1 . Helen Uffner has dressed Broadway, Hollywood and TV shows for more than 40 years. But high-rise developers and Amazon distribution centers are making it impossible to store her extraordinary vintage (古董衫) collection.
Helen Uffner began her love with old clothes as a young teenager, troubling her father, who worried that people would think he could not afford proper clothes for his daughter. With the prospect of a career in period fashion lacking promise, she joined a management consultancy after college. But soon she decided to monetize (把……转换成货币) her passion.
Over the next 40 years, Helen Uffner established a celebrated business renting out vintage clothes. Initially, she ran the business out of her apartment. By the late 1990s, she moved to a 6.000-square-foot space in the clothing district.
Challenges began in 2006, when the landlord was selling the building and wanted her out. At the same time commercial rents were increasing sharply and the city’s clothing industry had all but disappeared. Eventually, in 2008, Helen Uffner Vintage Clothing moved to Long Island City.
The transition was not easy. But by 2018, Helen Uffner found herself in the same trouble. She ultimately settled into another space only to face the drama all over again —her current building is planned for being tom down to make room for the construction of a high-rise.
While COVID -19 has reduced the price of office leasing (租赁), vast warchouse space of the kind Helen Uffner needs is at a premium because of the demand coming from Amazon and other e-commerce sites.
Now in her 70s, Helen Uffner has found the prospect of moving for a fourth time especially tough. “I have been making the joke that the emperor has no clothes,” Helen Uffner said, “because who will actually dress him.”
1. What is Helen’s father’s attitude toward her passion for old clothes?| A．He feels nervous as her dream will cost a lot. |
| B．He feels disgraceful(丢脸的)to be a poor father. |
| C．He feels worried as people may think he couldn’t afford clothes for her. |
| D．He feels angry as it is a waste of time and money. |
| A．To lay the foundation for the pursuit of her ultimate goal. |
| B．To monetize her passion for the clothing industry. |
| C．To avoid the possible bad career prospect. |
| D．To follow in the footsteps of her father. |
| A．Beyond reach. | B．At a lowest point. |
| C．At the peak. | D．Under guarantee. |
| A．Nobody cares the appearance as survival matters most today. |
| B．People are too shallow to admit their mistakes for pursuing money. |
| C．The art-related industry has been ignored in the urban development. |
| D．Her age kills her passion for the extraordinary vintage collection. |
| A．A school newspaper. | B．A medical report. |
| C．A science journal. | D．A fashion magazine. |
2 . TikTok is setting a 60-minute daily screen time limit for users who are aged under 18. The video app, which is owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, said it is introducing the feature to encourage teens to manage their screen time. TikTok added that the new limit comes after it brought in a prompt (提示符) last year, which helped increase the use of their screen time tools by 234%.
Hitting the limit, users affected will receive a new passcode on the screen in their app to unlock extra time. Anyone who rejects the new 60-minute restriction and goes on to use the app for 100 minutes a day will receive a warning from TikTok to set their own screen time controls. Parents of children using the Family Pairing option on the app will also be able to set screen time limits, as well as access a dashboard (控制面板) which would give a breakdown of app usage.
Cormac Keenan, head of trust and safety at TikTok, said the company had worked with researchers in developing the new limits. “Since there’s no agreement on the ‘right’ amount of screen time, we consulted the current academic research and experts from the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital in choosing this limit,” he said.
Critics of the video app welcomed the screen time limit, but described it as the “tip of the iceberg” when it comes to TikTok’s response to young users’ exposure to the platform. “TikTok has won the race for the hearts and minds of 14 to 24-year-olds in the United States and the United Kingdom,” said Imran Ahmed, chief executive of the Center for Countering Digital Hate. “It is the one that needs to be dealt with most urgently.” Mr Ahmed said his centre’s research at the end of last year found that within minutes of opening a TikTok account, a 13-year-old girl user was receiving eating disorder and self-harm content in her feed. He called on the platform to focus its efforts not just on limiting screen time, but also to “clean up” feeds of harmful content to make it a “safe environment for children”.
1. In the first paragraph, TikTok is introducing the new screen time limit to________.| A．encourage in-person interactions | B．increase the use of the platform |
| C．help teens stay in control of their use | D．avoid criticism from concerned parents |
| A．Their parents will send them a warning message. |
| B．They will be locked out of their account for the day. |
| C．They must enter a passcode to continue using the app. |
| D．Their parents must access a dashboard to activate the app. |
| A．By seeking expert advice. | B．By consulting the government. |
| C．By launching a survey among its users. | D．By copying other social media platforms. |
| A．An insufficient action to keep teens safe on TikTok. |
| B．An noticeable part of network security problems. |
| C．An urgent issue waiting for TikTok to deal with. |
| D．An over reliance on TikTok among teens. |
| A．TikTok exposes young users to mental disorder | B．TikTok is dangerously addictive to teens |
| C．TikTok appeals to young users worldwide | D．TikTok is popular but not safe enough for teens |
3 . Every one of us may have been hurt by others—either by their words or actions. The best way to deal with the problem is to “forgive and forget”.
“It is well established that learning to forgive others can have positive benefits for one’s physical and mental health,” Saima Noreen, a scientist at the University of St. Andrews, UK, told the Huffington Post.
Recently, Noreen and her research team have found one more reason that you should stick to this principle—forgiving somebody who has hurt you makes it easier for you to forget the unhappy memory, according to their new study.
In the study, researchers asked volunteers to read descriptions of 40 different situations that contained bad actions such as stealing, lying and cheating. Imagining being the victims (受害者), volunteers then had to decide whether they would be able to forgive. Two weeks later, volunteers took part in a memory test. In the test, they were shown a series of words related to the situations they had read about and then were asked to recall certain ones.
The results showed that people were less likely to remember the details of the unpleasant experiences if they had found forgiveness in their hearts. In contrast, if they hadn’t forgiven the mistake, they could always remember what had happened.
However, forgiving someone who has hurt you is always easier said than done. So Noreen hopes that one day in the near future research will give rise to powerful therapeutic (有疗效的) tools that will enable people to “forgive and forget” more effectively.
1. According to the passage, Saima Noreen is ________.| A．a reporter of Huffington |
| B．a scientist from UK |
| C．a student at a university |
| D．a volunteer in the test |
| A．Forgiving helps us to forget unhappy memories. |
| B．They have found no reason to hurt other people. |
| C．A memory test is necessary to help people forgive. |
| D．An unpleasant experience can be easily forgotten. |
a. Take a memory test. b. Imagine being a victim.
c. Decide whether to forgive or not. d. Read descriptions of 40 different situations.
| A．d→b→a→c | B．a→b→d→c |
| C．a→d→b→c | D．d→b→c→a |
| A．Translate. | B．Choose. | C．Remember. | D．Explain. |
| A．It’s impossible to forgive someone. |
| B．Noreen has finished her research report. |
| C．The therapeutic tools have been invented. |
| D．There may be some therapeutic tools soon. |
4 . Technological progress has transformed every aspect of my life. I bank online and learn online. Just like other young people, when I’m hungry and busy, I will order food through a food delivery app, especially during the pandemic. These apps are fast and convenient.
A survey of the food delivery service online conducted in the US shows that 26% of the people surveyed use food delivery service once a week, while 24% order food 2—3 times per week. Some have meals delivered even more often, with 8% ordering 6 times per week.
However, I deleted Uber Eats from my phone two months ago. Not because I didn’t like using it. I loved it. I can order precisely what I feel like eating. And I can have that hot meal delivered to my door within about 30 minutes with only a small fee. It’s the kind of on-demand service that used to be reserved for the ultra-wealthy. Now ordinary people, like me, lying on their couches, working late in their living rooms, or isolating themselves at home during the pandemic can enjoy it, too.
However, I was shocked when I knew that five delivery riders were killed in three months last spring. Some riders sometimes were paid at rates lower than the minimum wage or without much of the basic protection enjoyed by the rest of us. They were also doing their jobs in an unsafe working environment — our city streets. This is particularly the case in Sydney, where some major media organizations have complained about the construction of safe cycling infra-structure(基础设施)for decades and worse still, state governments have previously torn up bike paths.
So I deleted the app and haven’t used it, or any of its competitors, since then. I have no illusions that my standpoint will make a big difference. But I think our governments need to fight against the companies reshaping our lives and our communities for the worse to make our cities safer for everyone, including cyclists.
1. What does the survey conducted in the US tell us?| A．The use of food delivery apps. |
| B．The quality of food delivery apps. |
| C．People’s preference for certain apps. |
| D．Influences of the food delivery service on people’s life. |
| A．It used to deliver hot food. |
| B．It can satisfy different users’ demands. |
| C．It favors a particular group of people. |
| D．It was the most popular app during the pandemic. |
| A．The extra delivery fee. |
| B．The attraction from other apps. |
| C．Delivery riders’ safety problems. |
| D．Heavy traffic jams caused by delivery riders. |
| A．To ask us to rethink the advantages of technological advances. |
| B．To call on us to play a role in the community development. |
| C．To state the problems of commercial companies. |
| D．To appeal to governments to make some changes. |
| A．Why I gave up using food delivery apps |
| B．The rise and fall of Uber Eats |
| C．My addiction to social apps |
| D．How I can live with apps |
5 . My greatest regret in life is that I failed to tell my superb teachers how much they contributed to my early education.
Ruth Hammerman taught English to the eighth-graders. She was the first to show me the rules of what Evelyn Waugh called our “rich and delicate language.” She was a no-nonsense instructor. Unlike common teachers, she diagramed (用图表展示) sentences so we could know the grammar rules. She never seemed to be tired of the simple pleasures of sharing her learning.
Under her influence, I had the strong belief that language needs to be well-spoken and properly written. Yet over the years I never made the effort to find her and to express my thankfulness for what she did for me. Two years after being in her class, I began the study of Latin and French, and the foundation (基础) she provided in English grammar served me well. Sadly, I never looked back.
In high school I took advanced French in a class taught by Richard Miller, the finest teacher I have ever experienced at any level. Mr. Miller brought to his subject a surprisingly deep understanding and new analysis (分析). Reading “Phèdre”, Racine’s classic play, he asked us to note there were 1,654 lines in it, and then pointed out the care Racine devoted to structure. Years later I made the same point — giving Mr. Miller credit — in a college French class, and my professor was surprised by my understanding of the play. Mr. Miller taught us to enjoy literature with particular points of view. Yet I never made the effort in later years to tell him what he meant to me.
Mr. Miller is certainly long dead. If she is alive, Miss Hammerman would likely be in her 90s. In preparing this article, I tried to find her but was unsuccessful.
I am certain my act is common. People often forget to express love and thankfulness to their teachers. I ought to have told Miss Hammerman and Mr. Miller how much they did for me. I suppose they knew their work was effective because they believed in what they were doing. Now I appreciate how special they were.
1. What is the most beneficial part to the author in Miss Hammerman’s class?| A．Grammar. | B．Writing. | C．Speaking. | D．Reading. |
| A．He asked students to count lines. |
| B．He stressed the importance of play. |
| C．He analyzed literature in a new way. |
| D．He showed great devotion to students. |
| A．Preparing the article. | B．Looking for the teachers. |
| C．Failing to thank teachers. | D．Copying teachers’ points. |
| A．Creative. | B．Frank. | C．Humorous. | D．Strict. |
| A．To show love for French literature. |
| B．To explore the meaning of education. |
| C．To explain why teachers are important. |
| D．To share memories of the two teachers. |
6 . In times of economic crisis, Americans turn to their families for support. If the Great Depression is any guide, we may see a drop in our skyhigh divorce rate. But this won’t necessarily represent an increase in happy marriages. In the long run, the Depression weakened American families, and the current crisis will probably do the same.
We tend to think of the Depression as a time when families pulled together to survive huge job losses. By 1932, when nearly one-quarter of the workforce was unemployed, the divorce rate had declined by around 25% from 1929. But this doesn’t mean people were suddenly happier with their marriages. Rather, with incomes decreasing and insecure jobs, unhappy couples often couldn’t afford to divorce. They feared neither spouse (配偶) could manage alone.
Today, given the job losses of the past year, fewer unhappy couples will risk starting separate households. Furthermore, the housing market meltdown (暴跌) will make it more difficult for them to finance their separations by selling their homes.
After financial disasters family members also tend to do whatever they can to help each other and their communities. A 1940 book “The Unemployed Man and His Family”, described a family in which the husband initially reacted to losing his job “with tireless search for work”. He was always active, looking for odd jobs to do.
The problem is that such an impulse (冲动, 推动力) is hard to sustain (维持). Across the country, many similar families were unable to maintain the initial boost in morale (士气). For some, the hardships of life without steady work eventually overwhelmed (压垮, 击溃) their attempts to keep their families together. The divorce rate rose again during the rest of the decade as the recovery took hold.
Millions of American families may now be in the initial stage of their responses to the current crisis, working together and supporting one another through the early months of unemployment.
Today’s economic crisis could well generate (产生) a similar number of couples whose relationships have been irreparably (无法弥补地) ruined. So it’s only when the economy is healthy again that we’ll begin to see just how many broken families have been created.
1. In the initial stage, the current economic crisis is likely to ________.| A．tear many troubled families apart |
| B．bring about a drop in the divorce rate |
| C．contribute to enduring family ties |
| D．cause a lot of conflicts in the family |
| A．starting a new family would be hard |
| B．they expected things would turn better |
| C．they wanted to better protect their kids |
| D．living separately would be too costly |
| A．Mounting family debts. | B．A sense of insecurity. |
| C．Falling housing prices. | D．Difficulty in getting a loan. |
| A．It will irreparably damage their relationship. |
| B．It will undermine (逐渐削弱) their mutual understanding. |
| C．It will help strengthen their emotional bonds. |
| D．It will force them to pull their efforts together. |
| A．The economic recovery will see a higher divorce rate. |
| B．Few couples can stand the test of economic hardships. |
| C．A stable family is the best protection against poverty. |
| D．Money is the foundation of many a happy marriage. |
7 . The pace of today's working life blurs (使模糊) the line between personal time and work time, and it increasingly mixes personal lifestyle and work style. And as companies are trying hard to attract and keep young people for their technical skills and enthusiasm for change, office culture is becoming an extension of youth culture. This may be no bad thing. For most of human history the middle-aged have ruled, but in the future, they will have to share power with fresh-faced youths.
There have been a number of reasons for this change and the most dramatic of these is technology. Children have always been more expert than their parents at something, but usually a game or a fashion, not the century's most important business tool. The Internet has started the first industrial revolution in history to be led by the young. Though there have been youth revolutions before, none of them made a big change the way the Internet has. Throughout the20th century, if a young person wanted to enter an American company they needed to leave their youth behind. They got a haircut, and probably a suit or at least a tie. Now the same hair, same clothes, even nearly the same hours apply to office and home.
If it had not been for the Internet, this change could not have happened. However, it did not happen because of the Internet only; the corporate restructurings (公司重组) of the 1980s and 90s broke down traditional hierarchies (等级制度). In many companies, seniority-based (基于资历的) hierarchies have been replaced by hierarchies based on performance. The abilities to please your superiors are no longer the most valued skills. Today's employees stay with companies only as long as they feel challenged and rewarded; moving from job to job is now a sign of ambition.
The rise of the young is a good thing, because it gives them more opportunity to put their ideas and energy into practice at their most creative stage in life. Nowadays youth and youth qualities seem to dominate, but the experience and maturity of older employees should be put to good use, too.
1. A company tries to attract young people for their________.| A．office culture | B．modern lifestyle |
| C．changing attitude | D．technical abilities |
| A．work in the office and at home | B．have an eye-catching hairstyle |
| C．dress in the business style | D．leave the business tool behind |
| A．achievements | B．age and experience |
| C．skills with the Internet | D．ability to please the boss |
| A．They become more energetic in life. |
| B．They have taken over the companies. |
| C．Their creativity can be put to good use. |
| D．Their ideas appeal to a great many people. |
| A．Young people will lead in fashion. |
| B．Young people will have more power. |
| C．Older people will step off the historical stage. |
| D．Older people will continue to be the main force. |
