1 . In the days before the Internet, critical thinking was the most important skill of informed citizens. But in the digital age, according to Anastasia Kozyreva, a psychologist at the Max Planck Institute of Human Development, and her colleagues, an even more important skill is critical ignoring.
As the researchers point out, we live in an attention economy where content producers on the Internet compete for our attention. They attract us with a lot of emotional and eye-catching stories while providing little useful information, so they can expose us to profit-generating advertisements. Therefore,we are no longer customers but products, and each link we click is a sale of our time and attention. Toprotect ourselves from this, Kozyreva advocates for learning the skill of critical ignoring, in which readers intentionally control their information environment to reduce exposure to false and low-quality information.
According to Kozyreva, critical ignoring comprises three strategies. The first is to design ourenvironments, which involves the removal of low-quality yet hard-to-resist information from around. Successful dieters need to keep unhealthy food out of their homes. Likewise, we need to set up a digital environment where attention-grabbing items are kept out of sight. As with dieting, if one tries to bank onwillpower not to click eye-catching “news”, he’ll surely fail. So, it’s better to just keep them out of sightto begin with.
The next is to evaluate the reliability of information, whose purpose is to protect you from false and misleading information. It can be realized by checking the source in the mainstream news agencies which have their reputations for being trustworthy.
The last goes by the phrase “do not feed the trolls.” Trolls are actors who internationally spread false and hurtful information online to cause harm. It may be appealing to respond to them to set the facts straight, but trolls just care about annoying others rather than facts. So, it’s best not to reward their bad behaviour with our attention.
By sharpening our critical ignoring skills in these ways, we can make the most of the Internet while avoiding falling victim to those who try to control our attention, time, and minds.
1. What can we learn about the attention economy from paragraph 2?| A．It offers little information. | B．It features depressing stories. |
| C．It saves time for Internet users. | D．It seeks profits from each click. |
| A．To discuss the quality of information |
| B．To prove the benefits of healthy food. |
| C．To show the importance of environments. |
| D．To explain the effectiveness of willpower. |
| A．Reveal their intention. | B．Turn a deaf ear to them. |
| C．Correct their behaviour. | D．Send hard facts to them. |
| A．Reasons for critical thinking in the attention economy. |
| B．Practising the skill of critical ignoring in the digital age. |
| C．Maximizing the benefits of critical ignoring on the Internet. |
| D．Strategies of abandoning critical thinking for Internet users |
2 . In my early teens, I was once given a film camera as a gift. On receiving it, I jumped on my bike, headed to Wimbledon Common and took photos, just for me: photos of trees and wildlife. I was out all day. On my way home I spotted a tree lit up by street lighting and tried to capture its splendour. Rushing home, I popped the spent film in a special little envelope and sent it off to a photography store, desperate to see how it came out. I took many photos then and loved the fact that when you processed your film you got back colour photos which froze the precious moments, gently encouraging the hobby and the payments for processing.
As I grew into adulthood, that simple, deep happiness gradually faded away. One weekend when I was busy answering the work calls, my eyes caught a box in the corner of the room. I suddenly felt a sense of sadness. The stress growing over these years had pushed the camera from beside my pillow to the box in the corner. I thought I needed a change.
I took out the camera and dusted it down. It was a great joy that it still worked. I bought new film and took the camera everywhere I went. Now it is always on hand to accompany me on journeys, to allow me time to myself. Even if the day is full and busy, I can seize some moments for myself to take photos, to observe the world around me.
The wall of my room now holds all my camera equipment along with photos I’ve taken. To me, the room represents how I’ve found happiness: by reconnecting to the younger part of myself I laid aside, by allowing room in my life for pleasure to exist, and by creating an environment that allows opportunities for delight.
1. What did the author think of taking photos as a young boy?| A．Inspiring and practical. | B．Troublesome yet delightful. |
| C．Complicated yet engaging. | D．Thrilling and rewarding. |
| A．He was struck by sudden sorrow. |
| B．He was faced with increasing pressure. |
| C．He intended to focus on his work |
| D．He attempted to behave like an adult. |
| A．More enjoyment in the daily routine. | B．New journeys in the wild. |
| C．Better skills of observation. | D．Different styles of photography. |
| A．Revisiting Lost Childhood Memories |
| B．Appreciating Beauty Behind the Lens |
| C．Regaining Pleasure Through Photography |
| D．Escaping Teenage Sadness with Camera |
Tom was born and grew up in Milan. Until he was 13 years old, he never wanted to leave his hometown. But last year, Tom’s father’s investment went bad， wiping out the family and sending his parents to prison. As a teenager under 16 years old, Tom was forced to go to Newcastle in the northeast of England to stay with his uncle Lawrence.
Tom had a lot of difficulties in the new environment. He didn’t like the food in England. Nobody could forecast the weather in Newcastle. He had to start learning the second foreign language in his new school. Pocket money was not enough as usual. Almost every subject was a challenge for him. Most importantly, he had no friends. It seemed nobody knew him and he knew nobody in the school.
On an early summer evening, when Tom was going home alone from school as usual, a man called him from behind. Tom turned around and saw Andy, his PE teacher, standing in front of him.
“You know, the school will have a swimming competition next month. There will be all kinds of races. Will you participate?” Andy asked.
Tom took a look at Andy with doubt and answered, “You sure? Me? No, I won’t. I can swim, but I’m slower than a snail.”
Andy smiled and then said, “Yes. Indeed. You are, in breaststroke(蛙泳)，in backstroke, and in butterfly, but not in freestyle. So join the freestyle race! 200-meter freestyle is the game suitable for you.”
Tom was speechless at that moment. He had never known someone in the school was observing him and caring for him.
“I don’t think I can win anything.” Tom was still a little puzzled.
“But you may get more recognition and consequently you can make some friends. That is more important than prizes,” Andy responded immediately.
Having hesitated for a while, Tom agreed to have a try.
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。
Every afternoon for the next month, Tom trained really hard.
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Tom dived into the pool confidently like other competitors.
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The youth version of The Peony Pavilion (《牡丹亭》) successfully entered the stage of the Spring for Chinese Arts at the Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center.
The Peony Pavilion,
Kunqu Opera uses a seemingly endless
5 . I was waiting in a checkout line. A woman and two boys were ahead of me. At the cash desk, a white-haired man had begun to
But today, it was something else. The man didn’t have
Eventually, his
But I had no idea just how
Then I realized all it took to witness this flash of
| A．bag | B．list | C．check | D．receive |
| A．attempt | B．barrier | C．intention | D．mission |
| A．fetch | B．slice | C．weigh | D．taste |
| A．enough | B．pocket | C．extra | D．bonus |
| A．tools | B．items | C．drinks | D．snacks |
| A．doubted | B．glanced | C．shifted | D．paused |
| A．delay | B．evaluation | C．checkup | D．selection |
| A．thrilled | B．anxious | C．embarrassed | D．satisfied |
| A．blew | B．waved | C．cut | D．kicked |
| A．helpless | B．sympathetic | C．patient | D．annoyed |
| A．expensive | B．thrown-away | C．left-behind | D．major |
| A．rushed | B．slipped | C．walked | D．moved |
| A．accomplished | B．failed | C．postponed | D．started |
| A．tenderness | B．courage | C．kindness | D．tolerance |
| A．careful | B．heavy | C．clumsy | D．light |
6 . Could a new treatment developed by the US company Lilly mean “the beginning of the end” of Alzheimer’s? Could we even cure it some day? These are headlines and questions swirling (流传) around after news of a new drug, called donanemab, showed promising results in phase-3 trials.
The brain science behind Alzheimer’s is complex, but CT and MRJ scans suggest that poisonous changes occur in the brain, including the abnormal build-up of proteins called amyloid plaques and tau tangles. The damage starts in the parts of the brain essential for forming memories but then spreads throughout the organ, with brain tissue shrinking significantly.
Developing treatments for Alzheimer’s has been a challenge, with almost 20 years passing with no new drugs. But in the last year, two new ones have emerged: donanemab and lecanemab. Neither are cures or magic bullets for the disease, but they do address key symptoms. They target the amyloid proteins that can accumulate in the brain and damage neurons, slowing down its progression.
While this news is exciting, there are major caveats. One is whether it will ever become available on the NHS. The cost is estimated to be about £20,000 per person per year of treatment.
Another is the serious side effects: in the study, brain swelling occurred in 24% of participants and brain bleeding occurred in 31.4% on the drug compared with 13.6% in the placebo (安慰剂) group. There were also three deaths during the trial.
Part of the problem for me, as an academic, in assessing the drug is that the full results of the trial haven’t yet been shared publicly or published in a peer-review journal. We cannot access the full data or examine the trial yet, and there is always a motivation for private companies to overstate the effectiveness of new drugs. Trial results need to be assessed by an independent body of experts.
While it is unlikely to change clinical practice until at least 2025, the news of donanemab is again an indication that science is continuing to make progress when it comes to treating the major causes of illness and death, even one related to the highly complex inner workings of the brain, So, there are caveats and the need for caution, but these new drugs are indeed the grounds for that rare thing these days: hope.
1. What can we learn about Alzheimer’s from the passage?| A．There exists a new drug to cure it completely. |
| B．Most people will develop Alzheimer’s when they are old. |
| C．It is caused by the accumulation of some proteins in the brain. |
| D．It results from the loss of memories as people get older. |
| A．Warnings. | B．Discussions. | C．Debates. | D．Weaknesses. |
| A．It has serious side effects such as brain bleeding and deaths. |
| B．The effectiveness may be blown up without fair assessment. |
| C．The cost of the new drug is out of reach for ordinary people. |
| D．There is no possibility for new drugs to be admitted into the NHS. |
| A．Approving. | B．Doubtful. | C．Unclear. | D．Indifferent. |
7 . Open Days at the University of Warwick
We’d love to meet you. Find out what Warwick’s all about. We will have a huge range of activities to choose from, to give you a deeper insight into student life here.
Accommodation
Get a sense of what it will be like to live on our fabulous campus. Our accommodation trails will guide you to residences which will be open for you to look around from 10:00 a. m.-4:00 p. m. Many of our current students will also be opening their rooms for viewing and happy to share their experiences of living on campus.
Academic Talks
Learn more about our courses by attending department sessions, and speaking to our academics and current students who will contribute to your student experience at the Information Fair from 9:30 a. m.-4:00 p. m. We’d particularly recommend booking onto our“Why Warwick?“ session. It is popular so make sure you reserve your place.
Sports and Societies
Visit our Sports and Societies Fair to chat to students from a variety of clubs and societies, who’ll talk to you about all the exciting experiences and activities outside of study, and start your thinking about what clubs and societies you might like to join as a student.
Campus Tours
Head over to our campus tour tents, where our friendly student ambassadors will be ready to take you on a guided tour from 9:15 a. m.-4:00 p. m. Visit our central campus sites, including the Warwick Arts Centre to see what you could get involved in.
Click on the boxes below to find out more about our Open Days and find the answers to some of our frequently answered questions. Once you have booked, we will send you more detailed information, to help you prepare for the day.
1. Where can you get to know about the courses at Warwick?| A．Accommodation Trails. | B．The Information Fair. |
| C．The Sports and Societies Fair. | D．Campus Tours. |
| A．To experience living on campus. | B．To make a reservation for a course. |
| C．To learn about extracurricular activities. | D．To appreciate artworks on campus by yourself. |
| A．A website. | B．A journal. |
| C．A guidebook. | D．An advertisement. |
8 . My friend James did some first-aid training last week to learn the fundamentals of the CPR. And he asked if I’d ever done the same.
“Yes,” I said, “…and no.”
Because, yes, I’ve attended several resuscitation (复苏) sessions over the years.
What’s the problem? Every time I’ve had this type of training, it’s been a perfectly good opportunity to learn: an important topic, taught well, in a focused environment, with plenty to see, hear and do. I’ve always taken it seriously, too, and been focused. And I’ve always come away with a wealth of information.
Here’s what I should have done — and what you can do now — to make sure any training doesn’t go to waste.
•
• Challenge your recall later.
• Keep coming back. Put a note in your diary to test yourself again in a week, then ten days after that, then a month on…leaving longer gaps between checks.
Talking to James has inspired me to book myself onto yet another CPR course. But this time I’m determined to do it right. Remember that it’s the next day when the real training begins.
| A．Test yourself before you start. |
| B．Wait a day, then see how much you still know. |
| C．Stay curious about what you are eager to know. |
| D．All the basic information has stuck in your mind. |
| E．But no, I don’t exactly feel “trained” to save lives. |
| F．Yet virtually nothing has ever made it to my longterm memory. |
| G．Use the questions you wrote on the day to keep challenging yourself. |
1．举办活动的原因；
2．你养成某个好习惯的过程；
3．你的收获。
注意：
1．写作词数应为80左右；
2．请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Form a Good Class Habit
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要求：文章必须包括描述和评论两部分；
注意：1. 词数 80左右；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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