1 . Scarcity is a common condition of human existence. Everyday circumstances of limited resources can make individuals experience a sense of scarcity. Scarcity functions like an obstacle to goal pursuit, which intensify the value of goal.
Scarcity prioritizes our choices and it can make us more effective. The time pressure of a deadline focuses our attention on using what we have most effectively. When we have little time left, we try to get more out of every moment. For example, we are more frugal with the toothpaste as the tube starts to run empty, and college seniors tend to get the most out of their time before graduation.
Many stores strategically create perception of scarcity to motivate consumer behavior. For example, the pricing practice of limiting number of items per person can lead to increased sales. The sign implies that the items are in short supply and the fear of missing out can have a powerful effect on shoppers.
For an item that is attractive to begin with, its attractiveness will intensify when it is scarce. For instance, warning labels on violent television programs, designed to decrease interest, often backfire and increase in watching the programs.
The scarcity effect explains why shyness often is considered an attractive attribute? Experts say that “playing hard to get” is a most effective strategy for attracting a partner, especially in the context of long-term love. A “hard to get” player likes to appear busy, create interest and keep the suitors guessing. However, playing hard to get is less effective in men, as they are the ones who are socially expected to initiate the relationship.
Scarcity also contributes to an interesting and a meaningful life. Scarcity shows that reminding individuals of the reality of death increases the value of life. Midlife often heightens the feeling that there is not enough time left in life to waste. We overcome the illusion (幻觉) that we can be anything, do anything, and experience everything. We restructure our lives around the needs that are essential.
1. What does the underlined word “frugal” in paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Economical. | B．Flexible. | C．Anxious. | D．Sensible. |
| A．Because the programs have appealing openings. |
| B．Because there are few violent programs available. |
| C．Because the message on warning labels isn’t clear. |
| D．Because people want things that they cannot get. |
| A．A car company constantly launches new model cars. |
| B．A restaurant puts up a “two cans per person” poster. |
| C．A man pretends to be busy in front of his girlfriend. |
| D．A 50-year-old tries things he has never done before. |
| A．To prove a theory. | B．To offer a solution. |
| C．To illustrate a phenomenon. | D．To challenge a concept. |
2 . Tessa Lidstone remembers the last meals she cooked before she had to close her restaurant Box-E for the first lockdown. “Everything was slipping away and beyond our control.”
With the restaurant closed, Lidstone got to thinking about how other people might be coping. “I felt isolated,” she says, “but I was so lucky: I had my husband and kids with me. I thought about all the people without a support network and how awful it must be to not have contact with anyone.”
Lidstone saw a callout from a collective of Bristol restaurants called the Bristol Food Union. They were looking for volunteers to help put together boxes of emergency food for the elderly living alone. “I’d love doing that to give my life purpose,” says Lidstone.
“It was originally going to be for two weeks. But it just grew from there.” In her first week, Lidstone put together boxes for 100 people: pasta, bread and milk, but also fruit and vegetables. By the second week, she was organizing packages for 250 people.
The government provided funding and most suppliers were more than willing to help. “They were so generous,” she says. “If I ordered milk, bread and butter, they’d donate fruit and vegetables as well. It meant I could make the money go further.”
Lidstone put her restaurant training to good use, creating a weekly recipe card to go in each box. She also videoed herself making the meal and posted it online. “It was basic home cooking,” she says. By week three, Lidstone was thinking bigger: “If there were any birthdays coming up, I arranged something extra for the persons.”
By then, the scale of Lidstone’s operation had become a bit overwhelming. Staff from the restaurant and Lidstone’s children helped out. In all, Lidstone and her team delivered 2,500 boxes over 16 weeks. “It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by a situation,” she said, “and think you can’t do anything alone. But work together and we’ll make a difference.”
1. Why did Lidstone respond to the appeal of the Bristol Food Union?| A．To turn her restaurant Box-E from losses to profits. |
| B．To make herself feel less isolated in the lockdown. |
| C．To help lonely old people have access to free food. |
| D．To realize her self-worth and make life meaningful. |
| A．Many suppliers helped offer her financial assistance. |
| B．Lidstone provided tailored service for special occasions. |
| C．The process of Lidstone’s work advanced as planned. |
| D．Lidstone taught cooking from door to door in person. |
| A．Far-reaching. | B．Predictable. | C．Short-lived. | D．Unidentifiable. |
| A．Kindness can be passed on. | B．Many hands make light work. |
| C．One good turn deserves another. | D．Actions speak louder than words. |
3 . As most Americans spend at least 50% of their food budget dining out, public criticism falls on restaurants to help consumers make healthier food choices. The Menu Labeling Final Rule has come into effect, requiring restaurants with more than 20 locations to show the calories of food on menus.
By representing these values in a discrepant way — using physically larger numbers on the page for lower-calorie options, and smaller numbers for high-calorie foods — businesses can shift customers’ preferences toward healthier food, according to Ruiying Cai from the Washington State University.
In their study, Cai and her colleagues asked participants to choose between a less healthy item and a healthier option after randomly assigning them to two groups. In the first group, calorie counts and font sizes rose and fell together. In the second group, the size became larger as the calorie count fell. Researchers also asked participants questions to assess their health-consciousness.
Results showed participants in the second group, who saw low calorie counts printed in large sizes, were more likely to adopt the healthier option. Moreover, less health- conscious participants were the most affected, while people with more health awareness were less influenced since they already favored healthier food.
This research adjusted customer behaviors by creating a Stroop effect. Named after psychologist J. Ridley Stroop, the Stroop effect refers to a delay in reaction to mismatch in its classic form. For example, if the word “purple” is written in green, it takes respondents longer time to identify the color than if the word and the color match. Similarly, the effect is observed when the physical size of the number does not match its number in this study.
“Restaurants are interested in encouraging customers to make healthier choices,” Cai said. However, simply labeling the food as healthy may not have the intended effect. “Healthy food items could be profitable for restaurants, but whenever a ‘healthy’ label is attached, people may assume it does not taste good,” she explained. “We’re trying to provide restaurants with indirect suggestions, rather than saying it out loud.”
1. What does the underlined word “discrepant” in paragraph 2mean?| A．Creative. | B．Relative | C．Conflicting | D．Misleading |
| A．Strict diet followers. | B．Convenience food fans. |
| C．Homema de meal lovers. | D．Health magazine readers. |
| A．The significance of research results. | B．The measurement of response delays. |
| C．The psychological basis of the study design. | D．The influential variations of the Stroop effect. |
| A．Use font magic to drive healthier choices. |
| B．Pay more attention to the taste of the food. |
| C．Create a quiet dining atmosphere for customers. |
| D．Attach “healthy” labels to the food on the menu. |
4 . Volunteer Art &Architecture Tour Guide for Boston Public Library, Copley Square
The goal is to generate public interest in the history, art, and architecture of Boston Public Library, including its special collections and exhibitions at the Central Library in Copley Square.
ROLE AND EXPECTATIONS
●To conduct public and private group tours of the Central Library’s art, architecture, and exhibitions, answering questions from groups and recording attendance statistics after tours conclude.
●To continue to inform oneself of the art, architecture, history, holdings, and exhibitions of Boston Public Library.
QUALIFICATIONS
● Interest in history, art, and architecture in general, and of Boston Public Library in particular.
● Confidence in addressing and presenting information to large groups; prior guiding or public speaking experience desirable.
●A strong command of the English language is required, and fluency in other languages is highly preferred.
TRAINING
Accepted candidates will be asked to attend tour guide training meetings. New guides are expected to complete training around four months. Progress evaluations will be ongoing throughout the training period, and continue through the first six months of working as a full guide.
REQUIREMENTS
●Minimum commitment of two tours per month (or 24 tours per year).
●Commitment to attending tour guide meetings and enrichment programs for continuing education.
REVIEW
Regular assessments and evaluations will be conducted based on the above criteria to ensure that volunteers meet the necessary qualifications.
Interested candidates should complete the application form below and send it to tours@bpl.org.
1. What does a volunteer tour guide need to do after tours?| A．Ensure safety of the artworks. |
| B．Maintain cleanness of the hall. |
| C．Document the numbers of visitors. |
| D．Answer questions about qualifications. |
| A．4 months. | B．6 months. | C．10 months. | D．12 months. |
| A．Insufficient (不足的) working hours. |
| B．Absence of a second language. |
| C．Little relevant volunteer experience. |
| D．Limited knowledge about exhibitions. |
5 . Confidence plays a very important role in people’s life. It gives people light when they are in dark and encouragement when they are discouraged. It is the first step on the road to success. People who look confident seem to grab more rewarding careers, maintain better relationships, and may make miracles in the face of insurmountable (不可逾越的) difficulties.
So what is the secret of confidence? In fact, there is no secret. Self-confidence is a skill and habit that everyone can learn to develop.
You can try these simple tips for practicing and increasing our confidence levels: First, dare to fail. Anybody who’s out there genuinely striving is going to fail repeatedly.
Third, listen to yourself; do not look down on yourself. You are the only person who knows what is right for yourself.
Last, build a confidence vocabulary. Stop putting yourself down, and quit constantly mentioning your tiny flaws. Learn to highlight your positive qualities and the world will learn to see and appreciate them too.
Confidence is a plant that grows slowly.
| A．It is built, not inborn. |
| B．Second, dress your success. |
| C．If you are not failing, you are not trying. |
| D．Second, neglect your drawbacks completely. |
| E．Don’t put others’ opinion above your own inner voice. |
| F．It encourages us to go to great lengths to achieve our goals. |
| G．We should build confidence through constant and patient effort. |
6 . Fresco (湿壁画) refers to painting techniques used on plaster (灰泥). Popular during the Renaissance period, especially in Italy, frescoes were usually used to decorate walls of public buildings.
The purest type of fresco painting, also known as “buon fresco”, involves mixing pigments (颜料) directly with wet plaster. The color is thus actually part of the material, rather than a coating on top of it, as is the case with “fresco a secco” or with regular painting. The colors of a buon fresco are especially vibrant and long-lasting; the Bull-Leaping Fresco in Knossos, Crete was created around the 17th-15th centuries BCE, but the colors are still clear today. However, this technique is not without its unique disadvantages. For one thing, colors look different when they are wet than when they are dry. Artists of the time typically mixed their own plaster and color mixtures, working quickly to finish a part of a mural (壁画) before the plaster dried. The mixture they created the next time might have been a slightly different shade. If you look carefully at the frescoes on the Sistine Chapel, you can see which parts must have been completed in a single session by the faint differences in colors.
Fresco a secco requires something to be added to the paint to make it stick to the dry plaster. This technique is sometimes used to repair a buon fresco that has been damaged, although the colors are generally not as bright. However, some colors actually worked better with the fresco a secco. During the Renaissance period, the available pigments for creating blue did not mix well with wet plaster; for this reason, skies, water, and blue clothing sometimes were painted as secco frescoes after the buon fresco had dried.
In 1997, the frescoes by Giotto di Bondone in the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, Italy were damaged in an earthquake. 150 restorers, of whom most are volunteers, spent five years gathering 60,000 pieces that they could find and set them back into place, much like a puzzle, although about 35 percent of the fresco remains incomplete.
1. Which of the following can replace the word “vibrant” underlined in paragraph 2?| A．Bright. | B．Simple. | C．Watery. | D．Rare. |
| A．It was in Italy that true fresco was widely used. |
| B．It is crucial to differentiate varied painting style. |
| C．It took time for painters to create their unique colors. |
| D．It was hard to create the exactly same color every time. |
| A．The disadvantages of fresco a secco. |
| B．The reasons why painters preferred blue. |
| C．The characters and uses of fresco a secco. |
| D．The similarities between the two fresco techniques. |
| A．Slow but creative. | B．Complicated and dangerous. |
| C．Discouraging but money-saving. | D．Time-consuming and laborious. |
7 . Getting to the airport you’re departing from can easily raise the following question: where can we park our vehicle cheaply and securely at the same time? To be true, airport parking isn’t the best option in this case since most US and Canadian airports offer travelers extremely high prices. Let’s take Toronto Pearson International Airport for example:
| Parking Type | Daily Rate |
| Express（only Terminal 1） | $55.00 |
| Daily （Terminals 1 & 3） | $36.00 |
| Preferred Park | $38.00 |
| Value Park Garage | $29.00 |
| Value Parking Lot | $24.00 |
| *The rates are 10% off for more than three days. Please refer to the official website. | |
You see that even the cheapest option will cost you at least $24.00 per day. And that’s a true nightmare, especially if you know there is a great solution to such a problem. Moreover, don’t hope to find a free parking space quickly — usually, airport parking has limited availability, which means it’ll turn out to be a real challenge for you.
Going back to a solution — off-site parking lots near the airports should be definitely your choice! And we’re happy to say that our smart booking platform, ParkingNearAirports. io, provides our customers with such services:
·Convenient locations
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Be clever and never spend your entire budget on airport parking — better take a look at the prices above! So Park with ParkingNearAirports. io & Enjoy Convenience together with us!
1. How much does a traveller pay at least for parking at Terminal 1 for 5 days?| A．$275. | B．$180. | C．$162. | D．$120. |
| A．They will get to the airport terminal at a low cost. |
| B．People with disabilities will receive special care. |
| C．Someone will help them pick up baggage for free. |
| D．Their cars will be parked in or close to the airport. |
| A．To inform. | B．To educate. | C．To entertain. | D．To advertise. |
8 . Unique outdoor restaurants around the world
Many things come to mind when I think of a great vacation. Remarkable scenery and delicious food are certainly on my list. Those two features can’t always be found in the same location. However, amazing views and great food are both on the menu at the following three restaurants.
The Rock, ZanzibarOn an enormous boulder (巨石) off the coast of the East African island of Zanzibar sits The Rock. The freshest seafood, much of it straight from the surrounding ocean, is always available here. At low tide (潮汐), customers can walk out to The Rock. As the water rises, though, customers must take a short boat ride to it. Once they arrive, they’re greeted by friendly staff and 360-degree views of beautiful blue-green water. The Rock, sometimes called the “floating restaurant”, is available for weddings and other small group events.
The Labasin Waterfalls Restaurant, PhilippinesStriking waterfalls sometimes have restaurants at the top. But the Labasin Waterfalls, in San Pablo City, Philippines, is different. A restaurant sits at the bottom of the falls. Guests dine on authentic (地道的) Filipino meals at bamboo tables that stand right in the water. They cool their feet in the water that flows under their tables. The surrounding jungle makes a perfect background for this one-of-a-kind dining experience.
The Grotto, ThailandThe Grotto Restaurant on Thailand’s Phra Nang Beach offers delicious food and an incredible dining experience. The restaurant is partly positioned inside a cave and partly on the beach. Guests seated toward the front look out at Happy Island in the lovely Andaman Sea. Those seated at the back enjoy an authentic cave-dining experience. Comfortable tables, which are arranged inside the cave, sit next to large stalactites (钟乳石). International food with a Thai influence is featured.
1. What can you do at The Rock?| A．Host small ceremonies. |
| B．Have meals at bamboo tables. |
| C．Cool your feet under your tables. |
| D．Go through a cave-dining experience. |
| A．They are based in hotels. |
| B．They adopt modern cooking methods. |
| C．They are surrounded by eye-catching waterfalls. |
| D．They offer both breathtaking views and delicious food. |
| A．To report. | B．To explain. | C．To analyze. | D．To introduce. |
9 . Body shaming involves humiliating (羞辱) someone making negative comments about their body size or shape.
Replacing negative self-talk with positive thoughts can be useful for making you feel better about yourself and your body.
Social media often emphasizes physical appearance and makes it easy to post hurtful comments about others. Cutting down or stepping away from social media can give you an opportunity to connect in-person and participate in other activities that lift your mood. Communicating face-to-face is nature’s cure of stress.
Reach out to others for guidance and support and let them know what you have been experiencing.
| A．Treat yourself with kindness and love. |
| B．Don’t hide or isolate yourself from others. |
| C．This type of criticism can be made to others or yourself. |
| D．Shift your focus to the things that you like about yourself. |
| E．Being physically active is also important for your overall health and well-being. |
| F．It’s crucial to find someone you trust and feel comfortable sharing your feelings with. |
| G．While nobody is immune to social pressures to look good, any comments about your body are unnecessary. |
10 . I think I might be a NIMBY. This is rather hard for me to accept, because that shortened word (Not In My BackYard) is typically used to criticize someone as self-centered. I even recall when I first heard the word—at school, some 30 years ago. My teacher explained it was that UK property developers are frequently frustrated by hypocritical homeowners, who claim to be in favour of progress (new housing, for instance) , but then object when actual proposals emerge to develop such things in their postcodes.
As a young adult I lived in London, so I never had cause to revise my opinion. But then I moved to the green belt where our house is surrounded by fields. Look out, and you see nothing man-made at all, unless the farmer is taking out his combine harvester (I A 4&&JI) . The view was the reason we bought here. Thanks to protective planning regulations introduced decades ago, here was a place where an authentic rural identity had been kept alive.
We could have headed 40 minutes further north, and settled upon another similar looking village with less threat of being swallowed up by the city. But then, that wouldn’t be the same at all, would it? Our village’s closeness to London is the precise thing that elevates it above and beyond its wonderful views—because the fact that it might one day be destroyed and turned to concrete is what makes it most special. It’s not just a place you live in. It’s a place you feel an urge to protect.
Yet the planning applications come thick and fast, each application abandoning prior commitments to preservation. On a weekly basis, some leaflet drops through my door from local campaigners protesting 177 houses here, 231 houses there. I always sigh and attempt to evaluate these “NIMBY” flyers properly, rather than just write a complaint to the council. After all, new houses need to be built somewhere, right?
And if we didn’t live where we do, these plans wouldn’t upset me. It’s because of their intention to build so close to my property-In My Back Yard-that I’m so aware of the changes that such developments would bring. So, I add my signature to the flyers.
1. What does the underlined word “hypocritical” in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．Narrow-minded. | B．Indifferent. | C．Two-faced. | D．Indecisive. |
| A．To emphasize the rarity of artificial elements. |
| B．To promote modern machinery in the village. |
| C．To explain the ongoing agricultural activities. |
| D．To indicate damage caused by regulations. |
| A．He is attracted to its beautiful landscape. |
| B．He sees the benefits of its urbanization. |
| C．He finds the convenience of living near London. |
| D．He feels a duty to save it from development threat. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Dismissive. | C．Enthusiastic. | D．doubtful |
