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. |
2 . How to Avoid an Internet Addiction
It may seem like everyone surfs the web these days. But if you can’t have interest in other aspects of your life because of the Internet, you may be on your way to an Internet addiction. You might fear you’re the only one who has experienced that feeling.
More and more people in the world are becoming addicted to the Internet, and you are not the only one with this problem. So do not be embarrassed. Just be brave to admit that you are on your way to an Internet addiction. And then find others with the same problem and help each other beat it.
Set aside limited time for computer use.
Make sure not to turn it on too many times a week. If you have a laptop, make sure to put it somewhere that you can remember but not somewhere that you see every day. Try keeping the lid closed when you are not using it.
Call people instead of sending instant messages or texts.
If you are free on weekends, call friends and ask them to go outside to do something you enjoy, like playing a sport. This will take your mind off the computer.
Use an alarm clock or timer (计时器).
Before using your computer, decide on a time limit such as 30 minutes. Set the clock or timer and make sure that you get away from the computer when the time is up. Alternatively create a shutdown timer on your desktop.
| A．Being addicted to it is quite normal. |
| B．Admit you are at risk of an addiction. |
| C．The truth, though, is that it’s quite common to be an addict. |
| D．When the computer is not looking at you, you are less likely to use it. |
| E．This can be programmed to shut down your computer after the set time. |
| F．If you have a problem on weekdays, phone your friends or ask for help in person. |
| G．This will prevent you from using the Internet so often or going on to another page. |
3 . Binge-watching (刷剧) is when a person watches more than one episode of a show in a row. With developments in the speed and connectivity of the Internet, increases in technology and the rise of on-demand entertainment companies, people can now have their favorite shows stream (流播) directly to their television at their convenience.
This behavior is nothing new. In fact, binge-watching has been officially listed in dictionaries since 2015. The entertainment companies recognize this behavior and many take steps to encourage it. Often, instead of releasing each episode on a week-by-week basis, an entire series will become available concurrently. Once the episode finishes, many platforms will display pop-ups with “you might like” suggestions, or will automatically play the next episode.
However, recent research suggests that out of the more than half of British adults who watch more than one episode of a show back-to-back (一集接一集地), almost a third have admitted missing sleep or becoming tired as a result; and 25% have neglected their household chores (家务活). Next we’ll be missing work!
Bingeing has other connections — binge eating, binge drinking and binge smoking. All of them are often associated with a lack of control and a possible route to addiction. Lindsey Fussell, consumer group director, said, “The days of waiting a week for the next episode are largely gone, with people finding it hard to resist (抗拒) watching multiple episodes around the house or on the move.” If people find binge-watching hard to resist, are we witnessing the birth of a new type of addiction?
The countless number of information and entertainment that television and online media can bring us is, many would say, a good thing. However, when the activity begins to bleed into other areas, causing us to stop functioning, then it becomes a problem. So, what’s the answer? Moderation! Neither a tiny amount, nor too much. After all, as the old proverb says, “A little of what you fancy does you good.”
1. How did the writer develop the first paragraph?| A．By giving a definition. | B．By telling a story. |
| C．By listing some examples. | D．By analyzing the cause and effect. |
| A．For convenience. | B．At the same time. |
| C．In detail. | D．Free of charge. |
| A．people can’t control their feelings | B．people can’t resist the temptation of Bingeing |
| C．people have no patience to do work | D．people are addicted to waiting for a new episode |
| A．To keep online media from stopping functioning. |
| B．To enjoy entertainment as much as possible. |
| C．To learn life lessons from the episodes. |
| D．To watch episodes in a moderate way. |
4 . Argentina lies in the South America. There are many festivals in Argentina during the year. Therefore, you can enjoy the different interesting festivals when traveling there.
First of all, we should talk about the Tango (探戈) Festival inArgentina, which is held in the capital of this country — Buenos Aires, from February to March. You ought to know that Argentina is the home of tango, so Argentinians admire this dance very much. Even if you cannot dance perfectly, you should join the people and try to perform this dance.
The next festival in Argentina is Open Polo (马球) Tournament. You should go to Palermo to see this festival in Argentina. This festival is held every year and is the most important polo tournament in Argentina.This kind of sport is considered the most important in Argentina.
Attending this festival in Argentina, you will be able to communicate with different people and admire the fascinating competition between the teams of different countries, such as Argentina, England, Australia, as well as the US. This festival in Argentina is usually held between November and December every year. So don’t miss the opportunity if you travel to Argentina at this time.
The other festival in Argentina is the Semana Musical Liao Liao. This is a festival of classical music. The festival was created in 1993 and is held at the Liao Liao Hotel, near Bariloche. The festival is held yearly in October. So if you admire this kind of music, you should travel toArgentina in October.
There are also many carnivals in Argentina in summer. Of course, it’s impossible to put everything about festivals in Argentina into just one article. We hope that you have found this article interesting and eye-catching.
1. What would be the best title for the passage?| A．Entertainments in Argentina | B．Festivals in Argentina |
| C．Travel to Argentina | D．A brief introduction to Argentina |
| A．is organized by the government |
| B．welcomes everyone to take part in it |
| C．is held in summer |
| D．holds parties for different dances |
| A．Open Polo Tournament. | B．Every carnival in Argentina. |
| C．The Tango Festival. | D．The Semana Musical Liao Liao. |
| A．Buenos Aires in spring | B．Palermo in April |
| C．Palermo in winter | D．Bariloche in October |
5 . J. K. Rowling frequently shows there is magic every day. Her Harry Potter series has helped people through times of stress and depression and she is always there to deliver wise words of encouragement.
She is one celebrity who is very active on Twitter. So when a single dad named Matt Burke sent her a message thanking her for the series, she noticed. Her series had helped strengthen his relationship with his 9yearold daughter Bailey.
He included a link to his article titled Being a Broke Parent. He explained how he hadn’t found a level of financial stability that allowed him to pay bills on time and take his daughter on more activities and events. The family also doesn’t have the Internet or TV, which means there’s no “digital babysitter” and he has to rely on his own creative ways to bond with his daughter. Since he received the series, the main thing that has occupied them these days is reading books together.
Burke admits that he thought he was “too cool” for the books when they first came out and he was in his twenties, but he’s loving reading them now. “We switch off chapter by chapter reading them out loud，“Burke explains.” This not only allows her to get more used to reading aloud in front of someone, but it gets me directly involved in something she loves, and it gives me the chance to be very dramatic when I read my chapters and bring myself into the characters in the book, which has proven to be a ton of fun.”
After hearing Burke’s story, Rowling said how honored she was when Harry Potter was a part of his family’s life and offered Burke more books. Besides, people are also offering to send Burke more books as gifts. For Burke, this experience, far more than gifts, will be what he treasures.
1. Why did Burke thank J. K. Rowling according to the text?| A．She guided him how to write a good story. |
| B．She encouraged him when he was in trouble. |
| C．Her books helped him through times of confusion. |
| D．Her books helped him improve his bond with his daughter. |
| A．He has found it interesting to read the series. | B．He was too old to understand the series better. |
| C．He has chosen a better way of reading the series. | D．He hopes to play a role in the drama in the future. |
| A．Useless. | B．Normal. | C．Valuable. | D．Boring. |
| A．J. K. Rowling chooses to help improve kids’ health. |
| B．J. K. Rowling gives a magical gift to a single father. |
| C．J. K. Rowling has a deep influence on others’ growth. |
| D．Burke comes to know J. K. Rowling through her series. |
6 . A tree planting initiative in Kenya has seen over 30,000 trees being planted. The Green Generation Initiative is a Kenyan charity that has been planting trees to counter climate change and the reduction in forest in the East African nation since 2016.
Founded by climate activist Elizabeth Wathuti, the initiative's primary focus is on developing young climate activists through environmental education in schools and addressing food insecurity in the region through planting fruit trees. Since its foundation, over 30,000 trees have been planted in Kenya, while thousands of school children have not just planted trees but adopted them to ensure that young people learn the importance of acting as a guardian of the health of the environment. The trees have recorded a survival rate of over 98 percent, as they continue growing from young trees to maturity.
Speaking to world leaders at the recent UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (COP26)，Elizabeth issued a serious warning about the threat of climate change: “Over two million of Kenyans are facing climaterelated starvation. In 2025, half of the world's population will be facing water shortage. By the time I'm 50, the climate crisis will displace over 80 million people in subSaharan Africa alone.”
Elizabeth said, “I have been doing what I can.Inspired by the great Wangari Maathai, I founded a tree growing initiative that enhances food security for young Kenyans. So far, we have grown 30，000 fruit trees, providing desperately needed nutrition for thousands of children.” “Every day we see that when we look after the trees, they look after us. We are the adults on this Earth right now, and it is our responsibility to ensure that the children have food and water, ”she added.
1. What is the initiative intended for?| A．Making policies. |
| B．Raising money. |
| C．Educating adults. |
| D．Fighting climate change. |
| A．Hunger. | B．Sickness. |
| C．Water shortage. | D．Economic risks. |
| A．Over 3,000 trees have been planted. |
| B．Green awareness has been raised. |
| C．Over 80 million people have been saved. |
| D．School education has been guaranteed. |
| A．Friendly and talented. |
| B．Caring and responsible. |
| C．Honest and determined. |
| D．Ambitious and humorous. |
7 . The endangered pandas in the Qinling Mountains might face a new threat: the loss of their food — bamboo, which makes up 99% of their meals.
Adult pandas spend most of the day eating bamboo and have to take in at least 40 pounds a day to stay healthy. However, a new study published in Nature Climate Change warned that they may soon find their food gone because most of the bamboo in the Qinling Mountains might disappear by the end of the century as a result of the rising temperature worldwide.
A team made up of researchers from Michigan State University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences has studied the effects of climate change on the bamboo in the Qinling Mountains. They have found that bamboo is very sensitive to climate change. “80% to 100% of the bamboo would be gone if the average temperature increases 3.5 degrees worldwide by the end of the century,” said Liu Jianguo, one of the report's authors.
He added, “This is how much the temperature would rise by 2100 even if all countries will keep their promises in The Paris Agreement. But you know what is happening around the world.”
In recent years, China has been trying its best to protect the endangered pandas by setting up more and bigger nature reserves.
“But it is far from being enough and the endangered pandas need cooperation from the rest of the world, because their future is not just in the hands of the Chinese,”said Shirley Martin from the WWF but not a member of the team.
There are 345 wild pandas in the Qinling Mountains. That is about 18.5% of the population of China's wild pandas. In addition, about 375 pandas are living in research centers and zoos in China.
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．The Qinling Mountains can provide enough bamboo for the pandas. |
| B．Pandas in the Qinling Mountains are only threatened by the loss of food. |
| C．Lots of the bamboo in the Qinling Mountains will probably disappear. |
| D．Pandas have already eaten 99% of the bamboo in the Qinling Mountains. |
| A．China needs more help from the WWF. |
| B．It is difficult to control the temperature rise within 3.5 degrees. |
| C．Bamboo is sensitive to changes in temperature. |
| D．China is making great efforts to protect the pandas. |
| A．About 345. | B．About 408. | C．About 2,272. | D．About 1,864. |
| A．The Disappearance of Bamboo |
| B．Necessity to Change Pandas' Food |
| C．A New Threat Faced by the Pandas |
| D．Efforts Made to Save Pandas |
8 . In a recent email to an old friend, I mentioned that our family planned on taking our four-week road trip in our motor home. My friend emailed back and said he thought I was very “brave” to set out on such an adventure with two young children (aged two and five). I laughed when I read his email and wondered if he knew how much he was missing out on by giving up the idea of such a fun RV (旅行房车) trip with one5s family.
My husband and I have been “RVing” for over ten years. When we first started traveling, we certainly had some troubles that were not so funny at the time but seem to be funny now. We forgot our pillows and failed to cook dinner on an outdoor grill for lack of a flashlight. Then we decided to make our dinner in the motor home but could not get the oven lit! So we went to bed a little hungrier than we had planned!
However, that’s nothing compared with the amazing natural wonders we experienced during our RV trips. In addition, we have discovered a new world of family fun and family bonding. We saw the Grand Canyon when our son was only six months old. We play games inside and : out, walk together, talk together, read, solve puzzles, and enjoy music and movies. We have got used to doing things with one another. Our kids love to pick out good, old-fashioned postcards to send off via snail mail to different family members on every trip.
As our world gets more and more overloaded with cell phones, texting, emails and video games, our family sticks more and more tightly to the wonderfully simple idea of unplugging electronic devices for a while and jumping into the seat to take a trip in our motor home. Then we come home with fun pictures of our wandering, and we’re able to build special memories for our kids. Now we want to spread the word and tell families of all kinds what enjoyment can be had from packing up for a trip in the RV.
1. What did the author’s old friend think of her travel plan?| A．A family trip should not last for too long. |
| B．A family RV trip might bring unexpected troubles. |
| C．It was wise of her to let children experience RV trips. |
| D．It was a good opportunity to teach children to be brave. |
| A．It was a pleasant experience. | B．It was ruined by bad weather. |
| C．They didn’t prepare well for it. | D．They lost many things during it. |
| A．They learnt how to solve problems. | B．They built a closer family relationship. |
| C．They developed a great love for nature. | D．They fell in love with adventure travels. |
| A．To show how to make RV trips interesting. |
| B．To encourage kids to take part in RV trips. |
| C．To advise families to take RV trips together. |
| D．To share an unforgettable traveling experience. |
9 . Good news for all Wes Anderson fans — the US director is back with the film The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar which hit Netflix, an online film provider, on Sept 27. It is a film adaptation of UK novelist Roald Dahl’s novel under the same name.
The film stars UK actor Benedict Cumberbatch as a wealthy man named Henry Sugar, who develops the ability to see through objects. At the very beginning he uses this power to cheat at cards and win big while gambling (赌博), and later turns his fortune into a global network of orphanages (孤儿院).
Dialogue style
Running for just 40 minutes, the film features Anderson’s quick-paced dialogue style. He also asked the actors to recite lines directly to the audience by looking at the camera, creating “the effect of listening to a podcast (播客) while turning the pages of a lovely picture book quickly”, commented CNN.
Visual style
Anderson’s work is immediately recognizable for his visual style as well. The “Anderson aesthetic (美学)” often uses bright color palettes (调色板) to both add visual appeal and make various ideas known to the audience, reported Yahoo News. In The Grand Budapest Hotel for example, Anderson uses a color palette of deep blues, rich greens and warm pinks to recreate an old-world European feel. In The Royal Tenenhaums the red tracksuits worn by Chaz, one of the main characters, show deep-seated anger resulting from parental trauma (创伤).
Symmetrical style
Another style is his use of symmetry (对称). Many of the shots involve (涉及) a person facing the camera, with the elements around the character set up in a sense of order and balance. Anderson explained to the media that it is out of his nature to “arrange things in a frame”, which he compares to how people can’t change the individuality of their handwriting. “You might try to write very well, but really, you have something your brain tends to do”, he said.
However, his obsessive repetition of these stylistic choices in his films has led some to question his ability to innovate (创新). In response to this, Anderson stated, “It’s not something I make any effort to do. I just want to make films that are personal but interesting to an audience.”
1. What do we know about the film The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar?| A．Watching this film is actually listening to a podcast. |
| B．It reflects the unique style of the director Wes Anderson. |
| C．It is based on a real story of a wealthy man named Henry Sugar. |
| D．Its main character gains nothing in gambling in the end. |
| A．They both use colors to get various ideas across to the audience. |
| B．They both reflect deep-seated anger. |
| C．They both present an old-world European feel. |
| D．They both have colorful costumes to add to their appeal. |
| A．Out of curiosity. | B．Out of innovation. |
| C．Out of habit. | D．Out of kindness. |
| A．A film script. | B．A film lecture. |
| C．A film survey. | D．A film review. |
10 . Statistics from the China Film Administration, China’s box office revenue during the Spring Festival holiday hit a record high of 8 billion yuan, or more than 1.1 billion U. S. dollars, the milestone being achieved in the shortest time span in the history of the Chinese film industry.
Seizing a lot of attention due to actress-director Jia Ling’s weight loss of up to 50 kilograms in one year, YOLO—a comedy recounting Jia’s portrayal of an oversized woman striving to become her better self —earned 2.72 billion yuan, topping the festival box-office charts. Many people wanted to watch the comedy film with their families during this ‘festival of reunions’, because the film went far beyond expectation whose story in Yolo was so inspiring. So, it was a good thing to watch it with children.
Pegasus 2, the sequel to a 2019 blockbuster racing film by writer-director Han Han, ranked second at the box office with 2.4 billion yuan. Boonie Bears: Time Twist, the latest installment in the Boonie Bears animated film series, took the third spot with 1.39 billion yuan, and Zhang Yimou’s Article 20 ranked fourth with 1.33 billion yuan.
A report from Maoyan, one of the country’s largest ticketing services, revealed that 39.2 percent of the audiences purchased movie tickets while returning to their hometowns or traveling, which was the highest in the past four years. Industry analysts say family-friendly comedies align perfectly with the cultural atmosphere surrounding New Year celebrations. The films of this festive season focus on diverse and relevant topics that resonate with the viewers — such as family values and inspirational stories.
So, they attract people from all walks of life.
1. What milestone has the Chinese film industry achieved during the Spring Festival holiday?| A．Earning 2.72 billion yuan. |
| B．Setting a record of 8 billion yuan. |
| C．Making 50 million U. S. dollars. |
| D．Breaking the record of 2.2 billion U. S. dollars. |
| A．Comedy. | B．Action. | C．Crime thriller. | D．Romance. |
| A．YOLO. | B．Pegasus 2. |
| C．Boonie Bears: Time Twist. | D．Article 20. |
