. That was my first job interview.

A．It depends

B．Not really

C．Never mind

D．You bet

5 . China has ________ improved the living standards of the ordinary people in the past four decades.

A．necessarily

B．additionally

C．dramatically

D．desperately

6 . Finally, my thanks go to my tutor, who has offered a lot of suggestions and comments on my paper and ________ every page of my draft.

A．converted

B．regulated

C．polished

D．enlarged

7 . 阅读短文，按照题目要求用英语回答问题。

Just like everyone, I have experienced ups and downs in my life. I am an aerospace engineer from India. I was told by my relatives, close friends and others that it was hard for a non-IT student to pursue a master’s degree in IT and graduate from a US university.

I had never taken courses related to computers or programming. I was never interested in being a programmer, but things changed. I became so captivated by the convenience IT has brought to our life that I made up my mind to chase a master’s degree in IT.

At first, I came across too many difficulties and setbacks. Coming from a middle-class family, the huge cost per credit was a big issue. My English accent was terrible. Most importantly, the course seemed impossible at first. Although I felt so discouraged and frustrated, I never thought of giving up.

Then I decided to choose my university because it promised its students to help them learn practically. During my first month, it was difficult to understand the Americans’ accent and finish my assignments. But I never gave in. I walked two miles to the university every day so that I could use my travel money to buy a meal. I started looking for jobs and I got an offer to work as a student assistant, which meant lifting benches and chairs every day.

I took all these challenges as my chances, and I believed that hard work was my strength. Right now I am graduating with a GPA of 3.96/4 and a job offer from a multinational company that has asked me to start right after graduation.

When you have a dream to realize, there is nothing that can stop you. All you need is the diligence and persistence. Hard work always pays off. Having a determined will is also necessary.

1. Why did the author’s family and friends say that it was hard for him to pursue a master’s degree in IT? (no more than 8 words)
______________________________________________________________
2. What does the underlined part “captivated by” in paragraph 2 mean? (2 words)
______________________________________________________________
3. What is the main idea of paragraph 3? (no more than 10 words)
______________________________________________________________
4. What made the author graduate with a higher GPA and a good job offer? (no more than 15 words)
______________________________________________________________
5. What do you learn from the author’s story? (no more than 25 words)
______________________________________________________________

8 . —I have got the first prize in the VEX Robotics Competition.
—_______________! Your efforts have paid off.

A．Gook luck

B．Come on

C．Good for you

D．Cheer up

9 . In China, a man from Jiangsu Province ________ from university at the age of 88, ________him the oldest university graduate in the country.

A．graduated; making	B．graduated; to make
C．being graduated; made	D．having graduated; made

10 . ______like this might sometimes put you under pressure.

A．Challenges

B．Characters

C．Petrol

D．Volunteers