1 . Social media provides materialists with ideal opportunities to compare themselves with others, which makes them subject to passive and addictive user behavior. This stresses them out and, ultimately, leads to low life satisfaction, according to a new study.
The researchers headed by Dr. Phillip Ozimek from Germany employed 1, 230 people for their online survey. In order to participate, respondents had to visit at least one social media channel at least once a week. On average, the participants stated they spent just over two hours a day on social media.
The team used six different questionnaires to determine the extent to which the participants had a materialistic attitude and tended to compare themselves with others, whether they used social media more actively or passively, whether they were addicted to social media, how stressed and how satisfied they were with their lives.
“The data showed a stronger materialistic approach goes hand in hand with a tendency to compare oneself with others,” points out Ozimek. This comparison is easy to make on social media, primarily through passive use—by looking at the content posted by other users. Materialism and passive use were also linked to addictive use of social media.
“Users are constantly thinking about the respective channels and fear they’re missing out on something if they aren’t online,” explains Ozimek. “This in turn leads to poorer mental health like stress. The final link in the chain is reduced life satisfaction.”
“Overall, the study provides further evidence that the use of social media is associated with risks, especially for people with a highly materialistic mindset,” says the psychologist. “This is particularly worrying, because social media can stimulate and increase materialistic values through influence r marketing. Meanwhile, the platforms attract materialists anyway, as they’re a perfect way to satisfy materialistic needs.”
“It’s definitely a good idea to be aware of the amount of time you spend on social media and to reduce it,” recommends Ozimek, who advises against giving up social media completely. “If you did, you’re likely to over-correct.” He also suggests recording materialism and social media use in patients undergoing treatment for mental health disorders. “While these factors are often irrelevant, they can be a starting point for additional interventions patients can try out at home.”
1. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?| A．The Virtual World, the Real Danger |
| B．Showing Superiority Causes Heavy Media Use |
| C．More Social Media Materialism, Less Happiness |
| D．Materialistic Values: A Stepping Stone to Discontent |
| A．be a big spender | B．specialize in data analysis |
| C．be a regular social media user | D．upload web surfing history |
| A．Pessimism. | B．Sympathy. | C．Shock. | D．Concern. |
| A．Restricting the duration. | B．Logging onto well-rated websites. |
| C．Abandoning it for good. | D．Prohibiting patients from using it. |
2 . In Lincoln Elementary School, the students went wild with excitement on hearing the announcement of the upcoming science fair. Among the
Alex envisioned creating a volcano model for the fair, complete with a(n)
Their working together became a lively
On the science fair day, the school gym was full of scientific wonders. When Alex and Mia confidently introduced their project and skillfully
Alex’s decision to
| A．daring | B．curious | C．hesitant | D．eager |
| A．theory | B．biology | C．experiments | D．adventures |
| A．burning | B．erupting | C．talent | D．gravity |
| A．struggling | B．offering | C．demanding | D．managing |
| A．well-intended | B．self-absorbed | C．hard-working | D．easy-going |
| A．replace | B．accompany | C．join | D．instruct |
| A．exchange | B．race | C．change | D．challenge |
| A．sharing | B．checking | C．doubting | D．acquiring |
| A．aimlessly | B．randomly | C．leisurely | D．tirelessly |
| A．initiated | B．born | C．planned | D．located |
| A．analyzed | B．designed | C．filmed | D．demonstrated |
| A．contract | B．recognition | C．permit | D．degree |
| A．reach out | B．get through | C．give in | D．look up |
| A．competition | B．dignity | C．discipline | D．cooperation |
| A．destination | B．subject | C．must | D．signal |
Last year, 28-year-old Jane Bell moved to a suburb of Philadelphia for her newly found job and rent a house with a big yard in a village.
Jane had the habit of rising early for exercise. One cold morning, she was jogging through the nearby park when she spotted a weak husky lying by the path, seeming to have been deserted. She approached and checked it, only to find one of the dog’s legs severely broken. The pitiful dog looked at her with its sad blue eyes as if asking her for help. Blaming the dog’s previous owner for the selfish and irresponsible action, Jane, without hesitation, bent down and carried the dog home. Then she drove the dog to an animal clinic for a checkup and treatment, where a doctor told Jane it would take about 3 months before the dog got well.
Jane returned home with the dog, which she called Kobe. She made a comfortable den (窝) in the front yard and took great trouble to look after it. With time going on, Kobe gradually recovered and was able to get around with her. Every morning, Jane would take Kobe for a run. Every evening Jane came home from work, Kobe would welcome her, excitedly wagging (摇) its tail at her. Kobe kept Jane company and became her inseparable and loyal friend.
Jane’s furry companion was usually gentle and quiet. But one dawn Jane was woken up by Kobe’s loud barking and the constant noise of its pawing (用爪子抓) at the door. The moment she opened the door, Kobe pulled on her clothes with its mouth, attempting to lead her away from the yard. Initially dismissing it as typical dog behavior, Jane patted Kobe on the head to quiet it, saying firmly, “No, Kobe! Good boy, ca lm down!” However, the dog didn’t stop behaving strangely. It arched its back, its nose moving against a piece of ground in the yard anxiously. Jane was surprised and confused.
注意：
1.续写词数应为150个左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Then Kobe began to dig the ground with its paws.
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Soon gas workers came.
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The farming-themed reality show Become a Farmer has taken Chinese social media by storm, shining a spotlight on agriculture—an essential part of Chinese culture. The word “farming”, however, may be entirely unfamiliar
To connect these individuals with the agricultural industry, the 50-episode variety show tackles the topic by asking 10 young men from various fields
Yang Changling, chief director of the program, said the show’s intention is to showcase
One view er said, “The distinctive program has enlightened me on the process of cultivating a grain of rice.
5 . Think you have a good grasp of English? Good. Read the six sentences below, then.
Sentence 1: The old man the boat.
Sentence 2: The cotton clothing is made of grows in Mississippi.
Sentence 3: Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.
Sentence 4: Fat people eat collects.
Sentence 5: The man who hunts ducks out on weekends.
Sentence 6: The complex houses married and single soldiers and their families.
Linguists (语言学家) call these “garden path sentences”, which take you by the hand and lead you down a winding path to a dead end. Despite this, they’re all grammatically correct. Let’s see why.
Sentence 1: The old man the boat.
Besides sounding like a rejected Hemingway title, this sentence is indeed grammatically correct thanks to some well-placed homonyms—words that share the same spellings but have different meanings. Homonym 1 here is “old”, used as a noun, meaning “old people”; homonym 2 is “man”, used as a verb, meaning “to serve in/on”. With that in mind, the sentence means “The old people serve on the boat”.
Sentence 2: The cotton clothing is made of grows in Mississippi.
At first read, you’d think “is made of” is the main verb of this sentence. But it’s not. The simplest form of this sentence is “The cotton grows in Mississippi”; confusingly, “clothing is made of” is used to tell us what cotton we’re talking about. This sentence would make way more sense if written “The cotton that clothing is made of grows in Mississippi”, but English allows us to remove certain conjunctions like “that”, with its meaning maintained.
Sentence 3: Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.
The first half of this sentence is easy to catch. So when dealing with the other half, people usually follow the structure of the first half, and it’d be understood as “fruits fly like bananas”. This is obviously unreasonable. Only when people rethink can they recognize the true meaning of the sentence. Therefore, such sentences manage to make people ignore the structure of the sentence itself, thus departing from its original meaning.
Come on! Take a walk down the garden path with the rest of the sentences.
1. What’s the characteristic of “garden path sentences” according to linguists?| A．Misleading but error-free. | B．Accurate and plain. |
| C．Improperly-worded and meaningless. | D．Ungrammatical but comprehensible. |
| A．“grows” in sentence 2. | B．“eat” in sentence 4. |
| C．“hunts” in sentence 5. | D．“houses” in sentence 6. |
| A．“fruit flies” refers to a sort of insect. | B．“flies” serves as the verb of the sentence. |
| C．“flies like” explains what fruit is talked about. | D．“like” has the same meaning as the “like” before it. |
| A．The ill-placed verbs. | B．The removal of “that”. |
| C．The grammar mistakes. | D．The lack of noun behind “collects”. |
6 . With pet ownership becoming more popular, being saddened by the loss of a beloved pet is becoming a terrible headache. Li Peng, a woolen felt (织物) craftswoman, has found a unique way to preserve the memory of dead pets by creating realistic woolen images.
Li’s journey into this craft is accidental. During her college years, she majored in e-commerce and worked part time at a pet store. One day, while visiting a website, she came upon a small fox made entirely of wool. Astonished at its delicacy, she set off on a self-taught journey in this art form. In late 2019, Li Peng made the firm decision to start her own business and pursue wool felting as a full-time profession.
While a video showcasing the work may only take a few minutes to watch, the actual process is far more intricate. The three-dimensional creations feature genuine fur, lifelike glass eyes and tiny whiskers (胡须), each one individually secured by hand. To achieve a vivid effect, she repeatedly sticks layers of wool with a needle, winding the loose fibers together to create solid felted shapes. The key is massive patience.
The handcrafted creations satisfy her desire to convey love. The majority of her customers are pet owners who have experienced the loss of their beloved companions. They send Li photographs and even their pets’ hair, hoping to freeze the appearance of their furry friends through her wool felting models. Fascinated by the deep bond between people and their pets, she is committed to grabbing and investing these emotions in her artworks. And it turns out that the career is a success. Orders are often scheduled for one year later, and she has gained substantial attention through social media.
Reflecting on her work, Li expresses her desire to create meaningful pieces using the warm material, offering a heartfelt gift of warmth to the beautiful souls of this world.
1. What inspired Li Peng to take up wool felting as a career?| A．A temporary job at a pet shop. | B．Her self-study art course. |
| C．A discovery of an alternative to fiber. | D．A woolen creation online. |
| A．Confusing. | B．Efficient. | C．Complicated. | D．Effortless. |
| A．Conservationists of animal rights. | B．Individuals fond of furry toys. |
| C．Distributors providing personalized service. | D．People suffering from pet loss. |
| A．Fair product pricing. | B．Human-pet attachment. |
| C．Smart network marketing. | D．Hunger for a fine reputation. |
7 . Join us aboard the two largest and finest whale watching ships on Monterey Bay: the 110ft Princess Monterey and the 100ft Atlantis Monterey. Designed with your comfort in mind, both ships feature indoor heated cabins with expansive windows for viewing, a snack-bar for refreshments, multiple seating options both indoors and outdoors, and the opportunity to enjoy the 3-hour tour from our limited Upper Deck for an additional fee.
● The Princess Monterey departs at 9:00 am, 12:30 pm and 3:30 pm.
● The Atlantis Monterey departs at 10:00 am, 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm.
Experience the wonder of sunset alongside the whales. Sightings vary by season—be sure to check our calendar for availability:
| Dolphins | Orcas | Gray whales | Blue whales | Humpback whales | |
| Jan. -Feb. | × | ◎ | |||
| Mar. -May | × | ◎ | × | × | |
| Jun. -Oct. | × | ◎ | ◎ | × | |
| Nov. | × | ◎ | ◎ | × | |
| Dec. | × | ◎ | × | ◎ | × |
| ×: Most Likely ◎: Irregularly | |||||
Prices starting at $65, secure your spot today by calling us at 831-372-2203 or visiting princessmontereywhalewatching.com.
Voices from our guests:
★Eight miles out, and the humpback whales, Rizzo’s dolphins, and sea lions were in full view. A repeat visit is definitely in my plans!
—Mary B.
★The trip was superb, enriched by the insightful commentary from the naturalist and the captain’s expert positioning for whale watching. The staff was informative and helpful. We couldn’t have asked for a better whale watching company.
—Steve S.
★I’ve gone whale watching with Princess Monterey 5 times and never disappointed. The sightings on September 1st and 2nd were breathtaking.
—Hector M.
★Leave your telescopes at home—the boats get you close enough for great views. But do bring a high-quality camera for a nice shot of whales!
—Grant W.
1. What should you do to take a sunset whale watching tour?| A．Book the larger of the two ships. | B．Upgrade to Upper Deck. |
| C．Make a calendar-based reservation. | D．Choose the earliest departure time. |
| A．In February. | B．In April. | C．In June. | D．In August. |
| A．Mary | B．B. Steve S. | C．Hector M. | D．Grant W. |
8 . French parenting isn’t perfect, but there’s a lot we can learn from this kind but no-nonsense style of parenting.
French children are allowed to handle difficult things themselves.
Fearful of hurting feelings, American parents tend to praise every child for everything.
Painful experiences are the best learning opportunities and sheltering children from this fact of life will merely delay their emotional development. French doctors never say “sorry” when giving kids shots. The French believe undergoing hurts, is part of life and that there’s no reason to apologize for that.
Plus, the expectation of eye contact and a polite hello starts from the minute French children can say hello. They know saying “hello” and good manners are non-negotiable. Teaching them about that will benefit them for a lifetime.
All the above feels easier said than done, especially as a tired parent facing an intolerable child.
| A．They mean what they say. |
| B．This isn’t to say it’ll come easily. |
| C．It might save tears in the short term. |
| D．They wish children to suffer sometimes. |
| E．Bearing a few blow-ups is worthwhile, though. |
| F．Parents have to spare them such psychological discomfort. |
| G．“Me do it!” is little kids’ favorite phrase and for good reason. |
Returns
When I saw my mother at her home last month, it was a hot Sunday. I travelled there by train. As the train reduced its speed, I knew I was going to see her.
Leaving the station, I headed to the town center where I bought cakes — the kind she used to tell me to bring home. And I bought a cat, which I think can accompany her for along time. Until I got home, I didn’t think anything besides, I’m going to see her again and she’s waiting for me.
I knocked on the narrow door of the ground-floor apartment. She called out, “Yes. Come in!” “You should lock the door!” “I knew it was you. There’s no one else it could have been.”
When she saw the cat, she was very pleased as if it were my kid. She took the cakes, a little uneasy, but thanked me with a happy tone to her voice. That’s because she had already bought some for us on her way back home.
She was laughing, standing by the table. She put her hand on my shoulder, tilting her face up for me to kiss. At the same time, she was firing off questions about my trip, my children, my husband, my work...
We sat opposite each other at the table that, along with the meal she had already prepared for me, almost filled her apartment. She bought it big — it can seat at least ten people! But in six years, not once...
After meal, she tried to come up with more subjects of conversation, so that I wouldn’t go too soon, leaving her alone with her desire for me, her longing to live with me, her daughter, forever. Meanwhile, the cat approached us, which kept us busy for along time — watching it, taking turns holding it... My mother was the happiest she’d been since I got home. She seemed to have forgotten that I was going to leave.
注意：续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。
It’s time for me to say goodbye to her.
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A month later, I, along with my husband and kids, came back to visit my mother.
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10 . Thor came to us with the name Sterling, but it didn’t suit him. Therefore, we
This 20-year-old Haflinger horse is my favorite pony, the
We
Thor is very
Initially, I had no
| A．ran | B．took | C．saw | D．named |
| A．stop | B．appear | C．fit | D．change |
| A．choice | B．fulfillment | C．challenge | D．expectation |
| A．board | B．bring | C．describe | D．observe |
| A．weight | B．sight | C．mood | D．brain |
| A．pass | B．lend | C．feed | D．post |
| A．free | B．safe | C．tired | D．different |
| A．unrideable | B．unfortunate | C．unafraid | D．unhurt |
| A．quit | B．begin | C．delay | D．escape |
| A．interest | B．habit | C．trust | D．goal |
| A．experience | B．intention | C．perseverance | D．right |
| A．journey | B．work | C．break | D．ride |
| A．directly | B．regularly | C．easily | D．secretly |
| A．checked out | B．cut down | C．gave away | D．built up |
| A．grateful | B．worried | C．curious | D．interested |
