1 . Twelve-year-old Catherine has a lot of friends—632, actually, if you count up her online friends. And she spends a lot of time with them.
But is it possible that Catherine’s online friendships could be making her lonely? That’s what some experts believe. Connecting online is a great way to stay in touch, they say. However, some experts worry that many kids are so busy connecting online that they might be missing out on true friendships.
Could this be true? During your parents’ childhoods, connecting with friends usually meant spending time with them in the flesh. Kids played Scrabble around a table, not words with friends on their phones. When friends missed each other, they picked up the telephone. Friends might even write letters to each other.
Today, most communication takes place online. A typical teen sends 2,000 texts a month and spends more than 44 hours per week in front of a screen. Much of this time is spent on social media platform.
In fact, in many ways, online communication can make friendships stronger. “There’s definitely a positive influence. Kids can stay in constant contact, which means they can share more of their feelings with each other,” says Katie Davis, co-author of The App Generation.
Other experts, however, warn that too much online communication can get in the way of forming deep friendships. “If we are constantly checking in with our virtual world, we will have little time for our real-world friendships,” says Larry Rosen, a professor at California State University. Rosen also worries that today’s kids might mistake the “friends” on the social media for true friends in life. However, in tough times, you don’t need anyone to like your picture or share your blogs. You need someone who will keep your secrets and hold your hand. You would like to talk face to face.
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To tell about true friends. | B．To start a discussion. |
| C．To encourage online friendships. | D．To summarize(总结) the text. |
| A．In any case. | B．In public. | C．In person. | D．In advance. |
| A．Unconcerned. | B．Positive. | C．Worried. | D．Confused. |
| A．Teenagers need to focus on real-world friendships. | B．It’s easier to develop friendships in real life. |
| C．It’s wise to turn to friends online. | D．Social media help people stay closely connected. |
4 . This year marks the 20th anniversary of China’s first manned space mission, with Yang Liwei becoming the first Chinese astronaut to go to space. Since then, another 19 astronauts have reached for the stars. The selection of the fourth generation of astronauts began in 2022 and is now in full swing. Experts revealed how tough the training is before astronauts can fly to space.
The human body is not designed for space life. Astronauts are faced with multiple challenges on a space mission. The changes in gravity can have an impact on their bodies. The sensation of confinement(封闭)living in a small spacecraft for months can damage their mental health. Emergencies during missions challenge their knowledge and ability to solve problems under huge pressure. So it’s no wonder that astronauts have to meet extremely high standards and go through a tough training program.
To make sure that Chinese astronauts complete their missions and return to Earth safely, “Eight types, including over 200 subjects of training, were set,” Huang Weifen, chief designer of the astronaut system for China’s manned space project, told CCTV News. Apart from physical fitness training, it also includes basic scientific theories, psychological health, and mock(模拟)missions.
Among the training subjects, the most tiring one is underwater training. This training is designed for astronauts to adapt to the microgravity environment in space. According to Huang, astronauts stay underwater in suits weighing over 100 kilograms for six hours at a time. Water resistance(阻力)and the heavy suit make every move exhausting. “Nie Haisheng, one of the astronauts, once reported a two-kilogram loss in weight after one underwater training exercise,” said Huang. Each astronaut receives training for at least three and a half years before having the chance to go to space.
1. How many generations of Chinese astronauts have been sent to space?| A．3 | B．4 | C．19 | D．20 |
| A．Human body is perfect for space exploration. |
| B．The spacecraft has enough space for astronauts to operate. |
| C．Astronauts ought to complete missions under huge pressure. |
| D．The isolated condition in space benefits people’s mental health. |
| A．To stress how challenging the training is. | B．To describe Nie’s personal achievements. |
| C．To introduce the weight limit for astronauts. | D．To explain the importance of proper training. |
| A．Microgravity environment cause health problems. |
| B．Astronauts need tough training to meet various challenges. |
| C．China has completed numerous missions in space exploration. |
| D．Experts reveals the high standards of selection process of astronauts. |
5 . Chinese Teapot Escaping from British Museum Goes Viral
Chinese state media has praised a viral video series, Escape from the British Museum, which tells the story of a jade teapot coming to life and escaping from the British Museum to make its way back home.
In the video series released online on Sept 5th, a female vlogger plays the role of an ancient Chinese jade teapot, while her male partner acts as a journalist who helps it return to China.
The plot line taps into growing criticism of the British Museum after reports last month that more than 1,500 priceless objects, including gold jewelry, gems and glass items, were missing, stolen or damaged, which made headlines around the world. Also, the jade teapot’s reaction reflected the “casual attitude of the British Museum toward Chinese cultural relics, as many of them are crammed into just one cabinet for exhibition”. Problems in the management and security of cultural objects in the British Museum exposed have led to the doubts about a long-standing and widely-spread claim that foreign cultural objects are better protected in the British Museum.
The video series stirred up the emotions of Chinese people after first being released by independent vloggers on Douyin by showing how the teapot experienced the happiness of returning to China to see pandas and watch a flag-raising ceremony on Tiananmen Square. Many netizens expressed their eagerness for cultural artifacts overseas to return home with dignity and honor.
In August the state media Global Times also called for the return of Chinese artifacts from the museum “free of charge” in the wake of the controversy. It strongly supported the video series for touching on a “powerful message” about the importance of cultural heritage and reflecting “Chinese people’s strong and emotional desire for the repatriation of the Chinese cultural relics”.
State broadcaster CCTV gave the short films a glowing review saying “We are very pleased to see Chinese young people are passionate about history and tradition. We are also looking forward to the early return of Chinese artifacts that have been displaced overseas.”
1. What is the writing purpose of paragraph 3?| A．To discuss the problem in management. | B．To introduce the content of the video series. |
| C．To express criticism to the British Museum. | D．To provide background of the video series. |
| A．Return. | B．Reserve | C．Repair | D．Reflection. |
| A．Chinese netizens expressed anger towards it. | B．The Chinese media showed appreciation for it. |
| C．The British Museum took it quite seriously. | D．The viewers were eager to learn history from it. |
| A．A guidebook. | B．A story book. |
| C．A news report. | D．A book review. |
1. 举办时间、地点和参加人员;
2. 大赛的简要过程;
3. 活动反响。
注意：1. 词数100左右; 2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
生词提示：dub (vt.) 配音
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