1 . Martha Stewart was charged, tried and convicted of a crime in 2014. As she neared the end of her prison sentence, a well-known columnist wrote that she was “paying her dues,” and that “there is simply no reason for anyone to attempt to deny her right to start anew. ”

    1     Unfortunately, many federal and state laws impose post-conviction restrictions on a shockingly large number of Americans, who are prevented from ever fully paying their debt to society.

At least 65 million people in the United States have a criminal record. This can result in severe penalties (惩罚) that continue long after punishment is completed.

Many of these penalties are imposed regardless of the seriousness of the offense or the person’s individual circumstances.       2     They can affect a person’s ability to get a job and qualification for benefits.

In all, more than 45,000 laws and rules serve to exclude vast numbers of people from fully participating in American life. Some laws make senses. No one advocates letting someone convicted of pedophilia (恋童癖) work in a school.       3     Should a woman who possessed a small amount of drugs years ago be permanently unable to be licensed as a nurse?

These laws are also counterproductive (适得其反), since they make it harder for people with criminal records to find housing or a job, two key factors that reduce backsliding. A recent report makes several recommendations, including the abolition of most post-conviction penalties, except for those specifically needed to protect public safety.       4    

The point isn’t to excuse or forget the crime. Rather, it is to recognize that in America’s vast criminal justice system, and second chances are crucial. It is in no one's interest to keep a large segment of the population on the margins of society.

A．Criminals should pay the price of finding housing or a job and getting qualifications for benefits.

B．Surely, the American ideal of second chances shouldn’t be reserved only for the rich and powerful.

C．But too often collateral (附随的) consequences bear no relation to public safety.

D．Where the penalties are not a must, they should be imposed only if the facts of a case support it.

E．American’s vast criminal justice system provides criminals with necessary support for living.

F．Laws can restrict or ban voting, access to public housing, and professional and business licensing.

2 . Childhood Media Shaping Futures

Much of the media we consume during our formative years shapes us into the people we are today. Reflect on a particular piece of media from our childhood—perhaps it’s the TV show we eagerly awaited every weekend during visits to our grandmother’s house.     1     It shapes our dreams and fears and even drives us to future careers.

    2     Older children may have had a lot more restrictions, like TV shows, movies, and social media access. And because of these, they were able to be a child for longer compared to their siblings (兄弟姐妹). Children who have older siblings tend to show more mature tendencies and can appear to “grow up quicker” than other children their age.

While they might have been restricted from social media accounts until a certain age, once given access, they tend to be more prepared. The media exposure of our generation has undoubtedly led to an increased maturation at younger ages.     3    

Simply looking back at previous generations and the rate of consumption and processing of information that we experience every day, the effects of such are only beginning. As soon-to-be or current adults, we are already facing issues such as depression, anxiety, and delays in certain learning and social skills, just to name a few. Are we “more mature?” or are we overexposed and at risk for exceptional mental, physical, and emotional consequences?

In conclusion, childhood media consumption significantly influences our lives.     4     Striking a balance between media exposure and mental well-being is essential for our growth in today’s media-rich world.

A．Such media doesn’t just entertain.

B．You can easily pick out the differences among your siblings.

C．As we journey through adulthood, it’s crucial to reflect on its impact.

D．Media exposure during childhood impacts each child in distinct ways.

E．Additionally, media have proven to have long-term effects on individuals.

F．However, our mental and physical states may not be adequately equipped to handle it.

3 . Time to end Santa’s “naughty list”?

Many of us have magical memories of Santa secretly bringing gifts and joy to our childhood homes — but is there a darker side to the beloved Christmas tradition?

I was — and I’m happy to admit it — a loyal believer of Santa. I absolutely loved the magic of Christmas, especially Santa Claus, and my parents went above and beyond to encourage it. However, as I begin to construct my own Santa Claus myth for my daughter, I can’t help but feel guilty. Could it undermine her trust in me?

    1     Back in 1978, a study published in the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry (矫正精神医学) found that 85% of four-year-olds said they believed in Santa. In 2011, research published in the Journal of Cognition and Development found that 83% of 5-year-olds claimed to be true believers.

I guess it’s not all that surprising.     2     He features in every Christmas TV show and movie. Each year the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) allows you to track Santa’s journey on Christmas Eve. To reassure children during the pandemic in 2020, the World Health Organization issued a statement declaring that Santa was “immune” from Covid 19. And it’s precisely this effort on behalf of parents, and society in general, to create such seemingly overwhelming evidence for the existence of Santa Claus that David Kyle Johnson, a professor of philosophy at King’s College in Pennsylvania, describes as ‘The Santa Lie’ in his book The Myths That Stole Christmas. He highlights how we don’t simply ask children to imagine Santa, but rather to actually believe in him.     3    

The “Santa lie” can reduce trust between a parent and a child.     4     It is the creation of false evidence and convincing kids that bad evidence is in fact good evidence that discourages the kind of critical thinking we should be encouraging in children in this era. “The ‘Santa lie’ is part of a parenting practice that encourages people to believe what they want to believe, simply because of the psychological reward,” says Johnson. “That’s really bad for society in general.”

A．But the biggest danger is the anti-critical thinking lessons that he is teaching.

B．It’s this emphasis on belief over imagination that he sees as harmful.

C．Interestingly, belief in Santa Claus has actually promoted children’s critical thinking.

D．There are plenty of cultural evidences we create for the existence of Santa.

E．He begins to probe and question the things he has seen and heard.

F．Fascinatingly, belief in Santa Claus has remained remarkably consistent.

4 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the sentences in the box Each sentence can only be used once. Note that there are two sentences more than you need.

Should Writers Be Paid for Their E-books Lent by Libraries?

When libraries lend books to the public, authors and publishers receive remuneration from the Government under the Lending Rights schemes.     1     Is this fair?

This year, the government has distributed almost a $ 22 million under these Public Lending Rights and Educational Lending Rights Schemes. For each book in public library collections creators receive $2.11 and publishers receive $0.52.

The amount that each claimant receives is often not very significant, with the majority of authors receiving between S100-500 annually, Still, a previous study has revealed that this remuneration constitutes the second most important source of income for creators from their creative work.

E-books, however, are not covered by these Lending Rights schemes.     2     But e-book lending is increasing and, according to the Australian Library and Information Association, e-books are likely to reach 20% of library holdings by 2020. Also, most, if not all, self-published titles are done so in digital format only. Such self-published titles, if lent by libraries ,would not qualify for any remuneration.

    3    Although the Book Industry Collaborative Council made such proposal already in a report of 2013 , nothing has happened of yet.

One of the main reasons why e-books are not covered is that e-book lending is quite different from print book lending. In case of print books, authors and publishers are arguably losing on customers and revenues when libraries loan their books for free.Creators only receive $2.11 and publishers receive $0.52 for each book in public library collections.

At present, in the case of e-books, many publishers chose not to sell these books to libraries.     4    

While publishers charge libraries high prices for e-books, writers complain that these amounts do not reach them. Publishing contracts often don't specify whether and how much authors receive for e-books sales or for e-lending.

A．However,this is not the case when libraries lend e-books.

B．This may not be a big issue now, for e-books are minor in publishing.

C．Also, publishers assume get more profits from libraries where readers pay them more.

D．Publishing contracts often don't specify whether and how much authors receive for e-books sales or for e-lending.

E．Extension alone would do little if the current funds under the schemes were merely re-distributed from books to e-books.

F．For this reason, authors and publishers have been talking the Government into extending the Lending Rights Schemes to e-books.

5 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the sentences in the box Each sentence can only be used once. Note that there are two sentences more than you need.

Food & Health Myths

Every day there is new information about food and health products. Newspapers regularly have articles that discuss how certain foods or drinks are good or bad for you, Some television shows often deal with new stories about how consuming certain substances can affect your body    1    

One myth about food and health is that eggs are bad for your heart. Although they are indeed high in cholesterol(胆固醇)and fat, it's not true that eating eggs every day will damage your heart.     2     As far as fat goes, it's the yellow part of the egg that contains all the fat. So if you're worried about the fat content of eggs, go ahead and just eat the whites. You might also choose to buy certain kinds of eggs that have less fat content depending on the diet of the animal. Check your local supermarket for more information.

    3    Although it was once thought to have unique properties, other types of alcohol can have the same effects. A study conducted recently revealed that people who drank red wine did not live any longer than those who drank other kinds of spirits, such as beer or white wine. It seems that the alcohol itself improves an individual's health by raising the levels of good cholesterol and decreasing bad cholesterol. The alcohol also serves to increase blood flow and assist in blood clotting (凝结).

    4    Consumers who are especially concerned about their health should think carefully about new information they read about or see on television.

A．Another popular belief is that red wine, like other drinks, may be harmful to you if consumed too much.

B．Apart from that, many people believe drinking red wine is especially good for your heart

C．Eggs are high in cholesterol and fat despite the fact that they are a nutritious source of energy

D．There are many other myths common is our society about food and health.

E．This is because the body can deal with the extra cholesterol by reducing the amount it produces

F．With such a steady stream of information, it's understandable that a few popular myths about food and health are floating around.

6 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the sentences in the box. Each sentence can only be used once. Note that there are two sentences more than you need.

When Leakey and Jane begin a study of wild chimpanzees on the shore of Lake Tanganyika, British authorities resist the idea of a young woman living among wild animals in Africa. They finally agree to Leakey’s proposal when Jane’s mother Vanne volunteers to accompany her daughter for the first three months.

On July 14, 1960, Jane and Vanne arrive on the shores of Gombe Stream Chimpanzee Reserve in western Tanzania.

    1     The animals fled from Jane in fear. With patience and determination, she searched the forest every day, deliberately trying not to get too close to the chimpanzees too soon. Gradually the chimpanzees accepted her presence. Jane observes meat-eating for the first time October 30, 1961. Later, she sees the chimpanzees hunt for meat.     2    

On November 4,1961, Jane observes David Greybeard and Goliath making tools to extract termites (白蚁) from their mounds. They would select a thin branch from a tree, strip the leaves and push the branch into the termite mound. After a few seconds they would pull out the termite-covered stick and pick off the tasty termites with their lips. This becomes one of Jane’s most important discoveries.     3     On hearing of Jane’s observation, Leakey famously says: “Now we must redefine tool, redefine man, or accept chimpanzees as humans.”

Jane’s work in Gombe becomes more widely known and in 1962 she is accepted at Cambridge University as a PhD candidate, one of very few people to be admitted without a university degree.     4     “It would have been more scientific to give them numbers”, they say. Jane has to defend an idea that might now seem obvious: that chimpanzees have emotions, minds and personalities.

Jane in Africa National Geographic decides to sponsor Jane’s work and sends photographer and filmmaker Hugo van Lawick to document Jane’s life in Gombe. In August 1963, Jane publishes her first article in National Geographic, My Life Among Wild Chimpanzees.

A．But studying the chimpanzees of Gombe was not easy.

B．Until that time, only humans were thought to create tools.

C．These observations disprove the widely held belief that chimpanzees are vegetarian.

D．So she learns to be a secretary and works for a time at Oxford University typing documents.

E．However, Jane loves the toy and names the chimpanzee Jubilee, carrying it with her everywhere.

F．Some scholars and scientists give Jane a cold reception and criticise her for giving the chimpanzees names.

8 . Modern computer technology has made a new kind of human relationship possible: online friendship.     1     Are online friendships as beneficial as face-to-face friendships? What are the advantages and disadvantages of having virtual friends? Can people form strong bonds online? Today these questions are the subject of lively debate.

Some people believe that the Internet is the best way to make new friends. It’s convenient, it’s fast, and it allows making contact with different kinds of people from all over the world. When you use social networking, websites and chat rooms, you can easily find people with interests and hobbies similar to yours. Information updates and photos add to the experience. Making friends on the Internet is especially good for shy people who feel uncomfortable in social situations. It’s often easier to share thoughts and feelings online.     2     They can make people feel less lonely and help them solve problems.

Although the Internet can encourage friendship, it has a major disadvantage.     3     Online friends only tell you what they want you to know. They sometimes exaggerate their good qualities and hide the less positive ones, so you can’t be sure of what they really like. That is why you should not give personal information to anyone online unless you’re totally sure of who that person is.

Can online friendship be as meaningful as face-to-face ones? There are different points of view. Researchers at the University of Southern California surveyed 2,000 households in the United States. The results showed that more than 40 percent of participants feel “as strongly about their online buddies” as they do about their “offline” friends.     4     In contrast, there are many people who believe that it’s not possible to have deep relationships with online friends, A young Indian software engineer, Lalitha Lakshmipathy, says, “it’s good to feel connected with many people, but all my e-buddies are not necessarily my close friends.” They say that it’s hard to develop feelings of trust and connection when you don’t share experiences in person.

People continue to express different opinions about online friendship. However, most of them would agree that virtual friendships must not replace face-to-face friendships. As one life coach says, “a social networking site should only be the ‘add on’ in any relationship.”

A．In addition, virtual friends can offer emotional support.

B．When you’re not face to face, it’s much easier to deceive people.

C．Many people would agree.

D．Researchers also found that it’s not unusual for online friends to become face-to-face friend.

E．Online friends may be of help in many ways.

F．Online friends, or virtual friends, are people who have become acquainted with each other through the Internet.

9 . Group Intelligence

Being smart doesn’t matter much if you’re working in a group, according to the first study to calculate collective intelligence — a group’s ability to succeed at a variety of tasks.

Surprisingly, in a team an individual’s intelligence does not have much to do with success in thought-based tasks such as visual puzzles and negotiating over limited resources, a set of recent experiments found.     1    

That also explains why groups with more women — who score higher on tests of social sensitivity — were more likely to stand out, said study leader Anita Williams Woolley, an expert in collective intelligence at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Particularly intelligent groups also had more people who took turns speaking, according to the study, published in the journal Science.

To test the conclusion, Woolley and colleagues recruited 699 volunteers and first measured each person’s intelligence and social sensitivity using standard psychological tests.     2     The results revealed that certain groups were better at all types of tasks, which is the “primary evidence for collective intelligence,” Woolley said.

    3     As guessed, the groups’ collective intelligence scores from the first round of tests predicted how they’d do on the following complex experiments, Woolley said.

    4     — especially as more decisions in fields such as business and the military are made in discussion-based settings, she said. For instance, knowing a group’s collective intelligence could be vital in a situation like starting a new business.

A．There’s such a focus on individual intelligence and individual accomplishment.

B．This ability to predict group success may offer guidance in real-life situations.

C．Instead, a group is more successful if it contains people who can read emotions from people’s faces.

D．Group intelligence may also be rooted in the past.

E．The volunteers were then split into groups of two to five and asked to do some simple tasks.

F．Next, the groups were each asked to perform more complex tasks.

10 . Chronobiologists (时间生物学家) are interested in what is known as the circadian (生理节奏的) rhythm. This is the complete cycle our bodies are naturally made to undergo within the passage of a twenty-four-hour day. Aside from sleeping at night and waking during the day, each cycle involves many factors. Not everyone has an identical circadian rhythm.     1    

    2     Recent therapeutic developments for humans such as artificial light machines and melatonin administration can reset our circadian rhythms, for example, but our bodies can tell the difference and health suffers when we break these natural rhythms for extended periods of time.

Knowledge of chronobiological patterns can have many realistic implications for our day-to-day lives. While contemporary living can sometimes appear to overcome biology—    3    —keeping in the same pace with our body clock is important.

After-dinner coffees are becoming more of a tradition, but to prepare for a good night’s sleep we are better off putting the brakes on caffeine consumption as early as 3 p.m. With a seven hour half-life, a cup of coffee containing 90 mg of caffeine taken at this hour could still leave 45 mg of caffeine in your nervous system at ten o’clock that evening.

Evenings are important for winding down before sleep; however, dietitian Geraldine Georgeou warns that an after-five-fast is more cultural myth than chronobiological demand.     4     However, overloading your gut could lead to indigestion. Our digestive tracts do not shut down for the night entirely, but their work slows to a crawl as our bodies prepare for sleep. Consuming a modest snack should be entirely sufficient.

A．This will deprive your body of vital energy needs.

B．This disorients your circadian rhythm and puts your body in full mode.

C．It is essential that, by the time you are ready to sleep, your body is rid of all traces.

D．Scientists have limited abilities to create durable modifications of chronobiological demands.

E．Night people, for example, find it hard to operate during the morning, but become alert by evening.

F．After all, who needs circadian rhythms when we have caffeine pills and cities that never sleep?